Escape Adulthood

Archives for July 2008

- - - | written by on | - - -

An Expectant Dad’s Reflections on Registering (Part 1)

Kim and I finally had a chance to officially "register" for this new little freeloader we'll be welcoming into the home in around four months. Thanks, dear readers, for all of the helpful tips and suggestions. Now I'm not sure if you know this or not, but there is kind of an entire industry that caters to providing stuff for babies. I've heard rumors about these giant, warehouse-type stores designed just for this purpose. I think there are even stores that I frequent often that supposedly have entire departments devoted to this sort of thing, but I've never noticed them before. They have …

[Read more...] about An Expectant Dad’s Reflections on Registering (Part 1)

- - - | written by on | - - -

Tip of the Week: Indulge Thyself

This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #7: Indulge Thyself: Spend 15 – 30 minutes doing something you love that you don’t often have the chance to do. When I was about nine-years-old I distinctly remember consciously NOT wanting to grown-up anymore. It looked like too much work... too many hassles... too much stress. It was much easier (and TONS more fun) being a kid. My oldest sister was turning sixteen and looking for a job and it hit me that my childhood was ticking away and was eventually going to come to an end. Reality check. One of the things I prematurely …

[Read more...] about Tip of the Week: Indulge Thyself

- - - | written by on | - - -

Meet Jim Peters

Our featured fan is Jim Peters, who was our June S.W.E.L.L. prize winner. He won a colorful assortment of 16 Kim & Jason greeting cards. Jim shared, Here are a couple of pictures, the first one is of me and one of my heroes, Donald Duck. The second one is me and another buddy of mine. • Hometown... I’m originally from Chicago, Illinois… not the suburbs, mind you… actually in the city… Northwest side… (ok, so I’m a city snob!… everyone always says they’re from Chicago, and then you find out they really didn’t live in the city… I did!) I also lived in St. Louis, MO for many years (once …

[Read more...] about Meet Jim Peters

- - - | written by on | - - -

Delight in the Little Things

One of the things all kids do is delight in the little things. They appreciate the stuff that us adults often take for granted. In order to bring a little excitement back into our lives, it's important that we see the world through new eyes, just like children do. The following is an audio excerpt (Chapter 1) from my book, Escape Adulthood: 8 Secrets from Childhood for the Stressed-Out Grown-Up. Listen in to learn how you can get back into being excited about the little things. It has a way of making life a lot more fun. …

[Read more...] about Delight in the Little Things

- - - | written by on | - - -

Summer Staples

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that my childhood summers were "the good 'ol days." Truly the lazy days of life. Why not recapture some of those moments as grown-ups? It's a surefire way to annihilate any Adultitis in your life. If you haven't done one of these five things this summer, you need to get out your calendar and schedule one in... NOW. 1. Catch a lightening bug and put it in a jar in your bedroom. 2. Grill out and have a picnic. Don't forget the sweet corn and cherry pie. 3. Go to an ice cream stand and get a treat, the more scoops the better. 4. Lay under the stars …

[Read more...] about Summer Staples

- - - | written by on | - - -

Tip of the Week: Doodlesmile

This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #8: Doodlesmile: Draw a funny picture and hide it in an unexpected place for someone else to find. When I was teaching Kindergarten, on average, I probably received three pictures a day from individual students in my class. Usually, one of the three would be left on my desk at some point throughout the day, nameless. I would find it around 4PM while attempting to find my desktop. It always brought a smile to my face, even after the toughest of days. Kids love to make pictures for others, it's a simple way they show …

[Read more...] about Tip of the Week: Doodlesmile

- - - | written by on | - - -

Escape Event #3 Winner: “The Cup”

Last weekend was Kim & Jason Escape Event #3. The challenge was simply this: Do something fun that is inspired by one of your favorite movies! Kim and I got talking about "our song" and remembered that it played a big role in the movie Karate Kid, Part II. The song I speak of is Peter Cetera's "Glory of Love", which was a #1 hit in the U.S. and won an Academy Award nomination for best song from a film. We heard it on the radio while we were on our first date, Valentine's Day, 1995. We both said how much we loved the song upon hearing it in the car on the way to Monical's Pizza. …

[Read more...] about Escape Event #3 Winner: “The Cup”

- - - | written by on | - - -

What Are the Baby Care Essentials?

This weekend, Kim and I are planning to visit stores like Target, Babies 'R Us, and Just Leave Your Wallet at the Door It'll Be Easier in order to register for upcoming baby showers. (Raining babies, what a concept!) In preparation, I, the dutiful father, have come up with an idea. This could be one of my best ideas ever. Or it could rank right up there as the one I most regret. I thought it might be a good idea to get the advice of our readers on a few things, as I know plenty of parents are following along. We live in an apartment, so we don't have all kinds of extra space for …

[Read more...] about What Are the Baby Care Essentials?

- - - | written by on | - - -

Acting Young

Today is the youngest you will ever be. Act like it. - Mark Cuban Whether you liked him in office or not, former President George H.W. Bush Sr. is a great example of what this quote it all about. This picture is from his sixth jump, at the age of 83, just less than a year after a hip replacement. What kind of jump should you be making? (Thanks, Phil, for sharing this quote!) …

[Read more...] about Acting Young