Archives for November 2009

- - - | written by Jason on 11/29/2009 | - - -

What You Can Learn About Treating Adultitis from Bert and Ernie

Cut from the same cloth as Laurel and Hardy, Bert and Ernie are Sesame Street's classic comedic duo. They were the only Muppets to appear in the 1969 pilot episode. Their appearance was the only segment that tested well, which led to the decision that Muppet characters would be the "stars" of the show. Over the years, Bert and Ernie have helped many kids strengthen their math and language skills while learning about important concepts like sharing and cooperation. Even though the show is geared toward children, there are actually some pretty good lessons we can all learn about dealing with …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/28/2009 | - - -

Indulge In A Quick Mind Snack

Curt Rosengren is one passionate dude. As a coach, writer, and speaker (aka a Passion Catalyst), Curt uses his curious, fun, insightful nature to help people plug into the power of their passion. He's lived in five different countries and traveled to over thirty, so he's been around the block when it comes to seeing firsthand how passion makes a difference in people's live around the world. He posted some awfully kind thoughts about our new book, There's An Adult In My Soup, over at his groovy blog. Here's a snippet: …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/27/2009 | - - -

PSA: Office Clutter

You know those "The More You Know" public service announcements that NBC does? We'll we filmed our own. Hopefully it will get the word out about the rarely talked about dangers of office clutter. Knowledge is power, people. Stay safe. [flv:http://www.kimandjason.dreamhosters.com/clubkj_stuff/misc_videos/psa/psa-office-clutter.flv 450 338] iPod Version (11.9 MB) …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/25/2009 | - - -

A First-Year Father’s 13 Things to Be Thankful For

In a few weeks, my daughter Lucy will celebrate her first birthday. Last Thanksgiving, we had to skip the traditional two-hour drive home because my wife looked like she was hiding the Great Pumpkin under her shirt. At the risk of sounding like every other dad who’s ever lived, I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. (Even though the first few weeks did seem like an eternity.) With another Thanksgiving just around the corner, and my first year of fatherhood coming to a close, I sure do have a lot to be thankful for, including sleep, football, and cheese. Here’s the full list: …

- - - | written by Kim on 11/24/2009 | - - -

What is YOUR Cardboard Box?

Thanksgiving week is interesting because one minute you're feeling thankful and blessed for all you have, and the next minute Black Friday strikes with everyone wanting more and more and more. For me, shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving is like going to a funeral the day after a wedding. What a buzz kill. The fact that a 34-year-old Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death last year at 5am by a bunch of shoppers just makes me sick. Why is our society so crazed for stuff? I have the answer. It's simple and really sad. Stuff makes people happy. (At least that's what our actions …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/22/2009 | - - -

Kiss and Tell: The Giraffe Confessions

I've shown this particular video near the end of every speaking program I've done over the past several years. It chronicles an adventure Kim and I had in Colorado Springs in which we became VERY close friends with a herd of giraffes. It usually gets a pretty good reaction from the crowd, including laughs and giggles of both delight and disgust. The video is a little misleading, however. …

- - - | written by a Guest Star on 11/21/2009 | - - -

Soup That’s Dessert for Your Soul

This is a special guest post from Lisa Warsinske, who is a humorist speaker and improvisational queen over at Comedy Alley. Just finished chomping on the Kotecki’s latest book There’s An Adult In My Soup and I must say it was quite disappointing. Not one recipe. The pictures were all black and white. The articles made me feel that I’m missing out on something... *Insert needle on the record scratch sound effect here* Please ignore the first paragraph. I have to admit there are times my adult self seeps out. But I’ve got that in check now and I can’t wait to share what I thought of Kim …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/20/2009 | - - -

An Easy Personalized Game to Play with Your Family This Holiday Season – EA Show #46

The holidays are upon us, which usually means extended quality time with the family. After everybody gets caught up on current events like who just got engaged and the name of Uncle Jack's newest girlfriend, why not spice things up this year with an easy and fun game that will get you reminiscing about treasured memories (while creating some hilarious new ones). On this show, we talk about what you need and how to play. Oh yeah, we also talk briefly about ways to make air travel more fun. Share Your Thoughts... What do you think about this week's show? How do you think the airlines could …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/18/2009 | - - -

How to Converse Like a Crazy Person

So here's a fun game to play with friends, family, co-workers, or fellow mental patients. It's an idea that was shared with me by a woman at a nursing home social workers convention I recently spokeat. What I love about it is that it doesn't cost a dime, you can play with any number of people, you don't need any special props, and you can avoid boring small talk. (Score!) It's perfect for road trips and family get togethers. Here's how it works: One person starts the conversation with any random statement. Immediately, the next person has to follow that up with a statement or question that …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/15/2009 | - - -

Memories Are Made Outside the Box

What are your favorite memories? You know, the mental Polaroids that will stay with you forever; the treasured times spent with friends or family that always seem to get brought up and relived when you're together. For me, just off the top of my head, I think of my wedding day, the day Lucy was born, family vacations in Door County, two surprise birthday parties, early-morning fishing trips with my dad and uncle, feeding giraffes with my mouth, and an eighth grade school field trip to Chicago to eat at Ed Debevic's and watch Michael Jordan play hoops. Those memories all occurred at …