Live with Less Stress & More Fun
It is a battle that has been waging since the early days of our marriage. I am a cereal junkie, and naturally, require a perfect cereal-to-milk ratio. If I wanted to eat my cereal dry, I'd leave the milk for some stray neighborhood cats. But I don't. Milk is a crucial part of the enjoyment. However. …
[Read more...] about The Great Cereal Debate: Soggy or Crunchy?
Wes Naman is a professional photographer. Like many professionals, he was a little burned out with the "professional" side of his work and needed a break. So he grabbed some Scotch tape and got silly. With the help of some open-minded friends, he used lots and lots of tape to wrench their faces into ridiculous positions. Then he asked them to try and remove the tape using only their facial muscles. It resulted in 33 photographs like the ones pictured above. Which led to the project becoming a viral sensation, the attention of the Scotch brand itself, and an unlimited supply of rolls …
"We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." Benjamin Franklin said that. Or maybe it was George Bernard Shaw or somebody else entirely; it seems the Internet can't make up it's mind. The sentiment is true, though. And as I like to remind people, grown-ups have the money, the skills, and the autonomy to take play to a level of awesome kids could only dream of. Exhibit A: Nine guys, friends since high school, who have been engaged in an epic game of "Tag" for over 20 years. It started as a way to have fun while they were in high school and it grew …
[Read more...] about Grown Men Go To Great Lengths to Avoid Being “It”
Fact: it is impossible to have Adultitis while drawing with a marker that is almost six feet long. The picture above is from an art exhibit called "Color Me _______" at the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art. It is the brainchild of Andrew Neyer and Andy J. Miller. The artists invited attendees to become collaborators by adding the color to their work. Oh how fun that looks! I think Crayola needs to make super-sized crayons and markers, stat. I wonder if I could fit a box of 64 in my garage... …
Are you Hall of Fame material? Go ahead, think about it. Are you? While you’re mulling that over, let me ask you another question: Did you know that there is a National Toy Hall of Fame? It’s true. As you might imagine, it features things like Lincoln Logs, the Hula Hoop, the Slinky, and even the multi-talented cardboard box. What makes a toy Hall of Fame worthy? Well, it turns out there are four criteria: …
Since we like making stuff way more than we like managing inventory, every once in a while, we create something we think is cool, take orders for a week, and then buy the exact number of goodies we need to fill those orders. So whether it’s two or two thousand, I get to make cool things, you get a chance to own them, and we don’t waste any money on stuff that takes up space in our basement. Now, does this mean we will never, ever, EVER offer this product again? Not necessarily. But if you see something you like, your best bet is to snag it while you can. Chances are it won’t be available …
[Read more...] about Once Chance Only Sale: Penguin Possible T-Shirt
Andre Cassagnes, the dude who invented the Etch-a-Sketch, was an electrical technician. Cassagnes came up with the idea in his garage when he peeled a translucent decal from a light switch plate and found pencil mark images transferred to the opposite face. Initially dubbed the Telecran, the toy was renamed L'Ecran Magique, or 'The Magic Screen,' and made its debut at a toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1959. Funny thing about Etch-a-Sketches. Using one is ridiculously easy. (Especially if you want to draw, you know, stairs.) But making anything worthwhile with it is really, really hard. …
If it means reassessing your achievements in terms of your dreams and, if necessary, instigating a desire to make significant changes in core aspects of your day-to-day life or situation, then you should have one at least once a month. It's the best way to stay out of the ruts that lead to a story you never intended to live. …
[Read more...] about You Should Have a Mid-Life Crisis Every Week
Love is in the air! I've created a bunch of art over the last year that lends itself well to Valentine's Day. And while they have not yet been transformed into real live paper greeting cards, I thought it would be nice to make them into eCards for Kim & Jason Insiders, who are pretty much our favorite people on the face of the Earth. (Yet another perk of free membership.) Only Insiders can send them, but recipients don't need to be an Insider to receive them. It's a stamp-free, paper-free benefit for people who want to send a little digital love across the Interwebs. Enjoy! …
[Read more...] about K&J Insider Love: Valentine’s Day eCards
I can't imagine having a better business partner, wife, or friend than Kim. When I slow down enough to pay attention, it's really quite amazing how well we fit together. And it boggles my mind how many things had to go right in order for me to meet her. A whole lot of dominoes had to fall just so in order for us to end up at that Oogie's restaurant in that small Illinois town on the same December night with the purpose of singing Christmas carols. (Even though our reasons for being there were quite different.) I mean seriously, winning the lottery might be more mathematically likely. Is …
