Escape Adulthood

Live with Less Stress & More Fun

Archives for July 2015

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The What the Hell Approach to Living a Great Story

The #Notarule Tour is well underway. We have already visited a bookstore, a zoo, an old bank, and the home of some Escape Adulthood Summit alumni. But now the certifiably insane part is upon us. We are embarking on a 10-day road trip in a Ford Edge with three kids under seven. And then we’re doing it again a month later. Most parents might think we're batsh#t crazy. Sometimes I do, too. Because it is a little bit crazy. And it might not work. But that’s exactly why it’s worth doing. I loved the message I once saw printed on a sign at a store that said, “Ever notice that what the hell is always the right decision?" When Kim and I first considered the idea, one of the biggest causes for pause was cash. We're not getting any money from the publisher, and this won’t be cheap. So we’re trying to be smart. We’re using rewards points for some of our hotel stays. We’ll only be staying in places with a complimentary breakfast. We bought a cooler to transport food for lunches. …

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Saturday Morning Sprinkles: Bubble Alarm Clock Edition

• Notifly is a calendar notification device that sits on your desk and lets you know when you have a meeting, by blowing a bubble. So cool. • Also thought this tweak on the traditional nametag was clever. • I'll be honest. Lots of people sent me a link to this adult preschool and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, it feels a little more childish than childlike, but on the other, I appreciate the fact that sometimes you need to push the envelope in order to beat Adultitis. • Kim and I love us some Jimmy Fallon. Here's a fun video on #MyCrazyFamily tweets: Finally, some posts from around here you may have missed: • #Notarule Tour Drops into Dream Bank in Madison • Contrary to Popular Belief, You are not an Octopus …

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How to Host Your Very Own Escape Adulthood Party

Once upon a time, there was a friendly, kind, and generous woman named Joan. She attended an Escape Adulthood Summit in Madison and wanted to bring back some of the magic she experienced to a group of her friends. So she hosted the first ever Escape Adulthood Party. And a great time was had by all. Joan didn’t ask for permission. She didn’t have an advanced degree in party planning. She just did it. And Kim and I were just tickled pink about it. We have always thought this fight against Adultitis was bigger than us, and we are delighted whenever our suspicions are proven right. The three Escape Adulthood Summits we’ve put on have been magical experiences, but the spirit that brings them to life is bigger than any one person, place, or parcel of time. Joan created a spark, and we set out to help fan the flame. And so, two years ago, we went to work putting together a guide to inspire and encourage others to put on Escape Adulthood Parties of their own. After all, who …

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Saturday Morning Sprinkles: Cookie Monster Rug Edition

• At first I thought a hunter shot Cookie Monster and turned him into a rug. Turns out you can make one without harming any Muppets. Phew! • At long last, coloring books for adults are here. When was the last time you held a crayon in your hand? • Hmmm....Is the secret of happiness contained in this Danish word? • I suspect most Star Wars nerds have already seen the behind-the-scenes footage from Episode 7 they showed at the San Diego Comic-Con. (Checked that event off my bucket list a few years ago, btw!) But just in case you wanted to watch it again... Finally, some posts from around here you may have missed: • Breaking rules can help you be ah-mazing • Adultitis-free audio …

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Contrary to Popular Belief, You Are Not an Octopus

Today I’d like to talk about octopuses. Because it’s what we think we’re like when we multitask. Yep, we imagine we’re like an octopus, one that’s holding a crayon with each arm, coloring eight different things simultaneously. Like a boss. If only that were true. If we are an octopus, we're an octopus with only one arm, who colors one square inch of something, drops the crayon, picks up another, colors another square inch, drops that crayon, and on and on. Research tells us that the human brain can only concentrate on one thing at a time. What we’re doing when we THINK we’re multitasking, is switching very quickly between two or more tasks. Which, studies also show, can temporarily reduce our IQ more than losing a night’s sleep or smoking marijuana. Perhaps you already knew this. And yet we persist, all in the quest to get more done. Because life is happening so fast, it feels like we have to multitask just to keep up with everything. Back in the day, it may have …

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#Notarule Tour Drops Into Dream Bank in Madison

The Madison stop for the #Notarule Tour was held on Saturday, in conjunction with the beloved Art Fair on the Square, and it was a huge success! We originally wanted to hold it at the local zoo near the penguin exhibit, but like many zoos we ran in to, they weren't that interested. As fate would have it, the exact morning we got a thumbs down from the zoo is the same day we stumbled into the Dream Bank for the first time. The Dream Bank is a neat community space sponsored by American Family Insurance. It's in an old, renovated bank, and they offer all kinds of free community programs, from small business seminars to Pinterest parties. It was love at first site, and we started a relationship that not only includes this Tour stop, but a bunch of presentations Kim and I will be putting on in the next year. It was such a perfect space for our message, many people commented how they couldn't tell where their stuff ended and ours began. Taking advantage of Art Fair on the …

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Saturday Morning Sprinkles: Playing with Spilled Drinks Edition

• They say you shouldn't cry over spilled milk. Giulia Bernardelli takes things to a whole new level, making art out of her spills. Fantastic. • 8 Great Lessons from Mr. Rogers That Are Still True When You're an Adult • 4 Ways to Get A 15 Minute Vacation Every Day. Good reminders from Mike Foster! • I'd love to have a future Escape Adulthood Summit at this Legoland Hotel that recently opened. My favorite thing? You get free Legos with your stay! Finally, some posts from around here you may have missed: • To be continued • #Notarule Tour Stop at NEW Zoo in Green Bay …

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Adultitis-Free Audio

In the whirlwind that has been the launch of Penguins Can't Fly, I have had the great privilege of being the guest on some neat radio shows and podcasts. I wanted to share a few I haven't already blogged about. They are definitely worth a listen if you are interested in hearing tips about fighting Adultitis, finding balance, and having more fun. The shot above was from an interview I did on The Joy Cardin Show on Wisconsin Public Radio. The neat part about this experience (besides meeting Joy!) was the opportunity to be live and take calls from listeners. The hour went fast, and we covered a LOT of rules that don't exist. I was also recently on Elise Gets Crafty. I first heard about Elise a year or so ago, and although I am not exactly her target audience, I have enjoyed following her blog and podcast. She does a great job of sharing the behind-the-scenes process of her small business, and her podcast is a great resource for creative people of all types. Plus, her Get to Work …

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Next up on the #Notarule Tour: an Art Fair and a House Party!

The #Notarule Tour is a curious cavalcade of unusual events united in the purpose of helping you break rules that don’t exist. Fueled by the message of my new book, this is one unconventional book tour, with stops at all kinds of unexpected places. We're taking advantage of the great opportunity to experiment, and we're really having fun with it. We just had our first stop at a zoo, and in the next week, we have two more unique events going down. The first is this Saturday in Madison from 1:30 - 3:30 pm at the Dream Bank across from the State Capitol. In conjunction with Madison's beloved Art Fair on the Square, this is part art show, part book signing, part interactive experience featuring ugly cookie decorating! This is our big hometown release party, and we couldn't be more excited about it! Get details here. The second is happening on Monday, July 13, in St. Charles, Illinois. Bummed out that we couldn't secure a spot at Cookie Dough Creations in Naperville, we had a …

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Breaking Rules Can Help You Be Ah-Mazing

I had a wonderful opportunity to sit down for a fun conversation with my dear friend Neen James, who is a productivity guru of epic proportions. Now, many people might put "productivity gurus" into a box of boring, bland and beige individuals who have all these rigid restrictions. Not Neen. She loves the color pink, rides a Harley, and is a first-class rule breaker. We share the sometimes helpful trait where if someone says we can't do something, we automatically want to prove them wrong, just on principle. Anyway, please check out what she has going on, and enjoy this fun video conversation about rules, Adultitis, and my new book, Penguins Can't Fly +39 Other Rules That Don't Exist. …

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