This past weekend Jason, Lucy and I drove up to Minneapolis for a speaking program. We were on the road for about 600 miles total, and by the end of it we were relieved to be home. Lucy was an angel, so it wasn't our two month old who created the extra stress on the trip. The weather was fine, so it wasn't that. It was the other drivers. Jason and I identified a significant increase in distracted drivers. Some were swaying back and forth crossing the lines without even knowing it. Others were weaving in and out of lanes so haphazardly, they were endangering everyone around them, including …
Stir With a Purpose
One of my favorite products on our online store is the doormat which says, "Well, Butter My Butt and Call Me a Biscuit, Look Who's Here!" We've received so many great reactions from that simple sentence. Speaking of biscuits, I was looking online the other day for recipes and I found a site sharing tips and techniques for making the perfect biscuit. One of the tips really stood out to me... Stir with a Purpose: When mixing the dough, stir just until the batter is well-moistened and begins to cling together. Overworking can lead to tough, dry, and heavy biscuits; underworking can result in …
Shall We Dance?
We read recently that around two months of age a baby starts to recognize repeated events. It's funny how we have naturally implemented goofy games and such into different parts of Lucy's day (like Jason's attack of the zurbert monster on her ultra-soft belly, each time he changes her dipe). Well, a new routine we've started is something I want to invite you to try, whether you have kids or not. After dinner, before bed, each person in the household gets to pick a song... and you all get to dance. Depending on your mood, you could rock out and release some energy (a great stress reliever), you …
Chocolate Chip Cookies That Won’t Make You (Very) Fat
In our recent tournament, chocolate chip cookies were declared the All Time Greatest Childhood Food. Of course, you want to enjoy these treats as adults, but they are not so friendly on the waist line. I guess we aren't burning as many calories now, compared to when we were seven years old. Give this healthy recipe a try and don't forget to dip 'em in milk. Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup butter or trans fat-free margarine, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup …
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Banana Splits Without The Guilt
Banana splits were a real treat from childhood. They certainly weren't an everyday snack. Turn them into smoothies, however, and you can have one every day and it transforms into a healthy choice. Woo hoo! Ingredients: • 2 bananas • 8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained • 1 1/4 cup of milk • 1/2 cup of unsweetened strawberries (frozen or fresh) • 2 tbs. honey • 6 ice cubes Garnish whipped topping chocolate syrup maraschino cherries Preparation Combine bananas, pineapple, milk, strawberries and honey in a blender. Blend until smooth, no lumps. Start adding ice slowly and blending …
9 Fun Super Bowl Celebrations
As we move into February, which tends to be a hard month for people living in the colder regions of the country, it's time to get serious about not taking yourself too seriously... seriously! Adultitis is rampant this time of year! An easy way to fight this deadly disease is to celebrate the Super Bowl. It's just five days away, leaving you plenty of time to come up with a fun strategy to have some super fun this weekend. There are countless ways to celebrate the Super Bowl and enjoy the game (or in my case, the commercials). Here are some ideas to get you started... 1. Host an appetizer …
Keeping it Light
In less than a month, on Valentine's Day, Jason and I will celebrate fourteen years of being a couple. Yep, we had our first date on February 14, 1995, eating dinner at Monical's Pizza in Princeton, Illinois. How far we've come. I've learned a lot from him over the years and now that we've become parents I find myself learning tons more about him and from him each day. It's pretty cool. One thing I've noticed is that Jason, being the creative type, has invented all sorts of little games and routines with Lucy. He has a variety of things he does with her at the changing table (like "eating …
Killing Adultitis With Kindness
I'm fairly certain you would agree that the overall stress levels have revved up considerably, as of late. Fear is all over the place. Adultitis is running rampant. The buzz word seems to be: crisis. With the financial woes, the everyday worries and concerns seem amplified- job security, bills/debt, retirement planning, education, etc. With more financial stress comes more crime, abuse, addiction, divorce.... yikes. It's easy to become overwhelmed and let this fear paralyze you. It's much more of a challenge to take things one day at a time, with the goal of making the best out of each …
Escape in ’09
Three years ago Jason and I embarked on The Escape Plan, a 40 day challenge to annihilate the Adultitis in your life. On the first Wednesday of the year the challenge was "Instaparty: Find a reason to celebrate and do something to celebrate it." I had a blast celebrating the first hump day, making camel pancakes, wearing a goofy homemade hat donning camel clipart, and even visiting our local camels at the Madison zoo. It was all very childlike and reminded me of my days teaching kindergarten, when celebrations were plentiful. As you start 2009, I challenge you to incorporate childlike …
Adultitis in the NFL
The other day Jason was watching football, the Patriots vs. the Cardinals. It was on of those super snowy games that are a hoot to watch, especially when the fans throw up snowballs after a touchdown. I was paying attention out of the corner of my eye, while feeding Lucy, when Wes Welker scored a touchdown and proceeded to fall to the ground to make a snow angel. This caught my attention. Very fun! I was shocked to hear that seconds later the officials gave Welker a 15 yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Eventually he was also slapped with a $10,000 fine. Adultitis alert! …