Yesterday was my thirty-third birthday. Wow. I guess if I'm really lucky, I'm about a third of the way through. If I'm not, an asteroid could land on my head later today. In some ways, thirty-three seems old, but to be honest, I don't feel much older than twelve. Just a bit wiser, I hope. I spent part of yesterday morning reflecting on things of the past and things to come. I wondered what my 99-year-old self would say to this 33-year-old whippersnapper if he had the chance. Surprisingly, he was eager to share a few things, and this is what he said: 1) Don't waste time worrying about …
General
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 …
Benefits of a Different Kind
When I was a teenager, my Dad always stressed the importance of getting a job with benefits. He made a convincing argument, but in the back of my mind, I always feared that I'd end up disappointing him. Even then, I knew that my career path was unlikely to take a normal route. At that time, I envisioned a career as an illustrator. Most of the cushy studio jobs were gone, and freelancing was the most likely option. Benefits were a long shot, but I reasoned I'd rather do something I loved without them than spend fifty years in a job I hated just to have them. My career path made some …
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 …
Celebrating Laughter
Lucy hasn't officially laughed yet, but she sure is doing a lot of smiling. One of our midwives told us that in her experience working with the Navajo people, there is a custom in which the first person to make a newborn laugh is obligated to throw the family a huge party to celebrate the occasion. According to their tradition, it's considered the moment in which the baby is fully present and "in the world." I think that's pretty cool. …
Doing Nothing
We've gotten lots and lots of parenting advice over the past year. A majority of it has been unsolicited, but for the most part, it has all been very well intentioned. By far the most common bit of advice has been something along these lines: Cherish every moment; it all goes so fast. Honestly, I pretty much discarded this one as obvious and irrelevant to me. I mean after all, I'm a motivational speaker for crying out loud; it's the same sort of advice I've dished out for years. I concluded that the givers of this advice all meant well, but clearly didn't know how I roll. …
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 …
The World’s Tallest Snowman (I Mean Snowwoman)
Is it possible for a whole town to be Adultitis-free? I don't know about that, but Bethel, Maine sure comes close. In 1999, the ski town of about 2,400 residents set the record for world's tallest snowman. In 2008, the record was finally broken. By them. This time, they built a "snowwoman" and she was no dainty lass. …
[Read more...] about The World’s Tallest Snowman (I Mean Snowwoman)
You, Happier.
With Christmas only five days away many of you may be feeling some extra pressure to get everything done in time. Are you overwhelmed? The reality is, you've got a lot going on right now. It's inevitable. Don't forget, kids are also feeling the pressure. Remember those childhood fears that maybe Santa would put your name on the naughty list? Did he really see everything? December was always filled with warnings from my parents that "Santa's watching!" It's important to gain some perspective on the holiday, as we run from store to store finishing up the list. While on our maternity leave, …