A wedding is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life. But it can also be a breeding ground for Adultitis. This sinister foe downright salivates at events involving formal wear, the merging of families, and an expectation that everything is supposed to go perfectly. Is it possible to Adultitis-proof your wedding? Yes. But it requires a mindset that decides you're going to have fun no matter what the caterer messes up or your mother-in-law does. It also helps to incorporate some ideas that send the message to you and your guests that Adultitis is not invited. I've been …
Holidays
When Plates Tell Stories
Yep, plates tell stories. Especially fancy plates. A few months ago, a woman came up to me after one of my speaking programs to talk about her experience cleaning out her mother's home after her passing. The woman and her siblings found a box of fine china, each piece carefully wrapped just as it was when it was gifted to their parents on their wedding day. The mother was married for over fifty years. She had four kids. Thirteen grandkids. And the china was still in the box, unused. Although muffled by cardboard and packing paper, these plates told a clear story: There is no occasion …
Easter Clothes
A quick cartoon drawn in Photoshop. I like imagining the words being spoken by George Costanza's mother. …
K&J Insider Love: Valentine’s Day eCards
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! …
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Family Turns Christmas Eve Dinner Into a Barbarian Affair
One of the attendees of last summer's Escape Adulthood Summit was inspired by the Barbarian birthday party we held to celebrate our son Ben turning one. She wanted to have one with her family on Christmas Eve, but she was worried about how it would be received. Unsurprisingly, it would be quite a departure from their normal holiday traditions. Judging by the pictures she sent, it seems like it went over pretty well. (Bonus points for the twisty straw!) Sometimes the biggest hurdle to initiating a Small Rebellion is our own fear. That feeling of dread or uncertainty is Adultitis' last …
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A Post About The Winter Blues (and Ben’s Favorite Ornaments)
For the last week I have felt this unsaid pressure to take down the Christmas tree. It's January 15th, we "should probably" get it all put away. (Hmm, is this a "rule that doesn't exist"?) Here's the dealio... when the tree comes down, I'm afraid that the reality of January floods the house. It's cold. Spring is a LONG ways away. Like, not even in sight. January has the potential to be quite BLAH without the twinkling lights on our beautiful tree. But if I think about it even more honestly, the real reason is not the winter blues. It's this... …
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The Minivan Express
If you've been around here for awhile, you've probably heard of a Pajama Run. The Minivan Express is similar, but with a holiday twist. First, print up some golden tickets (templates here) and hide them under your kids' pillows. While the normal bedtime routine is underway, prep some popcorn and hot chocolate in coffee mugs (with lids). When the kids discover the golden tickets under their pillows, it's time to grab some slippers and head for the family vehicle (doesn't have to be a minivan :) to get their ticket punched. Then, with a soundtrack of Christmas music playing in the background, …
Christmas Vandalism
According to Wikipedia, "Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, an ancient Germanic people, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable." Most of the time vandalism is mean and perpetrated by jerk heads. But what if an act of vandalism is done is a spirit of cheerfulness and actually adds or enhances beauty? Is it still called vandalism? …
Christmas Carol eCards!
I made some art that features some whimsical little Christmas friends painted over the top of sheet music for classic Christmas carols. I was originally going to make them into a set of real-live Christmas cards. And them time went by too fast. Oh well, maybe next year. So I decided to turn them into eCards for Kim & Jason Insiders. (Yet another perk of free membership.) Recipients don't need to be an Insider to receive them, so you don't have to worry about hassling them to sign up. Just a fun way to spread a little Christmas cheer without having to buy stamps :) Here are the four …
Christmas Cookies Get Ugly
What sorts of things do you do every Christmas, the exact same way, because you've ALWAYS done them that way? What if you changed things up this year? I'm not talking about the sacred, untouchable family traditions (although maybe I am). But what about the things you do automatically, without much thought and without any real meaning? What if, instead of trying to make your Christmas cookies look like Martha Stewart's, you went 180º in the other direction and made them ugly instead. You know, on purpose. The photos of the treats above are from my friend Soyphet, whose office held an …