Saturday afternoon Jason and I ended up at the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for the recipes for the weekend. (Jason treated me by making three very yummy dinners!) As many couples do in the grocery shopping situation, we split up to divide and conquer our list. I was about done and I went looking for Jason, only to find him walking from the cereal aisle looking like this... Yes, this is the actual picture of him from that exact moment that I took from my new iPhone. I instantly started laughing hysterically- for a couple of reasons. First, because it's just more proof that I am, …
Delight in the Little Things
Tip of the Week: Sick of it Day
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #40: Sick of it Day: Take the day off. Do anything you want, but no work and no chores. Consider it a sick day or at least a “sick of it” day. If you live in the United States, this one should be easy this week, since today is Labor Day. The reality is, however, that often times when presented with a day off our natural tendency is to fill it with things that "need" to get done... yard work, laundry, cleaning projects, etc. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and let it all go. Enjoy the long overdue laziness of this final …
Tip of the Week: Instaparty
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is: #2 Instaparty: Find a reason to celebrate and do something to celebrate it. This past weekend Jason and I attended the wake of one of my former kindergarten students. She was ten and had battled cancer for the last 3+ years. Wakes are hard no matter what, but this one was probably the hardest one I've been to. With older folks who pass away, you can look back and celebrate their life and all that they were able to experience. In this case, I'm pretty sure everyone in that long line heading into the funeral home felt a sense of …
Be Happy Now
The street upon which our office/shop is located is getting torn up right now. There are gigantic trucks digging holes, dirt everywhere, lots of loud noises and large tubes lying around waiting to be put underground. It's a little boy's dreamland, and Jason and I saw this firsthand. While walking into the office we came upon a young mom and her two-year-old son in a stroller. They were parked on the sidewalk in front of our shop staring at the construction site. I immediately looked in the direction they were looking, to see if something cool was happening, but all I saw was a couple of guys …
9 Lessons From the Bump
As the baby bump grows bigger and the end of November seems to approach more rapidly with each day, I'm having fun reflecting on the lessons I'm learning along the way... lessons that are specific to my situation of carrying our first baby (KoJu as the RodeoClown calls him/her, "Kotecki Junior"), but these lessons can also be applied to anyone looking to live life with less stress and more fun. 1. Take care of yourself. Eat foods that are good for you, drink water, exercise regularly, breathe deep, stretch daily, sleep long enough, and make an effort to stay on an even keel. 2. Don't …
Tip of the Week: Souvenir From Childhood
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is: #4 Souvenir From Childhood: Add something childlike (not necessarily childish) to your workspace or home. Souvenirs are so childlike, aren't they? The concept of picking out a momento... a keepsake that will help you remember the best parts of your journey. What about the journey of childhood? What were the best parts that you want to remember? So quickly we forget. If you could go to a gift shop filled with items exclusively representing your childhood, what would you find? …
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Tip of the Week: Indulge Thyself
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #7: Indulge Thyself: Spend 15 – 30 minutes doing something you love that you don’t often have the chance to do. When I was about nine-years-old I distinctly remember consciously NOT wanting to grown-up anymore. It looked like too much work... too many hassles... too much stress. It was much easier (and TONS more fun) being a kid. My oldest sister was turning sixteen and looking for a job and it hit me that my childhood was ticking away and was eventually going to come to an end. Reality check. One of the things I prematurely …
Delight in the Little Things
One of the things all kids do is delight in the little things. They appreciate the stuff that us adults often take for granted. In order to bring a little excitement back into our lives, it's important that we see the world through new eyes, just like children do. The following is an audio excerpt (Chapter 1) from my book, Escape Adulthood: 8 Secrets from Childhood for the Stressed-Out Grown-Up. Listen in to learn how you can get back into being excited about the little things. It has a way of making life a lot more fun. …
Summer Staples
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that my childhood summers were "the good 'ol days." Truly the lazy days of life. Why not recapture some of those moments as grown-ups? It's a surefire way to annihilate any Adultitis in your life. If you haven't done one of these five things this summer, you need to get out your calendar and schedule one in... NOW. 1. Catch a lightening bug and put it in a jar in your bedroom. 2. Grill out and have a picnic. Don't forget the sweet corn and cherry pie. 3. Go to an ice cream stand and get a treat, the more scoops the better. 4. Lay under the stars …
Tip of the Week: Doodlesmile
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #8: Doodlesmile: Draw a funny picture and hide it in an unexpected place for someone else to find. When I was teaching Kindergarten, on average, I probably received three pictures a day from individual students in my class. Usually, one of the three would be left on my desk at some point throughout the day, nameless. I would find it around 4PM while attempting to find my desktop. It always brought a smile to my face, even after the toughest of days. Kids love to make pictures for others, it's a simple way they show …