Mindfulness For a Happier Thanksgiving

I don't know if I can wait another day until Thanksgiving! Already, visions of sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie are dancing in my head. If I had to make a list, right this minute, of all that I am thankful for, Thanksgiving Day itself would be right on top. I love everything about this holiday rooted in celebrating our blessings and showing love and gratitude to friends and family in my very favorite way: cooking and sharing really delicious food. As much as I look forward to this holiday every year, I am often guilty of giving so much of my attention and energy to the preparations for the celebration, (shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating...), that I am too absorbed in the details to notice and appreciate the abundant, simple, happy moments that this day brings.

This year, I'm determined not to get lost in the details! What can we do to really be present in our holiday celebrations this year, to notice and feel and appreciate all the goodness around us, when we still have potatoes to mash, and turkey shaped place cards to make?

What if we practiced a little mindfulness this Thanksgiving?

You know, mindfulness...being present in the present. Noticing what you are feeling, seeing, tasting, touching...making a conscious decision to slow down the rushed, routine, thoughtless, way of cruising through our day, and to really notice and appreciate.

Thich Nhat Hanh captured mindfulness perfectly when he said, "Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life."

Here are some simple mindfulness ideas that I'm going to give a try this Thanksgiving. Try them too, and I'll bet that you will notice an abundance of reasons to be truly thankful this year.

A Mindful Thanksgiving

-When you're stuck in the kitchen peeling potatoes, or rolling out pie crust, resist the natural instinct to plow through, intent on finishing the task, and instead, really notice the process. Notice the bright orange of the sweet potato, or the spicy, warm, scent of cinnamon. Notice how the bread dough feels between your fingers as you knead it. Tune into the moment and appreciate it for exactly what it is.

-Be present in conversations. Take advantage of having friends and family gathered near, and really engage in conversation. Make eye contact. Really listen. Don't let the dishes, or your cell phone, divide your attention.

-Take time on this day of thankfulness, to focus on all you have to be thankful for. Make a list, in your mind, or on paper, of the little things, (and big), that make your life happy: The bright orange leaves on the tree in your backyard, your favorite sweater, kind words, apple pie, laughter, home, family. Thinking of your blessings will turn your mind to what this holiday is all about, and keep you from focusing too much on less important things. Plus, if you take time to be grateful, you will have a happier holiday! It's true! Gratitude fosters happiness.

I read about a study done by Dr. Robert Emmons, a professor of Psychology at UC Davis in California. He studied over 1,000 people, asking some participants to write down five things that they were grateful for every day, and the rest to write down five difficult things, or "hassles", that they had dealt with in their day. Just the simple act of turning their focus from the bad, to the good things that happened each day, the group who wrote a gratitude list each day were shown to have, " a 25 percent improvement in overall health and wellbeing in comparison with the group focusing on what had gone wrong each day." ("8 Wellbeing Benefits of Practicing Gratitude", londonmindful.com)

All right, I'm ready for the most memorable and happy Thanksgiving yet! I'm armed with a killer recipe for creamed corn, my family, some seriously cute decorations, and a little mindfulness.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara



 (For more ideas on what you can do to focus on gratitude this Thanksgiving, check out this cool podcast, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/gratitude_practices

The Power of Everyday Traditions to Strengthen Families

As is often the case, when pots of colorful mums and everything pumpkin spice, give way to peppermint ice-cream and my Pandora Christmas station playing continuously, my thoughts turn to all that makes the holiday season so memorable and special: gratitude for all the gifts of life, service, love, family, and tradition.

You know that Dickens inspired saying, "We should celebrate Christmas in our hearts all year long"? I've been thinking a little along those lines. Holiday traditions add meaning to our celebrations, unite friends and family, and inspire lasting memories. Why do we limit traditions to a select few special occasions? Why not bring traditions, with all their memory-making power, to our everyday?

I know that none of us have a lot of extra time in our daily schedules to work in elaborate, or time-consuming traditions. It's ridiculous to think of trying to carve pumpkins, or decorate gingerbread houses every Tuesday night. These traditions are great, but there's a reason we limit them to once a year...they're a lot of work!

The beauty of a daily tradition is, the simpler the better! The point is to find daily ways to show love, make memories, and connect with our families, not to spend a lot of time, energy, or money. (None of which I usually have a lot of. 😊)

It's easier than you think! Here are a few of the happy, extremely simple, ways I've found to work tradition into my family's everyday.

Cereal??

If you know me at all, you know I have a thing for cereal. Maybe this love took root as a kid, fishing free prizes of plastic spoons with Tony the Tiger handles, or secret decoder rings, out of the boxes before my brothers found them. I know this love grew as a busy college student, surviving off a steady diet of this super quick and easy meal. I've always loved cereal. Movies are more fun with a bowl of cereal. What is the perfect post-workout food, comfort food, and bedtime snack...cereal, of course.

Some of my kids have found a similar appreciation for cereal.

A few days ago I was talking with my oldest daughter, away at college. She was feeling a little overwhelmed with classes, and her busy schedule, and the number of days on the calendar before Christmas break. It's tough to comfort your kid from 2,000 miles away! So, I thought of something familiar, something that connects us, and might make home seem a little less far away for her. As silly as it sounds, that day, cereal was the answer.

We both broke out bowls and spoons, and Special K, and ate a few bites together over Skype. It was simple, kind of ridiculous, and exactly what she needed. Tradition is powerful stuff!

Family Room Yoga

Sometimes as our kids get older and their interests change, it can be a little tricky to find ways to connect. I remember freaking out a little when suddenly One Direction and iPhones were way cooler than playing at the park and Cyberchase. I wasn't sure how to stay close and connected with teenagers?! I had never raised one of those before!

Then one day we discovered free workout videos that came with our cable TV On Demand. I don't remember how it started exactly. Maybe I tried a Yoga video, and my girls were curious and joined in. Pretty soon we found our favorite workouts, and new one's to try. We started motivating each other to exercise more, and looking forward to those Saturdays, or summer mornings, working out together. There was a lot of laughing at how much less cool we looked attempting humble warrior, than the instructor, and at how noisy our cracking knees were every time we attempted a squat or a lunge. Our favorite part of every workout was by far the totally necessary post-workout snack.

This tradition started 5 or 6 years ago, and still, whenever the three of us are all at home together, one of us will inevitably say, "We should do a workout!"

Pass it Down

Most of us have a favorite Christmas tradition or two that we loved as a kid, and have passed down to our own families. What about the smaller, meaningful, daily, memories you might have from childhood? When you share simple, significant, experiences from your childhood, you can connect generations, and pass on an an appreciation for things that were important to you as a kid.

It's so interesting to me, looking back, that it was the small and simple things that meant the most. Why do I attempt to can peaches and tomatoes, even though I am secretly terrified that I will give my whole family botulism? It's an attempt to recreate for my kids, those happy memories of that syrupy sweet, heavy, smell of peaches filling the house, and the bright, sunny, mason jars lining the shelves afterwards.

Why does my husband give up a night of peaceful sleep in his own bed, and instead lug sleeping bags and pillows out to the trampoline, and spend the night with bouncy, excited, talkative kids? First, it's because he is a way better sport than I am, and second, because I've told my kids of my happy memories of my dad giving into our incessant begging, and agreeing to sleep on the trampoline with us, so we could point out all the constellations we knew, and fall asleep to the sounds of our neighbors sprinkler and crickets.

Why wait until Christmas? Break out some everyday traditions now! I'll bet that you probably already have a few sweet, daily traditions that you didn't even realize you had. Maybe reading to your kids at night before bed, or a hug and an encouraging word before the kids head off to school, or brownies every Sunday. It doesn't take much! Look for simple ways that you can show love and connect with your family every day.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara

Joy is Strength

Lately I've come to know a brand new emotion. I'm just taking a guess here, but I'll bet that you might have felt it too. 

With all the turmoil, devastation, corruption, loss, heartache, hate, anger, fear, and sadness that the world has experienced to the extreme in the last several months, my heart has ached, and my mind struggled, to make sense of it all. I've begun to feel like it was almost wrong to allow myself to be cheerful and happy when so many were hurting. 

How could I continue on in the relative peace and ease of my daily life, while so many were suffering? 

The easy optimism that I have generally known all my life has begun to be insufficient for such large scale problems. Earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, hunger, hopelessness, unimaginable violence and hatred. It just keeps coming and there's not a whole lot that I can do to fix things. These thoughts press down heavily on my mind.

Lately hope is pretty hard to come by.

I know deep down that it can't be right to let the darkness snuff out all of the light and goodness that I have seen so many times in the world. What about beauty and love? What about kindness, culture, friendship, and goodness in all it's abundant forms? How can I feel real sorrow and sympathy for all the heartache in the world, and still find joy and hope in my own life?

I look to some of history's most brilliant minds, and noble hearts, for a little inspiration. How have others carried on and stayed strong when the world seemed a scary place.

Here is some of the strength of the ages! In no particular order, some of my favorite quotes from some pretty amazing souls. Write them down! Say them over and over! Memorize these words! Cross-stitch them on a pillow! Whatever will help. : )

"Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." Gordon B. Hinkley

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” 
Eleanor Roosevelt

“We should ask God to increase our hope when it is small, awaken it when it is dormant, confirm it when it is wavering, strengthen it when it is weak, and raise it up when it is overthrown.” 
John Calvin

“Joy is strength.” 
Mother Teresa

                                                                                   (photo source: biography.com)

“God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future--to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.
 Jeffrey R. Holland

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." Martin Luther King Jr.

"Our human compassion binds us the one to the other-not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt to turn our common suffering into hope for the future"
Nelson Mandella

                                                                      (Photo source: Dallas Post Tribune)

"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity. our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful."
Marie Curie

"I simply cannot build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery and death...I think...peace and tranquility will come again."
Anne Frank

                                                                                      (Photo source:MVC Delta)

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara

YOU Can Make A Difference!

From the minute we were engaged, and dreaming about our future together, Jacob and I talked about a little farmhouse on some land. A big garden, a few chickens, and lots of barefoot kids running around, exploring, digging up worms, and eating raspberries off the canes.

This was the dream.

The part about lots of barefoot kids came pretty easily, but the farmhouse and the land turned out to be a little trickier to come by. Finally, after 15 years, we found the perfect little spot. A 100 year old house on 3 acres.

We were ecstatic!

It turns out that when you are desperate to fulfill a long-awaited dream, you are likely to forget to stop and think before charging ahead full speed. After we bought the house, we realized that we just might be in over our heads.

There was A LOT of land, that was for sure. We were excited to plant trees and grass and the gigantic garden that we had dreamed of for so many years. We quickly learned however, that it takes a lot of time and money to tame all that unruly land...Much more than an busy scientist and a pregnant mom of 5 had to give.

We were quickly overwhelmed, but what was there to do but try.

We borrowed a tiller from a friend, and plowed up an ambitiously large, (too ambitious, we soon learned), plot of land for a garden. We had been waiting years for this garden, and we got a little crazy with the seed catalog. We planted peas, carrots, beets, pumpkins, corn, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, and sunflowers.



















In no time, with the help of Colorado's seasonal monsoon rainstorms, the garden took off. Everything was growing like weeds, especially the weeds.

Jacob and I spent hours almost every day in the garden, working furiously just to keep the weeds down. We pulled and pulled and hoed and hoed until our hands blistered, and still, we couldn't keep the weeds at bay. The garden was just too big, and the weeds were just too pervasive. There was no possible way to win this battle. The weeds in one part of the garden grew 5 feet tall! We would weed the spinach one day, and the next day when we came out to weed the tomatoes, the spinach needed weeding again.

It felt hopeless.

We didn't quit. We kept weeding and tending our garden, because we knew that if we stopped, the weeds would take over completely.

Some days I felt like I was barely making a difference. But I WAS making a difference, and I was being changed in the process too! All that time outside, working in the sunshine and fresh air, made me stronger, happier, more at peace, and my whole family was benefiting from the homegrown produce.

That was a really long story about gardening for a post that has nothing to do with gardening, but is instead about staying hopeful when things look overwhelmingly grim, about giving all you've got to make things better, even when all you've got doesn't seem like very much, about realizing that one person, doing their part, does make a difference.

Mahatma Ghandi wisely counseled,

It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”  

Do something. Keep loving and accepting and helping in the best way YOU can. Don't lose hope. Every thoughtful, conscientious, little thing you do makes a big difference.

Ghandi knew what he was talking about,

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world."

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara

The Local Grass is Always Greener

Julia Child once said,
                                  
"People who love to eat are always the best people" 

Julia would have really liked me. 

I love good food. I once had a Croque Madame in Belgium that was so perfect, I think I might have teared up a little, and pesto in a fancy restaurant in Spain that blew my mind, but the food that I get really excited about are fruits and vegetables. It's a miracle, actually, that I have any friends at all, with vegetables so high on my list of interests. I can't help myself. If I had to trace back my love of produce, I think it might have all started with childhood memories like picking a ripe peach off the tree in my backyard, still warm from the sun, or popping open a pod, fat with a perfect row of sweet peas, or listening to my dad stand on the front porch commiserating with a neighbor on just how successful the "cuke" crop had been that year. 

There's something sublime about fresh fruit and vegetables, "fresh", being the important word here. Have you ever picked strawberries right from the patch, sweet, flavorful, and so juicy that it stains your fingers red, and marveled at how different they tasted from the strawberries you grabbed from the grocery store? Or, think of summer barbecues made memorable by the perfect corn on the cob from your local farmer's market. You don't have to be a vegetable nerd like me to know that fresh and local produce just tastes better than blueberries from Chile, or cucumbers shipped from across the country.  

 

Buying local fruits and vegetables just makes sense. When we make an effort to buy locally, we benefit in so many ways.

1. Local produce is better for you.

Not only does the asparagus or apple from your local farmer's market trump the grocery store wannabe in looks and flavor, but it's far and away more nutritious too! 

An article on greenopedia.com, explains why:

"When we buy foods that have been grown across the country or across the world, it can take weeks or longer for that food to travel from the farm to your table. As a result, these fruits and veggies must be harvested prematurely, which prevents some of their nutrients from ever forming.

To compound the issue, foods are also treated with special gasses, which further delays their ripening (and their ability to form nutrients) in order to ensure they survive their long journey.

And since it takes so much time for the fruits and veggies to travel from the farm to your table, much of the nutritional value it did have before it was harvested has been lost by the time it reaches your plate."

2. Buying local is environmentally friendly

It's easy to see the benefits of recycling your soda cans, or walking to work instead of driving, but how does buying tomatoes from your local farmer help save the world?

Barbara Kingsolver, in her brilliant book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, makes the environmental impact clear.

“The average food item on a U.S. grocery shelf has traveled farther than most families go on their annual vacations.” 

She continues, 

“Each food items in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles....If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.”

That's a lot of oil! Who knew that buying local lettuce from farmer field, instead of picking up a bag from the grocery store, could make such a big impact on the environment. 

3. Buying local benefits your community 

"The money that is spent with local farmers and growers all stays close to home and is reinvested with businesses and services in your community." says an article by MSU extension, called "7 Benefits of Eating Local Foods"

Farmers depend on their community's support for their livelihood. When we buy from local farms, our money stays close, benefiting our local economies.

I know that every single one of us has got a lot on our plates. I'm not touting the virtues of buying local food to give you one more reason to feel guilty, or to make your life even more complicated. I know that it can be tricky to buy a local banana, (unless you live in the jungles of Mexico), or to find local produce in December. I am just putting it out there that making a few small changes can make a big impact on our health, our environment, our community, and our taste buds. 

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!

Kara

Getting Serious About Happiness

"I take happiness very seriously. It is a creed, a philosophy and an objective."
Helen Keller


I take a lot of things very seriously. 

I'm serious about having abundant cereal options at all times in my pantry. I'm serious about my kids flossing their teeth, because I never again want to experience the very judgmental look our dentist shot me at our last visit. I'm serious about mayo not Miracle Whip, and Dean not Jess, on Gilmore Girls, and sleeping in on Saturday mornings. But serious about happiness? I'm not so sure.

Several years ago I read Helen Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life. I think I've always felt some level of admiration for this woman ever since I watched the old movie, The Miracle Worker, in elementary school. After finishing this book, my admiration turned to awe and a desire to emulate, if I could, some of the character traits that made Helen such a remarkable person: Optimism, faith, kindness, conscientiousness, hope. Most of all, I noticed that she was unfailingly happy. She had a lust for life that nothing could take from her.  Helen Keller wasn't handed happiness. Her early childhood was fraught with trial and confusion and challenges. Helen sought out happiness, and found a million reasons every day to feel joy.

                                                                                                          FanPix.net


Can we find a million reasons in our lives to be happy, even when our circumstances aren't perfect? What's stopping us from feeling happy?

I would never wish to diminish the seriousness of depression or mental illness. I know that there are many conditions where just thinking positively isn't enough. I'm just hoping to suggest some everyday ways that each of us can increase our daily happiness through small changes in our perspective.

In Helen's own eloquent words:

"Keep your face to the sun and you cannot see a shadow."

Here is secret #1 to daily happiness! Focus on the good! Neither I, nor Helen, are the first to discover this secret to happiness. Seeking out the good, and positive thinking have long been touted by philosopher, poet, and Oprah Winfrey.

There is power in keeping our focus on the positive! 

I'm forever having this conversation with my six year old, who has a strong sense of injustice. I often tell her, "I know that it's tough when we're out of your favorite syrup, but friend, we're having blueberry pancakes for breakfast, and the sun is shining, there's so much to be happy about! Try to focus on the good!" 

How could making this shift to focus on the good help increase our happiness? 

What if we saw making dinner every night as an opportunity to share some love with our families, instead of the drudgery that it often becomes. What if we focused on how hard our husband or wife or children are trying, instead of on what they haven't done. What if we woke up to see each new day as an opportunity to experience beauty, and strengthen relationships, and gain knowledge, and talk and eat and work and play, instead of another day trapped in the same old schedule. 

This seems like a good segue into secret #2 - Don't get trapped in the same old schedule.

I remember the thoughts that went through my head when I was sixteen, and had my first real job at the mall. I remember standing there, twisting pretzel after pretzel, and thinking, "Is this the way it's going to be? Why am I giving SO much of my time to this meaningless job, to earn money that I don't even have time to spend. What about what I WANT to do? What about happiness?" 

This seems a little dramatic, looking back, but it raises a good point. It's pretty easy to get so caught up in the day to day, that we forget to make time to be happy. I often catch myself forgetting to come up for air. I'm in a constant rush from washing the dishes, to sweeping the floor, chopping up carrots, and running to the store for milk. I forget to sit down, all day long. I forget to stop and really look into the eyes of that little girl who's been following me around all morning. I forget that life is more than just our to do list. We all have the list. There's always going to be appointments and meetings, and chores, but don't get so focused on the small and relatively insignificant, that you can't see past it to the bigger and better.

Secret #3 - Say YES to things that make you happy!

Maybe I should clarify. This is not meant as a good excuse to be selfish, or indulgent, or to give in to anything and everything that appeals to you...eating a the whole gallon of ice-cream won't really make you happy. Instead, this secret is meant to remind us that it's not selfish to have a hobby, or to have interests, or to be happy. Make a list. What are some things that make you deep down happy? Maybe your heart aches with the beauty of a sunrise, but you're always too tired to witness one. Make it happen! Make it a priority! Schedule some happiness in your day. Maybe reading makes you feel enlightened and rested and happy, but who has time to read? Make time! Even if it's just a few minutes while you wait for a kid in a music lesson, or for the water to boil for the pasta. Maybe watching National Geographic Documentaries, or playing chess, or dates with your spouse, or listening to opera make you happy...It's not selfish to seek after happiness. Life is about so much more than just twisting pretzels all day long. Find time for the little things that make you happy.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara

Summer Doesn't Have to Be Pointless: Motivating Your Kids To Put Down Their Screens

I've discovered that more often than not, when my children come to me with the complaint, "I'm bored", it's really some kind of secret kid code for, "Can I watch TV?" or, "Can I play on the computer?" I can offer them an extensive list of my most creative boredom busting ideas...paint a picture, write a story, see how many dandelions you can pick in the backyard, read a book in the hammock...nothing sparks any interest, except a screen. Helping my kids to see past the allure of screens, to the million other productive, happy, beautiful, enriching activities one can fill their day with, has been at the top of my mom priority list for a good 18 years now. I'm not perfect. Some days I give in and let my kids spend way more time staring at a screen than is healthy. I've found a method, no doubt born out of exasperation on one of those days where noses are constantly glued to screens, that is surprisingly effective at motivating my kids to abandon their screens, and spend their time in productive, healthy, ways.

Points Day

When I've had enough, when I can't take another day of incessant Peppa Pig, or Clumsy Ninja, I wake up before the kids, and make a list. I summon all my childhood memories of creative play, and make a list of as many fun, healthy, and utterly un-mind-numbing activities as I can think of. This list might look something like this:

Write a poem about summertime
Do a sneaky kind deed for someone
Draw the coolest picture ever of a dragon
Make a tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks
Practice an instrument for 10 minutes
Jump rope 100 times in a row
Read a picture book to a little sibling
Make a giant pile of pillows and read your favorite book on top
Color with sidewalk chalk in a puddle, and see what happens
Skip all the way around the house 3 times
Make a comic strip
Raid the dress up box for the most creative costume you can think of. (Dancing Super-hero Dog?)
Sincerely compliment someone
Make art out of something unexpected (ie: dried beans, pasta, leaves, pennies, etc.)
Play dough Pictionary
If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? What would you do? What would you eat? Where would you sleep? Write it all down and read it to me.

I assign a certain number of points to each activity: one point for the quick and easy ones, two or three for the more time and thought consuming ones. I even dish out an occasional 10 points for the really tough ones. I write the "Points Day" challenge on the top of the list: "Pick whichever activities look fun to you! If you can earn 100 points by 5:00 this afternoon, you win the prize!" The prize can be whatever you think will motivate your kiddos. Our last Points Day grand prize was a walk on our favorite street downtown to get an ice-cream cone, or a cookie at the bakery, and a book at the cute used book store. It doesn't have to be expensive, or extravagant, just something novel and special. My kids have even found sufficient motivation in the slightly pathetic grand prize of lunch at Costco. When I've finished the list, I put it on the table, or the kitchen counter, or sometimes I tape it to the TV, anywhere easily spotted by the kids as they come downstairs in the morning.  I love to watch the kids discover the list. They forget all about Ash and Pikachu, and are immediately wrapped up in amassing as many points as they can! Before I know it, the house is buzzing with creative energy. Jonah is making up a song on the piano, Sophie is trying to swing higher than she ever has on the rope swing outside, and Lily is making a valiant effort to do 100 jumping jacks. Not once, all day long, do I hear the words, "I'm bored", and not once all day are my children found comatose on the couch watching TV. At the end of the day, when everyone has earned 100 points, (usually they get competitive and earn well over 100), we set off to cash in on the grand prize.

The next time the theme song to Sesame Street has you clenching your teeth, or your grow tired of the glazed look in your kid's eyes as he goes for the high score on Minecraft, consider making it a Points Day!

Share your genius with me! What are some ideas you would put on your list?

Today's a new day; let's  make it purposeful!
Kara

Summer At Home With Kids Is No Vacation: 4 Secrets to Make Summer Fun Again

Each June, I find myself counting down the days till summer vacation begins. I'm just as excited as my kids to trade in rigid schedules, early mornings, and homework for sleeping in, flip-flops, and the lazy days of summer.

I love summer for all the sunshine and extra time with my kids, but it doesn't take too many of lazy summer days for me to remember that summer vacation is no picnic!

Tell me that I'm not the only one to ever have a summer day go something like this...

My wake up call comes in the form of two little pairs of pouncing pajamas. My tired eyes will barely open enough to check the time on the clock. I was up late the night before, trying to convince the kids that bedtime is still a good idea, even in the summertime. Morning has come too soon! I stumble sleepily down the stairs to make breakfast. I mix together eggs and milk and baking powder, and heat up the frying pan for our favorite pancakes, when I realize that we're out of flour. Cereal again. The kids are vocally disappointed with cereal for breakfast, a very "school year" kind of breakfast with no place in their summer morning. After breakfast I clean up the kitchen, and head upstairs for a shower. My shower plans are sabotaged by frequent "MOM!" calls for help to find the black crayon, to reach a favorite toy that has rolled under the couch, and at least 5 denied request for screen time. Suddenly, it's 1:00, and I am still in my pajamas, and all the kids are still in theirs. I remember that I promised to take them to the park, but I have a chiropractor appointment at 3:00. I give out commands for kids to get dressed, comb their hair, and find shoes, as I make a mad dash to the shower. When I'm finally dressed for the day, I head downstairs ready for the park, to find kids still hanging out in their pajamas, looking for the brush, or wearing winter boots because they can't find their other flip-flop anywhere. It's 2:00. Despite a noble last minute attempt to get everyone dressed and out the door as quickly as possible, it's 2:20, and we still can't find the brush or one of Lily's shoes. I break the news that we've run out of time, and the park is going to have to wait until tomorrow. I swing by the store on the way home from the chiropractor to pick up some consolation popsicles, hoping to ease the pain of the park disappointment. The popsicles are a hit, and the park blues are soon replaced by blue stained tongues and fingers. There is peace and contentment at home, until I find the first abandoned popsicle, a stick in a neon puddle on the table. I call the guilty party in to clean up the mess, turn, and step in abandoned popsicle number two. I find wrappers on the counter and the floor, and every surface that can possibly be sticky, is. The popsicles have officially made it a bath night. I shew the little ones up the stairs and tempt them into the tub with extravagant amounts of bubbles and toys. Kids content in the bath, I figure that I can use this time to whip up some dinner. I sneak down the stairs, (all bathers old enough to be left alone, of course), and start dinner. I boil water for the pasta and heat up the butter and milk for the rue. Homemade macaroni and cheese! Is there a happier end to the day? Then I remember that you can't make a rue without flour, and we're out. I rummage through the cupboards to find the box grater, then open the fridge to discover...no cheese. I put a not so willing teenager in charge of the kids in the bath, and run to the nearest grocery store for cheese and flour. While I'm there I remember that we're also out of bread and bananas and peanut butter and eggs. Thirty minutes later I'm back home to find kids out of the tub and starved. I return to the cold noodles and lumpy rue, and finally, thirty minutes later, have dinner on the table. I try to overcome the guilt of having dinner at 8:00, again, telling myself that it's very European. This makes me feel a little better. Dinner ends, and by the time we all clear the table, and clean up, it's 9:00. Who knew one could get distracted 300 times on the way to brush their teeth. Prayers said, books read, we tuck the littles into bed, and drop subtle hints to the teenagers that maybe they are really tired and should head up to bed.  It's 10:00 and my husband and I slump exhausted on the couch, barely enough energy to pick a show on Netflix to watch together before we drop wearily into bed.

Did you find my embarrassingly accurate description of a summer day at the Parnell home funny, or did it strike too close to home to be funny? This summer thing can be intense! Thankfully, through trial and error, I've stumbled upon a few secrets that have helped me keep the above mentioned kind of day to a minimum, and helped to make summer at home with kids memorable and fun.


Save Summer Ideas

1 - Plan!

It's amazing the power over the day you give yourself, by taking a little time the night before to put some ideas on paper. I've been amazed at how much more smoothly a summer day goes when I've done a little planning. There's no need to plan a minute by minute schedule, but I find that whipping out a notebook, or my phone in bed at night, and writing down any appointments or obligations for the next day, along with a few ideas to entertain the kids, helps me feel empowered, not overwhelmed when I wake up in the morning. Having this idea ammunition on my list, I feel organized and prepared as I challenge my kids to the world's coolest Lego creation contest after breakfast, and I keep lunch prep stress to a minimum as I pack the picnic I planned the night before, and head out the door to enjoy it at the lake. I don't have to use up my limited supply of energy and creativity in the stress of the day. I organized my day in a quiet moment, by myself, the night before, and that has made such a difference.


2 - Get Out

I've seen a pattern among my most stressful summer days. The days that end up the most exhausting and stressful are almost always the days that we stay home all day. Something about staying home the entire day, staring at the never ending pile of dishes that just wont go away no matter how many times you load the dishwasher, and in general just spending long hours cooped up together, can often lead to stress, boredom, and grumpy kids (and mom). I've learned that making it a priority to get out of the house, at least once a day, makes all the difference. To the park, on a walk, to the pool, to a museum, to visit a friend, even just to the grocery store, just getting out of the house for a little while each day, magically makes home a happy place to return to, and seems to reduce the stress, boredom, and grumpy feelings.

3 - Stay In

Wait, what? I know. But staying in at least some of the day, is equally as important as getting out for some of the day. Balance, my friends. I've noticed that as fun as getting out of the house on a fun adventure is, if I pack the day too full, the kids get exhausted, and fed up with the hot car, and just want to go home. Striking that  balance between fun activities, and some down time at home to read and play and rest, seems to be key for a happy summer day.

4 - Take Time For Yourself

During the school year, with the regular, more predictable routine of kids off to school by 9 and home by 3, it's easier to find a little time for yourself. In the swirl of activity, and the more loose routine of summer, it can be tricky to remember to schedule in some down time for yourself. Taking a few minutes every day to relax, refocus, and refuel, is my biggest secret to a happy summer day. When the busyness of the day has got you feeling overwhelmed, take 15 minutes to read a couple chapters of a book, whip out your mat and remember how great a little downward dog and cobra can make you feel when your overwhelmed, eat your favorite snack on the porch and just relax and notice the beautiful day, or anything to put a little focus on yourself, anything to remind yourself that you are an individual too, not just a mom, and that it's okay for you to have a fun summer too.  It's okay to take a break. No guilt allowed. A rested happy mom inevitably leads to a happier family and a happier summer day.

We can do it! We can turn the 90 long days of summer, stretching out before us in all it's intimidating
busyness, to 90 days of balance, fun, rest and adventure.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara

Little Yogis

     A few weeks ago, it was my absolute privilege to spend an hour or so teaching some very basic yoga to a group of adorable, highly energetic, 8 and 9 year olds.
    
     With yoga mats, (no doubt borrowed from moms and dads, or older siblings), lining the small room from wall to wall, we all sat together in Half Lotus. We held our palms together at our hearts, and I talked about the greeting "Namaste" - "The light in me recognizes the light in you". I explained that I loved Yoga, because anyone could do it. You didn't have to be athletic, or super strong, or a fast runner, to do Yoga. I talked about how Yoga was a pretty special way to exercise, because it wasn't just exercise for your body, but for the mind and body together. We talked about the importance of tuning in to your breath. Big breath in through your nose, big, audible breath out through your mouth. Together we practiced Mountain Pose and Tree Pose, Warrior 1 and Warrior 2, and the class favorite, Cat/Cow, and several other poses, until finally, a worn out, slightly less energetic group, were happy to lay down, close their eyes, and practice a little relaxation and meditation.
    
     A week or so after teaching this class, I asked my 8 year old daughter if she thought her friends had fun learning Yoga. She answered, "Yes! All Sarah, (name changed 😊), wants to do now at recess is Yoga!" The thought of those adorable 3rd graders proudly demonstrating Downward Dog on the playground made me smile, and reminded me that knowledge of a few basic Yoga postures can empower our kids!

 

                                                              
    
     What can Yoga do for your kids?

     1- Yoga Can Increase Confidence
     One beautiful thing about Yoga, is that wherever you are in your posture progress, is the perfect place to be. Yoga is completely non-competitive. There is no comparing yourself with anyone else, just slow and steady personal improvement as you stick with the practice. Our kids confidence will grow as they find themselves feeling strong and flexible in a pose that was initially challenging for them.

     2- Yoga Can Teach Our Kids to Be Calm And Relax
      Yoga can teach our kids mindfulness, and help them to simply be in the present. When you're on the mat, focused on your breath, and the succession of postures, your mind and thoughts naturally calm down. A little yoga and relaxation before bed will teach our kids to wind down, stretch tired muscles, and prepare for sleep.

     3- Yoga is A Fun Way to Encourage Our Kids to Exercise
     Getting our kids to happily turn off the TV and run a mile, or do 50 jumping jacks isn't very realistic. Getting our kids to join in as we do Cobra pose, Happy Baby pose, or Flower pose, might be an easier sell. Yoga is fun! Yoga can be practiced in story form, (see Cosmic Kids Yoga on youtube), or you can play a yoga game. (https://somuchyoga.com/best-yoga-games-kids/).

     Yoga and kids are such a good fit! Yoga is active, creative, fun, and you don't have to wear shoes! Break out the mat, and cat/cow your way to more confident, calm, and healthy kids!

Namaste.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara
    
(Photo source:  http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3468810/images/n-KIDS-DOING-YOGA-628x314.jpg  )

Dessert, Healthifyed!

I have a confession. I've got a thing for sugar.

                                                                                               ("Old School Candy, forbes.com)

As a kid, I had no shame. My friends and I would make a weekly trek to the gas station up the road to refill our waning sugar supply. Pixie Sticks, Bubble Tape, Lik-m-Aid, Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Pops, I loved them all. Over the years I've moved away from the pure sugar, insta-cavity candy of my youth, to more mature sugar, you know, like Ben and Jerry's l Ice-cream, and Ghirardelli brownies.  

Most of my life, I've found it pretty easy to justify eating copious amounts of treats.  "Sugar is good for me...emotionally", or "I'll just eat one cookie. Okay, just one more. It's a small one."

As much as I try to eat a pretty clean, healthy diet in general, I never could find the motivation to cut back on sweets.  Strangely enough, neither knowing that sugar was bad for me, or my desire to be healthy, were strong enough motivators for me to change my sugar-heavy habits.  In the end, the only thing that could convince me to rethink my sugar consumption was the discovery that I was allergic to chocolate.  It turns out that most of the sweet treats that I loved contained chocolate. Once I gave up chocolate, my sugar consumption went way down. 

Then, my friends, the unthinkable happened. (Pay attention, this is a life-changing secret!)

Once I stopped eating sugar everyday, my desire for sugar diminished significantly.

This is the secret!  If you can make it through the initial few days of going without sugar, suddenly, your body stops craving it.  The more sugar you eat, the more you want. 

Why is this?

Here's the thing. The reason we reach for another Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie, isn't because they are just so darn irresistible, (let's be honest here), it's because sugar is addicting. 

"The average American consumes anywhere from a quarter to a half pound of sugar a day," says a New York Times article called, Sugar Season. It's Everywhere, and Addictive. (NY Times, December 22, 2014)

The article continues,

"Sugar stimulates brain pathways just as an opioid would, and sugar has been found to be habit-forming in people. Cravings induced by sugar are comparable to those induced by addictive drugs like cocaine and nicotine. And although other food components may also be pleasurable, sugar may be uniquely addictive in the food world."

We all know that eating sugary treats is unhealthy, and we know that we just might be addicted to the stuff, so what now?
 
Well, you could give up cookies and muffins and doughnuts forever, and try to convince yourself that another serving of broccoli is dessert enough, or, you could learn to HEALTHIFY!

"Healthify", is the word I've dubbed for taking a typical unhealthy, sugary, totally tempting treat, and increasing the nutrition without messing with the taste.

In an effort to keep the treats that I love, without sacrificing my health, I've learned to make the same yummy treats I've always loved, with a few simple, healthy substitutions.

That's all it takes to enjoy cookies and cake and muffins again, without the guilt, and without compromising your health.

My Fool-Proof List Of Baking Substitutions That Will Bring
                        Back Dessert And Save Your Health

Sugar Substitutes - There are so many amazing sugar substitutes, readily available, that we really don't have a good excuse for baking with sugar.  Pure Maple syrup, honey, Agave Nectar, and Coconut sugar are my very favorites.  Brown rice syrup and Stevia are also great sugar alternatives.
For the most part, I use these sweeteners straight across, (1 for 1, for sugar), and they do a fabulous job.  Honey, however, is so naturally sweet, that you only need to use 1/2 the amount of honey as sugar.

Sugar is no doubt my biggest concern with eating sweets, but while we're focusing on whipping up a healthy treat, why not take it to the next level and healthify the whole recipe?

Milk Substitutes - Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Rice Milk, or Soy Milk, all substitute beautifully for milk in any recipe, and do away with the cholesterol and fat found in cow's milk.

Eggs - Flax seed is my favorite healthy baking secret ingredient.  A Tablespoon of ground Flax Seed and 3 Tablespoons of water, per egg, makes a perfect healthy substitute for eggs.  I add flax to muffins and pancakes regularly, and my kids don't even know that they are getting a belly full of fiber and Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

Butter and Oils - I grant you, it's tough to find a substitute to match butter.  Taste wise, it's kind of irreplaceable, but it's also extremely high in fat and cholesterol.  My favorite butter substitute, hands down, is Coconut Oil. I love the taste of baked goods made with coconut oil, and the health benefits are incredible.  MDhealth.com reports that,

"Coconut oil has high amounts of lauric acid that have strong antibacterial properties. It is also believed that coconut oil helps with weight loss because it is composed of short and medium chain fatty acids. Consuming coconut oil can also help you manage digestive distress, regulating the blood sugar, strengthening the teeth and bones, and strengthening your immune system."

Cookies that are GOOD for you?!  Yes, please!

Applesauce or a mashed banana also make great oil substitutes.

Flour - I've had several failed attempts trying to use whole wheat flour in dessert.  Often the cookies or cakes baked up dry and dense, and the texture was all wrong.  I had almost given up on baking with whole wheat flour, until years ago, I discovered White Wheat Flour.  (Whole Wheat Flour milled from the hard white wheat berry, as opposed to traditional Whole Wheat Flour milled from the hard red wheat berry).  This healthy flour acts exactly like white flour in baking, and bad texture is no longer an issue.

Bring back dessert, my friends!  Life can be sweet again!

Try these substitutions, and see for yourself how easy and delicious it is to healthify.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara

Imperfectly Perfect

Most days, I feel a lot of pressure to be perfect. 

Do you feel it too? 

Sometimes it feels like this pressure is coming in from all sides.  Pressure to wear clothes not covered in peanut butter and finger paint, pressure to work out and be thin, pressure to have a perfectly clean house, pressure to prepare a well balanced meal every night, pressure to have perfect kids who always say cute and charming things when the grandparents are visiting, and who never scream at the doctor's office.

Society doesn't cut us much of a break.  Everywhere we turn, there's more pressure to be perfect, another opportunity to compare our life to someone else, and to beat ourselves up for falling short.
Did  you know that "Pinterest Stress", is really a thing?  Sad but true.  TODAY issued a survey to over 7,000 moms across the United States, and found that 42% of participating moms said that Pinterest gave them anxiety.  Interestingly, 3/4 of the moms who felt stressed by Pinterest admitted that the majority of the perfection pressure they feel from Pinterest is self-inflicted.  Wow!  Why do we do this to ourselves?  (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/11/pinterest-stress-moms-social-media_n_3253475.html)

Can we learn to be happy with ourselves and our lives exactly as we are? 
I'm all for self-improvement and for setting goals, but is there a way to feel good about ourselves during the process? 

I love this quote by George Bernard Shaw.

" A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."

Who came up with the hurtful lie that making mistakes or falling short were terrible things?  Making mistakes is a perfect time to take a step back, reevaluate, find a fresh perspective, and try again.

Today, choose to take it easy on yourself.  Success lies not in doing things perfectly, but in doing our very best.  And friends, you're doing so much better than you think! 

Focus on the dozens of little successes that are yours each day. It's amazing the lift that comes when we stop beating ourselves up for not being perfect, and instead congratulate ourselves for doing our best. 

So you made very forgettable, way too thin and flat, cookies for your church cookie exchange, (true life story, I lose my ability to bake on this night every year), celebrate that you found time in your busy day to bake at all, and that you got to spend a happy couple of hours with your friends eating cookies.  So you packed Skittles for your kids "healthy snack" at school, and got a note from his teacher asking you to please send something healthier next time.  Celebrate the fact that 90% of the time, you opt for carrots or an apple, and even occasionally you amaze yourself and your kids by sending homemade muffins. 

We're all working to be our best, but it's ok to not be perfect today.  Keep on trying, and allow yourself to think that sometimes imperfect can be pretty perfect.

Case in Point:

Several months ago, with my four youngest in tow, I set off with high hopes, determined to have an adventure.  I wanted to immortalize this moment of spending quality, creative, time with my kiddos, with a photo.  All I wanted was five seconds of commitment from these kids.  Five seconds to look at the camera and smile.  I remember feeling frustrated at how difficult it was to convince these excited, wiggly, kids to stand still long enough for me to snap a good picture  After several failed attempts, I gave up on the idea of a perfect picture.  I put away my phone, and we went on with our day.  Later on, looking back through my pictures, I realized that this crazy, rushed, selfie, with Jonah making his signature, "I hate posing for pictures", silly face,  and the baby's face half cut out of the frame, I realized that this was one imperfectly perfect picture!  Look at Lottie's bright blue, inquisitive eyes.  Jonah's face is pretty hilarious, and even though it wasn't the perfect picture that I was hoping for, this is a moment with my crazy kids that I am so happy to have captured!

Let go of the pressure to be perfect.  Keeping on trucking!  You are an enormous success just for loving, for accepting, for picking yourself up when you fail, and continuing to TRY every day.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara

Every Day A Holiday

Do you dress your family in matching red, white, and blue, patriotic paraphernalia every Fourth of July?  Are you guilty of stocking your freezer full of Cadbury chocolate eggs at Easter time, leaving up your Christmas tree much longer than is socially acceptable, or getting excited when you realize that July 11th, (7/11), is coming up, because a free Slurpee is absolutely something to celebrate?

I love holidays!  I love celebrating simple, meaningful traditions with friends and family.  I'm too impatient to wait for Valentines to roll around after New Years.  The months between July 4th and Halloween are much too long.  I just can't wait to for the next holiday to come around.  So, I don't!

I know what you're thinking.  "What more do you want?  The calendar is already littered with holidays like: Secretary's Day, National Hot Dog Day, Arbor Day, Scrabble Day, Barbershop Quartet Day, and National Doughnut Day."  While I certainly appreciate a day that gives me a really good excuse to eat a doughnut, it's just not enough.  I want more!

Why can't every day be a holiday?  I am thinking of a different kind of celebration.  A celebration simply because it's a new day, a celebration of the million simple, little, details that make up a day.  Your day.

The simplest, happy moment in your day can warrant a celebration.  Something as random as Hummus going on sale.  (I really like Hummus.)  Make up a batch of homemade Naan.  Look up a few facts on a country where this might be a regular meal, and have a cultural night celebration for dinner.  (Try this recipe!  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14565/naan/)

On an extra windy day, pick up a couple $2.00 kites at the store, and make it "Kite Day", or buy, (or make), a pinwheel, and talk to your kids about wind power and windmills.  
(Try these!  http://www.marthastewart.com/272283/paper-pinwheels)

A rainy day doesn't have to mean that your stuck inside with nothing to do.  A rainy day is one of my favorite excuses to celebrate!  A rainy day could become, "Snuggle Up With a Good Book and Your Favorite Blanket Day." 

My two year old loves rainy days, because she knows that the perfect muddy puddle always appears on our front walk.  In fact, on sunny days when no puddle is to be seen, Lottie will walk by the spot, and with a sad sigh and longing in her eyes, say, "the puddle dried up". 

My 18 year old daughter still talks about how much she remembers loving the "Rainy Sunday Box", from her childhood.  This box couldn't have been more simple: maybe a few toys from the dollar store, a box of new crayons and a few coloring books, and some small treats, in an attempt to make a long, rainy, Sunday afternoon become a little more exciting for my kids.  This simple box, kept hidden until it happened to rain on a Sunday, was exciting and special to my kids, and made a rainy day something worth celebrating.

The secret is to celebrate the everyday, celebrate the simple, celebrate the beautiful that every day brings.
 
Why not add a few new holidays of your own to the calendar? 

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara

5 Everyday Ways We Can Help Our Kids Feel Joy

It's a tough job being a kid. 

Seven hours of school a day, five days a week, homework, basketball practice, chess club, music lessons, chores, recitals and tutor sessions, girl scouts and 4H.  With such overloaded schedules, free time has become a rare commodity for our kids.  Often, when kids do have some time to kill, they choose to fill it with video games or TV. 

Cruising through their days at such a frantic pace, can make it difficult for kids to find time to feel much of anything, aside from exhausted.  I wonder if, with all the busyness, we are forgetting to make time to show our kids some of the more subtle, beautiful sights and sounds and feelings that one day can offer, that can generally only be found if we slow down a little, and look for them.  How can we make time everyday to help our children feel joy?

It doesn't take much time or energy to try these,

5 simple, everyday ways, to help our kids feel real JOY.

1.  Take The Time To Really See, Not Just Look

With such busy schedules, running home from school to grab a snack, and change into your baseball uniform, then back out to the car, little time is left for our kids to see, hear, and feel, the joy that is abundant, and there for the taking. 

Thich Nhat Nanh said, "The present moment is filled with joy and happiness.  If you are attentive, you will see it."

That is the secret!  We can teach our kids to slow down, to notice, and to appreciate the little things.  Something as simple as pointing out the beauty of the clouds, or the sound the wind is making in the trees, as we walk from the car to an appointment, or taking a three minute detour on your walk home from school to run through a pile of leaves, or to throw a few snowballs. 

Often, joy is found in the details.

John Calvin said it well:

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world, that is not intended to make us rejoice"

How much more purposeful and joyful can we make each day, each moment, when we teach our kids to slow down and notice, to not just look, but to really see?

2.  Laugh

It's not uncommon for our kids to feel rundown and a little stressed out, by all the demands on their time.  What is more effective at diffusing stress and lightening the mood, than laughter?   We can keep conversation light and positive at the dinner table.  Share favorite old jokes from your childhood.  Admit it, "Knock, knock. Who's there? Dwain.  Dwain, who?  Dwain the bathtub, I'm dwownding." never gets old.  Making time to interact, be a little silly, and laugh, can lighten the sometimes heavy load our kiddos bear.

3. Be the Example of Joyful Living

Whether we like it or not, we, as parents, set the tone in our homes.  Our kids pick up on our moods, and our attitudes, and often this effects their own feelings.  Through our positive examples, our kids can learn tools for dealing with stress and busyness in a healthy way.  What are some specific ways we can be an example of joyful living? 

When we feel overloaded or overtired, we can take five.  Learning to take a break, step away from the busyness for a few minutes to breathe, read, or rest, is an important life skill for our kids to learn. 

We can turn on music to give ourselves an emotional boost, and added energy to accomplish the days demands.  It's amazing how dancing along to our favorite tunes can bring a smile to our faces, and take the drudgery out of sweeping, or doing the dishes.

This is not to say that we have to be perfect.  It's ok for our kids to see us mess up, regroup, and try again. 

4. It's the Quality of the Day, Not the Busyness, That Really Matters

It's easy to feel like the faster we go, the more activities we can squeeze into our day, the more successful and happy we will be.  The truth is, sometimes less is more.  We can teach our kids that we don't have to be busy to have a productive day. 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, and apostle in the LDS church, captured this truth beautifully.  He said,

"Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we often even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, were an accomplishment or sign of a superior life"

What would our children gain if we taught them that the sheer amount of activities in their day wasn't what was important.  What if we taught them that a day spent snuggled up in a blanket, reading a good book, could be just as important and successful as a day spent running from one activity to the next.

5. Free Time To Play

When we keep our kids moving from sun up to sun down, we deny them of a critically important component of childhood...free time and play.  Allowing our kids time to themselves to think, play, wonder, and imagine, is not only extremely important in fostering creativity, but gives them much needed time to rest, renew, and find balance in their busy days.  A little bit of time, time with absolutely nothing scheduled, time where they have the freedom to spend it how they like, this is an important gift for a busy kid!  Allowing for some free time every day will keep our kids from feeling run down and exhausted, and give them renewed energy and excitement about all the lessons, and activities, and maybe even their homework.

It's not hard to help our kids find joy.  Joy is abundant, the trick is to slow down and notice.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara