I wanted to share with you a post on Real Simple magazine from a new friend of mine, Amy Belle Isle.  She is a wonderful party planner here in St Louis, with Stem,  and was a HUGE help with Operation Give Thanks, my first attempt at hosting a fundraiser! 

She is truly a great lady as you can tell by her article Here with great ideas on paying it forward this holiday season.  If you are running out of ideas (or even if you are not), do this!!

Posted under Gratitude

This week, my categories and entries are all out of sorts (snow days and holiday shopping will do that). So, here’s a way to connect with your child, play and give to others ! Make cookies like these, pretend to be silly reindeer introducing themselves and give some to co-workers or friends or a local shelter. 

Aren’t these reindeer cookies adorable? Brought to you courtesy of Mariah and Harrison — two of the most creative people I know.  But credit should also go to Family Fun magazine’s December issue, where they got the idea (although I do love the peanut cookie shape best). 

Posted under Connecting, Holidays

As part of our version of the Happiness Project, we are trying to continue to “learn” — anything.  This week , Jen learns she just might be “hip.”  Stay tuned for future technology adventures. 

“You had me at scrolling.” ~Steve Jobs on the iPhone

I’m in love with my iPhone.  I am not a gadget person.  I’m not a hipster.  I am a mom of two and seriously afraid of being a shlumpadinka, both in appearance and in mindset.  I am also an underbuyer.  So is my husband.  And somehow we waited in line for 5 hours to get iPhones.  I thought we’d enjoy the gadget-y-ness for a few days and then be mad we spent so much money for a phone (a key element of being an underbuyer).  Not so.  It has changed my life.  If feel more connected, organized, productive and sane because of it.  Because all of that, and because its cool, I even feel a little less shlump!

This is not an ad for Apple products, but the iPhone is perfect for a mom.  I can stay connected through email without having to sit down!  I can stay informed and read the NY Times any time I have a spare 5 minutes (waiting in line, waiting to pick up my daughter, NOT waiting for a light to turn green), and I don’t have to buy a paper or sit down!   I can map my route after I’m in the car and realize I forgot to map it! I can Facebook, craigslist, eBay and track my fitness when I get a spare second!  And best of all, I can take pictures of the kids and email them, in the moment, to Daddy.   He loves this when he travels.  He feels connected to our routine and our daily joys even when he isn’t in person.

It isn’t a replacement for actual time with people we love, but this thing helps make things less hectic and fills the gaps that are there when being in person isn’t possible.  I’ve also realized how fantastic it is to have access to a little package of “me” in my pocket at all times.  My email, my hobbies, my favorite newspaper.  A little dose of world news in the midst of a kid-centered routine is probably what moms of the 50s were looking for when they took a swig in the middle of the day.  I can get a quick fix and get right back to sweeping the floor, refereeing the fight or cuddling with my kids and a book with a clearer head.

Posted under Connecting, Happiness Project, Learning, Tech, Uncategorized

Every Thursday, we will write about “purpose” — this can include things such as how to find your purpose; spiritual issues; or just anything we think relates to the search for “purpose”  for our Happiness Project.

We are thinking of getting a dog for Christmas (we are asking Santa for one, so we’ll see).  We are taking all the necessary steps to make sure it would feel safe during such a busy time and we are all staying home for days after he or she arrives.  Sometimes I think I am crazy.  Why do we want to get a dog that will add so much extra work for each of us; will introduce us again to the pooping and peeing we have really not had to talk about too much in the last few years, and whose schedule we will have to accommodate each time we leave?

I always come back to one answer: love.   I  want my son to have a dog to love.

We recently learned that the dog we had many years ago, but had to give up to a wonderful family due to various personal reasons, passed away this week.  She was a sweet dog that we loved a lot, and I can feel that even more now that I know she is gone.  Even though we had to give her up, it always helped knowing where she was and how she was doing.  We will miss her.

I don’t know much about what our higher purpose is and I certainly don’t have many answers on this, but I do know that a large part of it is to love and be loved.  And that’s what we will have with a new dog.

Posted under Happiness Project, Purpose

These tutus from Land Of Nod were reasonable compared to others we found ($29 and free shipping) and so pretty! These can provide years of play time!

I apologize for missing  yesterday’s post on “Play.”  I was working really hard to get all my kid gifts bought for the holidays.  I tried to focus on gifts that I thought would contribute to imaginative play, something I think is very important for kids.   Here are some of the gifts I found that I really like ( I can’t tell you what I bought for fear the munchkins can read!) 

Be sure and check out Family Dollar for great deals on simple, fun action figures ($3) !

Anamalz! These environmentally friendly creatures are so fun --for boys and girls alike! Their imaginations will Roar!

Kid-O Bilibo -- It can be Anything! My 6 year old son saw this and played with it 5 different ways before I made him put it away for wrapping.

These personalized books by Frecklebox are so fun and reasonable! They also have coloring books, activity books and more!

Gap Tees -- I know it's not "play" exactly, but believe me, the kids will feel like super heros in these!

Posted under Play

Have you seen the latest study on happiness? Well, in case you missed it, here’s a link to the NY Times article discussing it. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts — do you agree?  Do your neighbors affect your happiness?

Posted under Connecting, Happiness Project

As part of my version of my Happiness Project, I am trying to continue to “learn”.  I get really excited when I learn something new, in the same way my son gets excited when he learns a new joke — and gets it!  So, every Friday, we will discuss how learning can affect our lives. 

I stayed home all week with my son who ran a fever, but had few other symptoms.  We played cards, laughed, worked on puzzles (he made them, I had to put them together), read books and watched television.  I was able to do a few things I “needed” to do, but not a lot. At times I was frustrated; at times I was in bliss being with my little boy again.  It is a rare day when we get to be together, just us, all day. 

This morning his temperature was back to normal and he seemed to feel better, so he went to school.  I was actually a little sad — it felt a little like when he first went to kindergarten last year.  I was reminded this week of the special times we had when he was home so much more.  I miss those times and cherished this week with him (although at times i was  tempted to pretend his temperature was within normal limits and send him to school anyway). 

If you had asked me at the beginning of the week whether I would want Kei to stay home all week with me, I would have definitely said no. I thought I had too much to do.  

How little did I know.   This week I learned that sometimes life works in mysterious ways and gives you just what you need even if you don’t know you need it — that I know for sure (thanks Oprah).

Posted under Happiness Project, Learning

Every Thursday, we will write about “purpose” — this can include things such as how to find your purpose; spiritual issues; or just anything we think relates to the search for “purpose” for our Happiness Project.

As we have noted, many of us are looking for our “life’s purpose” or just trying to do something that seems meaningful.  I think this is a journey rather than a destination, but I do believe that we should encourage our children in areas which may help them feel like they are reaching this purpose.  

The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness discusses the importance of encouraging children in areas to which they seem partcularly drawn. If your child has an interest in art, even if you don’t, try to find ways to help foster this interest.  Even if this area of interest doesn’t become their “calling” or life purpose, the more things they have to fall back on that they enjoy, the happier they will be as adults.      

My son’s current interest is making books. He loves to write stories, draw pictures with the stories and then read them aloud.   Recently when we discussed what kind of “extra” class he might want to take after school next semester, he said he wanted a class where he could learn more about writing books and making up stories.  He really has a love for words and is very creative.  I feel an obligation to help him pursue this interest; even if it never becomes more than the joy he has this year with books, that’s ok.  This could be something he does for many years and I want him to have the chance to pursue it.

I haven’t been able to find any after school classes that are for little writers though.  We will keep looking. 

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you Scribble Press.  I have mentioned it previously, but they have recently added many things to their website and I am in Love. As their website says:  ” Scribble Press was created by two moms, Darcy Pollack and Anna Barber, as a place for kids and families to write, illustrate and publish their own books.” For those in the LA area, they offer writing and book making classes.  Someone please create this here!

There are so many fun story-making options at Scribble Press.  You must check it out for great gift options for your budding artist or author ! It may not be their life’s purpose, but it can sure provide joy!

Posted under Happiness Project, Purpose, Storytelling

Every Wednesday, we hope to write about “giving to others” as part of our Happiness Project.   

“When hope is not pinned wriggling onto a shiny image or expectation, it sometimes floats forth and opens.” Anne Lamott

We just got back from a trip to KC for Thanksgiving.  We would have preferred to stay at our own home and host a big family gathering, but in the spirit of giving (of our selves) we journeyed to the homes of our childhood.  We spent Turkey Day with Dan’s parents, a joyful day-after-thanksgiving at Union Station and Crown Center with the Barmann clan and a Saturday full of swimming at a community center while it snowed outside.   Throughout the holiday weekend I had moments of feeling the fullness and joy of life unfolding while being connected to the city we grew up in, the places we used to go when I was little, and choosing how to spend the holiday with our growing nuclear and extended family.  This feeling didn’t come from the things that were planned (many of them didn’t work out as planned anyway) but from moments in between.

We are thankful for so much, including:

• the opportunity to parent two healthy kids
• getting to go back home to KC to see our big family then coming back home and decorating our christmas tree
• volunteers at union station in kc who return kids who have lost their parents
• lifeguards who jump in to “save” a four year old going down a big waterslide backwards
• people who put up wild holiday decorations year after year
• our jobs, our house, our cars and all of the material blessings which keep us comfortable and healthy
• parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, life long friends, new friends, being married to our best friend
• many chances in one day, week, trip, holiday, year to laugh

I think that giving up the idea of hosting the holiday at our house and traveling made way for an unexpected peacefulness when we got home.  When we arrived home, we made a big dinner, ate in the dining room, put holiday music on loud and hung ornaments on the Christmas tree.  It was totally unplanned and just perfect.  While we were decorating our tree, we found some it-bit ornaments that I forgot we had (My friend Carolyn calls little babies “it-bits”, short for itty-bitty.  I love words and this makes me laugh).  And then we found some mini-it-bits and some tiny-mini-it-bits.  There was joy at the core of my soul when Grace referred to the ornaments this way with a twinkle in her eye.  She is one of us.

I tell my kids as often as I can how happy I am that are with us and that they belong with us.  I hope with all of my heart that they feel through their life that they do.  I know it will evolve and change and hope that I can always see them for their individual souls as well as their part of us.  We are certainly all connected and the holidays give us a chance to enjoy that, struggle with it, laugh about it and then clean it all up and resolve to do better next year.  But before we get there, we kicked off the 2008 holiday season and we’re ready to go!

Posted under Giving to Others, Happiness Project

Every Tuesday, we will write about “play” and how adults and children alike can have this in their lives.

Today was a mandatory stay at home day.  My son was sick with a fever. You know, the kind that flares up right before school starts then is down all day so that he just wants to play — with you!   So, of course, we played today — quiet games that he could play on the couch or in the floor.   I have never played UNO so many times in one day.  Every time I would win he would say in his best villain voice - - “I demand a rematch, Mom.”

We also read the rest of Desperaux (coming soon to a theater near you) - a book about love, acceptance and heart.  I loved that he wanted to read during the daytime with me — a rarity when he’s not sick.

It was actually a very good day - if you are allowed to say that when your child is sick.  Playing and reading together was an important way for us to do what we could to get the ickies out (and help me stop worrying about what I wasn’t doing on my to do list).

One of my favorite parts of the day came when my son decided to make some cards to give to people — we have decided to make some notecards using his artwork through Kids Art Inc.   The last time we did this, he was in preschool and he drew a picture of himself kissing a porcupine.  Cute, but not exactly the kind of notecard many people love to send.  So, I asked him to think of something you could send for any holiday or just for a note.  

He drew two designs.  The first had a heart in the middle of a circular path and read “LOVE NEVER ENDS.” The second one had pictures of books with the words “Storys . . . are Magical!”  

I couldn’t have said it better myself.   His heart makes my heart smile.

Posted under Play