Celebrating Fourth of July- Sharing Fun with the Kids July 2, 2012

To little ones, celebrating Fourth of July means one thing, fireworks!  Yet, as parents know, by the time the sun goes down and before the sky show even starts, youngsters can be sleepy-eyed and ready for bed.  These 10 fun daytime activities will make the most of the holiday for everyone.

Make a Statue of Liberty crown.  Transform the entire family into Lady Liberty.  Take the patriotic creativity to whatever level the kids like-metallic paint, glue and glitter or just some tinfoil from the kitchen.  Construction paper makes great headbands, or try paper plates for sturdier ones.  Repurposed empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls make excellent starting points for homemade torch replicas.

Have a patriotic bike parade.  Round up all the neighborhood kids and their bikes.  Have everyone agree to decorate their own bike at home and then meet for a parade; or hold a bike decorating party at your house; the garage and driveway are suitable spots.  Think streamers, painted tin cans on string trailing behind bikes, balloons—anything goes.

Read about America’s birthday.  Stop by the library or a neighborhood bookstore to pick up The Story of America’s Birthday, by Patricia Pingry and illustrated by Stacy Venturi-Pickett, or another early American history children’s book.  Toddlers on up will enjoy learning why we celebrate American independence.

Make 50 states cookies.  A set of cookie cutters for all 50 states is available for a price, but it’s even more creative to hunt up an old map or atlas and use it as a template for cutting out each state.  After mixing and baking, let little ones go to town decorating them with red, white and blue toppings.  Search online for tips on making healthier cookies that taste yummy.

Watch American Legends.  This oldie but goodie video from Walt Disney tells the story of such fabled American figures as Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan.  Check out a copy from the library or a favorite move rental source.

Sing a patriotic song.  Songs about America don’t have to be the classic versions–pick up a CD of patriotic songs or download some onto a home computer or iPod.  The Wee Sing America CD is a hit with all ages.

Start the Fourth of July with a red-white-and-blue-breakfast.  Set a festive mood for the whole day with a healthy parfait.  In clear glasses, layer blueberries for the blue, strawberries and raspberries for the red and yogurt for the white.  Sprinkle some hearty granola in-between the layers for a satisfying crunch.

Make a care package for our armed forces.  The Fourth of July is a great time to remember the special men and women that are selflessly serving our country.  Have the entire family assemble a care package of itmes or make special cards; even the smallest efforts show the family’s appreciation.  Check with a local veterans affairs office or the Internet on how to ship the gift overseas.

Create a flag for the front door.  For an easy and fun twist on hanging a flag this year, try making one from crêpe paper for the front door or window.  Pick up some red-and-white streamers from the store for the stripes.  Use a piece of blue construction paper and draw or paint white stars onto the upper left corner; then fasten it up so that the “flag” hangs downward, with the streamer stripes going from top to bottom.  Either leave the stripes flying free toward the bottom or tape them down, like on top.

Celebrate with the East Coast.  If staying up late isn’t a good option, but kids are begging to watch the fireworks, they can catch a full fireworks extravaganza from home via the magic of TV and the Internet.  Get everyone into pajamas and watch one of the many media specials from the comfort of home.  This especially works for families west of the Eastern TIme zone; it may require pushing bedtimes back a bit, but there will be no fireworks crowds to battle en route home to bed afterwards.

This article provided by Katie Kavulla, a mother and a freelance writer in Seattle who regularly contributes to the Red Tricycle, an online city guide that provides fun things for parents to do with their kids (RedTri.com).

Enjoy!  HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!

 

This One is for the Mother’s……Mother’s Day that is May 7, 2012

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and as a mother myself it is a great honor to remember how thankful I am to be a mom.  There are some mom’s out there who work hard, not just at a job, but at home-cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children.  Some may have that dream their husbands would just help once in a while.

I was reading Working Mother magazine and on the very last page I saw a little blurb titled: “the last word- What I want (to give up) for Mother’s Day…”  The five suggestions listed below were interesting and could work.  I hope you enjoy reading as much as I.

1.  I want our husbands/significant others to celebrate Mother’s Day 2012 by permanently taking equal responsibility for the house being acceptably clean and organized.  It’s not just our house; it’s also their house.  We working moms are ready to give up 50 percent of the housework and 50 percent of the “messy house guilt” to our partners.  Please take this gift!

2.  I want our companies to celebrate Mother’s Day by offering us the tough assignments that come with the big money.  We working moms work like crazy at our jobs, and we now want to give up doing the work without the money and promotion because someone believes we don’t/won’t/can’t want them.  Give us the chance to say yes or  no.

3.  I want our bosses and peers to stop doubting us because we leave at 5:15 to pick up our kids from day care three days a week.  Working mothers go online at 9 p.m. to complete tasks, we sacrifice school plays when that’s the right choice; and we are the most focused, efficient employees you’ll ever meet.  Please give up “face time” as a measure of our commitment.

4.  I want our schools to celebrate Mother’s Day by acknowledging that most of their “customers” are working parents who desperately want to be involved in their children’s schools.  We’ll gladly give up our evening time if you’ll schedule meetings and activities when we can be there!

5.  I want my children to celebrate Mother’s Day by making macaroni necklaces for me.  I won’t give up on that!  Actually, since my children are 25 and 22, I’ll settle for two nice Hallmark cards.

This “last word” provided by Carol Evans, President of Working Mother Media.

A Sun Shiny Yoga Fest Sunday April 16, 2012

This is a particularly exciting day, at least for me!  The first Yoga Festival in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  Also the first time that I will be exposing my art to the community.  Excited and somewhat nervous.

I send my gratitude to Down To Earth Yoga for opening up their heart and booth space to display the art.

So, let’s move on to the focus of this day.  The event took place at the Civic Center where local artists, businesses and yoga instructors gathered together outside surrounding the fountain area.  (The specific fountain area is fairly vast and  in the center of the front of the building, temporarily off).

As I walked onto the grounds, I noticed everyone was setting up and preparing so they would be ready by 10:00.

I helped Down To Earth set up their booth and then placed my art in its space.  We finished early, so I walked around a bit to take a quick glance at everyone who was gathered here.  There was a variety for all, from purses to homemade soaps and oils, bags for yoga mats, henna tattoos, homemade chocolates, Pampered Chef, the list goes on and on.

There were some particularly beautiful people who really touched my heart.  Party Lite was one and all the women who were representing just had a glow and warmth that was inviting.  If you have never heard of Party Lite, they sell candles and create beautiful centerpieces and other items along that line.   But it wasn’t just that, on the other side they started “Love Your Neighbor”, an organization to spread love all over St. Lucie County.  Plain and simple, neighbors helping neighbors.  Every month they strive to serve families with hardships.  In simple, yet loving ways they bless families by donating clothing, food, household items, and/or gift cards.  Their mission is to show folks in the community that they care about them and their lives.  Give them hope.  A beacon of light in a time when many neighbors are losing jobs, homes, loved ones, and health.   When I heard about this awesome organization, the question popped in my head: “What if all communities worldwide did this?”  What a huge blessing!

Now we come to the second beautiful spirit which was Nicole!  She and Dottie accompanied the booth directly behind us which displayed Akea Essentials.  Akea Essentials is pure whole food power of the World’s Longevity Hot Spots.  There are over thirty organic superfoods, probiotics, enzymes and minerals….recipe for Hot Spot Health!  Akea’s mission is to have a profound, positive impact on your health, the health of your family and the health of your community by helping you easily incorporate the principles of the world’s healthiest people into your lifestyle.  Nicole was nice enough to give me a sample of the whole food supplement, which is in powder form that you can mix with water, coconut water or breakfast smoothie.  I decided to mix it with coconut water and it was a clean and energizing way to start the day! www.organicgirl.akealife.com

Wait, there’s more!  Nicole had let me know she liked a particular piece of my art.  She also had some jewelry pieces she made, one of them were crafted out of a spiral notebook wire, made into a heart shape.  At first, I negotiated a price, but then she replied: “want to barter?”  I said: “sure!”  I was grateful to have met Nicole and to own some of her beautiful work.  In addition to those two areas, she has opened the Treasure Coast Reuse Center, which I think is great!  A beautiful woman inside and out!

Yoga classes were about to begin, which were being held in the grass.  There were a variety of instructors who shared mediation, breathing techniques, hot yoga, anusara and power yoga.  All the classes were free and everyone joined, even the kids!

It is now 2:00, time to shut down and head home.  One last announcement from the woman who put the event together, thanked everyone for coming and what a great turnout.

I was noticing that everyone started to rush to get things put away and to their vehicles, thinking why?  Someone told me that the huge fountain I talked about earlier came on at 3:00 and the water spray was wide enough to give us all a bath and then some!  To many pictures in my head to explain.

A great event for everyone to come together and share their gifts.  Most of all to have fun!

Happy Easter! Egg-ceptional fun! April 7, 2012

Coloring Easter Eggs the Natural Way

From toddlers to tweens, many children eagerly anticipate one of spring’s most pleasurable rituals: coloring Easter eggs.  This shared family activity allows kids to be hands-on artists, as they choose from a palette of cheerful hues to fashion little edible treasures.  But youngsters that dip their hands into synthetic dyes can absorb chemicals through their skin which may be linked with allergic reactions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and with ADHD and hyperactivity, per a 2011 report by Science News.  Keep their creations healthy and chemical-free by avoiding commercial food coloring and using easy-to-make, fruit-and-veggie-based dyes instead.

The simplest way to use Earth-friendly shades is to add natural materials when boiling the eggs.  Some suggestions: purple grape juice or crushed blueberries, for blue; liquid chlorophyll or spinach, for green, organic orange peels or ground turmeric, for yellow; cranberries, pickled beets, cherries or pomegranate juice, for pink and red; and yellow onion skins, cooked carrots, chili powder or paprika, for orange.

Then, follow these directions: Place the eggs in a single layer in a pan and add water to cover.  Add one teaspoon of white vinegar (this helps the eggshells absorb color) and the natural dye material; use more material for more eggs or a more intense color.  Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer the eggs for 15 minutes.  Remove the eggs and refrigerate them.

These naturally colored treats, more beautiful than their artificially enhanced cousins, will mimic Mother Nature’s softer, gentler tints.  For a shiny appearance, rub some cooking oil on the eggs when they are dry.  Also remember that hard-cooked eggs are more perishable than raw ones, and should stay outside the refrigerator no more than two hours ( so the one possibly found the day after Easter needs to hit the compost pile) and be consumed within one week.

I found this information  useful for keeping children healthy and away from hazardous chemicals.

Hope you all have a beautiful and blessed Easter!

LET”S GO COLOR SOME EGGS!!!!!

A Hare’s Perspective on Life: How Quickly it Moves March 31, 2012

Does anyone remember the story about the tortoise and the hare?  If you don’t, here’s a little moment of childhood.

Once upon a time there was a hare who, boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing tortoise for its slowness. Then  one day, the irate tortoise answered back: “Who do you think you are? There’s  no denying you’re swift, but even you can be beaten!” The hare squealed with  laughter.“Beaten in a race? By whom? Not you, surely! I bet there’s nobody in the world that can win against me, I’m so speedy. Now, why don’t you try?”Annoyed by such bragging, the tortoise accepted the challenge. A course was planned, and the next day at dawn they stood at the starting line. The hare yawned sleepily as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off. When the hare saw how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half asleep on his feet, to have a quick nap. “Take your time!” he said. “I’ll have forty winks and catch up with you in a minute.”

The hare woke with a start from a fitful sleep and gazed round, looking for the tortoise. But the creature was only a short distance away, having barely covered a third of the course. Breathing a sigh of relief, the hare decided he might as well have breakfast too, and off he went to munch some cabbages he had noticed in a nearby field. But the heavy meal and the hot sun made his eyelids droop. With a careless glance at the tortoise, now halfway along the course, he decided to have another snooze before flashing past the winning post. And smiling at the thought of the look on the tortoise’s face when it saw the hare speed by, he fell fast asleep and was soon snoring happily. The sun started to sink, below the horizon, and the tortoise, who had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, was scarcely a yard from the finish. At that very point, the hare woke with a jolt. He could see the tortoise a speck in the distance and away he dashed. He leapt and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath. Just a little more and he’d be first at the finish. But the hare’s last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post. Poor hare! Tired and in disgrace, he slumped down beside the tortoise who was silently smiling at him.

“Slowly does it every time!” he said. (illustrated by Arthur Rackam)

You may be wondering why I decided to use the tortoise and the hare analogy.  My son, his wife and I met for breakfast this morning.  We only live about ten minutes apart.  I love my son a lot and it is such a blessing every time I see him.  His wife is an angel and she is a beautiful person.

After we had our meal and were walking out to the vehicles, my son had brought up that the last time we were together was December, yes Christmas!  Since April is right around the corner (actually tomorrow), that is a four month time lapse.  When that came from his lips, my mouth dropped and I just said: “no way!”  Sadly, it was true.

We stood in the parking lot and talked for a while (a life conversation summed up in the matter of minutes).  It was awesome to find out what is going on in their life, but I was still kind of getting over the shock of how much time had passed and the things I missed in his life.

It’s as if my son and his wife are celebrities, and we get together at the summer house.  All kidding aside, they both have great careers and are doing well for being a young couple.  I have to say that I am a very proud mom!

So, what is the point?  It is just this, we all have busy schedules and that may seem at times to take the gold star in your life.  But the most important and priceless things in life are family and spending time with them, sharing the good and the bad, and hearing about what is going on in their world.

Moving at a fast pace to win the race of life award is not necessarily the better option.  There are times when it is better to stop, take a breath and drink in all of your treasures, because families are the gem of life.

If you move too fast, you may miss out on the slow precious moments in between.

Did You Attend a School Like This? March 17, 2012

Reblogged from GYA today:

This isn't the norm...

For the rest of us there can be 'Continuing Ed' in the evenings or on weekends. Hope springs eternal! :)

I am reblogging this post today because it brings a great message to kids as well as adults.  This video is from a great blog GYA Today.  Hope you enjoy!

My Dark Day Became Clear the Moment This Child Appeared March 4, 2012

This post is coming in late and I want to apologize for my absence.  Hope you all are having a peaceful and happy weekend!

The time is Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and Yoga class is about to begin.  The students are gradually coming into their sacred space and laying down mats with conversation filling the air.  As we are all having our little talks, the doors slowly open and I first see little Yogi feet.  I was kind of having a gloomy day, but when I saw that it was a beautiful ray of sunshine, I instantly knew my day would be different.

One of the Yogis that has come for a while had brought her little one to experience Yoga.  (Out of respect for my student, I will be using a fictitious name).  Her name was Chloe and I cannot begin to describe how cute and bubbly she looked.

She walked over to me and I asked her if she was ready to do some Yoga, she just shook her head yes, being shy like any three-year old.

As we began the class with meditation, I would open my eyes every few minutes just to see her little face.  She had her eyes closed and was in her own little moment.

I told the group  that today’s sequence would be a restorative one.  All of the postures are relaxing, restoring and regenerative.  During this time there is not much movement and requires one  be still and silent.

The first posture was Savasana (which is also called corpse pose), I prefer to call it complete relaxation.  Just something about the word “corpse” gives me an uneasy feeling.  So everyone laid down on their mats and were still for five minutes.  Chloe did well in the beginning, but you know the three-year old button soon started going.  I do have to say that even though she got restless, she was still silent.

Now it was time for legs up the wall pose.  It consists of laying on your back and extending your legs with your heels touching the wall.  Closing your eyes and resting for five minutes. (This posture is really good for your nervous system).  Chloe was not too keen about this one, so she sat on her mom and was facing me, still being quiet.  We were making eye contact with each other and smiling.  To keep her mind busy, I started to do some poses of my own and she was doing them too.

After five minutes, everyone slowly came out of legs up the wall and sat in easy pose for a minute.  So, I decided to ask Chloe if she would do a Yoga pose.  She was being shy still.  I said: “can you do downward facing dog?”  She shook her head no, but her mom said she knew how.  I got into downward facing dog to see if she would do it too, but she didn’t want to play that game.  It was okay, I was having fun just having her join class.

We came back to our sacred spaces and did a few more postures, which Chloe made it all the way until we were ready for the last relaxation, then her silent button was ready to go outside to turn the voice button back on.

Before they left, she came over to me and gave me a hug!  No words can describe how happy that made me feel.  Then she hugged me again, and I shook her hand and told her it was nice to have met you!  She smiled and they were on their way!

I can’t begin to tell you how blessed I was to have Chloe there that day!  It was as if Spirit knew what I was feeling.

You never know who is watching over you and who may bless your life!

May you be peaceful and happy!

Tammy

15th Day of 29: A Loving Outreach for the Community as Well as a Vision to Reach the World January 13, 2012

Here is another day of being able to not only give, but to connect with my neighbors.  These past two weeks have really changed my whole outlook on life and have enlightened my soul.  But this is not about me, it’s about others.  No, I am not doing it to benefit myself, I just wanted to share some feelings with you.

So, last night at work I noticed a stack of little rectangular shaped papers on top of our soda cooler.  These pieces of paper contained information about a new thrift store that will be opening in the Port St. Lucie area. 

The organization that will be opening this thrift store is Global Heart Spiritual Center, which helps people in the community who are ill, have low income, and ones who should not live alone. 

What they are needing is household items, furniture and quality clothing. 

As I was looking over this tiny area of information, I had an idea to help this ministry get their word out there in a bigger way! 

The lady that runs Global Heart is Celia, so I called her today to find out where we can drop off our items.  We talked for a few minutes and she gave me the location.  I continued to ask her if she would not mind if I made her bigger flyers.  She said : “that would be great, I need as many volunteers as possible.”

As soon as I got off the phone, I went to work, delighted to help the community.

Along with the flyers, I will also have the opportunity to give some items.

If you would like to help, you can call Celia at 772-332-0074 or you can go to the website: http://www.globalheartfl.com

Let’s come together by reaching  out to each other, hand in hand to bring peace to the world.

Peace and love to all!

Day Two: The Laughing Dog December 26, 2011

A couple of weeks ago my boss bought a laughing dog from Cracker Barrel.  This particular dog rolls on the floor and laughs uncontrollably.  Now I don’t know if anyone has seen this dog, but if you have you cannot be in a grouchy mood around it!  To me it should be called the “Instant Smile Magnet.” 

Anyway, he has been showing this dog to all of the customers, like he was five years old.  Whenever this dog starts his laughing routine, the whole restaurant is like an amusement park.  Young and old, men and women are laughing and smiling from ear to ear.  It is amazing what this little dog toy is bringing to people’s lives, even if it is for five minutes.

One of my co-worker’s decided that she wanted to get her daughter this laughing dog because she has been depressed lately.   Now, Cracker Barrel was sold out and there was no where else to find them.   But all was not lost, because I had gone to the Dollar Tree recently and low and behold they were selling the dogs!  So, she asked if I could get it for her, and of course I did.  Who would not want to make a little girl happy? 

Once I brought the dog to my friend, she was so thankful and happy which made me smile because I love to see blissful faces, it really makes my day!

So, if you are sad or having a bad day, get one of these dogs.  Trust me, you won’t be able to hold back the laughter!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Peace, love and light

Having an Enriched Spiritual Life via Our Children December 1, 2011

When your life  consists of dirty nappies, wakeup calls in the wee hours of the night, screams and squeals echoing throughout the house, food art on the walls, toys everywhere, no more nights out, or time to read books, take classes or attend retreats- what could be spiritual about bringing up children?  Spiritual development is just one of those things that have vanished when we have kids, or is it?

There are many spiritual traditions which are based on meditation, prayer and solitude that say nothing should turn us away from our spiritual practices-including a family, which takes up so much time and energy.

The tradition in India says that spiritual development holds to a later stage in life, around the age of 50.  It is said that once we have lived through a householder stage  of bringing up and providing for our children and living a worldly life, that only then can we turn our attention to the inner world.  Once our children have reached the adult stage of life, then we have the privilege of meditating regularly, and living more quietly and simply.  There are many parents however, who find that bringing up children actively advances their spiritual development.  If seen in the right eye, parenthood can be a spiritual path, bringing a heightened sense of love, wonder and appreciation.

Natural Mindfulness

Children are such strong spiritual beings, who naturally have many of the qualities that adults work to cultivate through spiritual development.  For instance, children are naturally mindful.  They constantly live  fully in the present, and the world is always a fantastically real and interesting place in their eyes.

As child psychologist Professor Alison Gopnik, of the University of California, Berkeley, puts it, “Babies and young children are actually more conscious and more vividly aware of their external world and internal life than adults are.”  They have what she calls an, “…infinite capacity for wonder,” that adults only experience at their highest moments.  “Travel, mediation and romantic poetry can give us a firs-person taste of infant experience,” as can experiencing beauty, she says.

This illustrates one of the most positive effects of having children:  They help us to become children again ourselves.  In Taoism, the ideal is to be as spontaneous and curious as a child, exhibiting their openness to experience.  On the physical plane, Taoist practices like Tai chi and qigong aim to help the body become as supple and flexible as a child’s.

Beyond Selfishness

All the world’s spiritual traditions tell us how important it is to transcend our own selfishness; to stop seeing ourselves as the center of the universe and trying so hard to satisfy our own desires.  They advise us to help and serve others, so that we can move beyond our separate ego and connect to a transcendent power.  The eightfold path of Buddhism aims to cultivate this selfless state and ideally, the path of parenthood can, as well.  It’s impossible to be a good parent without being prepared to put your children first.

Much of parenthood is about self-sacrifice.  Gopnik remarks:  “Imagine a novel in which a woman took in a stranger who was unable to walk or talk or even eat by himself.  She fell completely in love with him at first sight, fed and clothed and washed him, gradually helped him to become competent and independent, and spent more than half her income on him…You couldn’t bear the sappiness of it.  But that is just about every mother’s story.  Caring for children is a fast and efficient way to experience at least a little saintliness.”

The poet William Wadsworth described how children see the world as “…appareled in celestial light [having] the glory and freshness of a dream.” Yet, as adults, this vision,”…fades into the light of common day.”  Having children of our own helps us to reawaken some of the celestial light within.

Perhaps this is what Jesus meant too, when he told his disciples, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  This makes sense if we think of the kingdom of heaven not as a future, far-off place, but as a state of consciousness, here and now.  Heaven is the state of wonder and natural well-being where children dwell and in their company, we naturally re-enter the kingdom.

Information provided by Steve Taylor, a UK university lecturer and researcher, is the author of Waking from Sleep, described by Ekhart Tolle as, “One of the best books on spiritual awakening I have come across.”  His new book is Out of the Darkness-from Turmoil to Transformation.  Visit StevenMTaylor.com.

Hope you enjoy this information and that it will help you on your own spiritual development.  Children are the light we see within ourselves.

Happy parenting!

Peace, love and light.