Documentary Film: A Small Act

I loved this documentary. I watched it with my husband and children and we were all moved and inspired. I've included the trailer in my list of favoriets, but you need to find the entire film and watch it. Check on the film's website A Small Act for more information.

Greater Good        

Yesterday I stumbled across a great resource for parenting information, and today I am sharing it with you, kind reader. It is a blog called Half Full related to science-based parenting advice written by a sociologist and the executive director of Uc Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.  The author’s name is Christine Carter, and she seems pretty happy. Rather than just giving opinions about parenting decisions, her advice is based on research related to kids and parenting, so it feels more like a parenting 101 class when you’re reading through the information on her website. The aesthetic of her site is very cluttered and busy, but the meaty information is worth wading through the irrelevant stuff and scrolling to find the good stuff.

It is easy to find loads of parenting advice out there, but finding worthwhile parenting wisdom takes some work. I hope you enjoy her site as much as I do. I can use all the help I can get most days!

Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents
Buddhist stories adapted by Sarah Conover

Telling my kids to ‘be nice’ 45 times per day gets really old. I have finally found a solution to the ‘be nice’ broken record syndrome, and it comes in the form of a wonderful book for kids from elementary through middle school, called Kindness.
The stories can be used as bedtime reading. There are stories you can read in 2 minutes, 5 minutes, or 15 minutes. You can make the stories as complex or simple as you want to when talking about them with your child. The tale ‘Great Joy the Ox’ is about kindness and refraining from harsh speech.  "The Dung Beetle" warns of the dangers of hubris. "The Monk's Heavy Load" is a more conceptual story that examines being weighed down by resentments and memories.
Regardless of your religious persuasion, the lessons of kindness and compassion are applicable to parents and children alike, and it’s very well written and easy to read.

Yo Yo Yogurt!!

I love Fage Greek Yogurt, and I eat it EVERY DAY for breakfast. Fage Total 0% is a nutritional powerhouse, packing only 120 calories and a whopping 20 grams of protein in one cup, with ZERO grams of fat. It also provides 25% of your daily RDA for calcium.
I mix mine with Kashi cereal and berries, but if it’s too tart for your delicate tastebuds you can add honey or any kind of jam. It’s also a great substitute for sour cream or mayonnaise in any recipes, as it tolerates being cooked at high temperatures without separation.
ENJOY!!

Green Strap Thingy      

I’ve got this green gizmo, which is basically a strap with a series of handles made out of nylon webbing, and it’s called a Stretch Out strap. It is thrown in my suitcase when I travel and it’s on my living room floor when I’m home. I don’t go far without it, because it has become the way I stretch my tight hamstrings, and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes or needs to stretch.

The straps make grip and control much easier, and it can be used for much more than hamstring stretching. Lots of yoga poses can be utilized with the stretch strap, too. Anyone who does much walking, jogging or even sitting needs to stretch.

If you don’t like to stretch much (like me, because it can be unpleasant when you are tight) then I really recommend it, because it will give you an excuse to lay down on the floor and take a nap while you are thinking about stretching. When you wake up from your floor nap, pick it up and use it – you’ll like it, and your tight hamstrings, your knees and your back will thank you.

YMCA of the Rockies ROCKS! 

I’ve only been here for two days, and this place is definitely a favorite. There is so much to do and it is very low key. The kids have day camp from 8:15 from 3:15, so my husband and I can hike, mountain bike, do a high ropes course or a zip line experience, or just go back to the cabin and hump like rabbits if we want to.

You need not look to Club Med or some foofy resort to get away from it all. A week’s stay here won’t set you back as much, either. Get off you ass and get up here! I recommend making your reservations months in advance of your actual trip. This place fills up in the summer, but it’s open year round.

A Great Book! 

The Self-Esteem Trap :  Raising Confident and Compassionate Kids in an
Age of Self-Importance 

By Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD