• Book: “Cooking for Kids, Kids’ Party Food”

    My Mom gave me this book for Christmas 2005 Favorite Brand Name: Cooking for Kids, Kids’ Party Food.  The girls were still small then but it has been a great book that all of us have enjoyed over the past few years.  We love looking through it and have tried many of the recipes; several have become family favorites.  It has creative recipes that the girls love helping me with and some they can do almost on their own with a little adult supervision.  Once they start reading it will be even easier for them.  There are are pictures along with creative ideas for cooking and parties. If you are looking for a great gift for a young child or Mom and they like to cook this may be an awesome book for them.

  • Smiles Spread Cheer

    I enjoy making smiley snacks for the girls especially when they are not expecting the fun surprise.  They were outside playing last week and I decided to make something healthy for them to munch on.  Smiles spread cheer and excitement when they are delivered.  They ate their smiles at the picnic table while talking and giggling. You can make a smile snack with anything that you have at home.  Both girls had a big smile matching their plates when I handed them over.

    Here is what was on each smile snack plate today:

    • 1 Banana
    • 6 Chocolate Covered Almonds
    • 1 Cherry Tomato (from our garden, one of the last few)
    • 2 slices of Zucchini
    • 2 Raisins
    • 4 Baby Carrots
    • 1 Mozzarella String Cheese Stick (cut up)

    Add a smile to your kids food today and see how excited they get over it.  Life is short, have some fun.

  • Creative Initiatives – ZoobaLoobaDoo

    Flying balloonsIt is our role as spouses, parents, friends, and business associates to stimulate the creative side of others.  In our home we enjoy coming up with new ways to solve a problem, complete a project, or just have fun.  ZoobaLoobaDoo is one of those creative family words we developed in our home to get the family excited about certain activities.

    What is ZoobaLoobaDoo?

    ZoobaLoobaDoo is a  fun and creative excursion with a purpose.

    When errands need to be done and kids are in tow we go on a ZoobaLoobaDoo adventure together which always includes something fun along with the tasks to be completed.  The fun activity could be as simple as getting an ice cream cone, playing a game, going to the library or another kid approved activity.  When they girls were first learning the word they would tell me to “say that crazy word Mom so we can go with you on your errands.”   Now when we tell our girls we are going on a ZoobaLoobaDoo adventure they get excited  because they know that a piece of the activity is just for them.   Having that element of surprise and creativeness makes it fun for everyone involved.  I have the joy of coming up with a fun activity while they are excited to participate and discover what the adventure will be that day.

    Stimulate creative conversation in the lives you touch.  Encourage your family, friends, and business acquaintances to use their imagination and you may be surprised at the outcome.  Creativity allows us to come up with better solutions to problems, helps us tackle projects and injects an element of excitement into our lives.

    Life is too short to be boring, bring out the fun and creativeness first in yourself so it can spread to those around you. How do you allow creativeness to shine through in the people in your life – your spouse, kids, friends, family, co-workers, clients….?    When you allow creativeness to shine through in your life what happens?  Share with us  your ZoobaLoobaDoo.  If you don’t have a ZoobaLoobaDoo to share, start the excitement this week and you will be amazed by the results.

  • Accountability Partners

    PartnersAs we come to the close of the 2009 year take some time to reflect back on all the good times, the challenges, and fun memories that have been made over the past few months.  Great business projects have been completed.  Kids are a year older and have learned many new skills.   We are a little wiser after the year we have gone through.

    We all have wonderful people that are active in our families and lives.  It is essential both personally and professionally to have accountability partners to help encourage us to continue to succeed.  You probably have some of these people in your life already.  One of your personal accountability partners could be another Wife and Mom who is the same season of life as you or someone who has already gone through it and more experienced.  Maybe you need an accountability partner that encourages you to eat right, exercise, and get your rest.    Your business accountability partner can be someone who is starting or a seasoned business owner.  Pick people that are positive and encouraging to be around.  Here is a list of a few attributes to have in your accountability partners:

    • Trust – you will be sharing both your successes and struggles so  you  need someone who you can trust.  Having an established relationship or common bond is beneficial.  An accountability partner that has been successful in the area that they are encouraging you in builds the trust as well.  (For example – if you are a Mom another Mom as a parental accountability partner would be better than having a teenager.  OR  Someone that has a successful business would be more beneficial to you if you are starting or have a business than someone who has never done it nor has the desire to own a business).
    • Honest – it is important to have accountability partners that will be honest with you even if it is hard to hear what they have to say.  Having someone listen and give feedback is essential.  No one has the perfect solution for every problem but together you can come up with some amazing ideas that will help you get to the next stage in life and business.
    • Creative – having someone who can offer creative solutions that will help you make the current situation or projects you are working on even better is crucial.  When two or more people brainstorm together ideas will come alive.  Life can throw some difficult situations your way so having the ability to creatively come up with ways to successfully move forward is vital.
    • Available – you will need to meet on a regular basis with each of your accountability partners.  Whether it is once a week, month, or quarter make it part of the schedule.  You do not have to meet for hours each time but at least allow enough time to catch up and work through some specific details that are going on in your life.

    It is good idea to have more than one personal and professional accountability partner.  Whether these people are family, friends, paid  professionals or coaches it is important that they reflect on the positive and have a good level of success in their personal and professional lives.  You will receive a great mix of wisdom from these people in your life.  You may be unofficially doing this with family and friends already, make it official and part of your routine.  Take time to sincerely thank the people who are your accountability partners because they have invested their time and energy in your life.

    Be an accountability partner for others as well.  You will be blessed by helping family, friends, and business professionals.  It is a positively rewarding experience having the opportunity to listen, encourage and be a part of other peoples lives.   If you know someone you want to encourage then step up and volunteer to help them.  It is profoundly beneficial for all parties actively involved in an accountability partnership.

    Think about the people you want to be your accountability partners and ask them to be a part of your life.   Get started by covering the important areas in your life (personally, physically, spiritually, and professionally).  You will quickly notice the blessing of having these people in your life.  Who are your  partners and what are their best attributes?

  • “Flip the Coin”

    “Heads” orFlip the Coin “Tails”?!  Then….pause….with a moment of excitement before finding out if you are the winner of the toss.  We do not like to admit it, but there are  times when the coin lands in what appears to be our disadvantage.  Unfortunately, our first thoughts in these situations are not always encouraging or positive.

    A few weeks ago on a clear sunny day my husband was in a car accident.  The person that hit his car failed to stop in a timely manner.  My first reaction was of concern for him quickly followed by thoughts of  “we do not have time for this extra inconvenience right now.”   After several days I began trying to figure out ways to “Flip the Coin” and look at the positive side of the situation.

    • Thankfulness – Although the car is totaled my husband is still with us.  The car is much easier to replace!
    • Together Time – More time in the car together for communicating during the busy days.
    • Creativeness – You can creatively coordinate and balance an entire family’s schedule even when you only have one vehicle.
    • Appreciation – For Jake because he is a great Husband, Daddy, Friend and contributes to the family in so many ways.  Also, an appreciation for family and friends who encourage during the challenges of life.

    Find ways to “Flip the Coin” and make even the difficult circumstances a positive experience.  It will not always be easy to change your mindset but by being proactive and taking the time to think of ways to see the good will benefit you both personally and professionally.  We will still face obstacles along the path of life and situations out of our control so let’s remember to encourage one another especially during the tough times.  Do you have an example of how you were able to “Flip the Coin”?