Do SOMETHING!

While talking to a few students... I came up with a few ideas to kill the summer boredom that has already begun to seep in what should be a joyous time! Here are a few of mine - please add your own!

Make your own list for the summer and check them off as you go!

1. play four square

2. go for a long walk in a shaded park or to a friend’s house

3. GO on A HIKE!

4. make a new recipe

5. play with a dog,

6. build something out of legos

7. garden

8. learn a new skill from your expert mother like making plum jelly (which is my fav:)

9. sew a blanket

10. design a craft project

11. paint your shoes

12. Create holiday decorations

13. learn to weave a basket - which I have done and it is super fun

14. run through the sprinklers

15. put a sprinkler under or over a tramp and slide!

16. create a slip and slid out of a tarp and a fun hill

17. build something out of wood

18. Learn to stencil – it is such a cool, lost art!

19. Learn a new language – even if it is just “hi!” and “I love you!”

20. make your own concrete - also fun

21. create a small village in the forest or yard for the small people you know exist but have never actually seen

22. complete with a castle and dam make out of aforementioned concrete

23. make your own paper - super cool out of old newspaper

24. Watch a cultural movie – Bollywood counts too J

25. Watch your mom’s favorite old movie – find some black and whites

26. Start your own recipe box and steal all those amazing recipes from your mom now! It saves a lot of time on the phone in college.

27. Make a watering jug out of an old milk carton for you box garden

28. plant your favorite vegetables and then find some sweet new recipes

29. Paper Mache… ‘nuff said!

30. Masks!

31. Learn how to sew from the crazy lady down the street

32. Movie marathon complete with themed food an art project and accents

33. make a collection of awesome quotes you like complete with art

34. make smoothies or popsicles!

35. put together a new collage

36. Make me, or yourself, a cool new lampshade

37. frame pictures

38. Start writing the book you’ve always wanted to

39. Shadow some working people to get an idea of what you want to do in college

40. design your future house

41. Read a good book you have always wanted to

42. Make your own stationary… don’t all mom’s have their supply of stamps and colored paper?

43. plan a theme party with some friends and be super creative... themed around ... waffles or lumberjacks...

44. draw something powerful and meaningful for someone you love

45. Make a bird house out of a juice carton

46. BONFIRE! With s’mores or apple crisp

47. read up on current events and compare different news stations’ stories

48. Bike ride!

49. dye egg shells and make a collage out of the pretty colors

50. ooh! cement - add different shapes and colors of rocks to make a cool story! Mosaics!

51. Trimming trees – I think I should have been an arborist in another life…

52. sidewalk chalk!

53. Mud scultures – get messy!

54. everything is better with sidewalk chalk - go tagging secretly to your friends houses and leave awesome messages!

55. build an irrigation system using... PHYSICS!

56. Use the EDP to solve the world's problems - or just your own

57. make new wall art by putting together quotes and pictures to help you fulfill one of your summer goals - see today's blog post (10-week Growth Spurt)

58. Make your own jewelry – BEADS!

59. Make your own playdough

60. Throw a fiesta complete with your own paper mache piñata, homemade guacamole, tacos, and watch the three amigos!

61. Learn to make homemade candy including caramels and taffy and then call me!

62. Spy on the raccoon that visits your yard periodically (I <3 Ally Melendez!)

63. Do yoga

64. Train a new pet or teach an old dog new tricks – it can be done. And they will love you

65. Make and send postcards

66. MAKE A FORT!!!!!!!!

67. Learn first aid and CPR – it can always come in handy

68. Write a song

69. Create a dance video/choreograph a song with your friends

70. Learn origami

71. Play with your old barbies or action figures

72. Feed the ducks in the park

73. Write your autobiography up ‘til now... then add to it

74. Create a new music mix for a special occasion – party, summer driving, get out of a funk, etc.

75. Learn about aromatherapy or reflexology – try mixing scents

76. Plan a surprise birthday party for your little sister – she would love it!

77. Iron chef competition

78. Meal under 5 dollars – good double date or group activity. Each team gets 5 dollars to buy ingredients for a meal – go home and cook!

79. Night games – ghost in the graveyard, capture the flag etc.

80. Games in the park – red rover, kick the can, hopscotch etc.

Service projects:

81. Clean up the neighborhood park

82. Knit baby caps

83. Bake cookies for a friend who needs some love…

84. Babysit for some cute kids whose Mom needs a break

85. Color books for humanitarian aid (ask me if you want some:)

86. Tie quilts

87. Volunteer at the library to read to children

88. Visit an old folks home

89. Paint an old lady’s nails

90. Talk to an old person about life 50 years ago

91. Play cards with the widow next door (memories…)

92. Volunteer at the soup kitchen

93. Help with an eagle scout’s project

94. Clean your house – your mom will love you!

95. Make dinner

96. Volunteer/mentor (www.unitedwayuc.org)

97. Bake or Yard sale

98. Make those string bracelets for someone who would love it!

99. Wash the cars - bc its utah and it always needs to be done

100. Make a stuffed animal or doll out of scrap fabric with button eyes and give/donate it to someone – I made one for my baby brother and he carried it around for years

10-week Growth Spurt

Summer is an amazing time to enjoy the great outdoors and hang out with family and friends! It may be filled with activities and fun but it is also a great time to set some personal goals. While we may be physically engaged, our minds have time off from the mental demands of school and have great potential to make some personal changes. This is a great time decide who you want to become and decide how to become that person!

Goals need to start off with a BE goal. Too many people get caught up on DOing goals and forget the reason behind them. If we start with a BE goal then we can surround ourselves with DO goals that will help us accomplish the BE part. BE goals are goals that focus on the person you want to become. Do goals are the things you do in order to shape and mold you into that better person. For example: if you BE goal is to become a happier person it can be hard to just say, "I want to be a happier person" but never actually accomplish it. If we set a number of DO goals to help you be a happier person, you are much more likely to accomplish that goal.

If I want to be a happier person I might set the following DO goals:

1. Smile more often.
2. Take a deep breath and look for the positive in a situation before I react negatively.
3. No negative self talk (Its depressing and destructive)
4. Do something I really enjoy for at least 15 minutes each morning to set the mood for the day (i.e. dance to my favorite music or look through some pictures you took or walk through the yard barefoot)

These are just some ideas. Take a good look at yourself. Instead of bashing the part of you you don't like, set a BE goal and then DO it!

You have 10 weeks. What are you going to do with it?

Love.

It is easier to run and hide from the things that are going on in our lives. But that doesn't change the problem, it just buries it deeper. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is the best thing: to take a deep look at ourselves and find the real problem, behind the symptoms of sorry or depression, anxiety or anger. When we uncover the root of the problem we are able to look at it with new light, with new understanding which enables us to come to terms with our challenges and eventually work through them. On the other side of the challenge, we each find a better self.

Learn to fly

"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird but it's a jolly sight harder for an egg to learn to fly. We are like eggs at present, and you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. Someday you have to be hatched or go bad...It is hard for an egg to become a bird, but it is impossible for an egg to learn to fly."

Sometimes it rains, sometimes it pours, but the Sun is Always Shining!

When I heard the thunder today my heart jumped! I grew up loving thunderstorms because in the midwest, storms are so animated and intense. There, the lightening lights up the entire ominous black sky with purple flashes as it pours buckets from the sky flooding the streets in minutes. I had great expectations when I hopped in my car to get a better view of this developing storm. Although I was disappointed with the complete lack of fireworks, I did learn something very interesting.

In Chicago, the landscape is completely flat. When storms roll in, it completely blackens the sky with a sheet of violent, tumultuous rainclouds. Here, there is a wide variety in the landscape that allows the clouds to develop with a ton of variation. This pocket of air rises over this hill and another gets swept into the canyon creating a collage of cloud densities and shades. Although it was pouring on my car, I was looking into the sunlight. I realized that even when it is raining, the Sun is still shining. When it is pouring on our lives, the Sun is shines brightly above us. When it has been overcast for weeks and we just can't seem to get out of the dim light and into full daylight, the Sun is still shining - working it's hardest to break through the clouds. The clouds can't last forever. We just can't see the Sun at the moment because of our perspective and our position. We can all have the faith that at some point, the Sun will break through the clouds, dispelling darkness and drying up the dismal tears of our lives. Eventually we will find ourselves in the warm, comforting sunlight again. What we do with the rain is our choice.

Where I watched the storm there were many birds. Most of them settled into the grass or bushes in groups to wait out the storm. A few others decided that they would procrastinate seeking cover and continued in the open. When it really started pelting rain, those birds aggressively darted from place to place looking for a dry spot but they were wet and the ground was wet. They wore themselves out looking for something better. If only they had waited out the storm in quiet peace instead of scurrying about in a frenzy.

I have watched many thunderstorms, but today was the first time I thought about the Sun that was still shining above the storm. It adds a new perspective about the storms in our own lives. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it pours, sometimes it's overcast or a hurricane or a tornado or hailing - but the Sun is still shining. Eventually we will step out of the darkness and into the light that has been shining all along.

Deal with it

Life can be so stressful. We face a wide variety of events and challenges every day. Each one is new to us and poses itself as a life-altering event. But is it?

I look back now and see that it was the little decisions everyday that made me who I am today. All the trials and challenges that I thought would bring the world crashing down around me did bring the world to an end but have shaped me. It isn’t the events that matter the most, but what we do with them – our attitude and our reactions.

Do we stress and stress and stress about things but never actually get things done? Do we pretend these challenges don’t exist? Or do we face them head on and plow throw to the best of our ability? One of my mottos is to “Grin and Bear it” What else can we do? Dwelling on things only gets you so far. If you think it through and come up with the best possible reaction to a situation, commit to that decision, and do it, then you are done dealing with it. You can’t do any more. We can worry and stress for days but where does that leave us? Worried and stressed!

Just this weekend I was left with a huge project that I was suppose to have 3-4 people helping me with. No one is here to help me. Under the time restraints and feeling a lack of support, I got frustrated. Stepping back I realized that I can do this. I got to work and within a few minutes had a timeline of doable activities that won’t be too stressful. I would still love some help but since that isn't something I can control, I had to move on and ‘git ‘er done’ to the best of my ability with the time and means I have available. Reflecting on this experience, I wrote a few guidelines to help you face a challenge.

1. Step back. Look at the situation from the outside and really see the problem. Take a deep breath and don’t let the moment get to you. Writing out the details of the situation can be effective in getting to the root of the problem.
2. Understand the problem. Ask questions and understand the situation. What is really going on here? Who is the problem? Am I fueling the fire? (my answer is usually yes) How is the culture and experiences of those involved different or impacting the situation? How does the other person feel? Did they do it on purpose or do they think they are doing the best?
3. Analyze emotions. Why am I upset, really? Am I really upset because of the current situation or is something else going on? Should I be upset? Are emotions dictating my reactions? Is that best? Are my feelings just? How should I communicate them effectively?
4. Realistic control. What can I control? What is out of my control is … out of my control. So stop worrying about it. Focus on what you can change and how you can impact the situation. (ex: you can’t stop your parents from getting a divorce, but you can lessen the impact on your younger sister by being there to help her in this difficult time. It will help you feel needed and loved while helping her at the same time.)
5. Open communication. This doesn’t mean you just spew your thoughts and feelings to the other person. Use communication to get to the bottom of the problem. Eliminate communication that causes excess stress and frustration. Think through your questions before hand and make sure they have a distinct purpose to help both of you, not just prove your right. This is a good time to test your ideas and measure the other person’s reactions to judge your conclusions. Re-evaluate your ideas and make sure they are accurate.
6. Do your best. Do all you can do in the best way possible. And that is it. You can’t do more. Realize your limits, whether you are limited by your time or financial means or maturity to handle situations, etc. You can only do what you can do – and that’s ok. No one expects more of you.
7. Don’t worry. If there is nothing more you can do, then be done with it. Be satisfied with your input and don’t worry about the rest. Don’t let your feelings roll around and round inside your mind. Going through this process should give you some confidence in your decision. So be doen with it.

My guess is that this is incomplete. What else helps?

Love.

A good day.

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.

~Author Unknown

Girls Club challenge for today (okay, this is totally random, and not officially girls club. But since Miss Ure let's me run this blog, I'm making it official):


Find the good in your day. Don't forget it, and let it make your entire day better.