Words of Wisdom – 5 Ways to Celebrate National Ice Cream Month

 

What’s the scoop? July is celebrated as National Ice Cream Month. Your words of wisdom for today are – It’s okay to eat your desert first. Call it backwards day if you want but treat yourself to an ice cream dessert and have it before your meal. It’s National Ice Cream Month (almost).

Do you remember that old chant, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream? It doesn’t take that much encouragement for me to become excited about ice cream. If fact, just flash a  picture of mint chocolate on a sugar cone, and I’m salivating like Pavlov’s dog. Enough about me, here are 5 Ways to celebrate National Ice Cream Month.

1.      Host an ice cream social and game night – set up an outdoor game day or inside game night, you choose. Serve up a scoop of ice cream and a scoop of fun.

2.      Create an ice cream stand – it’s the season for lemonade stands, how about setting up an ice cream stand?

3.      Try a new flavor ice cream – is there a favorite flavor ice cream that is your go to signature type? After you indulge in your favorite treat, mix it up next time and try something different.

4.      Treat a friend to an ice cream cone or sundae – ice cream and fun, how can you top that…? Perhaps include a drizzle of chocolate syrup and sprinkles.

5.      Make a special dessert using ice cream – milkshakes, Sundaes, and ice cream a ’la mode, are a few ice cream dessert options to tease your palate.

What would you add to the list of ways to celebrate National Ice Cream Month? Do you have words of wisdom related to ice cream month?

Muffins with Mom – A Graduation Celebration 3 Ways to make your event fun

 

The official graduation ceremony ended weeks ago, the sound of pomp and circumstance now in the distance, but the celebration continues. Family, friends, fun, and the threat of foul weather. What do you do when something threatens to rain on your parade, dampen your spirits? Attack with humor.

The day of my son’s outdoor graduation open house, the weather prediction called for all day thunderstorms. We regrouped and moved the event to an inside location. I arrived early to arrange the room. After an hour, I was ready for a snack and realized I’d forgotten my favorite Sparkling Ice water.

I called my son around 10am and asked, “Can you bring me  a couple bottles of water on your way to your haircut appointment?”

“Sure, mom.”

An hour passed and my throat was beyond dry. I called my son again, “Did you forget about me?”

“No, I was going to bring the water when I’m on my way to the open house.”

“At 2pm? I’m thirsty now, not three hours from now.”

“Oh.”

That response meant I wasn’t going to quench my thirst anytime soon. The threat of severe weather was back, only this time it was inside my body…in the form of hot flashes. Between the weather in the physical environment and the blazing temperature attacking my body, stress was mounting.

A graduation celebration is supposed to reflect fun, fellowship, and friendship. Here are 3 ways to make your celebration fun.

1.      Plan a variety of activities – not everyone will like the same things. One group of young adults were enthralled in a game of cards. A few younger kids were captivated by the jumbo Connect Four game.

2.      Have plenty of food – it’s a personal preference, but I’d rather have food left over, then to run out. Your food selection does not have to be elaborate but have enough.

3.      Provide music – music sets the atmosphere; make it upbeat, lively and enough variety for all ages.

All of these things were included in our graduation celebration. Once our event was relocated indoors, nothing rained on our parade. There was a trash talking card game in one corner, aunts and uncles reminiscing at another table, and the graduate posing for pictures.

Don’t miss a chance to celebrate with your child or other relative.

How many graduation celebrations have you been to this year? What made the celebration fun?

 

Fun Friday – Tales from Parenthood

 

Have you ever struggled to get your child to brush his teeth?

Have you ever heard the saying, there’s never a dull moment? I’ve found this to be true in the world of parenting. I asked a few friends about their episodes and here’s the result:

Singing to baby

My friend Mary reflected on a time when she sang to her children. “I never was a good singer,” she told me. “I tried singing lullaby’s, and they started crying.”

 

Teeth Brushing is important

During a doctor’s visit when my son was younger, the doctor asked, “How often do you brush your teeth?”

He tilted his head and look sheepishly at me and said, “Sometimes.”

The doctor tilted her head and turned to me, “Mom, you have to brush for him, if he won’t do it.”

I smiled, or rather I smirked, and didn’t say what I really wanted to say. I tried brushing his teeth, I even tried scare tactics by telling him his teeth would fall out. His response was, “I’ll grow new ones.”

Now that my son is college age…not much has changed. The dental office consistently calls me and says, “It’s time to schedule your son’s appointment.”

My response is the same every time, “I’ll let him know.” Then I texted him a gentle reminder, “MAKE YOUR DENTAL APPOINTMENT.”

In a different parenting episode, I shared with my mom that I was running late for work because I was putting on make up and brushing my teeth.

My mom suggested, “Maybe you could just brush SOME of your teeth.”

 

There is never a dull moment during parenthood. Share one of your humorous episodes in parenting.

 

Wordless Wednesday - Funny quotes to make you laugh

 

YouTube Video Credit:Quote Wishes Sayings

Fun Friday - National Zoo and Aquarium Month

Detroit Zoo

 

Rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation are words to live by. These things can be accomplished by engaging in fun activities. It’s National Zoo and Aquarium Month; visit your local zoo and aquarium or travel to a city you’ve never been to.

Do you have a fond memory of visiting a zoo or aquarium? As a young child, my brother and I traveled with our grandparents every year. One year it was a trip to Arizona for a convention that my grandmother attended. While there, we visited the Phoenix Zoo. I was around nine years old.

The best part of the zoo visit was riding the open car train. It was on tracks, but more like a covered car with open sides, that could hold about 25 people. The tour guide described the sights as we moved from one to the next going at the speed of a sloth. I took pictures with my very own camera that held Kodak film.

One click, two clicks. I took pictures of a long-horned rhino, a giraffe eating lunch, and the face of the person across from me, who moved into my camera view. As I moved to take one more picture, my arm bumped something, and my camera flew out of the open side of our tram car.

I yelled to my grandfather, “Daddy Bob, my camera fell out.” The train kept moving. My grandfather jumped off the train from an open side, ran a few feet to retrieve my camera, then jogged to catch up. He grabbed a side of the train and hopped back aboard with my memories tucked in the pocked of his suit coat.

A visit to the Phoenix Zoo from over 40 years ago is still etched in my memory, the animals as well as almost losing my camera.

After having children, the zoo has been one of our favorite places to visit. Last summer as we were thinking of things to do during COVID, my son said, “Let’s go to the zoo. We haven’t been in years.”

Detroit Zoo

During that summer, our excitement took us to the Toledo Zoo and he Detroit Zoo. Next on our list is a visit to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA and one day, the San Diego Zoo.

What’s a favorite zoo or aquarium that you’ve visited? Where will your travels take you this summer? Remember to build in time for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

 

A Mother/Daughter Moment at The Detroit Zoo

Wellness Wednesday - Professional Wellness Month

Fitness Fun

Do not attempt to adjust your screen and don't be alarmed. You are really seeing what you think you're seeing...me in the flesh. By flesh, I mean, the soft substance of muscle and fat, that I'm working to improve. The month of June is recognized as Professional Wellness Month.

The purpose of Professional Wellness Month is to emphasize wellness in the workplace. This is a time to focus on a healthy diet, good sleep patterns, and exercise routine to kickoff your journey. Professional Wellness Month does not have to be limited to the workplace.

Today I choose to focus on fitness. How do you create a fitness routine that you will stick with? Make it fun and set yourself up for success. When are you at your best? What is your most productive time of the day. Schedule your workout for a time you know you will push throughit and not put it off.

In my virtual fitness class, we hold ourselves accountable by taking a photo at the end of class. It's only for our benefit, nothing we have to share with the world...unless you post it as I did today. Taking goofy pictures makes the end of the workout fun for me.

Don't turn your back on fitness - make it work for you

For the rest of the month focus on wellness at work and at home. If you work from home, bonus for you.

What will be your first move toward wellness this month?

Motivational Monday – African American Music Appreciation Month

 Music stirs emotion, sooths the soul, and relaxes you at the end of a long day. African American Music Appreciation Month is observed annually in June. It was initiated as Black Music Appreciation Month by Jimmy Carter in 1979 (Wikipedia). The commemoration was given it’s current name by former President Barack Obama in 2009.

Did you know that African American music gave birth to jazz and rap? The beats and sounds of these genres influenced rock, soul, gospel, swing, be-bop, boogie-woogie, and other genres of music. Today I’d like to focus on the sounds of gospel.

How many black singers can you name who got their start in church? Take a few minutes to think about it before you read the answers, which I will reveal in the next sentence.

Here are some of the artists who can “trace their musical roots from the Lord’s house to the top of the charts (Biography.com).”

Aretha Franklin

Whitney Houston

Otis Redding

Marvin Gaye

The Staple Singers

The Emotions

Donna Summer

Stephanie Mills

Faith Evans

John Legend

How many did you identify from this list? Feel free to share other artists not listed here.

I find comfort, inspiration, and hope, through gospel songs. I attempted to fine just a couple of my favorites to share with you, but that was difficult to do because there are so many. I found two songs, then I came across a R & B Gospel Mix, that has a collection of songs.

Beverly Crawford - He's Done Enough

YouTube Video Credit: JahalQ

Richard Smallwood - Total Praise

YouTube Viedo Credit: GospelMusic TV 

YouTube Video Credit: Gutter Free Hip Hop

Disclaimer: I don’t own the rights to any of the songs presented in this blog post. I hope you find inspiration through some of the music presented or by exploring other artists during African American Music Appreciation Month.

Fun Friday – Make Happiness a Habit

 

Happiness is…

How would you complete that statement? For me, happiness is…finding the funny wherever I can.

I miss my son when he is away at school. The house just isn’t the same…it’s clean. He came home one day in the middle of the week, and I said, “While you’re here, can you cut the grass for me.”

Perhaps I used a poor choice of words, my son huffed and puffed like the Wolf in the story of the Three Little Pigs, then said, “You’re spoiled Ma.”

“You drove an hour from your plush college apartment with a gift of dirty laundry for me, but I’m spoiled? I’m sure if you Google search the word spoiled, there is a picture of you.”

You would have thought I asked him to cut the grass blade by blade with kiddie scissors. Hmph.

My son and I often banter back and forth with humor. When he was in high school, my son visited a friend who was well to do. He came home and said, “Ma, Sam is rich.”

“It’s okay…we’re funny.”

I’ve heard it said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Let’s go with that number. For the next 21 days find things that stir up happiness for you. In your happiness quotient include humor:

·         re-tell funny family stories.

·         send a funny card to a friend.

·         watch a comedy show.

Register Here

Just because you visited my blog, you’re invited to a virtual Comedy Showcase (Monday, June 14, 7pm Eastern). I’m in the line up along with several funny friends. Join us for this free event. Register now to reserve your spot.

Happiness is…laughter.

Happiness is…whatever you want it to be.

Happiness is…a component of your well-being.

Make happiness a habit.

 

Wellness Wednesday - National Smile Month

Mother and son

There is power in a smile. It conveys feelings of happiness, hope, joy, and improves your mood. Behind your powerful smile is the health care of your mouth. Did you know that our oral health influences our every day wellness?

National Smile Month, observed in June, is designed to bring awareness to our oral health and provide tips for maintaining your smile. Here's what I learned from a Delta Dental article:

1.    The health of our mouth can impact our cardiovascular system.

2.    People with high blood pressure often have higher levels of plaque buildup on their teeth.

3.    One study indicated that people who brush less than twice a day are at a higher risk of heart disease than those who brush twice a day for two minutes. 

Go out there and work your smile this month and watch your mood change. Even when you don't feel like smiling, do it anyway. In the words of gospel artist Kirk Franklin, "...even when you hurt, smile." 

Your challenge this month is to smile every day. Check in and let me know how you feel at the end of each week.

Feel Good Friday – How Do You Live Your Best Life – 3 Ways to Get Started

 

Stretched out on a couch, sipping flavored water, and snacking on a Honeycrisp apple with smooth peanut butter…my best life. This is only the beginning of my idea of living my best life. There are also adventures planned, art classes to try, and even weekend excursions.

What is your idea of living your best life? I have friends who have been zip lining, white water rafting, and parasailing. Those activities are not on my list, but I admire my friends for being intentional and chasing their adventures.

Skydiving

Living your best life means pursuing things that are meaningful to you, not things that someone else thinks you should be doing. On the list of friends pursuing their best life, are my sons. They too have been parasailing, and most recently skydiving. They are living their best life and they didn’t wait until they turned 50 or wait for the perfect circumstances.

Skydiving - a sibling adventure

Let’s do it…live our best life. Here are 3 Ways to do that:

1.      Take pleasure in the simple things – we sometimes forget to appreciate what we have smile, or made you sigh in appreciation.

2.      Live in the present – is there something you have been putting off, waiting for the right time? Do you want to try a new hobby, run a marathon, or simply walk a mile without breathing heavy? Just start where you are.

3.      Manage your inner critic – don’t let negative thoughts hijack your happiness. Shut it down. You deserve happiness, joy, and any other positivity you can think of.

What will be your first step toward living your best life? It doesn’t need to be a big step; any forward movement is good. Begin a new project, grab a book you’ve anted to read and head to a beach for relaxation. Any step you take toward something positive for yourself, is a step in the right direction.

 

Wellness Wednesday – 5 Ways to Invest in Your Spiritual Well-being

 

Family Relaxing - Brothers with their Grandma

Is your spiritual bank account running low? Don’t let it lead to insufficient funds, make a deposit today. Spirituality has been described as the belief in something greater than yourself. Just as you would take care of your mental and physical health, your spiritual health should be included too.

There are benefits to investing in your spiritual well-being. Here are 4 benefits listed by The Hartford:

·         Feeling calmer, more centered, more mindful

·         Decreasing anxiety

·         Giving you a sense of community

·         Developing your values and feeling more attuned to your emotions

We have to be intentional about our well-being. I say we because I have to remind myself to make time for self-care. The Hartford article also listed 12 Ways toinvest in yourself, I will share my top 5, in no particular order.

1.      Meditate – meditation can reduce symptoms of stress and possibly reduce headaches.

2.      Spend Time in Nature – reduces stress and increases happiness.

3.      Digital Detox – take time away from technology.

4.      Practice Mindfulness – focus on the present moment without worrying about the past or future.

5.      Do a Good Deed – helping someone else can give you an emotional boost.

Don’t let your spiritual bank account lie dormant, take action today. Round out your mental and physical well-being by activating your spiritual well-being.

What tips do you have for investing in spiritual well-being?