Toddler Tuesday

I know I promised some amazing parenting advice but I don't have any.  So get a good nights sleep, drink LOTS of coffee in the morning and know that when your child is asking for chocolate chips for breakfast (and for some reason you are giving them to him), scraping their forehead on cement, crying on the floor of target, shouting "all done" after 10 minutes of nap time and throwing their dinner everywhere -  remember you are not alone and all the crazy moments of the day can disappear with one sweet little hug and a huge bowl of ice cream.

Toddler Tuesday

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby carriage.   At the moment I have no good parenting tips.  Toddlers are full of mysteries.  Currently, at our house we are trying to solve a few.  How did the sock end up in my glass of wine? (no it wasn't Mrs. Peacock) and why will Wes eat carrots for breakfast but not any other time of day?  Check back next Tuesday for a brilliant piece of parenting advice.  

BTW:  Wesley and I both enjoyed our free ice cream yesterday (see photos below).  Don't worry if you missed free cone day at Ben & Jerry's - they will do it again next April.

Almost as AWESOME as being Married

Happy Marriage Monday!  Typically, I would blog about marriage since being married is awesome.  Just two things come close to my love for my husband; our son and free ice cream.  Which is why today I am blogging about FREE ICE CREAM!  Tomorrow, Tuesday April 12, 2011 is FREE CONE DAY at Ben & Jerry's.  So cancel all your plans and head on over to get your free scoop!

BTW:  I can't tell you where in Seattle Ben & Jerry's is located because so many people read my blog - I don't want to stand in a super long line.  However, I will tell you that they are open from 1:00pm to 6:00pm on Tuesday.  Visit benjerry.com to find a store near you.

Stay Friends

Happy Marriage Monday!  Today's marriage tip:  Stay Friends.  What do you do with your friends?

Meet for coffee?  Then brew some coffee or tea, get cozy on couch and have a little friendly time.  Try some basic conversation starters:
How was your day?
What was your favorite part of our weekend?
Any new challenges at work?

Or maybe you play sports with your friends?  Then try indoor tennis.  You just need two racquet's, a balloon and a couch.  Put the couch in the middle of the living room and Waa-La you have net.  End the game with some friendly butt pats.

Or Maybe you talk on the phone with your friends?  Go to separate sides of the house and dial each other up on your cell phones.

BTW:  The NCAA National championship game is tonight so you may want to wait till tomorrow to try these friendly activities.  Tonight you should order some pizza and watch the game!

Please Leave The Lights On

Maybe it's a little creepy but I love it when my neighbors leave their lights on at night.  While on my evening stroll around the block I appreciate the feeling of safety it provides plus I like to look inside.
When I am peeking in the windows I like to know:  what color did they paint their living room & dinning room? What tv programs do they watch at night?  What kind of art do they have hanging on the walls?  Do they have the same fireplace as us?  Do they have wild family dance parties like us?  Just basic stuff.  So please keep the lights on (and your clothes too since I can see inside)

Heat up your marriage with a bag of rice

Oh Happy Marriage Monday!  Need to heat things up?  Try a bag of rice.

Here's How:

Take some rice and some fabric.  Do a little sewing then throw the rice inside.  Heat it up in the microwave then place it at the bottom of your bed and snuggle up close to each other.  No need to wear knee-high socks to bed or worry about cold toes.

BTW:  Click here for more detail instructions or you can buy one.  Try shopping etsy.

Get Happy

According to Oprah & her people  here is how you can get your HAPPY on:

Change your DNA:  Apparently the smart people at Berkeley found that up to 50% of your happiness is genetic.  40% is your choice and 10% is life circumstances.

Get Real Quiet:  Spending 10 minutes a day doing nothing can bring on the happy.

Get Married & Intimate:  You can figure this one out.

Then have some Babies:  Although they will make you crazy, it will be a crazy love that amps the happy factor.  Research suggest that children are stressful and the happiness rises after the child turns 18.

Take your Neighbor's Cookies:  More neighbors you know the more happier and safer you feel.  Why cookies?  If your neighbor is happy it ups your happiness by 34%

Turn off the tube:  Just one episode of modern family is all you need.  Happy people watch between 1/2 hour to 1 hour TV per day.

Make a new BFF:  You need at least 2 and 9 is recommended so get friendly.  Once you are out of elementary school it is ok to have more then one BFF just don't rank them.

Aim for $75,000:  For a family of 4 happiness maxes out once you earn $75,000 per year so work hard but don't spend all your time working.

9 months vs. forever:  Experiences last a life time.  Material purchases fizzle sometime between 1 minute after buying and 9 months SO invest that extra cash & extra time on an adventure.

BTW:  this is my own interpretation for the actual information provided on the Oprah show.