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Category: Everything Else

  • Cassidy Loves Disco

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    You need chaos in your soul
    to give birth to a dancing star.

    -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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    It appears that I have a chaotic soul.

    Yesterday Cass and I were in Philadelphia for Baby Loves Disco.

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    Baby Loves Disco is an afternoon dance party for kids and parents, and it is serious fun. I am not going to lie, I kinda miss the whole clubbing scene, and I just don’t get enough opportunities to dance to my heart’s content anymore.

    I would venture to say that the music yesterday was better than it ever was when I frequented clubs.

    Some Abba, some Madonna, some Young MC, some Jackson 5–it doesn’t get better than that.

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    When you need to take a break, there’s all kinds of other things to do- Cass got her face painted, ate some snacks, got a temporary tattoo, played with cool toys.

    Then we flopped for a while and read through the books that were provided in one of several “chill out” areas.

    Then, back to dancing.

    Until, finally:
    collapse.

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    It was a good time. Frankly, I can’t wait to do it again. Who else wants to go?

  • Weekend Reading

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    Lots of interesting studies to read about this week!

    First, I learned that happy people watch less TV (via the Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online).

    Then, I learned via Eco Child’s Play that a significant link has been demonstrated between media exposure and childhood obesity; tobacco, alcohol, and drug use; low academic achievement; and sexual behavior. (Full report here.)

    Studies show that children who play, and especially play outside, laugh more; up to 20 times more!

    Studies also show that happiness is contagious, traveling through three degrees of separation and lasting up to a year!

    So, no excuses! Science has spoken!

    Everybody turn off your TV. Grab those kids. Go outside; play, laugh.

    It will make you happier, which will make your spouse happier, which will make your kids happier! Isn’t that what we all want during the holidays, a house full of happy people?

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    A reminder: If you shop, shop local.

    Remember, now more than ever, you vote with your dollar! Who do you support? Who deserves to be left standing when we find ourselves on the other side of this financial mess?

    Not freaking Walmart, that’s for sure.

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    Check out this great list of Best Christmas Gifts for a Blogger.

    Only thing missing, I think, is an awesome desk chair that doesn’t make your butt go numb. Maybe this one:

    Fellow bloggers, what other bloggy gifts are on your wish list?

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    Finally, a bit of beautiful inspiration, via the Huffington Post:

    The Paradoxical Commandments
    by Dr. Kent Keith

    1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
    Love them anyway.

    2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
    Do good anyway.

    3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
    Succeed anyway.

    4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
    Do good anyway.

    5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
    Be honest and frank anyway.

    6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas
    can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
    Think big anyway.

    7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
    Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

    8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
    Build anyway.

    9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
    Help people anyway.

    10. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
    Give the world the best you have anyway.

    I am away this weekend so I have scheduled some gift idea posts; next week I’ll be offering up homemade and handmade projects.

    Have a great Saturday and Sunday and go outside!

  • In Which I Catch Up to Present Day

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    Continuing on with our December daily decoration, and daily Christmas books:

    Yesterday the snow globes came out.

    You would think that Frosty himself had come to life in my foyer; Cassidy could not have been more excited.

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    And today I was pleased as punch to bring out- ta-da! – fabric napkins embroidered with the names and portraits of Santa’s reindeer. I found these at Goodwill for a dollar!

    I especially like how Blitzen- I don’t think you can see the detail, sorry about the photo, it’s dark in here today- is drinking a martini, signifying that he is blitzed.

    Yesterday’s book was I Spy Little Christmas ,

    a nice, easy seek-and-find board book with pretty photos of vintagey Christmases.

    Cassidy has definitely outgrown the level of difficulty on this one so I will be passing it on.

    Today’s book is the much more challenging I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles:

    The Where’s Waldo of Christmas titles, this is the sort of book where one family member will open it up to glance through it, get stuck trying to find one of the items, ask another family member to help, and next thing you know there’s five people in each other’s laps trying to find the golden goose or whatever.

    It will take us easily until Christmas to satisfactorily finish this book.

    It also serves as an excellent time-consuming diversion if you are waiting in line at the post office!

    Yay, I am caught up. How sad is it that I was already behind on the 4th of December?