Ask your friends around a table sometime, “Hey, what do you recommend?” and just let them answer in absolutely any way they’d like.
Without too much explanation, if someone asked me today, I’d say,
“I recommend…”
1. Watching the Demetri Martin Live Comedy Special on Netflix. –He mostly makes jokes out of plays on words…I love words! I find his dry humor funny and less offensive than most.
2. Unplug and check-in with who and whats right in front of you. Spend a day away from social media every week.
3. The “Cerise Limon” flavor of La Croix sparkling water. The tall cans are so fun and flavor is great.
4. Leave your phone when you take your kids to the park. Play, sweat, run, chase, tickle through the bars, or just watch.
5. Potty train a kid when they are really ready. Wait at least 3 months past when YOU want to start and make sure there are 4 of 7 readiness signs present. Then it’s just bliss and success for all. For us, the third time really has been the charm! A few specifics here; I have to recommend:
- Spend 3 days naked below the waist at home, ready for runs to the potty at anytime with no comfortable protection for them to drop or let it flow into undies or a diaper
- Have multiple little potties and take them with you when you go somewhere in the first 2 weeks to month of training. Longer if you’re headed to port-a-potty or “Sorry you’re out of luck, just hold it” places like soccer practice or parks!
- Don’t ask or make them go on a schedule. Let their little bodies lead them.
- Celebrate with a song and dance- no sticker chart or m & ms needed. Our song: “Rah, Rah, Ree Ree- Oakley went pee-pee!” If you change “Ree-Ree” to “Roo-Roo”…
6. Giving your masseuse a message. I had a wonderful hour long massage and hour long facial on Monday. Do wish the masseuse had asked me less questions and told me fewer stories. Next time I will, and right now I recommend, telling the therapist, “I’d like lots of pressure and very little talking. Thank you.”
7. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
8. Nights without TV. Some nights, we need to distract and disengage from real life and engage in humor or adventure on screen. Other nights, we do so and miss out on catching up conversations, really long reading times, or solitude and sleep.
Our compost mystery vine has yielded gourds and squashes of great variety.
9. Trying to grow something outside. It’s a lot of work but a good lesson in tending to what we’ve been giving and reaping what we can sow right around us.
10. Going upside down. Do a handstand, a back flip, or a headstand against the wall. It’s good for your back and legs to take a load off and a fun challenge for your head and neck!
