February 2012

Take Up A (New) Sport

And sports suggestions for the non-sporty!

The older we get, the fewer activities we tend to pursue. Life just kinda gets in the way, with all the errands and chores and social occasions and hey, the last season of "Parks & Recreation" isn't going to watch itself, you know!

There are a lot of reasons to take up a sport. If you (like me) have never played sports, there are actually a lot of other things you learn along the way. Sports teach people how to compete, the mechanics of competition and practice and stick-to-it-ive-ness. Sports are also where most people learn the skills that serve them well in their careers, from working with a team to judging risks correctly.

A Crunch-Worthy Bucket List

Now that I know what the term crunchy means, I want to start a whole crunchy bucket list! As I previously stated, I think I’m about a 70% crunchy mom, but that might be a high estimate. I know I eat out too much, for starters—I have a huge Subway thing at the moment, especially with the $5 foot longs available with my cucumber-and-cheese sandwich—and my house, which is old and in need of repair, is far from being as sustainable as it could be. With these things and others in mind, I am hereby adding a bunch of crunch-worthy items to my bucket list.

To qualify as crunch-worthy, I think the items should be related to environmental sustainability, ethics, parenting, and health. Ethics, of course, could be a wide ranging area, including things like peace, boycotting unethical businesses (as I had to remind my husband today that we’re boycotting Auto Zone for their anti-gay tactics when he wanted to check a car battery there; we have other shops we can go to), or simply standing up against injustice when we witness it.

How to Actually Lose Weight

How do you think you’ll feel after you eat a big old fatty bacon double cheeseburger and a side of greasy fries covered in salt? Then you wash all this down with a coke. That all sounds so delicious… in theory. In reality though, I bet after that meal, you’re going to feel tired, sluggish, and you may even want a nap.

I can recall pounding this meal, back in high school, typically before my dance practice and yep, the last thing I wanted to be doing during warm ups was calisthenics and stretches. I would have preferred just sitting on the sidelines, benching it. Incredibly thirsty, because of all the salt, fat and sugar I had just eaten.

Get In Touch With A Lost Friend

Absolve yourself over the guilt you feel at having lost contact, and send an old friend a quick message today!

It's so easy to lose touch with friends, particularly those who are on the periphery of our lives. It's easy to keep in contact with people who live near you, or work in the same office, or who you count as a "bestie." But there are a lot of friends who fall by the wayside over the years, people you always mean to get in touch with again, but never quite do.

Over the holiday I started thinking about all the friends I had lost in this way. Friends where there hadn't been a falling-out, we had just lost touch. Life got in the way, and the next thing you know, it's been years since you emailed or called someone.

Do Something Brave This Month

Think of the thing that scares you the most; now give it a big hug!

I kid. I really do love the idea of doing something that scares you—even every day, as Eleanor Roosevelt suggested, unless you have a heart condition; in that case, I would advise you to try not to get scared, ever. It’s a way to make sure we’re really living; that we don’t miss out on things that life has to offer. It’s also a great way to ensure that we die with no regrets, with no “What ifs?” on our brains as we leave this world, wondering what it would have been like if we had conquered a fear.

Take flying, for example. I love flying. I cannot imagine what it would be like to live a life without ever having done it. But I know plenty of people who are so scared to fly that they’ll never experience that joy—or travel somewhere incredible due to that limitation. Talk about missing out! My father conquered his fear of flying when I was in high school and he thought it was pretty cool, even if he was still scared—and still prefers not to fly. At least he can say he did it, and he won’t regret having not done it in his lifetime.

Living To Do

Make your own Bucket List of things to do before you die

You are here

Take Up A (New) Sport

A Crunch-Worthy Bucket List

How to Actually Lose Weight

Get In Touch With A Lost Friend

Do Something Brave This Month