#17 - Learn something new

Last week a good friend brought me to a class at a local beading shop, an introductory class at which we'd make bracelets and earrings. I went in a bit leery, mostly going because my friend had asked me and not because I was interested in decorating my body with handmade jewelry.

I admit, it was a blast. A bunch of women sitting around and chatting, choosing our beads and learning how to string them so that they wouldn't all slip off. I learned why there are knots between pearls in strings, how to crimp a bracelet, and even came home with the supplies to make a mother's bracelet. I was energized about the whole thing, and very grateful to my friend for dragging me along.

I know that every time I try something new I can't turn it into a hobby/obsession. It'd be too much, I know. But having a creative outlet can mean the difference between zoning out in front of the TV or having a productive and fun evening. Tonight, I'm going to make that mother's bracelet. I'd love to hear about your hobbies, how often you get to them, and how long they've lasted.

#16 - go out on a date!

All the relationship experts I've read always suggest date nights to reconnect with your spouse. And let's face it, date nights can be few and far between when the children are young, jobs keep you busy, and just sitting in front of the TV is easier than getting a sitter, making plans, and getting dressed up.

But it's worth it. And you know that. Reconnecting, without kids interrupting or the phone ringing or the dishes needing to be washed or the laundry that needs folding. You're better partners, you're better parents, and you smile just a bit more, don't you?

Last night my husband and I went out to see Casablanca at a local eat-in theater. We had overcooked hamburgers and cold beer while we laughed and snuggled at such a romantic movie. My son was at my Dad's overnight, and one of my good friends watched my daughter while we were out. It took a little planning and a little luck, but was it ever worth it.

How can you reconnect? Why don't you book that sitter, or trade childcare nights with a friend, and even just go have a picnic and go for a drive? Being without the kids and without the distractions will do you a whole world of good. Have fun!

#15 - eat your greens, dear!

We're eating less meat. There, I said it. Meat is becoming a side dish rather than the main course, a flavor rather than a fillet, a treat rather than a staple. Why?

There's health. Eating fewer saturated fats and more vegetables.

There's the environment. Raising livestock takes massive amounts of water and grain!

There's the cruelty. Factory farming can be unconscionable.

There's the budget. Buying less meat saves the grocery budget in these tougher times.

The meat we are eating we purchase from a local farm, where it's raised locally, pastured organically, butchered humanely, and yummy.

http://www.localharvest.org is a great resource if you're looking for local meats. SavvyVegetarian has loads of delicious vegetarian recipes. But honestly, it's not as difficult as you think! It doesn't need to be tofu and beans and spinach all the time.

Think of the meals you eat that are vegetarian already:

cereal and milk
pancakes
peanut butter sandwiches
tomato soup and grilled cheese
beans and rice
vegetable lasagna
ravioli and sauce
pizza

See, easier than you thought! Try it, can you have a vegetarian day? I bet you have already, without even thinking about it.

#14 - The B-Word

Uh-oh! Not the B-word!

Let's face it, we're all feeling the pinch lately. I was just chatting with my friend this afternoon how our grocery budgets are going up. Gas is up everywhere, we're worried about heating prices for the winter, and pretty much NOTHING is getting cheaper these days. So what's a rational adult to do? Run and hide? Spend up the credit cards?

No! Budget! You can do it if you can add and subtract. Let's start with September, shall we?

Get yourself a bunch of index cards and a spreadsheet. You can even make a free spreadsheet at docs.google.com if you haven't got excel or openOffice or whatever. Enter your anticipated income and start making a list of what you spend your money on. You can be as general (groceries) or specific (groceries: food, groceries: diapers, groceries: cleaning products) as you like. And each day, note on your index cards which you'll carry in your wallet what you spent money on. My card might look like this:

$1.78 coffee @ Dunkin' Donuts
$8.40 book of stamps
$37.83 groceries

And at the end of each day, or the end of the week, input the totals to your spreadsheet. At the end of the month, add up all your expeditures and hopefully they'll come in under your income! You'll get a good idea this way of where your money is going, and which categories could use some trimming and which could use some beefing up. It helps if you get your spouse and kids in on the game, keeping track of their expenses and figuring where they could trim and where they could add. Maybe if you come in under budget, the extra money could be put in a slush fund for a family vacation, that'd motivate anyone!

Best of luck, and I can't wait to see how you do.

#13 - community festivals!

One great way to contribute and become more familiar with your community is to attend local festivals. You can find out about them by watching for sandwich boards in front of churches, fraternal organizations, schools, or city buildings. Check for fliers at the library, local shops, or in your child's backpack home from school. Ask your neighbors, check the newspaper, or even organize one yourself!

This weekend my family and I attended our local Balloon Festival. We walked from our home, pulling the wagon with the kids and some water bottles. My son jumped on the bounce-house and rode a tractor-barrel ride, my daughter ate our friend's french fries and played in the sand, and we all ooohed and aaahed over the rising hot air balloons. We gravitated towards the Yummy Mummy booth where we were offered a 2-for-1 deal on brownies after chatting for a few minutes and admiring the merchandise. We had cold fresh lemonades, smiled sympathetically at parents whose children were having end-of-day breakdowns, saw some friends from college, and generally had an old-school down-home good time.

It wasn't too expensive, it was great showing the kids some entertainment that didn't come out of the big glowing box, and it really reinforced for me that as much as people stay in their own space most of the time it can be very supportive and fun to all enjoy the summer evenings together. Good luck finding a festival or fair near you!

#12 - family dinner night

If you're a family that eats dinner together every single night, and everyone eats the same delicious home-cooked local organic meal and your children set the table and your husband does the dishes and you just bask in the family togetherness, you can skip this post altogether.

If not, read on.

In our house, it's considered a major accomplishment when we all eat at the same time. My husband doesn't get home from work until 30 minutes before the baby's bedtime, and my four-year-old only likes macaroni and cheese, I'm doing Weight Watchers and a whole host of complications. But we've found one meal that works for us - beans and rice. We have all the ingredients separately (rice, beans, tomatoes, salsa, cheese, tortilla chips) and everyone makes their own plate. My son sets the table, my daughter gets in the way (okay, she's 14 months old), we say Grace, and we sit down. For at least 10 minutes. This happens about once a week. As the children get older, I'm hoping to add more family dinnertimes. When was your last family dinner? Sitting down together is about taking the time to be together and showing the sharing is important.

And if it happens to be local and organic, all the better. Of course.

#11 - Move that body

We've all got them. Curvy, slim, couch-potato or athlete. We've all got bodies, we've all got troublespots, we've all got an ideal body tucked away inside our real one. So what in the world can you do about it?

Move it. You don't need a personal trainer, a macrobiotic raw vegan local organic diet, water from the Alps or the most expensive sneakers. You just need you, your muscles, and your enthusiasm. You don't need to run a marathon, lift a house, or train for 2 hours daily. You do need to do it regularly, often, and with a smile. What?

A walk. A swim. A run around the backyard. The stairs. The parking lot. Down the block.

If the next two weeks of Olympic athletes doesn't motivate you, I don't know what will. I plan to watch the Olympics standing up, jogging or walking in place, with a few hand weights to do some curls and triceps extensions. What can you add to your day that'll boost your mood and your health?