Archives for July 2014

A shortcut to relaxation

July 31, 2014

Thank you so much for your enthusiastic response to our big announcement earlier this week! We appreciate your congratulations, good luck wishes, and offers to network on behalf of JB. Who knew so many of you were so well connected!

As excited as we are about starting this new chapter in our lives, we’re also feeling incredibly stressed. Can you blame us? Moving and finding a job are two of life’s biggest stressors, according to the Holmes and Rahe stress scale, and we’re doing both simultaneously.

Being pregnant and adding a member to the family are also on the list of 43 life events that can cause stress — and yes, things were a bit crazy at the end of February. However, life really started feeling hectic in May when we returned from our family vacation to Hilton Head. We’ve been going non-stop ever since: traveling to Salt Lake City to speak at Alt Summit, putting our house on the market, flying to New Jersey for a long weekend and then to Cleveland for a week…

And have I mentioned that Asa is up every two hours or less during the night?

We’re exhausted, and our exhaustion is making us feel cranky and slow and even more stressed out.

Meditation would probably help relieve some of my stress, but I’ve never had the ability to sit still and quiet my mind for twenty minutes — or however long it takes to reach a state of zen. So it was fortuitous that I recently came across an article about Mark Robert Waldman’s two-step process of relaxation and positivity.

Waldman, the coauthor of Words Can Change Your Brain, offers four ways to reduce stress in one minute, all of which seem more doable than sitting cross-legged on the floor:

1. Run in place for 60 seconds.

2. Close your eyes take one full minute to roll your head 360-degrees.

3. Yawn 10 times.

4. Slowly stroke your hand or arm with your fingertip.

Once you’ve entered a state of relaxation, spend one minute focusing on a word that represents your deepest innermost value (for example, integrity or peace). When practiced daily, says Waldman, this combination relaxation-positivity exercise has been proven to reduce stress.

Obviously, I like the idea of a shortcut to relaxation, and I can see the practice of taking 60-second relaxation breaks being useful even after we relocate and JB finds a new job. Because simply being a parent is stressful, too. Amiright?

Do you ever meditate or practice yoga to relieve stress? What are some stress-reducing techniques that work for you?

(image via The Diagonal)

100 water balloons in 1 minute

July 30, 2014

This is genius: A father of eight has invented a product that can fill 100 water balloons in less than a minute.

Bunch O Balloons is a hose attachment with 37 pre-connected balloons that tie themselves when filled. All you need is a garden hose, a bucket of water to catch the filled balloons, and your bathing suit to have an epic water balloon fight!

Now, I haven’t participated in a water balloon fight in years, but I do remember what a pain in the ass it was to fill and tie all of the balloons. Since I foresee many water balloon fights between my two boys and their friends once they get older, I’m excited that Bunch O Balloons has surpassed its Kickstarter goal. Hopefully we’ll start seeing them on store shelves soon!

Our next adventure

July 29, 2014

Seven years ago, I moved from New York City to Omaha. JB, a military officer stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, had recently proposed, and I was eager for us to start our life together — even if that meant living in Nebraska, a thousand miles away from friends and family.

I’ll confess that I cried upon arriving in Omaha. With a population of fewer than 500,000, Nebraska’s largest city felt like big town to me, especially after living in NYC, Washington, D.C., and Boston. Yes, it was filled with very friendly Midwesterners, but it lacked so many of the stores, cultural attractions, and conveniences to which I had grown accustomed.

JB promised that one day we’d move back East. Omaha is only temporary, he’d remind me.

In the meantime, we got married, bought a house, adopted a dog, and had two kids. We made friends and said goodbye to friends, though many of them will remain forever in our lives. We dealt with multiple deployments and a failed business venture, and I tried my hand at several different occupations, none of which ever felt right to me.

The past seven years have been an adventure. A slow, mostly boring adventure, but an adventure nonetheless.

It feels appropriate to tell you today, on JB’s birthday, that we’re gearing up for our next adventure. JB applied for voluntary separation pay (VSP) in February and was approved in late spring. His last day as an officer in the Air Force will be at the end of September, and once he’s a civilian, there will be no reason for us to remain in Omaha.

It’s time to go east.

Or maybe west?

Right now we don’t know where we will end up. JB can pretty much do anything, anywhere, although for many years the plan was to move near D.C. so he could parlay the skills he’s acquired in the military into some sort of government or contractor position.

If you know of any jobs in D.C., Virginia, or Maryland that would be perfect for a veteran like JB, let me know. Heck, if you know of any jobs anywhere that would be perfect for either of us, please let me know!

I’m so proud of everything JB has accomplished in his time with the Air Force, and I’m excited to see him thrive in whatever it is he chooses to do next. He is an amazing dad, a supportive partner, and an all-around hard-working guy, and I wish him the happiest of birthdays today. Love you!

(photos taken in January 2014 by Hooton Images for A Girl Named PJ)

Movie snacks: popcorn or candy?

July 25, 2014

When it comes to movie snacks, do you prefer popcorn or candy?

As you may have guessed from this week’s posts, I’m partial to popcorn. A big bag of buttery, salty popcorn is an essential part of my movie theater experience, but I have a rule about eating it…

No popcorn until after the previews end.

I have very little self-control in most aspects of my life, but I’ve always been adamant about waiting for the feature film to begin before shoveling handfuls of popcorn into my mouth. What’s the point in finishing a bag before the lights are fully dimmed? It’s “popcorn and a movie,” not “popcorn and previews.”

Friends and family who’ve been to the movies with me think my rule is nuts but are usually willing to comply. I’ll either hold the bag or set it on the floor until it’s time to start eating. Interestingly, I don’t have the same rule about soda. You can take as many sips as you want while waiting for the movie to start!

I asked the same nine bloggers who shared their favorite feel-good movies whether they preferred popcorn or candy. Here’s what they said…

Paige of Come + Take It:

“I am a popcorn addict. I remember sitting on the couch with my dad eating popcorn and watching football. Later it was always my husband and my movie theater date night treat, and I’ve quickly turned my kiddos on to the deliciousness of popcorn - whether it’s movie theater butter or carnival kettle corn flavoring - they love it. It’s an easy no brainer, though a pack of Twizzlers never hurt either! ”

Mari of Small for Big:

“It’s a tie between Junior Mints and Dots! I grew up eating Junior Mints so they’re all about the nostalgia, but Dots are a more recent love - those gooey red ones are the best.“

Camille of Friday We’re in Love:

“Sour Patch Kids. I love them, they are quiet, and I get a thrill from sneaking them in my bag and missing out on movie theater pricing. Actually, I get a thrill from any food I sneak in, so I will not be prejudice excluding others.“

Joy of Frock Files:

“In Hawaii you can buy these little packets of rice crackers, called arare, to mix with your popcorn. I love popcorn, but it’s naked without arare! Now that I live on the mainland, I have to bring my own stash (mailed to me by my family).“

Ashley of Sugar and Cloth:

“Peanut butter M&M’s forever and always!“

Carrie of Dream Green DIY:

“Nothing really beats a classic bucket of movie popcorn—drenched in butter, of course! But when I’m feeling cheap, I’ll just toss a pack of Reese’s and Sweetarts in my purse. They’re the perfect foil for my sweet/salty/sour addiction!“

Kayla of Freckles in April:

“When it comes to movie theater treats I can never say no to Milk Duds. They get stuck in your teeth like nothing else but since I never get them anywhere else they feel like such a special treat!“

Camille of Planning Pretty:

“I love enjoying a box of Red Vines and popcorn! The classic candy paired with salty popcorn is the perfect combination. I never share, not even with my husband!”

Emily of Hudson and Emily:

“My favorite movie theater treat is cookie dough bites. For some reason, I never have them when I’m not at the movie theater, so movies + cookie dough bites just goes together for me.“

So tell me, what’s your movie theater snack of choice?

(image via People Style Watch)

Perfect popcorn every time

July 23, 2014

I have a vivid memory of being a teenager home alone one night and burning a bag of microwave popcorn. The kitchen reeked of scorched kernels (and continued to smell that way for days), and the bag was literally smoking. The popcorn was burned so badly that I feared it might spontaneously combust, so I brought the bag outside and dumped a glass of water over it.

Perhaps I overreacted (big surprise, right?), but if you’ve ever burned a bag of microwave popcorn you know just how awful it smells afterwards — and how it can put a damper on snack time or movie night.… READ MORE!