Moms Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List 2015

We are enjoying our 3rd Summer, and celebrating the nearly three months of fun with a Bucket list. As we approach the end of the school year we draft our list of things we want to do over the summer. Then of course when the kids aren't nearby mom at the things that are education related that I would like to accomplish over summer. Pinterest helps me find lots of different ideas and I do keep a summer bucket list on Pinterest. When you come across things during the year it's nice to be quickly reminded when you want to find the idea, that's where Pinterest is a brilliant idea. 

Of course my kids are brilliant at their ideas out. We don't need the time to Pinterest because some of the things they come up with are just fantastic and simple. My older son can write already so he comes up with his list draft of himself. Younger son and baby girl brainstorm with mom and I jot down their ideas. The reason I write down their ideas because it's showing them the credibility that what they say adds value to our conversation and what we want to do with our lives.

In my business life I am a marketing and event planning consultant. My strengths are in the planning, project management process, as well as budget management. So the skills translate into my personal life and to many summers and spending with my family out and about. Lots of our Summer Bucket List is lots of things that are for free, and within the surrounding Chicagoland area (have car - will travel).

So the next series of posts that I am drafting, will include the adventures on our summer bucket list 2015, The weekly playdates with our cousins and friends that live in the surrounding area, as well as our lazy days we enjoy often. 

As an aside, on my personal bucket list will be how to capture obvious fantastic moments that we share into a photo album. I struggle with keeping up on our scrapbook/photo albums. I still have to make my baby girls maybe scrapbook and it's three years later. And touching up my younger son's scrapbook, and I'm throwing all our 2000 and pictures into a Photo album. And fairly good at checking into places on my Facebook page as well as posting pictures from the days events, and I heard there's some great apps out Facebook pictures into an album, and I think this may be my solution or summer bucket list by year. 

Happy Summer 2015!

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud 

Chicago City Limits: New Ordinance

New CHICAGO City Ordinance

NOTICE

It is Considered

BAD MANNERS

and harmful to your taste buds

to put ketchup on your hot dog

within the City Limits of Chicago.

NEW CHICAGO CITY ORDINANCE

It's Chicago!

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh. Out. Loud.

a quickr pickr post

A Little Walk

Why do we protest? What do we tell our kids and family members who do not understand the protest?

I recently came across what is one of the most powerful example of WHY people who gather are actually doing something. For those who "don't understand" why there was a March on Washington organized by Women... it is to bring attention to a large number of issue that still need attention. Yes it really is that simple. The best sign of the day was "I can't believe I still have to protest this sh$t."

Want to relate to kids about the March? Read further below the grey "A Little Walk."

Examples from History include ---

People want to belittle this effort by calling it a "little walk." "What's a little walk going to do," they say.

A little walk by protesters to Boston Harbor sparked a nation's independence from a monarchy. 

A little walk from Selma to Montgomery, and from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial sparked the enactment of civil rights legislation for the American descendants of former slaves and changed the world's conscience about hate and the importance of nonviolent protest against the evils of this world.

A little walk by students and young people to Washington, DC helped to change America's conscience about the Vietnam War. 

A little walk by a Chinese boy in Tianamin Square helped the world see the oppressive regime of the People's Republic of China.

A little walk by protesters in Cape Town, galvanized the world against South Africa's apartheid regime, and helped to free the Freedom Fighter who was in jail for over 2 decades, who would one day become South Africa's first Black President. 

A little walk by tired and frustrated citizens to Tahir Square in Egypt caused a 30 year President to resign. 

Little walks are powerful and can change a nation. Little walks are powerful and can change the world.

#WhyIMarch 

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A series of Photos from the Protest are available thru my Flickr Feed. Click on it.

#WhyIMarch our photos from the Chicago Women's March on Washington. March, 2017

My older son initially did not want to attend the march with mom. He was concerned about it being a "Women's March" and being the only boy there. My husband, a history buff reminded him about the March's he is learning about in his 6th grade class. King, Freedan, Civil Rights, ERA, etc. The conversation was "go and take part in something bigger than you." You don't want to regret not going when in 20 years people will probably talk about this March and this Election, you can say you were a part of it.  Yes, it really is that simple to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. 

"Yes, it really is that simple 

to be a part of something 

bigger than ourselves. " - Husband

And my husband for safety sake did not want me to take the little ones. One day earlier, in Washington during President Trump's inauguration the protests did get violent and vandalism occurred at the corner Starbuck's. For that reason, if I would need to "run away from danger," Older Son can keep up with you. I am happy to report that the purported nearly 250,000 who attended were peaceful with no violence reported.

If you are reading this post, please post a comment below on what you liked - or didn't  - about this read. Does the topic interest you and you want to know more? Submit a question and I am happy to tackle it.

I add to this sentiment . . . Walk with me my sister and together we can change the world!

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud and walk with me sister.

Green Juicing once a day keeps the Doctor away

As we try to eat healthier at home, sometimes a new recipe helps me step up my motivation. To keep going on the healthy path.

My husband was recently suffering from kidney stones and lesions on his liver and glad bladder. His reaction to this news was very frustrating. His doctor treated the kidney stones and sent him elsewhere for the lesions.

Whats frustrating is healthcare's way of segregation of issues versus looking at the whole body, especially in this case. 

 I have an uncle who juices religiously. He makes smoothies but mostly drinks Raju says on a regular basis. His theory is that the acidity and various juices would get rid of all those lesions. And I'm trying to encourage my husband to go down this path. It's been a few weeks since I've given him this recipe, I've enjoyed it. But I don't think he has.

I refuse to nag. I refuse to beg. I tell him all the time and your wife, not your mother. It's his life and his health therefore his choice and drinking and making these juices. 

Either way its yummy and worth a try. 

Green smoothie

- INGREDIENTS -

• 1 lemon, quartered (washed and unpeeled)
• 1 whole avocado, peeled and pitted
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 cups spinach
• ½ bunch parsley

• ½ bunch cilantro
• 1 organic cucumber (washed and unpeeled)
• 1 teaspoon organic extra-virgin olive oil 
• pinch of sea salt
• water as needed

Add non fruit/veggie ingredients to the drink after youve made the juice. Consume immediately for maximum nutritional value.

Make mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh out Loud. Or cry. For those you love. 

When Fear is Around, a poem

"When fear is around" A Poem 

Story behind the poem:

The inspiration behind the poem. When we observe people around us I always say we are outsiders looking in, inside their box. Imagine the world you live in. It is different then mine. Your community, your office. your house. That is "your box." If I were to look inside your world it would like like me taking the lid off the top of the box and looking inside. I am looking into your box. Inside your world.

When we live in our own box, we see things from our perspective. But when an outsider looks into the box they will see things very differently. When my husband and I chat about life, the kids, or work, his perspective is different then mine. We look into eachothers boxes and sometimes see things differently. And that can be helpful, and eye opening (after the frustration of being told how different I am).

When looking into the box, we see people at their best or worst. But we don't analyze ourselves that way.

Both our Babcia's suffer from some level if anxiety and fear (night time fear of the dark, yet saying they are not afraid. Teasing kids with fear of animals, or losing a chess game...) I mean everyone does have some level of fear, or anxiety at some point in their lives. However as they age their fears are sharpened, like a fine point on a sharpened pencil. I just see WHAT their particular fears is more then they recognize it themselves. For one grandma, sometimes it is medical concerns, and death and dying. For the other its the darkness, nighttime and a fear of someone breaking into her home. I would argue we all have these as fears, at some point. Or concerns. I just see it amplified in them because they talk about THESE particular fears often.

The Poem // WHEN FEAR IS AROUND

Growing,
Stronger,
Every year.

Paranoia,
Anxiety,
Her fear.

Driving,
Walking,
Every day.

The Beach,
The store,
Every way.

Her fear of the dark has swollen thick,
When driving she fears getting hit,
What, when, where is it
The fear is hers and constant.

All. The. Time.
She can't face it.
She feels it,
She never unwinds.

Do you see that truck? Is the alarm on? In case of fire, keep it armed.
At night I hear her as she dreams, muffled noises, silent screams.

By morning we learn she was running away, from the dark, a man, an animal gone astray.

We can't discuss it,
she denies it's there.
The ever constant,
always growing, Fear.

The storm was so loud,
I laid in bed,
The the trees shook,
Branches scraping above my bed.

Did the siren sound? Did the earth shake?
No major alarms, but it still made her heart quake.

It's the smallest thing,
The quietest creek,
When her ears give alert,
And she listens for it to speak.

Fear says hello
In its own way.
Each of us hearing it,
What does it say?

For me it's the creaking in the hall,
Why is there noise when there should be none at all.

For him it's his wife coming to bed,
It's late, its dark, he rested his head.
Suddenly a light, someone entering the room,
He catches his breath as his heart zooms.

For the children it's the darkness, when they lay their heads.
And they snuggle their animals, warm in their beds.
They fall asleep to the sounds of kids songs,
The pounding of their hearts is drowned and gone.

And Great Grandma she wonders,
Will I fall asleep in my bed,
Or will I fall into that wonderland,
And my body lay cold and dead?
Then her heart pounds,
Her face warms, and she quakes
Her mind racing,
She quivers and quakes.
It's happening, this is the moment it's now,....
When fear takes over and all reason bows down.

I wish her peace, I wish her calm,
I wish her patients thru the it all.
Neither silence or sound,
Can help calm her,
When Fear is Around.

NEW UPDATE :: YOUTUBE CHANNEL INFO ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT BLOG

Our family has had many adventures through the years. Mom, the @Minstr0Interior had an a-ha moment . . .  Suddenly I See what we will have filled our life with, ADVENTURES! We travel, craft, sing, dance, collect insects and spend loads of time together. Sometimes too much time together. Our kids have recently begun to document their own adventures, and so this channel was born. Enjoy our adventures. Or not. WANT MORE? If there is a blog post accompanying this video we will share it here. Sometimes we will include the ingredients list of the craft or recipe, or the itinerary of our trip. In the meantime click play. 

From our family: 👍 + 🙃 + ❤️ ( Thumbs up, emoji face, hearts! )

See It Live >>> 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mGpujQIVgxdfTImFnQuLA

Make mistakes, breathe reflect, and turn on a light. Laugh at the dark.