Category: WELL-BEING

A Bill Peet Children’s Book Bibliography

Bill Peet Bibliography

One of my favorite children’s authors is (you guessed it) Bill Peet!

I remember my mom and I would make frequent trips to the library throughout my childhood and I would always borrow as many Bill Peet books as I could find each time. Every story is entertaining and has a good moral, but most of all I love the art!

I am starting to collect Bill Peet books to read to my daughter, so I’ve created this one-page handy dandy bibliography to keep track as I go! Please feel free to use it too if you need it! We currently own Chester the Worldly Pig and Kermit the Hermit, but I’m always keeping a look out for more!

What’s your favorite Bill Peet book? It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I believe mine is The Pinkish, Purplish, Bluish Egg.

Bob’s Burgers BUJO – Setup and January Spreads

I’ve been keeping my eyes open for a Bob’s Burgers planner, but I have yet to find one, so in celebration of the movie releasing this year I’ve decided to make my own!

I have been admiring bullet journals for the past year, and attempted my own, but hit a wall with how complex I was trying to make them. This is technically my first bullet journal so please bear with me as I learn what works and what doesn’t.

There are some main tracker pages that are currently a work in progress, so let’s focus on what I’ve completed:

Bob's Burgers BUJOBob's Burgers BUJO Bob's Burgers BUJOI began with the 2021 overview, followed by the year-at-a-glance which I will use to fill in important dates like birthdays, anniversaries and other important events.

Bob's Burgers BUJOI included a page for my resolutions, which is the iconic blackboard from the restaurant, but I am waiting for the right pen to transcribe my resolutions onto it.

The pages following will break down some of my resolutions. First a video game page, themed for the Burgerboss arcade game in the episode “Burgerboss”. This is followed by a reading page with a Tina quote from the episode “L’il Hard Dad”.

Bob's Burgers BUJO Bob's Burgers BUJOThe last resolution page I’ve completed is for planning my kitchen garden, and features a very happy Bob gardening from the episode “Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise”.

Bob's Burgers BUJOEach month will be themed for a different character or idea, starting with Bob for January! I realized I was biting off more than I could chew and didn’t leave much room for artwork. I have a collection of stickers from calendars and coloring books so I used them for the weekly spreads.

Bob's Burgers BUJO Bob's Burgers BUJOCheck back next month for a Valentine’s Day episode themed spread!

Happy New Year 2021!

2021 ResolutionsHappy New Year Friends! I wish you all the best and sincerely hope all your hopes and dreams for 2021 will come to fruition; let’s make the most of it!

I believe in making resolutions; they give you the focus to complete certain tasks. Resolutions can be made any time of the year, and should be in some cases, but it’s traditional to make them for the fresh start of a new year and it’s all in good fun!

I’ve set 21 resolutions for 2021, check them out!

  1. Buy and use a solar USB charger.
  2. Eat take-out only once per week.
  3. Diagnose and treat Leeloo’s medical issue.
  4. Expand our kitchen garden.
  5. Make Monday’s meatless.
  6. Play & complete 5 games created before 2000.
  7. Play & complete 5 games I own, but never finished.
  8. Play & complete 5 new games.
  9. Reach 1000 subscribers on YouTube.
  10. Reach my earnings goal by December.
  11. Reach my goal weight.
  12. Read & complete 5 books I own, but have never read.
  13. Read & complete 5 classic books.
  14. Read & complete 5 Stephen King books.
  15. Read to Zoey every day.
  16. Refurbish the play house & give it to Zoey.
  17. Refurbish the play kitchen & give it to Zoey.
  18. Replace all the lightbulbs in & around the house with LEDs.
  19. Switch to cloth napkins.
  20. Take a DNA test.
  21. Take Zoey to Disneyland.

I’m going to do my best to fulfill each and every one of them so if you’re looking for ideas, inspiration or just to follow along in some good fun follow me here and on my instagram for updates!

Family Friendly Christmas Movies and Specials – G Rated

Family Friendly Christmas Movies and Specials - G Rated
Welcome to the cozy and magical month of December my friends!

My family and I have created a list of family friendly Christmas movies and specials for you and yours! Christmas may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Christmas spirit!

This year we’ve decided to focus on movies and specials that are rated G for general audiences, or good for all ages. Some of the older content has never been rated, but they were created under the Motion Picture Production Code, which was a set of moral guidelines used by motion picture studios from 1934 to 1968, and are thus pretty tame.

Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly (G-rated) Christmas favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!

Organized alphabetically by title:

“Almost There” Lyric Page from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog

"Almost There" Lyric Page (The Princess and the Frog)
I love singing to Zoey and she loves being sung to! I used to know all the songs from Disney movies by heart, but I’m a little rusty. I’ve started making lyric pages to refresh my memory or teach me new songs I’ve never known!

“Almost There” from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog is so inspiring and invigorating. I typically sing this to her or play it for her while we’re playing and/or dancing. She can’t necessarily understand its positive message yet, but one day she will!

Please feel free to save these for quick reference, and let me know if there are any songs you would like to see lyric pages for!

Family Friendly Halloween Playlist 2020

Family Friendly Halloween Playlist 2020Welcome to the spooky month of October my friends!

My family and I have created a playlist of family friendly Halloween music for you and yours! Halloween may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Halloween spirit!

This year we’ve decided to focus more on jazzy halloween inspired music with a few other songs sprinkled in that fit the mood. The Disney and Danny Elfman presence in this list is strong and I found myself wishing I could find more jazz covers of the Disney Villains songs.

Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly halloween favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!

Family Friendly Halloween Playlist 2020

  •  Linus and Lucy | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • Monsters, Inc. | Randy Newman
  • Charlie Brown Theme | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • The Scare Floor | Randy Newman
  • Great Pumpkin Waltz | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • The Piano Duet (The Corpse Bride) | Danny Elfman
  • Overture (The Nightmare Before Christmas) | Danny Elfman
  • This is Halloween | The Citizens of Halloweentown
  • Grim, Grinning Ghosts | The Haunted Mansion Happy Haunts
  • Sally’s Song | Catherine O’hara
  • Jack and Sally Montage | Danny Elfman
  • Jack’s Lament | Danny Elfman
  • Ball & Socket Lounge Music #1 | Danny Elfman
  • Remains of the Day | Danny Elfman
  • They Don’t Scare Me | Mickey Mouse
  • Monster Mash | Bobby “Boris” Pickett
  • The Munsters | Jack Marshall
  • Trust in Me | Scarlett Johansson
  • Snuff Out the Light | Eartha Kitt
  • Witchy Woman | The Eagles
  • I Put a Spell On You | Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
  • Friends on the Other Side | Keith David
  • Man with the Hex | The Atomic Fireballs
  • The Headless Horseman | Thurl Ravenscroft
  • Superstition | Stevie Wonder
  • Remains of the Day (Combo Lounge Version) | Danny Elfman
  • Cruella De Vil | Dr. John
  • Ball & Socket Lounge Music #2 | Danny Elfman
  • Little Birdie (Instrumental) | Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • Thanksgiving Theme | Vince Guaraldi Trio

Family Friendly Halloween Playlist on Spotify

Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Specials – G Rated

Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Specials - G Rated

Welcome to the spooky month of October my friends!

My family and I have created a list of family friendly Halloween movies and specials for you and yours! Halloween may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Halloween spirit!

This year we’ve decided to focus on movies and specials that are rated G for general audiences, or good for all ages. Some of the older content has never been rated, but they were created under the Motion Picture Production Code, which was a set of moral guidelines used by motion picture studios from 1934 to 1968, and are thus pretty tame.

Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly (G-rated) halloween favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!

Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Specials (G-rated)

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory BottleI love Autumn, it has to be my favorite season of the year!

After creating a Summer-themed ocean wave bottle, I felt inspired to create a sensory bottle for each season and I immediately thought of swirling multi-hued Autumn leaves!  Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that teach and fascinate her. And, if I’m being completely honest, I find sensory bottles fascinating too, so let’s make one!

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle

SUPPLIES
  • 16 ounce clear, plastic bottle
  • 6 ounces of hot water
  • Clear glue
  • Slender whisk
  • Glycerin
  • Leaf-shaped glitter
  • Regular glitter (optional)
  • More hot water
  • Glue for the lid

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory BottleDIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Pour the 6 ounces of hot (as hot as your tap will run) water into your bottle.
  2. Add 2.5 to 3 ounces (or more) of glue to the hot water in your bottle. The more glue you add, the slower your leaves will swirl and fall.
  3. Whisk the glue in the hot water until well incorporated. You can also replace the lid of the bottle and shake, however this created a lot of foam bubbles for me. They will go away, but it will slow down your progress.
  4. Measure 1 to 2 tablespoons of Glycerin and whisk or replace the lid and shake again.
  5. Add your glitter. I used several different hues of leaf shaped glitter and a few pinches of regular gold glitter.
  6. Pour more hot water into the bottle. Stop before reaching the top, replace the lid and turn the bottle over several times to check how everything moves. At this point you can add more glitter, more glue to make it fall slower, and/or more glycerin to smooth everything out.
  7. After you’re satisfied with the flow of the bottle’s contents, remove the lid again and fill the bottle all the way to the top with the hot water.
  8. If your child is older and you worry about him/her undoing the lid, you can coat the inside of the lid with glue, then screw it back onto the bottle. This will secure the lid and make it harder for little ones to unscrew the lid and create a leak or spill the bottle’s contents.

DIY Autumn Leaves Sensory Bottle

“Love” Lyric Page from Disney’s Robin Hood

"Love" Lyric Page (Robin Hood)

I love singing to Baby Zoey and she loves being sung to! I used to know all the songs from Disney movies by heart, but I’m a little rusty. I’ve started making lyric pages to refresh my memory or teach me new songs I’ve never known!

This song, “Love”, from Disney’s Robin Hood is calm and soothing. I typically sing this to her or play it for her as we’re winding down before nap-time or bedtime.

Please feel free to save these for quick reference, and let me know if there are any songs you would like to see lyric pages for!

Let’s try Oak – Meditation and Breathing Application

Let's Try Meditation with The Free Oak - Meditation and Breathing ApplicationLet’s be real, this year has been rough; we’re all just trying to adjust and survive the best we can. Current events have really revealed that there are some pretty rude, self-entitled people out there and I for one am way too sensitive to people’s actions and emotions. I’ve found myself absorbing and/or responding to their vibes, which results in living day to day with too many negative thoughts and feelings.

In an effort to bring the tranquility and positivity back to my life, I have begun meditating and it feels good! If you’re feeling anything but tranquil, I highly recommend taking some time to meditate each day or, if every day isn’t for you, less frequently yet consistently; you will feel better!

Interested, but not sure where to start?

I am using the Oak – Meditation and Breathing application. It is simple and straightforward, with enough content to get you started without becoming overwhelming.  It is also the only meditation app. I’ve found that is truly free. Other applications, like Calm and Headspace (both fantastic), are free to download and offer some free content and/or free trials, but if you want more you’ll have to pay for a monthly or yearly premium membership. After Oak, Insight Timer is probably the next application that has the most free classes, but does have a premium membership if you want to access certain practices. We’ll focus on Insight Timer at a later date.

So let’s take a look at Oak!

When opening the app., you are presented with three categories: Meditation, Breathing and Sleeping. Each category has two or three practice options.

Let's Try Meditation with The Free Oak - Meditation and Breathing Application

Once you’ve selected a category and practice, you can customize a few more details depending on the practice. For example, if you want to practice Mindful Meditation, you can select the duration, instructor’s voice, background noise and a warmup duration.

Let's Try Meditation with The Free Oak - Meditation and Breathing Application Let's Try Meditation with The Free Oak - Meditation and Breathing Application

The breathing practices do not give you customization options, but they will give you details about how long you will be inhaling, holding and exhaling.

Let's Try Meditation with The Free Oak - Meditation and Breathing Application

If you’re looking for something deeper, there is a Courses tab which (so far) offers one course on Mantra Meditation. You will be prompted to “Buy” the course for $0.00. I’ve “purchased” it (yes it is free) and I am very pleased with the quality and length. I hope there will be more free courses in the future.

Let's Try Meditation with The Free Oak - Meditation and Breathing Application Let's Try Meditation with The Free Oak - Meditation and Breathing Application

I will be testing out other options for meditation and let you know what I discover!

How do you meditate? Do you use an application, or something else? If you do use an application, what is your favorite and why? I’d love to know!