While I'm thoroughly looking forward to enjoying my Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert December 1st, HERE is a great little "warm up". (yes, that's a play on words)
Smart, basketballers. Smart. What a cute and creative way to ring in the holidays. I'd even like to know how you "tuned" the balls as you did. I'm assuming it's a height off the ground consideration, but I'd be happy to know the actual explanation.
Anyone teach? Here's a fun thing to try to see if your kids can copy. Groups of 5, 1 class period, 10 balls. GO. Remake the video. Teamwork, music skills, and problem-solving skills at their best!
Otherwise, I love the holidays. This is my favorite time of year because I love the colors, the food, the sense of happiness and family that goes along with it, and all the creative "things" that show up during the season!
As we continue to uncover new, fun, holiday entertainments, be assured I'll be sharing them with you!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Oh, YouTube
Maybe you have, and maybe you haven't, but let's be honest, not many people HAVEN'T heard the song 'Gangam Style' yet.
Happen to be in the "Have not" category? Watch it First or the rest of this won't make much sense.
I, until just now, happened to be in the "have not" category. SOOOOOO......totally just watched it for the first time.....HYS-terical. Omg I totally want someone to flash mob it somewhere completely inappropriate......like church.
Just saying!
Happen to be in the "Have not" category? Watch it First or the rest of this won't make much sense.
I, until just now, happened to be in the "have not" category. SOOOOOO......totally just watched it for the first time.....HYS-terical. Omg I totally want someone to flash mob it somewhere completely inappropriate......like church.
Just saying!
Monday, November 19, 2012
O, Chocolat
Try saying that with a French accent. It sounds sexier. Wonderfully sexier....about as sexy as an afternoon of "free" chocolate tasting!
That's right! This past weekend was the Chocolate and Food Show at Navy Pier! My cousin and I snagged 2 tickets from Living Social and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of chocolate yummy-ness. Everyone you could imagine was there, from local chocolateirs to international chocolate companies. Some of the staples were there, but some amazing Chicago talent featured their skills as well.
Every sample was 1 ticket, and you earned 15 tickets just from buying a pass for the day! I saved mine, of course, for only the best. Some of them included The French Pastery School to the one I thought was my favorite: Mayana. Mayana is run by these 2 men who make custom truffles like Pop Rock / Champagne truffles and Rose Petal truffles. HOW COOL!!! Definitely bought a box of those!! I even got a call from my boyfriend today asking if he could dig into the truffle box I brought home. I said "Of course! BUT YOU CAN ONLY EAT HALF OF THEM!!!! I wanna try all the flavors as well!"
So...what happened when I came home? ALL of the truffles were exactly 1/2 gone. He had eaten EVERY SINGLE ONE of the truffles....half-way. I died laughing. I had figured a few of them would have been samples, but, alas, no. All. All 16 or 20 or however many were in that box. .... I guess this was his way of telling me he wants to go with me next year!
Either way, this is a must! Next year, same place, same time of the year, and same AMAZING chocolate!
That's right! This past weekend was the Chocolate and Food Show at Navy Pier! My cousin and I snagged 2 tickets from Living Social and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of chocolate yummy-ness. Everyone you could imagine was there, from local chocolateirs to international chocolate companies. Some of the staples were there, but some amazing Chicago talent featured their skills as well.
Every sample was 1 ticket, and you earned 15 tickets just from buying a pass for the day! I saved mine, of course, for only the best. Some of them included The French Pastery School to the one I thought was my favorite: Mayana. Mayana is run by these 2 men who make custom truffles like Pop Rock / Champagne truffles and Rose Petal truffles. HOW COOL!!! Definitely bought a box of those!! I even got a call from my boyfriend today asking if he could dig into the truffle box I brought home. I said "Of course! BUT YOU CAN ONLY EAT HALF OF THEM!!!! I wanna try all the flavors as well!"
So...what happened when I came home? ALL of the truffles were exactly 1/2 gone. He had eaten EVERY SINGLE ONE of the truffles....half-way. I died laughing. I had figured a few of them would have been samples, but, alas, no. All. All 16 or 20 or however many were in that box. .... I guess this was his way of telling me he wants to go with me next year!
Either way, this is a must! Next year, same place, same time of the year, and same AMAZING chocolate!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Oh, yes. They do.
Ever wonder where your $$$$ goes when you spend it? And no, I don't mean you look at your wallet and go, "Where did it all go?!" I mean, actually where it goes once you pay for the product?
Think....Nike. Coca-cola. Estee Lauder. Whole Foods. Hermes. Walmart. Etc.
All of those places and companies make products. You buy from them. You pay them. You enjoy the product.
The money.....goes somewhere. But maybe not it's not going where you think it's going.
Ever wonder how Michael Jordan or Sarah Jessica Parker get paid for their Nike or Garnier ads respectively? The company just doesn't cut them a check and call it a day. Oh, no. YOU pay for them. In 1995, Nike shoes cost $20 to make, and $35 for the retailer to buy them (that's an instant $15 profit to Nike, just to have the stores show them.) You paid $70. That's a 50% markup to the store. 50%!
....I'll wait for that to sink in a little more soundly. YOU pay for that advertising. YOU PAY for the name.
Ever wonder what the real difference is between Hermes bags, Coach bags, and, say, Nine West bags? Prestige? Absolutely. Quality? Somewhat. NAME? 100000% yes. Yes, a little money is spent on actual quality, but the majority of what you're paying is strictly because of the name. Hermes has a 90% markup on their hand bags. Let that sink in for a minute. 90% of the product's cost is going back to the company / owner. That's after all the other middle men have been paid (wholesaler, overhead, employees, etc.) 90%!
Now, what if you bought from a family business? I bet the cost / markup is much less. They aren't a big conglomerate able to mass produce overseas at an extremely cheap price. They're people using local resources, often times, and therefore the cost of production is often higher. When you buy from them, you're buying either a higher quality product or supporting local resources.
Is either wrong? Nope. Just a bit of FYI as to where your $$$ are going.
Personally, I like nice thing AND supporting local businesses. :-)
Think....Nike. Coca-cola. Estee Lauder. Whole Foods. Hermes. Walmart. Etc.
All of those places and companies make products. You buy from them. You pay them. You enjoy the product.
The money.....goes somewhere. But maybe not it's not going where you think it's going.
Ever wonder how Michael Jordan or Sarah Jessica Parker get paid for their Nike or Garnier ads respectively? The company just doesn't cut them a check and call it a day. Oh, no. YOU pay for them. In 1995, Nike shoes cost $20 to make, and $35 for the retailer to buy them (that's an instant $15 profit to Nike, just to have the stores show them.) You paid $70. That's a 50% markup to the store. 50%!
....I'll wait for that to sink in a little more soundly. YOU pay for that advertising. YOU PAY for the name.
Ever wonder what the real difference is between Hermes bags, Coach bags, and, say, Nine West bags? Prestige? Absolutely. Quality? Somewhat. NAME? 100000% yes. Yes, a little money is spent on actual quality, but the majority of what you're paying is strictly because of the name. Hermes has a 90% markup on their hand bags. Let that sink in for a minute. 90% of the product's cost is going back to the company / owner. That's after all the other middle men have been paid (wholesaler, overhead, employees, etc.) 90%!
Now, what if you bought from a family business? I bet the cost / markup is much less. They aren't a big conglomerate able to mass produce overseas at an extremely cheap price. They're people using local resources, often times, and therefore the cost of production is often higher. When you buy from them, you're buying either a higher quality product or supporting local resources.
Is either wrong? Nope. Just a bit of FYI as to where your $$$ are going.
Personally, I like nice thing AND supporting local businesses. :-)
Saturday, November 10, 2012
"Good character is best taught at home by pre-setting up the example when children are young" - Keith Kochner reading from an article by his mentor.
Point: Character is something we all possess.
Point: Character is learned.
Point: Good character is both learned and a choice.
Point: The best place to teach good character is at home and starting at a young age.
While this may seem like a small, mute point to some, this is actually a far-reaching epidemic that needs to be noted. In a recent discussion I held with someone at a high school fund-raising event, a parent commented that she was "so thankful her students were attending a catholic high school because they would teach her children good discipline." .... hmmm..... think on that for a moment. This, I fear, is a backwards but prevalent way of thinking. Discipline, like character, is learned, and the best way to instill good character AND good discipline is by the parents because, guess what, parents see their children more than anyone else (in most cases...yes, I know some people reading this will point out the exceptions, so let me note that there are exceptions).
Unfortunately, more and more people are looking to a "default" parent: schools, college, employers, to teach the fundamentals of being a good person. Discipline, like character, becomes ingrained in people as they get older, and the earlier it is taught, the more likely the success rate for a GOOD turnout there is.
So, think back on how and where you developed your character. It may not be that you liked the discipline you were shown as a child, but i would bet that it helped to develop the wonderful character you possess today.
Point: Character is something we all possess.
Point: Character is learned.
Point: Good character is both learned and a choice.
Point: The best place to teach good character is at home and starting at a young age.
While this may seem like a small, mute point to some, this is actually a far-reaching epidemic that needs to be noted. In a recent discussion I held with someone at a high school fund-raising event, a parent commented that she was "so thankful her students were attending a catholic high school because they would teach her children good discipline." .... hmmm..... think on that for a moment. This, I fear, is a backwards but prevalent way of thinking. Discipline, like character, is learned, and the best way to instill good character AND good discipline is by the parents because, guess what, parents see their children more than anyone else (in most cases...yes, I know some people reading this will point out the exceptions, so let me note that there are exceptions).
Unfortunately, more and more people are looking to a "default" parent: schools, college, employers, to teach the fundamentals of being a good person. Discipline, like character, becomes ingrained in people as they get older, and the earlier it is taught, the more likely the success rate for a GOOD turnout there is.
So, think back on how and where you developed your character. It may not be that you liked the discipline you were shown as a child, but i would bet that it helped to develop the wonderful character you possess today.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
When Sleep Prevails
You know, it's funny. Sleep was something my parents always harped on, saying it was vital that I, as a student, slept.
Silly parents, what do they know? Sleep was for "old" people. We, the young and up-and-coming generation, were meant to "live on" and "prosper"! Not sleep. There is not accomplishment in sleep - only staying in one place. That didn't see fun OR productive.
....and then I hit 25 years old. Suddenly, sleep started sounding more enjoyable! I had passed the college stay where I had racked up my "late night weekend parties" and all-nighters, and I felt that maybe now, sleep was worth considering. If a good event came along or a fun night out with friends found the early morning hours, that's okay! It just wasn't the EVERY WEEKEND occurrence it had once been.
....and now a few more years have passed. WOAH. Once you hit 27/28, let me tell you, that bed looks A-MAAAAAAZING!!!! You almost wonder how you neglected it for so long. It's cushy, comfy, warm, and oh so inviting. "No one" emails you while you're sleeping, "no one" calls, and "no one" needs you. (yes, those are all in quotes because the reality is that people often still do all of those things, but when you're sleeping, you really just don't care!) In fact, you find that there are times when you actually opt-out of events just so you can go to sleep (gasp! breathe. take a moment. let it soak in....I know, this is astonishing)
And now I look at my dad and people my parents' age and see them up and out at the wine bar, having people over, and going to late night dinners til past 11 and even midnight! How do they do it?! If at 27 I'm already enjoying sleep so much, my goodness, I thought by 50/60 I'd be in bed half the day! Apparently, however, I'm quite mistaken! The "empty nester" generation seems to regain their stamina! Unbelievable. How incredibly irresponsible of them. They used to harp at me and now just look at them.
*sigh* if only I weren't so tired. I might draw out this argument longer.
For now. Off to bed. You know, I even enjoyed that extra hour of sleep because of daylight savings time! More time for sleeping!!! ....and who knows, maybe I too will be able to make those late night appearances when my age doubles. For now....night night!
Silly parents, what do they know? Sleep was for "old" people. We, the young and up-and-coming generation, were meant to "live on" and "prosper"! Not sleep. There is not accomplishment in sleep - only staying in one place. That didn't see fun OR productive.
....and then I hit 25 years old. Suddenly, sleep started sounding more enjoyable! I had passed the college stay where I had racked up my "late night weekend parties" and all-nighters, and I felt that maybe now, sleep was worth considering. If a good event came along or a fun night out with friends found the early morning hours, that's okay! It just wasn't the EVERY WEEKEND occurrence it had once been.
....and now a few more years have passed. WOAH. Once you hit 27/28, let me tell you, that bed looks A-MAAAAAAZING!!!! You almost wonder how you neglected it for so long. It's cushy, comfy, warm, and oh so inviting. "No one" emails you while you're sleeping, "no one" calls, and "no one" needs you. (yes, those are all in quotes because the reality is that people often still do all of those things, but when you're sleeping, you really just don't care!) In fact, you find that there are times when you actually opt-out of events just so you can go to sleep (gasp! breathe. take a moment. let it soak in....I know, this is astonishing)
And now I look at my dad and people my parents' age and see them up and out at the wine bar, having people over, and going to late night dinners til past 11 and even midnight! How do they do it?! If at 27 I'm already enjoying sleep so much, my goodness, I thought by 50/60 I'd be in bed half the day! Apparently, however, I'm quite mistaken! The "empty nester" generation seems to regain their stamina! Unbelievable. How incredibly irresponsible of them. They used to harp at me and now just look at them.
*sigh* if only I weren't so tired. I might draw out this argument longer.
For now. Off to bed. You know, I even enjoyed that extra hour of sleep because of daylight savings time! More time for sleeping!!! ....and who knows, maybe I too will be able to make those late night appearances when my age doubles. For now....night night!
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