Each day is a gift - although sometimes one we'd like to return or exchange. We're a busy bunch and it doesn't look like the speed of life is about to slow down anytime soon, and speaking truthfully here - sometimes the pace can be exciting. But it's when the "every day" starts to feel mundane or just too blah that we need an injection of fun!
Let's add some sparkle to a regular day and it's not hard to do - take a look, and try one (or more!) this week!
Carpooling can be a time-saver, but having a van load of kids you don’t know (and in the case of teens, ones your child has instructed you not to speak to) is sometimes awkward. Or perhaps your tween is at peak “don’t even look at me right now” phase of puberty. Maybe your preschooler has a penchant for the Frozen soundtrack and you’re afraid hearing “Let it Go” one more time will send you over the (literal) edge?
Custom car playlists to the rescue! Spend a fun-filled hour organizing all your great tunes for playlists for each of your “audiences.” Check out the faves for the younger set with a Google search or a covert phone-checking mission. Or start a “back when I was a kid” convo with your preteens by playing all the top hits from your own school days. Search out the number one song from the day they were born and watch their eyes open-wide. Surprise that load of surly teens with some of the newest songs they had no idea you even knew existed and elevate your street cred carpool cred.
Sparkle on, Cool Mom.
A frosty glass of something (especially when enjoyed al fresco) can go a long way in restoring sparkle to an otherwise “same ole; same ole” kind of day. There is really no reason not to have something fun in hand to drink, even when that means you’re not partaking in cocktails at the moment. Whether you’re expecting a little one’s impending arrival, or staying up late to do the Saturday night teenage sleepover shuffle – there is no reason not to quench your thirst with as much sparkle as those around you holding cocktail glasses.
Add frozen fruit or a splash of fruit puree to a bottle of Nestlé Pure Life Sparkling water over crushed ice, or try their delicious Black Cherry flavour with a sprig of mint. Those with martini glass in hand? They don’t know what they’re missing.
You've been together long enough to know who he took to prom and he knows enough not to friend her on Facebook. You get each other. But sometimes you also "get" a whole lot of work stress, kid's needs, house upkeep, and family responsibilities. Oh, plus pets, bills, vehicle maintenance...we'll stop now.
All coupled folks know that taking a bit of time for themselves can sometimes be difficult to manage. Date nights are typical, well, at night, and most times we are tired and ready for the couch and Netflix by baby bedtime. Why not put a spin on date night and reserve a sunny day for date day? Take a stroll downtown (city or local small community if you're looking for a more unique experience.) Take date night snd make it sparkle, simply: Call in to play hooky and pack the kids up and off to school - you and your love are hitting the beach...or a bistro patio... or even a great bookstore where you can choose one book the other should read for reconvening later for future dates: Couple Bookclub!
We know a lot of families (ours included) struggle to meet their goals of "Family Sit Down Dinners." And while we can appreciate that sometimes the best nights are made from paper plates and couch surfing, they can too easily become commonplace. Pulling out all the stops for special occasions is great, but isn't every day that your family comes together for a meal a special occasion?
You don't need to risk Grandma's 12-place setting service with toddlers or gangly teens underfoot to set a special table. Why not surprise the fam with a special day you totally made up but think it's proper to celebrate? Maybe that's a goldfish birthday party with balloons and surprise ice cream cake, or perhaps today is the 178th anniversary of the invention of the zipper. Strong feelings on clothing fasteners aside, your kids will think you're maybe a bit quirky for serving a chili nacho fiesta party to earmark Great Great Aunt Agatha's first day on Canadian soil, but they'll love it nonetheless. (And it doesn't matter if you make it up! In fact, ask your kids to take turns invented new holidays and ask how they'd like to celebrate!) Because in the end, it doesn't matter what you celebrate - it's with whom.
You are your best resource. Yes; you. Are you doing all you can to protect it? We mean making sure you are well-hydrated, well-rested, and in tune with what you need to provide all that stuff you do for others every day. Take a step back and make sure you are honouring your own self as much as you honour the needs of others.
Hmmm… a little short in the “me” column?
Whether it means making twice weekly gym visits a priority or enforcing strict “Mom is OFF the grid” hammock time each weekend, be sure you take time to do something you enjoy every day – even for just a few minutes. Sure, while luxurious solo baths or three-hour long reading sessions may have gone away for a while during these “in-the-trenches” parenting years, there are ways to find some of that sparkle, even in 15-minute bite-sized pieces (says the woman who once enjoyed a nice cold Nestlé Pure Life in her car, just to escape the household fray.) Hey; it doesn’t matter where or when – or even how – you get your soul-time time, just be sure to make it a priority. You are that important.
There’s something about walking into a room and seeing a beautiful bouquet of flowers that instantly raises your happiness levels. The colours and the fragrance can instantly uplift your mood - and it matters not if the arrangement in question is a cut crystal vase of long stemmed roses, or a plastic cup with some forget-me-nots, plucked from a crack in the driveway by a loving three year-old.
Get creative here: think of ways to incorporate flowers into your life more often. Maybe that means visiting the florist for custom bouquets when your budget allows, or spending an afternoon planting an arrangement garden with your kids to reap the benefits all season long. Even things some consider "weeds" are truly beautiful in the right light - a fist-full of gorgeous sunny yellow dandelions tells the world (and you!) that someone wanted tyou to have flowers today. And why shouldn't they have? You deserve it!
Who doesn't love a delicious and healthy snack? (For the record, we see exactly zero hands raised.) Fruit is healthy, sure, but instead of plopping down the usual suspects in the fruit bowl, be "that mom" today and create fun faces on bread or pancakes with the cut-up fruit with your little one. And there are no teenagers around who would refuse a personalized grilled cheese sandwich with ketchup smiley face. Is there any more fun a remider for a stressed out, exam-studying teenager that although they are “all grown up,” they still are not too old to have somebody make them a childhood favourite snack – from ants on a log to a kabob of their favourite fruits or vegetables with dip.
Making healthy pit-stops for snacks is a smart idea for keeping your energy up. Consider this recharge time a gift to yourself and remember that a happy you is a healthy you. Keep yourself hydrated, and rested, and enjoy healthy foods and as much sleep (we know; you're a parent!) as you can muster.
Remember, you’re here for the day anyway so why not make it sparkle?
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