National Simplify Your Life Week

 This year I am posting about the fun National Weeks throughout the year.  This week is National Simplify Your Life Week.  

This week is set aside for us to, well, do just that...  Simplify our life.  A week to declutter/dejunk our lives, eliminate all the clutter, static and anything that causes us stress or anxiety.  The focus is not only external clutter, but internal clutter.  It's time to take a close look at our lives and remove the things that keep us from enjoying life.

There are many ways we can simplify our lives.

Schedule:  Keep a calendar/planner with all of your (kids & hubby's) activities and appointments.  

Meal Plan:  Making a menu plan for the week helps with grocery shopping and knowing what you are making for lunch/dinner.  Eliminates the need to make extra trips to the grocery store.

Declutter:  It helps when you get rid of excess stuff hanging around the house.  Only have what makes you truly happy.  Clearing out your living space is great for clearing your mind.

Eliminate people in your life that cause you stress.  This can be difficult, but by eliminating toxic people, you can add years onto your life.

Take a break from social media.  Check your phone once or twice per day (especially on those days you are not working, or you are with the important people in your life).  This helps you stay focused and present with what is most important in your life.

This is a great time to think about what you allow into your life.

You can participate on social media using #SimplifyYourLife

How will you participate this week?

International Clown Week

 This year I am posting about the fun National Weeks throughout the year.  This week it's International Clown Week.

This week is set aside to celebrate these performers and their contribution to entertainment.  Members of the group Clowns of America International celebrate the week by hosting events and activities.  

The word clown comes from the Icelandic word, "klunni," meaning, clumsy person.   Other words connected to clown are: clod, klutz, clumsy and clump.  The word is still used today to describe someone that trips over their own feet.

Some interesting facts about International Clown Week:

The holiday was created by Weary Willie, also known as Emmet Kelly, Sr.*

During the week, clowns across the world perform acts of kindness to spread happiness and laughter

Clowns use this week to raise money for charities

Clowns International, founded by Joey Grimaldi is the worlds oldest clown society was founded in 1947.  Grimaldi was the first clown to use white face paint, instead of a mask.

Most clowns are named Joey (after Joey Grimaldi)

Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns

*Kelly was a famous clown who performed with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for over 20 years.

How to celebrate this week?

Attend a street performance.

You can put on your own show by putting on a costume and juggling or performing magic tricks.

Host a party and dress up as famous clowns (Emmett Kelly, Krusty the Clown, Bozo) 

Use #InternationalClownWeek on social media to show off your talent.

Soap Operas

 I've had the pleasure of taking my father-in-law to the dentist.  He had three appointments with in one week.  They are one-hour long appointments, so I always make sure I have toys to occupy myself.

There is a television in the waiting room.  It is muted, but has closed captioning.  The favorite show played during these visits has been golf  a soap opera.  I'm not even sure which one, that's how close attention I am paying to the television.

On the first visit, I started watching this soap opera and noticed a few things.  I think that this is the recipe on, "How to write a soap opera," so, pay close attention.  

There is always one "colorful" character.  The one that dresses odd, mixing up patterns and colors. 

There is a couple who sneak around (have an affair).  

There is a character that is in the hospital.  They can be awake or in a coma. 

The character that gets stabbed or shot.

The character that develops some strange/weird illness.

And of course, the outlaw.

Back in the day, I used to watch, "All My Children."  And, thinking back to that time, all of these types of characters were present on the show.

I believe all soap operas have the same plots.  There are rich and poor families.  The rich families are snooty and don't want to associate with the poor.  But there is always one family member from each that fall in love with each other.  There seems to be a lot of cheating on spouses/girl/boyfriends that happens on these shows.  A lot of revenge stories, lies and rare illnesses.

I wonder if anyone's life is really like these soaps?

Scam Likely

I think most people have a cell phone.  And most people will text before calling a person.  Especially one of your friends or family members.

Nowadays you can see who is calling your before you answer your phone.  If you have the persons phone number in your contacts, their name will pop up on your phone's screen.  You can then decide whether you want to take their call.

My phone doesn't ring very often.  If it does, it's probably a family member.  I try to find grab my phone and answer before it goes to voice mail.  Lately, I have been receiving a lot of calls from, "Scam Likely."  I'm not sure when Scam and I became friends.  It must have been a long time ago.  Did our kids play a sport together?  An old work buddy?  Or maybe it's a new friend and I forgot to add them to my contacts?  

Well, Scam keeps changing his (her?) phone number.  One day he is local and the next day he's calling me from California.  Does he travel for work?  Does he lose his phone and purchase another one with a different number?

I am beginning to think that it's time to rethink my friendship with Scam Likely.  He is so irresponsible and, well, quite annoying.

I think I might just block him.  

Max Headroom

 We are going to step back in time to a time of big hair and shoulder pads.  The year 1985 to be exact.  A time of Live AID concerts, with Mikhail Gorbachev rising to power in the Soviet Union, Route 66 no longer a highway and Coca Cola introducing their, "New Coke."

Yea.  Lots of weird stuff.

To add to the "weirdness," an artificial intelligence character is created and named, Max Headroom.  Max is known for his wit, stuttering and his pitch changing voice.  He was dubbed the first "computer generated TV presenter."  He had his own movie (Max Headroom: 20 minutes into the future) and would make appearances on TV shows like MTV, introducing music videos.  Oh, yea, he even starred in a music video and had his own TV show, The Max Headroom Show.  

Max was created by using the head of an actual person.  Changes in lighting created the character we know as Max Headroom.  

Looking back at this time, no one really batted an eye.  I mean, here is this creepy computer generated talking head on your TV screen (he doesn't have a body!) and everyone seems to think that this is OK and normal.  If this was done today, put a creepy computer generated head on television, the world would think that it was a terrorist attacking us through our TV screens!

I don't know how people thought this was normal or cool.  I have to admit, I was a little weirded out by Max.  Nothing like seeing this odd, talking head on my television with the snarky comments, the pasty white skin and the stuttering.  It's almost like something out of a horror film.

Do you remember Max Headroom?

What are your thoughts on this bodyless talking head?

Bike

 Got a new bike the other day.  Well, it's new to me.  I took it for a spin.  It was great flying down the path with the breeze blowing in my hair.  I rode one of my normal walking routes.  I was amazed I was able to complete the route in a short amount of time.  I imagine the freedom I have while riding a bike (except for the helmet).

I think I can write a book on bike helmets.  They are the most annoying, uncomfortable piece of equipment.  I realize the safety factor a bike helmet holds, but they are a real pain to wear.   It either sticks to my head, straight across or it hangs off the back of my head feeling like it's about to fall off.   Maybe it's just me.  I think I might be wearing a children's bike helmet (or RT's).  

The one thing that always runs through my head while I am riding my bike is how much I value my teeth.  

This all started when I was younger and riding my bike.  I knew a couple of kids who fell off their bike and lost or chipped a tooth.  Ever since then, my value for my teeth kicks in when I hop on a bike or do anything that might result in knocking out a tooth.  When I'm riding my bike and this feeling kicks in, I squeeze my lips together and even slow down a bit.  I'm not sure the lip thing gives me any extra protection.  It's more of a mental thing.

Do you like riding bikes?

Does anyone else get that strong feeling of love for your front teeth when riding your bike?

National Nude Recreation Week

 This year I am posting about the fun National Weeks throughout the year.  It's time to get naked this week so we can celebrate National Nude Recreation Week!

We have been experiencing some extremely hot temperatures around here lately making this the perfect time of year for this celebration.

I did a little digging for the history of this holiday and thought I would share some my finds.  

In 1975, Lee Baxandall and some friends created a support group called, Free the Free Beach Committee.  One of their first events was a nude beach celebration.  Thousands of supporters came out and there were no arrests made (maybe people are much more peaceful when they are nude?).  In 1976 they designated August 7 as National Nude Beach Day.  With this being a success, they moved on to designate the third weekend in July as National Nude Weekend.  This weekend nudity was eventually extended to a week-long celebration in 1992.  

*Nudity is a great way to shed stress, along with your clothing

*There are about 225,000 naturists in North America

Naturists are people who practice naturalism, in other words, nudity.

How to participate? 

There are plenty of clothing optional clubs around the country offering activities all week long.  

#NudeRecreationWeek

I would use your discretion if posting to social media.  Oh, yea, and don't forget to wear sunscreen!

Will you be celebrating this week?