Today Alyssa and Wesley shared the definitive ranking of road trip from Buzzfeed.com, read the full article and see the list by clicking here. Let us know your favorite road trip snack!
Travel safely this Memorial Day weekend and snack well on your travels!
What are your plans for Memorial Day? Maybe you’re taking your family to see the parade and have some candy tossed at you. Or maybe you’ve already got some burgers to throw on the grill and you’re looking forward to a cookout. Many of us are most likely looking forward to seeing our families as the pandemic gradually recedes and it becomes safer to do so. Or maybe you just plan on sleeping in and catching up on rest on your day off.
None of these things are bad. We should definitely take any opportunities to rest and spend time with our families. However, every holiday has a meaning and a reason. We stress the importance of Jesus’ birth as the reason for the season at Christmas, not selfishly demanding gifts and cookies. At Thanksgiving we remind ourselves of the blessings for which we are thankful rather than make it all about gluttonous devouring of a plump turkey. Likewise, there is a reason for Memorial Day, one that we shouldn’t lose track of in the midst of the other activities we have planned.
Today, the Morning Thing shared a list of activities you and your family can do this year to celebrate Memorial Day in a way to remember and honor what it is all about. They are simple, but powerful, and there are plenty of options so that you can find the best ones for your family to try out this year. And who knows? Maybe you’ll start a new tradition!
You can find the full list HERE.
Hunter and Alyssa continued sharing tips for mental health to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month. Today they shared ways and tips to help cope with anger and frustration. Such as getting organized, working out, or giving yourself some space before dealing with an issue and handling it in a way you may regret. Read all the tips by clicking HERE.
We hope these tips are helpful to you and equip with how to better handle anger and frustration for better overall mental health!
Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we are sharing tips for taking time for yourself. Everyone needs to take some time to make sure that they are doing okay. You are allowed to take time to yourself if you are struggling. It’s also okay to ask for help. We have people around us that want us to succeed, and if not on this earth, we have a God who wants us to thrive in his plan. We may have a different plan for our lives than the person next to us, but that’s okay! That does not make our life any less valuable.
To see the article we got these amazing tips from click HERE.
Here are some of the tips we talked about:
Thank you to Mental Health America for this article.
Friday Favorites:
This week, The Morning Thing Co-Hosts shared their favorite ways to stay healthy.
We hope you enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend and commit to healthy habits.
Check out our Blog Post with 60 ways to live longer, stronger and better. It is time to replace our pandemic bad habits and get back to good health! Click HERE to see these 60 Healthy Habits.
This morning we talked about some healthy habits to help you live longer, stronger and better. Over the pandemic lots of us have picked up some unhealthy habits. Here are some ways to help you get back on track. We didn’t get through all 60 ways this morning but you can find all of the ways to stay healthy HERE.
This article talks about…
Thank you AARP for this great article!
Today (5/20/21), The Morning Thing focused on prayer and parenting.
We focused on teaching your kids to pray. We shared some age level insights and how a kid’s perception of communicating with God changes as they grow.
Check out this informative article from mylifetree.com
Click HERE for the full article.
Prayer is an attitude. Praying constantly means we’re always aware that God is here. We can sense God’s presence with us no matter our circumstances. We can pray about anything and everything, including other people and their needs.
Prayer is a routine. Regular times with God help shape our prayer attitude. Help children establish “check in” times with God, not out of obligation but out of love.
Prayer is a first response. When troubles and tough decisions loom, we can turn to God before trying anything else. Prayer should be our first resort, not our last.
Prayer is listening to God. Prayer is a dialogue that involves letting God speak to us through everyday life. Because prayer is two-way communication, we also should practice listening to God.
Prayer is modeled. The best way to challenge your children to pray is by letting them see and hear you praying often. Regularly share with them how you see God at work through your prayers.
Children’s perceptions of communicating with God change as they grow:
Ages 2 to 3: Young children understand that Jesus is their friend. Say (or sing!) simple prayers that relate to children’s lives.
Ages 4 to 6: Children this age become very aware of the world around them. Let kids know that God cares about everything that happens to them and other people.
Ages 7 to 9: These children feel a need for God’s help and can verbally express thoughts. Help them look up Bible verses about prayer.
Ages 10 to 12: Preteens realize God is more personal. Let them understand that no prayers are insignificant to their heavenly Father.
Start a discussion about the importance of talking and listening to God by asking children these questions:
1. Why do you think God wants us to pray to him? How often and how should we pray?
2. Does God hear and answer all your prayers? How do you know?
3. What does it mean to listen to God’s voice? In what ways does God speak to us today?
4. What things should we pray about together as a family? How can we add more prayer time to our daily lives?
Sometimes we forget to throw away the things in our house that don’t come with an expiration date. This morning we talked about 33 things that you should throw away for your own good. Some things on this list will definitely surprise you not only that you need to replace them occasionally, but also how short of a life they really have. Maybe this weekend would be the perfect time to go through all of your household items to keep you healthy and safe! To see all 33 things that you should throw away for your own good click HERE.
Thanks to Krazy Coupon Lady for our list.
Here are 5 things that surprised us! Power strips, Bleach, Lotions and moisturizers, Sunscreen, and Toothpaste.
There is nothing quite like a good book. There’s just something about a compelling story that captures our hearts and imaginations. We could have a whole discussion about why that is and what God placed in us that makes us love a well-told story, but today we are focusing on introducing kids to reading and helping them develop strong reading skills.
First off, it’s important to note why reading is important. To see the multiple benefits that consistent reading has for kids, check out this information from Children’s Education Services.
As the school year is winding down, it’s the perfect time to think about how to encourage kids to read throughout the summer. Scholastic offers some great resources, giving kids interactive options to find new books and means to track their reading. You can find their summer reading options HERE. If you need suggestions for some of the best children’s books to get your kids started, Scholastic has that covered too. Take a look at their list of the Top 100 Children’s Books of all time HERE. There’s something for kids of all ages on this list- and maybe it will encourage us adults to crack open some books as well!
Nurses Week wraps up today with a special celebration – International Nurses Day.
Click HERE for more information about this special day.
International Nurses Day has been created so that we can pay honor and tribute to all of the nurses around the world and the incredible work they do. It is crazy to think about a world without nurses. Who would be there to care for us when we’re not feeling well? Nurses bring so much to our lives, and the lives of the people that we love, and so it is only right that we have a day that honors them and recognizes all of their efforts!
We talked with Dr. Carol Dorough, Dean of the School of Nursing at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation.
Dr. Dorough shared why nursing is so important to our society. She also shared how the past year has impacted nurses and the nursing profession. She also give encouragement for nurses. Take a listen and share this conversation with the nurses in your life.
The Morning Thing shared some fun and unique ways to celebrate Nurses.
Click HERE for the full list.
Some of our favorite ways to recognize nurses include:
Hand out small gift bags to your nursing staff. Include a card, a small knick-knack, and maybe even a gift card. This is a good way to show a general sense of appreciation to your entire staff.
Each day, choose a nurse (or one from each area of the hospital) to highlight. Tell their story and accomplishments. Not only will this give the highlighted nurse the joy of being recognized publicly, but it could also inspire other staff.
People love free food, and your nurses are no different. If you can find a balance between food people love and healthier options, you will be golden.
Executive staff and higher-ups tend to get the better parking spots, right? Well, what if for this week, those coveted spots are opened up to nurses? It might not seem like much, but it goes a long way!
Decorate appropriate areas with themed flyers and decorations to remind both staff and patients to appreciate their nurses. You might even be able to get the help of patient’s artwork to make it a fun and engaging area.
Stock the break room with fresh fruit and healthy food choices. If you normally have only unhealthy options (or worse: nothing), consider creating a healthy snack option for your nurses and other medical staff.
This one might sound weird at first, but since nurses are constantly on their feet, inserts could make or break their day.
If you are allowed and/or given permission, take a photo of happy patients with their nurses and make a wall of photos. Keep the wall of photos up for a while so nurses, staff, and others can see the happy faces of nurses and patients.
Massages are the perfect way to relieve stress. A quick 20-minute massage during a break or before or after a shift can help improve posture, stress levels, and soreness from walking around all day.
