IdeaJones

Tag: holiday

  • Love Letter 101

    Love Letter 101

    How do I love thee? Um, y’know…

    It’s that time of year again!

    Anyone can write a good love letter.

    If you want to make points with a good love letter, here are a few tips to get you started.

    1. it’s not about you. It’s about the person you’re sending it to. Here’s your chance to show you are (or still are) paying attention. Everyone wants to be noticed, seen, and loved for themselves.
    2. Make it relationship-appropriate. Don’t get into body comments or sexual stuff unless you are in a relationship and already know s/he wants to hear what you think of his/her butt/chest/etc. Leave out what you want to do with said body parts unless you know for sure s/he wants to hear it. For sure. Don’t guess here.
    3. Short, simple, and sincere. A short letter that shows you really have been noticing, listening, seeing beats a long, flowery, generic letter that doesn’t sound like you.
    4. Still stumped? Pick something you love about that person, for example, the way s/he smiles. They way s/he treats people. How does that make you feel?
    5. “Dear (name): when you smile at me, my heart feels like a balloon about to rise into the sky. You are so kind to people around you and make them feel important. Just by being you, you add something wonderful to the world.” Say something you honestly feel, specific about that person, that you admire.

    Remember — love letters aren’t just for romantic love. Your mother, grandfather, friend, etc. also want to feel appreciated. That teacher who went out of his or her way to help you would probably love a note saying thanks for teaching you the mysteries of algebra or the difference between “it’s” and “its.”

    When you express love, you get to feel it yourself. It’s good for you and for the person who receives your note. Don’t be afraid to tell people you care about what it is about them you appreciate. Happy Valentine’s Day!

  • If Your Holiday Isn’t Living Up To The Hype This Year:

    If Your Holiday Isn’t Living Up To The Hype This Year:

    An open letter to anyone whose holidays isn't quite living up to the hype.
  • It’s Time To Color For A Cause!

    It’s Time To Color For A Cause!

     

    Time to Color For A Cause!

    For the third year, we’re hosting Color For A Cause, a free event you can participate in wherever you are!

    The idea is to draw or color cards for distribution at hospitals and nursing homes.  We have designs you can print out and use for any non-commercial (no money involved) use, or you can draw your own. Coloring makes a nice break from holiday stress, and you can also have kids color cards to keep them busy around Thanksgiving and during school breaks!

    We take cards to places like the local Shriner’s Hospital, to be given to kids who must be in the hospital over the holidays. This year, we hope to expand to a nursing home as well. Wherever you are, you can participate by making cards and taking them to the local hospital or nursing home.

    If you print our cards to color, it works well on cardstock (the kind you can easily find at any office supply store), white works well, but they work on any color (it’s just that colored card stock limits your coloring choices). We also take cards to the hospital that aren’t colored in, for the kids to color and give out themselves.

    If you make the cards 3.5″ x 5″, you can get two on an 8.5″x11″ sheet of paper. There are 4″x6″ envelopes available in office supply stores. Don’t seal the envelopes — they need to be able to see them at the hospital.

    Messages? Keep it simple. The basic guideline is “nothing obscene, nothing overtly religious (as you don’t know what religion the recipient practices), and positive.” A short message is fine and you can sign just your first name (no personal info like addresses).

    If you want to join in and send cards to go with ours, the deadline is Nov. 30. You can find info on our Facebook page, facebook.com/IdeaJones.

  • Happy Halloween!

    Happy Halloween!

    We’re all mad. The best people are. Happy Halloween!

    Autumn is here, at last! I’m not a summer person, at least, not since I moved from Santa Cruz. Hot weather isn’t my thing. I like to pick when I get sweaty and when I don’t.  The temperature here is finally starting to slide into the 70s. And that means Halloween is almost here.

    I love Halloween. Well, I love holidays in general. But Halloween? Right after Christmas, my favorite holiday. The idea of being able to don a costume and try on a different self is almost irresistible. As a kid, my mom made most of my costumes (she could really sew). I always had the best costumes. But one year, I asked to be a tomato. Yes, a tomato. I was about six. Why a tomato? It  had something to do with talking people into trick-or-treating together as a sandwich, as I recall.

    Mom really tried. She would take it apart, start over, mumble to herself. Finally, she told me she wasn’t able to make me a tomato costume. There were things Mom couldn’t do? Since when? But she had made me a costume… Santa Claus. I did *not* want to go out as Santa on Halloween, but rather than disappoint Mom, I did.

    I almost had to rent a truck to carry my haul that night. People were virtually throwing candy at me. “That’s so clever!”  “Ha, ha! A reminder of Christmas shopping? That’s the scariest costume I’ve seen all night!”

    Here’s hoping your Halloween launches Awesome Autumn and  has the best treats, and only fun tricks.

     

  • Color For A Cause!

    Color For A Cause!

     

    You can Color For A Cause wherever you are!

    This is the second year we’ve put on Color For A Cause. You can participate wherever you are! All you do is draw (or print out and color) cards to be distributed at a local hospital or nursing home. We even have free artwork you can download, print and color (available for any non-commercial use, meaning no money changes hands), on our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/IdeaJones

    This year, we’re donating cards to the local Shriners Hospital, to be given to kids who’ll be in the hospital over the holidays. Coloring makes a good break from holiday stress, and it’s also a good way to keep kids busy. Charities like Girls Love Mail (http://www.girlslovemail.com ) love cards created by kids (even toddlers — you can always print the artist’s first name on the card).

    White cardstock (available in any office supply store) works great, and you can fit two on a page. Envelopes aren’t necessary, but if you want to include them, size your cards 3.5″x5.5″ and add a box of 4″x6″ envelopes.

    Messages? The basic guidelines are: nothing obscene, nothing overtly religious (you don’t know the recipient’s beliefs), and keep it positive. Short messages are just fine.

    Thanks to this year’s participants, Sarah, Micaela, Eva, Mila, Harper, Patti, Antonia and Mark! The cards will be going to the hospital in a day or so.

    There’s still time to do this wherever you are — a fun break for you and a nice surprise for someone else!