zone tips

Do you want to live to be over 100 years old?  Check out the practices & lifestyles of people who live in the “blue zones“…

To view a short article of the concepts, click here.  The book gives in-depth research, interview stories, & additional information relating to the blue zone areas.

The lessons are common sense, holistic lifestyle choices—>  Eat less – focus on produce, whole grains & nuts (less meat & processed foods), be physically active, enjoy good relationships, be socially connected, prioritize family, engage in a spiritual life, & live without stress.

Favorite book thoughts:

• from the Okinawans, “…eat until you are no longer hungry, not until you are full.”
• the surface area of our intestines covers a tennis court…hello, inflammation
• scientific studies suggest 25% of longevity is dictated by genes, 75% determined by lifestyles & everyday choices
• there is a correlation between having a sense of purpose & longevity
• “the most successful centenarians we met in the Blue Zones put their families first”

“Moderation is the center wherein all philosophies, both human & divine, meet.”  ~ Benjamin Disraeli

lincoln lesson

How is it that my 2nd grader knows Lincoln was shot behind the left ear but I didn’t?  hmmmm…maybe a retention or recall issue…?  Faulty cells!  Too bad books like Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly, or anything other than a drab textbook, weren’t required reading back in the day.  Certain brains learn better in story or visual formats!

The thing about history or thinking about anyone else’s life, is that we’ll never really know the entire story!  A continual exercise in pondering, wondering, & supposing conclusions.  Mental entertainment?

“The more I see the less I know for sure.”  ~ John Lennon

tina time

If you are looking for a “light” read, checkout Tina Fey’s Bossypants.  Her comedic writing elicits smiles & laughter.

That is the actual cover.

Favorites:

• the entire chapter entitled “That’s Don Fey” – her father
• reading about crazy showbiz life & SNL
• hearing comedic twists (truth?) on motherhood, politics, & life in general
• realizing how we can all relate on some level

Bossypants makes me want to find the funny in life.

“To say I’m an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair.”  ~ Tina Fey, Bossypants

sugar free

A thought-provoking book about agendas & politics & how they trickle into education, media, & our culture.

Looking to protect traditional values & parental rights, Marybeth Hicks gives notice through example & intellect as to why parents should pay attention.

Interesting points from book:

• socialism is easily instilled in children due to their limited understanding of justice
• the public costs of family breakdown among working class & poor communities exceed $112 billion/year (pg. 28)
• “America’s children are learning an entirely backward interpretation of separation of church & state – not that we are freely religious, but that our nation is meant to be religious-free”
• political messages in television shows…entertaining, yes…conversation openers, YES
• “The real cause of bullying is not intolerance for people who are different.  It is a lack of conscience & character in the hearts & souls of our children.”

Additional resources offered:

1. www.parentalrights.org
2. www.charactercounts.org
3. www.parentstv.org

“Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.”  ~ C.S. Lewis

real lessons

What a GREAT book!  Use What You’ve Got & Other Business Lessons I Learned from My Mom, by Barbara Corcoran (with Bruce Littlefield)

Marrying lessons she learned from her mom during childhood to the world of business, Barbara Corcoran gives a wealth of transferable concepts & skills.  The stories entertain, the teachings inspire, & the lessons reveal true life applications for parents, families, teachers, & business leaders.  Ms. Corcoran shares struggles, failures, processes & successes of her life while highlighting the journey as the joy.

Favorite points & quotes:

• systems make a well-run house & office
• color code, be fair, give appreciation, make a “good idea” box
• identify what motivates people
• raises are soon forgotten–try unexpected bonuses
• play together
• “good performances are a result of great preparation“
• on bad days, reframe perspective

“And that was my mother’s genius.  She kept her house going by putting her finger on the special gift she saw in each of her children, & making each & every one of us believe that gift was uniquely ours.  Whether it was true or not, we all believed it.”  ~ Barbara Corcoran

report card

Published in 2011, Push Has Come To Shove by Dr. Steve Perry delivers a raw & honest view of the state of education in our country.

Interesting points Dr. Perry states…:

• nothing improves student performance as much as quality of instruction
• parents are neither the cause nor the solution for the problems in our schools
• many schools don’t know how to make parents useful partners
• most good teachers don’t want anything to do with teachers’ unions
• students know who the good teachers are
• schools & educators derive some of their greatest growth from a sincere question

Additionally, Dr. Perry offers parenting thoughts from what is the best home atmosphere in promoting life-long learning to the challenges, including his own, of the 24/7 world of parenting.

• “What I see in all successful parent-child relationships is humility & respect.”
• 5 things parents can control (pg 95):  early reading, early numeracy, setting high expectations, curiosity, discipline
• being a parent means putting your kids’ needs above your compulsions of adulthood while simultaneously keeping the you in you
• “from the middle class up, we give our kids too damn much.”
• successful students’ parents don’t do the studying for their kids, even if they do it together
• successful kids are not perfect
• create a shrine to learning in the home – read, watch what money is spent on as it reflects values, find educational toys supporting intellectual growth

“There’s always a price for what you want.”  ~ Dr. Steve Perry

sweet novel

The perfect book to enhance spring break relaxation…Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

 

An enchanting story about a family whose gifts are magical, where broken connections are mended, & where the home & garden create charming environments with tons of personality.

Underlying themes also include:

• sibling relationships & love
• family history & memories
• foods & flowers evoking feelings, memories, ambiance
• sisters helping each other expose & explore unique gifts
• sisters encouraging each other to take risks to reach life’s potential

A delightful read!

same different

A book about friends, relationships, death, haves & have-nots, despair, poverty, prejudices, riches, & history…

…but the message rising above all is…faith, hearing God’s voice, speaking God’s truths, & sharing God’s love.  A riveting & beautiful true story.

“I found out everybody’s different–the same kind of different as me. We’re all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us.”  ~ Denver Moore, Same Kind of Different as Me 

class time

To those interested in learning about what it is like to be a teacher or about complications that arise in the field or about the state of education here & abroad, consider reading one or both of the following books:

1.  Educating Esme ~ Diary of a teacher’s first year   by Esme Raji Codell

2.  To Miss With Love ~ One inspirational teacher.  One extraordinary year.  Hope & heartbreak on the front lines of an inner-city school.   by Katharine Birbalsingh

An excellent description of the second book’s main points can be found here:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/8362188/To-Miss-with-Love-by-Katharine-Birbalsingh-review.html

Educating Esme was entertaining & inspiring.  To Miss With Love was quite an eye opener…the author brilliantly captures the big picture & consistently reaches for what is best for each pupil.  Excerpts from the book:

• “parents are everything…”
• “I think it’s our job to help all children, whatever their class or colour, to achieve their potential.”
• “I feel for those poor children, both bright and not so bright, who are being taught, or indeed not taught, in a system of political fantasy…”

Praise for teachers.  And, by the way, if you are a parent, you are a teacher, too!  24/7 by example & environment & dialogue…

“A teacher affects eternity:  he can never tell where his influence stops.” 

~ Henry Adams