Take a Break: Celebrate the Harlem Renaissance

It’s Black History month, and what better way to celebrate than with the Harlem Renaissance. This was the name given to the incredible burst of cultural, social and artistic activity that happened between the end of WWI and the middle of the 1930s. Harlem was the Mecca for black artists, photographers, musicians, poets, writers and many others.  

• Learn about The Harlem Renaissance at History.Com or the website History of the Harlem Renaissance.

• Read The Crisis founded in 1910 by W. E. B. Du Bois, who edited the early volumes. It was originally subtitled "A Record of the Darker Races". 

• Enjoy the art of Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden

• Musicians, such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway defined the period, along with places like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater.  Check out the Ken Burns documentary Jazz for a variety of clips of artists and venues.

• Zora Neil Hurston is one of my favorite writers from this era. If you’ve never read one of her books, you’re in for a treat. Her expressions are spot on-“I have been in Sorrow’s kitchen and licked out all the pots-“. “Love is like the sea. It's a moving thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from the shore it meets, and it's different with every shore.” “Bitterness is the coward's revenge on the world for having been hurt.” 

Not interested in today’s activity? Check out the Take a Break Pinterest for lots of Take a Break ideas. 

The Importance of ‘Thank You’

My winter job at a ski resort involves dealing with lots of injured and sick people. It’s interesting to see who thanks us and who doesn’t. While I wouldn’t necessarily expect it from someone in serious pain, they are often the very ones who do let us know they appreciate our help. Yet a number of people walk out without a second thought, maybe viewing us as one more amenity that they take for granted as part of their resort experience.

How often do you say “Thank You” during the course of your day? Who do you say it to and when? Do you think this is a waste of time and/or an outdated custom?

It’s important to let people know that you appreciate what they’ve done, are doing or about to do. A simple “thank you” sends the message that they’re noticed, appreciated and they matter. This in turn, helps generate a sense of purpose, which we all need to thrive.

If you need a research study to prove the point, check out Proof That Saying “Thank You” Matters.  This study compared volunteers who were systematically thanked and those that weren’t. Those that were thanked were more likely to volunteer, committed more hours and took on more projects than those who weren’t.

While it’s nice to be thanked, it’s heart warming to see the smiles of appreciation when you express your gratitude.  It’s definitely a small thing we can do that creates a “win-win” for all.

So make the day a bit brighter by saying a heartfelt “thank you.”

Take a Break: Make Different Types of Valentines

Valentines Day is just a few days away. Try some unique valentines for that special someone.

                                          • Paper Heart decoration for Valentines, weddings 

• Bird Seed Valentine: For your feathered friends, or for someone who likes birds, take a thick piece of bread (1-2 inches) and trim the crusts so you create a heart shape. Cut the center so you have a heart shape ring. Slather peanut butter on one side and lay in bird seed and chopped nuts. Turn and repeat on the other side. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil and place in the freezer overnight. Hang with a ribbon or string. 

• “Cootie Catcher” or Paper Fortune Tellers:  Not just for play grounds anymore, long trips or telling someone’s fortunes. This is a wonderful way to let someone know why they’re so special to you or even a unique way of setting up a series of “date nights.” Instead of a fortune, list an activity you’ll do with the person, such as dinner and a movie, walk in the park, weekend away etc. Kick it up a notch by using good quality paper. Here are links for pre printed Valentine Cootie Catchers:

Option1 

Option2 

Option3 

Option4  

• Party Popper Valentines: Very cool as you only need is a cardboard tube, some fun paper and cute things to stick inside. 

• Seed Starter Valentine: On a snowy day in Vermont, the idea of spring flowers sounds wonderful.  

You Don’t Need a Fitbit to Know How Many Steps You Take

It seems like everyone is now wearing some sort of devise on their wrist to measure how physically active they are. But really do you need to go out and spend $100 or more for something that tells you how many steps you’re taking?

First off, why are we obsessed with the number of steps we take? Where did the goal of 10,000 steps a day come from? Not surprisingly, you invent a device and you have to make people want it. In this case it came about when the Japanese popularized the “10K a day” rule when the early version of a pedometer “manpokel” was launched back in the 1960s.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the goal isn’t number of steps you take but the activity level. Their recommendation:

• 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (brisk walking) a week, or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity like jogging or running or a mix of moderate and vigorous activity.

• Strength training 2 or more days a week, working all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

All that said, I know a number of people that are really into their Fitness Trackers and it does help them be more active, which is a good thing. So if you think knowing how many steps you take a day might be good motivator for you, you need to look no further then your iPhone. You’ll notice there is a white square with a red heart. Open it up and you’ll find a built in step tracker. Guaranteed you may not want to carry around your cell phone all the time but put your phone in your pocket and check it out. It’s keeping track of the data whether you look at it or not.

A pedometer is a cheaper alternative to a Fitbit for counting steps. But what if your device doesn’t cover sports such as skiing or snowshoeing? Check out the Step Conversion Chart.

Whether you use a devise to track your steps or go by the CDC’s guidelines, the ultimate goal is to be active throughout your day.

Take a Break: Tea Lights for February

February is a much maligned month, with Groundhog’s Day marking the mid way point between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. I really like the month as it brings all sorts of fun things to celebrate-Chinese New Years (Feb. 8), Mardi Gras (Feb. 9), Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) President’s Day (15) and if you’re in school-winter break. Oh, I forgot Super Bowl Sunday, which is a serious day of TV obligation for many. So today’s “take a break” is about creating some fun things with tea lights that recognize the February holidays and shines some light on dark winter evenings.

It’s recommended that you use LED T lights.

Lanterns: I’ve made these for Chines New Year and Valentines. I started with the lantern pattern that is free to download.  For the Chinese Lantern, I Googled “Chinese Windows” and downloaded an image that I used as a template. However, you can use anything you like for the windowpane and decorate the lantern itself.

Little houses: While I thought it was interesting to try making these out of felt  before I realized it was way too much work for a result that was much easier obtained using cardstock. Make Tiny Paper Houses has lots of patterns to try. 

Tea Light from a Drink Can These are good directions except you don’t need to drill out the bottom for an LED tea light Use a regular can opener to remove the top (where the pull tab is) and if you want for the bottom. Watch the video if you need a demo. Depending on where you live, there are special cans that lend themselves to a particular holiday, so try to use them if possible.

Mardi Gras Bead Lights: Fill a wine glass with Mardi Gras beads and nestle in a T light. An empty glass holder can look stellar by hot gluing Mardi Gras beads to the outside. Use beads that are your team’s color for Super Bowl Sunday.

LED Ice Ball for Super Bowl Party: Just watch the video for inspiration 

Lanterns 2: Using the pattern for Table Number Lanterns,  create a lantern with your favorite players number on it. Of course using the team’s colors is important. 

Coffee Beans and Tea Lights: Here you do need the wax variety tea light. Using a small bowl or cup, fill with coffee beans and insert candle. The heat from the candle will help generate that coffee roasting smell.

Not interested in today’s activity? Check out the Take a Break Pinterest for lots of Take a Break ideas.