Summer days can often go by so quickly and before you know it, the busy schools days return.  Here are three ways that you can slow down the pace of your summer, spend time in nature, and enjoy the world around you. Cloud watching  Lay a blanket out on the grass and look at the clouds above you...

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress declared the separation of the 13 original colonies from Great Britain and adopted the Declaration of...

Each year on June 19, we observe Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It’s a great time for families to gather together, reflect...

Father’s Day in the United State is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This year it will fall on June 20, 2021. It is a time to celebrate the fathers or father figures in your life, which could include dads, step-fathers, grandpas, uncles, brothers, and other role models. Taking time out to...

Memorial Day weekend is often seen as a time to get together with family and as the unofficial start to summer. However, there is much more to the history of Memorial Day than picnics, barbecues, and family gatherings.  Our colleagues at Michigan State University wrote a great article about the...

The school year is coming to a close. And what a year it has been! We’ve all faced periods of isolation, bouts of anxiety, and tons of screen time – even (or especially) our kids. As things slowly return to normal, we have the opportunity to use summer break as a time for healing and re-connection...

Those of you graduating in 2021 have achieved so much! You have learned to adjust your way of learning during a pandemic, found creative solutions to obstacles and challenges, and developed innovative ways to support and encourage each other. That’s a lot!  In 4-H, we often talk about the three...

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 9, 2021. Do something special this weekend to show the Moms in your life how much you appreciate all that they do! Brighten Up Her View – Whether she has a sprawling backyard vista or a simple window in the kitchen, giving mom fun and beautiful things to look at...

There are many customs and traditions surrounding May Day going back to the Roman era, from decorating a May Pole to collecting cuttings from flowering trees. However, a favorite in our family is delivering May Day baskets to neighbors and friends.  We would make a paper basket and fill it with...

We’ve all been there. The family comes together at the end of a long day at school or work and you’re looking forward to connecting with the people you love most. You ask about their days, eager to hear details about the part of their lives you don’t get to see. Instead, you are met with the...

An “I Am” poem is a type of personal poem in which the author describes themselves through a series of prompts. Writing and sharing these are a wonderful way for the author to express themselves and feel known, and for readers or listeners to gain insights about their loved ones. Writing these may...

Give your pet some extra attention this week because April 11 is National Pet Day! And our fondness for our furry, feathered, scaled or finned friends isn’t the only reason to celebrate. Pets benefit our physical, mental, and social health in measurable ways. Here are just a few of the positives...

Stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and answer the question: What brings you joy? After the year we’ve all had, this might be a tough question to answer – or at least one that you haven’t given as much attention as you might like. It’s been a year filled with anxiety and...

April’s Fool Day!  What better day to talk about the importance of humor? You have probably heard the phrase, “Laughter is the best medicine”.  History shows us that people have understood the healing benefits of laughter for a very long time. As early as the 1300’s, a professor of surgery, Henri...

The Search Institute has identified Service to Others as one of the 40 Developmental Assets that young people need to succeed. Service to...

As promised in an earlier post on the topic of conversation starters, we will periodically be sharing different conversation starters to encourage you to start conversations with your...

Deep breathing is a great way to calm anxious minds and bodies. Plus, it can create a moment to be mindful. Mindfulness is the practice of focusing your attention on the here and now. We spend so much time focusing on the future. Can we finish our “to do” list? Will I do well on tomorrow’s...

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the contributions of women throughout history. It began as National Women’s History Week and was set in March to correspond with International Women’s Day on March 8. President Carter first declared March 2-8 as Women’s History Week in 1980. On the day...

Is February making you feel gloomy or cooped-up? Take a snow day! You don’t have to have the day off work or school to have some wintery fun. Here are a few ideas to lift your spirits! Play Tic-Tac-Snow: Draw a grid on fresh snow, and use pinecones and pine needles to create X’s and O’s. Make...

Valentine’s Day is a time to focus on love! But the joys of February 14 don’t have to stop with romantic love. It’s a great time to celebrate loving relationships of all kinds! One relationship that is sometimes taken for granted in the special connection between grandparents and grandchildren....