It's All About the Kids (and it's all FREE)

There are various kid-friendly activities going on Saturday, January 31st. From the Dallas Morning News website...

• Dale Oliver, 1992 world yo-yo champion, will give a yo-yo demonstration at Bookmarks at NorthPark Center. 2pm
• African-American Read-In: The Dallas County Community College District's 10th annual gathering will feature readings of black literature by writers, celebrities, storytellers and performers. Author and motivational speaker Lisa Nichols and actress Irma P. Hall are scheduled to appear. Also, Dallas Black Dance Theatre will perform. Costumed character Lyndale the Literary Lion will be on hand to entertain kids at the celebration, which is geared toward ages 8 and older. Organizers recommend arriving early. 2-4pm
• Comedy magician Magic Mike will perform his interactive show. Showtime Saturdays are presented by Galleria Dallas and Slappy’s Puppet Playhouse, near the Play Place at Galleria Dallas (Level 3). 11:30am

New Year’s Book Recommendation: One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer

Judging by the date of this post it is a good thing that ending procrastination was not one of my New Year’s resolutions…or is it?

I asked several people what their New Year’s resolutions were this year. Many of them said that they did not make resolutions. As a whole, they generally gave two reasons:

1. People just break them anyway.


2. Why is January 1 a "magic" day? One should strive to improve oneself year round.
   

Both of these reasons are valid arguments against making resolutions, but they are also helpful hints of how to make resolutions more effective in the future.

1. People just break them anyway.
There is no point in making resolutions that you are not motivated to achieve. Sure, we all want to be thinner, healthier, less stressed, more fiscally responsible, less foul-mouthed individuals, but it doesn’t mean we’re all motivated to do those things. Instead of creating a laundry list of all the possible positive changes you could make in your life, focus on only the one (or two, no more than three) changes that you are truly motivated to pursue.

2. The Magic of January 1st
There is no magic in January 1st but it is an enduring symbol of newness and freshness. Of course we don’t wake up on that day magically prepared to be different people. Change, particularly change in personal behavior, takes time. A person isn’t born $8000 in credit card debt. It takes time to dig a hole that deep, just as it will take time to change the behaviors necessary to climb out. For this reason, I give myself the entire year to achieve my new year’s resolutions - 365 days to make the changes that I have identified. Maybe I’ll fall off the wagon a few times, but the wagon always stops long enough for me to get back on.

For a little help in the “how do I make a lasting change?” department, consider reading Robert Maurer’s “One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way.” In just 192 brief pages, Robert articulates the beauty of small, incremental changes, over the big, sweeping changes that people tend to associate with New Year’s resolutions. Yes, his “baby steps” approach takes longer to reach the goal, but it helps you to develop rock solid new habits (which aren’t easily broken) along the way.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Small-Step-Can-Change-Your-Life/Robert-Maurer/e/9780761129233/?itm=1

Happy Reading and Happy New Year!

FREE Party in the Street for New Year's Eve!!!!

All is not lost if you have not solidified New Year's Eve plans for tonight.

Hillwood Real Estate Company and WFAA (among others) are sponsoring the annual Big D/NYE event at Victory Park tonight. The long and the short of it is this:

It's FREE (most important).
There will be several live bands performing.
There will be live media coverage (Hi Mom!)
A ball will drop.
Fireworks will go off.
A good time will be had by all.

For all the specifics, click the link below.

http://www.wfaa.com/bigdnye/

Jump Start Your New Year's Resolution to Exercise More!

Have you been curious about those Boot Camp Fitness Classes, but have been scared off by the expensive price tags and the early start times? If yes, you have the opportunity to try a single Boot Camp Fitness Class for the low, low price of 5 canned goods. That's right. You can jump start your 2009 exercise regime and help out the North Texas Food Bank at the same time.

The program is called Exercise Kindness and the Dallas event is sponsored by Transformation Boot Camp and Brinker International (the corporation behind several restaurant chains including Chili's, Maggiano's, and On the Border).

The event begins at 9am on Saturday, January 3rd on the campus of Brinker International located at Hillcrest and LBJ. Please note you have to pre-register online before participating. For additional information and to register, visit the website below.

http://www.transformationbootcamp.com/home

"This Christmas"

I just listened to "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway. The Christmas season doesn't begin for me until I hear it. It always makes me smile and makes me want to "shake a hand, shake a hand now."

My 2nd favorite Christmas tune: Little Drummer Boy. I love everything about it: the drums, the message, everything. I think I'll play it now.

What song gets you in the Christmas spirit? Leave it in the comments!

KwanzaaFest 2008

Kwanzaa is an often misunderstood holiday-celebration-week of atonement.

Here's your (and my) opportunity to learn more about it.

KwanzaaFest is on Saturday, December 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.and Sunday, December 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Automobile Building at Fair Park. Estimated attendees for both days exceeded 50,000 in 2007.

From http://www.dallasnews.com/ :

Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price will present the annual community festival on Saturday and Sunday at Fair Park. It will feature performances by R&B artists, gospel singers, dancers, jazz ensembles, drummers and more. The lineup will include Jazmine Sullivan, Plies, Baby Bash, Play N Skillz and Mary Mary. Other activities will include a health fair with screenings and information booths, a high school debate competition and a vendor fair. – NANCY MOORE / Staff Writer

This year's KwanzaaFest is noteworthy because a new event has been added to the festival. Inspired by the movie "The Great Debaters," debate teams from Carter and Roosevelt high schools will battle it out Sunday, December 14th at 2pm on the main stage.

http://www.johnwileyprice.com/kwanzaa-main.html

Salvation Army Angel Tree - It's Not Too Late

The Salvation Army is an AWESOME charitable organization that serves individuals and families 365 days/year. While we know (or should know) that Christmas isn't about gifts or money, your donation to the Salvation Army can help bring a little Christmas cheer to hundreds (thousands?) of people in North Texas.

You can drop your spare change in the red bucket, make a contribution online (or via USPS), but my personal favorite is the Angel Tree. Visit one of the many Angel Trees throughout the metroplex and adopt one or more "Angels" from the tree (I always go to Northpark Mall). These "Angels" represent individuals in need. Each card displays just two items that the person would like for Christmas: an item they need and an item they want. I know we're in a recession, but it's just two gifts and often the "Angels" ask so little of us.

My sister and I adopted 5 "Angels" this year. One "Angel" is a 66 year old woman who needs a coat and wants a knit hat. Another of our "Angels" is a 7 year old boy who needs a jacket and wants a hand held game. You see? No one's asking you to break the bank; but I am asking you to consider opening your heart and adopting an "Angel" today.

For complete details on the Angel tree, click below. Hurry! All "Angel" gifts are due back at the designated drop-off location (the same place where you adopted your Angel) by December 15, 2008. Don't delay!

http://www.salvationarmydfw.org/