Starting off summer

The weather is finally beginning to change, school is coming to a close for this academic year: the season of summer is upon us. In the spirit of warmth and renewal, here are a few small tips for kicking off summer with thoughtfulness and, dare I say, levity.

Favorite Summer Starter Book: Choosing Leadership- a Workbook by acclaimed University of Chicago professor Dr. Linda Ginzel.

Favorite Summer Outdoor Game (for all ages): Badminton!

Favorite Summer Snacks: 1) Every Body Eat(R) Thins 2) Beyond Beef Brats .
Both PERFECTLY PAIRED with Guacamole – our recipe:

Mashed avocados
Fresh, squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt
Optional additions: mashed garlic, cherry tomatoes, diced shallots, sliced cherry tomatoes, cilantro

Favorite Summer Starter Hacks for Kids (Reprise):

Life Hack #4 (“Hacks for the New World“): Pick up a new subject to work on together.

Henriette and I are working on her French vocabulary flashcards, and, similarly, Hal is brushing up on his Spanish by joining Audrey for her virtual Spanish education. These are the positive benefits of Covid-19. We would likely not have directly invested in this language immersion with our daughters at this level had not we been “forced” to as a result of learning from home. I am hoping that these habits also will continue post-COVID-19.

Life Hack #10 (“Hacks for the New World“): Make music from home.

Our new karaoke machine might be the most coveted toy around the house. It creates an opportunity for almost endless hours of self-entertainment as our children find their inner American Idols. Whether using wooden spoons on a pot to drum to your favorite song or more high-tech alternatives, there’s no better time to find the silver lining in this COVID-19 crisis than by making music from home.

Life Hack #16 (“Hacks for the New World“): Nurture your budding entrepreneur.

Back in January, before the global pandemic, Audrey received a rainbow loom from dear friends Logan and Christine Derck. After a few days of learning the looming mechanics, I came upstairs from working out to a small pile of rainbow-colored, stretchy jewelry. Audrey then informed she would be “selling” her bracelets (her idea, not ours!). Those with charms would be $.50, without $.25. We worked on our penmanship when writing receipts. The fledgling loom-based bracelet “business” was born.

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