Every Thursday, we pick out one of the cool things from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand and give it away. Yep, for free.

This week’s prize is a bag of Encouragement Magic Bean Wishes. Within each hot stamped velour pouch is a collection of agriculture and heirloom beans that have been marked with thoughtful encouraging words using a patent pending process. The beans can be kept as a sentimental token or planted, however the true magic is seen when the planted beans sprout. The words are still on the pods as they emerge from the soil. People can actually see their wishes growing!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Just leave a comment on this post, answering this week’s question: “Who was your biggest encourager when you were a kid?”
2. Deadline for entries is 11:59 pm CST on the day of the post. We’ll pick a winner from the list of comments on the following Friday.
3. We’ll contact the winner by e-mail to find out where to send the prize.

Good luck! And don’t miss any of the other cool stuff for the young at heart at The Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand!

 Email This Post | Comments (12)

One of my blog posts recently received a very intriguing comment. It was loaded with interesting observations and great questions and I wanted to address them here.

As much as I love reading your website, and others like yours, I have realized that reading about it, and actually doing something about it is 2 different matter. Believe me, I’ve been a long-term reader of sites such as yours and am always comforted by the fact that there are people out there like you. I also talk about your sites, and my thoughts with my friends.

But lately, my friends have come to the conclusion that, yes, many people out there ditch their jobs to chase their dreams (or something less dramatic), but there are also just as many out there who go to work like we all do, live a 9-6 life and enjoy the weekends.

They’ve actually concluded that I’m torturing myself here because I read all these encouraging articles, dream all my dreams, but still am miserably stuck.

Don’t get me wrong. I love this article. And your site is very inspiring. But HOW do you actually get people out there to ACT and DO it? How are we to ditch our salaries, health benefits, career prospects, etc, and go, say pursue our dream of volunteering in a third-world country?

I know it’s illogical, and I know all the arguments against staying at a job just for the money, perks, whatever. But still we are not taking action.

If we are, there will no longer be visitors to your site!

So how and where do people finally say and go, right, enough of reading….I’m gonna do it!? How do you get to that point?

First of all, it’s never a bad thing to read or listen to things that inspire you to make positive changes in your life. Encountering the stories of people — people just like us — can help us to see that impossible things are actually more possible than we realized. And they can help us build up the courage we need to launch off on our own epic journey. However, a good many people go out of their way to avoid — and even criticize — these sorts of stories. After all, it can be quite unsettling to have your own self-limiting beliefs challenged, forcing you to face the possibility that you’ve settled for less than your best.

One of the things I was fortunate to learn pretty early on in my career as a professional speaker and writer was that I can’t get anyone to DO anything. Not one person. Not one thing. It’s easy to forget that sometimes — because I really wish I could — but remembering that truth has saved me a lot of frustration. Conversely, if someone is waiting for some speaker or some book or some fairy godmother to wink twice, twitch her nose, and magically transform their life for them, well, that person will be waiting for a very long time indeed.

What I can do is try and live by example and use emotion and intellect to communicate a message that serves as a catalyst for someone to make a positive change in their life. Believe me, that’s the ultimate. But when it all comes down to it, nothing I do or say can make them do anything.

All that being said, one thing that seems to be very effective in getting people to take action is bad news from their doctor.

As enticing as a dream may be, the good ones always involve some sort of uncomfortability and a certain level of risk. Two things most human beings aren’t too fond of. Change and risk are scary things, and most people choose to stay in their current situation (which although admittedly not ideal, is at least a known quantity) than set off into the unknown. Bad news from a doctor, or a near death experience, or a sudden death of a loved one does a pretty good job of helping people realize that the things they worry about are not really worth worrying about after all.

I also think people get so caught up in the big picture that they forget that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. It’s a cliché, but it’s true. It’s understandably overwhelming to consider the concept of quitting your job, abandoning a career, taking a pay cut, giving up benefits, and moving to a third-world country (or whatever the dream requires.) But in most cases, dreams are accomplished in baby steps. Books are filled with examples of people who began chasing their dream while they were still in school, still had a family to support, still had kids at home, or were still working at a job they didn’t care much for but at least paid the bills.

Indiana Jones is a hero because he takes action when most of the people around him are too afraid (or cynical.) That’s not to say he isn’t afraid (snakes, anyone?), just that he moves forward in spite of the fear. He doesn’t always plan everything out to the last detail (that can become just another form of inaction) because he knows that unexpected things are going to come up anyway. We, too, can expect the unexpected on our journey. Just like Indiana, our quest for the holy grail — our “dream,” if you will — is wrought with peril, lonely paths, and bad guys. Undoubtedly, it’s an adventure of a lifetime and the journey is totally worth it.

But nobody can do it for us.

If you’re feeling stuck, maybe you just need a little bit more courage to take that first action step. A baby step. You’re closer than you think.

 Email This Post | Comments (1)

This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #16: Family Tree Trivia: Call or meet with someone in your family and ask them a question you are curious about regarding your family’s history.

A lesson I learned early on from my husband (boyfriend, at the time) is that the easiest way to strengthen a relationship is to ask sincere questions… then shut up and listen to the answers. Anyone who knows Jason knows that if you have more than a three minute conversation with him, you will soon be asked a question that will take the conversation to a whole new level. Questions like, “So, what’s your favorite part about your job?” or “What’s something about your profession that most people would be surprised to find out?” What probably started for reasons associated with a strong disdain for “small-talk” has evolved into a finding that people love to talk about themselves and be listened to. It sure makes interacting a lot more fun when people are enjoying themselves… and not always relying on discussions about the weather or the most recent natural disaster.

Ironically, our family members are often the ones we know the least about, simply because assumptions are made that we already know everything… like how your parents met? Where did they go on their first date or their honeymoon? Moms love sharing details about the day of your birth. Grandmas love sharing details about when your parent was a teenager. There are so many stories to be told!

Asking questions allows for the opportunity to learn and grow closer to the ones you love. Have fun making that call or visit this week. Share with us in the comments of the Escape Plan Blog what you learned by asking a simple and heartfelt question.

 Email This Post | Comments (3)

Kim and I just returned from a speaking engagement in Florida. This was the view from our hotel room on Clearwater Beach. When we checked in, our original reservation was listed as “garden view,” but we were offered the option of upgrading to an “ocean view” room. As appealing as “garden view” sounds, I can assure you that it is usually hotel speak for “ugly air conditioning units view.” Because we stay at this particular chain of hotels often, the cost of upgrading for both nights of our stay was $40.

Now, many people would stay with the “garden view” room, pocket the $40, and rationalize that at least they were near the ocean. A few years ago, that would have been my thought process too. But that all changed when I read a semi-controversial book by Randy Gage, “Why You’re Dumb, Sick, and Broke.” I also had the chance to hear him speak last year in San Diego at the National Speakers Association Convention.

One of his key stories was about a trip he and his mastermind group took to Tahiti. For lodging, they rented a glass-bottomed bungalow, which was stationed directly over the water and offered spectacular views of the brilliantly-colored fish swimming below. He noticed that there were plenty of similar bungalows left unrented, while all of the beach bungalows (with no glass bottoms and no spectacular views) were booked solid. As you might expect, the bungalows on the beach were a couple hundred dollars less.

Randy was perplexed. He noted that it’s not cheap to go to Tahiti, and you don’t usually go there often. After investing all that time and money and effort, why in the world would you chump out on the best view for a few hundred dollars? He chalked it up to a disabling mentality of lack thinking.

That story and the point he made really stuck with me. I try to keep it in mind often. This mindset is what inspired Kim and I to try parasailing last December. It was on our life list as something we eventually wanted to do, but it was pretty pricey. We did it anyway. After all, who knows what life will bring? Maybe that would have been our only shot. At the time, it was tough to drop that kind of money — money we didn’t have. But I can tell you this: the view we enjoyed floating above the Gulf of Mexico was priceless, and seeing dolphins swimming below us is a memory I’ll never forget. And you know what? We’ve never missed the money.

So, when offered the chance to get the “ocean view” room, we went with the upgrade. And we milked it for all it was worth. We enjoyed watching the sun melt into the Gulf of Mexico from the comfort of our bed. We fell asleep and awoke to the soft sounds of the ocean surf. And I wrote most of this post from the balcony overlooking the white sandy beach.

Don’t get me wrong; too many people are buried under a mountain of credit card debt primarily because they have no self control and recklessly buy whatever their little heart desires. I’m NOT advocating that. Kim and I operate on a fairly strict personal budget. I think we’re a dying breed. If there are any of you out there who are more likely to put the dollar you find on the sidewalk in a piggy bank rather than a vending machine, my message is simple:

Live a little.

Those little splurges make life way more fun. And the view is simply breathtaking.

 Email This Post | Comments (5)

Real live, easy-to-read, portable printed issues of Kim & Jason magazine are part of an annual subscription to Club K&J, but the lastest digital issue is FREE to download!

In this issue…

Children are passionate about life. As we get older, Adultitis has the tendency to choke out that passion. This issue is jam-packed with stories, tips, and ideas on how you can tap into your passion and re-energize your life!

Features…

Break Free by Jason Kotecki | An essay on following your heart, pursuing your passion, and living life daringly.

An Interview with… Peggy Willenberg | This tornado chaser shares her passion for crazy weather.

Kitchentertainment by Kim Kotecki | Relive the first ever Kim & Jason Escape Event.

Feeling Good Is Quick, But Not Always Easy by Bonnie St. John | Speaker, author, and Olympian Bonnie St. John outlines some easy ways to feel a whole lot better.

The Workplayce by Brett Farmiloe | Brett shares some lessons learned from a cross-country road trip in an RV.

Escape Plan: San Diego Zoo by Kim Kotecki | Discover five awesome ways to escape adulthood at this world famous zoo!

Living the MAP Maker’s Life by Curt Rosengren | Craft a life of meaning, abundance, & passion with these simple ideas from the Passion Catalyst.

Thoughts from a ToyMaker by Marilyn Scott-Waters| Paper toymaker extraordinaire shares her philosophy and one of her toys you can make!

A Passion for Children’s Books by Jen Robinson | Jen explains her love for children’s books, and recommends a few of her favorites for adults.

Freedom to Have Fun by Shirley Jones | A nostalgic look back at the free-spirited days of childhood.

Too Much Passion? by Doug Kotecki | Is it possible to live too passionately? Funnyman Doug explores the issue.

…Plus much, much MORE!

*Download The Issue Now*
(You can also buy individual printed copies -OR- subscribe to Club K&J to receive every issue conveniently by mail.)

Technorati Tags: escape adulthood, Kim & Jason magazine, passion, living with passion, Peggy Willenberg, Bonnie St. John, Brett Farmiloe, Curt Rosengren, Marilyn Scott-Waters, Jen Robinson, Shirley Jones, Doug Kotecki

 Email This Post | Add a Comment!

Every Thursday, we pick out one of the cool things from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand and give it away. Yep, for free.

This week’s prize is a Freezer Pops Mold. Freeze up some tasty treats with this revolutionary non-stick silicone mold. It’s dishwasher safe, freezer safe, flexible, FDA approved, and oh yeah, it’s great for making frozen treats, freezer pop molds, and pudding pops. Put some fun in your freezer!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Just leave a comment on this post, answering this week’s question: “What’s your favorite kind of freezer pop?”
2. Deadline for entries is 11:59 pm CST on the day of the post. We’ll pick a winner from the list of comments on the following Friday.
3. We’ll contact the winner by e-mail to find out where to send the prize.

Good luck! And don’t miss any of the other cool stuff for the young at heart at The Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand!

**UPDATE: This week’s winner was Jillian:

If the question is what’s your favorite ‘make your own’ freezer pops, then I’ll answer Juicy Juice- Fruit Punch flavor. But if its what is your favorite ice pop in general, then definitely those lemon, white shark shaped ones. Yum!

Even though this week’s contest is over, you can still buy your very own Freezer Pops Mold at the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand. And stay tuned next week for the next chance to win!

 Email This Post | Comments (29)

Ever notice how whenever you hear a story of someone who is presented with life-threatening news, you never hear the person say, “Well that’s it. I obviously haven’t spent nearly enough time working. I’m heading to the office –- I don’t have a minute to spare!”

Pretty ridiculous, huh?

Then why is it, when we’re NOT faced with life-threatening news, our actions suggest that work IS the most important thing in our lives? Notice I said actions. You can talk a big game about quality time and keeping first things first, but the proof of your real priorities is in your actions. Always.

Bob Kames died last month. You’ve probably never heard of him. But if you’ve been to a wedding in the past decade or two, I bet you’ve heard one of his biggest hits, the modern day version of “Dance Little Bird.”

More commonly known as “The Chicken Dance.”

Kames was successful in the music business and in show business, but a big life moment came in the mid 1960s. According to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, he became gravely ill with stomach ulcers, and doctors told him that he was bleeding to death. His stomach was entirely removed. “As I lay there thinking about my life, it occurred to me that I hadn’t spent much time with my kids,” he said in 1968. “I decided to change things, if I lived, and among other things, take them to Disneyland.”

Adultitis is the disease that tricks us into thinking that unimportant stuff is actually important. That playfulness is a sign of weakness and seriousness is a sign of success.

Don’t be fooled. Make sure your actions match your priorities. And don’t wait for some bad news before you give yourself permission to spend more time with your kids (or go to Disneyland.)

Life is a grand production. You only get one shot. Be neither too foolish as to consider the playful moments mere distraction nor too afraid to be more than a wallflower.

Dance little bird, dance.

 Email This Post | Comments (5)

I love spring in Madison. The bright green grass, the confident and colorful tulips, and the light green buds on all of the trees. It takes a number of rainy days to get this glorious combination, though. Here’s a rainy day idea that will be sure to lift your spirits… and bring back from treasured memories.

Build a tent made of couch cushions and blankets. Remember when you did this as a kid? Just think about how much cooler you could make it, now that you have a little life experience on your side. Brainstorm the layout and materials. Try to identify unconventional items that may work well to secure your design. My childhood standbys were rubber bands and heavy books, to secure the blankets. Once it’s operational get out the flashlights, some good books, and enjoy the cozy (and nostalgic) comfort.

Check out this fort made for grown-ups. (Hat tip to Hillary Johnson.)

How did you make your living room forts when you were little?

 Email This Post | Add a Comment!

This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #17: Old Dog, New Tricks: Learn how to do something new today. Your time limit: 30 minutes.

At a speaking gig a few weeks ago, a woman in the audience came to our table afterwards and immediately joined Club K&J. In getting to know her better, we soon realized that she had come to the right place. She shared that not too long ago she signed up for a welding class. Her eyes widened with childlike excitement as she explained further. “Ya know, the sparks, machinery… it’s all kinda like working with fireworks!” (Quick background note: her day job is in service industry with elderly people.) She said she had always wanted to try welding, so she just signed herself up… why not?! One day she shared this news with her coworker and immediately the coworker belittled her and made her feel childish for wanting to try something new, like welding- just because. The coworker suggested, “You should’ve signed up for a class to learn something useful, like gardening.” Our newbie Club K&J member exclaimed, “I don’t even LIKE gardening! Why would I do that?”

What an example for all of us. You don’t always have to have a useful motive behind your curiosity and interests. If you want to work with sparks because you think it’d be fun, then go for it. Isn’t that such Adultitis-ridden thinking… that there must be a “practical purpose” behind every action.

What a bunch of uptight baloney.

When your spirit is allowed to learn new things, then you are open to growth, which is never a bad thing. Sometimes the very best thing you can do, to increase the effectiveness in your current goals, is to get out of your element and try something completely new. Our assimilating brains make connections in ways that we often can’t predict. Maybe the thrilling act of learning to weld will, in the end, help our new friend learn life lessons that will carry over into all of the other areas of her life…. or maybe she’ll just simply have fun. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

I double dog dare you to learn something new this week… something you WANT to learn, not something you should. Leave us a comment on the Escape Plan Blog to share what you learned in your 30 minutes.

 Email This Post | Comments (2)

Last Sunday was the second Kim & Jason Escape Event. The challenge was called Do Re Me, and Club K&J members were invited to do the following:

Do something childlike today that is music related in some way, shape, or form.

Kim and I had some fun mixing music and food. Lots of people joined in on the fun, sharing with us stories, pictures, and videos of the event. All Club K&J members who participated were eligible to win a cool prize: an iPod Shuffle from Apple. We pored over all of the entries, and decided on three finalists. The rest is up to YOU!

Take a look at the following entries (listed in alphabetical order by last name), and decide who did the best, most creative job of fulfilling this task. Then vote for that person in the poll below.

Finalist #1: Sue Gudenkauf

From Sue: “For Escape Event #2 I remembered lots of fun time at Camp Courageous of Iowa singing (and signing) camp songs. It was a blast to try to remember the words and the melody and the signs. I totally enjoyed reliving this musical memory from my younger years!”

Finalist #2: Judy Irené

From Judy: “Since I will celebrate my 50th birthday later this year at a SF Giants baseball game, I decided to use the Do-Re-Me event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the SF Giants moving to San Francisco AND the 100th anniversary of Jack Norworth’s writing of the unofficial anthem of baseball, Take Me Out to The Ballgame.

On Sunday, like the 7th inning stretch, I got the whole neighborhood involved! I enlisted the help of family, friends, neighbors, cats and stuffed animals to record the song event, Bob Dylan style — you know, the infamous video of him holding up the words to the song?!

We sang the song and took pictures of everyone involved holding up the phrase they wanted to and talked about our favorite baseball memories. Baseball is THAT kind of past time that families and friends have incredibly fond memories of.

Then, we all gathered round and made a video of the entire event using Ed Meeker’s original 1908 78rpm phonograph recording of Take Me Out to the Ballgame that includes the full set of verses most people don’t realize exist!!! If it doesn’t make you want to yell ‘Play Ball’ and get to your next baseball game, nothing will!!!”

Finalist #3: Walt Kotecki

From Walt: “My musical challenge today was to pull out the old accordion. It’s stored in the basement now so I had to wipe off the dust from the case and drag it into the family room. As always, the sheet music was in the case. I have a nice selection of Christmas tunes and I have been know to ‘brush up’ during the holidays and ‘treat’ the family with my musical skills. But today I promised myself no Christmas songs, just oldies and polkas.

My childhood was filled with music in my house. However, very little of the sweet sound of music in my house came from me and my accordion which usually sat in the corner collecting dust in my bedroom much like l found it today. Two of my older brothers played the guitar which was cool for the 50’s and 60’s. My other older brother by 7 years played the accordion back in the day when playing the accordion was really cool. Me, I was stuck playing the accordion in the 60’s — not cool! Every week I would get dropped off for my 1/2 hour lesson. I literally dragged it up 20 some wooden steps hoping it would bust on the way up or wishing the lid would spring open and I’d watch in horror and evil happiness as the accordion bounced off the steps as I imagined that my playing days were finally over. In spite of my resolve not to learn to play the accordion, I still managed to learn some songs. And by some miracle, when I do pick up my accordion I still amaze myself that I still know where my fingers are supposed to go (but I admit, it’s not a pretty sound!)

My brother Marion and I actually got paid once for playing at our neighbor’s wedding. We played two songs the whole night. One was Rambling Rose and the other was Beer Barrel Polka. I still can’t figure out how Marion played the polka on his guitar!

My playing days finally ended when I convinced my mom that Harold the instructor wasn’t any good and that her and dad were wasting their hard earned money on my lessons.

P.S. After an hour of ‘music’ my wife said, ‘Nice concert!’”

Place YOUR Vote!

Who did the best, most creative job of fulfilling this task? n

 Email This Post | Comments (6)

Being the youngest, I often had the experience of an only child. With my next oldest sister two years ahead of me in school I had two years, when I was three and four-years-old, where I had the house to myself (me and my mom, that is). As I mentioned in December, Mr Rogers became a dear friend of mine, along with the smiling faces and furry friends on Sesame Street. I felt like I had a whole bunch of friends- Mr. Hooper, Bob, Gordon, Susan, Luis, Maria. Not to mention the even sillier ones like Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus, The Count, and Oscar the Grouch.

Sesame Street was simply a part of my existence. I sang “Rubber Duckie” in my own bathtub. (He really DID make bath time “Oh So Fun!”) I played for countless hours with my Fisher-Price Little People Sesame Street set. I thought about the Cookie Monster every time I ate my own cookies. I even called water “agua”… all because of that magical street.

Last week Jason and I had the privilege of interviewing Bob from Sesame Street for our recent podcast. You may remember he was the music teacher on the show. At one point we were talking about the famous song “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” He told some fun stories about different celebrities that he sang the song with over the years. Towards the end of our interview I had an inspired thought… maybe I can ask Bob to sing for us. To my childlike delight, he not only agreed, he customized that childhood classic with our very own names…

By the time he was done singing, I have to admit, I had a tear in my eye. My four-year-old self was simply giddy with childlike delight! (It still is!) It was a childhood dream come true… 25 years later.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who grew up on Sesame Street. Leave a comment to share who you would consider to be YOUR favorite Sesame Street character? Don’t forget about some of the obscure ones like Forgetful Jones or the Two-Headed Monster.

Enjoy this video clip of Bob singing with some of his neighbors. It’s guaranteed to bring back some great memories.

 Email This Post | Comments (4)

Every Thursday, we pick out one of the cool things from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand and give it away. Yep, for free.

This week’s prize is a set of Ice Kabobs. Stir up some fun! These unique ice cubes actually double as handy swizzle sticks. Each vibrantly colored food-grade silicone rubber tray makes three skewers. They come visually packaged in clear plastic with frosted highlights (sorta like Brad Pitt).

Here’s how to enter:

1. Just leave a comment on this post, answering this week’s question: “Share a story from childhood that involves ice.”
2. Deadline for entries is 11:59 pm CST on the day of the post. We’ll pick a winner from the list of comments on the following Friday.
3. We’ll contact the winner by e-mail to find out where to send the prize.

Good luck! And don’t miss any of the other cool stuff for the young at heart at The Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand!

**UPDATE: This week’s winner was Jeannie:

My when my daughter was about 6 years old she was helping me clean the garage. It was a warm day and being inside of a closed in area just made it worse. She kept going inside of the house to get drinks of water,and not much was getting done. After scolding her for the 4th time she looked around the garage. We had an extra freezer, that kept alot of our over-stocked frozen food. She opened the door and noticed all the ice that was accumulated on the shelves, so yes, she did….she stuck her tongue on the frozen shelf and ice. It got stuck! She was crying…asking for help…i tried to pull her off but it wouldnt budge. My husband poured warm water and still she couldnt move it. Finally he pulled a little harder and off it came. It is the classic joke around our house now for the last 12 years!

Even though this week’s contest is over, you can still buy your very own Ice Kabobs at the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand. And stay tuned next week for the next chance to win!

 Email This Post | Comments (15)