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 Childhood (Take Two) Mug. Who says you can’t have a second childhood? Not us! In fact, we believe that you can have one that’s even better than the first! This mug expresses that sentiment, and it’s the perfect size for your favorite morning beverage or late night brew. Large, easy-grip handle. 11 ounce, dishwasher and microwave safe ceramic coffee mug.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Just leave a comment on this post, answering this week’s question: “What’s one thing you wish would have carried over from childhood to adulthood?”
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!

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Last weekend was Kim & Jason Escape Event #3. The challenge was simply this: Do something fun that is inspired by one of your favorite movies!

Kim and I got talking about “our song” and remembered that it played a big role in the movie Karate Kid, Part II. The song I speak of is Peter Cetera’s “Glory of Love”, which was a #1 hit in the U.S. and won an Academy Award nomination for best song from a film.

We heard it on the radio while we were on our first date, Valentine’s Day, 1995. We both said how much we loved the song upon hearing it in the car on the way to Monical’s Pizza. Ironically (or maybe not so, considering it was Valentine’s Day), we heard it again while sitting in the restaurant. We each ended up buying the CD, and it ultimately became the first song we danced to as husband and wife.

Well, this weekend Karate Kid, Part II showed up on cable, and we realized that we had never actually seen the movie together. So after a busy weekend hosting family, we camped out on the couch and watched the old 80s classic together. I was surprised to learn just how extensive Kim’s crush on Ralph Macchio really was, and Kim was surprised to learn that I had created cardboard action figures based on the characters in the film. (They were pretty sweet, too. Their legs and arms were joined by pieces of rubber band, giving them authentic karate chop action. Hey, these are the sorts of things introverted creative types do…)

For those of you looking for a trip back in time, here’s a video with “Glory of Love” playing over some highlights from the movie:

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Ok, now on the WINNER of Escape Event #3 and a set of six movie passes — Club K&J member Lisa Warsinske of Wisconsin! Lisa and her husband Jim took a little inspiration from Driving Miss Daisy and Chevy Chase’s Vacation to create this classic Escape Event moment. I’ll let Lisa describe it in her own words:

I know, I know - the cost of gas… blah blah blah. BUT you have to find the fun!! This weekend, cool hubby Jim and I took (70 year old fun-loving) Mom to dinner. In and effort to participate in the Escape Event #3 and to have fun along the way - I taped an empty soda cup (complete with lid and straw) on the roof of the van.

It was taped on, not going anywhere and empty - get it? So we go for a nice drive around town…one son and I were in the back seat watching the folks on the street who would spot the cup on our van.

There was honking and waving and pointing and yelling…

What fun ensued!!! People are PASSIONATE about letting you know there is a cup on your car. We just wave back and act like we have no idea what they are saying to us, or why they are pointing up. Mom was so funny riding shotgun, giving people a nice smile and oblivious wave accompanied with a cheery thumbs up.

One guy on a bicycle saw us enter Riverside park (LaCrosse, WI) and he rode his bike really fast to the other side to head us off and told us about the cup. Jim admitted to him that it was taped on for a joke and the guy says “Man. That’s a good one. You should video tape it. But hey - promise me you won’t do that with a fake baby!”

Other highlights: A teenager screamed “Taco Bell on the roof!” A man on a sidewalk called out “There’s a cup up there.” Which is fun to say repeatedly and fast. (There’s a cup up there. There’s a cup up there.) It makes my lips tingle with silliness.

A whole volleyball team stopped their game at the beach to scream “STOP!! You have to Stop!!!” Mom just smiled and waved cute. I find our outing a fine combination of the Chevy Chase “Vacation” movie with a little “Driving Miss Daisy” thrown in.

A fine combination, indeed! Cheers to Lisa and Jim for an absolutely stellar Escape Event performance!

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This weekend, Kim and I are planning to visit stores like Target, Babies ‘R Us, and Just Leave Your Wallet at the Door It’ll Be Easier in order to register for upcoming baby showers. (Raining babies, what a concept!)

In preparation, I, the dutiful father, have come up with an idea.

This could be one of my best ideas ever.

Or it could rank right up there as the one I most regret.

I thought it might be a good idea to get the advice of our readers on a few things, as I know plenty of parents are following along. We live in an apartment, so we don’t have all kinds of extra space for the at-home version of McDonald’s Playland. So here’s what I want to know: What are the must-have, ignore-them-at-your-own-risk essentials? And what are the fuhgedaboutit, don’t-even-bother-no-matter-what-everyone-else-says items?

So here’s your chance. Veteran parents, please leave your thoughts in the comments. Other than duct tape (of course!), what are your 3-5 must-haves, and what are your 3-5 top fuhgedaboutits?

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Today is the youngest you will ever be. Act like it. - Mark Cuban

Whether you liked him in office or not, former President George H.W. Bush Sr. is a great example of what this quote it all about. This picture is from his sixth jump, at the age of 83, just less than a year after a hip replacement.

What kind of jump should you be making?

(Thanks, Phil, for sharing this quote!)

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The S.W.E.L.L. (Supremely Wonderful & Exciting Loot Lottery) winner for June is Club K&J member Jim Peters! Jim, who was randomly selected from the list of Club K&J members, wins a colorful assortment of 16 Kim & Jason greeting cards. We’re guessing that this prize should save him from having to make any last-minute greeting card runs for at least a little while. Congrats, Jim!

Do YOU wanna have a chance to win next month’s S.W.E.L.L. prize? For just $4.95 a month, you can become an official Club K&J subscriber today!

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This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #9: Rebel With a Cause: Do one thing today to support a cause or issue you really care about.

Do you have a cause that tugs at your heart strings so much that it will bring you to tears (or close to it) in the matter of seconds? Whatever that cause or issue is, I hope you’re taking the time to share your gifts and talents in support of it. In the spirit of this week’s tip, I’m going to do the challenge, myself, by sharing with you about something cool happening this week, on a TV near you!

Many of you already know that Jason and I are VERY passionate about the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Serving as volunteers in the Wisconsin chapter, we’ve been able to experience the power of a child’s wish first-hand for the past six years of so. The organization does the work of angels, day in and day out.

This week ESPN is continuing it’s support of MAW for the third year in a row, highlighting sports related wishes in their My Wish series. Click here to watch yesterday’s segment featuring a fourteen-year-old boy named Akeem who is paralyzed from the neck down. His wish was to meet Ben Roethlisberger and to play video games with him. (You’ll never guess who won!) The new MY Wish segments are on each night this week at 6PM ET. They’re on again in the mornings, around 10AM ET. The special attention and care these athletes give is such a priceless gift to kids who’ve had to grow up way too fast.

Tell a friend (or two.. or three) about ESPN’s My Wish segments this week, and let the magic of MAW inspire you, as it has inspired us!

What’s your cause? How will you show support this week? Share with us in the comments of the Escape Plan blog!

For it is in giving that we receive. -St. Francis Of Assisi

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This weekend is Kim & Jason Escape Event #3. It’s an opportunity for every Club K&J member to join together to do something fun and childlike!

The secret messages detailing the unique challenge and new rules have been mailed out, confidential e-mail reminders have been communicated, and the grand prize has been revealed.

Now it’s time for the fun to begin! A full recap will be posted next week.

Club K&J Members: Here’s the secret link to all of the important information you need. Have fun!

Non-Club K&J Members: What are you waiting for? Quit missing out on all the fun, and join this instant! Cost of membership is about the same price as a single gallon of gas in California. Seriously.

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We are in need of a used digital camera. Something at least 3 megapixels. I know a lot of people buy new cameras and aren’t quite sure what to do with their old one. If you happen to have a decent camera sitting on the bench with life left in it but nowhere to play, I propose a trade.

If you’d be willing to send it to us (along with the memory card, cables, etc.), we’ll gladly send you a gift certificate to the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand. Just let me know what denomination you’d need to make it worth your while.

If you’re interested, email me your offer at jason@kimandjason.com.

Thanks!

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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 Super Bouncy Ball Kit. Create your own bounce-tastic balls with this fantastic super bouncy ball kit. This box contains approximately 500 elastic bands and easy step-by-step instructions to help you make your very own bouncy ball. The more bands used, the bigger the bounce, so have some fun with your friends and see who can create the biggest bouncy ball!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Just leave a comment on this post, answering this week’s question: “What inexpensive item did you have the most fun with 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!

**UPDATE: This week’s winner was Jen Wen:

PlayDoh. What I loved was that I could blend the colors and make all types of people–or aliens–or flowers, villages, rainbows. You name it. Eventually I learned to make a pretty good cheap replica of Playdoh with flour, water, salt, and food coloring (I think that’s all). My magnum opus was a scale true-color model of the solar system–I put it on a long plank of wood–ten feet at least, with the sun on one end and Pluto as a tiny PlayDoh dot at the other. Bus driver slammed the door on it, breaking it in half! Ugh! Said I was getting too old for PlayDoh, even if it was for a science project. I think I better go out an buy some PlayDoh tomorrow–it’s been way too long and for an icky grown-up reason!

Stay tuned next week for the next chance to win!

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How old were you when you did your first stress-relieving deep breathing exercise?

The NBC station in Charleston, SC recently did a story on the way a local middle school is reacting to the stress levels of their students. They now provide weekly announcements which include deep breathing and positive thinking exercises.

Students of every age are feeling pressure too from high homework loads, to overscheduled days. Cardiologist Dr. John Kennedy says ‘we all have stress in our lives so if you can teach kids to manage it early, we can protect them from the chronic problems of stress later in life.’

Agree?

Sure. Kids should learn how to react to the stress they are feeling. I have no doubt that today’s average middle schooler is quite stressed. Teaching kids to manage stress early is quite a good idea.

Here’s my problem…

This “solution,” although helping the short-term, is like putting gum on a crack in the Hoover Damn. Simply not going to cut it!

You have to go to the root of the problem to eliminate the stressors now before they linger into adulthood. It comes down to lifestyle choices… and honestly, much of this comes down to whether or not parents are setting adequate limits AND consistently enforcing them. How many extracurricular activities are these stressed kids enrolled in? I’ve heard (again and again) the argument that kids should participate in a variety of things so that that they will be well-rounded and have the opportunity to explore new interests that will help them later in life, but if the kids are feeling stressed by their schedule, then the negative effects are outweighing the positive. It’s time to say no to some things.

Then there’s the homework issue. I think schools are overloading kids with homework. Not every school and not every teacher, but I know it’s happening. I saw it when I was teaching. There’s nothing worse than homework that is “busy work”… the thematic crossword puzzles, the school projects that have very little meaning behind them. There’s something to be said for maximizing the seven daytime hours that are already spent in the classroom. It’s almost like we’re training kids to be workaholics, telling them that their daytime work is not enough, that they must also work into the evening. What a strange message to send.

Overall stability in the family is also a key element for a stress-free childhood. Stability comes in many forms. Are the parents frequently stressed? Are they able to eat dinner together with their family on a regular basis? Are they getting a solid night of sleep? How much time are they playing video games, on the phone, or on the computer? Are they able to watch anything they want on TV, being exposed to all of the societal crap that leads to enhanced peer pressure and self-consciousness? They have enough “reality” in the halls of their school, without being influenced by the crap on shows like Rock of Love or America’s Next Top Model.

No, it’s not healthy to shelter kids or force to live a 1950’s life in this naturally fast-paced culture, however I think many kids suffering from stress (Juvenile Adultitis) are missing out on the best parts of being a kid and are being forced to grow up way to quickly.

What do you think?

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The Cure Adultitis Institute has released a number of case studies featuring a certain individual with an unbelievably high level of Adultitis. As you might expect, this fellow loves to work, but have you ever wondered how he gets to his mind-numbing and monotonous job?

As a special treat for Club K&J members, we have decided to release some never-before-seen footage of the subject discussing his preferred mode of travel.

And in an extra special cherry on top sort of way, we’ve also uploaded bonus video of some of the bloopers. Enjoy!

Club K&J is now just $4.95 a month and comes with a bunch of groovy, way cool benefits. Designed for people serious about not taking themselves too seriously, it’s the #1 way to punch Adultitis right in the teeth. Don’t miss out — join the fun!

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It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

Our friend Brett continues on his quest to interview people who are passionate about their jobs. He recently posted a video featuring Ray Karam who has one of the most demanding and difficult jobs for Coldstone Creamery.

He’s the Senior Tastemaster. His job is to taste, innovate, and create new flavors of ice cream. He gets paid to eat ice cream. Every. Single. Day.

The short video interview is worth watching, because he shares an important lesson. The people who have the coolest jobs didn’t get there by luck or by accident. The ingredient to success always includes heaping scoops of passion, persistence and old fashioned hard work.

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