Another Summer Diet That Won’t Last? Try Something Different Instead

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It’s official, diets suck! But, as soon as the weather warms up or we step on the scales for the first time in a long time, we can often force ourselves into following unhealthy diets that just won’t last. Again! If you’re just as fed up with doing this as the rest of the world is, then stop. Try something different instead. Although you may be looking for a quick fix - it just won’t work. But, if you focus on staying healthy, work towards a living a healthier lifestyle and not trying every new fad that's thrown your way, you will finally notice a difference in how you look and feel.

Enjoy A Colorful Plate

Let’s talk food. Because food is yummy and we all like to pig out every once in a while. But, when you start to realize that you pigging out is becoming a regular thing and that you’re feeling rubbish, you’re going to need to make a change. Instead of dieting and restricting yourself like you normally would, change the kinds of foods that you’re eating instead. Fill your plates with colorful fruits and vegetables and enjoy different meats and fish. You’ll soon feel better inside and out.

Find A Combo That Works For You

We all know that we should be exercising in life to stay healthy. But, for one reason or another, you can just find it super difficult to fit into your schedule. So, instead of setting yourself unrealistic expectations or starting workouts that you just won’t stick to, try a great nutrition and fitness combination instead. You can get a diet plan and workout tips from lots of different programs, like this venus factor review by defendyourhealthcare.us, that can help you to stay on track and find it easy.

Make Sure You Move

Once you’ve gotten into the rhythm of eating a balanced diet and working out, you might feel like you’re getting on track. But, to enjoy a healthier lifestyle, you might find it beneficial to be on the look out for extra ways to burn calories too. Whether you choose to walk more instead of drive, join a fun sports club with your friends, or even head out on hikes with your family, anything you can do to burn extra calories will make you feel like you’ve got this balanced lifestyle thing down.

But Enjoy Yourself Too

Above all else, you need to make sure that you’re enjoying your healthy journey. As soon as you realize that restrictive diets don’t work, the sooner you’ll start to feel better about yourself, your body and your health. And when you’re happy, it can contribute to your health. Because a good emotional and mental outlook can boost your physical health too.

And Monitor Your Progress The Right Way

Stepping on those scales is often a bad way to judge how well you’re doing. Muscle weighs more than fat, water weight can fluctuate, and your body shape can show you more than scales can. So, instead take pictures to measure your progress, think about how your clothes fit and how you feel about yourself. These options are much better monitoring methods to follow.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

Swagbucks Father's Day Sale

Swagbucks is currently offering double cash back or more at a number of stores for Father's Day. From Best Buy to Lowes, you'll get cash back (in the form of SB points) for buying your gifts online through Swagbucks. They also have offers where you can earn SB points towards free gift cards for getting the Dad in your life a subscription to Hulu or Dollar Shave Club! It's a smart way to buy the gifts you were already going to get, and Swagbucks offers coupons and deals when you shop online to your favorite stores on top of the points you earn.

You can find all of the details here. If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, you can also do that at this page and start earning points towards your first free gift card. As a bonus, if you sign up through me a spend at least $25 shopping online through Swagbucks, you'll get a 200 SB bonus - that's $2 in addition to the points you get for each dollar you spend.

These deals will run all the way through Father's Day on Sunday, June 18th.

What's Holding You Back From Your Perfect Career?

It's pretty understandable to find yourself in a job that you might like all that much. After all, as much as many of us would like to be able to spend our time doing something else, the commitments of day-to-day life means that sometimes you have to prioritize. Of course, that doesn't mean that you have to end up trapped in that kind of job for the rest of your life. Many people stuck in jobs they hate actually have something else that they'd much rather be doing. Yet, despite this, the vast majority of people tend to stick with the job that they have rather than going for the job that they really want. There are plenty of reasons why this might be happening, but if you want to get out and finally pursue your dream career, the first thing to do is to think about exactly what it is that's holding you back.

Money

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Of all of the reasons that many people tend not to pursue their dream career, money is probably the most understandable. After all, not everyone is in a position to take a major pay cut in order to follow their dreams. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't ways around the financial implications of a career change. For one thing, you may be able to find a new career that doesn't involve much of a pay cut at all. However, if you're starting at the bottom of the ladder, then you might want to think about reducing your spending and expenses. Not only that but, if you have a significant other, talk to them, and you might be able to figure out a way to balance your income so that you can both still survive in the event that your pay takes a cut.

Time

The most common excuse from a lot of people when it comes to starting a new career is simply that they do not have the time. Many careers require a lot of qualifications, and if you don't have those, then you're going to need to get them before you can do anything else. Understandably, many people feel as though they can't spare that time and still bring in the money that they need to live. However, there are still plenty of ways around that. Part time courses and online classes are incredibly useful for those trying to gain more qualifications. Whether you want to work with machinery and need to become a master of engineering; learn new communication skills that can help you earn a management position in your office; or simply earn the kinds of grades in math and English that you weren't able to get at school so that you can go into something like teaching. There are plenty of options out there for anyone trying to learn at any level, no matter what your desired career is.

Fear

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In the end, fear is the biggest thing standing between you and your dream career. All of the other reasons are probably just excuses that you've created around it to justify the fear that you're feeling. Sadly the only way around that fear is to fight through it. Sure, there are going to be occasions where you fail, but in the end, if you really put the work in, then you're going to be able to reach your goals.

2017 Kansas City Summer Bucket List

Welcome to the 2017 edition of The Kerrie Show's Kansas City Summer Bucket List! The more I homeschool, the more summer is a relief. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE HOMESCHOOLING. But it does get harder ... the more kids you homeschool and the older they get. Sure, Joel does a lot of independent high school work, but also there is a lot more that goes into figuring out his future while trying to find that balance of not being too pushy (YOU MUST ATTEND HARVARD!) and not being too laid-back (eh, do whatever you want when you turn 18, including video games all day long and not having a job ... it's all good).

ANYWAY ... I was like a regular teacher this year counting down the days until I could sit in my pool chair chatting with my friends and reading a book or listening to a podcast. Getting a tan. Hopping in the pool to cool off. Going down the slide with the kids (but NEVER the diving board for me, thank you). RELAXATION instead of running from thing to thing and haranguing about homeschooling stuff.

So here is our Official Summer Bucket List. Some we have already hit because school ended pre-Memorial Day for us this year due to fishing trips and some other things going on. A lot of these activities are educational, but DON'T TELL MY KIDS THAT!

Some of these places we have been before and they are tradition. Some we have never done and want to try. Please check the links to head to a blog post about our experiences, past and current, complete with photos!

*means we’ve never done it before

Nature, farm to table, fitness

✅Pick strawberries at Wohletz Farms near Lawrence, KS (here is the post from 2015) ... we did it again May 25, 2017 and this time just took one friend, our neighbor Matthew :-)

✅Pick blueberries at The Berry Patch in Cleveland, MO (here is a post from 2014) ... went at night July 14 and we were practically the only ones there and it was much cooler at night. Don't forget your bug spray!

*See sunflowers at Grinter Farms near Lawrence, KS (August) ... I keep checking but they are not ready yet as of August 13

Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park, KS (here's a cute pic on the blog from 2009 before Sam was even born and here's our post from 2011 when the kids were teeny tiny) ... planned for August 4

Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe, KS

Beanstalk Children’s Garden in KCMO

Burr Oak Woods hike with my dad (Poppy) and the kids

Nature hike at Lakeside Nature Center in KCMO

Topeka Zoo in Topeka, KS

George Owens Nature Park in Independence, MO

Go camping with my family anywhere with a lake and sandy beach! shoot for spring

Sar-ko-par park in Lenexa, KS (eclipse day?)

What we call “School Hill” Park in Lenexa, KS (night after dinner instead of TV)

*Some cool parks in Lee’s Summit next year

Meadowmere Park in Grandview and take our friends (try to do this in the fall after Theology of the Body has started and a bunch of their friends are right  up the road)

Franklin Park in Prairie Village

Free!!!

✅Chik-fil-A dress like a cow day (July). We have done this for years ... about 5, I believe. Here is a post with last year's picture and also some pictures from years before that!







*Bowling with Kids Bowl Free

✅Apple Camp (signed up to find out about it here) ... Callie and Michael will be attending the week of July 10

*Money Museum

*Old Shawnee Town

*Ride streetcar downtown

✅Home Depot free build first Saturday (monthly) and we were able to get that done June 3rd (post is here)

Kaleidoscope (here is a post from 2013 when the Curious George exhibit was on the ground floor of Crown Center; we also like to hit Fritz's for food if we can because a train delivers your meal!)

Helpful, friends, religious

Volunteer at Harvesters (planned for Michael and Aron August 25)

*Have a BBQ and invite everyone from co-op

*Have a BBQ and invite all other friends

*Have a BBQ and invite all family

*Go to daily Mass for one week

Miscellaneous

✅Check out $1 movies at Cinemark. Yes! We saw Angry Birds!

✅Go to the drive-in at least once (we saw Cars 3 on my son's 16th birthday)

✅*Lawrence: Laugh Out Loud (went May 26, 2017 and post to come)

Lawrence: KU Natural History Museum and stuff that goes with it like Burrito King and Dairy Queen … the royalty meal and treat

✅Chuck E Cheese because I haven’t been since my bigs were little

*Go to Brick Fest Live with Michael July 8-9 if he wants to (he probably wanted to but I forgot and also we didn't have the money ... and we ended up being busy all weekend). Check it out for next year.

Long weekend at The Elms because the kids want to do the outdoor pool this time (can't afford it since we're saving for Florida ... add this to next year)

Water fun

Lawrence: Aquatic Center because it’s the best; go with friends. They chose Merriam Pool instead.

✅Splash Cove in Shawnee for half price night (here is the post of that from 2014)

Paddle boats at Shawnee Mission Park in the early evening

*Have pizza delivered to the pool one night (planned)

✅Read a bunch of books while lounging at each of the five Overland Park Pools. Okay, maybe not a BUNCH of books and I don't think I finished one thing. But I chatted with my friend Jill a lot and sometimes also Ginette, Shannon and Kitty. And when they weren't around I listened to some great podcasts by Brave Writer, Organize365's Lisa Woodruff and the Homeschool Sisters. Also the Homeschool Highschool Podcast. Wait, I did listen to The Husband's Secret on audio  by Liane Moriarty and some of Hourglass by Dani Shapiro and then started What Alice Forgot, also by Moriarty.

✅*Lenexa Pool, Lenexa, KS (went for a birthday party so it was FREE ... well, the cost of a gift haha)

Indian Creek, Overland Park, KS

✅*Roe Park Splash Pad, Leawood, KS ... went May 16, 2017 and post to come

ADVANCED BUCKET LIST, as in, someday when we can find time or afford it:
Silver Dollar City in Branson (I grew up spending long weekends in Branson when Shepherd of the Hills was much different and untouched; I'd love to get my kids to Marvel Cave)
Starlight Theatre (this is where the Pointer Sisters signed my 8th grade yearbook and I'd love to get my kids there for the magic of a show)
Read about Thomas Hart Benton and then go to his home in KCMO near Roanoke and a park where we play!


Please leave me a comment about your favorite things to do in Kansas City with kids (you don't even have to have kids to comment ... grandkids, nieces and nephews, kids you babysit, whatever!). I'm willing to travel a bit so broaden my geographical horizons!

Leading Your Child To Career Success

There is a very fine line between helping your children to make the right career choices, and doing it for them. Let’s face it, every parent wants the best for their child. Whether it’s the way you teach them in mainstream school or in home school, parents spend the early years of their children’s lives making decisions that they can only hope are the right ones. When it comes to their future, you want them to have everything they could want and more than anything you ever had. We build castles in the sky for our children, imagining them to be presidents and marrying into royalty. Basically, we want them to have financial security and happiness, which often don’t go hand in hand. It’s an unfortunate fact, but it’s one that as a parent, you need to remember when your child asks you the big question of what they should be when they grow up.

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The answer to that question should always be ‘whatever you want to be, you can be’. However, children need guidance. Their whole lives, they need a helping hand and a listening ear to help them through the biggest decisions of their lives. Children hang onto the words of their parents and often follow in their parent’s footsteps. If you are a successful surgeon or doctor in another field, then it’s likely your child will want to do what you do. Sometimes, children make the wrong decisions in order to do what they think their parents want. It’s admirable and it’s sweet, but if your child isn’t built for what you do, then they should learn to pursue their own likes, passions and dreams.

Most parents have every good intention to be supportive, especially during the biggest stages during their academic career. But, how can you be the sort of parent who is supportive without being pushy? Some children require a gentle hand to nudge them toward the things they are good at that they can’t see. Others are already so focused that they know from a very young age what will make them happy in life. Some parents aren’t as well-equipped as others to guide their children successfully. It doesn’t mean they are bad at it, it just means that they haven’t got a clue where to get started in guiding their children toward what they want the most.

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The world today is one that is constantly changing. Parents grew up – for the most part – in a generation that didn’t have computer games, online shopping and instant banking and yet this is the world our children grow up in now. Surrounded by new technologies and digital platforms, children are constantly exposed to new ways of doing things and parents have to educate themselves on how children today are following trends. A good starting point for parents of school-age children is to learn what options are available right now. A college degree may seem like a no-brainer for a parent, but if your child isn’t academically inclined but are creative, there may be other avenues that you are not aware of that they could go down to embark on their career. A lot of parents want their children to have stability and so the options of being a doctor at a large practice or a lawyer somewhere like Ellis Whittam can feel like the only options. In fact, there are hundreds, if not thousands of careers your child could embark on and it’s up to you to help them play to their own strengths. Helping your child to fully understand their non-academic strengths will help them go a long way to discovering where their passions lie.

Having your children happy, secure and financially solvent is the dream of every parent. Always encourage their individuality in whatever setting you choose to teach them. Many parents unintentionally put pressure on their children to realise ambitions that they themselves failed. It doesn’t make you a bad parent, but you want your child to do what they are good at and happy about, rather than what you hope they are good at. They need freedom and space to realise what they are passionate about, and above all else they need your encouragement. Children thrive on praise and encouraging words, and even if you don’t agree with their particular career choice, you should see the light in their eyes when they talk about what they are passionate about. You may feel concerned over their choices, but your advice has to stay impartial as you assist their decisions rather than push your own agenda. If your child is going to be extremely happy driving trains for a living, then encourage that goal rather than deter it.

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Not every child is suited to an academic life. Getting through school, which is compulsory, is one thing, but headed to do a degree and then a master degree afterwards can be daunting for some children. Don’t ever assume that your child will be as academic as you are. Some children are better suited to a workforce environment where they can earn money and see their own earnings rather than sit in front of a lecturer or professor learning some more. If you’re home schooling your child, getting them involved in networking with you can really assist your child to have the best resume possible. It’s never too early to think about the future where your children are concerned, so taking them to careers fairs from high school age and asking outside advisors to appraise their resume and give them advice on areas they are interested in is a very supportive thing to do as a parent.

One of the hardest thing a parent will do is let go of their child. You never truly let go, of course, but when you’ve spent their whole life teaching them how to do everything and often doing things for them, it’s time to step back and let go. Let them go ahead and make their choices with regards to career. Advise impartially where you can and support unreservedly. Going through puberty, keeping on top of their academic scores and discovering their passions in life is all one big mess and as a parent, you are there as the constant throughout that mess. In the world we live in today, children have a lot on their shoulders. There are expectations through every aspect of life and children are under a lot of pressure to perform against those expectations. The last thing they need is a parent who raises the bar too high and makes them feel like a disappointment.

While final decisions on careers won’t be made until later in their teens, children should always be encouraged to talk about and be open about what they are passionate about. You as a parent are the biggest influence a child can have in their life. It’s important you’re aware of the influence you have over your child and that you are mindful of how they respond to you. Children who are closed off and quiet can be harder to reach but they will still have the same decisions to make as an outgoing and more extraverted child. In the end, your support is what will count and you cannot give support if you are uneducated on what your child wants to do. Research their goals and encourage them to the best of your ability and you will be able to guide your child on their career choice.