Oh hey. Good news. The doctor is in! How are we feeling these days? Is life going well? Never been better? Is everyone maximizing talents and living out dreams? Are you happy and content? No? Like most, it's hard to make time to make the change we seek in ourselves. Feeling like we don't have time can make us feel stuck. Stuck in a job, a moment, a relationship and ourselves. We might even feel we don't have a spot in the universe. Before creating everyday, I felt suck too. After creating for 237 days, I wish someone had written me a prescription to create everyday years ago. I can report that creating everyday provides time to practice limitless possibilities and provide the change we seek in ourselves. By creating everyday, we make time to find the life we want to live. Today, I am going to write you a prescription. 

Today Write One Funny Thing To A Friend. Create A Belly Laugh.

Now, doctor's orders.  Go create and then e-mail me how this prescription made you feel. That's it for today. See you tomorrow Patient Zero.

Oh hey there kids. As everyone heads back to school, thoughts about my checkered school past have left me wondering if I could have been a better student. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't cutting class or throwing spit wads at the teacher but that would have been fun! However, just like any bored, hormonal teenager, my time in school was less than spectacular. On paper I was a pretty good student. I did well in most subjects however there was one class that even today gives me hives, Algebra. Specifically two step equation word problems. Even today the thought of them causes panic and a bout of hyperventilation. I still remember my first failed exam in Junior year Algebra class, even today it makes me feel inadequate. It can feel like such failure when we can't understand something that is so clear to everyone else. It can make us feel unsuccessful. 

However, with age I'm realizing these are the moments when we can grow the most. I may have failed a few Junior year Algebra exams, but looking back there was opportunity in the failure. I could have focused less on the outcome of the grade and more on the learning the art of Algebra.

Today's project is to create a problem for yourself. Pick something that frustrates you and do it. Maybe it's cooking, biking or painting. Do something uncomfortable. Create a better solution for yourself by focusing less on the outcome and more on the learning process. How does it change your perception of success?

Hu?

I'm going to keep working these hair tangling word problems until something clicks in the old grey matter. Let me know how your learning goes and see you tomorrow students of the world!

Well, good morning sunshine. It's a great day to get up early! Honestly, this seems like a foreign and ridiculous statement. I'm not a earlier riser.  The only time I have been up early enough to see the sunrise was when head to the airport. Today, for some reason, it seems like a great day to haul out of bed and watch that huge, beautiful orange ball of fire rise in the east.

Today's project is simple. Create wonder by getting up with the sun. Grab your notebook and write down what it is like to see the sun rise. The feelings, emotions and sounds that occur with rising with beginning of the day. 

Blurry Early Morning Sunrise Makes Me Tired.

I'm going to slink back to bed now and try to capture a few more minutes of sleep. Maybe I will sleep until sunset. Have a good one and see you later roosters! 

Morning! Saturday is here and it's a great day to get outside. I'm going to keep today's project simple. Go outside today and create photos of nature. Chanel your inner Ansel Adams and find a spectacular landscape that takes your breath away. Click away and then post one of your favorites on social media or share with a friend. 

That's it for today. See you tomorrow shutter bugs.

This post contains affiliate links.

Hey everyone. It's Friday day and it's back-to-school time. Actually, in our house, it's first time school for almost everyone. There are a lot of emotions swirling. Each of us is shrinking from telling each other just how we feel about this transition. Perhaps it's a good time to create something that helps us wear our emotions on our sleeve or at least our backpacks. Who doesn't love a good emoji to communicate what's bubbling up inside?

Remember Shrinky Dink plastic fun? Today, let's combine our emotions and shrink them into a pint sized activity that will make everyone feel good about the change ahead. Today's project is to create DIY Emoji keyrings. 

• #6 plastic take out container {must be #6 plastic. The number 6 will be on the takeout container. DO NOT use any other plastic} or Shrinky Dink plastic {affiliate link}.
• Sharpie permanent markers {affiliate link}
• Hole punch
• 1" keyrings {affiliate link}
• Scissors
• Free emoji template found here.
• Aluminum foil
• Baking sheet

Step one: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Print out free emoji template. Cut out the flat piece of #6 plastic or use a Shrinky Dink kit. Trace the emojis on to the plastic with a black Sharpie marker.

Step 2: Add color to the emojis. Cut out the emoji artwork as circles. Punch a hole in each piece. Place the emoji artwork on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.

Step 3: Once oven is at 350 degrees. Place the emoji artwork in the oven for 1-2 minutes. It will be begin to curl dramatically but then will begin to flatten. Remove baking sheet from the oven with oven mitts.

Step 4: Let the plastic emojis cool. Insert the keyring on each emoji. Place on a backpack or lunch box.

What a fun and easy way to show emotion. See you tomorrow Grumpy Gus!

Hey there kids. I'm stirring things up around here and trying to teach my 3 year old how to ride a bike. It's interesting seeing him struggle with the fear to ride. He's a pretty adventurous and brave little one. It's, therefore, surprising to see him struggle with something new. What is it about something new that bubbles up anxiety and fear? Why can't we just take the training wheels off and go?

In the spirit of trying something new, I signed up for a Zumba class last night. If you haven't heard of Zumba it's a high energy dance class usually set to latin music. I kicked off my training wheels and gave Zumba a whirl. I specifically picked Zumba because it's something that created tension for me. Could kicking off the training wheels dance the fear right out my head? well, I looked 100% like an over caffeinated marionette but felt 100% proud that I tried something new.

Today, pick an activity that is new for you. Go bowling for the first time. Try karaoke. Pick a new yoga class. Sign up for Improv. Create tension by trying something new. Stretch yourself. Stretch your mind.

I'm going to get back to stumbling over my feet to master the samba. Let me know if your training wheels fly off and see you tomorrow kids!

Good morning kids. Taking a walk around my neighborhood yesterday, I noticed some new graffiti popping up. Senseless tagging can mean destruction of property and that is infuriating. However, graffiti like the artist Banksy can mean immediate inspiration and provide a beacon of ingenuity in a space allocated only for function. In short, graffiti can be cool way to create and change the world around us.

Today, create instant graffiti. I'm not condoning defacing any property but take a unique approach to graffiti. Quickly make a drawing on a napkin and leave it on the lunch room table. Use sidewalk chalk to start a conversation with your neighbors. Place a drawing up on a community board. Create and pass on a message that is slightly rebellious and thought provoking.

I am off to paint and create instant graffiti myself. Let me know how your messages are received and see you tomorrow street artists!

hi. who feels like being tiny today? sometimes it's great to be small. it provides a sense of perspective that big can't accomplish. in life, it always seems like small gets the short end of the stick. big companies are better, people who talk bigger get the things done faster and being bigger provides a power strong hold that small can't.

however, all of this talk is rubbish. small companies are a major back bone of the american economy, a whopping 46%. it is proven that introverts are just as good being leaders as extroverts. tiny can be fast and agile, a power that big can't.

In short, being tiny can be super hero power. today, create something tiny. go quite in a meeting, make a tiny breakfast. take a photo of something small and unique. let tiny rule the day to help create a fresh look at how bigger isn't always better.

I'm off to take my tiny ones swimming and see the world from their little under water view. until tomorrow, think tiny!

Morning everyone. It's Monday and things are feeling weird. The way we feel has a huge impact on many different parts of our lives. It effects relationships, how we work and our physical bodies. Yet, often times, we don't talk about feelings. We don't share them as an important or relevant part of life. Maybe it's because feelings are something intangible. What if feelings could be tangible? What if we could see feelings? Would seeing feelings change the way we interact with emotions?

Today, grab a piece of paper and pen. Make a 10 minute drawing on your feelings. Your sketch can contain anything to express your feelings. Consider color, images, stick figures, a facial expression or lines. Now, show your drawing to someone you trust and ask them what they see. It's amazing what comes out when people can see how you feel.

I'm feeling something deep as my good friend is moving away to a new life in Hawaii. The hardest part is knowing I will only see her and her family a few more times in life. 

What do you feel when you see this sketch? Feel free to share your sketch too. See you tomorrow emojis!

Morning Mamas! This post is a shout out to all moms out there. Isn't it super duper rewarding being a mom? Challenging too right? Day by day moms live in the trenches and work through stuff together like runny noses, weird rashes, long playdates, knee scrapes, birthday parties, Target runs, dirty diapers, sleepless nights and the list goes on. Every once in a while it would be great to recharge and have time together, just us moms.

Today's project is to create a night out with other mom's in your life. Make time for the women that help each other through the tough stuff.  In honor of all the moms out there, here is a great start to any Mom's night out.  The "Mamacabana." 

The Mamacabana

• 6 oz Lavender Dry Soda
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 -3 oz white rum
• 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
• 3 small strawberries muddled
• 1 lollipop

Place strawberries in the glass and muddle the berries. Add the soda, lime, rum, maple syrup and mix. Add ice and garnish with a lollipop.

Where's the lollipop?

Now, go out and have fun together! Bottoms up and see you tomorrow great and wonderful mamas!

Oh hey there. It's Saturday. How about a stack of pancakes this morning? Most Saturdays, the man in our house grumbles out of bed whips up flap jacks to start the weekend on a sweet and delicious note. He pulls out the griddle, butter and his favorite pancake mix and flips up a belly filling breakfast. This morning, he was bored of regular old pancakes. After a few minutes of rummaging through the refrigerator and cabinets looking for something new, he decided to make a "mancake" or one gigantic pancake. He topped it off the "mancake" with a bacon mustache and egg wiggly eyes. Everyone got a giggle out the "mancake."

Here is short video on how he created this fun loving breakfast.

Today's project is take something ordinary and create it into something bigger! Make a huge sandcastle at the beach. Mix up one oversized chocolate chip cookie. Wear something bold and bright. Go on a super long bike ride. Jump into the pool while doing your biggest belly flop ever. Go big or go home!

Well, off to enjoy a part of this delicious "mancake." See you tomorrow men!

Good early morning. It's 5:00 am and I wouldn't normally be up this early. I am trying to drag my half conscious self to a 6:00 am yoga class. It's painful to get up this early. Wouldn't it be amazing to pop out of bed like a magical morning unicorn and fly off into the day with sparkles trailing behind? At my age, I am 100% confident that I will never be a magical morning unicorn. For the record, I'm more of an early morning blind badger. I claw, scratch and break myself right into the morning. 

That's why I am up early because yoga has taught me another way of thinking. Maybe bending might be a better option. Yoga says try easing into the uncomfortable and stretch into the day. This is where we need to crack a good yoga pretzel joke. In fact, here is one for you:

A cracker stomps into a yoga room.

The twisty pretzel says "Hey!, shhhhhh, we are trying to shavasana here."

And the cracker snaps back "Don't get bent out of shape, Salty."

Did I mention, I am terrible at writing jokes? Where is Jim Gaffigan when you need him? 

Let's get back to talking about bending and breaking. Today's project is to create bend in your day. Find things in your day where resistance comes up for you. Try to bend versus break with your ideas and thoughts. For instance, I resisted getting up early this morning. I thought it would break me but here I am bending into the day by writing before I head off to yoga. How about you? Where can you find bend in your day? Is someone work annoying you? Try bending into their ideas. Traffic is terrible and someone just cut you off? Turn up the jam and just bend into that traffic. Do you burn dinner? Perfect, bend into dinner. Go out for ice cream!

I need bend right on over to my yoga class now.  Let me know how your pretzel time goes today. Don't forget to bend and see you tomorrow Salty!

Hey kids! It's Thursday and my littlest kiddo keeps asking me for a cat. For the record, his request is 90% adorable. He goes through burst of crying about how he NEEDS a cat. I take him to the local animal shelter and show him the kittens. I take him to the pet store and show him the full grown cats. I hope that these visits will dampen out the need for a pet. I, however, realize after months of visits to shelters and stores, we need to get creative, reframe this problem and find a solution.

Today a good friend suggested something brilliant. "Make him a pet rock. Let him carry it around wherever we go." Well, there it is! A solution to the problem and today's project. Now you might think making a pet rock sounds slightly crazy. However, in 1975, a man named Gary Dahl invented the pet rock after he heard his friends complain of their pets. After marketing the pet rocks with their own cardboard box and training booklet, Dahl made millions on a his pet rock idea. There is more here on Wikipedia "Pet Rock."

"Blueberry The Pet Rock Cat

For today's project, find a smooth medium sized rock, a few paints or markers and create a pet rock. Create a symbol of the possibilities that can be found in the absurd and ridiculous. It's amazing how one creative idea can turn into something that catches fire. I am going to get back to caring for ,"Blueberry" the cat rock, and we will see you tomorrow kids!

Hey! You! Yeah! You! Ever find yourself mad for no reason? Or at least no reason that seems apparent. Sometimes emotions just build up like volcanic activity. One day, the volcano lets off steam and the top comes off. Frankly, I am firmly in the camp of trying not to put anger out in the universe. However, we get cut off in traffic, someone wrongs us or we don't get the last donut at breakfast and BOOM! We loose our temper at the world. What do we do when negative feelings bubble up inside and are ready to burst?

Today I Googled "What to do when you are angry?" and I found this on Life Hack "20 Things to Do When You Feel Extremely Angry" and it was helpful and enlightening. Someone once told me that anger is like a storm. It will come raging in with fierce lightening, ear splitting thunder and powerful winds. These storms can be disruptive or destructive. They can either shuffle things around a bit or cause damage beyond repair. If you are bringing the storm, make sure which outcome you intend. The storm always leaves but the remnants remain.

Today's project is to create a 5 point check list to have on hand when you are angry. Use the Life Hack link above and pick five ways to deal with negative emotions. What will be on your list to work through the anger? Can empathy provide perspective? How can you use the anger to find the good in the situation?

I'm go for a walk and cool my jets. Until tomorrow angry birds!

Hey Dreamer. Remember when we use to dream? Who out there still has time to dream? Is it just me or has dreaming become a way of the past? Maybe it's since the introduction of the smart phone, but I feel like daydreaming is dead. Before smart phones, when I had a few minutes, I use to stare off into the distance and let my mind wander. I use to look up at the clouds and imagine shapes. I use to watch people and try to figure out their lives. Now when I have a few moments, I click on my little hand held computer and browse through social media. By not pausing to dream, I think we can safely say it's destroying any chance of understanding the real world. We are not allowing ourselves time to sift, sort or think.

Today, create day dreams. When you are tempted to pick up the smartphone, don't. Instead, stare off, look at the sky or simple sit. Sift through what is going through you. Pause to take in world around you. It is interesting how day dreaming and pausing can help us set priorities and see solutions.

Well, I'm going to stare at clouds and put away my smart phone. Until tomorrow dreamers!

Hello Everyone. Oh boy, another Monday has arrived. It's hard to take on Monday when Sunday was a remarkable day. In fact, the whole weekend was amazing. It included time to catch up with friends, classmates and family. Meeting up with these brilliant people also translated to: coffee at Philz, seeing the Stanley Kubrick exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum which featured artwork by famous graphic designer Saul Bass, a hike up to Coit Tower and a dragon and lion dance in San Francisco's China Town. It's easy to get busy and forget to make time for the people around us. We get tired. Someone gets sick. There are bills to pay and work to do. However, taking time out this weekend to connect with people reaffirmed the power of meeting up. Especially, with people in my life who challenge, guide and fill up my life. I'm speaking about the people who provide a wide perspective. The people who bring meaning. I'm realizing more and more I need to be generous with my time with them because you never know what kind of adventure or life altering experiences they will bring to life.

Today, create time to meet-up with someone who recharges you. Take them out to lunch, meet for coffee or go for a walk. It's amazing what comes up when we talk with people who hold such value in our lives and the adventure that can be presented when we just talk and listen. 

I'm going to get back to Monday and reflect on being thankful for yesterday. See you tomorrow friends!

Why hello. Good to see you here today superstar! Maybe since it's Sunday, we have a little more time on our hands have some fun? If so, let's to try something a little bit crazy for today's project. Pick you favorite ballade and sing your heart out while you record yourself. Yes, that's right create a recording of yourself signing your favorite tune. This might be uncomfortable for you, so record yourself where you are comfortable. Maybe hit the record button in the car? The bathroom? While you mow the lawn? Or download a cool karaoke app such as "Sing! Karaoke by Smule."  Let loose, turn on your superstar powers, warm up the vocal cords and go for it with abandonment!

Am I going to share my recording? No way in hell! No one wants to hear my rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Frankly after five attempts, it's clear to me that I might be tone deaf. It, however, was eye opening to hear my voice struggle to belt out a tune. It creates an appreciation for great music. Well, enjoy your 5 minutes of fame and see you tomorrow darling divas!

Hey there! It's Saturday and who doesn't have a million things to do today? Therefore, I'm going to jump right to today's project. Create a line portrait of yourself. First, fire up the smart phone camera. Take a photo of yourself. Now, grab a pen and paper. Take 5 minutes to study your photograph. Notice your hair, the expression on your face and and all the little details. Then draw the self portrait without ever picking up your pen. That's right use one continuous line to create a self portrait today.

I need to get back to the list of million things. Enjoy the self study and see you tomorrow!

Hello. Hello. Morning. Morning. Hey. Hey. Yes, I did mean to type these words twice. I'm playing with words today. It's Friday and a great day for messing things up and playing games. Especially, word games. No, I am not talking about Scrabble or Crossword puzzles. I am talking about simple word play. Are you bored at work right now? Grab a pen and paper. Now think of an interesting word. Write it down. Now play with the word. Write it twice in a row, upside down, switch the letters around or draw a doodle around it. Take a break today and create word play. What comes up when we play with words? Does reframing things create something new in your old grey matter?

I'm going to keep shuffling words around and usher in the weekend with play time.  See you tomorrow wordsmiths.

Hey there kiddos. It's been a long day here. I am going to go straight to today's project. For all you parents out there, this post is for you. With the summer coming to a close, back-to-school is at the top of the old grey matter today. Is it just me or is there a lot of excitement and anxiety swirling about the first day of school? Even as an adult, there can be some worry about sending kids off to who knows what. As a dad or mom we might wonder are they having fun? Did they remember their jacket for the playground? Are they eating their lunch?

Which brings me to a great idea I learned from a wonderful mom of three. Place a note in your child's lunch box to make them feel remembered and loved. If school starts in a few weeks, just print out the below free printables and have them ready to go for the first week of school. The idea is to create a connection even when apart, especially on that emotional first day of school. You can download a free printables PDF here: Mom Notes.

And for all you dad's out there, these are for you too.  

I'm going to get back to dreaming up tomorrow's project. In the meantime, I am raising my milk glass to the first day of school and saying bring on the school days!