by Maureen C. Gharrity      

April 6, 2012

Easter is a time of celebration and family traditions. The special Easter brunch, with the pretty and/or handsome new clothes that welcome in the season, Easter egg hunts and Easter baskets left out for                    the Easter Bunny all help us celebrate the day. Easter is also a religious holiday and one that sometimes        gets rather diluted by the material trappings that go with it.

Have you ever wondered why we hunt for eggs on Easter? And what the significance of jelly beans is and       why we fill those plastic eggs with them?

Do you have a favorite memory around this day? From when you were growing up, or when you’ve had         your own kids? Head on over to my blog, to read the full article and post a comment.

Why do we hunt for eggs at Easter?

The many different customs observed during Easter Sunday origins lie in both pre-Christian religions and Christianity. In one way or another all the customs are a “salute to spring” marking re-birth.

 About the origin of the Easter egg in Christianity, it is said that Mary Magdalene went to the court of the Roman Emperor with a red egg after Christ had risen from his grave. She gave him the red egg, the red color of which stood for the blood shed by the Christ for the redemption of the world. Mary Magdalene told him that Christ has risen, and preached Christianity to him. Thus, the egg came to represent the resurrection of the Christ.

The Easter Bunny is a rabbit-spirit. Long ago, he was called the “Easter Hare”, hares and rabbits have frequent multiple births so they became a symbol of fertility. The custom of an Easter egg hunt began because children believed that hares laid eggs in the grass. The Romans believed that “All life comes from an egg.” Christians consider eggs to be “the seed of life” and so they are symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What is the significance of jelly beans?

Jelly beans resemble eggs and the different colors all represent a part of the resurrection of Christ.

So I leave you with this poem:

Jelly Bean Prayer   author unknown

    Red is for the blood He gave

Green is for the grass He made

    Yellow is for the sun so bright

Orange is for the edge of night

Black is for the sins we made

White is for the grace He gave

    Purple is for His hour of sorrow

Pink is for our new tomorrow

A bag full of jelly beans

Colorful and sweet

Is a prayer, is a promise

Is a friend’s small treat.

Don’t be surprised if your children experience a bit of separation anxiety after being home for a few months. They might need time to readapt to being away. Be aware and try to plan ahead to take a little extra time in the morning. It might even be helpful to drive them to school, or take them to their classroom.

Original work by Maureen C Gharrity

Finding Your Way Coaching LLC

2011© All Rights Reserved

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.

She is an amazing and brilliant writer who uses such detail you feel a part of the story. The topics she chooses to write about are realistic and of relevance for today.

She typically writes fiction for young adults so she is popular with that age group. However, she writes in such a way and on topics that are both timely and relatable that many  adults enjoy her books as well.

I first started reading her books because my daughter was and I wanted to see what she was reading of course, but also to see what she was so excited about. Picoult’s books are very thought provoking and have sparked many deep, insightful conversations.

They are perfect summer reading books, for that trip to the lake or beach, for both you and your teen. If you both read one, be prepared to talk about the book. It is a great way to start a conversation and to both learn their thoughts on the topics as well as to share yours.

Some of my favorites are:

Keeping Faith – Change of Heart – Nineteen Minutes – My Sister’s Keeper

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.

There is nothing like a weekend vacation to recharge, renew and revitalize your self, your family and your relationships with them as well as your health and well being.

Whether you have children or not, traveling in a car for long distances can be a challenge. It is easy for anyone to get bored quickly, to get antsy from sitting for long durations and the bickering begins. I hate to say it all too often it begins before the trip seems to have just started.

This week’s Tip of the Week are Holiday Travel Tips practical and unique ideas to help you and your family enjoy your holiday road trip. I go a beyond the typical DVD in the player or video games for a change of pace and to help you enjoy the time together which is the whole idea.

1. Have things for each person to do. Coloring, books to read. For older kids, give them an MP3 player and headphones to use so they can listen to their own music. If you will be traveling at night, when it is dark, be sure to bring night lights for people to read by.

2. Have interactive games for the whole family to play together. You can buy some before you go like Brain Quest is always god, and there are different topics for different ages. You can also be creative and play some that don’t require anything to purchase. For instance the alphabet game (look for words that begin with each letter of the alphabet, going in order of course) or the license plate game (you look for how many different license plates you can see. I have even given my kids US maps to color in).

3. Pack a few small gifts, even wrap them to be opened in the car. This is especially helpful for longer trips as kids tend to get bored with the same old stuff and a few new items can really go a long way without you having to spend too much.

4. Pack an Emergency Kit. Yes safety items are not a bad idea but drinks and snacks are a must. It is good advice to not let your gas tank run too low because you never know how far away that next gas station is. The same is true for our own fuel tanks. It is no fun to be really hungry and people get cranky, irritable and even unable to sit still when they are overly hungry.

5. The first thing I would do is expect to stop for breaks. Obviously to use restrooms, but also to stretch, run around and get some fresh air. Even a short break can be refreshing for everyone, including the driver.

6. Give your kids a little money to choose a snack from a vending machine.Especially if you have older kids, it is a way for them to have some independence, which is so important to them right now.

7. Reward good behavior. You can use a reward system, or give stickers that kids can turn in for money to purchase whatever they want, or a souvenir from your destination. This is definitely a good idea for siblings and it gives parents a bit of peace too.

Original work by Maureen C Gharrity
Finding Your Way Coaching LLC
2011© All Rights Reserved

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.

There is nothing like a weekend vacation to recharge, renew and revitalize your self, your family and your relationships with them as well as your health and well being.

Whether you have children or not, travelling in a car for long distances can be a challenge. It is easy for anyone to get bored quickly, to get ancy from sitting for long durations and the bickering begins. I hate to say it all too often it begins before the trip seems to have just started.

This week’s Tip of the Week are Holiday Travel Tips practical and unique ideas to help you and your family enjoy your holiday road trip. I go a beyond the typical DVD in the player or video games for a change of pace and to help you enjoy the time together which is the whole idea.

1. Have things for each person to do. Coloring, books to read. For older kids, give them an MP3 player and headphones to use so they can listen to their own music. If you will be travelling at night, when it is dark, be sure to bring night lights for people to read by.

2. Have interactive games for the whole family to play together. You can buy some before you go like Brain Quest is always good, and there are different topics for different ages. You can also be creative and play some that don’t require anything to purchase. For instance the alphabet game (look for words that begin with each letter of the alphabet, going in order of course) or the license plate game (you look for how many different license plates you can see. I have even given my kids US maps to color in).

3. Pack a few small gifts, even wrap them to be opened in the car. This is especially helpful for longer trips as kids tend to get bored with the same old stuff and a few new items can really go a long way without you having to spend too much.

4. Pack an Emergency Kit. Yes safety items are not a bad idea but drinks and snacks are a must. It is good advice to not let your gas tank run too low because you never know how far away that next gas station is. The same is true for our own fuel tanks. It is no fun to be really hungry and people get cranky, irritable and even unable to sit still when they are overly hungry.

Be sure to check back next week for more Holiday Travel Ideas!!

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.

Even now when money is tight for so many, we want not only for our dollars to go farther but also to hit the mark. It can feel like a waste of money for a book to sit on the shelf or a tie to sit in the closet. The best gifts are those from the heart, those that show you know what your Dad likes, and those that have a personal touch.

I think about gifts I have given over the years and what were some favorites. Pictures of my kids with their Dad or something that was homemade. It is a tradition in our house for Father’s Day (and Mother’s Day) that Dad gets to choose what he wants to do for the day. Usually it is something we do together such as a bike ride, a visit to the zoo or going to the movies.

6 Top Gifts for Father’s Day to make it a Super Fun Day 

1. Something homemade – whether it be a card, a t-shirt with handprints or a picture frame.

2. How about Breakfast in bed, is always a good one. It is even fun for the kids to have their own fun in the kitchen.

3. Coupons for offers to do things for dad or to help him out with some of his tasks. For things like washing his car or yard work. Other coupon ideas are for baking his favorite cookies or breakfast.

4. Time to do something together. I think this works for any age but I see it extra special for fathers’ of older kids, who are so busy with work and/or school.

5. Create the memories of doing something fun together as a family. It can be something everyone likes to do, or something new you wouldn’t try otherwise. Some ideas; a trip to the zoo, a bike ride or playing family games in the backyard.

6. Going to dinner and a movie. It’s Father’s Day so it is his turn to pick. The kids may not be happy with the choice, but it will be worth it to let Dad know you care about him.

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.

Even now when money is tight for so many, we want not only for our dollars to go farther but also to hit the mark. It can feel like a waste of money for a book to sit on the shelf or a tie to sit in the closet. The best gifts are those from the heart, those that show you know what your Dad likes, and those that have a personal touch.

I think about gifts I have given over the years and what were some favorites. Pictures of my kids with their Dad or something that was homemade. It is a tradition in our house for Father’s Day (and Mother’s Day) that Dad gets to choose what he wants to do for the day. Usually it is something we do together such as a bike ride, a visit to the zoo or going to the movies.

Top Gifts for Father’s Day

1. Something homemade – whether it be a card, a t-shirt with handprints or a picture frame.

2. Coupons for offers to do things for dad or to help him out with some of his tasks. For things like washing his car or yard work. Other coupon ideas are for baking his favorite cookies or breakfast.

3. Time to do something together. I think this works for any age but I see it extra special for fathers’ of older kids, who are so busy with work and/or school.

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.

The Top Four Graduation Gifts

1. Computer/Laptop – most colleges require a student to have a computer and it is often easier for them to do so. Macs are a popular choice among students and families for their low virus threat and ease of use.
2. iTouch - Apple offers (or has in the past) a free iTouch for students who purchase a Macbook computer. For more information, visit the Apple website.
3. Spirit Wear or other gifts from the college that student will be attending. I’d say t-shirts are the most popular choice and students are usually very excited to have them before they get to campus.
4. Gift cards – to help them purchase items for their dorm room. With the high cost of college having some help to pay for additional items that students need is a big help.

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.

Be sure your teen knows how to get a hold of you throughout the evening. No doubt it is easier with cell phones yet they still need to be clear on how to reach you even during the late hours. Consider offering to pick them up at anytime should they need an ‘out’.

Request to be informed of any changes in plans. It is ideal to have things set before they leave, but do keep in mind that things can change with teens. So request to be made aware of any changes and then it is up to you whether those changes require a phone call or if they can be done by text.

Talk with your teen about their schedule for the evening. I suggest doing this before the day of the prom to avoid any conflicts on the actual day. It is important for you as parents to know the details of the evening. How they will be getting to prom, where they will be going before and after.

Discuss expectations or rules for the day. Having a discussion about what you expect including curfew will be helpful for all of you. Prom night usually is when teens have a later curfew, making it much more important to know their plans.

Discuss transportation and make sure that someone will be a safe, responsible driver. That means no drinking, drugs or really unsafe driving. Some teens opt to take a limo so more of their friends can ride together and so that you know you have a responsible driver, especially late at night.

Be very clear about not getting in the car with someone who has been drinking or is having trouble staying awake. Be very clear on what you want your teen to do in this situation. Perhaps you agree that they can call you at any time for a ride.

— If you haven’t already received my FREE REPORT please visit my website to obtain your free copy of my report, “275 Things You Can Do To Create Balance and Connections.” It is full of simple, easy to do and very effective ways to help make you, your relationships and your work the best it can be. When all of the important areas of your life are well cared for and in sync, that is when our true success begins.