Tonic Gifts

School's out for SUMMER!

All year school-aged kids look forward to one thing, summer vacation aka no homework, no tests and no having to wake up early! Many families plan fun trips and activities around this break from school while others resume life as usual, all work and no play. 

For those parents who can’t or don’t take summer vacations, parents work while kids stay home and beat the heat by staying inside with the A/C blasting and watching daytime television shows or playing video games. Some take a break from screen time to play in fun water slide toys for the yard while parents supervise and possibly enjoy an iced Sorel Liqueur cocktail by Jackie Summers.

And the families that do plan out summer vacations, where do you go? Some may turn to professional vacation planners, while I think the majority just plan their own. Road trip to a famous destination, fly to a beach paradise, backpack through Europe or visit ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’, Disneyland! 

I’m curious if the grandiose summer vacations are an every year tradition, every other year, etc.? Do they max out their credit cards booking that trip of a lifetime or save all school year. Or those who opt out of summer trips choose other, less crowded times to vacation? Either way, that yearning for summer break sticks with you, even as an adult when there isn’t necessarily a season-long vacation from work or responsibilities.

Spring has sprung, right?!

It’s officially the middle of May, most would expect minimal rainy or cold days and more warm sunshine. But if you live in the Pacific Northwest you know better. A lot of residents in the PNW recommend using a sun lamp for those tough winter and early spring months. You may never realize the importance of vitamin D until it is lacking. 

Did you know the body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors. But between November and May we do not make enough vitamin D from sunlight. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it makes vitamin D from cholesterol. The sun's ultraviolet B (UVB) rays hit cholesterol in the skin cells, providing the energy for vitamin D synthesis to occur. Vitamin D has many roles in the body and is essential for optimal health, among its functions are strengthening bones, absorbing calcium, and bolstering immunity. You may be at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency if you are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy, vegetarians and vegans, Adults over age 65 or have liver disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. You may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement to help your body absorb this much needed vitamin. Just make sure you read the labels for recommended dosages for your body.

Fun and Memorable Holiday Tradition

You know that feeling you get after Thanksgiving? The one where you have this overwhelming urge to climb into the attic or garage rafters and start dragging out all of your holiday decoration bins? Yes, that one. I have to say that is one of my all-time favorite things, decorating the house, setting up the tree and having some Frank Sinatra holiday songs playing in the background. Then, in the blink of an eye- it’s over. Costco and Target have summer items up before New Year’s Day and the picked over Holiday 50% clearance sections are bare. 

The holidays are gone quicker than they started and that can make some a little sad. I think most will agree it’s crazy to look at past Christmas morning photos and see how much everyone has changed in just 1 year. A fun and memorable tradition you could start, a few months before December, go through photos you’ve taken since January and pick 4 or 5 favorites. You can then create personalized photo ornaments, and while decorating the tree, chat with each other about the memories each photo ornament brings. And for that current year ornaments, use them stocking stuffers to be hung on the tree the next Christmas. 

Stingy Jack, the original jack-o’-lantern

Jack-o’-lanterns have probably been popping up in your neighborhood this past week.  They are perhaps the most well-known symbol of Halloween, but do you know how they originated?  To find out, we have to take a walk through the centuries and travel to Ireland. There, legend has it, a man twice tricked the Devil, which we think is pretty impressive! Unfortunately for this man, Stingy Jack, after his death, his trickery saw him forced to wander the Earth, with only a burning coal to light his way and keep him company.  Jack placed the coal in a turnip, and the Irish started carving their own turnips and potatoes with scary faces in order to keep Jack and other evil spirits far away. Over time, the carved vegetables became known as jack-o’-lanterns, and people switched to using pumpkins. How’s that for a spooky history? For more of the Stingy Jack legend, check out this article and have a happy Halloween!

In Love with Autumn

George Eliot once said, “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”

The first day of Autumn is only a few days away - September 23rd - and you can already see the signs.  People are excited to pull out boots and favorite sweaters, sip hot chocolate while eating pumpkin scones, and cheer on football teams as the leaves change color.  Some people are planning trips to pumpkin patches or corn mazes, others are queueing up dozens of scary movies, and some are planning the year’s most epic Halloween party.  What about you? What’s on your fall bucket list? A scenic weekend getaway?  Carving a Jack-o-lantern?  Baking a cast iron skillet apple pie, or this even more perfect apple pie? Looking forward to Thanksgiving?

“Celebration of Champions” luncheon and fashion show

There is nothing worse than knowing your child, or any child, has cancer; but then, there is nothing better than knowing that a child beat cancer, is a survivor, and will continue to survive and live a full and beautiful life.  That is the story behind the annual “Celebration of Champions” luncheon and fashion show that benefits Texas Children’s Cancer Center Long-Term Survivor Program. It’s supported by Community Champions, like Christopher Sarofim, Vice Chairman of Fayez Sarofim & Co.  Sarofim who also serves on the Advisory Committee of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors.

Summertime

Summertime is here!  Or, at least, it’s almost here.  While the official first day of summer isn’t until June 21, we think summer is already in the air and in our hearts.  The days are growing longer, the nights are warmer, and people of all ages are restless. We spend at least 12 years of our lives in school where summer equals breaktime, and we don’t think we ever truly grow out of it.  Summer always seems to be a wonderful time to travel and explore. While that brings lots of fun, it can also bring challenges for families with children - long hours in a car or on an airplane can drag on for the youngest ones in our lives.  To help make travel easier, try some of these games.  And it never hurts to have tasty snacks on hand, especially if you don’t know when your next meal will be!

Live Painting for Events

Have you ever heard of live painting?  If you haven’t, get ready to be excited.  It might be self-explanatory, but live painting is when an artist paints a live event.  It’s like celebrating the precursor of photography – rather than pushing a button and forever capturing a moment, an artist utilizes traditional paints, paintbrushes, and canvases to imprint an image of a moment as it’s occurring.  It’s an up-and-coming trend for weddings, and it isn’t hard to see why.  Not only do the bride and groom have a cherished and unique preservation of their special day, guests have a blast seeing the painting come to life.  For tips on how to bring live painting to your next event (wedding or otherwise) check out this article.

Custom Engagement Rings

Valentine’s Day might have come and gone, but love is still in the air.  It’s celebrated in different little ways all over the world every day.  It builds stories and memories that are unique to the couple experiencing them.  And when those beautiful little moments build into a proposal, doesn’t it make sense that each couple would have different dream designs when it comes to engagement rings?  Of course!  Well I found the perfect way to achieve this: Gemvara. Gemvara believes couples should dream bigger – whether their dreams involve customized engagement rings, wedding, rings, or anniversary jewelry.  We can’t help but agree.  How romantic to be able to customize a ring to tell your story! 

Organization with Lifelong Intent

A New Year, a new you!  How often do we start the New Year determined to do something different, to somehow be better?  Being our best is an amazing goal, and it’s going to look different for everyone, but there might be a few things we all share in common.  For example, isn’t it easier to start in one small area, rather than trying to overhaul our entire lives?  And isn’t it easier to have specific steps we can cross off and celebrate completing?  In a way, that’s the idea behind Marie Kondo’s decluttering and tidying process.  The international sensation has written books, and now has a Netflix show, designed to show people the simplicity behind living an organized life.  And it starts with breaking the process down into categories.  See what one KonMari consultant has to say about the process, and think about how you can bring decluttering, and joy, into your own life.  Happy New Year!