Act Like A Kid Again

My little brother is turning ten tomorrow, and I still can’t believe it. I was thinking about the day he was born and how excited I was, I felt so grown up, I even remember what I was wearing because I got to buy something from a store my sister shopped at… and then I realized I was his age when he was born. My sweet little innocent brother who used to climb into my bed in the middle of the night when he had nightmares and color pictures for me to hang on my door is turning ten. The big 1-0. And with my milestone birthday (the big 2-1) just around the corner, I can’t help but feel a little old… and it’s making me a little sad. I miss the days when I had themed birthday parties with birthday hats and party favors, and rushed to finish my homework so I could go play tag outside, and wrote my Christmas wish lists months in advance, just to make sure Santa got it in time. So in light of all this growing up, here are five ways to stay young, because there’s a little kid in all of us, so why not embrace it 😉

1. Celebrate!: When I was younger, pretty much everything was a cause for a celebration. An A on a test, the end of soccer season, or even a clean and tidy room would result in some sort of celebratory activity like dinner out to eat at my favorite restaurant or a day trip to the beach. So next time you do something your proud of or you find a new apartment or even pass a test you thought you’d fail, do something for you, even if you choose to skip the balloons and confetti.
2. Play Outside: I loved playing outside when I was younger, my friends and I would spend hours playing hide-and-seek (or my personal favorite, freeze tag!), climbing trees and just running around enjoying the fresh air. Now, unfortunately, I am not really that active (in fact, I hate working out), but every time I go outside and “play” around, whether its throwing a Frisbee or just walking around on the beach, I end up having so much fun and really do “feel like a kid again.”
3. Read for fun: Until recently, I forgot how much I loved reading. My mom used to read C.S. Lewis books to me and my sister before we went to bed and I can still remember how excited I got each night. So in the past two weeks, I have read two books and gotten half way through a third (the 6^th Harry Potter, I’m a dork too, Jovie!) and I love being so excited over a book… I’ve been staying up late, or even staying in on a Friday night just to read and I love it! In fact, I can’t wait to get home and read more Harry Potter…
4. Rediscover Animals and Nature: Ok, so this one might sound a little strange coming from the girl who would rather write a book report than go on a nature hike, but even though I don’t like being in it, I still love and appreciate nature and I absolutely LOVE animals. Go to the zoo or an aquarium near by, or if you aren’t like I am when it comes to being immersed in nature, find a cool nature trail near your house and make a day of it.
5. Indulge!: Remember how awesome it was to go out for ice cream or get a brownie sundae after dinner? Little sweet treats always put me in the best mood (ok, and maybe it was the energy rush from all that sugar). But still, when I had a bad day, or scraped my knee, a root beer float or chocolate chip cookies made everything better. So for just one day, stop counting carbs and calories and make yourself an ice cream sundae… even if you use low-fat ice cream.