I took a big awe walk in December 2019, to the National Mall to visit the two newest buildings in the Smithsonian Institution’s 19 museums: the anachronistically named National Museum of the American Indian (opened 2004) and the National Museum of African American History and Culture (2016). I recounted my visit to the latter museum in the Winter issue, and now I pick up the story as I traveled southeast across the mall to visit an area dedicated to celebrating the Indigenous peoples of the Americas....

A HUGE shoutout to the beautiful Courtney from Paperelli and The Dating Divas who created the cutest, sporty printables for your Intimate March Madness Game Night! NCAA March Madness Digital Invite Excuse me! This is a very important announcement regarding your March Madness Game Date Night! What a pleasant surprise it will be for your sweetie when he receives this invitation. Step one for this date is to send an adorable digital invite right to his phone to let him know it’s game on baby!...

5 Products For Keratin Treated Hair Don’t let your hair lose it’s keratin-infused sheen, fortify it with these keratin-infused products instead! These products are perfect for rejuvenating keratin treated hair, and will help keep that glossy glow courtesy of your professional keratin smoothing treatment intact for longer. 1. Shower care. First off, you need a good keratin shampoo and keratin deep conditioner to keep your keratin treated hair fortified in the shower....

Do you have a hankering for a little extra alone time with your spouse? Kidnap them! Take them on a fun and adventurous date night—all while being handcuffed together! It will be a hilarious date night to remember, complete with a disguise, handcuffs, dinner, target practice, and a hideout for you to have them all to yourself. Sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands and hijack your sweetie for a fun date night with your hostage!...

So, grab your hunky leprechaun and pucker up! After all, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more about ’em, click here. What’s included in this Kiss me date These “Kiss Me; I’m Irish” kissing games will have you and your spouse feeling extra lucky this St. Patrick’s Day! Take a look at your included printables below, and keep reading for a closer look at how to use them....

Quiet Time One Saturday each month from October to December 2022, the Tazewell County Public Library in Virginia has opened exclusively to children with autism and their families for their new program Autism in the Library. “We decided to design a program specifically for children with autism because they’re welcome in their library,” outreach services coordinator Tammy Powers told WVVA. During the event, the library offers story time, a sensory room with kinetic sand, clay, Lego, building blocks, and a quiet room....

Long Bangs: Are you Ready to Try This Trend? 1. Long bangs are work. There’s no getting around this, bangs require work to maintain their effortlessly cool style. While they aren’t as much work as maintaining blunt bangs, you’ll still have to get your hair regularly trimmed (around every 3-4 weeks) in order to keep the style–not to mention ensure that they aren’t totally covering your face. 2. You can switch up your long bangs....

5 Tips for Long Hair 1. Long hair starts with a good cleanse. When growing out your hair, you want to protect it as much as possible. Use Love Beauty and Planet Hope and Repair Coconut Oil & Ylang Ylang Shampoo to cleanse. This shampoo is sulfate-free so it won’t strip your hair of its natural oils and moisture–both of which are essential for healthy growth. It also helps prevent and repair any split ends you may have....

Life is busy! Whether your sweetie works full-time or is a hard working student, this quick little date would be the PERFECT idea! We all have to eat, right? Why not pack up a cute little lunch and meet your sweetie for a quick lunch date! Whenever I surprise my husband at work, he gets so excited. Isn’t it amazing how something so simple can mean SO much to your spouse!...

Don’t you just love days when everything seems to be going your way? Who wouldn’t?! That’s why you should take some time to make your spouse’s day by sending some luck their way. We’ve devised a few sneaky ways to be a Leprechaun of Luck for your love and it’s totally perfect for this St. Patrick’s Day {although you’re welcome to do it ANY day of the year}! You’re going to LOVE all the clever ideas we’ve come up with to help your spouse have a “lucky” day!...

That’s because stress primes the brain to take automatic action. Any impulse will be harder to control, whether it’s craving Krispy Kremes, or procrastinating on a project. Neuroscientists sometimes say that we have one brain, but two minds: a mind that makes conscious choices, based on self-reflection and awareness; and a mind that makes automatic responses based on instinct and habit. Each of these “minds” are supported by different neural circuits—different systems of the brain in command of your thoughts, emotions, and actions....

From the interview: Everybody’s got five minutes, nobody is so busy that they can’t do five minutes of meditation. I saw benefits right away, chief among them, I was able to focus on what’s going on right now instead of being lost in memories of the past and fantasies about the future. When asked why meditation only makes you only 10 % happier, Harris adds: It’s slightly tongue in cheek, but anybody on Wall Street will tell you 10 % is a pretty good return on investment, and athletes will tell you, if you can be 10 % more clear and more energetic, you win....

Messy Side Ponytail

The campaign has already raised more than $25,000 this year—enough for two wells in Ethiopia—before the event has even begun. Last year, funds were collected to dig wells in Rwanda. To get involved, register individually or put a group together. You can be at any stage in your meditation practice, from first timer to seasoned veteran. Mindful in May will provide weekly audio meditations, links to interviews with mindfulness leaders, a meditation journal, and healthy recipes....

Interested in exploring mindfulness with your kids? Scott Rogers shares a four-minute “Be Like Nature” mindfulness practice Drink less with mindfulness Even short sessions of mindfulness meditation may help heavy drinkers imbibe less, according to a team of University College London psychologists that compared mindfulness to simple relaxation. A group of 68 women, who drank an average of 26 units of alcohol a week (14 units is the maximum recommended weekly amount), learned either an 11-minute mindfulness practice—simply noticing cravings, without acting on them—or a relaxation exercise....

VIDEO: What to Expect from Meditation: How can meditation help you deal with whatever is stressing you out? Watch this short animated YouTube video, where clinical meditation consultant Andy Puddicombe tells you what you can expect from meditation. Befriending Fear: Working with Worry and Anxiety: The fear-response is a powerful emotional and physiological reaction that can be triggered by more than just an imminent physical threat. Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, explores the human response to fear, and shows us how mindfulness can help manage it....

“I think what I like most about that video is how normal I’m trying to make mindfulness seem for people who look like me,” Bourne says. Bourne, who is Black, is the founder and CEO of Bourne ANEW, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Black boys and young men develop the skills they need in order to “have a fair shot to lead the purposeful lives we all need them to....

That’s just a sample of what Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan has to say about mindfulness in this new book trailer for his forthcoming book A Mindful Nation. (We’ve included a transcription, below, as well.) Ryan also talks about his own experience with mindfulness and how the practice has the potential of making a tremendous difference for our society. “Growing up I spent about 12 years in Catholic school—Our Lady of Mount Carmel grade school, and John F....

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more about ’em, click here. The penny date idea is pretty popular, simply search on Pinterest and you will find all sorts of pins telling you the basics of the night. We loved the idea of the penny date so of course, we had to add our own little spin. If you love Pinterest as much as we do, this would be a good one to pin and save there for any time you need a quick date idea!...