The Friday Five 11.30.18
Keep gifts a true surprise this Christmas
Technology lends to instant gratification, which sometimes makes it tempting for kids (and significant others!) to want to snoop for presents around Christmas. Use technology to your advantage by “hiding” your online purchases with these great suggestions by USA Today. Did you know that you can shop on your family’s Amazon Prime account but still keep your Christmas purchases secret?! Amazon Household lets you “share” accounts but keeps your purchases private. Find out how it works and keep them guessing right up until Christmas morning.
50 Questions to Foster Gratitude
We all have so many things to be thankful for, even simple things like a warm home and clean water, which many people in our own country struggle to have. This list of questions is a beautiful reminder to ask yourself what blessings you are most thankful for and how they help you contribute to the world in both your life and in your work. There is also this great gratitude list for kids, which can be an amazing conversation starter over the dinner table. If you would like to take it a step further, write down your answers in a journal (we mentioned before how much our family loves The Five Minute Journal) and look back at them when you are feeling particularly stressed or down for an instant mood-lifter
Organization that is truly helping Houston thrive
Neighborhood Centers (also known as BakerRipley) has been helping those in need in the Houston area since 1907. Edith and I have been a part of Neighborhood Centers through the Thanksgiving Soccer Camp and Selfies with Santa, but the organization touches so many lives through education, disaster recovery, after school youth programs, and helping the elderly. If you need a helping hand or are interested in helping those who do, please reach out to BakerRipley. They serve out of 70 different locations in and around Houston and are such a great resource for our great city.
Our earliest childhood memories – what are yours?
One of my earliest childhood memory was when I used to play underneath my father’s desk when I was a child. He was an attorney, too, and I felt like such a spy sitting there, trying not to make a sound. Luckily I was too young to understand who my father was speaking with or what they were discussing (would a small child be able to break attorney-client privilege?) but I definitely remember those times fondly. Perhaps that is why I love it when my own kids come by the office. Bethany will sit and play while I work away after hours and I hope that her memories of being at dad’s office are as strong as mine are. Studies go back and forth about how far back memories can stretch, but it is fun to talk about, especially with your own kids. We would love to hear the first memory you can think of from your childhood. Feel free to post it on our Facebook page or email it to us at LiveLife@attorneymcclure.com.
Cool science experiments for kids
Bethany loves anything that is colorful, so over the holiday break, we are going to clear the kitchen counter and do a few science experiments like Rainbow in a Jar, a do-it-yourself lava lamp, and Walking Water. We also like this video for other colorful science experiments. We’ll let you know how it goes!