Pre Thanksgiving Craft!

Crafting is a form of Art Therapy allowing you to take your mind off whatever you are going through that day. It also happens to be fun! Here is a pre thanksgiving craft you can use to get in the mood for the kick off of the Holiday Season.

Make this paper plate Turkey Craft, and I love how the use fall leaves to make feathers!

For the steps go to http://www.easypeasyandfun.com/paper-plate-turkey-craft/

5 Inspirational Children's Books

Yesterday, we discussed the benefits that reading has on your child's emotional health. Now, we would like to share with you 5 inspirational children's books to get you started on your reading journey!

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

 A perennial favorite, Dr. Seuss’s wonderfully wise graduation speech is the perfect send-off for children starting out in the world, be they nursery school, high school, or college grads! From soaring to high heights and seeing great sights to being left in a Lurch on a prickle-ly perch, Dr. Seuss addresses life’s ups and downs with his trademark humorous verse and illustrations, while encouraging readers to find the success that lies within. [Amazon.com]

 Every Little Thing by Cedella Marley

Bob Marley’s songs are known the world over for their powerful message of love, peace, and harmony. Now a whole new generation can discover one of his most joyous songs in this reassuring picture book adaptation written by his daughter Cedella and exuberantly illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. This upbeat story reminds children that the sun will always come out after the rain and mistakes are easily forgiven with a hug. Every family will relate to this universal story of one boy who won’t let anything get him down, as long as he has the help of three very special little birds. Including all the lyrics of the original song plus new verses, this cheerful book will bring a smile to faces of all ages—because every little thing’s gonna be all right! 

[Chronicle Books]

                         I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont

Positively bursting with energy and imagination, this ode to self-esteem encourages kids to appreciate everything about themselves, inside and out. Messy hair? Beaver breath? So what! This little girl knows that being proud of being you is the most important thing to remember.

At once silly and serious, Karen Beaumont's joyous rhyming text and David Catrow's wild illustrations unite in a book that is sassy, soulful, and straight from the heart. [Scholastic]

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

This story is about a giraffe called Gerald who can’t dance. At least he can’t dance very well. As a result, he gets teased by the other animals. After a devastating encounter at the local 'Jungle Dance', he is laughed out of town.

With the guidance of a wise and gentle cricket, Gerald learns to listen to the sounds around him and to his own body, and is able to dance so well that the other animals are left in awe.

The message of this lovely rhyming tale is that it is okay to be different and dance to the beat of our own drum.

The book is delightfully illustrated with rhinos who rock and roll, lions tangoing, and baboons performing a Scottish reel. The humour appeals to adult and child alike.

The rhymes makes for easy reading and children will love and laugh at the pictures showing animals doing all manner of unusual things. As well as the message about being brave by doing brave things, the story is a wonderful tool for teaching about the damage prejudice can do. [Kid's Book Review]

          Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud

Through simple prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love. Bucket filling and dipping are effective metaphors for understanding the effects of our actions and words on the well being of others and ourselves. [Amazon]

SPLURGE! on a Fall Festive Book

Happy Friday Dream Team! Today, SPLURGE! on a wonderfully fall inspired children's book titled Let It Fall by Maryann Cocca-Leffler.

What is it about?

The leaves turn red, brown, and orange, then drift down from the trees. 

It is time to go apple picking and on hayrides at the county fair. Fall is finally here!

With soft colored art, adorable children, and colorful outdoor scenes, 

Let it Fall celebrates all the seasonal awe of autumn.

Where can I buy this book?

You can find this great children's book at The Scholastic Store and for only $3.99-get it here!

Inspirational Video: Watch how an NFL player made Courtney's senior prom

Courtney Alvis was a senior high school student who craved the milestones that come with senior year, but a cancer diagnosis got in the way. Although she was determined to beat cancer before her last prom [which she achieved]- she was missing one last thing off of her checklist...a date. Now, check out how the [then Cleveland Browns running back, Trent Richardson, assured her list was complete!

Stress Relieving Yoga Pose

It is really beginning to feel like fall here at the Teen with a Dream headquarters and we are loving it! With the coming of fall and holidays right around the corner, we are inevitably prone to higher stress levels. Today we would like to share with you three yoga poses that are designed to help combat stress and are extremely easy to do anywhere!

Savasana [Corpse Pose]

According to Yoga Outlet......

The deeply relaxing aspect of Savasana is known to be therapeutic for stress. When you’re under stress, your sympathetic nervous system produces a “fight or flight” response that can over-stimulate your mind and body, causing anxiety, fatigue, depression, and disease. Conversely, practicing Savasana stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system — known as the “rest and digest” response. Relaxing the physical body in Savasana has numerous benefits, including:

• Lowered blood pressure
• A decreased heart rate
• Slowed rate of respiration
• Decreased muscle tension
• Decreased metabolic rate

The physical response can further result in:

• Reduced occurrence of headaches
• Relief from fatigue and insomnia
• Reduced nervous tension
• Relief from anxiety and panic attacks
• Increased overall energy levels
• Increased productivity
• Improved concentration and memory
• Clear-headedness and a sense of focus
• Heightened self-confidence

You are the inspiration for yourself, Help yourself during a bad day tips

It is childhood cancer month and I think its time to look at yourself as the inspiration. You are an inspiration, look at what cancer patients have to live through. It is simply amazing.

Because this month we are focusing on how inspirational we can be for ourselves here is some strategies for dealing with a bad day so you can get back to seeing how amazing you are.

Strategies for dealing with a bad day.

Strategy 1: Food and Water-trying drinking more and eating more if your in a bad mood you could be dehydrated and in need of more energy i.e food.

Strategy 2: Need a nap? Sleeping is key, it is how our mind resets and our bodies heal, you need a lot of sleep during chemotherapy and after it too, so if your having a bad day try a nap.

Strategy 3: Take a short walk, get the blood flowing a bit, some fresh air and out of your normal environment. Just be careful not to overdo yourself.

Strategy 4: Music, Jam out to your favorite songs and let that help you out of a bad day.

Of course if you are having a very bad day because of pain, and/or feeling very depressed be sure to contact your Doctor and get it checked out, it may not be just normal treatment side effects and your medical team is their to help.

Be Happier: 4 Ways to Refresh your Morning Routine

This month we are all about embracing any change that may come your way--but lets discuss ways that YOU can make changes to encourage happiness within your life. Take control and create some happiness in your world with the little things!

Getting a postive start to the day will help you accomplish this!

4 Ways to Refresh your Morning Routines

1. Preparation: Sleep on your right side 

Although this may sound strange, Turkish researchers found that those who sleep on their right side has a positive impact on their dreams and tend to have more calming dreams. Additionally, they reported feeling more rested through out the day. 

Sleeping exclusively on your left side can put pressure on your organs such as the stomach and the spleen. 

2. Wake up 10 minutes earlier.

Giving yourself a little extra time in the morning will eliminate any unnecessary stress of being late. You will be able to take your time and enjoy the morning rather than rushing out the door. Use this time to take the dog on a little longer walk before you have to leave--great for the both of you! Or use this time to....

3. Stretch, breathe and warm up for the day.

Take five to ten minutes of your morning to stretch your body, try various breathing techniques and even do a few jumping jacks or your choice of warm up in order to kick start your day. In order to keep your mind happy you must treat your body well. Check out our various posts on stretches and breathing techniques under the tag "happy routines"

4. Indulge yourself with positive thoughts + environments.

We have been told since we were kids that "you just have to believe and you will". This same philosophy applies to your mindset. In order to begin the change to a happier mindset you have to allow yourself to make this change. Additionally, surrounding yourself with positive content, whether it is music [check out our collection of happy songs here], photos or settings, make sure you are engaging in content that initiates happiness....check out or Serene Surroundings Photo Gallery and our Happiness Photo Gallery 

A Reflection on Labor Day

The weekend has officially begun and provides us one additional day to spend time with those we love. Now, this day is far more about an extra day off from work or school-so what is Labor Day really all about?

The United States Department of Labor summarizes it's significance as such..

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

We found that key characteristics within this summary to be extremely applicable to living with cancer. These terms are:

1. Strength
2. Prosperity 
3. Well-Being

These traits are profoundly important to maintain when coping with cancer treatment. By remembering to pause, take a deep breath and start refreshed [much like our workforce on Labor Day] will assist in the prosperity and well-being of your inner health. 

This Labor Day take a mental break and relax from cancer. We know this can be a difficult task in the mist of such a chaotic time--but we hope you are able to treat yourself or your child to a simple activity that will make them smile!

Yoga Feature: Happy Routine

Increasing YOUR Happiness with these poses!

Couldn’t everyone use a routine to help you boost your happiness and make you feel stronger? Well here are a few yoga moves that you can try out to help increase your emotional help and possibly help boost your happiness. Be sure to read through all the moves first, if you don’t think you would be able to achieve the move or you can’t do the move try an easier one, doing just one of these will help.  

1. In camel pose, the backbend creates a sense of fearlessness. It exposes your heart and soft underbelly, but in a safe and supported way.

• Begin by kneeling with your knees and feet hip-width apart and the tops of your feet flat on the floor.
• Keep your pelvis on your knees, your tailbone down, and your lower belly lifted.
• Bring your hands to your heart in prayer position, roll your shoulders back, and hug your elbows in.
• Curl your chest open by leaning back, but keep your hips over your knees.
• When you can't curl your chest back any farther, release your arms and grab your heels.
• Relax your head and open your throat. 

2. When you're not feeling particularly happy, try to make your yoga practice about joy, and invite it back into your life, pose by pose, breath by breath. Mild depression can be eased with rejuvenating, playful yoga postures. Backbends, like the slight one in crescent, are proven to release endorphins.

•        Begin standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Step back about one leg length with your left foot as you bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle.
•        Keep both feet hip-width apart, with your weight resting on the heel of your front foot and on the ball of your back foot.
•        Engage your lower belly to extend your lower back and raise your arms straight up over your head, keeping them shoulder-width apart.
•        Rotate your upper arms inward to broaden your upper back, and lift your gaze upward.
•        If you can keep your shoulders from flaring outward and your arms straight, bring your palms together.
• 
  
•     Repeat on the opposite side.

3. Insomnia—that evil, sleep-stealing monster that lurks under the bed! It feeds off stress, anxiety, and what we in yoga call "the constant fluctuations of the mind," or racing thoughts. Use these poses to calm your mind and relax your nervous system.

•        Start on all fours with your hips stacked over your knees and your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
•        Keep your arms straight as you inhale, drop your belly, and roll your shoulders back (Cow).
•        Exhale, press into your palms, round your back, and drop your tailbone down (Cat).

Repeat this several times, performing Cow on the inhale and Cat on the exhale.

4. We all know how hard it is to relax in a world of perpetual motion—our days are packed with meetings and phone calls and social events, not to mention the constant checking of emails, text messages, and social media sites. But we also know how critical it is to be able to tune out all this noise and clear our heads.

•        Begin on your back, with your knees bent wide and the soles of your feet together.
•        Bring your heels as close to your pelvis as you comfortably can.
•        Lift your chest and draw your shoulder blades down your back to lengthen your neck.

Take your arms wide, with your palms facing up.

[Source provided by Prevention]

Songs to put a little sunshine in your day!

Here Comes the Sun [The Beatles]

Walking on Sunshine [Katrina & The Waves]

Happy [Pharrell Williams]

Joy to the World [Three Dog Night]

Good Life [One Republic]