Tips for St. Patrick’s Day Fun

March 17 Calendar Image
St. Patrick’s Day Fun

Looking for some St. Patrick’s Day fun for everyone in your family? Held annually on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day is a worldwide celebration of Irish culture to commemorate St. Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints who brought Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century.  Taking advantage of this festive holiday can provide joy for everyone in your family! Here are some easy ways to incorporate some Irish culture into your day.

  1. Decorate Your Workspace: Brighten your co-workers’ moods with some festive decorations in your office or cubicle. No need to spend a lot of money!  Click here for some quick and inexpensive Do-It-Yourself ideas you can easily create.
  2. Get Your Kids Involved: What child doesn’t love the magic of rainbows, leprechauns and pots of gold? Adding holiday specific colors to any craft project will bring out the fun.  Here’s a unique idea that will let your child explore their creativity by building a leprechaun trap!
  3. Make a traditional Irish meal: Stuck in a dinner rut? Incorporating a theme into your meals will force you to step out of your comfort zone!  Embrace a new cuisine with these popular Irish feasts. Yum!
  4. Avoid Getting Pinched: Wearing green is a staple of St. Patrick’s Day. As the tradition goes, wearing green on Saint Patrick’s Day is supposed to make you invisible to leprechauns. They will pinch you as soon as you come up on their radar if you don’t wear green. Wear our limited “Loads of Luck” design to stay pinch proof!

Holidays are a great way to stop and remember to enjoy life!  Whether you use our suggestions or create your own, we encourage you to have a treasure of St. Patrick’s Day Fun!

It’s Cool to be Kind: Seven Tips to Show Kindness This Winter

Winter is coming!  While some love the coziness winter brings, this season can be tough for many people.  Proclaimed “winter haters” blame less natural sunlight, colder temperatures, holiday stress, and more sickness as contributors to their negativity.

So, what can you do to brighten someone’s day this winter season?  Below is a list of a few small tips that might make all the difference.

  1. Give someone a sincere compliment. Simple enough, right? Complimenting an outfit, a job well done, or telling someone to have a nice day might just be all they need to put a little pep in their step.
  2. Make a batch of cookies for a neighbor or friend. Not a huge baker? No problem. Check out these easy, no-bake Christmas cookie recipes.
  3. Send Christmas Cards to residents at a nursing home. Even better- get your kids involved! Imagine the love and joy that a nursing home resident would receive through a homemade card.  Get some ideas on easy cards that kids can make here.
  4. Pay for someone’s coffee. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read on social media that when someone had their coffee paid for, it completely made their day. Pay it forward!
  5. Take breakfast to the firefighters at your local fire station or to the officers at your police station. They brave bad weather on a regular basis to keep their citizens safe.  Here’s another cute idea to show them you much you appreciate what they do for their communities!
  6. If you have a child or children that ride the bus to school, bring the bus driver a treat bag such as this one. He or she will appreciate the ray of sunshine on a cold day.
  7. Put together some care kits in ziploc bags for those who are homeless. You may want to include chapstick, lotion, gloves, hand warmers, a hat, snack crackers, etc.

Want to further promote kindness this holiday season? Check out our “Cool to be Kind” snowman shirts available for purchase on WorkPlacePro.com!

The Most Magical Time of the Year — How to Maximize Traditions for Holiday Fun!

Doesn’t it seem like the Holidays come earlier and earlier each year? Start making your list and checking it twice now, because the holiday festivities will begin quicker than you can say, “Can I put my decorations up yet? It is September, after all.”

Ahh, the most wonderful time of the year. A time for celebration, family, traditions, decorations, hot cocoa and fuzzy socks. Is there really anything better?

cappuccino in white ceramic teacup

 

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

One of my favorite traditions that we started a few years back is making a “Christmas Eve” box. We do this with our children, but even if you don’t have kids – adult-sized onesie pajamas are still fun, right? Usually it’s something similar to this. We wear comfy PJs, have hot chocolate and popcorn, watch a holiday movie and read a holiday-themed book. 🙂 It really is fun for everyone, and gets us all settled for that long winter’s nap!

four kids doing jump shot inside bedroom while wearing pajamas

Food, Food and More Food! Did I mention food?

Guys. There are so many different cool ways to make holiday treats! Check out these must-have cookies that are easy and fun. Not to mention the whole family can participate, thus creating more traditions! There are millions of creative ideas for treats – and there is nothing like walking into a room that just smells like holiday cheer!

person holding clear jar filled with cookies

DIY Projects

Who doesn’t love a good DIY project? The holidays can be expensive. Between traveling, hosting dinners, gifts, cards, parties, however you celebrate – there is almost always a cost involved. Look into some of these DIY decorations that could save you money off the retail price, and yet again, another tradition!

hanging snowflakes paper decor

Whatever your traditions may be, however you celebrate your holidays – WorkPlacePro® invites you to celebrate with us. These holiday designs are perfect for numerous professions, or just for fun! Stay safe (and warm) and we wish you all Happy Holidays!

selective focus photo of Happy Holidays board decor

Celebrate Fall!

Fall is upon us! Here at WorkPlacePro, we like to celebrate with fun ideas and activities for the whole family! Here are some of our favorites:

  1. Pumpkin Patch
    Pumpkin patches are the perfect family outing when the weather starts getting cooler! We are sure that’s no secret. 🙂 Here are some Pumpkin Patch Success ideas, and even ways to have your own Pumpkin Patch at home with your kids, family or friends!
    shallow focus photography of person holding squash
  2. Fall Crafts
    There is hardly anything more fun than creating crafts from your own ideas, or from the trusty Pinterest boards like this one! Fall comes with so many opportunities, from scarecrows and wreaths to pumpkins and pie! And pumpkin pie….. 🙂 Check out some of these ideas and go crazy with the crafts this season!
    white and blue ceramic mug
  3. Carving Pumpkins
    Carving pumpkins can be messy, but it’s always worth it! Whether you fancy the masterpieces that can be carved nowadays, or the simple jack o’ lantern style, carving pumpkins is fun for the whole family! And a great way to display your creativity and welcome trick-or-treaters! Which brings me to possibly the most fun fall endeavour….Halloween!
    brown pumpkin lot
  4. Halloween
    Halloween is a time for you to step out of your shell and be someone you’ve always wanted to be! Put on a costume, take the kids trick or treating, pass out candy to your community and enjoy the brisk fall air in the process. We have tons of Halloween designs this year that you can use to (pumpkin) spice up your workplace, or just for fun! Check them out here today! Be sure to check out all of our fall designs, as well. 🙂Happy Halloween text

Camp Your Way to a Healthy Life!

For those of you who love camping, I’m sure you don’t need a reason to plan your next outdoor adventure. For those of you who have thought about camping but aren’t sure what all the hype is about — check out some of the benefits it could have on your health!

camping tent on cliff during golden hour
Photo by Jack Sloop on Unsplash

Stress Relief
Many of us are living life running around like chickens with our heads cut off. We are all just trying to make it through the work week. We have multiple obligations that keep us rushing home, rushing through activities and rushing through life. It’s time to catch a 5-minute break.
Camping is basically a break for the duration of your trip! The great thing about camping is you are exposed to the fresh air. Oxygen releases serotonin in your brain– the chemical that boosts your happiness and mood– therefore leaving you feeling more relaxed. Stress can take a toll on our health in all sorts of ways, so seizing every opportunity to relieve us of it is crucial. Pack your bags, the relaxation train is headed to the campground!

silhouette photo of three person near tall trees
Photo by photo-nic.co.uk nic on Unsplash

Exercise
It is certainly no secret how important physical activity is for our health and overall well-being. Camping involves lots of exercise! You exercise even in preparation for your time away. Hiking equipment to a campsite can be a tad awkward due to the size/shape of tents and other gear, essentially forcing you to utilize muscle and get some cardio going. When you’re outside with no television or video games, you wind up spending most of your trip walking, hiking, fishing, etc., which all involve moderate to extreme exercise. Again, exercise is a serotonin booster, so you’re likely to feel exhilirated instead of run-down and sluggish like we can often feel throughout our normal routines.

reflection photo of trees

 

Clear Your Mind
Some people use yoga and meditation to clear their minds and relieve tensions. Others claim that just taking a long walk in nature will do the trick. All of these things are good for resetting your brain and revitalizing your quality of life. Camping can (figuratively and literally) bring you back down to Earth. When you’re out of your home, you’re not worrying about cleaning the house, doing dishes, doing laundry or keeping anything organized. All you have to worry about is exploring, playing and maybe the occasional wild animal. 😉

person standing in rock on forest during daytime

Take Away Those Distractions
Leave the electronics at home! Get back in tune with yourself, nature, your friends, your family. Camping is one of the easiest ways to leave distractions behind and enjoy the company you have, even if your only company is yourself. It brings us into a simpler time and simpler environment, making our emotions simpler as well.

Gather your friends, family and/or dogs, and head for the hills! Make sure to visit our website and check out our new camping/lake designs to wear on your adventure!

Inspire yourself (and others!) in the New Year

The new year is knocking on our door. And now’s the time you’re probably thinking about the things you want to change in your life during the next 365 days. Maybe you want to eat healthier. Exercise more. Plan your meals or make your bed every day. A resolution is all about words you want to live by — making a firm decision about something you will or will not do, and usually, it’s something that you hope will make you a better, stronger person in the year ahead.

Continue reading Inspire yourself (and others!) in the New Year

Snow day? 10 ways you (and the kids) can avoid boredom

PreS. Today’s the last day (10.25.18) to order this adorable shirt that shows how much we love those snow days! Get it now so you can celebrate later.

It’s coming. You know it’s coming. The 6 a.m. robo phone call that brings the news every school kid is desperate to hear.

SNOW DAY.

via GIPHY

Continue reading Snow day? 10 ways you (and the kids) can avoid boredom

10 tips to save energy!

October is Energy Awareness Month! That’s an awareness we can get behind! 🙂 Here is 10 easy ways to cut your energy use in half…courtesy of greenamerica.org
1. Turn off the lights! – shut off lights while not using a room.
2. Install ceiling fans! In the summer keep them rotating counter-clockwise and in the winter clockwise to circulate the warm air rising.
3. Show your fridge some love! – clean the coils every 6 months to keep it running efficiently! Take up unused space with jugs full of water, these will hold in the cold rather than your fridge cooling blank space.
4. Wash clothes in cold water & air dry! – washing in cold gets your clothes just as clean & cuts your washer’s energy use in half!
5. Upgrade appliances! – many newer appliances now are more energy efficient, especially if built after 1993. It’s worth the investment.
6. Give your water heater a blanket! – seriously! an insulated heater can reduce heat loss by 24-45%!
7. Plug air leaks! – seal air leaks around doors and windows with caulk & weatherstripping…also curtains, films, and plastic covers over windows help keep the heat in during the winter!
8.Use your programmable thermostat! – learn how to use the settings on your thermostat to maximize the efficiency of your heating & cooling systems.
9. Air dry dishes! – ignore the drying option on your dishwasher!
10. Eliminate Phantom Load! – unplug your electronics when not using them to save energy they may be still using
#EnergyAwarenessMonth #Tips #EarthDayShirtsene

Ways to Relax

Let’s face it, life is busy. Sometimes it catches up with us, leaving us feeling stressed and overwhelmed. When this happens, you need a way to fight back.

Fortunately, even just a few minutes can be enough to help you recharge. Here are 26 ways to relax.

  1. Breathe
    Take 5 deep breathes, give it your full attention, notice the pause but in and out.
  2. Write
    Journaling about your feelings can help relieve them.
  3. Be grateful
    Write a list of what you’re grateful for—nothing is too small.
  4. Make a plan
    Knowing what you need to do today (and what you don’t) can help relieve the stress.
  5. Play
    Adults can sometimes forget how to play, but anything that is purposeless and pleasurable and help us unwind.
  1. Use visualization
    Whether you’re really standing at the ocean or just imagining it, your brain responds the same way.
  1. Talk to someone
    One of your best tools for coping with stress are social connections.
  2. Go green
    Immersing yourself in nature can help you unwind. Go for a walk along the river or find a good bench under a tree.
  3. Sleep on it
    It may feel counterintuitive, but take 20 minutes and catch some zzz’s. It can refresh your mind, while the brief time frame keeps you from getting groggy.
  4. Change the tunes
    Listening to upbeat or calming music can quickly shirt your mood.
  5. Meditate
    Even a few minutes can ease anxiety, especially when practiced daily.
  6. Be present
    Stop your thoughts and take a minute to be present in your body to be aware of it.
  7. Warm up
    Place a warm compress over your neck and shoulders for 10 minutes, lean back, and close your eyes to relax those tense muscles in your face, neck, and back.
  8. Laugh out loud
    Reduce your levels of stress hormone cortisol and increase feel-good endorphins with a good laugh.
  9. Stare at the ceiling
    Tilting your head up lowers blood pressure and slows your breath. Count down slowly from 60 while doing this to help still your mind.
  10. Set your worries aside
    Write down all of the things that are causing you stress, then put them aside to deal with tomorrow.
  11. Sip green tea
    Green tea has L-Theanine in it, which helps relieve anger.
  12. Go dark
    With some dark chocolate. A single square (1.4 oz) can regulate your cortisol levels.
  13. Chew gum
    The repetitive and thoughtless nature of chewing gum can reduce anxiety within just a few minutes.
  14. Count down
    This simple action demands enough attention to stifle the sources of your stress.
  15. DIY a hand massage
    Hands carry a lot of tension, so stop wringing your hands and massage them instead.
  16. Grab a golf ball
    But forget the irons. Instead, roll it against the bottom of your feet to release tension.
  17. Squeeze it out
    On a stress ball. They didn’t become a common desk tchotchke by accident.
  18. Get some sun
    Take a quick walk outside and soak up some rays to lift your spirits.
  19. Practice yoga
    The smooth deliberate motion of yoga is great for calming and re-centering.
  1. Cuddle with a pet
    A good snuggle with a furry friend is a proven way to de-stress.