social media

Confession: it’s been quite some time since I’ve been back on the blogging train. I have quite a few things to catch up on over here, as even though the stories have been told, they have yet to be written. From an engagement to buying a new car (not by choice), planning a wedding and welcoming a new kitten into the family…we’ve had quite the busy end of 2013/beginning of 2014.

In the mantra of starting fresh, I felt it was best to dive back in through Lent. The Lenten season has always held a special place in my heart, not only does it bring with it the return of Peeps, but with it also a sense of community and renewal – in both the spiritual and physical definitions.

Each year, I try my best to give up at least one thing I could do without for forty days and add one thing that I could use more of beyond that. As I’ve had some pretty big life changes in the last six months (i.e. saying goodbye to living with one of my best friends and moving in with a boy) it feels like a more appropriate time than ever to adopt a phrase I’ve grown to love over the last year or so.

I’m not quite sure where I first heard that one, but it’s stuck in my mind for quite some time. I’m definitely guilty of Pinteresting while watching a movie, answering emails while in a meeting or scrolling through an Instagram feed while waiting on the elevator. While some of those distractions also double as enjoyment (who doesn’t love a great wedding Pinterest board) they can also very easily take away from the most precious moments of our days.

Living with a significant other, I’ve certainly become much more aware of my habits – one of those being making sure the time we get to spend together on the week nights is as meaningful as possible. With packed personal schedules, even sitting at a quiet dinner table or watching Modern Family together sans distraction is the “be all there” moment that I can put within reach.

The little moments can quickly become big moments, if only we take the time to pause and enjoy them. With little reminders each day, I hope this is a Lenten practice that will carry on far beyond the last marshmallow Peep.

When I was little you couldn’t tear me away from Sesame Street for hours everyday and now it looks like I may be doing it again – but online. Why you might ask would anyone over the age of 5 be watching Sesame Street? The gang has been hard at work these days – Tweeting, Facebooking and even singing along with Will.i.am on YouTube.

Lately the team has spoofed everything from the Old Spice guy to Mad Men and True Blood. Sure it makes adults laugh, but at the same time Sesame Street is staying true to their roots by infusing their content with educational moments for kids.

For instance, in the Mad Men reenactment below, the guys show off some ideas from the “Happy Honey Bear” account in search of a picture that show happiness instead of other emotions and in the end they all end up as Happy Men.

Amy Poehler, Rev Run, Jack Black and Jonah Hill have all stopped by to visit, each with their own take on education.

Be sure to check out the show on Facebook. Not only does the show have a page, but each of the characters as well. Elmo, Cookie Monster and Oscar The Grouch all have pages and you’ll event find the characters tweeting with Twitter accounts.

As kids become more heavily involved in social media channels, it’s important to kind safe and relevant content to them, but it’s even better when it’s something you’ll enjoy watching as well!