Stay Fit & Healthy
Gardening
Gardening, no matter your age, is a physical activity with many benefits including…
 
Makes you and your kids love veggies : A 2017 review of studies published in the   Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics   found that kids who were introduced to gardening ate more fruit and veggies !
 
Helps control your weight: Avoiding weight gain, or trying to shed a few pound is a popular health goal for many people, and gardening can help you achieve it. Carrying bags of mulch, pushing a wheelbarrow, hoeing rows, picking weeds, planting seeds, toting equipment, shoveling manure, moving pots, pushing a mower, and other gardening tasks can provide a whole body workout.
 
Nourishes your spirit : Call it the “ gardening glow ”, but working with plants provides serious stress relief and positive sensory stimulation, suggests an experiment done by NASA in 2016. Scientists discovered that gardening can keep astronauts sane and happy in the severe environment of outer space. In their research, they found that planting and nurturing seeds , even just in small pots, provided lifted mood and eased stress.
 
Boosts your immune system : Having dirt under your fingernails may be a sign of poor hygiene, but it can also be a mark of good health. Thanks to beneficial bacteria found in soil, gardening may improve your immune system , according to research, gardening can help you get sick less and fight off infections easier.
 
Sharpens your brain power : Gardening is more than just good exercise for your body, it also provides a healthy workout for your brain. Research measuring brain nerve growth related to memory before and after creating a vegetable garden found that levels of brain nerve growth increased significantly.
Positive Thinking Amid COVID-19
Arts & Crafts
GORGEOUS 3D PAPER TULIP FLOWER CRAFT
Our weather is getting warmer and we’re starting to see colorful tulip flower buds appearing in the yard. Whether you are looking to make a colorful spring craft or are on the hunt for a beautiful flower craft to make as a special Mother’s Day gift, this darling paper tulip flower craft is a crowd-pleaser. The mixture of the tulips popping off the page in a 3D effect and the bright, vibrant colors makes this paper tulip flower craft a show stopper.

SUPPLIES:
• paper tulip flower craft template 
• blue cardstock
• green cardstock
• red, dark red and yellow cardstock (or color of your choice)
• scissors
• glue stick

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Print out the paper tulip flower craft template on your colored cardstock and cut out each of the
template pieces. You could also print out the template on white paper and color the template
pieces.
2. Fold each of the six paper tulip flowers in half. Use your glue stick to add glue to one of the folded
halves of a paper tulip. Then glue another half onto it. Continue adding glue and adding a paper tulip
flower until all six have been glued together, creating a 3D paper tulip.

3. Create as many 3D paper tulips as you’d like to use in your paper tulip flower craft. Then glue each
 of the paper tulips across your blue cardstock, varying the height of each flower.
4. Cut out stems for each of your paper tulips. Glue them at the base of each of your flowers. Then
use scissors to trim off any stems that are hanging over the bottom of your blue cardstock.

5. Glue two stems onto each of your paper tulips. To give your flower craft some extra dimension, fold
down some of the tops of the stems.
Harry Potter at Home

JK Rowling recently launched an online Harry Potter Hub for fans of the books. There are free audiobooks, games, quizzes and more! Click on the image below to check out the Wizarding World for yourself!
Binge-Worthy TV
The Stranger
When a stranger makes a shocking claim about his wife, family man Adam Price becomes entangled in a mystery as he desperately searches for answers. Streaming now on Netflix.
Great Reads
For Adults:
A MAN CALLED OVE
At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots - neighbors who can't reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d'etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents' Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.
But isn't it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?
In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible...
For Kids:
JUST BREATHE
For kids ages 8 to 12, this is an accessible and fun meditation and mindfulness how-to book filled with full-color illustrations, written by Mallika Chopra and with a foreword by Deepak Chopra.
Just Breathe is a fun and accessible, fully illustrated go-to meditation guide written by none other than Mallika Chopra, wellness expert and the daughter of Deepak Chopra. For kids ages 8 to 12, this book is full of specific exercises to help deal with day-to-day challenges and tips to lead a healthier, happier, and more connected life. The book includes practical advice on breathing techniques and guided meditations for a number of topics and scenarios, including:
• Dealing with stress
• Getting to sleep
• Building self-confidence
• Focusing on school/tests/other work
• Ridding oneself of anxiety
Beginners will learn the basics of meditation and how to get started, and those more experienced will learn how to improve their practice. This book will also teach kids how to prepare their own meditation spaces. Just Breathe is the go-to book for kids who want to learn more about mindfulness and meditation.
Let's Get Cooking
20-Minute Ramen Carbonara with Herb Butter Corn
A fun twist on traditional carbonara pasta, this recipe uses ramen noodles instead! Substitute the fresh corn for canned or frozen corn, and add dried herbs if you don’t have fresh ones.
Fun and Games
EASY DIY YAHTZEE
Self-Care Tip of the Day

LET A PET HELP YOU WITH SELF CARE
Pets  can bring a boost to our lives. From giving unconditional love to providing companionship, pets can be hugely beneficial for our self-care. Dogs especially can help reduce stress and feelings of anxiety and can even lower blood pressure. In fact, many people who suffer from disorders like  PTSD  have benefited from working daily with animals, which is why service dogs have become so helpful for these individuals.
Have a great TV show, craft, recipe or book that you love and want to share with others? Send your suggestions to Melissa at moverkamp@communitylivingessex.org .
Laugh of the Day
Poll of the Day
Each day we’ll post a new question and the following day, we’ll post the results! Join in!
It seems like baking your own bread at home has been all the rage since the COVID-19 pandemic ‘stay-at-home’ orders began, with many stores selling out of yeast and flour! Have you baked a loaf of bread yet?
Choose Below
Yes
No
Not yet, but planning on it!
Yesterday's Poll Results
If you could have one of these superpowers, which one would you choose?

Invisibility 5.2%

Superhuman Strength 21.1%

Ability to converse with animals 26.3%

Mind-Reader 21.1%

Ability to Fly 26.3%