Activity #271: Make a memory game

I'm an activity-do-er (if that's a word?) so my posts will be in the format of activity suggestions. Most of them are not exercise-related, but I acknowledge that it's one of the greatest challenges of parenthood: prioritizing one's own health. I'll be looking to this site for tips on how to make that happen!

Here's my activity of the day, which is fairly sedentary and relies on having a child whose napping or with Dad. It's a gift idea. Are you ready?

Make a personalized version of the game Memory. You know, where you turn over two tiles to try to make a match. Each time you make a match, you remove the tiles until you have matched all the pairs.

I made this for my grandparents this Christmas. It is about half-way done in this picture. My sister is painting it before we gift it to them.

To make something as awesome as this, you need to spend a little money on supplies.

We bought blocks and the tray at a craft store (Michael’s). I cropped and resized the photos until they were all 1.5 inches square and all on the same document. If you are not proficient at any graphics program, you can actually do this in Word. Cut out the images and use something like Mod Podge to adhere them to the blocks. Put another layer of Mod Podge (stuff in the decoupage section of the store) on top.
My sister is going to spray them with a shiny protective coat when she’s done.
We actually also typed up directions for playing the game, just to make the gift a little sweeter, and titled it Family Memory.

We hope my grandparents will have hours or at least a few minutes of fun with this.

Starting from scratch (sort of)

Tomorrow morning I'll be heading out for my first run since before Thanksgiving. I have been recovering from a sprained back (me: "you can sprain a back?" mr. MOM: "apparently."), and the combination of ibuprofen, a heating pad, and a little dramatic license have all helped get me back to some semblance of normal activity. After two weeks of yoga and walking, I feel ready to head back out on the trail for a run.

Sort of.

Last time I was out for a morning run, it wasn't too cold. But in the intervening weeks, the temperature has dropped significantly so that most mornings are well below freezing. Now, I grew up in a warm climate, and I've never quite developed the thick skin necessary to survive a winter where the temperatures dip lower than 40 degrees. I have tried to compensate with fleece running gear and a can-do attitude, but that only works for so long as ice crystals form on your eyebrows, nose, and lungs.

But I have to do it to get ready to coach a running group beginning January 7 and to set a good example for the beginning runners in my office who are looking to me for advice. And the power of other peoples' expectations is the most motivating force of all.