“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Last month, I wrote a different type of New Year’s Resolution post — one that focused on more balance, joy and play rather than deprivation, which is the usual theme. 

What I’ve discovered over the years is that if I don’t check back in on what I wrote down, then the process of writing down goals or resolutions — new year’s or otherwise — doesn’t do a bit of good.

So, let’s have a check in, shall we? How are you doing in your quest for more balance, joy and play?

To refresh your memories, here is the list of items to pursue with abandon in this glorious year, 2012.

What should you Do More of in 2012:

1. Laugh (to the verge if incontinence)
2. Play (like your life depends on it)
3. Dance (whether there is music or not)
4. Hike
5. Skip
6. Hop
7. Jump (for joy)
8. Frolic
9. Make time for your friends
10. Garden
11. Walk barefoot
12. Sing
13. Soak in a bubble bath
14. Stargaze
15. Camp
16. Make s’mores
17. Bike
18. Cook
19. Be kind
20. Travel
21. Try new things
22. Trust yourself
23. Shoot for the stars
24. Be fearless
25. Dust yourself off and begin again

What have you been doing to make sure you put some LIFE into living?! Please share.

I took a break from blogging for a few weeks to regain some balance. It was really important to give myself that time to have some fun and make time for friends and play. Definitely recharged my batteries.

Play on, my dear friends. Your life, as it turns out, depends on it.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

 photo credit: wolleydog

Howdy my favorite nature detectives! I’ve been on a bit of a blogging break, working on some other projects. But I’m back, and ready to get my critter on! Hope you are, too.

Put those noodles to the test with this wildlife mystery.  And remember — no peaking at the answer before you take your guess! 

CRITTER CLUES:

1. OK, I’m stinky, but calling me “foul” is just not nice!
2. I am a fan of slow moving fresh water.
3. Rotting logs play an important role in my life.
4. I have a long, flexible neck.
5. If you don’t see me where you live, you can certainly see one of my cousins.

Make your guess then go here for the answer and more interesting facts.

Did you get it right? 

If not, no worries. You will have another chance soon!

Remember, when looking for wildlife, keep your eyes and ears open! Look high and low, and most importantly, enjoy yourself.

Exploring the natural world with children is a special treat. Get lost in the wonder and awe that only Mother Nature can provide.

What critters can you spot in your neck of the woods? Be sure to tell us!

And don’t forget! Join the Wildobs community and share your wild adventures with the world.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

 Top photo credit: downing.amanda

Howdy my favorite nature detectives! It’s time for the very first Mystery Critter of 2012. My how time flies!

Nature. Wildlife. Critters. Life just isn’t the same without them — especially childhood. That’s what inspired my Mystery Critter series oh so long ago.

So put on your best thinking caps and let’s get to it. And remember — no peaking at the answer before you take your guess!

CRITTER CLUES:

1. You can see me or one of my cousins in most of North America.
2. I can make my home in a variety of habitats — meadows, forests, grasslands, swamps and prairies.
3. I am a favorite of children.
4. I am solitary.
5. I can run up to 15 miles per hour.

Make your guess then go here for the answer and more interesting facts. Or here, for an even deeper look.

Did you get it right? 

If not, no worries. You will have another chance soon!

For some extra fun for the kids, check out the great site Earth Rangers. Critters really are amazing!

Remember, when looking for wildlife, keep your eyes and ears open! Look high and low, and most importantly, enjoy yourself.

Exploring the natural world with children is a special treat. Get lost in the wonder and awe that only Mother Nature can provide.

What critters can you spot in your neck of the woods? Be sure to tell us!

And don’t forget! Join the Wildobs community and share your wild adventures with the world.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: USFWS Mountain Prairie

photo credit: celine nadeau

This year, instead of vowing to go to the gym more or give up caffeine, make a resolution that will impact your physical and mental health and that of your children – PLAY MORE!

Make a resolution to:

1. Get down on the floor and play with your kids more often.
2. Pick up a new hobby or dust off an old one.
3. Laugh harder and dream bigger.
4. Start a garden in your yard, on a balcony or in window boxes.
5. Get in the kitchen and cook with your kids. Start a family recipe book together!
6. Unplug and connect with your family. Substitute game night for another night in front of the TV.
7. Spend more time in nature – hike, ride a bike, camp, fish – whatever you and your family enjoy.

Need a little inspiration? Check out this beautiful video that will have you ready to head outdoors and enjoy a beautiful day with the children in your world.

Happy, happy 2012, my friends! xoxo

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

TGSG Note: It’s time for my yearly “ask” from Santa. Fingers crossed! xoxo- Bethe

Dear Santa:

In light of the economy, I am keeping my list rather short this year. (Um, that is, unless the  Sir Ken Robinson action figure I have been dreaming about has finally become a reality. If so, please put that near at the top of my list. If you think about it, 11 really is a reasonable number.)

I promise I have been a good fairly well-behaved girl this year. Surely you cannot will not hold a little road rage spirited comment action in the direction of morons on the road other drivers against a nice girl like me.

Anyway, so back to my list — there’s one more thing: I would like to share these gifts with all my readers and all the kids in the world, too. (Well, except the Sir Ken Robinson action figure, should it become available. I suspect that might cause some head-scratching and quizzical looks across the globe.)

Hope this is  not too much to ask, but I think you will agree — they are all really MUST haves. (And BIG thanks for the extra space in the sleigh this year!)

All I want for Christmas is:

1. The perfect stick for roasting marshmallows
2. A rainbow in the sky over a glorious rain puddle
3. Cool moss under my feet
4. Sand between my toes
5. The perfect red maple leaf to press in a book
6. Berries, ripe for the picking
7. Good kite-flying weather this spring
8. Lots of earthworms in the garden soil
9. A jar with holes punched in the lid for catching (and releasing) critters
10. A shiny new nature journal

xoxo – The Grass Stain Guru

PS: Love to Mrs. Claus and the reindeer. (Especially Vixen, who let’s face it, gets a bit of a bad wrap.)

PPS: The home-baked cookies should not be seen as a bribe. But, did you notice I carefully I coordinated their little outfits? Just sayin’.

 photo credit: GlynisArt

Challenge Update:  I am excited to tell you all that the #XmasBoxChallenge now has prizes thanks to the nice folks at OgoSport! See below for details! Have a creative and happy holiday, all! ~ Bethe 

I have a challenge for you all. 

After the paper is all torn and the bows are tossed aside. After the stockings are empty, their booty blundered by skilled hands, no matter how small. After the buzz of Christmas fades into night and the hangover from all of the holiday excess kicks in (for kids and adults alike!), I want you to step back and get back to basics.

Here’s my idea…

Take the Christmas Box Challenge!

1. Gather all the cardboard boxes leftover from the holiday bonanza. Big, small — whatever you have.

2. For younger children, they should need no encouragement — just let them at the boxes and see what they get up to. Push them, build forts, create puppet theaters and everything in between.

3. Get tweens, teens and the adults in on the fun too! Make it a bit of a contest. Set a 60 minute time limit see who comes up with the most outstanding cardboard box creation!  Set up as many categories as you like — most useful, funniest, etc.

4. Share your Christmas cardboard box creations with me — and Twitter! Use the hashtag #XmasBoxChallenge — and post pictures if you can! If you have a blog, I would love for you to challenge your readers to join us and post about your family’s Christmas Box Challenge.

Prizes:

• 1st prize: $100 + an OgoBild POD set + 1 Mezo Disk Set
•  2nd prize: $50 + An OgoBild POD set
• 3rd Prize: An OgoBild POD set

Deadline: 

To be considered for the prizes, all entries must be posted by January 2nd. 2012.

How to enter: 

There are three ways you can enter The Christmas Box Challenge and enter to win great prizes!

1. Tweet pictures of your creations with the hash tag #XmasBoxChallenge

2. Post pictures of your creations to OgoSport’s Facebook page and tag them #XmasBoxChallenge.

3. Blog about how your family took the challenge! Post a comment with a link to this post and/or post a link to your blog post to OgoSport’s Facebook page and tag them #XmasBoxChallenge.

Want to see just how fun a box can be? Check out Simon’s Cat. And trust me, us humans find them just as entertaining when we give ourselves permission to PLAY like we mean it.

Look, even advertisers get the magic of a cardboard box!

I would love to see this idea really take off, and even become a holiday tradition. Help me spread the idea and don’t forget to use the #XmasBoxChallenge hash tag.

Happy holidays, my friends. You mean the world to me. xoxo

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

Dear beloved readers and friends:

Thanks for spending this play-filled year with me. For every tree you climbed, fort you built, trail you hiked. For everything that required crayons, glue and glitter. For every Mystery Critter case you cracked. For every belly laugh and gasp of awe-struck wonder you uttered. For every minute of playful spirit you modeled for those around you, I thank you. Gold stars and grass stains to you all! 

Here’s a little fun I’ve cooked up for you this holiday season. xoxo Bethe

On the 12th day of Christmas TGSG gave to me:

12 perfect snowflakes
11 stones a skipping 

10 stars a twinkling

9 children giggling
8 frogs a croaking
7 kites a flying
6 rainbows gleaming
5 forts to build
4 scampering squirrels
3 trees to climb
2 box turtles

And a grass stain on each knee!

No matter what you believe, or don’t, the holiday season is truly special.

May yours be filled with much love and laughter, and warmest wishes for a happy, healthy 2012!

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

<— Little GSG with her trusty stick. (In case you are wondering, I finally grew into that chin.)

 photo credit: seelensturm

8 – 0. 80. This is our 80th case together — can you believe it?!

Nature. Wildlife. Critters. Life just isn’t the same without them — especially childhood. That’s what inspired my Mystery Critter series oh so long ago.

So put on your best thinking caps and let’s get to it. And remember — no peaking at the answer before you take your guess!

CRITTER CLUES:

1. I am a real beauty (um, if I do say so myself!)
2. I will be hard to spot this time of year since I tend to head to Mexico for the winter
3. My name sounds like it was given to me by an artist
4. I like to be by the water
5. In the summer, you can find me in parks and open woodlands

Make your guess then go here for the answer and more interesting facts.

Did you get it right? 

If not, no worries. You will have another chance soon!

For some extra fun for the kids, check out the great site Earth Rangers. Critters really are amazing!

Remember, when looking for wildlife, keep your eyes and ears open! Look high and low, and most importantly, enjoy yourself.

Exploring the natural world with children is a special treat. Get lost in the wonder and awe that only Mother Nature can provide.

What critters can you spot in your neck of the woods? Be sure to tell us!

And don’t forget! Join the Wildobs community and share your wild adventures with the world.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

 photo credit: Mr Lujan!

Nature. Wildlife. Critters. Life just isn’t the same without them — especially childhood. That’s what inspired my Mystery Critter series oh so long ago. And here we are at our 79th case together. Can you believe it?!

So put on your best thinking caps and let’s get to it. And remember — no peaking at the answer before you take your guess!

CRITTER CLUES:

So what am I?! 

Make your guess then go here for the answer and more interesting facts.

Did you get it right? 

If not, no worries. You will have another chance soon!

For some extra fun for the kids, check out the great site Earth Rangers. Critters really are amazing!

Remember, when looking for wildlife, keep your eyes and ears open! Look high and low, and most importantly, enjoy yourself.

Exploring the natural world with children is a special treat. Get lost in the wonder and awe that only Mother Nature can provide.

What critters can you spot in your neck of the woods? Be sure to tell us!

And don’t forget! Join the Wildobs community and share your wild adventures with the world.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

 photo credit: matsber

“Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all of their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them.” ~ The Audubon Nature Preschool

It’s that time again  – time to put your wildlife knowledge to the test with this week’s Mystery Critter.

So, let’s get down to business, y’all. Put on those thinking caps and remember — no cheating! 

CRITTER CLUES:

• My habitat is marshes, swamps, forests and woodlands
• I am typically brown or orangish brown
• I am bigger that my common cousin
• One of my subspecies is on the endangered species list
• I have been introduced in states like California and Washington

So, what am I?! 

Make your guess then go here for the answer and more interesting facts.

Did you get it right? 

If not, no worries. You will have another chance soon!

Remember, when looking for wildlife, keep your eyes and ears open! Look high and low, and most importantly, enjoy yourself.

Exploring the natural world with children is a special treat. Get lost in the wonder and awe that only Mother Nature can provide.

What critters can you spot in your neck of the woods? Be sure to tell us!

And don’t forget! Join the Wildobs community and share your wild adventures with the world.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

 photo credit: Tim & Selena Middleton