Reverse Trick-Or-Treating: The Perfect Way to Celebrate Halloween While Spreading Joy and Community10/12/2017
While technically Halloween is on the 31st, everyone knows that the joy of terror, horror, and benevolent transgressions must be celebrated for the entire month of October.
I started my month by thinking about these adorable and ridiculous Halloween shoes. But soon, I started seeing elaborate displays in some of my neighbors' yards.
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So I had another Pretty Little Liars dream last night.
After an entire adolescence of having my every move watched by a mysterious hooded figure, I was on the cusp of unmasking A. And I wasn't going to do anything idiotic, like hide in a dark shed, alone, unarmed and in heels, to confront my omniscient stalker. Then all my friends turned up dead.
"I peed on the campfire last night, and it steamed my lady parts," I told my backpacking companions last night, in what I thought would be a helpful contribution to a conversation about relieving oneself in nature.
The response was one I'd already heard several times that weekend: "Eva! You're... something else." I suppose it could be argued that I'm socially awkward -- though I definitely don't feel that way. And I'm pretty sure most people don't see me that way. Why? Just because you say and do awkward things... doesn't mean you have to be awkward or unpleasant to be around. Taylor Swift's New Single "Look What You Made Me Do" Is the ULTIMATE Example of A/B Testing8/25/2017
When I did my master's research on adult playfulness and leisure skill development, I spent, like, forever trying to recruit 60 people to participate in a study. Then I entered the startup world and learned about CRM (customer relationship management) software, marketing automation -- and even just A/B testing (sometimes called split testing), which is when you compare two versions of a web page (or marketing email, or whatever) to see which one performs better. This allows you to maximize your reach and chances of success by making data-driven decisions.
And this is exactly what Taylor Swift has done with her new single, Look What You Made Me Do.
Sometimes, spaces look playful... but you can't actually play in them. image: reddit
Don't get me wrong. I love ball pits as much as the next guy. I spent pretty much every afternoon of my childhood at Chuck E. Cheese (and, unlike kids today, I actually got to run around and play by myself while the parents drank pitchers of beer). I'm all about play, and I'm stoked that so many Silicon Valley startups want ball pits. But here's the thing: many designers and office managers think their job is complete once they've got that ball pit installed. Creating a playful office space requires more than that.
"It is a happy talent to know how to play," Ralph Waldo Emerson once said. And, unlike many well-known adages that were later proven wrong ("money can't buy happiness"; "don't compare yourself to others"; "don't praise your daughter's looks"), Emerson was exactly right.
Playfulness is a skill -- not a trait. Yet, because of changes in parenting styles and culture, many children no longer learn how to play. In fact, thanks to helicopter parenting, children are no longer learning a lot of things.
I came to Southeast Asia for two reasons: surfing, and scuba diving. But, totally unexpectedly, the highlight of my trip so far has been a two-day slow boat cruise down the Mekong River, from Thailand to the center of Laos.
Let me start by saying that I was LaCroix for Halloween, and that was the best possible costume for 2016. Young, urban professionals are obsessed with LaCroix -- even though, honestly, it’s not that good.
I do enjoy drinking it, though, and LaCroix is the closest I’ve ever come to liking a soft drink. Which sets me apart from many other Americans, who, collectively, consume over 10 billion gallons of soft drinks per year. That’s a lot of gallons -- which begs the question, what are the environmental implications of these beverages?
Video games are addictive -- literally. Kids have died, gotten obese, or contracted scurvy from this addiction. Others spend enough time at their console before the start of high school... that they basically could have completed several college degrees, had they spent that time reading, learning and discussing.
So why don't they? Because, although many teachers are great educators... they just don't understand motivation the way video game companies do. |
About the Author
Eva is a content specialist with a passion for play, travel... and a little bit of girl power. Read more >
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