For many of us, COVID-19 has upended our lives as we once knew them. It has disrupted our schedules, our plans, our work, our goals, our motivation…everything. It’s okay not to be okay right now.
I wrote this song just as much for grown-ups as I did for children. Whether you’re a parent figuring out how to balance parenting with working from home, a small business owner struggling to stay afloat, a teacher providing distance education, or anyone else who is having a hard time right now, this is my love letter to you.
Shaking Up Goals (and Achieving Them!) with Fruit Shakers
If there’s one kind of instrument I can’t live without, it has to be the fruit shakers. These fun and colorful instruments hold so many possibilities and bring a smile to everyone’s face.
Pairing the catchy song “Shaky Fruit Salad” with these musical apples, oranges, lemons and bananas is a great way to mix up boring old egg shakers, while still addressing many important developmental goals!
{GGB 63} Meet My Co-Host: Jaime Lawrence
In case you haven’t listened to my most recent episodes of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast, here’s my big news: I have a new co-host!
Jaime Lawrence, a fellow music therapist and mama of 3 from Jackson, Michigan, has officially joined me on the podcast, and I’m so excited to introduce her to you.
I Want You To Have It All
It’s been a whirlwind of birthdays in my family over the last few weeks. My daughter turned 3 at the end of May, followed by my own birthday at the beginning of June, and culminating with my son’s 5th birthday just a few days later.
Every birthday feels like a milestone while my children are this young, but 5 was an especially big one. At 5, Parker is no longer a little kid, a preschooler…he is officially school-aged and heading to kindergarten in a couple months. Admittedly, 5 brought on a whole lot of emotions for this mama.
Using the Ocean Drum in Music Therapy
Hi everyone! My name is Cacia King, and I’m going to be writing to you every week about all the goal-based songs available to you through Listen & Learn Music. I’ve been a member of Listen & Learn Plus for over 2 years, and now as a part of the Listen & Learn team, I’m so excited that I’ll get to share how I use these awesome resources regularly in my therapy sessions.
Here’s all you need to know about me: I’ve been a board-certified music therapist for three years, I am from New Hampshire, and I love to sing, tap dance, and drink iced coffee.
I work with children who have special needs, and love being silly and making music every day with all my kiddos. I hope that I can inspire you to try new songs and adapt them to meet the unique needs of the children with whom you work!
Ok, so now onto the good stuff. What song am I really into this week? Well, summer is here to stay, which means it’s time for beach days and splashing in the pool. And what better way to get into the summer spirit than by playing the ocean drum?
It’s Baaaack: A New Season of the Guitars & Granola Bars Podcast!
When I came up with the idea for the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast (in the shower, where all my good ideas manifest) back in December 2014, I couldn’t wait to make it happen. No matter that I was 5 months pregnant and already running 2 businesses — I had a goal.
The podcast launched just a few weeks later in January 2015, and I was off to the races. For that first year, I faithfully released a new episode every single Friday…including the week my daughter was born. I kept up this pace until I couldn’t anymore, and started making changes in my life for my own mental and emotional health.
Unfortunately, it was Guitars & Granola Bars that took a backseat to my other work priorities, though I always intended to come back to the podcast when I was ready. There were a couple times when I tried to make another go of it, but it wasn’t meant to be. Until now.
Mia Belle at 3
It’s official: we no longer have a toddler in our house. This big girl turned 3 years old, which ends an era for the Rambachs. And while I will miss the toddler years, I already know how much fun this next stage is thanks to her big brother.
As a fresh 3-year-old, Mia Belle’s personality is bigger and brighter than ever. She’s still a total mama’s girl, but she’s getting more and more independent by the day. I took her to a fairytale princess party over Memorial Day weekend, and she happily sat with all the other little girls in the center of the room, not minding one bit that I wasn’t in view. A little bittersweet for this mama, but I’m so proud of her for coming out of her shell.
Unboxing Your Life
Yesterday I listened to a podcast episode about the benefits of living an adventurous life. The entire episode was really interesting, but what stayed with me was this idea, which I’m paraphrasing:
When you spend time indoors, your thoughts, issues and problems are confined to the four walls of the room you’re in. But when you go outside, those things are no longer confined. You can let them go and give yourself the space needed to find clarity.
Those words hit me like a ton of bricks.
Pass the Rainstick Round and Round
The rainstick is one of those instruments I don’t bring out often, but when I do, it’s always a hit. We’ve been playing them in our Listen & Learn classes this past month, which means my “Rainstick Round” song has been put to good use.
The Big K
Wasn’t I telling you about Parker starting part-time daycare just yesterday?
At least, it seems like just yesterday we were taking that big leap. But that was actually almost 4 years ago, when he was turning 18 months old. Now he’s approaching his 5th birthday, and kindergarten is on the horizon.
Filtering Out the Noise
About a month ago, I did something a little crazy: I deleted the Facebook app from my phone. Not only that, but I also installed a Chrome extension on my computer that prevents my newsfeed from showing up when I visit the Facebook website.
So what inspired this Facebook fast? The truth is, my brain was tired. And overloaded with information. And sick of negativity. Despite having experienced those feelings for months (years?), I still found myself scrolling endlessly far too often, and I knew it had to stop.