Anytime Activities

• Mind games. Do a suduko puzzle, crossword puzzle, word search, trivia questions, riddles, logic puzzles, word jumble, etc. Struggle together or compete in a mini-tournament. http://www.gamesforthebrain.com/



• Pop quiz. Do a magazine quiz together or find one online. The topics are usually frivolous and fun like “What animal are you most like” or “How creative are you?” Or take a personality test together. These can be fantastic tools for Friends to get to know themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to relate better to others. These often ask questions that they’ve never considered before. My favorite is the Kiersey Temperament Sorter. People love talking and learning about themselves this can be done several times with different quizzes. http://www.keirsey.com/ or http://www.personalitytype.com/quiz.asp



• Interpret dreams. Get a dream symbols book or a dream dictionary online. Look up dream meanings together and maybe keep a dream journal for a few weeks – it should improve your connection to subconscious creativity! http://www.dreamhawk.com/d-dic.htm

Conversation Starter Questions

Having trouble getting a good conversation going with your friend? Try these Conversation Starter Questions:


- How would you design your dream house?
- If you had $1000 to spend in one day, what would you spend it on?
- How do you act when you want to avoid doing something?

ARE YOU THERE?

Are you reading the blog? If you can see this check the box below that says "cool"... I want to see if anybody is reading :)

SURVIVING THE SUPERMARKET

5 Tips to Stretch Your Food Dollar:

1. Pick up the coupon newspaper insert when you walk in the store
2. Know what you need before you go
3. Don't shop when you're hungry
4. Buy sale items that you can use for multiple meals: like pasta, rice, etc
5. Avoid impulse shopping - be aware that display items may tempt you

10 HEALTHY FOODS THAT COST LESS THAN $1

• Eggs
• Potatoes
• Apples
• Nuts
• Bananas
• Brocolli
• Milk
• Pasta
• Oatmeal
• Rice

Cooking foods from scratch can seem complicated but you will save money and avoid all of the junk in prepackaged foods - plus you will throw away less trash. Good for your body and the environment.

EFFECTIVE MENTORS

Mentoring is effective when mentors invest their time, talents, and care to create a genuine friendship with a youth. A mentor can help create a community of support by offering advice, stability during crisis, and referrals to community resources. Youth will benefit from involvement with a positive adult role model who honors their ideas, values, and choices as they transition to independence.

EFFECTIVE MENTORS:
· Maintain a steady presence in their Friend’s life through good times and bad
· Respect their Friend’s viewpoint, values, and need for self-mastery
· Have fun in the relationship – play, laugh, and genuinely appreciate each other
· Help inform and provide resources that allow Friends to make their own decisions
· Rely on the support and assistance from the mentor team and the program