Show Notes:

December 10, 2020 | Podcast Club “Brené with Emily and Amelia Nagoski on Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle”

For this HSS Episode, Megan, Samantha, & Julie discussed the October 14th Episode of Unlocking Us with Brené Brown, in which Brené interviews authors Emily and Amelia Nagoski.

About Emily & Amelia Nagoski, from the Episode webpage:

“Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., is a sex educator and author of the New York Times bestseller, Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life. Her job is to teach people to live with confidence and joy in their bodies. Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A. (Doctorate of Musical Arts), is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music at Western New England University. Her job is to run around waving her arms and making funny noises and generally doing whatever it takes to help singers get in touch with their internal experience. In that way, her work is very much like Emily’s. Emily’s Masters’ degree is in counseling and Amelia’s is in choral conducting; one day they realized they both got graduate degrees in how to listen and feel feelings, which maybe says something about their childhood?

They both live in New England with a variety of cats, dogs, and spouses. Yes, they’re twins. Yes, they’re identical. Yes, one time they pretended to be each other; it did not go well.”

Emily & Amelia Nagoski’s book is Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.

About the book, from the Episode show notes:

“Burnout. We all feel it, and it’s time to end the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between women and well-being, this book explains with compassion and optimism what we’re up against—and show us how to fight back. With the help of eye-opening science, prescriptive advice, and helpful worksheets and exercises, all women will find something transformative in these pages—and will be empowered to create positive change.”

We absolutely loved making this Episode and more importantly, we feel like our lives were improved by what we learned from Brené’s discussion with the Nagoskis. We hope you’ll listen to it too, and let us know what you thought about it! Email us @ homesweetsalida@gmail.com.

November 26, 2020 | How to (Pandemic) Holiday

Special thanks to our guest for this Episode - Hope Delarue, co-owner of Molehills Estate Services!

Also, in case you’re looking for an added recipe to your pandemic cooking arsenal, here’s the “famous” vegetarian lasagna recipe that Hope loves!

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna from Julia’s Album:

April 16, 2020 | Our Teachers During COVID

Special thanks to all the incredible educators who participated in this Episode!

Host Megan Lombardo conducted phone interviews with: Molly Gallagher, Elementary 1 Lead Guide at Salida Montessori Charter School; Cara Rosingana, Teacher at Horizons Exploratory Academy; Samantha Bahn, Teacher at The Crest Academy; and Josh Bechtel, Teacher at Salida High School.

Kathi Wardlow, Director of Children’s Discovery Ranch, submitted a voice memo recording for this Episode.

We also received emails from Britt Searles, Teacher at Salida High School; Teresa Slate, 1st Grade Teacher at Longfellow Elementary School; and Chuck McKenna, Principal of Longfellow Elementary School.

Because we could not include our email submissions in their entirety during our recorded Episode, we’re posting them here as they were originally submitted to us:

• “When I heard school was cancelled indefinitely, my first thoughts were of the seniors.  I am a senior adviser, and my small advisory has been a group, for better or worse, since they were freshmen. I've seen them change from awkward freshmen to adult humans, and I really, really wanted to see them come full circle. I wanted to hear the whispers about senior skip day, and find out what they'd planned for the senior prank, watch them at scholarship night, and see them in their caps and gowns. I wanted to see them walk across the gym floor, diplomas in hand, while I embarrassed myself by crying and grinning simultaneously. 

  My next thought? How in the **** are we going to pull this off?

  My day to day schedule has changed drastically, and in fact has slowed down. I check email obsessively in case there is a question from a student or a message from admin. I battle unfamiliar technology in order to plan meaningful lessons which are accessible to all students, even though all of my students have varying levels of internet access and computer acumen.

  Which leads to the next question: Hardest part of the transition? Me, a chair, and a screen. Oh, the irony of spending hours telling students to get off their phones, only to spend all of my day seated in front of a screen.  I really miss teaching face-to-face. 

  I've also been reminding myself of the silver linings - 

  1. Research shows teenagers need more sleep, and that school should start later in the morning. Maybe this will allow us to rethink our whole educational system?

  2. I can pee whenever I need to. 

  Thanks for the opportunity to share.

  -Britt Searles”

• “I was shocked, sad, and confused. It happened so fast. I had so many fun things prepped and ready for the following weeks. I was disappointed that we wouldn't get to do these things. I then moved onto the panicked stage realizing I was not experienced in the vast world of technology and distance learning. Then I moved onto the motivated stage. I realized the best thing to do with all of this nervous energy was to get myself (somewhat) educated and prepped for our new reality. Finally, I missed my students. I so badly wanted to go see them and get one more hug. 

  My days (which include the weekends to keep up with the new workload) are now spent with my 2 daughters (2yo and 4yo) while my husband works the morning shift. My afternoons - and sometimes late nights - are spent in front of a computer, researching, creating lessons, responding to emails, and collaborating with my colleagues. I get to see the amazing work my students are doing each day. I am proud of my student's (and parent's) ability to adjust. I also get to see and hear my "kids" via Zoom each day. We get to giggle together, I get to read them books, we watch science videos and discuss what we are learning, and we take time to dance and be silly because that is so important right now. 

  Getting to see and hear my kids (students) daily has changed my attitude and it brings me so much joy each day. This keeps me motivated to make distance learning a positive experience. I am so proud of the work my students and parents have put into learning new systems, setting new routines, and adjusting to this way of schooling. It's impressive - GO SALIDA!

  I think the initial shock and adjustments were the hardest for me and my family. It was difficult to learn new programs and systems while simultaneously assisting families to learn these as well. It was a group effort in the first couple of weeks and I'm so thankful for the flexibility and patience everyone offered. I learned I am terrible at tech support. Now that the ball is rolling and everyone is connected, we are into a routine and that helps. I'm able to manage my time and prioritize things much easier. 

  -Teresa Slate”

• “The Superintendent and all of the principals met a lot to figure out how we were going to address this situation with everyone in the District. We listened carefully to Public Health and the Governor of Colorado. It was surprising then and it still is difficult today to grasp what is happening to us as a school district, as a community and as a country and world. I was worried about each of our Longfellow students. We have a wonderful group of students who come to school here every day to learn the basics in Reading, Writing and Math, which are very important to being successful in life and we do that very well here. There are so many things we do together and learn from each other; social and emotional skills, Music, Art, healthy Physical Education habits, technology skills, using and loving the library, healthy eating habits, and so many other things.  We support our students by providing breakfast and lunch, counseling support when it is needed, academic and social support for those who need it, regular exercise, and extra challenges for those that need that. 

  I come into an empty school every morning still and work a full day that consists of many video calls, problem solving as we create a new system of distance learning, and checking in with our extraordinary teachers and staff to support every student in our system.

  I miss seeing our students every day and the adults that care for them so well.

  I have both of my daughters home from college, so I have more time with both of them and my wife. I am once again amazed at how this Salida community works together to support families and those in need and I am inspired by the effort families are making to support their children in the midst of this huge change. 

  -Chuck McKenna” 

We want to hear from YOU! Are you a teacher, faculty or staff member, or administrator at a school in our community? Send us your story to homesweetsalida@gmail.com so we can include it here in our ‘Show Notes’!

March 19, 2020 | Coronavirus in Chaffee County with Dan Lombardo & Julie Anderson

March 26, 2020 | UPDATED Coronavirus in Chaffee County with Dan Lombardo & Julie Anderson

Some information from Chaffee County Public Health re: Things you can do with kids to avoid COVID-19

Local and Global Health Departments are asking for “social distancing” strategies that include canceling gatherings such as concerts, festivals, playtime, sports events, story times, and other gatherings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus. With so many closures and cancellations, parents are juggling extra variables to keep the kids happy and healthy. For some it may be a rare occasion where everyone stays at home.  If you are scratching your head, here is a helpful list of activities to help make the best use of your time.  Glued to your smartphones is not on this list.   

• How to talk to your younger kids about Coronavirus & COVID-19: /just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus 

• Board Games: Dust off the Monopoly, CLUE, Pictionary and get some quality family interaction.

• Cooking: Whip up a storm in the kitchen. Cooking is a life skill and is useful to any age group.  Make something unique or teach kids to make their own egg.

• Exercise with fun music dance videos on YouTube: look up your favorite type of music and dances that go with those tunes!

• 12 Famous Museums Virtual Tours you can take on your couch! https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours

• Crafts: Kids asking for new toys?  Have them try to make its best version themselves! Use toilet and paper towel tubes, glue, paper bags.   Paint rocks for the spring garden. Make cards for friends and family. 

• Do It Yourself (DIY) Projects: Time to clean that garage? Paint that dull room a new color? Build a garden planter box for spring.  This is your time to get started. 

• Give toys a bubble bath: help your kids care for their favorite (water proof!) toys.

• Family Goals: When was the last time you set goals as family?  Check out these helpful steps — https://happyyouhappyfamily.com/family-goal-setting/

• Kids asking for new toys?  Have them try to make its best version themselves! Use toilet and paper towel tubes, glue, paper bags.   Paint rocks for the spring garden. Make cards for friends and family. 

• Do It Yourself (DIY) Projects: Time to clean that garage? Paint that dull room a new color? Build a garden planter box for spring.  This is your time to get started. 

• Give toys a bubble bath: help your kids care for their favorite (water proof!) toys.

• Family Goals: When was the last time you set goals as family?  Check out these helpful steps -https://happyyouhappyfamily.com/family-goal-setting/

During this Episode, you’ll hear Dr. Dan Lombardo refer to an article in the Washington Post that he found particularly interesting & information. Here’s a link to that article: Why Outbreaks Like Coronavirus Spread Exponentially, and How To “Flatten The Curve

We also chat with mental health clinician Julie Anderson in this Episode, and she describes a fantastic mindfulness exercise that you can do yourself and with your families. Here’s a great infographic that explains it in more detail (image via):

January 9, 2020 | Nurturing Parenting with FYI’s Monica Haskell & Tom McConaghy

Many thanks again to Monica & Tom from FYI for coming to talk to us about the countless programs and services they offer! And for giving us the kick in the pants we needed to have tough conversations with our kids at any age!

Here are a couple of links to some of the websites they mentioned on the episode:

• Speak Now! Colorado - From their website: “Speak Now Colorado hopes you will talk with your children early and often about alcohol, marijuana, prescription medications, and other drugs. The information here will spark ideas for the best times and places to talk. It will also help you choose language your children will understand, based on their age.”

• Chaffee County’s Family and Youth Initiatives (FYI) - From their website: “Family and Youth Initiatives (FYI) is the prevention division within Chaffee County Department of Human Services, with a focus on providing evidence-based prevention resources for children, youth, and families in Chaffee County.”

October 24, 2019 | Exploring the Enneagram, Episode 11

As promised, here’s a link to the Enneagram quiz that we all took in preparation for this episode. If you haven’t already taken the quiz, take it at the above link and let us know what you got! Email us @ homesweetsalida@gmail.com.

Also, we found some fun articles about music as it relates to the Enneagram that we referred to when choosing songs to use in this Episode. Here are those sites:

• This is The Song of Your Enneagram Type from Thought Catalog

• Songs for Each Enneagram Type from The Enneagram in Business

Finally, we didn’t include this anywhere in the Episode, but Julie stumbled across it and shared it with all of us and I’ve been binge-listening to it ever since: a whole album of original songs based on the nine different Enneagram types.

September 26, 2019 | Risky Behaviors, Episode 9—

We’re so grateful to Bev Orrill and Julie Nutter from Chaffee County Public Health for being with us for this episode. I wish I could say here that since the recording of this episode, vaping and HPV have been completely eliminated from our society! But alas, that’s not the case. In fact, here’s an update from Bev:

“I am sure you have seen the latest news. We now have 530 cases of lung disease and 8 confirmed deaths in 38 states. NY is the first state to ban all flavors except menthol. This crisis just gets scarier and scarier! We certainly won’t let this public health crisis go to waste. I am speaking to the high school teachers this morning and will be with the county administrators next week. Let’s hope we can make some progress.”

Here’s some important resources for youth looking for help with vaping:

• secondchancetobacco.org

• coyouthquitline.org

• teen.smokefree.gov

• Text “DITCHJUUL” to 887-09

• becomeanex.org

And here are some different resources for more support from Julie, including details for CPPH’s ‘Dinner and a Movie’ HPV prevention program:

• Colorado Crisis Services (1-844-493-TALK): If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs help dealing with one, call this toll-free number 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255 to speak to a trained professional. Chat services are also available from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily at coloradocrisisservices.org.

• The Trevor Project: September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s also the time of year many students are returning to school. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10–19 in the U.S. yet 48 states are missing key components to suicide prevention policies in their schools, such as teacher trainings, intervention guidelines, policies in support of high risk youth, and more. Our trained counselors are here to support you 24/7. If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk, call the Trevor Lifeline now at 1-866-488-7386. This is specifically for LGBTQ youth.

• Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) is excited to launch its first Dinner and a Movie initiative that will invite community members and groups to rent a health-related movie for free and receive a $30 gift card for dinner from a variety of local restaurants. The first movie opportunity will be “Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic” which takes viewers through the journey of five women whose lives have been changed forever by the deadly Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV is a common virus that can lead to 6 types of cancers later in life. HPV infections are common- nearly all men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. Nearly 80 million Americans, including teens, become infected each year. HPV is spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact. Most HPV infections (9 out of 10) go away by themselves within two years. However, some HPV infections last longer and can cause certain types of cancers, including oral cancer. The good news is that there is a vaccine to prevent HPV, and it is easily accessible at the Chaffee County Public Health Department, from your primary care provider, and Planned Parenthood. “Getting the HPV vaccine is cancer prevention,” states Julie Nutter, CCPH Oral Health Program Director.

  Through grant funding from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)’s Oral Health Program, CCPH is excited to launch the first of several documentaries that highlight health promotion and disease prevention. CCPH’s Oral Health Program encourages everyone who is interested in learning more about HPV, oral health and cancer, and the HPV vaccine to take out the movie from CCPH’s Salida office, treat themselves and their loved ones to dinner with a $30 gift card, and reach out to an expert panel with any questions or further conversation regarding the topic. There will be a 4-question survey accompanying the DVD. A DVD player is available to borrow from CCPH as well. This campaign will be offered to a variety of parenting/youth programs and to the general public. To participate in CCPH’s Dinner and a Movie series and rent “Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic” contact CCPH at 719-530-4510 or the Chaffee County Oral Health program at 719-530-2570.

August 29, 2019 | Postpartum Stories, Episode 7—

We were thrilled to have Lorraine Redmond, Breastfeeding Project Coordinator for Chaffee County Public Health, as our special guest for this Episode. She brought her memories of her own postpartum experiences, and helped us to relive our own. We are so grateful for all the support she offers mothers in our community. Click here for more information about the CCPH Breastfeeding Project.

We also wanted to include here the 2019-2020 Breastfeeding Resource Guide, created by the Chaffee County Breastfeeding Coalition. Even though the title suggests just “breastfeeding”, this is truly the ultimate directory of all the prenatal and postpartum resources you could ever need in our community, regardless of breastfeeding.

August 1, 2019 | Birth Order, Episode 5—

In this episode, we talked about the phenomenon of ‘Birth Order’. As part of our research for the episode we took a couple online quizzes that were supposed to accurately determine our birth order. For some of us, they were spot on; for others, they left much to be desired. So now it’s your turn! Take the quizzes and let us know if they got you right! Are you quintessentially your birth order? Were you surprised by your answers? It may not be rocket science, but hey, it’s good clean fun. :)

QUIZ: What’s Your Birth Order Personality from Parents: from Parents Magazine

QUIZ: We Can Guess Your Birth Order With 9 Questions: from Buzzfeed

June 13, 2019 | Summer in Salida, Episode 2—

We talked about a lot of awesome programs available for kids and families during the summer in this Episode, and we wanted to make sure to put all of that info here on the website so you could reference it. We’ll also be updating this section throughout the summer with other programs that YOU tell us about! So, if there’s something missing from this list, please let us know by emailing us at homesweetsalida@gmail.com.

Salida Creativity Lab: Summer Art Programs

2019 Art and Theatre Summer Camp Registration is now open! Salida Creativity Lab proudly presents the 4th annual season of summer art and theatre camps for children! Explore art, theatre, dive into an imaginative theme using literature, visual arts and crafts, drama, movement, and music! Explore art mediums and techniques as you paint, draw, create, or perform. Learn about famous works of art or literature. Bring imaginative themes to life as you read and act out stories, play theatre games, explore costumes, or face paint! Registration begins March 1.

Please bring to camp each day: Campers need to bring morning snack, a lunch, water bottle, and sun hat each cay. (Campers age 4-7 should also bring a change of clothes in a backpack daily.) ***No nuts or nut products please. To register: Complete and return Registration Form and Medical Emergency & Release Form  with $15 deposit per camp, and mail to Salida Creativity Lab, P.O. Box 182, Salida, CO 81201. Camps fill quickly, please register early. Please contact Tina Gramann at tina@salidacreativitylab.com for more information.

GARNA: Youth Ecological Literacy Program (YELP)

2019 GARNA Nature Camp:

Explore the great outdoors and let your love of nature bloom at GARNA’s Nature Camps Summer 2019! Join GARNA and local experts as we invite campers to explore public lands in the Upper Arkansas Valley. Campers will hike mountain trails, collect bugs in streams, conduct experiments, make crafts, journal, and MUCH more all while being immersed in the joys of nature!

2019 GARNA Stream Explorers:

GARNA and Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited are teaming up for another year of Stream Explorers to connect youth to the river in their backyard. This four class program is open to middle school youth who are in 5th through 8th grade. Participants will discover the secret lives of creatures that live in the river, perform aquatic behavior experiments, gain experience with fly casting, and learn to tie their own flies.

Class 1:  Intro to Stream Conservation. Investigate aquatic invertebrates through experiments in the classroom and surveying in the Arkansas.
Class 2: Research fish including their anatomy, stressors, and habitat.
Class 3: Fly tying, intro to fly rods, and casting activities
Class 4: Fishing (we will ride a Chaffee Shuttle to our fishing location)

Earn a free fly rod!  Students who complete all 4 sessions will have the option of completing activities during and/or after camp to receive a free fly rod!

Salida Regional Library

We talked a lot about our Salida Library in the Episode and all the awesome programs going on for kiddos this summer (and all year round!). Keep your eye on their Event Calendar to stay up to date with everything going on—Summer Story Time, Open Game Days, S.T.E.M. programming, and so much MORE.

UPDATE from Ms. Becky! We talked about how to count pages for the Summer Reading Program in the Episode and we have gotten an official confirmation from Ms. Becky—WE WERE RIGHT! Make sure to count every single page in the book, not just the ones with the words. You heard it here first, folks!

Mountain Meet Up

MMU has tons of events & programs going on year-round, especially great for little ones. Their mission is to bring together parents and caregivers in Chaffee County Colorado and surrounding areas to provide support, education, inspiration, celebration and fun to help raise the next generation. This group is for all parents and caregivers of children from birth-18 (school age children). And lemme tell ya—they definitely meet this Mission.

Join the MMU Facebook Group to stay up to date with all the events going on—monthly play groups, family hikes, mom’s nights out, and more!

Guidestone Colorado: Farmhands Summer Programs 2019

Guidestone partners with local farms, ranches and gardens to provide youth with opportunities to ‘dig in’ and learn how to grow their own food, participate in farm and ranch life, interact with farm animals, and play! Full and partial scholarships are available.

Guidestone has youth programs available this summer for rising K-7th grade students at the Longfellow Elementary School Garden, Salida Middle School Garden, Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center, Weathervane Farm and the Chaffee County Fair!

Visit their website to register for any of these programs, or contact Leah Capezio at leah@guidestonecolorado.org or 719-239-0955 for more information.

Salida Circus

We talked A LOT about how much we love Joe Lobeck in this Episode, mainly just fan-girling about American Ninja Warrior. But more importantly! We wanted to make sure we highlighted the incomparable Salida Circus that Joe just so happens to work with.

The Salida Circus provides circus training and performances as a personal development and community building tool. To offer training to all citizens of Chaffee County regardless of age, ability and income. Jennifer Dempsey & the crew are changing lives with the Circus, so make sure you jump in to all the incredible programming they this summer, and all year round.

Check out their website for a list of all the workshops & programs, and more information about how to register. We love you Jenn & Salida Circus! And Joe, let us know when you’re gonna teach an American Ninja Warrior class for adults—we have at least one cohost who is ready to join.

What did we miss??

Shoot us an email at homesweetsalida@gmail.com or come check us out on all our posts on Facebook (#homesweetsalida) and comment to let us know what we’re missing. We’ll keep updating this page during the summer with new programs we learn about.