Auto news on Youtube Nov 28 2017

I will prepare a small coffee

At the seaside

the sea is very rough this morning

I will add a small piece

of birch bark

the little concern that reproach this stove wood

there is no opening, for insert the sticks

life is Beautiful

For more infomation >> Bushcraft - Coffee - Duration: 2:53.

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Navigating Holiday Gift Giving Stress | Coffee With Kelly - Duration: 18:49.

- Well, hello, hello, my friend!

Cheers, and welcome to today's edition

of Coffee with Kelly, where we're talking

all things Christmas gift giving sanity.

'Cause it can drive you a little nuts, can't it,

when your relatives maybe ask for a specific list

of gifts for the kids, and then they don't end up

buying any of it.

Or maybe you're not sure how many gifts to buy.

Or maybe your kids are acting a little bit ungrateful?

How to deal in the moment, or how to manage

kids' expectations, we're covering it all,

so grab your coffee, and we'll get right to it!

(upbeat music)

Okay, so kicking things off, our first question

comes from Lisa via YouTube, and she asks,

"How do I start the conversation with relatives

"that mean well, but ask for a list of gift ideas,

"and then go and purchase something else?"

Woo-hoo, Lisa, I think you hit on a little bit

of a hot topic there, because I have gotten this question

from several other people, the struggle is real!

And in answering it, I'd have to ask, I guess,

I know it's annoying when people go to answer a question

and just ask more questions, but,

what is the real issue, what's really getting

your goat here?

Is it that your kids are really wanting something

and they're disappointed?

Are your kids feeling like, grandma, or Aunt Sandra,

isn't really paying attention to their interests

or what they're looking for?

Do they feel like they're not special,

do they feel like there's not much thought

going into the gift?

Or is it something more on your end?

Are the kids totally fine with

what the relatives are getting them,

but you're feeling upset,

are you feeling like maybe you're being overshadowed?

Or are you feeling like they're spending too much money,

or do you feel like they're spoiling their kids,

there is a two-parter, actually, to Lisa's question,

where, you're trying to cut back,

you're trying to go a little bit more minimalist,

but then the relatives are still going overboard

on the gifts.

So first, I would try to get really real with yourself,

as to what's actually bothering you, and then go from there.

So whatever it was from that list of,

all the list of reasons we can get upset about gift-giving,

and they're all real, they're all real,

I've had so many questions surrounding this.

The key, then, is just to have a convo.

Have a really direct, open conversation.

And I know that's hard, I'm not trying to sweep that

under the rug, that can be challenging sometimes,

but sometimes I think we can feel like,

if we're going against what someone else wants,

or we have a different opinion on something,

that we're somehow being mean,

or we're somehow hurting someone's feelings,

and I really don't believe it has to be like that,

because, I think there's a lot to be said for being clear,

and setting boundaries, because if the roles were reversed,

and I was doing something that was pissing off

one of my relatives, or hurting someone's feelings,

or someone thought that I was out of line,

I would wanna know about it,

I would absolutely wanna know about it.

I know it's not like that in all cases, of course,

there's all kinds of different family dynamics,

but don't be afraid to have a really open conversation

with them about the issue, and about what's going on.

Another really important thing, I think too,

is to give our relatives a heads up.

If there is one really special gift our kids are wanting,

and when we're kind of, I don't even know

what the right word is, but like, divvying up,

like who's gonna get what,

give them a heads up that your child

is really, really looking forward to that gift,

and that if they're not going to get it,

to give you a heads up, so you know.

So that there's no disappointment on Christmas morning.

So just give them a heads up,

if it is a particularly special gift,

if it is something the child is really, really wanting --

it's totally fine if they wanna get something else,

but just to let you know. That way,

everybody's on the same page.

And this is a tricky one too, 'cause sometimes,

sometimes you do all of that, Lisa, right,

like sometimes, you have a really open conversation

with them about trying to cut back,

and trying to go a little bit more minimalist,

or you're upset about, I'm not saying this is you,

but I know this is the case for other people,

being overshadowed. It's like,

have you seen the movie Four Christmases?

Where everyone's kinda cut back on gifts,

has a $10 gift, and then the aunt and uncle come in

and buy the kids an Xbox?

Hello, hurt feelings right there.

So sometimes, you can do all that,

you can have all the conversations,

and there's still some disappointment, and it falls flat.

And sometimes, that's just how it goes, unfortunately.

All you can do is do your best, be open,

and then, you can use that even

as a lesson in gratitude for your kids.

As in, "I know you were really looking forward to this,

but grandma really wanted to get you this,

and she put a lot of effort into getting that for you."

And talking about things that way.

But I'm always about putting the relationship first, right?

Because really, in the end, a gift is a gift.

It's really about the relationship,

and that's what the holidays are all about. So,

I hope that helps! I know, it's tricky, it's tricky!

I don't wanna minimize it, but just give it a try,

and see what happens, have those conversations.

First get really real about what's bugging you,

and then have a conversation, and don't be afraid

to be really clear, get that little bit of gusto,

and you'll be good to go.

And along that similar theme, our next question

comes from Nakia and Ben, and these are actually

high school students, isn't this cool?

I had some questions submitted from Clarksdale, Mississippi,

Coahoma County High School, I really hope

I'm saying that right, and I'm sorry if I'm not,

but this next question is from Nakia and Ben,

and they ask, "What would be a good number

"of presents for my kids?" and the second question,

"How do I stick to buying gifts

"that are age and price appropriate?"

And for me, when it comes to an appropriate number of gifts,

I feel like that's completely individual,

and I really don't feel like it's my place to say

what the appropriate number of gifts are,

but it's something just to take note of,

when you see your kids opening your gifts,

and when you see your kids starting to lose interest.

My husband and I had a massive wake-up call

in this department, when our kids were probably,

they were probably two and three,

the first Christmas we really noticed

that we had gone overboard, because our kids,

they just wanted to play with their stockings,

we weren't even finished their stockings,

and it was time to move on to opening their real gifts,

and they had no interest. They just wanted to play

with what was in their stockings.

So if that's happening for you,

as soon as that point when your kids are losing interest,

or when they're not actually focusing

on what they're getting, and enjoying it in the moment

and having gratitude for what they got,

but are just on to like, "Okay, I want the next gift,

what's the next gift?"

When it becomes a process of opening and unwrapping

as fast as they can, just kinda take note of that for you.

So while that's something I can't say

what the right or magical amount is,

I kind of lean on the less is more.

But again, it's totally up to you.

Because then that way, your kids can really develop

an appreciation for what they have,

and be thankful for what they have,

and really focus on what they've got,

rather than being buried in a pile of toys,

and not really knowing how to crawl out of it, right?

It's hard, it's hard, the struggle is real.

And this kind of also ties in with another question I got

from Sunshine, who sent me a question via email,

and her question was, "How can I convince my kids,

who are three and six, to be happy with only one big gift?"

This is a big one, right?

Like, managing expectations, and wanting our kids

to feel happy and thankful on Christmas morning,

and not feel like they've been,

I don't think shortchanged is the right word,

but have them be ungrateful for what they've gotten.

And one thing that I think we can do as parents

that I think often gets overlooked,

is involve our kids in the gift-buying process.

Like, how many of you out there,

just go and take care of it all, right?

You do all of the shopping for everything,

and don't really involve, necessarily,

your partner or the kids in any of it,

you're making the list, you're doing the shopping,

you're wrapping, you're setting everything up.

It's hard to be grateful for something

when you don't have an understanding

of the process of what goes into it.

So my challenge for you would be to start involving,

and everyone, for all of us,

start involving your kids in the gift-buying process,

so they can see what's involved,

they can see all the hard work,

and all the thought that goes into buying gifts,

and it's not just as easy,

as, "Oh wow, look at this, my favorite GI Joe,

on to the next thing."

Because then they'll have an understanding

of what's going into it.

So sit down with your kids, and make your list,

and have them brainstorm, "What would be a good gift

"for grandma, what do you think your uncle would like,

"how about your cousin, what do you think he would like,

"what about dad," make those lists, take them shopping,

I'm not suggesting that you do all of your shopping

with your kids, of course, I'm not trying to send you off

the deep end completely, but some of it.

So that they have an idea of what it's like

to go to the store, what it's like to go to the store

when you go and maybe, what you wanted to buy

is out of stock, what that's like.

Then involve them in wrapping the presents,

have them involved in remembering to take the gifts

to the party, right?

Sometimes that's half the bottle,

just remembering to put it in the car!

So then that way, they have an appreciation

of everything that goes into buying the gifts,

because sometimes I think we can have these expectations

of our kids, and we want them to be grateful,

but we don't actually include them in the process

of seeing what goes into it,

so that they can really develop an appreciation.

So often, we just kind of hand it on a silver platter,

and then expect that our kids are gonna have

those deep feelings of gratitude.

So involve them, include them, and I think that'll go

a long way, in helping build that sense of gratitude.

And then, Ben, with your question,

just regarding age-appropriate gifts,

if you find your kids are getting gifts from relatives

or family or whoever, and it's either not age-appropriate,

or it's just not appropriate at all,

it's still a really good lesson

in showing gratitude and appreciation to the giver.

You can set it aside, or if there's a gift receipt,

by all means, exchange it.

And if it's something really inappropriate,

if it's something that, the first thing for me

that comes to mind is guns, I know a lot of people

have really strong opinions on guns,

if it's something like that, where you don't want it

in your house, just a really open conversation.

It doesn't have to be like right there

under the tree on Christmas morning,

but just, I am all about open communication,

honesty's the best policy.

It doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about it, right?

But just keeping things open, keeping things open,

it goes a long way.

Okay, and our next question is tied in again

with the theme of gratitude, and it comes from JanNise.

"What should I do if my child doesn't want their gift?"

Ugh, I know, who's been there? (raises hand)

It's hard, it's hard enough when it's just you

and your family on Christmas morning,

but then add in your child doing that,

or expressing their displeasure with what they got

at a family function, and it can make

your blood pressure go up, right?

It can be a real challenge.

So the first thing with this, I think is just

giving yourself a little reality check,

because so often, we hold these crazy expectations

for our kids, that they should always say the right thing

and do the right thing, and always be grateful,

but it is hard, it is hard when you are expecting something,

it's hard enough for us as adults, right?

To, I don't wanna say disguise our disappointment,

but it can be hard to be grateful in those moments

where your expectations were maybe out of line with reality.

So just kind of reality check that,

and have a little bit of compassion for your kids, that,

okay, heck, if it's hard enough for me

to show gratitude sometimes, no wonder

it's a challenge for them.

And of course, avoid, I say avoid,

and this is so hard, because for many of us,

myself included, it's our knee-jerk reaction to say,

"You should be grateful, you should be thankful,"

going all negative on our kids.

That is not going to create warm and fuzzy feelings

in anyone, it's just gonna make our kids

want to run in the other direction.

So I know it's hard, but try to zip it,

and avoid those knee-jerk reactions.

And then what you can do instead is practice,

and coach them ahead of time.

And I talk about this all the time,

practice and coaching our kids in these situations,

because again, I think oftentimes our kids

are in these situations, that they've had

no experience with, or no guidance with,

and we just magically expect they're gonna know what to do.

So one thing you can practice is just role playing

gift giving and gift receiving.

Role playing how to say thank you.

Role playing, "Oh my gosh, I just unwrapped

"this stuffed pineapple that I didn't want,

"how am I gonna respond?"

So your kids have a chance to practice,

and then, because it's really not

until you start going through the motions,

that your kids can see when it's gonna be a challenge,

and you can see when your kids are gonna be stumbling,

and then you can give them some alternatives

of things to try instead. So that they go

into these family situations, feeling ready,

and feeling prepared.

And sometimes, you will do all of those things,

you will practice, you will role play,

you will coach them through all these different situations,

trying to set them up for success,

and they will still be incredibly rude in the moment,

and hurt somebody's feelings.

And that is so hard, that is so hard.

So in those moments, one thing that I like to try and do

is just model gratitude, and model respect.

So I myself will thank the person for the gift,

because we can tell our kids to do things

umpteen million times, but there's really nothing

speaks louder than actions, and having that model.

And then of course, speaking to our kids after the fact,

about, "You know what, when you said that,

"it really hurt your uncle's feelings,

"he worked really hard at getting that gift."

Just having that open conversation with them

so they can see that there were hurt feelings,

and they can see that you don't always have to love

everything, and just appreciating the thoughtfulness

that went into it. Because I think sometimes

it's so easy, heck, for us adults as well,

to get wrapped up in the actual contents of the gift,

when that's really not what it's about, right?

It's about thinking of someone else,

showing our love for someone else,

putting a little bit of time and effort into

getting something that we think they would like,

that's what it's about, not the end product,

so teaching our kids, behind the scenes, of course,

I'm not suggesting you do this, again,

underneath the Christmas tree,

but talk to them after the fact,

and then maybe they could write a note, or give a call,

apologize, say thank you. I feel like,

so much of the stress that we face as parents,

and so many of those, like,

what the fricking heck is happening in this moment,

it's not about what's happening in the moment,

it's about how we handle it,

and how we deal with it after the fact. So,

give it a try, coach them through it.

But if, hey, if all hell breaks loose,

it's always a great opportunity

to clean things up afterwards.

And by cleaning things up, I mean clean things up

*with* our kids, not doing it for them.

Helping them and coaching them,

and walking through the process of what that's like.

Alright, and our last question comes from J'Brianna,

and she asked, "What would you do if your kids expected

"more than what you gave them?"

Oh goodness, is this ever a hard one,

and this does not just apply to the holidays.

This can apply to going to the drive-through,

this can apply to candy machines after hockey.

This is such a good question,

dealing with our kids' expectations.

And first and foremost, the biggest thing is,

I don't know if standing your ground is the right word,

but, resisting the temptation to give in, and give more.

Give more, do more, be more, because that really is just

teaching our kids that, "You know what,

"we complain, we get more."

It doesn't really teach them to deal with what they've got,

and have gratitude for what they've got. So really,

if you have a set number of gifts that you're gonna get,

or whatever the limit or boundary it is,

I really encourage you to stick to it.

And it's also a really good opportunity

if you find that this is happening a lot with your kids,

if your kids are disappointed

in the number of gifts that they got,

or they had all these big expectations,

you feel like they're developing that sense of entitlement,

just reality check yourself, and just look at,

if you're spoiling your kids or not.

Are you giving them every single thing

that they're asking for?

And I know we can think of this in terms of gift giving,

receiving, but sometimes, I know for me,

it was a big a-ha moment when I realized

every time I went through the drive-through,

I would get my kids a Timbit, or I would get my,

a Timbit is a very Canadian word,

so for anyone watching outside of Canada,

like little mini donut holes,

or every time after hockey practice, getting a candy.

Our kids sometimes need to practice

the act of not getting.

So they know that it's not just,

"I ask for something, and I get it,"

so that's something to just practice all year-round,

the act of not getting.

So if they're used to always getting that treat,

or always getting something at the grocery store

checkout aisle, start the process

of not making it an every time kind of thing,

because that's what creates expectations,

and a sense of entitlement,

and we can't really blame them

if we have been handing everything over on a silver platter.

So just practice the art of not getting,

not giving in to everything, so our kids

have a chance to deal with disappointment,

because it really is a life skill.

I actually think it's a massive life skill,

developing a sense of resilience, a sense of,

it feels funny saying like, a sense of grit,

and not dealing with getting candy,

but sometimes, it is a pretty tough pill to swallow,

if you want something. And it won't always be easy,

they'll probably be pretty vocal about it,

but sometimes standing your ground

is the best thing you can do for your kids.

So guys, I really hope that helps,

I know Christmas gift giving, and holiday gift giving,

can be like a massive minefield,

it can be a real challenge for such a variety

of different reasons, so just try to involve your kids

in the gift giving and receiving process,

to help them develop that sense of gratitude,

coach them through the process of gift giving

and gift receiving, so they know how to say thank you,

they know how to deal, when maybe they got something

they didn't like, and then also work on broadening

your kids' worldview, so they can see that,

you know what, not everybody has a mountain

of presents on Christmas morning.

And just to be thankful, just to be thankful

for what they've got, and to not be afraid to cut back

on the number of gifts, because hey, less is more.

The more we can teach our kids to appreciate

what we've got, the better.

Like, is there really any better gift for our kids

to learn that?

To learn that lesson from an early age,

so I hope that helps, of course,

if you have any questions, comments,

join the conversation below.

I always, always love hearing from you!

Happy holidays, and I'll see you in the next video!

(upbeat music)

For more infomation >> Navigating Holiday Gift Giving Stress | Coffee With Kelly - Duration: 18:49.

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Morning Coffee Music for your morning coffee: 3 Hours of Morning Coffee Music Playlist - Duration: 3:31:23.

Title: Morning Coffee Music for your morning coffee: 3 Hours of Morning Coffee Music Playlist

For more infomation >> Morning Coffee Music for your morning coffee: 3 Hours of Morning Coffee Music Playlist - Duration: 3:31:23.

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Coffee and Pancakes in Fantasyland during Extra Magic Time at Disneyland Paris - Duration: 13:29.

For more infomation >> Coffee and Pancakes in Fantasyland during Extra Magic Time at Disneyland Paris - Duration: 13:29.

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ZCO VLOG DAY 1: HOW TO GET 10% OFF YOUR COFFEE - Duration: 8:55.

Here's the deal I'm documenting shoutout garyvee, I'm gonna do that a few times. This is episode 1

I Don't know what it's gonna be called yet, Daily Z,I kind of like that, but that's too close to gary dailyvee... we'll figure it out

It's November 27, 11:21 AM... I fucked up

Fucked up got up at 10:30 ate breakfast

It's like an hour later, I've been up and slacking it's bad it's Monday. It's a horrible way to start Monday

This is not how I thought I was gonna start this shit

But I got in at like 1:30

2...nah, like 12:30 which turned into 1:30 cuz the hour time difference. But no excuses

and then I got up at 10:30 cuz I was exhausted but I

Could have gotten up worked out showered made breakfast meditated. Got some time in the studio and prepared for this exam that I have

Instead.I fuck myself over because I wanted a couple more hours of sleep

Something I'm working on but I think it's actually good way to start to show that I'm a fucking flawed human being

Yeah, I'm gonna go study for this shit

For Fucking 30 minutes

Yo, so this shit's off to like a really bad start. I just failed my test

I'm eating lunch right now. I'm looking like a tennis player

I'm gonna go bike downtown go talk to the venue's trying to make moves. I'll order some business cards

You know garyvee just posted the

Complex conversation that I freestyle in so that was dope I gotta- I gotta get it

I gotta get I gotta get it I got math later

Which is like right now the biggest hurdle because I'm very behind on the- on the homework, and I don't want to do it

But I have to change how I think about it

I have to be like oh I get to do the math, not I have to do the math. It's all about how you

Perspective and how you look at it, and how you think about it, and I've to be grateful for it

Which sounds weird even as I'm saying it because it's the last thing

I want to do

but what Tim Ferris actually said something the thing you don't want to do is usually the thing you're supposed to do so I

Just got to get it done

I mean life isn't full of

Rainbows and

What is it rainbows and otter pops

Anyway, Imma finish this thing

It's actually pretty good, and then I'm gonna go talk to venues here at the Rialto

I'm trying to perform here, so I'm gonna go talk

See if I can if they need a rapper for any openers see if I can help backstage if I can just make any moves

I'm just out here doing out here

you know I mean there's a difference between having that idea to come out here and talk to people and

Actually coming out here to talk to people so kind of what I was saying before is like

Like everyone's human and everyone started somewhere, so that's just this a lot of people went- How's it going Man?

(Man) Hey you don't smoke,do you? (Zco) I Don't smoke, no

What's your what's your best piece of advice to someone who wants to be successful

(Man) You gotta work hard man

(Man) No pain no gain man (Zco) amen a-fucking-men thank you, man. Thank you sir. Have a great one

No pain, no gain. I swear all right, so I mean fuck. Where was I?

Sauter can chop this

Up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up. Oh

Yeah, I was home and on my snapchat and Instagram

I'm only showing when I'm in the studio and stuff and I met with one of my friends

and he's like it's like yo like are you always productive like how do you do it and

In my I kind of felt like a fraud because I know I'm not always productive

I know I slack off a lot like I said, I'm more of a failure than a success. I'm just human

But my snapchat and my Instagram shows me always making moves and stuff

I don't show you guys when I don't wake up early

I don't show people when I fucked when I fuck up which is a lot, so this is kind of that

This is kind of just like

documenting

what I'm doing because

For you and for me and so when I have this later

but also for people just like get up off your ass and get it done like I

I'm at the Rialto like you know what I mean like I could be like oh no

It's never gonna work, right

But we won't have electricity if the guy if I Benjamin Franklin

Edison Edison didn't fucking keep going and keep trying so if they say no this time. I'll be here tomorrow

I swear, so I'm an up and coming rapper and producer

And I was wondering how it works for opening acts

(Lady) Yeah I can give you their email, his booking email

What's up just went to the Rialto, I'm now at Club Congress got the info

I Am

Now biking back. It's like 4:17... 4:18. I got class in 12 minutes

Probably get a coffee and Tim Ferriss does this thing for like confidence to get expected so that your your

More accustomed to getting rejected where you go to a coffee shop like Starbucks, and you ask for 10% off

um

So, I'm gonna go and do that I've never done it before but he's he's mentioned that a couple times.

Hey can I get a large vanilla soy vanilla hazelnut latte, please

Do you think there's anyway I could get 10% off. (Lady) Huh? (Zco)You think there's any way I can get 10% off?

(Lady) Not that I would know how to do it. (Zco) Okay

(Lady) Did you want it iced or hot?

Hot please

(Lady) Okay, $5.77 is your total.

Anyway I could do 10% off ?

(Lady) I don't know how....

(Lady) No, I'm sorry

There's no way... (Zco to other lady) Do you think there's any way you could do 10% off?

Is that possible?

(Lady) $5.08 (Zco)Thank you so much

Yo

Just got 10% off this bitch. Just by asking. She didn't know how to do it

asked again

She didn't know how to do it

her supervisor stepped by, asked her supervisor

I don't think either of them knew how to do it, but they subtracted the price of the Soy

So that's like 10% off, it was like $5.70 and then it was like $5.04

What's good y'all

in the Studio

imma make a beat real quick

Um, just something I've been thinking about over thinking like it. No one gives a fuck. This is just me overthinking

it as I do, but how my account is @Zachscohan for everything and

Having the young don account as well

Fuck, should I do the young don, or the Zco

just gotta make a decision ultimately just choose one and run with it

I first had the young don, and then I switched to just the Zco and did the 30 there

I've got the furthest with the @zco with regards to the young don kind of because I felt I like had to-

Well because people followed the @Zachscohan

And it kind of held me accountable

Accountability like not that I was dependent on other people to hold me accountable, but it helped for sure

I failed like a ton of times on the young don

But I've never gone to seventeen I don't think I've gone past ten on the young don

I tried it like four times, and I was like fuck i'm just gonna do @zco and then like day 1 I am young don...

@Zachscohan on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud,and youtube

All music by Zco (Search Zco on soundcloud for this beat!)

For more infomation >> ZCO VLOG DAY 1: HOW TO GET 10% OFF YOUR COFFEE - Duration: 8:55.

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Smell the Coffee 2 - Duration: 0:14.

For more infomation >> Smell the Coffee 2 - Duration: 0:14.

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Protests Continue As Ink! Coffee Reopens - Duration: 2:08.

For more infomation >> Protests Continue As Ink! Coffee Reopens - Duration: 2:08.

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Coffee Shop Remains Closed After Protests - Duration: 2:21.

For more infomation >> Coffee Shop Remains Closed After Protests - Duration: 2:21.

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Two Energizing Coffee Replacement Smoothies - Duration: 1:44.

if you're addicted to coffee like the rest of the world then you have to try

these coffee replacement to smooth these smoothies when make properly are a great

way to load up on beneficial nutrients and enzymes all of which help wake us up

and feel alert many people who consume coffee secretly suffered from adrenal

fatigue which can inhibit our ability to lose weight think straight and remain

calm getting off coffee and onto smoothies

constructed with proper ingredients such as the two listed below will help you

think cleared lose weight and provide you with an all-natural hi here's to

your health ingredients smoothie 1/2 cups leafy

greens I used spinach 5 Kiwis peeled 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tsp

linkit powder 1 TSP spear Dylan and powdered smoothie - 2 cups mango one cup

raku berries one apple cored and peeled if not organic one cup coconut water 1

tsp baking powder optional 1/4 cup soaked goji berries method for each

smoothie stick ingredients in a blender and pulse Lin until smooth enjoy

immediately for energy boosting effects if your eyebrows video subscribe to the

channel and make it your favorite and publish it with your friends I hope to

be benefited from the information and health care tips in the channel

For more infomation >> Two Energizing Coffee Replacement Smoothies - Duration: 1:44.

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Theatre Program Fundraising idea: Do your own coffee house - Duration: 25:41.

Welcome to the Drama Teacher Podcast brought to you by Theatrefolk – the Drama Teacher

Resource Company.

I'm Lindsay Price.

Hello!

I hope you're well.

Thanks for listening!

This is Episode 196 and you can find any links to this episode in the show notes which are

at Theatrefolk.com/episode196.

Today, we are going to talk about fundraising, specifically fundraising for your program

without losing time or your mind because that's the thing I think where fundraising can get

into a real bumpy road.

It's the thing that everybody wants to do.

But, if it just eats up your time and makes you go a little crazy, that's not good for

anybody.

Our guest does a particular fundraiser twice a year and it's very successful for her.

It's an awesome, low-cost, low-key event.

I think, instead of me just talking about it, we should get to the conversation.

Let's get to it!

LINDSAY: Hello, everyone!

I am here talking with Ellen Miller.

Hello, Ellen!

ELLEN: Hello!

How are you?

LINDSAY: I'm awesome!

Thank you so much!

And you?

How are you?

ELLEN: I'm great!

I'm fantastic!

LINDSAY: Well, you can't ask for more than that.

That's the best.

I'd like to start by just asking if you would tell everybody where in the world you

are situated right now?

ELLEN: I am in Dallas, Texas.

I teach in Plano which is just north of Dallas and I teach at a ninth through tenth grade

high school in Plano.

LINDSAY: Oh.

So, you only deal with grade nines and tens?

ELLEN: I do, yeah.

It's kind of a different situation in my city.

LINDSAY: Yeah, what is that like?

Do your students get drama in middle school?

ELLEN: They do.

We have theatre in sixth grade through, well, seventh grade and eighth grade at our middle

schools and then the sixth graders can participate in the shows at the middle school level.

In ninth and tenth grade, we have a full technical theatre course offering and theatre course

offerings.

I teach Technical Theatre I and II and Advanced Technical Theatre class.

We have kind of a full range of offerings at our ninth and tenth grade level.

LINDSAY: Yeah, that's pretty awesome.

And then, they go off to eleventh and twelfth.

Do you miss not getting them in eleven and twelve or do you like where you are?

ELLEN: I like where I am.

You kind of get the best of both worlds.

The sophomores still get to kind of take on a leadership position and you get to really

see them grow over two years and then it's cool because we do a lot with our eleventh

and twelfth grade school.

We call them senior highs here.

It's cool to see them grow in an even bigger theatre situation in the eleventh and twelfth

grade.

LINDSAY: I would imagine in that situation that leadership really is much different than

if you're in a nine through twelve school because, if you're in grade ten, you are

the senior of your school and you have to sort of – I don't know if "mature"

is the right word but you're it!

ELLEN: Yeah, I have ten officers for my theatre department and they do everything from running

warmups during our rehearsals, they plan events for other students, they do the announcements

for our school, and they do a lot of building community within our theatre department and

things like that.

LINDSAY: Well, I think that's really awesome.

How long have you been a drama teacher?

ELLEN: This is my eighth-year teaching theatre.

LINDSAY: What connects you to being a drama teacher?

Did you like it in high school?

ELLEN: Yeah, I actually started theatre in about fifth grade with a program we used to

have called Odyssey of the Mind.

And then, I did theatre all through middle school, all through high school, and then

I actually have my Bachelor of Fine Arts and Theatre Design and then got my teaching certification

when I was finishing at college.

And then, I actually started teaching in August right after I graduated from college.

LINDSAY: Why did you decide, with that theatre background, that teaching was the road you

wanted to go down?

ELLEN: My mom was an educator and I had a lot of respect for my theatre teachers and

they kind of helped me become the person that I am.

I got to student direct my senior year of high school and it just kind of made me really

want to give other kids the same kind of experience that I got to have when I was in high school

and in college.

LINDSAY: Yeah, I love that.

We're here talking today about a really interesting fundraising idea that you use

in your program.

Can you just start by explaining that idea just a little bit?

ELLEN: Yeah!

Twice a year, we do a performance called Coffeehouse.

We do one in December – usually the first week in December – and then we do one in

May and it's usually the first Thursday or Friday in May.

It's probably one of the quickest and easiest fundraisers I do all year.

I advertise for auditions about two to three weeks before auditions and I have auditions

about three weeks before the performance itself.

Kids have to come into auditions with the piece that they want to perform ready to go.

I encourage original work; I have kids who will sing, play piano, do original monologues,

they will do spoken word pieces they've written.

Sometimes, they'll do little skits or duet scenes that they've written.

And then, they have to come to the audition completely prepared with their piece.

I tell them, "I know that your piece could change a little bit but what you perform for

me at audition should be what you are going to perform at Coffeehouse."

I do one day of auditions.

And then, the day before the performance, I do a tech/dress rehearsal.

They have to wear their outfit that they're going to wear to the performance at the tech/dress

rehearsal so I can check and make sure that they're all in dress code and that kind

of stuff.

Then, at the tech/dress rehearsal, we do a soundcheck to make sure their levels are all

set with microphones and that kind of stuff.

On the performance day, it's usually about an hour and a half long performance and I

charge anywhere from $5.00 to $8.00 for entry.

And then, I have my parent organization do baked goods and we get coffee donated from

different Starbucks and Corner Bakery and places like that.

And then, the parents set up a table with all these desserts and they say, "By donation,"

and the kids perform.

I have an emcee.

We have kind of a host who kind of leads them through and introduces each act and they write

a little skit with some jokes and stuff like that.

It's just kind of a fun, chill night.

I try to make it feel like it's an open mic night but, because we're in an educational

situation, I couldn't do a true open mic night.

I have to kind of check what they're going to say before they get up there in front of

an audience.

LINDSAY: I'm sure that's a rule that has come in because somebody's done something.

ELLEN: With being in an educational situation, I just try to cover all my bases from the

get go.

It's the same thing in class.

If a kid's going to perform a monologue or a duet scene or something like that, you

always check it before they even get to start rehearsing it in class.

It's just kind of the same thing.

I try to make sure I know what they're going to do before they do it.

I mean, you can't control everything that comes out of their mouths but try to just

cover your bases and that kind of stuff.

LINDSAY: Yeah, for sure.

First of all, it's an opportunity to perform.

I quite like the original aspect of it – that it's the opportunity for them to perform

something of theirs.

Also, it's pretty low-key on your end, too.

I think that's what a lot of teachers fear – that the fundraiser which is supposed

to be something helpful can become overwhelming.

ELLEN: Yeah, and it's the most stress-free event I do all year.

I also put on three to four productions a year and a musical every other year.

This is kind of easy.

If you don't have the ticket attendance that you hoped, it always kind of fills in

the gaps to kind of raise funds for different things for the department throughout the year.

LINDSAY: Well, it might be a nice balance, if there's a show that you know would be

really good for your students to do but you're sure that the audience might not be there,

as you say, this could fill in some nice gaps.

ELLEN: It does, definitely.

Some things that I do to kind of create the atmosphere of a coffeehouse, I take different

rugs we have in our props storage and I put them down on the stage.

This past year, my students actually performed in what is our orchestra pit.

We kind of have a cafetorium stage where our stage is in our cafeteria so they were really

up-close, and personal with the audience and I take all the lamps that I have in the props

storage and in my classroom and set them up onstage so it kind of gives that glow-y warm

coffee house feel.

Around the holidays, I hang Christmas lights that I get donated from people at the end

of the holidays and hang those up and just kind of create a fun atmosphere for the kids.

It's cozy and warm and I put a piano out there and they really like being able to sit

close with the audience and really kind of interact with their parents and their friends

and that kind of stuff.

LINDSAY: Yeah.

Let's get some details out there.

You say it's usually about an hour and a half.

What does that work out to you in terms of the numbers of acts that you're looking

for?

ELLEN: I usually have between fifteen and twenty acts – sometimes, up to 25.

I try to limit it to, at the max, 25.

Each act, I usually say is about two to four minutes, five minutes.

The emcees, I try to have them keep it pretty short.

I let them do a little intro and then a little closing.

Usually, about twenty acts is what I end up with.

LINDSAY: When you are choosing the acts, when they audition, it's like, "Look, I'm

looking for a variety," or does it just end up to be a variety?

ELLEN: It usually ends up to be a variety and I usually have about 20 to 25 kids come

out and audition so I'm usually able to put in most for the kids who audition into

the show.

I luckily have an experience where I've had to tell a kid, "No, I don't think

we'll have space for you this year."

I think, if I ended up with a lot more kids, I might do two nights and do one night is

25 kids and one night is 25 kids.

I found, if you have more than 20 to 25 kids performing, it kind of gets a little long

and drawn out for the audience.

LINDSAY: Yeah, for sure.

That's kind of nice that not only is it something that is giving kids a chance to

perform but everybody gets to do something.

ELLEN: Yeah, and it's a great performance opportunity for the kids who maybe can't

dedicate their time to a play or musical where rehearsals are four to six weeks because it's

just one day of auditions and then one day of tech and then the performance.

The kids who play football and soccer and have after-school practices and all that kind

of stuff get to be involved when a lot of times they are unable to be involved in our

big productions.

LINDSAY: Do you find that?

I find it really interesting that you might get some kids out in some other areas of the

school – I mean, not drama kids to this experience.

ELLEN: Yeah, I actually get a lot of the kids.

Since we're in Texas, football is really big here and we have a huge marching band

and we have a drill team.

And so, the drill team girls rehearse every day after school from 4:30 to 6:30 which is

the same time we have our rehearsals.

So, they aren't able to do theatre shows because they have rehearsals every day.

Same with any of my students who are cheerleaders, play soccer after school, that kind of stuff,

since they have practice at the same time, they're usually not able to make it to a

rehearsal and aren't able to go to the shows but they still want to perform and kind of

want to have that drama experience so this kind of gives them that experience.

LINDSAY: Yeah, for sure.

How much money do you usually raise?

ELLEN: I usually raise between $500 to $1,000.

It depends on the number of acts, usually, and it also depends on what we've set our

ticket price at.

We've had times where it's $5.00.

I think this year we're going to try $8.00 and see how that goes.

Just kind of see and include.

We may do $8.00 but the coffee and desserts and included and not by donation and that

kind of stuff to see how it kind of works out this year.

LINDSAY: Well, you might as well.

You might as well experiment with the format and see what your folks will do.

Again, it's kind of a low-risk opportunity to do that.

ELLEN: Yeah, there's no upfront cost to it whatsoever, especially when the kids are

writing original work.

You don't have rights to worry about because the kids are creating the work they're performing

so that really helps out a lot.

For decorations and stuff like that, I pull from what I have and don't really purchase

anything.

We don't do show posters or anything like that.

I have kids hand-draw out with Sharpies little mini posters and then we photocopy them and

put them all over the school so it kind of has that homemade open mic night kind of feel.

LINDSAY: Where did this idea come from for you?

Is it something you did or something you heard about?

ELLEN: I just kind of came up with it one year – I think it was my second year at

the school.

We started it around the holidays as a fun kind of holiday-themed event for the kids

and for the kids who really wanted to do shows but weren't able to.

We don't do a talent show through the theatre department so this was kind of a way that

a non-competitive talent show almost, but more drama and theatre-based.

LINDSAY: So, you've been doing this for a number of years now.

What would you say in your experience with this what are some of the pitfalls of putting

on a show like this?

ELLEN: I think the only difficult thing really is kids who don't usually perform, sometimes,

they'll get nervous and then you have that little bit of stage fright.

I've had one just freak out so much that they just didn't perform and we just kind

of had to move on.

But, other than that, I really haven't had any real difficulty with the performance itself.

It's relatively easy to put together and, like I said before, it's very low stress.

I think sometimes the only difficult thing is our schedule is so busy and finding the

time to actually have the performance.

LINDSAY: What about when the kids come to audition?

Have you ever had the situation where their piece isn't ready to be performed and they

say, "Oh, I'm going to do it" or they come in and maybe they don't have a lot

of experience and it isn't quite up to snuff?

Has that ever happened?

ELLEN: It does, sometimes.

In those cases, I give the kids opportunities to come in and work with me before or after

school or during their lunch or study hall.

Sometimes, they'll practice for you.

The kids who I have in class, I give them the opportunity to rehearse in class a little

bit and perform for their peers prior to the performance.

And then, like I said, I try to give them that opportunity during lunch or study hall

a lot of times, especially those kids who can't come in after school and they really

enjoy that because they get to come in and hang out with their theatre teacher during

their lunch time.

LINDSAY: That's a great idea.

As we wrap up here, someone who's listening to this, has never done this kind of thing

before, what are a couple of pieces of advice that you could give them?

How should they start this?

How does your audition form?

What does that look like?

What are some pieces of advice you could give them?

ELLEN: For a first time, I might use the classroom setting to help prepare the pieces, doing

a journal prompt and then they turn that into a monologue or having them write original

pieces and then turn that into performances to create content.

For my audition form, I actually use Google Forms for all of my audition forms and we

use Google Classroom at our school and so I have a Vines theatre – our theatre department

Google Classroom – and I just post the link and the kids fill it out online and then I

have a sheet they have to turn in for a parent's signature that just states that the parents

understand that they're going to be performing outside of school on this date and that sort

of thing.

LINDSAY: You know what?

I love the idea, if you've never done this before, using the class time to work on the

pieces.

I think that's a really excellent idea.

As I was sitting here just sort of thinking about what advice would I give, maybe if you're

doing this for the first time, having some narrow parameters too might be helpful.

Say, your piece can be no longer than – I don't know – four minutes.

If you're doing a scene, four minutes.

If you're doing a monologue, two minutes.

It gives kids who have never done this before an idea of what's going to happen because

your kids probably are familiar with the process.

ELLEN: Yeah, and the sophomores help guide that.

Since they've done it multiple times, they kind of help the freshmen figure out, "Hey,

this would be a really great piece" or "This might be a difficult piece" or that sort

of thing.

LINDSAY: I like that idea, too.

Getting a little bit of student leadership in there, you know.

ELLEN: Exactly.

LINDSAY: Ellen, thank you so much for talking to me today.

ELLEN: Of course!

LINDSAY: When I saw you talking about it, I was like, that's one of the thigs that

comes up so much – "Money is such an issue," "Budgets are tight," "My department

doesn't have a budget!"

What a great theatrical way to include your students and raise some money at the same

time.

ELLEN: Yeah, exactly!

It's super easy, it's super fun, the parents love, especially for the kids who don't

usually perform, they love getting to see their kids onstage.

We originally did one a year and now we're doing two a year.

LINDSAY: Awesome.

Thank you so much!

ELLEN: Yeah, thank you!

Have a great day!

Thank you, Ellen!

Before we go, let's do some THEATREFOLK NEWS!

I don't know if it's news anymore but I'm going to keep on saying it that any

links to today's episode can be found in the show notes which are at Theatrefolk.com/episode196.

You can also find a transcript there, too.

You know, we transcript all our podcasts which can be really great if you're looking for

something specific.

I have a question for you!

Are you producing one of our plays?

Well, we want to hear about it.

We want to hear from you!

We want to see a picture.

We want maybe a little snippet of video – like, 30 seconds – of rehearsal footage.

We want to hear what's going on.

We are doing production features that showcase you!

So, what are you doing?

What are your students doing?

What new ideas do you get from using one of our plays?

What successes have happened and what struggles have happened?

I think those are really important, too.

I know a lot of you, you guys feel alone on your islands.

Maybe you're the only drama teacher in your theatre program and you think, "Oh, I'm

the only person who has this struggle," or "Am I the only person who has this idea?"

and "Is it a crazy one?"

We're here to tell you, "No!

You are not struggling alone and you're not crazy and we want to hear about your experience.

All you've got to do is send us the info at tfolk@theatrefolk.com.

Finally, where, oh, where can you find this podcast?

Go to Theatrefolk.com/podcast.

There are a ton of ways that you can find us!

We are on iTunes, Android, Google Play, Stitcher, and more.

All you've got to do – Theatrefolk.com/podcast.

And that's where we're going to end.

Take care, my friends.

Take care.

For more infomation >> Theatre Program Fundraising idea: Do your own coffee house - Duration: 25:41.

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COFFEE TALK TUESDAYS SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT TOOLS - Duration: 3:07.

Hey guys and welcome back to Coffee Talk Tuesdays with me Kelsey, where we sit

down every Tuesday to give you some insight on how to maximize your business

on social media. so grab your coffee because today we're talking about social

media management tools.

When discussing social media management tools there's

three main reasons on why you should use them, they're a big time-saver, it's super

convenient and they provide additional analytics. Some examples of social media

marketing tools that we use are Hootsuite, Canva, Pexels ,MailChimp and

Constant Contact so, let's talk about HootSuite HootSuite is a huge time saver

for us it allows us to schedule our posts for the week all at one time which

really helps keep us on our marketing strategy Also Hootsuite has a great

auto schedule choice which will allow you to let HootSuite post for you at the

most optimal time to get the most amount of engagement. Other great time-saving

tools that we use for our email marketing are MailChimp and Constant

Contact both these platforms have email templates which make it easy and quick

to create an email they also have scheduling features so you can devote

one day to making all your emails and have them set for the duration of your

calendar. So, let's talk about using social media marketing tools for

convenience we also like to use HootSuite for this one as well they have

a dashboard feature which allow you to have all of your social media platforms

in one place. They also have these great features called streams which allow you

to track trends for your business and for your target market. Other great tools

that we use for convenience are Canva and Pexels both of these platforms

supply high quality images that you wouldn't necessarily have on your own

also they're free so you can create some really fantastic content that you can

later post on your platforms. Finally, social media management tools are great

for analytics. Analytics will supply vital information to make sure that

you're staying on track with your marketing strategy. So grab your pen and

paper because it's time for today's highlights on why you should

use social media management tools .

Social media management tools are great time

savers they allow you to schedule posts, post at optimal times and schedule email

marketing campaigns. Next is convenience you can have all of your social media

platforms in one place, keep an eye on trending topics and create free high

quality content and finally analytics tracking your progress will ensure that

you meet your social media marketing goals. Thanks again for tuning in with me

Kelsey for Coffee Talk Tuesdays at Town Crier Social we really appreciate you

stopping in so leave some comments below let us know what you think and if you

have any questions we'd love to feature one of them on our next coffee talk. As

always don't forget to follow us on Facebook Twitter and Instagram at Town

Crier Social.