Purple Picnic Day at Chatham a Great Success!!!

What a wonderful afternoon at Juniper Village at Chatham!!!  We held our first annual Purple Picnic Day to raise money for the New Jersey chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, and it was a grand success.  The association provided giveaways for our picnickers in the way of wrist bands, pens, and flyers, along with a display with members from the organization.  Our residents joined in with our purple theme, adorning all shades of the color.  We served blueberry-based smoothies, purple punch, hors d'oeuvres, purple cupcakes, and purple-colored chocolate pretzels.  And we raised $385 for the cause!  This event will surely become a tradition here at Juniper!!!

The Hunt Was on at Juniper Village at Chatham!

Although the sky was overcast and it was chilly, the kids had a great time at our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Plastic eggs with candy inside were scattered all over the great lawn, as well as in trees and bushes. To make it a lot more challenging for the older ones, the eggs were painted camouflaged, and that really kept them busy. Then we played games and prizes were given out. Happy Easter!

Spring Has Sprung in Branch Brook Park

Our timing was perfect this year for our annual trip to see the cherry blossoms in Branch Brook Park in Newark.  The park is 360 acres and is the largest public park in Newark.  It was created in 1895, and initially was only 60 acres, but grew in size in the 1920's through private donations from prominent Newark families.  The park has over 4,300 cherry trees, which is the largest grouping of cherry trees in the U.S.  Residents were thrilled to see the blossoms at their peak, and were eager to reminisce about the city of Newark and of memorable times spent there.

Passover Seder at Juniper Village at Chatham

This year’s Passover Seder was a huge success and very well attended.  Alice and Richard Barron led the group in prayer. Each resident received their own Seder plate and were given instructions when to taste each item and what it meant. Many of the participants were not of the Jewish faith but wanted to learn more about the Passover Holiday and why Matzah is eaten on this holiday.  The program was not only delicious but educational.

April 2017 Events in Chatham, NJ: Believe in Yourself

Each April we begin our Healthy Aging Series with a focus on brain health, and encourage you to Believe in Yourself. We know that believing in yourself has a positive effect on your mental health, but did you know that self-confidence influences your physical health as well? Recent studies show people who exhibit self-confidence are generally healthier and tend to live longer. That's because confidence is a positive emotion and positive emotions have countless health benefits for your mind, body and spirit. In nurturing wellbeing by encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit, Juniper is also building self-confidence. The link between health and confidence also may be related to the ability of positive emotions to boost our brain's power to hold attention, be aware and remember things. We are better able to learn, build new skills and relate with others when we are feeling optimistic. Also confident people are better able to handle chaotic situations in a positive manner. This helps to reduce or avoid excessive stress, high blood pressure, anger, confusion – all the negative side effects of feeling powerless, overwhelmed and out of control.

If you need to kick start your confidence, here are a few things to try: smile; count your blessings; surround yourself with confident people; learn how others have found their confidence and follow their lead; challenge negative or inaccurate thinking and replace with accurate, constructive thoughts; and encourage yourself. You can also plan to join us this month for uplifting discussions and a focus on brain health with offerings such as Daily Brain Builders, Wii games, and a Brain Healthy Luncheon.

Our fabulous April 2017 events in Chatham, NJ at Juniper Village at Chatham include our:

§  Feed Your Mind because you are what you eat, we join Dr. Jacinda Hover as she delves into the world of anti-inflammatory foods, and how what we eat affects so much more than our grumbling tummies, so come and bring a friend to what promises to be an insightful presentation on April 5^th at 4:00 pm.

§  Easter Egg Hunt so come and have some fun with us at this wonderful Juniper Village tradition, so invite the grandchildren and the great-grands for a terrific Easter Egg hunt with special prizes, and refreshments will be served April 15^th at 11:00 am.

§  Purple Picnic benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association, for a suggested $2 donation, we invite you to wear purple and come sip on a Brain Healthy Blueberry Smoothie, so enjoy other picnic refreshments and games while benefitting this important cause on April 27^th from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our April 2017 events in Chatham, NJ at Juniper Village at Chatham with you as you Believe in Yourself.