Happy New Year!

Thank you for visiting my blog. I look forward to sharing some great stuff with you in the coming year. I am creating a new and improved blog. Keep checking back for more details. In the mean time, remember every day is worth celebrating!

May 27th - National Grape Popsicle Day

When I was a kid, I loved Popsicles. Purple is my favorite color, so naturally I always went for the purple Popsicle. Oh how I remember those hot summer days sitting outside after a full day of swimming or playing in the sprinkler eating a purple Popsicle. When I got a little older, I decided Popsicles were for kids and I moved on to savor other ice cold delectable treats. I never realized how much I liked Popsicles until I had a baby. She loves Popsicles and we often share them together. The nostalgia is awe-inspiring. Nothing brings you back to your days of summer past quite like a Popsicle. I urge you to have a Popsicle today. It could be grape or any other flavor, just go for it, you will thank me and your kids will thank me too.

The Popsicle originated in 1905, when an 11 year old, Frank Epperson, left a stir stick in a mixture of powdered soda and water out in the porch. That night, temperatures reached a record low. When the boy woke up the next morning, he discovered the drink had frozen to the stir stick, creating a fruit flavored 'icicle,' a treat he had named the Epsicle. When Frank turned 18 he released his invention to the public at the Neptune beach amusement park. When he realized how popular his invetion was he patent it and later, by request of his children he renamed his treat Popsicle. Thank you Frank – Popsicles rock!

First eat all the grape Popsicles out of the box and then use the Popsicle sticks to make these cool crafts. (if you did not eat enough Popsicles for your craft, you can purchase craft sticks at your local craft store)


God’s Eyes

What you need:
String or yarn in several colors
2 Popsicle or craft sticks
Glue
Scissors

What to do:
1. Glue the two craft sticks together in a cross.
2. Take one color of yarn and wrap it over and around one stick, then over and around the next, over and around the next, and so on. Keep doing that until the color is used up.
3. Tie a different color string onto the old one with a tight knot.
4. Repeat steps 2 + 3 until complete.
5. Take a piece of string for a hanger, cut it, and tie or glue it to your God's Eye. Hang it up in your room to enjoy.


Popsicle Stick Lantern

What you need:
Popsicle sticks or craft sticks
Wax Paper
Tacky Glue
Small Candle in Votive Cup
Small wooden shapes (optional)

What to do:
Lay a 24" piece of wax paper on your work surface. Start at the left bottom and glue four craft sticks on the wax paper to make a box. Right next to it, make another box of four craft sticks. Repeat two more times so you have four boxes. Decorate each box with wooden shapes or other decorations. Glue in place. Let dry.

Trim the wax paper along the top. Trim down the side but leave a half inch to glue. Fold wax paper to make a box. Glue flap to secure. Set a candle in a votive inside and see how pretty it looks when the light shines through.

If you suffer from purple mouth after eating all those grape Popsicles, make use of it and sing the Purple People song with your kids.

"The Purple People Eater"
Written by: Sheb Wooley

Well I saw the thing comin' out of the sky

It had the one long horn, one big eye.

I commenced to shakin' and I said 'ooh-eee'

It looks like a purple people eater to me.

It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater.

one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater

A one-eyed one-horned, flyin' puple people eater

Sure looks stange to me.

Well he came down to earth and lit in a tree

I said Mr. Purple People Eater don't eat me

I heard him say in a voice so gruff

I wouldn't eat you cuz you're so tough

It was a one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

Sure looks strange to me.

I said Mr. Purple People Eater, what's your line

He said it's eatin' purple people and it sure is fine

But that's not the reason that I came to land

I wanna get a job in a rock and roll band

Well bless my soul, rock and roll, flying purple people eater.

Pidgeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin' purple people eater

one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater

what a sight to see.

And then he swung from the tree and he lit on the ground.

He started to rock, really rockin' around

It was a crazy ditty with a swingin' tune

sing aboop boop aboopa lopa lum bam boom

It was a one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

What a sight to see

And then he went on his way, and then what do you know.

I saw him last night on a TV show.

He was blowing it out, a'really knockin' em dead

Playin' rock and roll music through the horn in his head

It was a one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

one-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater

Sure looks strange to me.

May 26th - Sally Ride Day

Sally Kristen Ride was born on May 26th 1951 in Los Angeles, California where she continues to live today. Sally is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut who, in 1983, became the first American woman and youngest American (at the time) to enter space. Ride among eight thousand others applied to be an astronaut in 1977. Six women, including Sally Ride, were selected for a group of 35 new astronauts in 1978.

Space was not Sally’s first love. As a child she had always dreamed of becoming a professional tennis player, but when she went to college, she discovered physics and was intrigued. She earned a PhD in physics and shortly before joining NASA she earned a degree in astrophysics.

Sally flew into space again in 1984. She has cumulatively spent more than 343 hours in space. When asked about space travel, Sally said, "The thing that I'll remember most about the flight is that it was fun. In fact, I'm sure it was the most fun I'll ever have in my life."

In 2001, Ride founded Sally Ride Science, a company dedicated to supporting girls’ and boys’ interests in science, math and technology. Ride currently serves as the organization's President & CEO.

Sally Ride has also written or co-written five books on space, aimed at children with the goal of encouraging children to study science.


To celebrate this day with your family make your very own little rocket ship.


Paper Rocket

What you need:
Large plastic drinking straws
Cellophane tape
Paper
Scissors

What to do:
Cut 4 strips from a 8 1/2 X 11 inch sheet of paper.
Fold in half.
Tape, leaving 1 inch untaped at the bottom.
Fold and tape to a point at the top.
Tear paper on untaped end to make fins.
Put the straw in the end that is not taped.
Now have the children blow on the straw, and their rockets will fly.

How far can your rocket fly? Compare flight distances.
Place boxes at various distances and have the children aim and try to land their rockets in a designated box.


Another fun craft to make


Star Gazer

What you need:
Two-liter plastic bottle
Black construction paper
Tape
Thumb tack
White copy paper

What to do:

Draw four different constellations on the 4 outer edges of a piece of white copy paper. Cut off the bottom of a 2-ltr bottle. Wrap a black piece of construction paper around the bottle and secure with tape. Grab a piece of black construction paper and a thumb tack (with a grip on the end). Lay the white copy on top of the black paper. Use the thumb tack to poke a hole through each star (dot) to make a constellation. Look through the pour spout on the plastic bottle. While holding it with one hand, use the other hand to hold the black paper up to the cut end of bottle. Position one of the punched-out "constellations" in the middle of the cut hole and look upward to a light source.


To honor the great Sally Ride encourage your children to think about outer space and read them this cute little poem before tucking them in bed tonight.

Last Night I Slept in Outer Space

by

Lynn M Duriga

Last night I slept in outer space

With my head upon the moon

In a galaxy of strange design Though I never left my room

My rocket ship was right near by

Ready -- just like I’d planned it

In case I decided to visit the sun

Or perhaps that red-ringed planet

Solar systems swirled all around me

And stars glowed bright in the dark

There was even one galaxy down near my feet that was shaped like a big question mark

A flying saucer was part of the mix

It was parked close beside the Big Dipper A purplish moon and asteroids too

Completed the heavenly star-studded view.
Tonight though, I won’t be falling asleep In that wonderful outer space place

I have to exchange that adventurous scheme

For another more worldly theme.

A safari perhaps – an African dream

Of zebras, giraffes and the jungle Or maybe instead, a blue coral reef

Where the waves of the ocean will lull me to sleep.
Maybe you’ve guessed why tonight will be different

And why I won’t sleep among stars

Why a jungle safari or coral reef fishes

Will replace solar systems and Mars

When I pull up the covers, and my day starts to dim

Then the place that I’m likely to find myself in

Is inspired by soft, cool, cottony covers

Where images dance and ideas hover

Fanciful thoughts then fill up my head

And all because Mom changed the sheets on my bed!

May 25th - Memorial Day

When I'm Gone

When I come to the end of my journey

And I travel my last weary mile,

Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned

And remember only the smile.

Forget unkind words I have spoken;

Remember some good I have done.

Forget that I ever had heartache

And remember I've had loads of fun.

Forget that I've stumbled and blundered

And sometimes fell by the way.

Remember I have fought some hard battles

And won, ere the close of the day.

Then forget to grieve for my going,

I would not have you sad for a day,

But in summer just gather some flowers

And remember the place where I lay,

And come in the shade of evening

When the sun paints the sky in the west

Stand for a few moments beside me

And remember only my best. - Mrs. Lyman Hancock

In 1866 Henry Welles, a drugstore owner in Waterloo, New York, suggested that all the shops in town close for one day to honor the soldiers who were killed in the Civil War and were buried in the Waterloo cemetery. On the morning of May 5, the townspeople placed flowers, wreaths and crosses on the graves of the Northern soldiers in the cemetery. At about the same time, Retired Major General Jonathan A. Logan planned another ceremony, this time for the soldiers who survived the war. He led the veterans through town to the cemetery to decorate their comrades' graves with flags. It was not a happy celebration, but a memorial. The townspeople called it Decoration Day. In 1971 Memorial Day it was declared a federal holiday by President Richard Nixon.

Cities all around the United States hold their own ceremonies on the last Monday in May to pay respect to the men and women who have died in wars or in the service of their country.

Memorial Day is not limited to honor only those Americans from the armed forces. It is also a day for personal remembrance. Families and individuals honor the memories of their loved ones who have died. Church services, visits to the cemetery, flowers on graves or even silent tribute mark the day with dignity and solemnity. It is a day of reflection.

The National Moment of Remembrance

Asks Americans wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity (duration: one minute).The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. The Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans. - White House Commission on Remembrance

America Acrostic Poem

Write a poem about America. Start each line with a letter from the word "America."
You can also start each line with a letter from words such as honor, freedom, sacrifice, and courage.

Patriotic Hand Wreath

What you need:
Glue
Scissors
Red, white and blue paint or construction paper.

What to do:
There are two ways to do this craft. One is to trace the child's hand onto paper and cut out the prints. The second is to make paint hand prints on the paper and cut those out Make nine hand prints (3 of each color Cut out the prints and glue to form a wreath.

Red, White and Blue Tissue Paper Flowers

What you need (for one flower):
tissue paper (Red, white and blue for flowers and a bit of yellow or white for the center)
straw
cotton ball
scissors
scotch tape (or floral tape)

What to do:
cut a square of tissue paper (white or yellow) about 2" by 2"put a small piece of cotton (about 1/4 of a cotton ball in the center.

Scrunch the cotton filled tissue paper around the end of the straw and wrap a piece of scotch tape around it.

Put 4 or 5 petals around the cotton filled tissue paper. Tape them on.

Continue adding rows of petals until you have a nice full flower. You'll need at least 4 rows of them.

Fluff the petals out a bit to shape your flower.

May 24th - National Escargot Day

One of the most famous dishes in French cuisine is escargot, a preparation of snails which can be served with a variety of sauces. The most common preparation for escargot is boiling or steaming, and the snails are often served in the shell on a special escargot plate, which has small depressions for each shell. In addition to being served plain, escargot can be tossed with pasta or used to stuff vegetables for appetizers.

Archeologist found roasted snail shells in Florida, indicating that snails have been eaten since prehistoric times. If you like escargot you will be happy to know that escargot is high in protein and low in fat. If on the other hand, you are like me and can’t imagine eating slimy snails, here is another reason to steer clear of these delicacies. A typical snail diet includes decayed matter, carrion, and a wide variety of leaves. The contents of their stomachs can sometimes be toxic to humans. Therefore, before they are cooked, the snails are first prepared by purging them of the questionable contents of their digestive system. If the snails are not properly purged, it can make the dish taste bitter. Yummy, Yummy, Yummy! If you love escargot, today is the day to enjoy it. If you have never had escargot, but always wanted to try it, I would say, go for it, take the plunge today.


ESCARGOT IN GARLIC

Ingredients:
1 dozen snails

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp. white wine or chicken broth

1 stick real butter, softened

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1/4 c. dry bread crumbs

French bread

Directions:
Using purchased snails (the common garden variety won't do). Mix garlic, parsley, wine or broth and butter. Cover, refrigerate to firm. Stuff snails into shells followed by about 1 tablespoon of prepared butter. Place in shallow pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs at mouth of snail. Broil until very hot, about 15 minutes. Serve with toasted slices of French bread and garnish with lemon.

Share with your family these silly snail jokes, while crafting or cooking your snails.

What is the definition of a slug?

A snail with a housing problem!

Why is the snail the strongest animal?

Because he carries a house on his back!

What do you do when two snails have a fight?

Leave them to slug it out!

Cute Snail Craft

What you need:
4” Styrofoam ball
½” teardrop and craft spoon
Approximately 39 yellow pony beads
Black chenille stem
Two 7mm wiggly eyes
Acrylic paint – light green, orange, purple
Fine tip black marker
Glue
Paint brushes
Plastic knife

What to do:
1. Slice off ½” from ball with a plastic knife.

2. Paint ball with orange paint. Let dry. Using purple paint, Paint a large swirl on ball beginning at bottom edge of ball.

3. Put a dab of glue on the bottom of each pony bead and press into Styrofoam® around swirl, beginning at the bottom of the swirl.

4. Paint the craft stick and teardrop green. Let dry. Using purple paint, make cheeks for the snails face and the tip of the tail (teardrop). Draw mouth with a black marker. Glue wiggly eyes in place. Let dry.

5. Press small end of craft spoon head into bottom ride side of snail body. Press rounded end of teardrop tail in bottom of left side of body. Cut chenille stem in half. Using only half, bend stem to form antennae and glue in place.

May 23rd - World Turtle Day

“World Turtle Day calls attention to these remarkable animals and the urgent need to protect them in their natural habitats,” says Beth Preiss, director of the exotic pets campaign for The HSUS.

Why did the turtle cross the road?
To get to the Shell station!

If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is it naked or homeless?

What did the turtle wear to keep warm?

A turtle neck.

Many Turtles have recently emerged from winter hibernation and are beginning their search for mates and nesting areas. Funny, just yesterday I was outside watering my flowers when I saw a baby turtle slowly moving through the bushes. I love seeing little turtles, it remind me of my baby sister because she always had a pet turtle growing up. Now that the turtles are emerging, I can’t think of a better time of the year to celebrate them. If you are going out to the lake this weekend, keep your eyes open for these adorable little creatures, but just remember for their safety and yours, look but don’t touch.

Celebrate this day by learning a few facts about turtles:

Turtles are found on every continent except Antarctica.

Turtles have been on earth for more than two-hundred million years.

The box turtle among other species can live for one hundred years or more.

The turtle's shell contains nerve endings so the turtle can feel it when you touch its shell.

A turtle's shell is made up of sixty bones connected together.

Loggerhead turtles can weigh two-hundred to four-hundred pounds and grow to more than three feet.

Ancient turtles were very similar to modern day turtles except they had teeth and could not retract their heads as modern day turtles can do.

Although we tend to clump them all together there are differences between a turtle and tortoise. A turtle spends most of its time in water. Turtles have webbed feet for swimming. A tortoise is a land dweller. Its feet are not webbed. Turtles have flatter backs than tortoises.

Please keep this in mind, when you are thinking about getting a turtle for a pet!

Baby turtles can be natural sources of Salmonella, a group of bacteria that can cause severe illness and death. Salmonella can be found on the outer skin and shell surfaces of the turtles. In addition to the Salmonella risk, getting turtles as pets poses risks to the welfare of the animals and harmful the environment. Countless turtles in the pet trade die from poor shipping methods and inadequate care. If they survive, they can live for decades. People may release them outdoors where they can harm native species.

All seriousness aside, lets have fun and celebrate turtles

Turtle Hopscotch

What you need:
Sidewalk Chalk

What you do:
Draw a Turtle on the cement making the turtle body about 36" wide. Then draw the Head and a tail to extend out 4 feet. Feet and tail are safe areas.

Draw a circle in the middle, which will be referred to as HOME. Now, make 10 spaces in the outside shell, with #1 starting next to the head.

To Start, the first player stands on the Turtle Head. The player must hop, on one foot, landing in each space (from 1 to 10) and then can land on Home space with two feet. The player now hops back from 10 to 1 and onto the Turtle head to exit the game.

If the player hops all the way without stepping on a line, then that player get to claim a space and write their name in that space. No other player can land on that space for the rest of the game.

Successive players can also use the Turtle legs and tail as safe spaces and stepping on those lines does not count.

Players continue taking turns, skipping over the claimed spaces. Play continues until no one is able to reach Home.
Whoever earns the most spaces is the Winner.


A Couple Cute Turtle Songs (with actions)

I got a little turtle, his name is Tiny Tim,
I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim (make a swimming noise and movement)
He drank up all the water (move your hands towards your mouth and make a "gulp" sound)
He ate up all the soap (make a munching noise with the eating of the soap)
Then my little turtle got a bubble in his throat (tap under your chin gently when you say that line)


1 little 2 little 3 little turtles
4 little 5 little 6 little turtles
7 little 8 little 9 little turtles (show the fingers as you go along)
10 little turtles in the pond (then clap 3 times)


There was a little turtle (make a small circle with your hands)
He lived in a box, (make a box with both hands)
He swam in a puddle, (wiggle hands)
He climbed on the rocks. (climb fingers of one hand up over the other)
He snapped at a mosquito, (clap hands)
He snapped at a flea, (clap hands)
He snapped at a minnow, (clap hands)
He snapped at me. (point to yourself)
He caught the mosquito, (mimic catching a bug)
He caught the flea (same action)
He caught the minnow, (same action)
But he didn't catch me! (point to yourself)


Sweet and Simple Turtle Craft

What you need:
Small White Paper Bowls
Cereal Box Cardboard
Glue
Scissors
Markers or Paint (preferably green and black)

What to do:
Use scissors to cut the turtle's legs, head and tail from a cereal box!). Turn the bowl upside down and glue them to the underside of the rim. Use the markers or paints to decorate the turtle

My Apologies! May 20th-22nd

I would like to apologize to my regulars for not posting the last couple of days. My Internet has not been working and therefore I was unable to post. I am back now and look forward to keeping you updated everyday. In the future I hope to post a list of daily celebrations so you can have time to plan ahead, if you see a celebration or activity you like. Remember just because things are celebrated on certain days, doesn't mean you can't celebrate them at another times. Kinda like celebrating Christmas in July.