Learn and Celebrate New Year's Holidays Around The World

How to others celebrate the New Year around the world? How about the history of New Years celebrations? Many celebrations around the world have their own customs, traditions and rituals to welcome the New Year in with a bang....

We are learning about New Years traditions and celebrations around the world today, how is your family ringing in the New Year??

Parenting in the Social Media Age: Don't Fall Behind!

The Social Media age is a major part of our life now and our children's lives now, usage increases among younger children every year. What can you do as a parent? Have you caught up yet? Don't fall behind mom and dad, it is your responsibility to keep your kids safe. I know it is not easy, we are struggling everyday 

with the same things you are. I am right there with you with a pre-teen and teen daughter that are glued to their iphones and laptops everyday.

The best thing you can do as a parent is keep the lines of communication open, dialogue about social media with your kids is one of the best tools you have. Keep your conversations open and very honest, let them know just how you feel (they can't read your mind, just like you can't read theirs). They need to know the consequences and real dangers that are out in our world today. Don't think that bad things only happen to other people, it can easily be you.

This info-graphic credit "Teen Safe" shows some great thoughts. 

Creating some ground rules from the beginning about how your kids will use social media, how you will monitor their computer and cell phone usage will help you tremendously later on. 

I like the statement that online lives should never take priority over real lives. Keep that in mind and have family nights often, no phones allowed, even you mom & dad. Remember kids will watch and do just what you do too (remember monkey see monkey do?)

Are you always face- deep in your smart phone? Do you post online photos, messages or tweets that are not becoming of the person you want your child to be or see?

How is your social media and phone use, what example do they have to follow. Don't be the bad monkey!

What Does Monday, Birds and Whipped Cream Have In Common?

They all share a National Day of January 5th together. Bet you didn't know that, ask your homeschoolers if they knew that one too. National days can provide an opportunity to learn , educate and discuss all while having lots of fun.
My favorite site for information related to "national day lists" is www.NationaldayCalendar.com , subscribe to the newsletter and get their daily listing for each day in your inbox.

NATIONAL THANK GOD IT’S MONDAY DAY

National Thank God It’s Monday Day is celebrated each year on the first Monday in January. This day was created to celebrate all things that start/happen on a Monday in the the upcoming year, such as; a new job, a promotion, birthdays, holidays, vacations and etc. This is also a day, which starts out the first full week of the new year, to look ahead with positive hope, energy, enthusiasm and excitement for all things to come in the next 12 months.

National Bird Day

Born Free USA emphasizes the importance of National Bird Day and lists it as a day to shine a spotlight on issues critical to the protection and survival of birds, both captive and wild.

National Bird Day, an “unofficial” national holiday, was created to promote avian awareness.

According to Born Free USA, nearly 12 percent of the world’s almost 10,000 bird species are in danger of extinction.

Celebrated annually by half a million adherents through:

• bird-watching
• studying birds
• educating others
• other bird-related activities
• A particularly important National Bird Day activity is bird adoption. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper article, many bird enthusiast celebrate by adopting birds on this day and educating future bird owners about the special issues involved with taking care of birds, including the “proper care, cleanup, noise and biting, feeding, diet and their need for daily interaction”.

Watch for another full post related to studying birds soon.

NATIONAL WHIPPED CREAM DAY

There is that little something that adds a final touch to ice cream sundaes, cake, milk shakes, hot cocoa, pie, pudding and many other desserts and it is annually celebrated on January 5. This is National Whipped Cream Day.

This holiday falls on the birthday of Reddi-wip founder Aaron “Bunny” Lapin. Aaron who invented Reddi-wip in 1948, was born on January 5, 1914 and died on July 10, 1999.

National Whipped Cream Day celebrates whipped cream’s contribution to the dessert world.

Often sweetened and sometimes flavored with vanilla, coffee, chocolate, orange and other flavors, whipped cream is also sometimes called Chantilly cream orcreme Chantilly.

Recipes from the 16th century included whipped cream that was sweetened and aromatised. The names “milk snow” and “snow cream” were used. In these recipes, naturally separated cream is whipped, typically with willow or rush branches, then the resulting foam on the surface would from time to time be skimmed off and drained, which was a process taking an hour or more.

The English name “whipped cream” found it’s beginning in 1673. The name “snow cream” continued to be used throughout the 17th century.

To celebrate National Whipped Cream Day, try one of the following “tried and true” recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whipped-cream/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sturdy-whipped-cream-frosting/

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Caramelito-Cookies-with-Vanilla-Whipped-Cream-and-Candied-Nuts-Food-Network-289869

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Milk-chocolate-mousse-with-coconut-whipped-cream-357990?columns=4&position=9%2F71

b03e4509af7396c7457f65faac7b78c32b3a8ebf6a4ec24a6d

Meow Monday with Lucy & Smokey

This weeks cute photo of us, we are so cute! Pin us!

Our Mommy let us use the computer thing each Monday now to do a series called "Meow Monday with Lucy and Smokey" we want to tell other kitties out there all about our life in this crazy house with these crazy people who carry us around all the time and talk to us like we are babies. They even dress Lucy up sometimes and that little one tries to put makeup on her.
Our brother kitty Catboy (real name Tom, they called him Fat-boy and then Catboy stuck) has finally gone to the great kitty cat heaven in the sky  so we are sad today, but then again happy that he is in kitty heaven with grandpa and others that have gone on before us. 

He was about 12-13 yrs old,with Feline FIV (like HIV)in humans , diabetes and arthritis (we have tested negative for that bad stuff so far and had our shots, ekk) . Our Mommy has been running a kitty cat hospice here for about 6 months now. He has been declining fast, loosing weight and looking ruff for a while now. Mommy has been medicating him for comfort and letting him have his favorite canned kitty food every day. She even let him pee in the floor (well on the pee pee pads), we don't even get to do that, we have to go potty in that box thing.
Catboy died happy, but outside , my human brother Kris found him Sunday near his favorite sleeping spot outdoors and he was gone. They buried him in our yard so the girls can make him a proper tombstone, as they want to. We don't get to go outside, we just get to watch from the window. Mommy does not allow us to go outdoors, she says that Lucy can't behave herself outside so we have to stay in.
Here are some pictures of Catboy we found on this computer thing, and Mommy said we could share them.

We just showed some of the happy pictures, he was so funny and fat, until he started getting sicker, he lived for a long long time with our family, many great memories of our brother Catboy!

Rest In Peace dear brother!

Love your kitty sisters Lucy and Smokey! 

TapToTalk :Socially acceptable communication app

It just amazes me how far we have come with technology and the numerous applications that surface daily for people of all levels of knowledge. This technological innovation is also affordable to anyone. As a wife to a husband with disabilities and a nurse that works with all types of patients in the ED, I was amazed by the application "Tap to Talk". A simple application that works on all kinds of devices. It was very easy to install, I put the free version on my iPad and my iPhone. 
The freedom this app now gives a person with a disabled child or spouse is wonderful!
I also asked one of my nonverbal patient's (via pen and paper) at work on day if she would mind looking at the app via my iPhone and telling me her honest opinion of it. Before I knew it she was smiling and laughing with her daughter and they were discussing buying an iPad to add the app. Due to a stroke she had been left without the ability to speak clearly anymore and her family was having a hard time some days understanding her needs. Using the "Tap to Talk" app she was able to tell me, her nurse, that she was thirsty and that she needed to go to the bathroom and I understood her easily. Score one for the team!

TapToTalk Designer enables a user to customize the application to a more personable style and also adds a library of over 2600 photos, ability to add a recognizable voice, upload your own photos, choose the language and so much more. 
The cost is so worth the smile of the person you are helping to be verbal, sometimes for the first time ever. Brochure here 

Give your non-verbal child the portable, customizable, socially acceptable communication app.

Play your albums with any or all of these free TapToTalk apps
iPhone/iPad/iPod, Kindle Fire, Nook Color/Tablet, Nabi, Android, PlayBook
and Web Apps are available free with sample albums

As a blogger, I have been given the opportunity to advertise this material and I am being compensated for my review. Credit to TapToTalk for images and links. Be sure to follow them on Pinterest and other social media sites. 

Learning about the Olympics and free E-book

Olympics Trivia

---

By: Kyrie Collins, Highlands Ranch, CO Publisher Mom

From my local Hickory Macaroni Kids newsletter

The First

The first recorded Olympic Games took place in Ancient Greece in 776 BC. The only event was a "stade," a foot race about 600 feet in length. This is where the word "stadium" originates. The athletes participated nude or "gymnos." This is where the word "gymnasium" originates.

The Countries

205 different nations will be competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Greece is the only nation to have participated under its own flag in every modern Summer Olympic Games.

London Calling

2012 will be London's third time hosting the Olympics, more than any other city. The United States has hosted more Olympic games than any other country, with a total of eight in six different cities.

The Official Olympic Flag

The five rings on the Olympic Flag represent the five continents from which the athletes hail. They are interconnected to symbolize the friendship to be gained. The colors of the rings - blue, yellow, black, green, and red - were chosen because at least one of them appears on the flag of every country in the world.

The Motto

Citius, Altius, Fortius is Latin for Swifter, Higher, Stronger.

The Medals

The medals are designed for each Olympic Games by the host city's committee. Gold medals are actually 92-1/2% silver, covered in six grams of gold. Solid gold medals haven't been awarded since the 1912 Olympics.

It Was A Tie

In 1912, the light heavyweight wrestling final lasted nine hours. Neither wrestler gained an advantage over the other, so both received a silver medal.

Cancelled Games

No Olympic Games were held in 1916, 1940, or 1944 due to World War I and World War II. Major boycotts occurred in 1980 and 1984 because of the Cold War.

The Events

To be considered for inclusion in the Olympics, an event must be "widely practiced" by men in at least 75 countries on four continents and by women in at least 40 countries on three continents. (Who knew that the hammer throw was so darn popular worldwide?)

Length of a Marathon

Many people mistakenly believe the length of a marathon (26.2 miles) dates back to 490 BC when a Greek soldier ran from Marathon to Athens to announce that the Greeks defeated the invading Persians. However, the distance between Marathon and Athens is approximately 25 miles. It wasn't until the 1908 Summer Olympics, which were also held in London, that the queen asked that the marathon begin at Windsor Castle so the Royal Children could see the start of the race and end below the Royal Box at the stadium. The distance from the castle to the stadium was 26 miles and 385 yards. For some strange reason, this became the standardized length of a marathon in 1924.

Strangest Event

Club Swinging was an event in 1904 and 1932. Competitors swung a club decorated with ribbons around their bodies and heads. This event is considered by some to be the grandparent of modern-day Rhythm Gymnastics.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Pinterest lots of Olympic Unit study boards and information any homeschool mom will love!! 

                                                                      Source: icanteachmychild.com via Nikki on Pinterest

  This FREE eBook includes:

• A List of Books about the Olympics
• A Gold Medal Map Guide
• 6 Unique Olympic Crafts
• 6 Fun Olympic Games & Activities
• 3 Delicious Olympic-Inspired Snacks

Whether you’re looking to host an Olympic party or just want to have fun with your child during the Olympics…this eBook is for YOU!

So…here’s how you can snag your own copy!

-Go here and enter your e-mail address to subscribe for free e-mail updates.

-You’ll immediately receive an e-mail from “Feedburner E-mail Subscriptions” asking you to activate your subscription.  Click on the first link to activate.

-Directly underneath the link to activate your subscription, you will see the following:  ”As a THANK YOU for subscribing, here is my FREE gift to you.”.  Click on the link to get your 21-page Olympic Activities for Kids eBook as well as our Fascinating Science for Kids eBook.

Worry your Life Away.....what is the solution?

Do you worry, are you anxious? This is the only answer, open the book and start reading these verses, turn it all over to the One that can solve all your problems. Try it, it works! 

                                                               Source: unlockingthebible.org via Leslie on Pinterest

Daisy's are for picking or clicking?

Find Great Deals at Home or on the Road


Download the app to your computer and access
it from your mobile device. Never miss a deal again

.http://blockhousecreates.shoppingdaisy.com

What is ShoppingDaisy?

ShoppingDaisy is a free app for instantly finding the lowest price for any item you wish to purchase. ShoppingDaisy works between your search and price comparison services spanning hundreds of millions of products and extending into travel, lodging, tickets, deep discounts, daily deals and more to bring you savings every time.

How does ShoppingDaisy work?
Simple. Just Click, Compare and Save. Get it now. It's Free. Click Here

 

Check out a new endeavor that my family has started, join for free if you wish, not spam you will make money, Promise! I don't do things like this unless they actually work, as a mother,nurse and friend, someone else was nice enough to tell me about this site and I was skeptical at first. But now I totally love it!

Join the Penny Auction craze for half the cost with Zeekler - buy $20 worth of bids for only $10. Get BOGO bids on Zeekler to win laptops, electronics, cash, and much more at up to 95% off. Register to receive $20 worth of bids/mo for only $10/mo - Start Nowhttps://www.zeekler.com/securesignup.asp?username=blockhousecreates

 

Nature, A Beautiful Force~

This is a touching video that shows you how wonderful our world really is and how much God is really in control. Nature is such a beautiful force and the ebbs and flows that work all in his timing is amazing. Take time today to notice the world around you and say thank you for what you have!