Floral Design Day

This is a day dedicated to appreciating the art of floral design (making arrangements out of flowers). This could be making a floral arrangement (out of real, fake, or dried flowers), admiring floral arrangements, taking pictures of arrangements or drawing a flower arrangement.

I have never actually tried to do any sort of floral design. Other than weddings and funerals, I don't see too many floral arrangements. But I do have a few friends that are great at making flowers prettier than they already are. One of them works at a flower shop. Her entire job is about creating beautiful works of art with flowers and plants. The other is a teacher that I had in high school. When you walk in her house there are plants/flowers through out the house. Expecially in the warmer months. She will pick the flowers from her backyard and create a display for her living room table. It is a different arrangement almost every time I see it!

So no matter if you are "good" with flowers or not, take the time to appreciate the different floral arrangements that you see - because they didn't grow that way!

Have fun!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

National Polar Bear Day

With this cold, no wonder they put polar bear day this time of the year!

What better way to celebrate the Polar Bear than to learn more about them? Here we go:

- Polar Bears primarily live in the Arctic (Russia, Alaska, etc)

-They are the largest carnivore (meat eaters) that live on land

- Seals make up most of their diet. They can actually smell seals from a mile away.

-Male bears can weigh up to 1500 pounds and females are usually half that size.

- Polar Bears have 42 teeth

- Females don't start having cubs until they are about 4 or 5 years old.

- Polar Bears stay warm thanks to almost 10 cm of blubber under their skin.

- The only thing that preys or hunts Polar Bears are humans.

Happy Polar Bear Day!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Tell a Fairy Tale Day

Fairy tales where one of my favorite things when I was growing up. Most of the Disney movies that I loved where based off of fairy tales. It wasn't until I was older that I learned that most of the movies that I watched, where not actually how the story happened.

Take Cinderella for example. In the movie, the prince found Cinderella by having every maiden in the kingdom try on a glass slipper that was left on the steps of his castle. The evil step sisters tried on the glass slipper and could not fit it on their feet. In the original story by the Grimm Brothers, the step sisters actually cut off parts of their feet (Big toe and heels) to be able to fit into the slippers. They are discovered by the blood that covers the shoe.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs story is different from the movie as well. The evil queen actually tries to kill Snow White more than what they showed in the movie. Along with the Huntsman and the poison apple the Queen also uses a laced bodice to try and kill Snow. The queen comes dressed as a pedlar selling bodices and convinces snow to try one on. She then ties the bodice so tightly that snow collapses and is left for dead. The dwarfs find her just in time to untie the laces. She also tries to kill Snow with a poison comb, but once again the dwarfs come to her rescue.

We owe a good chunk of our Fairy Tales to the Grimm Brothers, who put together their book of fairy tales. So to celebrate, we continue to read fairy tales and watch movies about them as well!

So have fun, and tell a fairy tale today!

Quiet Day

Being quiet is not something that comes naturally to my family. To be honest, we are actually pretty darn loud. When I was seven years old I went to a Michigan football game with my dad. Now for those of you not familiar with the Michigan stadium, it can hold over 100,000 people. So imagine my dads horror, when we came back a YEAR later and the usher looks at me and say's "Hey look, the screamers back!".

So we have established that my family (me included) are very loud. So the "quiet game" (see who can stay quiet the longest) never worked very well in my family. My brother and I seldom played it, and when we did, it only lasted about 5 minutes because we wanted to go back to yelling and arguing with each other.

I took a communications class a few years ago in college. The professor would always have us do rather strange things and then we would have to write a speech about our experience.  For one such experience, we had to go an entire 24 hours without talking. Do you know how hard that is for someone like me who is constantly singing and talking to herself?!? It was very difficult for me, but very interesting at the same time!

So make sure you get some quiet time into your day!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

National Tortilla Chip Day

A day devoted to the Tortilla Chip! The chip that is most popular during football games.

I attempted to learn more about this popular snack food, but I did not find out much. Here is some of what I found:

- According to the U.S. Census Bureau there were 337 tortilla manufacturing establishments in the U.S. in 2004.

- Is usually made from corn meal or wheat

-  The triangle shaped tortilla chip was popularized by Rebecca Webb Carranza as a way to make use of misshapen tortillas rejected from automated tortilla manufacturing machines.

So there is some small information. But really the best way to celebrate is to go out and eat a few tortilla chips today!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Tennis Day

I'm not going to lie. I am absolutely horrible at tennis. I am pretty good at racquetball, but for some reason, trying to hit a bigger ball with a bigger racquet is hard for me!  But I have to say that Reese absolutely love's tennis balls! (Although, if you don't watch him, he will destroy it in under a minute!).

So lets learn some things about tennis:

- The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century as “lawn tennis”

-  Prior to the use of rackets in tennis, people used their palms to hit the ball back and forth

-  Tennis balls were white until 1972, when it was found that a bright yellow color was easier to see on a television screen.

- The first women to play in the Wimbledon tournament wore full length dresses.

Have a great Tennis Day!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Walking the Dog Day

It is currently above 0 degrees where I live (it's about 10 degrees)! What great weather to take my two dogs for a walk!

It is walk the dog day. So if you have a dog, take some time to walk it. If the weather won't allow either the dog, or their owner to walk outside then go someplace that will allow pets inside their building (Pet store, Tractor Supply, etc).

This time of year always seems to be the time when the dogs are most restless. It makes sense. A good chunk of the time it is so cold that they don't get as many walks or out door time as they should really have. If I was stuck in my house for 3 months during the year and only went outside for 3 minute increments at a time, I would go a little stir crazy too!

So let your dogs get out some of that extra energy by taking them for a walk. Not only will they enjoy it, but you will love when they are calmer in your house!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Women in Blue Jeans Day

Blue jeans! We see them everywhere now! But "way back when" it was not likely for women to wear jeans. Blue jeans represents how much women can do. We can vote, do hard labor, and have a "regular" job in society.

I love to look through photos. Especially my grandma's photos. The one thing that strikes me more than anything is the fact that the women are pretty much always in a skirt or a dress. There is not one photo that I can remember where the women were in pants. She would tell me how most of her friends ended up with office jobs or as a teacher. There wasn't any of them that was going to NASA, being a construction worker, or other "manly" jobs.

Now a days we have come a long way. Women can have practically any job as long as they work for it. So lets celebrate how far women have come and wear some blue jeans!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Love Your Pet Day

Attention all pet owners! Today is love your pet day!

I'm sure if you own a pet, you love it more than just once a year. But I know that life happens, we get busy, and our animals see less of us than we would like. So today is the day to show them some love. So here are some ideas:

- Spend extra time petting your animal

- Take your animal for a second walk (that is if it isn't -10 degrees like it is here!)

- Treat your pet to a "spa" day (bath, brushing, etc)

- Give your pet an extra special treat. So for dogs that could be a dog biscuit.  For our reptile pets, like Bearded Dragons, get a horn worm instead of just crickets and veggies. There are also special treats made for cats, rabbits, guinne pigs, horses, and many other animals.

- Teach your pet a new trick

- Take fun photos with your pet

- Get a new toy for your pet

Our pets are the only thing that loves us just as much as we do - if not more! So show them how much we love them in return!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Temporary Insanity Day

Today is the day that the Temporary Insanity plea was first used and won in the United States back in 1859. Since then people use this holiday to do strange and insane things and then blame it on temporary insanity (although, if you do participate in this holiday, please keep it legal!).

So lets talk about some rather insane things. I know that the two most insane things that I would like to do sometime in my life are bunjii jumping, and sky diving. A lot of people think that I am crazy for wanting to jump out of an airplane or fall off something tall with only a bunjii cord attached. Others are insane like me, and would jump along with me. How insane something is to you is going to depend on your beliefs, environment, and experience.

So do something crazier than normal today, and remember, it's only temporary!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

National Battery Day

The Battery. Most of us have multiples of these through out the house. We use them for remote controls, camcorders, computers, fire alarms, camera's, toys, games, cars, and many other things.

When I think of batteries, I think of a science teacher that I had in high school. I wasn't a huge fan of this teachers class, but he drilled the importance of recycling batteries instead of throwing them away. Batteries take a very long time to decompose, and when they do they let out a toxic substance. This substance then can seep into the ground and the bugs will eat it. Birds and fish then eat the bugs and eventually we end up eating the birds and fish. Thus getting more of the toxic stuff into us. I'm not sure if I am 100% correct on all of this, but that is what I remember my teacher saying. He even had us each create a battery container out of old milk containers and put them in a different teachers classrooms. We then had to explain to the class about batteries and how they should bring in their old batteries and once the milk jug was full, our teacher would take them to the proper place to be disposed of/recycled.

So be happy for batteries!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Mardi Gras

Today is the day that people gorge themselves on fat, junky food because they will be giving it up for lent tomorrow. It is Mardi Gras, which is also known as Fat Tuesday. This holiday is always the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of lent. For people who celebrate lent, that is where they give up something for 40 days (or until Easter). 

This tradition started a long time ago, although the first Mardi Gras parade wasn't until the 1800's. This holiday is celebrated in many places around the globe. Brazil, Venice, and New Orleans are some of the biggest celebration area's.

Lets learn some fun facts about Mardi Gras:

- More than 500,000 king cakes are sold each year in New Orleans between January 6 and Fat Tuesday, and another 50,000 are shipped out-of-state via overnight courier. 

- The sugar-coated pastries include a tiny plastic baby doll inside; the person who finds it is declared "king" and must buy the next cake or give the next party. 

- An economic impact study released by the University of New Orleans estimates that Mardi Gras generates over $840 million annually. 

 - The largest of about one dozen Mardi Gras supply houses in New Orleans sold 41 million pairs of beads for Carnival, 1991. 

- The super parades of Endymion and Bacchus, scheduled for the Saturday and Sunday before Fat Tuesday, feature a combined total of 75 floats, 60 marching bands and more than 250 units. Their 2,300 members toss more than 1.5 million cups, 2.5 million doubloons and 200,000 gross of beads. 

So don't get a stomach ache today!

Erin 
   Reeses & Blossom

President's Day

Can you name all 44 US Presidents? Most people can't. When I was in 8th grade my teacher had a great way to get us to remember all the presidents. It was pictures that would "lead" us to the presidents. So for example, the first picture was of a washing machine (Washington). Then if you opened the washing machine there were a ton of atoms in it (Adams). Then the chef's son (Jefferson) wanted to cook one of the atoms. It continued on through all of the US presidents. I don't remember the entire thing because I missed a good chunk in the middle when I had to get pulled out of the class room - so if anyone knows where I can get this, please let me know!

On another note, let us learn more about the Presidents!

- Even though we have had 44 presidents, only 43 people have actually been president. Grover Cleveland was our 22nd and 24th president.

-The tallest president was Lincoln and 6'4" and Madison was the shortest at 5'4"

- James Buchanan was the only president to never marry.

- 8 presidents died in office, out of those 4 were assassinated.

- Three presidents have died on the 4th of July (Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe) and One was born (Coolidge).

- Eisenhower was the only president to serve in both WWI and WWII.

- Every member of Teddy Roosevelt's family owned a pair of stilts,including the first lady.

- William Taft was the heaviest president, getting stuck in the white house bathtub.

- Woodrow Wilson would paint golf balls black during the winter so he could continue playing golf in the snow.

- Gerald Ford is the only president to become Vice President and President without being elected by the people.

- Andrew Jackson was the only president to have the national debt fully paid, but it only lasted a year.

- Jimmy Carter was the first president to be born in a hospital.

- James Garfield was the first left-handed president.

- Benjamin Harrison was so afraid of electric lights that he would have the white house staff turn them on and off.

So there you have it! Happy Presidents Day!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Jewelry Day

How appropriate to put this holiday directly after the day where people in love give each other cute and romantic presents!

Jewelry is something that most women, and some men, enjoy wearing on a day to day basis. It could be necklaces, earrings, rings, toe rings, anklets, along with many others.

I don't really wear that much jewelry. It's not that I don't like jewelry. It is just hard when you work with dogs and animals all day because they tend to like to grab the loose jewelry (earings, necklaces, bracelets). I remember when I first started at my job and I got warned not to wear earrings that dangled because another associate had a dog jump on them, and their nail (the dogs) got stuck in her hoop earring and yanked it out of her ear. Thankfully the associate was fine, but I'm sure she didn't wear those earrings again!

So wheather you are like me and mainly wear rings (at least to work), put on some form of jewelry and go enjoy this holiday!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Valentines Day

Hearts, flowers, chocolate, bears, and kisses - that's what I think of when I think of Valentines Day! It is a hallmark holiday celebrating the love that two people share.

Being that I currently do not have a boyfriend, this holiday is not such a big deal to me. Some people without a significant other absolutely hate this holiday. They are sad and depressed or can actually be angry the whole day. But whats the point of that? If you don't have someone else at the moment, then celebrate the people in your life that you do love. Sure, it's not the person that you are going to spend your life with, but I'm sure that you still love your family, friends, or co-workers!

You don't necessarily have to go out and buy your special person a present on Valentines Day. It's about showing someone how much you love and cherish them. So make them a card, sing a song, clean, do something special that you can't just buy in a store. That goes so much further than flowers or chocolate (although those are a nice perk)!

So Happy Valentines Day everyone!

XOXOXOXO

Erin
    Reeses & Blossom

Get a Different Name Day

Did you ever want to change your name? Didn't like the one that you have? Well today is the day to change it! It is Get a Different Name Day!

I have been thankful that I really do like my name. Up until 3rd grade, I was actually the only Erin in the entire school. When I transferred to public school in 4th grade I was one of 4 Erin's - just in my grade! It was at that point I realized that Erin was a boy and a girls name (Just spelled a little differently [Aaron VS Erin]). There was also an Erin who was two years younger than me that spelled her name with two N's (Erinn). We always got into arguments over the correct way to spell our name.

This also makes me think of the episode of Friends where Phoebe figures out that she can change her name to anything she wants. So she decides to name herself Princess Consula Banana Hammock. It is one of my favorite episodes!

So if you were lucky enough to get a name that you love, then great! If not, have fun creating a new name for yourself!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

National Lost Penny Day

Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck!

It is National Lost Penny day! This day is actually about gathering up all of the penny's that you have and cashing them in or donating them to a good cause.

This holiday makes me think of when I was younger. My family lived about 2 in a half blocks away from a little grocery store. The store sold chips, ice cream, alcohol, newspapers, milk, and of course - candy! My brother would save up all of the pennies that he could find. Then he would walk down to the store and buy about 10 dollars worth of tootsie rolls since they were only .02 cents a piece. He wouldn't pay with bills though. He would pay all in pennies, with the occasional nickle or dime thrown in. The guy at the register would get so frustrated because he had to count out 1000 pennies, everytime my brother came into the store. Finally the clerk told him that he could still pay in pennies, but he had to put them into rolls so that it was easier to count.

So whether you spend your pennies on tootsie rolls, or donate it to charity, make sure to collect your "lost" pennies and spend them on something!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Clean Out Your Computer Day

Do you own a computer? Is it crammed pack with all sorts of stuff? Pictures? Emails? Games? Software? Viruses? Documents? Well today is the day to get all the junk that you no longer use or don't need off of your computer!

I'm not going to lie, I am not good with computers. Computers are probably the one thing that I get frustrated with more than anything else. Because of my lack of computer skills, I don't have much on my computer. Pictures tend to take up a good chunk of my computer. So every now and then I have to go through and delete the ones that I don't need (which can be rather difficult).

But for those of you that keep anything and everything on your computer, take the time today to clean it out a little bit. If there is a grocery list from 7 years ago on your computer, you probably don't need it!

Have fun!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Umbrella Day

It is the day to celebrate the umbrella! It is primarily used to keep us dry during raining times, but it is also used to help with lighting for photography. So lets learn more about the umbrella!

- Word umbrella comes from the Latin word "umbros" which means shade or shadow. 

- Up until the mid 18th century, umbrellas were mainly used in Europe as a female fashion accessory.

- A majority of modern umbrellas are made in China.

- Modern day umbrellas are coated with Teflon, which make them waterproof.

- Umbrellas can (and has been) be used as a weapon.

Happy Umbrella Day!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Read in the Bathtub Day

I never understood why people would want to read in the bathtub. It really doesn't make sense if they want to take a bath in their bath tub and read at the same time. Lets look at the good and the bad things about reading in the bath tub (while taking a bath).

Bad things:
- If you have a normal size tub, sitting in it for a long period of time is sure to hurt your back.
- I know that my book would end up falling in the water
- I have to wear my glasses in the tub to be able to read. This potentially allows them to get wet or get fogged up from the hot water. Either way it is hard to read the book.
- Most bathrooms don't have the best lighting in the tub, thus making it more a strain on your eyes.
- Hard to turn the pages because your hands are all wet and it completely soaks the book and causes you to rip the pages instead of turn them.

Good things:
- You and your book will get clean.
- You can play with the plastic, bath safe, kid books.
- You can cover the book with bubbles and pretend it's a pie and "pie" yourself in the face.

So there you have it! The good and bad about reading in the tub. If you have more to add, let me know in the comments.

Have fun reading in your tub!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

World Marriage Day

Today is a day all about celebrating marriage! Celebrating your current marriage, upcoming marriage, or for those of us who are not married or engaged, just dreaming about your wedding day.

I have always dreamed of having a big traditional wedding with a giant dance floor at the reception hall. Getting photos taken and enjoying the big day with friends and family. But there are so many different kinds of weddings and it is fun to imagine some of the things people could do or have done.

Some such weddings that have been done:

- Star wars

- Zombie

- Elvis

- Ceremony in McDonalds

- On bikes

- At a water park

- At a rollerskating rink (while wearing skates)

Most important thing about this holiday is celebrating the joining of two people, in sickness and in health. As long as they both shall live!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Send a Card to a Friend Day

What a great holiday! A day to get back in touch with some friends that you might not have seen or talked to in a while. I know from experience that I absolutely love getting things in the mail that isn't a bill or junk mail.

There are so many cards that you can send to your friend! Here are a few:

- Birthday card (if it's close to their birthday)

- Holiday (If there is one close)

- Just thinking of you

- Thanks for being my bestie

You can buy a card from the store or you can make one yourself. Homemade cards are always fun to make and something that is a great keepsake for your friend.

So make sure to send at least one card to a friend today!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

National Doodle Day

Doodling. It's what we do when we are bored or what we do just because we can.

My doodling skills definitely comes from my mother. When my mom is on the phone, she will start to doodle on the sheet of paper in front of her. I do the same thing. I will be talking to a pet parent on the phone at work and when I get off the phone I have doodled all over the calender that was in front of me.

You can doodle anything you want. Squiggly lines, dinosaurs, flowers, animals, water, cartoons. Take your pic. When I was in middle school my favorite thing to doodle was a picture of a meteor about to strike the earth and what people would be saying in their "final hour". I would draw friends, family, teachers, and even our pets. I did more of a goofy version of what people would say.

If you are ever out of fresh doodling ideas, there is books that you can buy all about doodling. My sister got one last year for her birthday. It was pretty cool. I didn't think about how many different doodles we can make!

So enjoy your doodling!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Pancake Day

Pancakes! There are so many different ways to make pancakes and to eat them! When I was a kid, my favorite thing was when I was served either pancakes that looked like Mickey Mouse, or if they had chocolate chips or M&M's in them. If they had both than it was spectacular!

So lets learn more about the pancake:

- The first ever pancake recipe was found in an English cookbook around the 15th century.

- Freshly fallen snow had been used as a secret ingredient in pancakes since baking soda had not yet been invented.

- There is a sport dedicated to pancakes; Pancake Tossing.

- The largest pancake in the world was cooked in Manchester and measured 15 meters in diameter and weighed 3 tons!

So enjoy some pancakes today!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

World Cancer Day

Almost everyone knows someone who is battling cancer, has survived cancer, or has lost their battle to cancer. Today is a day that is dedicated to raise the awareness of cancer and to emphasize the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer.

So lets find out a little bit more about cancer.

- There are many different forms of cancer. There is lung, bone, colon, kidney, prostate, brain, breast, cervical, oral, head, neck cancer, along with many more.

- Smoking causes an estimated 90% of lung cancer

- An estimated 5 to 10% of cancers are hereditary

- 1 in 8 deaths in the world are due to cancer

-The most commonly diagnosed cancers in Men are lung, prostate, and stomach. Womens most commonly diagnosed cancers are breast, cervix, and colorectal.

- Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US, with over 2 million cases diagnosed each year.

- There are 28 million cancer survivors world wide.

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

The Day the Music Died

Growing up, I listened to the song "the day the music died" a few times. I didn't fully understand what the lyrics meant. Looking up this holiday, helped me to find a few different answers to this question.

The meaning behind this song that I learned as a kid was that this song was referring to the day that music videos first went on television. So how is the music dying when we are adding music? The radio stations thought that with music videos on television that people would no longer listen to the radio, thus making it the day the music died.

The other meaning is that today, in 1957, was the day that a plane crashed and killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson. It is speculated that when this song was written, they were referring to this event.

No matter what the reason, I hope that music doesn't actually die. It makes things so much better!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Sled Dog Day

What great timing! We got 16 inches of snow in the past 24 hours! It is the perfect weather for sled dogs!

If you have a working dog that likes the snow (like husky's, malamutes, labs, etc), you can attach a sled to them and let you and them have fun. I have seen people have their dog pull their kids around on a sled. It is a great way for the kids, and dog to have fun while getting some of that extra energy out of both.

Just make sure that it is a dog that likes doing those sort of things. I would never attach a sled to Reese because he is terrified of anything. . . especially something big that is "following" him. Also Blossom is too small to pull heavy things around.

So have fun and if you live where we got hit by all this snow, be safe!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom

Decorating With Candy Day

It is the holiday that most kids would love! It is the day to decorate with candy of all sorts!

Decorating with Candy is not all that it seems to be. First off, if you glue the candy, start with the bigger pieces of candy before gluing the powdery (pixie stick) candy. If you glue the powdery candy first, then the big candy just falls off every time you go to glue them. Also, like with most things made out of food, you don't want to get it wet, and it doesn't last that long. If it does last, I'm sure that it would attract all sorts of bugs/critters.

Besides all of the negative of decorating with candy, it does make a fun family activity! And there is so many different candy's that you could make virtually anything more bright!

So have fun! And go decorate with candy!

Erin
   Reeses & Blossom