Category Archive: Entertainment

Stuck At Home For Spring Break? No Problem!

Categories:

Entertainment, Family Fun, Suggestions and Ideas

March 18, 2013

by Jenna Maxwell

Spring Break Ideas

Spring Break Ideas

It’s not always possible to go on a real vacation over spring break.  Work obligations, financial issues and other factors come into play and sometimes spring break comes around and we find ourselves with…no plans.  With most kids being off school for a solid week (with weekends tacked onto this as well!), it can easily mean kids sitting around with nothing much to do for up to 10 days!  Before you hit the panic button, we’ve come up with some fantastic ideas for you and your kids to do over spring break that are close to home for very little dinero. Your kids will be kept busy and more likely than not, you will have some fun, too!

Get Outdoors:  Hiking makes a great outing that will get you and your kids outside to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.  If possible, check out your local national or state park or whatever local spot seems fun for some good ol’ nature exploration.  Exercise in the outdoors is the perfect escape after being cooped up for most of the winter–get out and get in it for some fresh air and sunshine!

Read a Book:  Oh, I know this idea sounds so parental and may even get a few eye-rolls, but trust me, once your kids start roaming around the library they are bound to get more excited.  Spring break is the perfect time to hit your local library and let your kids check out a stack of books that interest them and read–just for fun!

Visit a Local Museum or Attraction:  It’s fun to play “tourist” in your own city or locality.  It never ceases to amaze me how many cool places there are right under our noses that we don’t pay much attention to in our everyday lives.  Use online resources to track down the cool and perhaps lesser-known fun sites to see that are nearby and plan a fun outing. 

Make a Movie:  If your kids are a bit older, loan them your video camera and let them make a home movie.  You may be surprised at how much fun kids have learning basic editing skills and getting into some basic videography.  This is a great time to get out your old Halloween costumes and all those accessories so that your kids can be creative while they get into their characters. 

Go Crazy with Ice Cream:  Go get several flavors of ice cream, a few toppings, whip cream, bananas–you name it, and have a special ice cream creation day.  (Perhaps a reward for reading all those library books?)  Kids love ice cream (and so do us big kids!) so as a special spring break treat, go crazy with ice cream–don’t forget to take pictures of those sundae creations!

Movie Day:  Lots of big name films are set to come out this month, just in time for springbreakers on the loose.  Don’t miss these fantastic movies! Our top picks for spring break:

  • Jack The Giant Slayer
  • Oz, The Great And Powerful
  • The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
  • G.I. Joe: Retaliation (March 28)

 

Hit the Swap Meet or Farmers Market:  If you are lucky enough to live somewhere where they have a weekend flea market or farmer’s market, take your kids and go check it out.  Kids love perusing the goodies, and especially will enjoy picking out fresh fruits and veggies that perhaps they can help cook later.  Always a great family outing!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game:  If it’s in your budget, there is nothing like a trip to the local ballpark to get your kids excited.  Between the game, the peanuts, the hot dogs–your kids are going to be in spring break heaven!

Staying home for spring break doesn’t have to spell disaster.  With a little bit of careful planning, you will be so busy that it will likely be over far too soon with great memories left in it’s wake.  Happy Spring!

Lucky Charms

Categories:

Entertainment, St Patrick's Day

March 6, 2013

by Jenna Maxwell

4 leaf clover

4 leaf clover

Throughout history, human beings have been a bit obsessed with the acquisition of good luck.  This time of the year, with all the St. Paddy’s day celebrating soon to be going on, there is a particular emphasis on good luck and good fortune. This St. Patrick’s Day, you might be thinking about how you can get some of the luck o’ the Irish for your very own. Here’s a little bit o’ fortuitous scoop on some of the more popular good luck charms that are floating around out there in the world.  Whether for St. Patrick’s or any other day, having a little extra good luck around certainly never hurt!

Four Leaf Clover:  St. Patrick himself used the shamrock to teach the Irish people about the Holy Trinity.  Finding a 4-leaved clover added a rare bonus and has traditionally been a symbol of Irish good luck. The 3-leaved shamrock represented the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The fourth leaf was said to represent a strong blessing, or as it were, good luck.

Horseshoe:   A horseshoe is another well-known symbol of good luck.  If a horseshoe is placed with the open end up, it is said to be particularly lucky as good luck will supposedly flow right into it and be held inside.  Blacksmiths who made horseshoes were working with fire and iron simultaneously, this combination of elements being considered powerfully lucky.

Lady Bugs:  Because ladybugs have the reputation of eating garden pests and other harmful insects, they have also become associated with good luck.  If a ladybug lands on you, you should quickly make a wish and then blow it gently away!

Rainbows:  The legend of the leprechaun likely has something to do with the good luck associated with the rainbow.  Legend states that a leprechaun will hide his pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, thus making the rainbow lucky by association.  Rainbows are somewhat rare but are always a beautiful thing to behold.  Pots of gold aside, seeing a rainbow in the sky should always be considered lucky indeed.

The Rabbit’s Foot:  Rabbits have for a long time been considered to be a lucky animal. They are traditionally considered symbols of prolific fertility, as well as of springtime and new life. Obviously these furry critters are very lucky when it comes to love, too!  Because of all these reasons, carrying around a rabbit’s foot is thought to bring good luck to its bearer.

Coins:  Pennies in particular have been associated with good luck.  There is an old saying that many of us learned as children that goes like this, “Find a penny, pick it up and all day long, you’ll have good luck!”  It certainly seems worth a try!

Wishbones:  Come Thanksgiving or any other poultry-centered feast, it’s a common practice to break the wishbone after the meal.  Whoever gets the larger bit of the wishbone after the break is said to get their wish or will have increased good luck or good fortune because of it. 

Now that you know a little bit more about all things “lucky” you might want to consider what might be the luckiest bit of Irish magic ever-our St. Patrick’s Day collection of costumes and accessories. Bring out your best inner Irish self with one of these fabulous and oh-so-green looks!  Make your St. Paddy’s day not only positively lucky–but simply unforgettable, too! 

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