We are starting a new month!  Here's a few of February highlights for the month: Random Acts of Kindness - YAY!  Love this!  Family Baking Heart Health Giving our libraries some love And here is what's coming up in this next week of life that we can celebrate: Hula in the Coola (say what?!  It's fun to say, perhaps fun to do) Purging jerks from our lives Crepes Sled Dogs Ukulele The Day the Music Died Carrot Cake Doodling and so much more!   I can't wait to celebrate with you!  

Backward Day What if today we did as much as we could backwards? Start the day with dinner and end it with breakfast, do work tasks backward (still getting them all done), dress backward, what else?  Be creative!  Have fun! Inspire Your Heart with Art Day What kind of art inspires your heart?  Engage with it today!  Art is for you first.  Who cares what it looks like as long as it has inspired you...and your heart! Seed Swap Day This day is for the green thumbs.  I have a black thumb so I will not be participating in any swapping of seeds but I am happy to hand out packets of them! Gorilla Suit Day I have no words.  Zero. And if anyone slings poo at me today, fake or real, I'm going to have a real problem.

Croissant Day The invention of the croissant and its variants Classic Croissants Recipe Inane Answering Machine Day  ( additional information ) The definition of inane Have fun? Some people perhaps have too much time on their hands...

Puzzle Day The Puzzle : the history, the types, the topics . Part of brain health is keeping it active with things like puzzles.  Are you a puzzle person? What kind of puzzle, or I guess I should ask what topic of puzzle? I am not a great puzzle person but I recognize the value of them for my brain so I work a few different topics of puzzles here and there. Corn Chip Day Bring on the Fritos! Freethinkers Day The movement of freethought What do Freethinkers believe, or rather not believe?  Curmudgeons Day cur·mudg·eon kərˈməjən noun plural noun: curmudgeons a bad-tempered or surly person. The Most Beloved Grumps in TV History The 10 Grumpiest Living Writers When I hear or see the word 'curmudgeon' I always think of this guy... Walter Matthau.  He's played a lot of different types of characters but he plays a grumpy old man so well that it's the only way I think of him!

Fun at Work Day What kind of fun can you create at work today? Why not throw an impromptu party at work today? Make it fun! Blow some bubbles, decorate with silly string, have a game lunch, or watch a comedy during lunch. Create some fun at work today (just make sure it doesn't break any HR rules or ones your boss/department have because then the fun turns into something bad!). Data Privacy Day What is data privacy and why is it important? Take today to review all of your privacy settings on all of your social media sites, electronics, anything that you don't want others to access without your permission.  With all the hacking I would personally recommend setting your privacy at high and making sure that you are protecting your personal and business information. Blueberry Pancake Day Here's one of many recipes out there. I love blueberry pancakes.  YUM! National Kazoo Day The Invention of the Kazoo (such a wacky instrument!) Great Moments In Kazoo His

Chocolate Cake Day The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever} The Chocolate Cola Cake Flourless Chocolate Cake  Chocolate Cake shooter (for adults only) Chocolate Cake Martini (for adults only) Punch the Clock Day Since nobody really understands this day or what it is supposed to be about I thought I would just provide the random "punch the clock" info Google gives me!  :) Punch the Clock is an album released in 1983 by Elvis Costello and the Attractions Punch the Clock is an idiom , a phrase for the workforce:  The History of the Punch (Time) Clock It's my guess that Punch the Clock day was created somewhere along the timeline of history as a way to recognize the developments in employee pay methods, etc.  By this year, 2015, the old time clocks must of us think of punching or remember punching have been replaced with computer based ones or electronic, digitized ones.  And at some point the time clock became a burden to the employee rather than an assistance to th

Peanut Brittle Day Where Did Peanut Brittle Come From? It Depends On Whom You Ask Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe (no, not my mom!) Microwave Oven Peanut Brittle Recipe Peanut Brittle Cookies For adults only: Peanut Brittle Cocktail Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Best stress reliever ever! I love bubble wrap! Bubble wrap was originally designed to be used as wallpaper If you can't get your hands on some real bubble wrap today here's the next best thing , although it isn't near as satisfying or therapeutic as the real thing. :) Spouse's Day 74 Simple Things You Can Do to Brighten Your Spouse’s Day My hub and I have been married over 19 years.  It's easy to get into a rut and take for granted the things he does for me or for our children.  Sound familiar for you as well?  Have you been, unknowingly, taking your spouse for granted?  Today can be a re-set day!  Make it a point to thank him/her for the mundane things they do without much notic

National Opposite Day 40 common opposites in English List of Complete Opposites 10 Life-Changing Things That Happen When You Date Your Opposite How To Stay Married To Your Complete Opposite The Art of Loving Your Total Opposite A Room of One's Own Day Maybe you can't have a room all to your own, but can you find a space to make yours? How to Make a Personal Space Irish Coffee Day The Hot Cocktail Original Irish Coffee Recipe Irish Coffee Cake Recipe

Here's a look ahead at just some of the life celebrations coming up this week! Irish Coffee Bubble Wrap Blueberry Pancakes Curmudgeons (I love this word!) Inspiring our hearts with art It's a week full of fun, can't wait to celebrate with you! 

National Readathon Day Get your reading on today!  No matter your time zone, between noon to 4 pm today, pick up a book or two and read!  Malcolm X said, “People don't realize how a whole life can be changed by one book.” Indeed!  So pick up a book today and see how your life might be changed. Beer Can Appreciation Day  ( additional information ) This day in history the first canned beer went on sale Drinking Beyond the Bottle: A Lush History of Beer Cans The 10 Best Beers To Get Canned In 2013 What Are the Best Looking Beer Cans in America? Brewers Have Been All Bottled Up, But Now They're Canning It Compliment Day I love the Daily Odd Compliment, you can find them here and here . Top 10 Sophisticated Compliments Pleasant words to compliment friends The Art of the Compliment Giving and Accepting Compliments Before You Compliment Someone, Think About THIS First… Talk like a Grizzled Prospector Day How to Swear Like an Old Prospector Visi

National Pie Day  ( additional information ) Next month is Pie Month, is today a warm-up?  :) Do you have a favorite pie? A savory one and a sweet one? Then enjoy them today! Pie pops up a lot in this year of holidays so I'm going to let you find your own today, I've given suggestions for other days. :) Handwriting Day Well, how's your handwriting these days?  Thanks to technology and computers mine is horrible! I have to really slow down and take my time if I want my actual handwriting to be legible. Has technology ruined handwriting? Does Handwriting Still Matter In A Digital World? The Dying Art of Handwriting Computers may dominate our lives, but mastery of penmanship brings us important cognitive benefits, research suggests It may be obvious which side of the "argument" I agree with. :) Today try to handwrite as much as possible. Or purpose to handwrite a text longer than a sentence or two. Does it feel foreign? If so you probably need to use ha

Women's Healthy Weight Day (The men today can observe International Walking On Eggshells Day - ha!) Today is a day to celebrate each other right at the size we are at.  I 100% support that. I also 100% support women, and men, practicing lifestyle habits that get them to a healthy weight.  The facts are too hard to ignore.  The more we weigh the more strain we are putting on our joints, organs, etc. Now. Our healthy weight is most likely NOT what media and culture will tell us, get with a doctor and discuss what your true healthy weight is.  Then make a commitment to yourself to get to that weight and maintain it.  It's a lifestyle not a flash in the pan diet.  Make changes that are realistic for a permanent lifestyle.   Here's 24 tips for losing and maintaining a healthy weight without dieting. But today? Even if you aren't at your healthy weight, I most definitely am not, celebrate you anyway! You are not the sum total of your body size, you are SO MUCH MORE!

National Hugging Day 10 Reasons Why We Need at Least 8 Hugs a Day 7 Reasons Why We Should Be Giving More Hugs I have a couple of friends who don't like hugs.  In fact, this little cartoon perfectly describes them: But even those friends will search me, and others, out for a hug every now and then.  Hugs are part of a relational life.  Even my friends who don't like them need the benefits that hugs provide from time to time. I am okay with hugs. Mostly women and children, a few men outside of the ones I am married to or related to.  The men I do hug that I'm not related to by marriage or blood are men that I feel safe with and/or that I know my hug wouldn't be misinterpreted by anyone, including them.  That man-woman thing gets tricky.  :) Once I learned this fact about hugs, I started trying to hang on to my recipients a little longer. Do you know how long 20 seconds is?!  A long time and in our culture it causes a bit of discomfort so I warn

National Buttercrunch Day Toffee Butter Crunch Dark Chocolate Buttercrunch Peppermint Buttercrunch Penguin Awareness Day Show your awareness of penguins by dressing in all black and white for the day. Even better, wear a tuxedo so that every time someone asks you why you are wearing it, you can explain that it is for Penguin Awareness Day, furthering the awareness of penguins. Carry around a plush toy version of a penguin . Donate penguin stuffed animals to a children's charity. Send loved ones and colleagues penguin themed e-cards wishing them a happy Penguin Awareness Day. Visit your local zoo just to see the penguins. Rent or buy a documentary about penguins , and spend the evening watching it with friends. Chat about your love for penguins with everyone that you can throughout the day. Donate and encourage friends to donate to a marine sanctuary in support of penguins. Celebrate Penguin Awareness Day by making others aware of penguins. ( Source ) Outside of the box ide

National Popcorn Day The Origin of Popcorn Outside the box ideas: It's a music style , an instrumental song , and in evangelical circles it is the Christianese term for prayer time in which anyone can pray, i.e. Popcorn Prayer . Do the Popcorn Dance! (I'm not joking!) Tin Can Day History of the Can: An Interactive Timeline The can opener wasn't invented until 48 years after the invention of the can Martin Luther King Jr Birthday Observance Is there really anyone who doesn't know about Martin Luther King Jr?  And not just in the United States but in the world? The Making of The King Holiday The Biography of Martin Luther King Jr MLK, Jr. Remembered Letter from a Birmingham Jail Recently discovered in UCLA Archives and just released publicly  here is MLK speaking at UCLA in April 1965

Thesaurus Day The Biography of Peter Mark Roget The Origin of Roget's Thesaurus The Thesaurus Online Why Use A Thesaurus? How to Use a Thesaurus to Become a Better Writer  BUT  Hint to Writers: Use the Thesaurus with Caution Winnie the Pooh Day   ( additional information ) Winnie the Pooh's Creator, A.A. Milne History of Winnie the Pooh Who’s your favorite character? The Deep and Meaningful Winnie-The-Pooh Character Test From Disney Blogs: Which Winnie the Pooh Character Are You? 100-year-old photographs of the original Winnie-the-Pooh

Coming up this next week Winnie the Pooh MLK Jr Observance Disabilities Awareness Penguins Hugs Blonde Brownies Pies Compliments  and a whole lot more! Can't wait to celebrate life with you this next week! 

National Ditch New Year's Resolutions Day January 17 is the most common day to give up on New Year's Resolutions. If you've already given up maybe they weren't realistic or too lofty.  Before you give up your resolutions for good this year read on and maybe you'll be motivated to start anew or keep going. Your New Year’s Resolutions Are Doomed Before You Even Begin – Unless… The Science of New Year's Resolutions: Why 88% Fail and How to Make Them Work Already giving up on what you resolved to do January 1? Maybe these 6 resolutions will be more realistic to tackle:  6 New Year's Resolutions That Don't Take All Damn Year To Accomplish 3 Apps to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions The resolutions are made... And then the resolutions are broken...or at least one of them breaks... National Cable Car Day The Invention of the Cable Car The Cable Car Cocktail  (for adults only)

National Nothing Day YES!  Permission to do nothing today. I wonder if my Boss will be okay with this... *wink* Actually, the more I thought about this the more I thought about today could be the day you choose to do nothing about a conflict. Just sit on it for today, let your feelings simmer down, let their feelings simmer down. Then tomorrow pick it back up.  Or today don't do anything about that email you received that is patronizing, let your feelings separate from it before you respond back. Or today just do nothing and see what happens!  :) Appreciate a Dragon Day Are Dragons Real? Facts About Dragons International Hot and Spicy Food Day I'll pass, but feel free to enjoy this day!  :) I'm a major wimp. So for all you spicy fans here are some recipes .

Hat Day I do not wear hats well...at all. But if you do hats well then today is your day! Want to find a new hat for yourself?  Check out this website . Strawberry Ice Cream Day Perfect No-Cook Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe My mouth is watering, I love strawberries!

National Dress Up Your Pet Day Uh, okay? Since it isn't halloween I'm a little confused why you would dress your pet up today. Organize Your Home Day 31 Smart, Low-Cost Organizing Ideas The Home-Organizing Tips You Need to Know Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day Hot Pastrami Sandwich Recipe Dude, I love pastrami. Bring it on! If I were in the City today (you know, the Big Apple) I would hit Katz's for one meal for a sandwich and Carnegie for the other meal for a sandwich. They both serve up 'da bomb diggity pastrami and other foods! Poetry at Work Day It's Poetry At Work Day! (this is a dated article but all the content is relevant) Poetry at Work Survival Kit More Poetry at Work Resources I'm no good with poetry but in December I did consider rewriting MJ's Smooth Criminal into a parody called HR Criminal.  Maybe I'll work on that today and call it poetry put to music.  *wink*

National Rubber Ducky Day History of the Rubber Ducky International Skeptics Day Are you a skeptic ? Here's an online resource for skeptics. The Skeptic's Annotated Bible (I periodically use this resource when I'm doing study in the Bible, I like to read other viewpoints and be challenged, plus I confess - some of the notes are humorous. *wink*) Oh and lest the Skeptic's be accused of picking on Christianity, they also have annotated Book of Mormon and the Quran! Make Your Dream Come True Day What kind of dreams do you have?  What can you do today to see one of them come true?  Maybe today isn't about making one of your dreams come true, maybe it's about making someone else's dream come true . :) Peach Melba Day The Creation of Peach Melba The original Peach Melba recipe Peach Melba Cheesecake Recipe Peach Melba Squares Recipe For adults only:  Peach Melba Cocktail For adults only:  That Melba Cocktail For anyone: Peach Melba

Marzipan Day The Origin of Marzipan Make your own Marzipan What's the Difference Between Marzipan and Almond Paste? A twist on traditional marzipan: Zesty Orange Marzipan Recipe Marzipan Christmas Kringle (Juleskringle) Recipe Almond Marzipan Cookie Recipe Cherry (MARZIPAN) Almond Streusel Cake Recipe Pharmacist Day The Profession of a Pharmacist Clean Off Your Desk Day Right before I took vacation time at the end of 2014 I had to clean up my desk and surrounding work area. I couldn't come back to it in 2015 the way it was.  I gave myself a space of time that had a hard time limit and got everything done I wanted to plus a little more!  It's because I had a time I needed to be done by so it made me focus in and get the job done.  The time limit also helped me from indecision.  I didn't linger over anything, just made the decision and moved on.  In 40 minutes my desk and drawers were done and I walked out of my cube for the last time in 2014 feeling so mu

Here's a sneak peek at some of the holidays coming up this week: Cleaning up your workspace, whether that's at home or in an office or both! Dreams, making yours and others come true. Pastrami Hats Dragons To ditch the New Year Resolutions or Recommit? I'm excited to see what you will celebrate this week!

Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day There's a few holidays that pop up during the northern hemisphere winter and southern hemisphere summer than don't quite fit.  Today's is more appropo for my friends in Kenya, not so much for my friends and I in the United States. :) So dearest friends in Kenya, should it rain today take those sweet SoH kiddos out and let them splash in some puddles!  :) Milk Day Outside of the box ideas for today: Watch Milk , listen to M.I.L.K . learn more about Milk Thistle  and Milk of Magnesia The History of Milk The health benefits of milk There's a rather large trend to drink raw milk, however there is a reason Louis Pasteur developed the pasteurization process as our cattle was exposed to more pollution, pharmaceuticals, and other toxic materials.  The Dangers of Raw Milk: Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk Is there pus in dairy milk?  Turns out there is major controversy over this.  Some say yes, dairy farmers

Bittersweet Chocolate Day "Bittersweet chocolate" is chocolate liquor (or unsweetened chocolate) to which some sugar (less than a third), more cocoa butter, vanilla, and sometimes lecithin has been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate, but the two are interchangeable when baking. Bittersweet and semisweet chocolates are sometimes referred to as 'couverture'. Many brands now print on the package the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate (as chocolate liquor and added cocoa butter). The higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sweet the chocolate is. ( Source ) I am a dark chocolate person myself, when I choose chocolate at all. But I do bake with bittersweet. Recipes Using Bittersweet Chocolate Houseplant Appreciation Day Oh dear.  I do appreciate houseplants but I should never, never, never be a caretaker of them. EVER. I unintentionally kill houseplants.  I have even managed to kill off the "unkillable" bamboo plant -

Play God Day What does playing God mean?   Well alrighty then! *wink* I feel like watching Bruce Almighty today... We all think we could do a better job than God. But just like Bruce discovered, only God can do what needs to be done and in a time frame that is better than anything we can come up with.   Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,     neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,     so are my ways higher than your ways     and my thoughts than your thoughts." Static Electricity Day What is Static Electricity? How to Remove Static Electricity Apricot Day I admit, I have had very few apricots in my lifetime. They just haven't been something that I have thought about.  I did, however have Strawberry Shortcake's friend, Apricot.  :) What are apricots? Apricot Recipes

Argyle Day The Pattern of Argyle So much argyle!  So much fun! Joy Germ Day Today germs are GOOD thing! Spread Joy like you would a germ, make it multiply and increase in the lives you come into contact with. 7 Proven Tactics to Help Spread Joy Around the World 150 Ways to Spread Joy Bubble Bath Day No explanation needed for this holiday.  If you love bubble baths then indulge in one today! Show and Tell at Work Day This is a fun idea! If incorporating it into your company is too much then why not call a special department meeting and do it with your department? Earth's Rotation Day  How Fast Does the Earth Rotate? Earth's Rotation What If the World Stopped Turning? Male Watcher's Day Huh. The only male I will be watching today is my hub.  Sheesh!