Holidays

Christmas time can be stressful, so I have five rules that I try to follow to help keep stress at bay and create a happy, fun-filled, pressure-free holiday.

This article highlights five simple ways to maximize your children's safety if they plan to trick-or-treat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article discusses some ways you can celebrate the Yom Kippur holiday if you are unable to attend services or cannot have a large family gathering to break your fast.

September 16th is a National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day in the United States! This article includes celebration ideas, scrumptious inspiration photos, fun facts, and my original cinnamon-raisin bread recipe with a step-by-step photo tutorial.

Madeira typically hosts her wine and flower festivals in different months, but in September of this year (2020), they'll be celebrated together for the first time.

Did you know that August is National Coffee Month? As a coffee lover, I celebrate my favorite caffeinated beverage every day, but August is a great time to get creative and share my coffee connoisseurship with all of you other coffee lovers out there. Let's raise our mugs to National Coffee Month!

Creating a candy hunt for your children instead of trick-or-treating allows them to find candy safely. However, between getting costumes together, hiding candy, and working, you may not have time to make clues. These ready-made clues will help make your candy hunt a snap to put together.

This article explains how to plan a socially-distant candy hunt for Halloween. Your children can collect candy in costume in their own home (or yard if you have one) this Halloween.

This article contains 16 printable coloring pages for the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac. The sheets have Chinese characters along with their with pinyin (phonetic) counterparts.

Every year around the Fourth of July, animal shelters across the United States take in many more dogs and cats than usual. Here are 7 easy ways you can keep your pets safe and comfortable when those fireworks go off.

Looking for something unique to say instead of "Merry Christmas?" Let us count the ways! This article lists more than 150 funny, sweet, clever, and sarcastic alternatives to this classic but overused holiday greeting.

Australian Christmas songs are often playful, reflecting the humor of the land down under. Enjoy listening to the samples featured here. I've also provided the meanings behind some common Aussie slang terms to help you interpret the lyrics.

Some children have food allergies, dietary sensitivities, or picky taste, and others simply aren't fond of sweets. This can make Halloween tricky. The following is a list of the miscellaneous items I have made, grown in the garden, or accumulated at sales that can be offered to trick-or-treaters.

There was always an assortment of candy in my Easter basket growing up, but what I remember even more fondly are the non-edible, experience-based gifts they contained. The following are some examples of non-candy items I have included in my own children's Easter baskets.

This is an easy picture frame craft for elementary-age students to make for their moms for Mother's Day or another special occasion. Younger children may need some help tracing, cutting, and folding.

Have you ever made a May basket? They are fun and easy to make, and they bring joy to the neighborhood! Enjoy this forgotten tradition of welcoming Spring on May 1st!

Take a look at what the annual haunted house exhibit looks like at the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas. Every year around Halloween, the museum opens its haunted house exhibit. It is spooky fun!

A centuries-old tradition practiced at sunrise on the day Christ's resurrection continues to be observed today. Do you think the sun dances for His son on Easter morning?

This article is a series of reflections based on my experience on and around Easter 2020 during the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Easter is celebrated each year during the month of April. Where and when did it all begin? This article includes some background and fun facts about the holiday as well as a description of the Christian meaning of Easter with examples and illustrations.

This one goes out to all the people who think that Passover is only for Jews and meat-eaters. In this article, I'll show you how to veganize a traditionally non-vegan feast, and we'll also discuss the importance of Passover for believers in Yeshua. Bonus vegan Passover recipes are also included!

This article lists 13 creative ways to turn ordinary Easter eggs into special ones once you've dyed them. Why settle for simple, colored eggs when you can adorn them with jewels, textures, ribbons, and patterns?

Learn how to repurpose an empty plastic chip canister as a cute Easter Bunny candy holder using a few simple craft supplies.

Get in the spirit of spring with these cute Easter decor crafts! Each craft is accompanied by a full supplies list, step-by-step instructions, and a photo gallery to helo guide you through the process. Enjoy!

Juneteenth is a holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the day Texas slaves learned of their freedom in 1865. This article discusses Juneteenth, the slow process of emancipation, and how one artist uses his work to keep the memory of Texas slaves' emancipation alive in the modern day.

Get in the Easter spirit with this adorable denim bunny craft! All you need are a few household items and some basic craft supplies.

Today, New Orleans is the host city for the largest Mardi Gras celebration in North America. Still, few people realize that the first American Mardi Gras actually occurred in Mobile, Alabama. This article includes a brief history of how the popular pre-Lenten holiday developed here in the states.

Dyeing eggs is an easy and rewarding craft project that is fun to do with kids. Once dyed, the eggs make a vibrant addition to the Easter table. Use up those leftover boiled eggs and give the kids some kitchen skills in the process. Instructions for an egg-cracking game are also included.

Each February, a month-long observance known as Black History Month is celebrated in the US. It might be a surprise to some that not all Black Americans are on board with the idea of designating an official month to celebrate the accomplishments of people of their race.

Add some sparkle to your home with these easy Valentine's Day decor crafts!

The Internet was the vehicle by which the holiday called Kwanzaa gained national and international notoriety. By the twenty-first century, the seeds of Kwanzaa had been sown across North America and had germinated in Africa and Europe.

Add a little sparkle to your home with these three beautiful Valentine's Day wreath ideas.

This article includes a description of the Christian festival of Christmastide and the customs, old and new, associated with the last day of the celebration: Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night marks the visit of the three kings—Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior—to the newly born Christ.

Decorate your Christmas tree with a family history theme. This theme is perfect for a genealogist or anyone wanting to honor their ancestors. Here are some tips for creating one with photos and other special decorations.

The year 2020 is special for many reasons. Here is some trivia about what makes 202o unique. I hope you find it interesting!

This list of resolutions is a little different from the average lineup. Take a look and consider being mindful of these twelve long-term goals for the new year.

Here are some fun New Year's Eve trivia questions and answers for those of you who like to play games on New Year's Eve. Let's see how much you know about the history of January 1st through the years. Topics include birthdays, rituals, parties, and more.

Vidyarambham, also known as Ezhuthiniruthu, is a Hindu ceremony performed to introduce young children to the importance of education. In some regions, it is celebrated on a particular day of the year, while in others, the day the ceremony is performed varies depending on each child's astrology.

When most of us think of classic Christmas tunes, songs like "Jingle Bells," "Deck the Halls," and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" come to mind. Have you ever wondered why we play these songs and so many more during the holiday season? How do Christmas songs come to be?

Learn the steps to re-bloom your Christmas poinsettia next year.

It's that time of year! We are all busy in our kitchens baking up Christmas cookies, pies, cakes, and other desserts. While cooking is easy to improv and customize to your tastes, baking is an exact science with rhyme ams reason. Here are some tips and tricks for your holiday baking!

In the United States, National Cupcake Day is celebrated every year on December 15th. These elegant, beautifully decorated sweet treats are one of my favorite desserts. Learn more about cupcakes and try out my recipe to celebrate this special day with your family or friends.

Make your holiday cheese ball extra special with one of these ideas.

Your friends will get a kick out of this cute "gingerbread" trailer.

Do you find yourself feeling let down on or after Christmas day or during the holiday season in general? Christmas day disappointment is more common than you might realize. There are a number of possible factors that might contribute to this strange phenomenon.

Thanksgiving is a day of thanks and appreciation that most everyone in the United States is familiar with. Despite the holiday's popularity, however, many people have never heard these ten fun and interesting tidbits about Thanksgiving.

This article includes over 20 easy craft projects for Chinese New Year celebrations. Each of these "Year of the Rat" crafts comes with a printable template to help you get started. Busy parents, librarians, and teachers can print these decorations for kids to use in crafts.

Each year on November 28th, breakfast enthusiasts across the United States celebrate National French Toast Day. Learn more about this sweet and eggy breakfast food and try out my recipe to celebrate this special day with your family.

Many families and friends get together to celebrate holidays even if they do not visit all that much at other times of the year. Because views, lifestyles, and personal situations vary so much between individuals, it's important to be mindful of your talk at the Thanksgiving or Christmas table.

Your Christmas tree can become a valuable gift to local wildlife or an environmental group after the holidays.