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National Geographic Kids Weird But True – A Perfect Christmas Gift

Paula — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 20:02:25 +0000

I received product from Moms Meet for consideration here. My opinion is my own. National Geographic Kids Weird But True! is a series of books tailor-made to get kids excited about learning. As you all know, I love to give gifts that promote learning for birthdays and holidays. Whether books, games, or puzzles; I’m always on the lookout for gifts that make learning fun and exciting. That’s why I love the National Geographic Kids Weird But True! series. Their books are full of fun facts that get kids excited about learning and exploring. They make a perfect gift for the holidays or birthdays. Why I love National Geographic Kids Weird But True For years I have been mailing my youngest nephews a subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine. They love it and it’s an educational gift that keeps on giving all year round. I mean what child can resist getting something in the mail addressed to them? Several years ago my kids discovered National Geographic Weird But True books. For years my older daughter took these everywhere and memorized a zillion quirky facts. National Geographic Weird But True never gets old. I’ve been giving Nat Geo Kids products to my oldest nephew since he was old enough to sit and read with his mom or dad. Now, at age 10, he still loves to learn. He devours trivia, and he loves to surprise me with trivia questions whenever I see him. Along that same line, both of my kids – one who is just about to graduate and another who is into her teens – STILL flip through these books every so often. Even I look through them on occasion. They are quite simply a lot of fun. As my youngest niece and her two brothers have grown, they have become voracious little readers. My own girls have been reading independently for well over a decade. Both often received these Nat Geo Weird But True books for Christmas and for summer months too. We always learned something new every time we read one. Now my girls often sit and read in both French and English with their cousins when they visit us. Slowly and progressively over time, we have watched Taiga and Hannah grow so much more confident in their independent reading. The youngest Kaz is getting there. But he’s five and working on three different languages – English, French and Japanese – so he’s got a lot going on. It’s pretty exciting to see my youngest niece and her brothers falling in love with books. About two weeks ago I was in Toronto for work and had a chance to stay over at my brother’s house. From the moment I arrived the kids peppered me with trivia and oddball facts. “Auntie Paula, did you know…?” In fact, I was amazed how much they knew. So, these National Geographic Weird But True! Books are going straight to them this Christmas. The Tenth Anniversary In honor of Weird But True! turning 10, here are a couple facts regarding this series (and one fact about me too): Canada was the first country to get its very own Weird But True! book in March 2018. Nat Geo Kids has published more than 15,000 Weird But True! Facts and counting Weird But True! started in Nat Geo Kids magazine back in 2004 and it’s been the most popular feature ever since. More than a third of all Weird But True! facts are about animals. This Werid But True! series is now up to 32 books with more than 7 million copies in print around the world. This series and my blog BOTH turned 10 this year. Win Weird But True Right now, National Geographic Kids Weird But True! has a fun contest going for kids, aged 6 to 14. To celebrate their 10th anniversary, they’re hosting a contest that allows kids to find their own verifiable facts about Canada. Kids are encouraged to find weird facts about their town, province, or country and mail it to National Geographic by May 1, 2019. If their fact is featured in next May on the National Geographic Kids website, they’ll win two books: Weird But True! Canada and Weird But True! 10. Give the Gift of Weird National Geographic Weird But True! is a wonderful series promoting reading, exploration, and a general love of learning. With so many exciting facts to be found. This series is the perfect gift for any child on any holiday. Check out this series for yourself, and you’ll quickly see what I’m talking about. I received product from Moms Meet in exchange for an honest review here. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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The History of Mother’s Day

Paula — Wed, 04 May 2016 01:51:25 +0000

The History of Mother’s Day The history of Mother’s Day is quite long. Most people think it began in the early 1900’s, and while the move towards an official holiday began around the time, the actual history of Mother’s Day dates back much, much further. It’s roots can be traced all the way back to ancient Greek and Roman culture. Ancient History of Mother’s Day The history of Mother’s Day has its beginnings in an ancient annual spring festival of the Greeks which was dedicated to their maternal goddesses. At that time, the day was used to honor Rhea, the wife of Cronus and the mother of many of the dieties of Greek mythology. Much like the Greeks, ancient Romans had a similar festival to honor Cybele, essentially their version of Rhea. This celebration, which lasted for three days, consisted of parades, games, and masquerades. The celebrations were so gregarious that followers of Cybele were actually banned from Rome. Even early Christians had a sort of a Mother’s Day. On the fourth Sunday of Lent, early Christians honored the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. That celebration was expanded in England to include all mothers and became known as Mothering Sunday. Medieval History of Mother’s Day Mothering Sunday can be traced back to England around the 1600s. Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent to honor the Virgin Mary as well as all mothers, Mothering Day was a day of gifts to all mothers. After a prayer service honoring the Virgin Mary, children brought gifts and flowers to honor their own mothers. During this time in the history of Mother’s Day, servants, apprentices, and other employees where encouraged by their employers to visit their mothers while they were off for the day. Traditional Mothering Day gifts included special fruit cakes or fruit-filled pastries. Modern History of Mother’s Day Julia Ward Howe The modern history of Mother’s Day can be traced to Julia Ward Howe. While she did not have a role in founding the Mother’s Day we know now, she was the first person in modern times to suggest a day honoring mothers. She first suggested the idea in 1872. This activist, writer, and poet, known for her Civil War song, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, suggested June 2nd as a day celebrating mothers and dedicated to peace. This earliest incarnation of Mother’s Day, known as Mother’s Peace Day was meant to be a simultaneous stand against war and an honoring of mothers. The idea spread, but it was later replaced by the modern Mother’s Day we now celebrate. Anna Jarvis In the history of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis can rightfully be called the mother of modern Mother’s Day. Although she was never married nor a mother, she worked tirelessly for a day to honor all mothers. Anna Jarvis’ inspiration for Mother’s Day came from her own mother, Anna Marie Reeves. Reeves was an activist and social worker who always said that all mothers, both living and dead, should be honored for their work raising upstanding children. After her mother’s death in 1905, Anna Jarvis began pushing the idea of Mother’s Day. She and her supporters wrote letters to people in positions of power and influence and lobbied for an official Mother’s Day holiday. By 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state in the nation. On May 8th, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a declaration making Mother’s Day the second Sunday in May. Present Day Mother’s Day Mother’s Day is now celebrated internationally. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Turkey, Italy, Australia, Mexico, China, Japan, Belgium, and more all have a national holiday honoring mothers. While I’m sure Anna Jarvis would have loved to know that her idea to honor mothers had gained international popularity, it’s important to note that she would have been greatly saddened at the extreme commercialism of the current holiday. She devoted her life to Mother’s Day, but even back in the 1900s, she was known to be deeply saddened by the commercialism that was put upon the holiday almost immediately. The History of Mother’s Day – A Long Time Coming The history of Mother’s Day is a long one, with many twists and turns along the way. From its beginnings in ancient Greece and Rome to the holiday we know today, the history of Mother’s Day has seen its share of incarnations. And while Anna Jarvis may not have agreed with the commercialism that now surrounds the holiday, I think she would have enjoyed knowing that mothers world-wide are honored for their part in a strong family unit.

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6 Easter Facts You Might Not Know

Paula — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 05:20:45 +0000

Easter facts you might not have heard of is the name of the game today. I love trivia, and holidays have no shortage of it. Easter is no different. There are all kinds of interesting Easter facts that many of us probably don’t know. Read on and see if you knew any of these interesting Easter factoids. 6 Easter Facts From Obscure to Amazing It’s Easter trivia time. Yay! Whether it’s the world’s largest chocolate egg or the most expensive Easter egg ever, there are some unique facts out there that most of us have probably never heard of. I know I hadn’t! The Biggest Easter Egg Ever The world’s biggest Easter egg was made in Italy in 2011. It stood over 10 meters tall and weighed more than 7,000 kilograms. At that height and weight, it was taller than a giraffe and heavier than an elephant. That’s a lot of chocolate! [tweetthis]What was the most expensive Easter egg ever? [/tweetthis] The Most Expensive Easter Egg Ever You think you Easter supplies get pricey? Listen to this. In 2007, a diamond covered egg sold for almost 9 million pound! In addition to diamonds covering the entirety of the egg, every hour a cockerel made of jewels popped up from the egg, flapped its wings four times, and nodded its head three times while making a crowing noise. [tweetthis]How did jelly beans start out? This and other Easter facts here. [/tweetthis] Easter Hijacked Jelly Beans You might not think of theft as one of the Easter facts you’d find here, but it is – sort of. While jelly beans might be part and parcel with Easter these days, they didn’t start out that way. Jelly beans were actually first made in America by Boston candy maker, William Schrafft, who actually came up with them as delicious treats for soldiers fighting in the Civil War. Easter is Always on the Go If you celebrate Passover, you know that its time always changes. For those of you who don’t, Passover changes because it’s based on the phases of the moon. Easter Has a Pagan Name You may have heard that Easter is actually a pagan holiday celebrating fertility which was commandeered by Christians, but did you know the name is also Pagan in origin? It’s true. Easter is actually taken from the word “Eastre”, an Anglo-Saxon goddess symbolizing the hare and the egg. Pretzels for Easter How did pretzels make their way onto a list of Easter facts? Well, way back in the day, pretzels were part of Easter festivities because the twists of the pretzel were said to resemble arms crossing in prayer. PINNABLE IMAGE: Easter Facts are Fascinating These are just a few of the fun and interesting Easter facts you can find out there. There are many, many more, but if I listed them all, you’d be reading all day! If you love trivia or just to learn interesting things, Google Easter facts and see what you come up with. You won’t be disappointed!

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8 Facts About Canada Day You Might Not Know

Paula — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:18:20 +0000

Canada Day is a day of national pride for Canadians. It’s the day we celebrate our sovereignty and the official birth of our country. Although we’re right next door to America, most Americans won’t know these facts about Canada Day that I’ve put together. These little tidbits are quite interesting and give non-Canadians an insight into one of our biggest (most fun) national holidays. Interesting Facts About Canada Day These facts about Canada Day are probably only known to Canadians or world history buffs, but I think they’re kind of interesting, so I thought I’d put them together for your perusal. Enjoy! We Didn’t Go to War Our country actually had a pretty decent relationship with Great Britain. There is a lot of history and facts that go along with this, but basically all of the Upper and Lower Canadian colony leaders got together and decided to ask Queen Victoria if we could be our own country. She said yes, which I think was very dignified of her. Canada Day is Smack in the Middle of the Year Here’s an interesting fact about Canada Day. It’s almost exactly in the middle of the year. July 1st is the 182nd day of the year. After that, there are 183 days left to go. [tweetthis]DYK Canada Day is smack in the middle of the year? [/tweetthis] Canada Day is a Floating Holiday (sort of) According to the Holidays Act, Canada Day is July 1st unless July 1st is a Sunday, then Canada Day is recognized on July 2nd. If July 1st is a Saturday, most businesses still take the following Monday off. While the official Canada Day observance may float, we all still do our thing on the 1st. The Capital is the Place to Be Here’s a fact that’s also a tip. Ottawa is the place to be on Canada Day. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians flock to the capital to celebrate our independence with a concert and fireworks. I have also always been a massive fan of visiting Niagara Falls for Canada Day. The fireworks celebrations there are excellent also. [tweetthis]How do you celebrate Canada Day?[/tweetthis] Some Americans Celebrate Canada Day with Us One of the more fun facts about Canada Day is that some Americans celebrate it with us, and not just those of Canadian descent. Because they are less than a mile apart, since the 50s, Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario have had a combined Canada Day/Independence Day celebration called the international Freedom Festival. A huge fireworks display is set off over the Detroit River, the only thing separating the two cities. We Were Visited by Royalty A Couple of Times Now But This One Is Special… In 1967, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated Canada Day on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to mark the Centennial anniversary of the holiday. Some Famous Folks Born on Canada Day More fun facts about Canada Day. There are several famous people who were born on Canada Day. Dan Akroyd Lady Diana Missy Elliott Jamie Farr Debbie Harry Estee Lauder Carl Lewis Alan Ruck Liv Tyler Pamela Anderson Rod Gilbert Sydney Pollack Olivia de Havilland Facts About Canada Day You Probably Didn’t Know I hope you enjoyed reading these facts about Canada Day. I certainly had a good time gathering these for you. Canada Day is a holiday celebrating independence and Canadian pride, and I hope these facts about Canada Day were as much fun for you to read as they were for me to write. Happy Canada Day, everybody!

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