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Check Out These Fun Facts About U.S. National Parks

May 22, 2015 by

If you’re looking for an affordable vacation that enables you to get in touch with nature, visiting a national park is a great option. There are numerous National Parks throughout the country that offer outdoor activities, camping, and much more. Here are some facts about the nation’s most interesting parks.

  • The National Parks System has 397 national parks on record, but some of them don’t seem like parks at all. Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace, for example, is considered a National Park.
  • Perhaps the most famous National Park, Yellowstone National Park, is also the country’s first. Ulysses S. Grant signed a law deeming it a National Park way back in 1872.
  • Mount McKinley, the highest point in North America, is located in Denali National Park and Preserve. The lowest point in the Western hemisphere is also located in a National Park; it is Death Valley, and it is found in Death Valley National Park in California.
  • There are two National Parks located north of the Arctic Circle: Gates of the Arctic National Park and the Kobuk Valley National Park. Both are located in Alaska.
  • More than 280 million people from all over the world visit American National Parks each year.

National Park System Fun Facts [ NPS]
Facts About US National Parks [U.S. National Parks]
Little-Known Facts About America's National Parks [Huffington Post]

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Are You Washing Your Hands Correctly? Find Out Here!

February 20, 2015 by

Washing your hands thoroughly can help to prevent you from contacting diseases, reduce the risk of food borne illness, and can even stop you from spreading germs if you’re already sick. Here are a few tips that will show you the correct way to wash your hands.

  1. Apply soap and water. First, completely soak your hands with warm water. Apply as much soap as you need in order to cover both hands—remember, the more the better.
  2. Rub palms together. Vigorously rub your palms together in a circular motion to clean germs from the center of your hands.
  3. Clean between fingers. Clean the hard-to-reach places between your fingers by placing one hand on top of the other as if you were holding hands with another person. Rub the fingertips from one hand between the fingers of the other hand, and then switch.
  4. Clean fingernails. Rub the fingernails of one hand across the palm of the other hand to remove dirt and germs. Clasp the hands together with the backs of your fingers to the opposite palm, and then rub the hands back and forth.
  5. Rinse and dry. Rinse hands completely with water, and then dry them with a single-use paper towel. Don’t forget to use the towel to turn off the faucet in order to prevent contacting more germs, and then toss it away.

When & How to Wash Your Hands [CDC]
How to Wash Your Hands Properly by Mary Calvagna, MS [BIDMC]
Clean hands protect against infection [World Health Organization]

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Expecting Company? Here’s How to Prepare Your Home for Overnight Guests!

January 16, 2015 by

You just found out that a few friends or family members are coming to visit for a few days, and they’re going to stay at your place instead of a hotel. Before you get stressed, check out these simple tips for making guests feel comfortable in your home.

  1. Create a private area. Although a separate guest bedroom is the ideal area for out-of-town guests, not all homes have this space. Give your guests a bit of added privacy by placing an air mattress in a little-used office instead of offering them the living room couch, or even put up a temporary partition at night if the couch is your only option.
  2. Provide linens. One of the most important things you can do to make guests feel at home is to provide them with clean sheets, towels, and other linens. Place a stack of towels on the bed, and be sure to turn down the bed sheets before they arrive.
  3. Offer storage. Your guests will feel like a nuisance if their suitcases are strewn all over the floor, so offer them a spare closet or even a corner of a low-traffic room where they can store their belongings.
  4. Invest in a few snacks. Oftentimes guests’ eating schedules are different from your own, and they might feel uncomfortable mentioning their hunger. Purchase a few tasty snacks before they arrive, and be sure to accommodate dietary restrictions like veganism or lactose intolerance.

Plan Your Peaceful Christmas: Guest-ify Your Home [The Art of Simple]
Getting Ready for Overnight Guests [Real Simple]
How to Welcome Overnight Guests Without Spending Money [Not Spending Money]
Hosting Overnight Guests [Life Your Way]
Make Your Overnight Guests Feel at Home [Southern Living]

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How to Display Your Child’s Artwork—Creatively!

October 10, 2014 by

If your budding artist creates so many priceless paintings that your refrigerator is looking a bit cluttered, it may be time for a new way to display his or her art. There is a wide variety of ways to hang kids’ art in your home, and they’ll still even help you to stick to your current design scheme. Here are some of the top things to do with kids’ artwork.

  1. Hang a clothesline of art. Using a thin, clothesline-style rope, you can easily hang your little one’s paintings on the wall and transition them as often as you please. Simply fasten the rope at either end, attach a few clothespins and hang the artwork freely throughout.
  2. Turn a painting into a postage stamp. If your home is already filled with your child’s artwork, why not show his or her paintings off in other creative places? There are a number of different sites that enable you to scan and upload any photo you choose to a fully functional, U.S. Postal Service-approved postage stamp.
  3. Create a matching series. Give your child some watercolor paints in a few complementary colors and let him or her go wild. Afterward, frame the paintings in elegant white frames to create a gallery-worthy series that’s perfect for display.
  4. Turn it into a large canvas. Through the magic of the Internet, you can now scan your children’s artwork and have it printed on a large, high quality canvas in any shape you choose.

3 Ideas for Displaying Kids’ Artwork [Real Simple]
Kids + Art! [Babble]
What to Do with Kid Art [Parents.com]

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School’s Out! How to Keep Your Kids Entertained This Summer

July 25, 2014 by

Now that school’s out for summer and the kids have nowhere to be all day, it can feel overwhelming to keep your little ones entertained. You want them to have fun and make the most of their summer off, and these four activities are sure to help.

  1. Make outdoor art. Take their usual arts and crafts outside into the sun with this creative idea. Spread an old, light colored bed sheet on the ground and let the kids go wild with colorful paints. There’s virtually no cleanup involved, except on the kids themselves!
  2. Bake gingerbread cookies. If you think that gingerbread men are just for the holidays, think again. When you let the kids decorate gingerbread cookies with summer-themed outfits, these bathing beauties become a fun summertime treat as well.
  3. Create your own obstacle course. When you want the kids to have fun while also getting in some physical activity, try creating your own obstacle course in the backyard. Lay down a wooden ladder for them to run through, tie a rope swing to a tree, and even make your own balance beam using a simple two-by-four beam.
  4. Visit the farmers market. Teach your children about the value of good nutrition by taking them with you to pick up fresh produce at the farmers market.

50 Outdoor Summer Activities for Kids [Six Sisters’ Stuff]
Summer Activities for Kids [Martha Stewart Crafts]
101 Things to Do with Kids This Summer [Care.com]
100 Summer Fun Ideas for Kids and Parents [Work-at-Home Moms]
Free (or Almost Free) Summer Fun Ideas [Camp PBS Parents]

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Check Your Baby Name’s Popularity on the U.S. Social Security Website

April 11, 2014 by

If you're an expecting parent, you probably already know that the process of choosing the perfect name for your baby is quite a feat, from getting your partner on the same page to ensuring your little one won't share her name with countless classmates at school.

We can't help sway your partner's vote, but did you know that you can screen a name's popularity on the U.S. Social Security website? There are a few ways to go about your research: 1) You can see the top ten boys and girls names from the previous year, 2) search the most popular names by year (all the way back to 1879!), or 3) input a name to view its popularity over time. You can even view the most popular names by state or decade.

How does your baby's name (or your own name!) rank on the lists?

Popular Baby Names [Social Security]

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Great Cars for Moms-On-The-Go

September 21, 2012 by

If you’re a busy mom on-the-go, you know how important a safe, spacious, and reliable can be to your sanity. If you’re wondering what car might be the best for you, check out the list below to find your new set of wheels!

Dodge Grand Caravan
If you roll your eyes at the idea of a minivan, you may want to reconsider, and look at the Dodge Grand Caravan. This minivan has been completely remade, and is still as reliable as ever. Plus, it offers great storage space and plenty of room for all your kids, plus the dog, and the groceries! And, it rings in at just over 20K – that’s a lot of car for that price!

Hyundai Elantra GLS
More of a sedan-person? Check out the new Hyundai Elantra GLS. The sleek exterior certainly does not scream “soccer mom”, and it’s very fuel efficient, getting 29 miles per gallon in the city, and 40 mpg on the highway.

Kia Forte 5-Door SX
This cute hatchback is sporty and fun! Plus, it offers you more cargo space than a traditional sedan-style vehicle. It gets 36 mpg on the highway, and starts at just under $20,000, which makes it affordable for families.

Jeep Grand Cherokee
If you’re looking for a reliable, stylish SUV, look no further. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has been around for years, and has gained a reliable reputation as a sturdy, well-made, dependable vehicle. Plus, this car affords you tons of cargo space!

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