Monday October 25th

Tuesday October 26th

Sunday October 31st

• National Magic Day
• And of Course…… HALLOWEEN!

but what about the one’s that are not? I bet you didn’t know that the third week of October is Wolf Awareness Week or that October 20th is Suspender’s Day, did you? Well, just to make sure you have all your holidays covered, here’s a list for the Third Week of October.

Weekly Holidays and Remembrances

Teen Read Week
Kids Care Week
National Veterinary Week
National School Lunch Week
Pharmacy Week
Wolf Awareness Week
Business Women’s Week

Daily Holiday’s and Rememberances

Sunday October 17th

• Cadillac Car Birthday 1902
• Gaudy Day
• National Geographic Birthday 1888
• National Sunday School Appreciation Day (always third Sunday in October)

Monday October 18th

• No Beard Day
• Black Poetry Day
• Little Orphan Annie’s Birthday 1922
• Scary Black Cat Day
• Puerto Rico Became a U.S. colony 1898

Tuesday October 19th

• New Friends Day
• Star Spangled Banner First Sung 1814
• Evaluate Your Life Day
• National Fruit Day

Wednesday October 20th

• Suspender’s Day

Thursday October 21st

• Electric Light Birthday 1879

Friday October 22nd

• Clean up the Earth Day (always 6 months after Earth Day)
• Parachute Birthday
• Used Car Dealership Birthday in London, England 1897
• National Nut Day

Saturday October 23rd

• National Mole Day
• Dumbo’s Birthday 1941
• Stay up late Day/Johnny Carson’s Birthday

s Mold Awareness Month. September 5-October 5 has been deemed such by the industry because mold spores that commonly grow in summer humidity are often trapped as people close up homes and foundation vents in the fall. Just a few of these spores can make you and your family sick. Mold is one of those problems that one should never ignore, so take the rest of this month – or however long it takes you! – to deal with that pesky mold problem you keep thinking will take care of itself. Now some of you may be thinking, “Mold problems are blown way out of proportion!” but I’m here to give you some Facts on Mold so you’ll know it’s a big deal.

• Air Quality: According to the U.S. EPA, the air inside the average American home can be more than 100 times more polluted than the air outside. New homes usually have poorer air quality than older homes because they’re air tight, so spores can’t escape, providing a perfect breeding ground.
• Common household molds cause: asthma, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rashes. Infants and the elderly are most the at risk, because they often have weaker immune systems.
• Mold is prevalent in most homes and it’s often difficult to eradicate, but all mold requires moisture to grow, so reducing moisture will reduce mold growth.
• Mold grows on Windowsills, closets, wall paper, flooring, in or around showers, dishwashers, washing machines, and even in the soil of potted plants.
• Mold can be caused by: slow dripping pipes, condensation, standing water on or under carpets and floor boards, leaky dryer vents, broken shingles and wet insulation.

And lastly, if none of these facts has convinced you to check on and deal with the mold in your home, consider the following court statistics:

• There are an estimated 10,000 mold-related court cases nationwide.
• There has been a 300 percent increase in litigation involving mold contamination over the past five years.
• The average mold claim costs $35,000 and many exceed $100,000.

Now that you’re thoroughly convinced that the mold growing your home can cause many a problem, here is how you can prevent and control mold in your home:

• When water leaks, ACT QUICKLY. If you dry wet materials 24 – 48 hours after a leak or spill, mold will not grow in most cases.
• Clean and repair roof gutters and leaky roofs regularly.
• Point sprinklers away from the home and siding.
• Make sure landscapes slope away from your home’s foundation so water doesn’t collect.
• Keep relative indoor humidity low, if possible below 60 percent. Humidity is measured most accurately with a moisture meter, a small $10 – $50 instrument found at most hardware stores.
• Use air conditioners and dehumidifiers regularly.
• Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering and up to 10 minutes afterward.
• Use exhaust fans or open widows whenever cooking, running the dishwasher or even washing dishes.

ot beer floats. Maybe play some 1950′s music to completely transform the atmosphere. But if you don’t have kids – or want to have a more adult Root Beer Day celebration – try making some yummy alcoholic beverages. For out of this world root beer drinks, mix Three Olives Vodka with your root beer. What? Vodka in your root beer? Three Olives Vodka recently released the world’s first Root Beer flavored vodka, perfect for celebrating this little known holiday! Over a century ago, Root Beer was first introduced as an alcoholic beverage, and Three Olives is thrilled to be the first to put the booze back into this all-American classic.

Three Olives Vodka is the original, ultra-premium vodka from England. It is handcrafted in small batches and made from only the finest English wheat. Their method of quadruple distilling and quadruple filtration removes natural impurities, yielding a vodka of exceptional purity and smoothness. And what’s best is that this award-winning, ultra-premium vodka is now available in 18 flavors – Tomato, Mango, Root Beer, Vanilla, Bubble, Cherry, Berry, Grape, Triple Espresso, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Orange, Watermelon, Chocolate, Green Apple, Citrus, Rangtang, Naked – providing you with endless mixing possibilities!

Here are few recipes provided by Three Olives Vodka for the Three-O Root Beer Float and the Root Beer Floatini to use on this delicious day.

Three-O Root Beer Float

2 oz. Three Olives Root Beer Vodka

4 oz. root beer

Float 1 scoop vanilla ice cream on top

Root Beer Floatini

1.5 oz. Three Olives Root Beer Vodka

.5 oz. Amaretto liqueur

Shake hard over ice & strain into glass

Float a melon-ball size scoop of vanilla ice cream in center

• Purchase your supplies.  Pick up things like paper, pens or pencils, folders and notebooks, notepads, erasers, markers and crayons as well as backpacks or bags.  Children usually receive a list from their teachers of supplies they will need.  If you’re in college, don’t forget a tape recorder just in case your professor allows you record lectures.
• Clear up your Clutter.  This may not seem like a Back to School necessity, but if you want to be ready for the next busy school year ahead, you will want to be clean, cleared and prepared.  You can go to the extreme and get rid of old clothes before you buy new ones for the year, kids toys and make your room completely clean.  But if you don’t feel you need it, then just go over all your old school supplies and throw out anything that is thrashed.  Also clean up your desk and get it ready for all the homework you will have!
• Set up your schedule.  If you have a child in school who is also involved in after-school activities, you might want to create a schedule calendar with each child’s schedule color-coded.  That way everyone knows what their schedule is as well as when they will have down time to do homework or relax.  If you’re in college, post your class schedule so that you never forget which class you have on which day.  Plus, if you work, you will want to be able to plug in your work schedule to ensure nothing is overlapping.
• For younger children, you may need to contact the school for an physical examination schedules, registration requirements, school policy’s and to make sure they have any updated contact information.
• Make sure you have everything you will need to make lunches for your kids.  You know a lunch bag or brown bags, plastic sandwich bags, bread, lunch meat and healthy snacks.
• Gradually move bedtime earlier and earlier.  If you are in college, this may seem silly.  But if you have early morning classes, you will want to be able to get up on time and if you automatically change your bedtime one day, you will probably fall asleep in class.  Your kids will also need a gradual change.  To help with these tasks, consider buying an alarm clock too!

There are many different ways to help celebrate Father In-Law Day. You can just simply call him up to wish him a happy Father In-Law Day or you can send him a card that will show him you are thinking about him on his special day. Try an e-card, if you need a last minute solution! If you live nearby him, maybe stop by the house and wish him happy Father In-Law Day in person.  I’m sure he’d love it. My father-in-law lives in Colorado and we just visited my husbands family last month, but I wish we could see him again for this day.  Lastly, if you really like your father in-law (like I do!) then you could maybe even take him out or cook him a nice dinner to show him you love him. If you do treat him to dinner, make sure it is his favorite restaurant – hopefully not an overly expensive one….

Enjoy this day!

Unfortunately, because of their increasing popularity over the last few years, the price of chicken wings has sky rocketed!  So, it might be hard for you to find your beloved wings today at a cheap price.  Many restaurants have had to either take them off the menu, shut their doors because they can’t afford the high prices, or just charge us more to eat them.  I don’t see a way that is fun for anyone.   If you’re having trouble finding them at a price you like, maybe you can just make some at home!  Below I have a scrumptious recipe for chicken wings that you can try out today.

Buffalo Wings from FoodNetwork.com

• 12 whole chicken wings
• 3 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Place a 6-quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl along with the garlic. Pour this along with hot sauce and salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine.

Remove the wings from the oven and transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

Don’t forget The National Buffalo Wing Festival is coming soon! The National Buffalo Wing Festival is a weekend festival held at Coca-Cola Field in downtown Buffalo, New York celebrating the Buffalo style chicken wing.  The festival is held on Labor Day weekend and culminates with the IFOCE sanctioned Buffalo Wing eating contest.  Sweet!  Check back here on HolidayMash.com around Labor Day for more info. on the festival.

Seeing as how I hate mosquitoes, I don’t understand having a holiday or national day for them.  Does anyone like them?  Maybe frogs or other animals that eat them, but I don’t think there is one human being out there who has any kind of attatchment to them.  My distaste for these flying, biting insects was not always so.  Of course I never liked them because they bit and their bites itch.  But it wasn’t until 2 years ago when my family took a trip to the Wisconsin Dells that my hatred began.  We love to camp and so decided to rough it at a local camp site for the week we would be there and then spend our days in the Dells having fun.  The problem was that it was in the heat of the summer and our camping lot was right near a small pond with slow flowing streams.  Neadless to say, we had standing water (which mosquito’s flock to) and it made our trip miserable.  Well at least mine.  I know I’ve been bit by mosquito’s before and never had a reaction.  But on this trip, they bit and I swelled up.  I was bit on my forearm, shin and forehead among others, but those three places decided to grow to enormous sizes and became rather embarassing.  Plus, they itched like crazy!  Then a few weeks ago I was in Colorado and it happened to be mosquito season.  I was bit again and the bites became swollen.  I now hate mosquitoes.

So, I guess today can be better labeled Mosquito Awareness Day.  Let’s learn a little more about these blood suckers, shall we?

The preferential victim’s sweat simply smells better than others because of the proportions of the carbon dioxide, octenol and other compounds that make up body odor. The powerful semiochemical that triggers the mosquito’s keen sense of smell is Nonanal. A large part of the mosquito’s sense of smell is devoted to sniffing out human targets.

There are many ways to celebrate this National Maple Syrup Day and here are just a few:

1. Start the day off right with a breakfast that goes well with maple syrup. Pancakes, waffles, french toast, and crepes would all be an excellent start to your celebration. (See related links) If you don’t feel like cooking, take some real maple syrup with you to your locally owned pancake house.
2. Lunch will be a hit with this new sandwich that I found.  It’s a PBMS!  That’s peanut butter and maple syrup; no jelly!
3. Dinner ideas include a glaze for ham, a side dipping sauce for sushi, and a topping for vegetables. Try it for the sweetener in your favorite recipe for muffins, baked beans or barbecue sauce, too.
4. And finally, add maple syrup to any dessert. Use it to top your ice cream and cakes.  If you want to make your cake really special, add a layer of maple syrup in between each cake.

The lollipop is one of those sweet treats that as a kid, you looked at in awe.  All the bright colors in a swirl of intense sugar.  You craved it.  You knw you had to have it.  Lollipops are enjoyed by many people in all sizes and ages.  It also comes in many shapes and flavors itself! Whether your lollipop is filled with gum, chocolate, or just solid candy all the way through, no one can deny the lure of the lollipop. And it seems as though everyone has their own way of devouring a lollipop.  I usually lick until it’s soft enough to bite and then a bite little pieces off at a time, being extra careful that I don’t crack it and cause a huge chunk to fall off.  What’s your preference?

If you want to celebrate this day, pick up some lollipops and hand them out to your friends and family as well as enjoy one yourself. And just so you know,  the world record for the world’s largest lollipop was one that weighed 4,031 pounds and was more than fifteen feel tall, just in case you are feeling particularly ambitious today.

You can make lollipops too!  Here’s an easy Recipe for a Lollipop.

1. Coral Reefs are some of the oldest and most divers ecosystems on Earth. Per unit area, coral reefs support more species than any other marine environment, which means that thousands of creatures rely on coral reefs for survival.  And did you know that because coral reefs create the largest living structures on earth, some coral reefs are visible from space?
2. Healthy coral reefs are very valuable to us. 500 million people worldwide depend on coral reefs because they are such a huge source of food, they protect coastlines from storms, they provide jobs and income to local economies from fishing, and they are sources of new medicine among others.  These values provide $29.8 billion to world economies each year, so a continued decline in reefs will drastically effect the people around the world.
3. Our human’s actions are threatening coral reef survival. What we need to do is stop polluting our planet as a whole, but especially land-based pollution.  That combined with unsustainable fishing, tourism, vessel damage, marine debris, and many other has caused 20% of the worlds coral reefs to be damaged beyond repair.  And just so you know, nearly half of the remaining coral reefs are about to collapse.
4. NOAA is working to conserve Coral Reefs around the world. In order to manage and protect coral reef systems, the NOAA conducts research, coral mapping, monitors activities and uses coral conservation tools.  They also work with the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to protect not only American reefs, but also international reef ecosystems.
5. You can make a difference too! Get involved by volunteering or working for the Coral Reef Conservation Program, give coral reef conservationists funding for activities and projects and simply work on making others aware of the risks involved in losing out Coral Reefs.

(Image via photography-match)

The origin of the Sundae is a little fuzzy and many towns claim to be the birthplace of the sundae including Ithaca, New York; Two Rivers, Wisconsin; Plainfield, Illinois; Evanston, Illinois; New York City; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York.  Wow, that’s a lot of towns to claim ownership of this creamy dream.  What is not unknown about the Sundae is how it got it’s name.  Of the many stories about the invention of the sundae, one frequent theme is the sinfulness of the ice cream soda and the need to produce a substitute for the popular treat for consumption on Sunday. Peter Bird writes in The First Food Empire (2000) that the name ‘sundae’ was adopted from Illinois state’s early prohibition of ice cream consumption on Sundays, because ice cream with a topping that obscured the main product was not deemed to be ice cream.

But no matter how the sundae came to be or which town it came from, it’s a delectable treat that we should all enjoy this fine Sunday.

In 1984, Ronald Reagan proclaimed today to be National Ice Cream Day and desired for it to be celebrated every year with special activities and events.  He seemed to really like it….  So maybe we should do what the President said and celebrate the day by having any kind of ice cream:  banana splits, ice cream sandwiches, soft-serve, chocolate, vanilla and everything in between. No matter what you are in the mood for, don’t forget to partake in National Ice Cream Day today!

Have an Ice Cream Maker? Follow it’s directions and make something really creamy.  But if you don’t have one, don’t worry! Here’s a traditional Vanilla Recipe for you to tackle:

• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons peach preserves (not jelly)
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.

Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit’s instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: If you do not have a thermometer, bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. Do not let it boil

I can pretty much guarantee you that a farm in your area (and there is one.  I live in LA and know of several) will be hosting some sort of Farm Heritage Day Event.  Attending one means you will get to see how antique farm equipment worked including tractors and horse-drawn plows, as well as make crafts and play old fashioned farm games.  I’m sure they will have a tour of the farms facilities as well as a lot of great home cooked food for you to eat.  So, make sure you find a farm today and take the kids out to learn a little something.  It will be good for you and great for our children.  Enjoy your day outdoors!

The phrase French Fry means potatoes fried in the French sense of the verb “to cook”, which can mean either sautéing or deep frying.  In the early 20th century, the term “French fried” was being used for foods such as onion rings or chicken, apart from potatoes.  But did the French invent these fries?  Many countries actually try to lay claim to these wonders, but the actual date or location is still up for debate.  Personally, I like the Belgian argument.  They claim that potatoes were fried in 1680 in the Spanish Netherlands when poor inhabitants of the region would fry small fish.  But when the rivers were frozen and fish were unavailable, they cut potatoes lengthwise and fried them in oil to accompany their meals.  They also believe that the term “French” came from the British and American Soldiers of WWI that arrived in Belgium and tasted the Belgium fries.  They called them French Fries because French was the official language of the Belgian Army at the time.  However, the British and the Spanish try to claim French Fries.  And Americans like to claim they come from the French because of Thomas Jefferson.  The story goes that while at a White House dinner in 1802, Jefferson had “potatoes served in the French manner”.

So, where do they really come from?  Anyone know the truth?

Every year, the nation celebrates the french fry with dozens of crispy sliced spud varieties, from beer battered and deep fried, to olive oil tossed and baked. Even though most of us celebrate those golden brown beauties at least once a week, why not cook up something special for National French Fry Day this year?

Making your own french fries is a lot easier than it sounds. In fact, all you really need are five or six potatoes, vegetable oil and a deep fryer, paper towels, salt and your favorite french fry condiment.

You can peel the potatoes before slicing, or leave the skin. The skin adds a unique flavor to the fries that can’t be beat, so it’s a matter of personal preference. Skin on or off, slice your spuds into strips. The beauty is you can make them as thick or thin as you like.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees and cover the bottom of your fryer basket in a single layer. Drop them into the fryer and cook for four to five minutes. Lift out the basket and let the excess oil drain, then transfer your fries to paper towels to dab off the oil.

Salt to your preference and voila! Delicious, fresh cut fries right from your kitchen.

Top them to your taste with everything from chili and cheese to creamy caesar dressing, melted mozzarella cheese and coarse chopped bacon. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

[Image Source]

Lindsey’s Pecan Cranberry Pie

• 1 pie crust
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 4 tbsp. unsalted, melted butter
• 2 tbsp. light molasses
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped and toasted
• 1 1/2 cups cranberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine eggs and next 5 ingredients.  Whisk until smooth.  Stir the pecans and cranberries into the bowl.  Pour the entire bowl into the pie shell.  Bake until center is set – approximately 45 minutes.

So, plan a party for National Swimming Pool Day and invite the whole neighborhood over for a swim.  To make it easier and less financially constraining, ask people to bring something to eat and pool toys.  Everyone will have a great time.  Trust me!

Swimming Pool Games – These are just a few, but there are so many out there.  If having a party, find a lot!

• There is the ever wonderful Shark.  This game involves one person – the Shark – (or two for a team if you have a lot of people) who stays at one end of the pool with their back to everyone else.  All the other people hang onto the edge of one side and try to swim across to the other side without the Shark hearing them.  As the Shark, once you think you hear something, you turn around and swim after them.  The goal is to tag someone.  The tagged person becomes the new Shark.
• Colors is another game similar to Shark.  One person is it and the call out colors.  Each person playing picks a color and when their color os called they have to swim to the other side without being tagged.
• Whirlpool can be great for a large group of people, especially adults who have longer legs.  Have everyone get into the pool and line up along the edge with very little space between them.  Then everyone has to walk for a couple of minutes, then jog for a few minutes and finally run around the edge another few minutes.  If it’s done right, the water will eventually carry everyone around the pool.  Once you’ve been carried for awhile have everyone try to turn around and go the other way.  It’s almost impossible, so it will be fun to watch them try.
• Have a Belly Flop Contest!  This is pretty self-explanatory.  It really only works if you have a diving board, but you could probably do without.  have all contestants line up and do their best belly flop.  The judging should be based on 4 categories: Form/Creativity, Pain, Air and Size of Splash.

Swimming Pool Toys

• Beach Balls make for great “Keep Away” games.  Or just simply for something to do while you sit in the pool and chitchat.
• Noodles are always fun.  They can be twisted and turned into many different things for you to float on.  Plus, they’re great for your kids to play swords in the pool and out.
• Inflatable Donuts are fun for kids who don’t swim well and for you too!  They can used with your head and arms sticking out of the top, while keeping your legs in the water for kicking.  Or you can stick your rear in the donut hole with your legs dangling and your arms for paddling.
• Inflatable Snakes are cool way for several kids to float around together. While on it, they can slither around with ease.
• Pretend Sharks would be awesome for a kids pool party.  They are battery operated and move around your pool.  They will look like real sharks ready to attack, but they perfectly safe.  My nephew was looking at them and said, “I want those!  They would be great for scaring my brothers!”  What a kick!
• You can always pick up a Basketball Pool Set for in the pool games.

Blueberry Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.  Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.  To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Once this day is over, you can move on to Picking your Blueberries.  It really should be the other way around though shouldn’t it.  You may just have to make a blueberry pie with those newly picked berries!  There are many farms that allow you to come and pick your own blueberries.  Just look around your area and I’m sure you’ll find a place.  Enjoy your picking.  It’s a great family outing.

Here’s a bit of sugar cookie history that I thought was interesting.  According to gone-to-pott.com, “in the mid-1700s, German Protestant settlers in the Nazareth area of Pennsylvania perfected the recipe of the sugar cookie; thus, the sugar cookie is sometimes referred to as the Nazareth Sugar Cookie. On September 5, 2001, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopted the sugar cookie as its official cookie.”

My sister has an awesome sugar cookie recipe that I just love.  Being that it’s a special day, I will share it with you.

Julia and Geoff’s Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup softened butter or margarine

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.  Divide the dough into halves.  Roll each half 3/16 of an in. tick on a lightly floured board.  Cut into shapes; sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake until edges are lightly brown, 7-8 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Whether we want to admit it, video games are a huge part of our society. They are no longer just Tetris and Mario Bros.  Now people can “run” their own football franchise, train how to become an american soldier, track and kill zombies, live as a criminal running people over and stealing their cars, create their own village and even workout!  So if you love video games, July 8th is your day to invite some friends over or plug into your XBox Live Account and join the people all over the world who love them too.  Just keep them out of my house!

Ice Cream itself has been around for a long, long time but on this day in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair, ice cream was first sold in a waffle cone. For centuries, ice cream was served in saucers, but when an ice cream vendor at the Fair ran out of his paper dishes, he ran to the next booth where a man was selling waffles. He rolled a waffle, filled it with ice cream, and that’s hows. Now, a 1/3 of the ice cream eaten in the U.S. was eaten from a waffle cone.

So today would be a great day to head out with the family, have a fun summer  ”daycation“ and eat some ice cream in a waffle cone.  And if the Ice Cream Man comes by, don’t deny your children the change for a yummy treat.  In fact, you should go get some for yourself!  Pick any flavor you want, but just make sure it’s in a cone.

Here are a few places around the country that are a little more than your average park:

• New York’s Central Park is so huge that there is no excuse for not having a fantastic traditional picnic.  Plus, during the summer they hold concerts, theatre performances and free films.  An awesome family picnic can turn into an even more incredible day.
• San Francisco’s Hawk Hill where you can view the Golden Gate Bridge and Hawk Hill, which is frequented by hawks and raptors.
• Oregon’s Sunset Bay State Park would be a perfect water picnic where you can fish, swim and take the boat out.
• Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park is one of those place where you and your significant other or physically active family can go for intense hiking, walks along the world’s longest known cave system (365 miles) as well as campsite so you can picnic for days!
• Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has incredible sand dunes and beaches for all sorts of fun.

So once you find the place you will be heading to, it’s time to pack up!  Here is what you will need to make your picnic an easy-going day:

• A blanket or large towel
• A mattress pad – If you want some cushion..
• A  beach umbrella in case you won’t have a shady spot.
• Sunscreen
• A First Aid Kit with bug spray
• Plastic utensils
• Paper Plates and cups
• Napkins or paper towels
• Wet wipes for sticky hands and fingers
• Pre-made sandwiches or hot dogs
• Side dishes in tupperware containers
• Crackers, chips and cookies for snacking
• A cooler full of drinks – sodas, water or whatever else you want!
• Books, ipods, pillows etc.
• Games like playing cards, sports balls, Corn Hole bag toss etc.
• And of course a camera for capturing the memories of the day

Now this year seemed like a sweep for Chestnut because Kobayashi was not going to be competing.   Unless some crazy eating fool stepped up to the table, no one would come close to beating Chestnut.  And no one did.  After the contest began at 12 noon EST, Chestnut was moving quicker than everyone else having devoured more than 10 hot dogs in just the first minute.  He finished at the 10 minute mark with 54 hot dogs which is a far cry from his world record of 68 last year.  The next contestant after him was Tim Janus with 45.  So for now, Chestnut keeps the title!

But the biggest new of them all was the drama surrounding Kobayashi.  He did want to compete in this July 4th contest, but refused to sign a contract with Major League Eating because, according to Kobayashi’s blog, he wanted to be able to compete in contests by other groups.  But while in the crowd on Sunday, he must have realized he made a mistake because after the contest was over he went up on the stage and talked with George Shea, the host of the competition.  Because he wasn’t suppose to be there, NYPD tried to peacefully usher him away.  But Kobayashi didn’t want to go without a fight.  He grabbed a barricade and was eventually dragged down the stairs.  He has been charged with resisting arrest.

When all was said an done, Chestnut had held his title and Kobyashi went down. I hoped that would be the case, just not the way it happened.

• Family Game Night! With many families cutting back on the amount of travel they do in the summer because of economy woes, family game night has become a popular way to entertain everyone in the house. Set up your favorite family board game, pop some popcorn and prepare to have a great time together.
• Cloud Watching… or watching just about anything else, from birds to insects to a local baseball game is not only entertaining, but it gets you outdoors in the fresh air.
• Reading is Fundamental. It really is, and most local libraries have tons of great activities to keep you motivated, learning and entertained all summer long.
• Visit the local historical society. Nearly every town has one, and it’s an awesome place to learn about the landmarks and history in the place you live. Afterward, head out as a family on a local adventure/treasure hunt, to try to identify landmarks you learned about during your visit.
• Hiking and Geocaching rock. Much like the local landmark treasure hunt, hiking and geocaching are fantastic activities the whole family can enjoy together. Not only are you outdoors, but it’s a great way to learn about navigation.

Battling boredom is an important part of making summer special for everyone. So celebrate the entire month of July by going out of your way to battle the boredom monster!