Mar 30

Mar 30 National Pencil Day

Holidays/National Days, Products & Gift Ideas, Travel & Leisure

Many people, including myself, consider me “old school”. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I would get so excited to learn about National Pencil Day. Pencils are so my jam - I can’t wait to celebrate this national day. I use pencils to write so many notes that I go thru them like water. Every Fall, when it’s time to buy new school supplies, my kids do not need pencils because their school provides them. But that doesn’t stop me from taking advantage of the low “back to school” prices and buying fresh packs of No. 2s.

Mar 16

Mar 16 Common Courtesy Day

Barb Pellicer Paton

Healthy Family, Holidays/National Days

When I was a pre-school teacher I observed another teacher (who was barely 21 years old) as she taught our students manners. She gave cues to the kids whenever manners were needed and she explained to me that she didn’t want the kids to perform manners. In other words, she didn’t want the kids growing up thinking they needed to act - she wanted them to know why they were using manners. It made sense to me. So before I had kids I promised myself that I wasn’t going to teach my kids common courtesies by saying, “Can you say, ‘Yes please.’ ?“ whenever the cashier at a store would ask if they wanted a sticker or a lollipop. Think about it, we are actually insulting their intelligence by asking that. Of course they can say those words! Sometimes I would physically cringe when I would hear, “What do we say when someone does something nice for us?”. I imagined a monkey on the shoulder of a street performer doing tricks.

Feb 23

Feb 23 National Floral Design Day

Barb Pellicer Paton

Food & Beverages, Healthy Family, Holidays/National Days, Products & Gift Ideas, Travel & Leisure, Seasons

Besides flowers being considered a gesture of love and care, they represent beauty and remind us of hope. Think of all the occasions that flowers are a part of - weddings, funerals, births, dinner parties, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Spring, tea parties, Thanksgiving etc. Not to mention the scents of flowers are so naturally intoxicating. As obvious as it may seem that flowers can set the tone for any event, to me, the mystery about flowers has always been in floral designs. I know nothing about which flowers go well together and which certain positions of the flowers look pleasing to the eye. People, professional or layman, who know how to arrange flowers in a way that can make us feel certain emotions should be celebrated.

Feb 9

Feb 9 Umbrella

Barb Pellicer Paton

Healthy Family, Holidays/National Days, Products & Gift Ideas, Travel & Leisure

I cannot even say the word umbrella ella, ella, eh, eh, eh without singing it like Rihanna. What I love about an umbrella is that its function is both necessary and thoughtful. When we hold an umbrella over our head to shield off the rain or the sun, we are less bothered as Mother Nature does her thing. Thoughtfulness happens when we share an umbrella. Together we are safer and more comfortable than we are without one. My heart sings to see someone hold the umbrella over another’s head so that they can walk to/from the car in the rain without getting wet. So sweet!

Feb 2

Feb 2 World Nutella Day

Barb Pellicer Paton

Food & Beverages, Holidays/National Days, Products & Gift Ideas

Do you know what Nutella is and if so, do you like it? The hazelnut and cocoa combo is spreadable, like peanut butter. Some don’t like it but most people really love it. I first learned of Nutella when my hub and I were dating. Before I met him, he lived in Milan, Italy, where Nutella was commonly found in baked goods. He said he would have a jar or two at his apartment so that he could spread it on fresh bread when he wanted a snack. When I tasted it for the first time, I remember thinking , “Where have you been all my life?”.

Jan 26

Jan 26 Hot Chocolate Day!

Barb Pellicer Paton

Holidays/National Days, Food & Beverages, Products & Gift Ideas

I miss hot chocolate. It’s not really the chocolate that I miss, although chocolate is a big part. I miss the feeling that I get from drinking it. I miss the snuggly, sweet feeling of having a beverage that warms my body and calms my mind. I am a tea drinker but there is something different about a cup of hot chocolate versus a nice cup of tea. I am tempted, especially during these uncertain times, to throw the “no chocolate” (a.k.a. caffeine) restriction out the window and just drink a cup of hot chocolate. This would mean risking a night of no sleep but it may be worth it.

Dec 29

Dec 29 Peace

Barb Pellicer Paton

Healthy Family, Holidays/National Days, Products & Gift Ideas

I dated someone for 7 years and even though I had fun dating other guys for a couple more years, I thought it was about time to be in a relationship again. The timing was serendipitous because my hub, who twenty-five years ago was known as a “player”, was thinking the same thing too.

Dec 22

Dec 22 National Thank You Note Day!

Barb Pellicer Paton

Healthy Family, Holidays/National Days

Well this national day is going to be tough to write about since I don’t know anything about thank you notes. Kidding!! Are we talking about the national day designated every year for Thank You Notes and is celebrated the day after Christmas? If so, that is right up my alley. Although I was tempted to write a post giving High-Fives to those who already write thank you notes or to guilt people into writing them if they don’t, this post is about neither. Instead, I’m writing about this national day for those who are so overly grateful that the task to write thank you notes is overwhelming. And I’m not talking about overwhelming because it’s another “To Do” item added to an already full list.

Dec 8

Dec 8 Sweat Equity Gifts

Barb Pellicer Paton

Products & Gift Ideas, Holidays/National Days, Healthy Family

If your current budget for gifts is zero dollars and the holiday season is making you panic, please chant this mantra with me - “Thoughtfulness is still possible.” People ask me, “What do I get someone who already has it all?” It’s tough to “top off” or surprise them with something they can’t already buy themselves. However, the number one thing that a person cannot buy is sweat equity. I mean, sure, they can pay people to do the labor, but they can’t buy the labor of LOVE and THOUGHTFULNESS that goes into a gift that is especially meant for them. So with COVID wiping out the economy for most, pretend the people on your holiday gift list are Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Oprah and Kylie Jenner. They all can afford anything and everything. What would you give to them if you were to going to spend the holidays together?

Dec 1

Dec 1 Socks

Barb Pellicer Paton

Holidays/National Days, Products & Gift Ideas

For so many years, I have kept the tradition of listening to Christmas music non-stop starting the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas night. In recent years, I have added another “Day After Thanksgiving” tradition. I pull out all of our Nutcracker items to mark the beginning of the celebration (more like fear) of my daughter’s upcoming dance schedule. Prior to COVID, the weeks leading up to Christmas were ONLY about Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy at the State Theater. The mugs, sweatshirts, decorations and the coveted fuzzy sock/slippers which have Nutcrackers printed all over them come out of hibernation to help me get in the mood. I’m giving credit to the socks for keeping me grounded during the whirlwind of a season.

Nov 24

Nov 24 Good Scents

Barb Pellicer Paton

Healthy Family, Holidays/National Days, Politics & Religion, Products & Gift Ideas

Our Thanksgiving Day dinner menu this year is: turkey (Martha Stewart’s brine recipe), mash potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole (Trader Joe’s recipe), gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie and apple pie (with ice cream). It’s basic, yet fancy enough for us because we only eat these foods in this combination once a year. Each of these menu items have a unique scent and anyone who enjoys eating these foods would welcome their scents like a warm hug.

Nov 10

Nov 10 World Kindness Day

Barb Pellicer Paton

Healthy Family, Holidays/National Days, Products & Gift Ideas, Politics & Religion

In full disclosure I was trying to decide between writing about National Fast Food Day and World Kindness Day. Believe it or not, after the 2020 election, I have been super weary about the concept of kindness. Half of America is so filled with hate that it would seem almost too ironic to write about kindness. Besides, fast food is such a great topic. The choice was hard.