Friday, March 4, 2011
Feature Spring item: Snoopy Garden Statue
Monday, February 28, 2011
5 Interesting Facts on St. Patrick's Day!
16 more days to go until St. Patrick's Day! Have you started planning for a get together or a party yet? Here are some interesting facts about the holiday and its patron saint in case you are looking for conversation starters!
- An Irish toast: “The Scots have their whisky, the Welsh have their tongue, but the Irish have Paddy, who's second to none!”
- The first church founded by Saint Patrick is located at Mag-inis. The ground is considered holy.
- Believe it or not, the colour of St. Patrick was not actually green, but blue! In the 19th century, however, green came to be used as a symbol for Ireland.
- An Irish blessing: “May you always have...
Walls for the winds, A roof for the rain
Tea beside the fire, Laughter to cheer you
Those you love near you
And all your heart might desire.” - What's good luck on Saint Patrick's Day?: Finding a four-leaf clover (that's double the good luck it usually is). Wearing green. (School children started this tradition of their own -- they used to pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday). Kissing the blarney stone.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A Leprechaun's role in St. Patrick's Day
Do you know just exactly how leprechauns are associated with St. Patrick's Day? We celebrate certain holidays but we may not know where every idea and aspect of the holiday stem from. In this case, I wanted to know how leprechauns came into the picture...
How do you perceive leprechuans? The mean looking one on the left or Lucky from Lucky Charms Cereal on the right?
St. Patricks's day, March 17, is an Irish holiday that honors St. Patrick. Leprechauns, little Irish fairies, are also associated with this holiday in Irish mythology and folklore. They are sometimes called the "wee folk". Leprechauns were originally depicted as grumpy little old men only about 2 feet tall. They had pointed ears and beady little eyes. They were said to live in large grassy hills and forests. They were shoe makers and dressed with a hat and a leather apron. According to Irish legend, leprechauns were not very friendly. They lived alone and spent most of their time making shoes. Now the interesting thing about leprechauns is that each of them were said to possess a hidden pot of gold. Leprechauns must always be on guard because as they are making their shoes, the noise of their hammer leads greedy people to them to try to take their pot of gold away.
If a leprechaun is caught, he can be forced to reveal where his pot of gold is hidden. But leprechauns are not easy to catch because they are so fast. And once caught, the captor must keep an eye on the leprechaun at all times or else the leprechaun would vanish and hopes of finding the pot of gold would be gone. Leprechauns were notorious for tricking their captors into looking away so they could vanish and save their pot of gold.Leprechauns are also said to be very good musicians. They played some of the traditional Irish instruments including tin whistles and the Irish harp. It is said that leprechauns had wild music sessions at night. During these sessions, leprechauns would gather about to dance and sing and drink. The sessions might go on all night. They like to drink Poteen, moonshine. Now the cluricauns are Irish cousins to the leprechauns. The cluricauns are drunken little creatures who wreak havoc at nighttime. Leprechauns and cluricauns are totally different, according to Irish mythology. And leprechauns do not like to be mistaken as cluricauns. In a word, cluricauns are trouble makers.
The cheerful leprechaun that we know today is mostly an American invention that goes well with our celebrations on St. Patrick's Day. Eat, drink, and be merry. Drink all the green beer you can! Shoot the blarney! Sing Irish songs! Have a good time! After all, who wants grumpy little old men running around ruining the fun?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
St. Patrick's Day Ideas for Teachers
St. Patrick's Day is exactly a month from now! We are counting down to the days. Don't you just love holidays? Holidays are definitely something exciting to look forward to. For now, we are still scoping out for good ideas and tips for you to figure out what you want to do for your celebration.
If you are a teacher, you are in for a treat! We have found classroom ideas from Teacher's Corner for all instructors.
If you are a teacher, you are in for a treat! We have found classroom ideas from Teacher's Corner for all instructors.
St Patrick's Day Party Activities and Crafts
POT 'O GOLD - Have your students cut small pots out of gold or black construction paper (have cardboard patterns or ready-made die-cut pots available to trace). Have students decorate their pots with gold glitter and coins cut from gold foil! Save these pots to use later for the game described below or decorate classroom with them.
LUCKY CLOVER - Have your students cut clover shapes out of green construction paper (have cardboard patterns or ready-made die-cut clover available to trace). Save these shamrocks to use later for the game described below or decorate classroom with them.
SUGAR COOKIE FUN! - This activity can do double duty - when kids are finished decorating the cookies, they can eat them as a snack! Have a station set up with plenty of sugar cookies cut out in shamrock shapes (if possible - if not, use scalloped or round cookie cutters). On each individual plate, place one cookie and a plastic knife. Provide green and white frosting and sprinkles for decorating.
St Patrick's Day Game Ideas
PIN THE POT ON THE RAINBOW - Paint a rainbow on a piece of poster board or let students paint a rainbow with poster paints. Give each student their construction paper "pot of gold" (made earlier as an activity) to attach. (idea: place velcro on back of each pot) On their turn, blindfold the students, spin them 3 times, point them in the right direction and let them try to "pin" the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
LUCKY TRIVIA - Write trivia questions on the back of shamrocks cut out by students. The questions should be facts about St. Patrick's Day or naming things that are green - depending on age of children. Divide the class into two teams. Place shamrocks in a black kettle (pot). Have students take turns picking a question from the pot. Teams get one point for each question answered correctly. The team with the most points in the end - wins!
POT OF GOLD - Fill a clear container (pot shaped if possible) with gold wrapped candy kisses or other gold wrapped candy. Have each child guess how many pieces of candy are in the container. The student with the closest guess wins the candy!
St Patrick's Day Snack Ideas
SNACK IDEAS - The following snacks are easy to make, and many are simple enough for children to make. Some can do double duty, and work well as table decorations or crafts and then eaten later as a party snack.
LUCKY CLOVER! - Make sandwiches using favorite ingredients and cut out shamrock shapes using shamrock cookie cutters. For a healthier options, cut different foods into shamrock shapes using a variety of sizes! Try melon or cheese.
JELL-O® TREATS - Children always enjoy Jell-O® Jigglers! Cutting green Jell-O® with a shamrock shape cookie cutter is an easy way make a party treat! Or use lemon jello and use circle cutters for gold!
SUGAR COOKIES - This snack can do double duty - as a treat and activity! Use cookies students decorated earlier or bring purchased sugar cookies in St Patricks theme shapes.
IRISH GREEN - Add green food coloring to milk, mashed potatos or any food easliy colored.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Who was St. Patrick?
We have celebrated this holiday ever since around the 17th century, however we never have a complete understanding of how this holiday came about and who St. Patrick is. I searched for information online and found great information for the origin of this Irish holiday and tradition. If you guys wondered who St. Patrick was and why we celebrate this holiday, read on!
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.
Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders
It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)
Guided By Visions
After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.
To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)
Bonfires and Crosses
Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries-spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.
Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders
It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)
Guided By Visions
After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.
To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)
Bonfires and Crosses
Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries-spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.
via History
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Partying for St. Patrick's Day
If you want a reason to throw a party, why not throw one for St. Patrick's Day? This holiday is coming up in about a month (March 17th), and it would be a great idea to start planning for it now! We have gathered up some great party ideas for you to steal.
Fold white card stock or construction paper in half to form a card. Create a shamrock from green construction paper by cutting out 4 small hearts and a stem. Glue the shamrock to the front of the card and outline with gold glitter or gold glitter glue.
Decorating
Inflate several balloons in white and different shades of green. Yellow balloons will add some color and represent gold. Hang streamers in rainbow colors from the ceiling and walls, and use green cups, plates and napkins for serving your goodies.
St Patrick's Day Foods
Serve as many green and yellow foods as your imagination will allow. Think green crunchy celery and cucumbers coupled with ranch dressing for dipping. Yellow squash sliced into rings make fun edible “coins”.
For sweet treats, mix white cake batter and a few drops of green food coloring. Make cupcakes and decorate with green tinted frosting, topped off with yellow and white sprinkles. For a different twist, use white frosting topped with yellow decorating sugar. Round cookies can be decorated as coins, or use a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter and decorate with green sprinkles or sugar.
To wash it all down, choose green juice or add a little green food coloring to milk for a fun green drink!
Quickie St Paddy's Day Crafts
Provide your guests with 1 or 2 green chenille stems as they arrive. Form the chenille stems into shamrocks that they can either glue to their goodie bags or take home to show to their family.
Print out some of our St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages. Hand them to guests as they arrive and ask them to help decorate by coloring the pages. When they’re finished hang the pages on the walls for display.
Games to Play
Any traditional party game can be transformed to fit a holiday. The classic game of pin the tail on the donkey, for example, can be made into pin the stem on the shamrock, or pin the hat on the leprechaun. You can also make a typical bucket toss game into a pot of gold toss by wrapping black construction paper or felt around empty coffee cans or similar containers, and have children toss fake gold coins into them. The idea is to stand behind a designated line and try to get the coins into the bucket to win a prize.
Party Favors
Here’s a fun and creative project to put together before the kids go home. Have them decorate their goodie bag when they arrive by using markers, construction paper, glue, scissors, stickers and glitter glue. Be sure their name is on their bag and set them aside to dry while they enjoy the party. When it’s time to go home, fill their decorated goodie bag with their take-home treats!
via Kaboose
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Day etiquettes!
Not sure what to do with or for your valentine today? Here's an article that can help you fine tune appropriate Valentine's Day approaches toward your special someone.
Surveys show that couples exchange 36 million boxes of chocolates and 189 million roses on Valentine’s Day. But when you’re in a new relationship, chocolates and roses may not always be the right gift to give. “Valentine’s Day means different things to different people,” says Toni Coleman, a licensed clinical social worker in McLean, VA and founder of www.consum-mate.com, a relationship counseling website. “Doing too much or too little when the other person doesn’t feel the same way about February 14th could spell trouble for a new relationship.”
If you’re unsure how to handle Valentine’s Day dating and gift etiquette, read on for advice for when you’ve just met someone, when you’ve been dating for a few months and when you’re in a committed relationship.
When you have just met someone
Planning the day: It’s unrealistic to expect a big, romantic celebration at this stage of the game. “If you’ve had a date or two, it’s OK for one of you to say, ‘Hey, Valentine’s Day is coming up, and even though we’ve only gone out a few times, I thought it would be fun to do something together, like catch a movie.’ If the other person wants to do that, that’s great,” says Coleman. However, if the other person hems and haws, you should back off and schedule a date for a different day. It could be something as simple as this person has already made plans, or maybe the other person isn’t ready to be with someone on Valentine’s Day, since the day comes with a lot of expectations.
Getting a gift: What if you two do get together that day — should you bring a present? “It’s fine to give something small,” Coleman says. For example, if you know your date collects things with pigs on them, giving her a pig refrigerator magnet says, “I pay attention to what you like.” Similarly, if a guy has mentioned that he loves reading Stephen King novels, picking up the latest one for him is thoughtful, not a huge profession of undying love. Just remember that you should never give a gift with the expectation of receiving one in return. Be prepared for the fact that the other person may not have thought to get you something, and make sure you can handle that before offering up your gift.
When you have been dating for a few months
Planning the day: Sometimes you spend a few months with someone and you know: “I’ve met The One.” Other times, things are going well, but you couldn’t say for sure that you would expect to spend the rest of your life with this person. Nonetheless, if you’ve been going out for a few months, it is reasonable to expect that you’re going to make plans to do something for Valentine’s Day. Coleman suggests broaching the topic lightly: “You could say something like, ‘Valentine’s Day is in two weeks… do you want to pretend it doesn’t exist or do you want to do something?’”
How the person reacts to the idea of spending Valentine’s Day together is a good litmus test for a budding relationship. It may be an important occasion for your sweetie… or perceived as a bogus, commercial holiday. Just another day on the calendar. If your opinions differ, try to compromise out of respect for each other. “If your date says, ‘For me, Valentine’s Day has always been kind of hokey, but if it matters to you, let’s do something together,’ then that’s great,” advises Coleman. However, if he or she refuses to acknowledge a preference to spend the day together or refuses to budge from the typical wine-and-roses plan to celebrate the day, then this couple has more to worry about than what to do on February 14th. Adds Coleman, “It’s all about how you negotiate this stuff where you don’t see eye to eye.”
Getting a gift: No matter how giddy your sweetie makes you feel, give something meaningful but not inappropriately extravagant. So giving the sports buff tickets for the two of you to attend a Big 10 basketball game would be wonderful; renting out a skybox at a stadium and catering it would be completely over the top. Also, giving a gift that the two of you can enjoy together — tickets to an event, a night away together — can guarantee more shared good times ahead.
When you are in an established relationship
Planning the day: A funny thing happens on the way to Valentine’s Day once you’ve been dating for a long time — people tend to take the emphasis off of it and treat it just like any other day. Coleman says that it’s important not to take a relationship for granted at this point and not making an effort to do something special is a mistake. Take the opportunity to celebrate together. It doesn’t have to be a classic candlelit dinner. Maybe it’s going shopping together at your local farmers’ market and putting together a little picnic while watching a DVD of a good movie you two missed. Anything that can make the night about enjoying each other’s company will be a valuable gesture.
Getting a gift: Probably the biggest minefield when you’ve been dating each other for awhile is whether or not to get engaged on Valentine’s Day, a popular time for popping the question. The expert advice is, don’t give in to the pressure unless you’re really feeling it. “If there is any doubt in your mind about whether or not proposing is appropriate, pick another day to ask that question,” says Coleman.
If you’re not at that stage yet, a gift that shows how well you know each other’s lives can be wonderful. It may not be the most romantic thing, but some silk long underwear for a honey who’s always cold or pre-paid golf lessons for a someone who’s always wanted to learn the game can be a terrific way to reflect how in touch you are with each other.
Surveys show that couples exchange 36 million boxes of chocolates and 189 million roses on Valentine’s Day. But when you’re in a new relationship, chocolates and roses may not always be the right gift to give. “Valentine’s Day means different things to different people,” says Toni Coleman, a licensed clinical social worker in McLean, VA and founder of www.consum-mate.com, a relationship counseling website. “Doing too much or too little when the other person doesn’t feel the same way about February 14th could spell trouble for a new relationship.”
If you’re unsure how to handle Valentine’s Day dating and gift etiquette, read on for advice for when you’ve just met someone, when you’ve been dating for a few months and when you’re in a committed relationship.
When you have just met someone
Planning the day: It’s unrealistic to expect a big, romantic celebration at this stage of the game. “If you’ve had a date or two, it’s OK for one of you to say, ‘Hey, Valentine’s Day is coming up, and even though we’ve only gone out a few times, I thought it would be fun to do something together, like catch a movie.’ If the other person wants to do that, that’s great,” says Coleman. However, if the other person hems and haws, you should back off and schedule a date for a different day. It could be something as simple as this person has already made plans, or maybe the other person isn’t ready to be with someone on Valentine’s Day, since the day comes with a lot of expectations.
Getting a gift: What if you two do get together that day — should you bring a present? “It’s fine to give something small,” Coleman says. For example, if you know your date collects things with pigs on them, giving her a pig refrigerator magnet says, “I pay attention to what you like.” Similarly, if a guy has mentioned that he loves reading Stephen King novels, picking up the latest one for him is thoughtful, not a huge profession of undying love. Just remember that you should never give a gift with the expectation of receiving one in return. Be prepared for the fact that the other person may not have thought to get you something, and make sure you can handle that before offering up your gift.
When you have been dating for a few months
Planning the day: Sometimes you spend a few months with someone and you know: “I’ve met The One.” Other times, things are going well, but you couldn’t say for sure that you would expect to spend the rest of your life with this person. Nonetheless, if you’ve been going out for a few months, it is reasonable to expect that you’re going to make plans to do something for Valentine’s Day. Coleman suggests broaching the topic lightly: “You could say something like, ‘Valentine’s Day is in two weeks… do you want to pretend it doesn’t exist or do you want to do something?’”
How the person reacts to the idea of spending Valentine’s Day together is a good litmus test for a budding relationship. It may be an important occasion for your sweetie… or perceived as a bogus, commercial holiday. Just another day on the calendar. If your opinions differ, try to compromise out of respect for each other. “If your date says, ‘For me, Valentine’s Day has always been kind of hokey, but if it matters to you, let’s do something together,’ then that’s great,” advises Coleman. However, if he or she refuses to acknowledge a preference to spend the day together or refuses to budge from the typical wine-and-roses plan to celebrate the day, then this couple has more to worry about than what to do on February 14th. Adds Coleman, “It’s all about how you negotiate this stuff where you don’t see eye to eye.”
Getting a gift: No matter how giddy your sweetie makes you feel, give something meaningful but not inappropriately extravagant. So giving the sports buff tickets for the two of you to attend a Big 10 basketball game would be wonderful; renting out a skybox at a stadium and catering it would be completely over the top. Also, giving a gift that the two of you can enjoy together — tickets to an event, a night away together — can guarantee more shared good times ahead.
When you are in an established relationship
Planning the day: A funny thing happens on the way to Valentine’s Day once you’ve been dating for a long time — people tend to take the emphasis off of it and treat it just like any other day. Coleman says that it’s important not to take a relationship for granted at this point and not making an effort to do something special is a mistake. Take the opportunity to celebrate together. It doesn’t have to be a classic candlelit dinner. Maybe it’s going shopping together at your local farmers’ market and putting together a little picnic while watching a DVD of a good movie you two missed. Anything that can make the night about enjoying each other’s company will be a valuable gesture.
Getting a gift: Probably the biggest minefield when you’ve been dating each other for awhile is whether or not to get engaged on Valentine’s Day, a popular time for popping the question. The expert advice is, don’t give in to the pressure unless you’re really feeling it. “If there is any doubt in your mind about whether or not proposing is appropriate, pick another day to ask that question,” says Coleman.
If you’re not at that stage yet, a gift that shows how well you know each other’s lives can be wonderful. It may not be the most romantic thing, but some silk long underwear for a honey who’s always cold or pre-paid golf lessons for a someone who’s always wanted to learn the game can be a terrific way to reflect how in touch you are with each other.
via Yahoo!
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