Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leap This

29th February –
Now there’s a date
you don’t see every year!


Happy Leap Year Day  
Some fun facts:
Leap year babies born in 1884 didn’t celebrate a birthday on their actual birth date for their entire teenage years!  They had a “real” birthday when they were 12 and then again when they were 20!



 
Leap year gives women a day to propose to the man in their life.  This tradition started way back in the fifth century, in Ireland.

In 1288, Queen Margret of Scotland declared that should a lady’s proposal be declined on the 29th of February, she could fine the man a kiss, a silk dress or a pair of gloves... (Rush out, propose to several men and deck yourself out in clothes for the next four years!)


 Apparently, being born on the 29th of February means that you will have special talents and be called a “leaping”.
Happy Birthday to the 4 million odd leapings celebrating their birthday today!


 Pictures from here, here, here and here.



Tuesday, February 28, 2012

ZZZZZZZZZZZ


It’s almost mid-week... 
Almost Hump Day... 
Almost-mid-week
can be a little tiring,
 and that is why today
 is a good day. 

Today is Public Sleeping Day. 
Today is the day
to sneak a little nap
in a public space. 
In the staffroom,
doze off for a while...
in the classroom –
surely the kids won’t notice
a few snores
sneaking from me...
Just don’t start celebrating
 this day while driving
to or from work!



Pictures from here.


Monday, February 27, 2012

Polar Bears Get A Day


Over time, I have gathered
 a bunch of random
and highly interesting facts
about animals. 


The more I learn,
the more I become interested
 in the animals
we share our world with. 
In the classroom,
anything to do with animals
 will grab the kids attention –
and keep their attention! 
This makes me love animals
 that little bit more!


I have trouble naming
a favourite animal... 
It’s a big call...
But, in my top few,
sits the polar bear. 
Today is
International Polar Bear Day.
So...     facts:
They have black fur...
and hairy feet...
and an excellent sense of smell...
and paws that are 30cm wide...



Their hairs are hollow...
they have 42 teeth...
and they curl into the snow
to wait out a blizzard. 
Unlike mine, their ten centimetres
of blubber is a good thing!
Polar bears are cool – no doubt
(they live in some of the
coldest places on earth –
and yet, can overheat!). 
Sad fact –
they are very much threatened
by global warming
and climate change.
Happy Polar Bear Day
Info, picture and more info


I love today’s celebrations
for another reason....
Today is also Kahlua Day! 


Drink Up!


Sunday, February 26, 2012

Pished Nuts

Today is Pistachio Day.


I love pistachios. 
I love the green colour
the nuts sometimes have. 
I love the way you rip
the shells open with your fingers...
getting cuts and bruises
along the way. 




I love the salty flavour
of the shells – if you’re
in the mood to pop them
into your mouth
and suck out the salt.

I didn’t realise,
but 110 grams of pistachios
 will also provide me with 144%
of my daily copper requirements! 
I now know that copper
is highly essential for metabolism
and red blood cell synthesis. 
These little green shelled beauties
 are full of the goodness
 found in most nuts...
a great reason to start
adding them to my breakfast cereal!
While eating pistachios today,
 you might want to
tell a Fairy Tale, too. 
It’s Tell A Fairy Tale Day!
Once upon a time....


Saturday, February 25, 2012

Chocolate + Nuts + Chilli

Woohoo! 


The only time I let myself
 eat these before breakfast
 is Christmas morning.
I guess that needs to change,
 now that I know that
 today is also a day for
chocolate coated nuts
as breakfast! 
(I’m guessing today
would be the perfect day
to eat M&Ms, too
– the nutty ones, anyway!)
The 25th is a busy day. 
It’s also Chilli Day.


How about
putting the two together
 and eating nuts covered


Eat up!


Friday, February 24, 2012

Today's Friday

It's Sunnies for Sight Day
A wonderful day,
set aside to raise money
for people without the funds
to have thier eyes checked...
people without access
to eye specialists...
people who cannot
have surgery - which in turn
leads them to becoming blind...
and thus, living a
much more difficult life,
often sprialling into poverty
and further difficulties. 
Sunnies For Sight Day
is an Aussie idea... 
It's a good one.
But, I'm too tired
to do the day justice...
It's also Tortilla Chip day... 
But really,
I don't care enough...
So... I
 cannot get 24 days
into February - having blogged
every one of those days,
and not blog today...
So...
Today is Friday 
and that is sure reason
for celebration!

Salute!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Give A Dog A Bone

Here’s another fun one...





  International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.
(Yes, I said “International”)


Surprisingly, there is little
information about this
exciting day for dogs, so...
I’m taking a poem from the
Rolled out of bed.
Scratched my head.
Brought the mail.
Wagged my tail.
Fetched a stick.
Learned a trick.
Chased a hare.
Sat in a chair.
Chewed a shoe--
Table, too.
Got in a spat
With a cat.
Buried a bone.
Answered the phone.
Heard a thief.
Gave him grief.
Time to creep
Off to sleep.
 

If you have a dog –
you better have some
delicious dog biscuits today!
Pictures from here, here and here.

Hmm...Melted Butter & Cinnamon Sugar



While I am not too partial
to eating dog biscuits...
I do love banana bread...
grilled...
with butter...
and cinnamon sugar. 
Delicious.  
Imagine the smelI of
fresh out of the oven... 
Pity that I know
this is not the healthiest
option for breakfast...
but...
there is a day where this
no longer matters. 
Have a guess what day
it is today!  
Woohoo, it’s
get-the-butter-
and-cinnamon-sugar-out,
day...
It’s Banana Bread Day.
  I love it when the
bananas get too ripe!
Eat up!



Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Thoughts to Think

Here’s something to think about:



 
It’s a Girl Guides/Girl Scouts day. 
All over the world,
these kids are celebrating the
friendships and experiences
they enjoy
through the Guides/Scouts.

For 2012, the theme is
“We can save our planet”.

World Thinking Day
is a great day
for the girls to mix
with girls just like them –
living in countries
all over the world. 
(There are more than
ten million girls in the
Guides/Scouts in the world!) 

There is a
which the girls can earn. 
They will need to complete
seven activities from a
“Thinking Day pack”. 
They have to complete
at least one
fund-raising activity.
Imagine...
ten million girls,
all focussed on recognising goodness
 and being grateful
for what they have....
ten million girls
focussed on saving our planet.
  Imagine what these
ten million girls
could be achieving as
they grow into young adults!

Pictures from here and here.