Month: March 2020

Conversation Questions April Fool’s Day

april-fools-day-

  • What are some tricks people play on April Fool’s Day?
  • What is the background of this day?
  • Do you have the same tradition in your country?
  • Do you play tricks on April 1st?
  • What sort of tricks do you play?
  • Have you ever tried fooling your family on April Fool’s Day?
  • Do you always look forward to April Fool’s Day?
  • Have you ever been tricked on April 1st?
  • Are you mad if someone play tricks on you?
  • Do you know anyone that got married on April Fool’s Day?
  • Did someone play a trick on you? What was it?
  • Have you ever been fooled on April Fool’s Day?
    • If yes, how did you feel then?
  • How would you feel if you were being fooled by your dearest friends

A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom.

http://iteslj.org/questions/aprilfools.html

100 Art Therapy Exercises

Art therapy can be a great way to relax. Consider these exercises if you’re looking to feel a little more laid back.

For Relaxation:

  1. Paint to music. Letting your creativity flow in response to music is a great way to let out feelings and just relax.
  2. Make a scribble drawing. With this activity, you’ll turn a simple scribble into something beautiful, using line, color and your creativity.
  3. Finger paint. Finger painting isn’t just fun for kids– adults can enjoy it as well. Get your hands messy and really have fun spreading the paint around.
  4. Make a mandala. Whether you use the traditional sand or draw one on your own, this meditative symbol can easily help you to loosen up.
  5. Draw with your eyes closed. Not being able to see what you are drawing intensifies fluidity, intuition, touch and sensitivity.
  6. Draw something HUGE. Getting your body involved and moving around can help release emotion as you’re drawing.
  7. Use color blocks. Colors often come with a lot of emotions attached. Choose several paint chips to work with and collage, paint and glue until you’ve created a colorful masterpiece.
  8. Let yourself be free. Don’t allow yourself to judge your work. If you think your paintings are too tight and controlled, this collection of tips and techniques to try should help you work in a looser style.
  9. Only use colors that calm you. Create a drawing or a painting using only colors that you find calming.
  10. Draw in sand. Like a Zen Garden, this activity will have you drawing shapes and scenes in the sand, which can be immensely relaxing and a great way to clear your mind.
  11. Make a zentangle. These fun little drawings are a great tool for letting go and helping reduce stress.
  12. Color in a design. Sometimes, the simple act of coloring can be a great way to relax. Find a coloring book or use this mandala for coloring.
  13. Draw outside. Working en plein air can be a fun way to relax and get in touch with nature while you’re working on art.

Article By Shelley Klammer

April 1, April Fools’ Day

 

Although April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery.

Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563.

People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.

These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.

Historians have also linked April Fools’ Day to festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises.

There’s also speculation that April Fools’ Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.

April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.

In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools’ Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations and Web sites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences.

In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees; numerous viewers were fooled. In 1985, Sports Illustrated tricked many of its readers when it ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour.

In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper,” scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.

 
 

Finland: The Happiest Country On Earth!

By Aaditi P, Writer  for Youngzine

 

finland-cathedral

City of Helsinki in Finland; Image Pixabay/tap5a

What better occasion to announce some happy news than these grim times that we are pushing through?

Just in time for the UN’s International Day of Happiness on March 20, the World Happiness Report announced a listing of the world’s happiest countries – with Finland emerging as the winner for the third year in a row!

The runner ups, which also happen to be European countries, are Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway.

Many Finns are confused at the idea that they could win the award for the happiest country when they are simply content with their lives. Let’s take a look at how the happiest country is determined…

How are the Rankings Determined?

Image DW/World Happiness ReportIt may seem strange to imagine happiness as something that can be measured.

When asked about how a country can be the “happiest,” John F. Helliwell, one of the editors of the report, explained that happiness does not depend on a counted number of smiles but on the trust and confidence that people have in each other.

The editors of the World Happiness Report used data from the Gallup World Poll to rank the countries. Additionally, they looked at six factors: levels of income, life expectancy, generosity, freedom, social support, and trust.

This poll that people in countries around the world answered includes a set of yes/no questions about their lifestyle and emotions. The survey also includes questions like one where the respondent was asked to rank their life as if they were on a ladder (0 on the bottom to 10 at the top) and the happiest life was at the top.

The results of the survey and an examination of the factors ranked the happiest countries in the world, along with the least happy. The countries that are at the bottom of the list in terms of happiness are Afghanistan, followed by the African countries of South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and the Central African Republic.

Finns and their Lifestyle

Cricau Festival; Image WikipediaSo what exactly in the lifestyle of Finns makes them stand out? As mentioned before, trust is a key part of a healthy and happy life. A common theme that many of the lower-ranking countries on the list shared is the people’s distrust and fear of their government.

However, according to the survey’s results, 91% of Finns are satisfied and trust their president, while 86% trust their police.

Not only does Finland have a smooth, trustworthy democracy, but also a progressive education system and almost perfect gender equality. One of the biggest factors of the Finns’ content lifestyles, however, is due to their universal healthcare system.

All in all, it is the community and trust that boosts Finland to the top of the happiest countries list. So, although it may be a time of stress and fear, experts say that this is also a time to increase our overall happiness if people come together to support each other.

https://youngzine.org/news/societyarts/finland-happiest-country-earth

Some Good News for a Change

There’s still a lot of good in the world — and a lot of reasons to be hopeful. (Even when it doesn’t always feel that way.) Here is some good news for you.

Earth’s ozone layer is healing.

Because of pollution, the Earth’s ozone layer has seriously suffered. And of course, that’s no good for anybody, since the fragile gas layer protects our planet and shields us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. That’s why it’s such a relief that climate change experts believe that the ozone layer will fully heal within 50 years, according to a 2018 report from the United Nations.

The man who invented the polio vaccine could have made billions by patenting it, but purposefully didn’t.

When Jonas Salk created the polio vaccine, he could have patented it and made an estimated $7 billion, according to Forbes. Instead, he chose not to do that. On April 12, 1955, when CBS’s Edward R. Morrow asked the scientist who owned the rights to the vaccine, Salk replied, “Well, the people, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?”

A village in India plants trees every time a baby girl is born.

When the leader of Piplantri, a small village in Rajasthan, India, lost his 16-year-old daughter in 2006, he decided to turn his grief into something beautiful. In order to ensure that the village treasured each baby girl , he set up an initiative that sees trees planted every time a girl is born in the village, according to The Guardian. As of 2018, 350,000 trees had been planted.

More millennials give to charity than any other generation.

Turns out, more millennials donate to charity than any other generation, according to 2018 research by fundraising firm Blackbaud. The researchers found that while 84 percent of millennials donate to charitable organizations, just 72 percent of baby boomers and 59 percent of Generation X do the same. It just goes to show that we’re moving toward a kinder, more charitable world.

And people who volunteer live longer.

Volunteering your time or money won’t only help others, it could also help you. One 2011 study from the University of Michigan found that people who volunteer for selfless reasons live longer than those who don’t volunteer at all. Those who volunteer for more self-centered reasons, such as looking good in their community, don’t experience the same benefits.

Eating certain types of chocolate is good for both your physical and mental health.

There’s nothing wrong with eating chocolate simply to enjoy its delicious taste. But if you need an excuse to indulge, you’ll be thrilled to find out that chocolate can be good for both your mind and body.

According to a 2019 review of research by University Health News, “eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate benefits health in many ways. In fact, chocolate is now considered an anti-aging, anti-inflammatory ‘superfood’ for the brain and body.”

Article by Best Life

 

14 Germy Things at Home You’re Definitely Forgetting to Clean

 

In an effort to keep your family healthy overall, it’s smart to ramp up your cleaning routine now, especially when family members are spending more time at home. Here are some tips and common household items that the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab recommends you include in your cleaning routine.

 

Remote controls

Considered one of the dirtiest items in a hotel room, household remotes get passed from person to person and rarely get cleaned, if at all.

Purses

You carry your purse with you everywhere, so chances are it’s pretty gross. If you have a habit of placing your purse on the floor in a restaurant or even worse, in the ladies’ room, never rest it on your kitchen table or countertop.

Light switches

You touch them multiple times a day, so don’t forget to clean these high-traffic spaces often.

Credit cards

These everyday essentials get handled by lots of people and germs can lurk in the crevices around the numbers. Give debit and credit cards a quick cleaning.

Article by Lynn Redmile, Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping Institute

 

Here Are the Things I’ve Stopped Wearing, and What I Wear Instead

When it comes to fashion trends, I probably get more questions about what is OUT than about what is IN, so today I’m updating a popular post about some of the fashion trends that are looking tired to me at the moment and I’m wearing instead.

OUT: Jersey Knit Maxi Skirts

Wear Instead: Denim Midi Skirt

A more modern look would be a denim midi skirt, similar to the one shown above, or even a denim maxi skirt, if you like the longer lengths. The long satin midi skirts cut on a bias are also having a moment right now, and would be a more current look.

OUT: Infinity Scarves

Wear Instead: Traditional Oblong Scarves

A more classic choice and one that never goes out of style is a traditional oblong scarf worn as a winter outerwear accessory.

These are typically made of wool or cashmere, but you can find cotton and acrylic versions if you’re allergic to wool. I mainly wear these as a cold weather accessory. It’s not something I’ll wear after going inside.

Fashion scarves that you wear as part of your outfit aren’t trending, but they’re a classic wardrobe accessory that can be worn in a modern way if they suit your style.

OUT: Cold Shoulder Tops

Wear Instead: Strategically Placed Cut-Outs

OUT: Long Tassel Pendant Necklaces

Wear Instead: Shorter, Layer Necklaces

Source: jolynneshane.com

Wild West Towns Near Phoenix

Giddy up and prepare yourself for a blast into the past.

Article by Briana Renee Dahlberg

There’s something about old-timey saloons, cowboy boots, and boater hats that we love. If you want to take a blast into Wild West towns in Arizona, then you’ll want to visit the cities outlined below. Many of these spots will make you feel like Arthur Morgan, you know, from the video game Red Dead Redemption 2.

Many of these spots are only a day trip away from Phoenix, making them great places to visit on a weekend. From wild burros roaming the streets to historic mining towns and spooky places, these cities exude a rustic, wild west charm.

Are you ready to saddle up and have the ultimate western adventure of a lifetime?

Oatman

Location: Oatman, AZ

Why you need to go: This old west town is overrun with burros that love the attention.

Bisbee

Location: Bisbee, AZ

Why you need to go: You can visit this charming town with a thriving art scene. Plus, there’s an all pink bakery with delicious pastries.

Tombstone

Location: Tombstone, AZ

Why you need to go: You can go on a mine tour, visit the historic museum or take a tour of the most haunted spots in the city.

Jerome

Location: Jerome, AZ

Why you need to go: This old west mining town has a variety of areas to explore, plus, it’s a day trip away from Phoenix.

Prescott

Location: Prescott, AZ

Why you need to go: Stop by Whiskey Row and indulge in all the various pubs, restaurants, and art galleries.

Wickenburg

Location: Wickenburg, AZ

Why you need to go: Stop by for a mine tour or visit the various local dude ranches.

 

Goldfield Ghost Town

Location: 4650 N. Mammoth Mine Rd., Apache Junction, AZ

Why you need to go: Pan for gold, pop by the mine and explore the local shops and historic buildings.

 

So get out and see a little bit of America !

https://www.narcity.com/travel/us/az/7-wild-west-towns-in-arizona-you-need-to-road-trip-to

18 Best Flowering Ground Cover Plants

Check out these 18 Flowering Ground Cover Plants, you’ll find some best low growing plants on this list, they’re not only easy to grow but looks beautiful too.

1. Bigroot Geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum)

Geranium macrorrhizum Bevan's Variety

Moss Rose (Portulaca)

Portulaca grandiflora 1

Helianthemum

Helianthemum Henfield Brilliant

There’s 15 more to view including descriptions at the link below.

https://balconygardenweb.com/best-flowering-ground-cover-plants/