Hey, Tea Drinkers!

Of course, there’s nothing like a hot cup of tea on a rainy day or the dead of a chilling winter, but what do you do for all those summer scorchers? You might want to try a cooler beverage. Chill your hot drink and throw some ice in there to keep your drink refreshingly COLD! If it’s a hot day in your neighborhood, then today’s perfect to celebrate Iced Tea Day.

One amazing wonder about tea is that it’s such a versatile drink. You can prepare it so many different ways. Hot or cold—the temperature of this beverage is just the tip of the versatiliTEA iceberg. In honor of Iced Tea Day today, I’ll just talk about all the different ways to make ICED Tea.

Served with or without ice, there are many different styles to iced tea:

1.) Some iced tea is sweetened. Lipton offers their iced tea powder—just add water and stir; and you can find Iced Tea in a can from brands like Peace Tea. These popular, packaged cold drinks are typically sweetened with syrup flavors like raspberry, lemon, strawberry, etc., and are usually available in unsweetened versions as well.

2.) Some tea is made infused with loose tea leaves while most chilled, herbal tea makes for good iced tea. This type of iced tea is made by steeping your tea in boiling water for somewhere around five minutes (depending on the type of tea you’re using and how hot your water is) and then chilling it.

3.) Another way to prepare iced tea is called ‘Sun Tea’. While the result is essentially the same as #2, it prolongs the steeping process as water at a cooler temperature shows some resistance to infusion of tea leaves or bags. Leaving a pitcher out for an hour in the sun gives the tea enough time to permeate the pitcher. Fill a glass full of ice and pour the contents of your pitcher for yourself. This takes the longest, but it’s pretty simple. It’s my preferred method.

Always a great way to cool off on a hot day, enjoy Iced Tea Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Explorers!

If you’re an intrepid explorer, than you probably already know that one of the best places to do your exploring is in a museum! There are all different kinds of museums and they’re all rich with the discovery and exploration of modern, historic—and sometimes PREhistoric—times! From science, art, history, natural history, and other categories, roughly 17,000 museums can be found in the U.S.Lots of small towns have their own, small history museum. And, though widely considered the least popular type of museum to visit, you’d be surprised what you can find out about the history of your own town. Some towns are able to boast battlefields and other, interesting claims to history. Today’s a good day to visit your town’s museum if you have one—it’s National Museum Day!

Easily winning the numbers, small town museums ARE considered less of an occasion than any others. For a step up I would recommend planning a visit to your closest science or art museum. These places will hit the spot when hungry for an afternoon of educational and grabbing entertainment.

In my opinion, however, the natural history museums are best. Born and raised in Milwaukee, I was spoiled with frequent trips to the Milwaukee Public Museum throughout my childhood. I love that place! For a thorough and accurate look into the prehistoric past, ancient times, and modern history, this is a great place to visit.

As opposed to the 60 minute/afternoon-long trip you’ll likely find at most science, art, or small town museums, you could spend the better part of a day browsing the three floors of the Milwaukee Public Museum’s countless exhibits, dioramas, and information signs.

Plan a trip to your closest or favorite museum soon if you can’t make it today! It’s a day sure to be brimming with fun! As always, thanks for reading.

- John

A Long Time Ago, in a Blog post Far, Far Away

Today is National Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you. Today is a good day to celebrate these movies that started a revolution in the movie-making industry. Celebrate with this Blog post and watch these fantastic films today. More than just movies to many, many people, Star Wars lives!For as long as I can remember, I’ve been watching Star Wars. If you DON’T know it, it’s the story of Luke Skywalker, a key member of the Rebel Alliance who helps in the stand against the evil, oppressive Empire a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

That’s how the original trilogy goes, anyway. With older brothers and my dad—an avid science fiction fan—who cherished these movies, it was pre-decided for me that I would love these movies as much as they did. And I do. It was my DEStiny! Anyway, I found it amazing that three movies that started in 1977 were still able to generate so much excitement in my youth.

When the films were rereleased as the Special Edition, the Star Wars world was all abuzz. Not so much longer after that, the prequels came out which generated an incredible amount of enthusiasm and anticipation. And we live in exciting times right NOW as a new trilogy is being filmed.

That’s right, if you haven’t heard the news yet—here it is!—Star Wars is coming back and the first movie of the new trilogy is being released on December 18 of 2015! And, despite a largely disappointed crowd of Star Wars fans after the release of the prequel movies, these new films are getting Star Wars fans excited again.

Bringing back a surprisingly great number of the original Star Wars cast including Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), and many more, these movies are set to take place some time after ‘The Return of the Jedi’ (the last film in the original trilogy).

Get excited and click the link to watch the really cool Star Wars trailer below (if you haven’t already seen it). Happy Star Wars Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs

Hey there, Girl Scouts!

You know what makes Scouts so much fun? Your Girl Scout Leaders! Ever committed to leading by example, Girl Scout leaders work wonders in youth development by teaching young girls the qualities of honesty, fairness, courage, strength, resourcefulness, respecting each other, and making the world a better place. It only makes sense to have a day dedicated to our Girl Scout Leaders. Today is Girl Scout Leader Day.

This organization that started with just 18 Scouts and Juliette Gordon Low (or ‘Daisy’ as all the Scouts called her) took off just three years after the their original outing in 1912. Once an official organization, girls all over the nation started attending Scouts.

Nowadays, the Girl Scouts Organization spans 100 local councils across the country, headed by the Chief Executive Officer, the National Board of Directors, Headquarters Staff, Professional Staffers, and Volunteers. Thanks to these women involved in the world of Scouts, young girls get the chance to learn valuable lessons and healthy lifestyles.

Providing girls with an experience that gets them out of their routine, domestic lifestyle is what Girl Scouts are all about.  Knowing how restorative and refreshing the great outdoors are for the mind, body, and soul, Daisy had no idea that her intuitive desires would blossom into a nationwide movement. Her dream has stayed alive for all these years.

Daisy got these girls to embrace their community by giving back to it. They went hiking and camping. They played basketball, learned to tell time by looking at the sky, and studied first aid. Girl Scout Leaders are still showing young Scouts these useful skills.

Since today is Girl Scout Leader Day, celebrate by writing to your old leaders that made a difference in your life and let them know what a great job they did and where you are now! As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Brothers and Sisters!

Today is National Siblings Day. Like it or not, your siblings are some of the closest people to you. They’re right there with you as you BOTH grow up. There are often times lots of laughs, lots of fights, lots of tattling, and lots of secrets shared. May as well make the best of it. 

Just as we have Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, today we have Siblings Day and spending the day with your sibling/s is a great way to celebrate it. What’s the point in National Siblings Day? I mean, our siblings don’t necessarily take care of us (some might, but in that scenario, only one of the siblings is doing the care-giving). AND not everyone even HAS a sibling!

So why have a day dedicated entirely to them? Well, because, unlike your friends, you can’t pick your siblings—not that there isn’t a World Friendship Day. But you’re stuck with the family to which you’re born and nothing can ever really change that. Even if you secede from your family, your siblings will still have been your siblings. You just won’t be joining them for family get-togethers anymore.

Almost all siblings are going to fight once in a while, unless you’re extremely like-minded twins who are always on the same page or something like that. I’m very close to all four of my siblings and, despite that, I can say, with absolute confidence, that at some point or another I’ve fought with them all.

But just because you might fight with your younger or older brother or sister, doesn’t mean that you don’t share a deep connection with each other. Celebrate National Siblings Day today by spending some quality time with your brothers or sisters. Go for a walk. Ride your bikes. Play a game. Watch a movie. Whatever you do, you’ll be happy to be doing it together.

Happy National Siblings Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John