Proud Americans,

Today is the 74th anniversary of the surprise attack that occurred on Pearl Harbor back in 1941. A very tragic day, we remember it to honor the 2,403 victims who were killed that day. Carried out by Japanese bombers, the attack on Pearl Harbor was the first battle of World War II, which thrust the United States into involvement.

The main naval base that held the majority of the US warships, Pearl Harbor was targeted in order for the Japanese to attain rule over the Pacific. Since their only competition was the US Navy, it made Pearl Harbor an obvious mark.

The Japanese intended on destroying the US Navy, giving themselves the freedom they would need in becoming a superpower alongside Germany. However, though much damage was done at Pearl Harbor, the US Navy was not destroyed and no air craft carriers were there at the time of the attack.

Named The Greatest Generation, much praise has always been sung for the citizens and soldiers who lived in the time of World War II. My grandfather fought in the service as a Navigator as well as Bombardier. With his recent passing a couple months ago, my family’s hearts are still heavy with the loss.

Having lived a long, full life, Joseph Stauber was wed to the love of his life after the war, Claire Heintz. He built his own house where, together, they raised five children who all eventually went on to marry and start their own families. One of them—my mother—ended up marrying the boy next door and raising a family in that house; so it came to be that I grew up living next-door to my grandfather and we developed a close connection.

He was a great man.

As we move into the holiday season to celebrate our beliefs and traditions, let us all acknowledge our appreciation of those who protected our country in order for us to keep alive our religious and celebratory freedoms. Keep these freedoms in mind today in remembrance of Pearl Harbor and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Black Friday Fans!

In the last decade or so, Thanksgiving has taken on more traditions than our typical feasts that take all day to prep, the Macy’s Day Parade, and a football game on TV. As Black Friday continues to push stores’ opening hours earlier and earlier, the shopping experience is overlapping with Thanksgiving evening, creating what some refer to as ‘Grey Thursday’.

Lazy Thanksgiving evenings are now designated time to prepare yourself: peruse those ads and map out your route so you’ll be ready to embark on a carefully strategized night of shopping. So what are some of the traditions people have started after the leftovers get put away?

Vice President of Everything Summer Camp, Mark, and his wife, Mandy, love going out on this night to find ridiculous deals and hit up their favorite stores. To keep the tradition, they always start the night with the same store first every year.

Some folks are so into their Black Friday-ing that they skip the customary Thanksgiving meal altogether in order to dedicate all their energy to shopping instead. Many of these people will break from their epic shopping excursions at some point in the night to get a traditional bite to eat. McDonald’s is a popular stop because it’s fast and gets them right back to the shopping!

Movies are also becoming a popular attraction for Black Friday participants. It’s become a tradition for Keisha, our receptionist, and a group of her friends to partake in a break from the shopping frenzy by taking in a fun flick.

And while some people plan routes to raid all the local stores around their area, others are driving long distances to a mall that has a little more to offer than what local malls will. Famous malls that boast their size, location, and store variety, are like magnets for some folks on Black Friday!

Whatever your Black Friday traditions are feel free to share them with us right here! We hope you have a fun, safe shopping experience. And be sure to take advantage of all the awesome deals you can find on our site from now through to December 1. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Youthful Readers!

I write about a lot of different topics on this Blog, but today I’m talking about YOU! Today is Young Readers Day. The preferred method of relaxing for many people, reading is incredibly healthy and beneficial to your brain! All across the nation, grade school teachers encourage their students to read wherein they’ll find knowledge, success, and happiness.

Everyone knows that reading has its benefits. But what exactly are they? How does reading help sharpen our minds? Take a look at these four points about the health that reading provides.

Habitual reading makes you smarter.
Not only does it offer you information and knowledge, but just the act of reading gives your brain the workout it needs to improve the daily functions it carries out every day. Just the same way that lifting weights builds your muscles, reading is like pumping iron for your brain!

Reading fiction increases empathy.
When you allow yourself to get lost in a work of fiction—stories that are not based in reality—you are sharpening your ability to relate to others. In fictional stories, we read about the feelings and problems that “other people” (the characters in the story) are going through. Caring about others transforms you into a more understanding, sensible person.

Reading reduces stress.
Ever wonder why it feels so good to snuggle up with a good book? It’s relaxing, isn’t it? It certainly is. In fact, it’s so relaxing that it can actually drop your stress levels by 68% (according to a study conducted by Sussex University researchers in 2009). Need to step back after a long day? Curb your stress by picking up a book!

Reading a physical book before bed aids sleep.
E-readers and other screen devices are convenient in certain ways, but they don’t help tire your eyes the same way a physical book will. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, looking at a screen before bed actually deprives you of sleep. Habitually reading a real book before bed, however, creates a nightly routine that tells your body to get ready—it’s time to fall asleep soon.

So celebrate Young Readers Day by grabbing a good book and forming a healthy reading habit today. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Trick-or-Treaters!

It’s October 30! And you know what that means! Sometime between tonight and tomorrow night, it’s time to don your creepy, crazy costumes and weave about the neighborhoods, going door-to-door with a demanding request for sugary treats. Halloween is the one time of the year when scary things are celebrated and people WANT to be frightened.

But all in good fun! It isn’t any fun to really be scared. And even though Trick-or-Treating is all in good fun, it can actually be a dangerous activity on account of the poor visibility you might have while you’re out there. To help, I’ve jotted down a few tips to help you stay safe when heading out for Trick-or-Treat.

Trick-or-Treating popularly takes place from 5:30pm to 9:30pm. It starts when it’s getting dark and ends when it’s pitch black. That’s why my first tip is to:

Be Mindful of Costume Visibility
Black is a popular color for Halloween costumes, but it can’t be seen very well at dusk. It’s smart to use Trick-or-Treat bags with reflective tape and stickers to increase your visibility. Incorporate reflective materials or even glowing elements (with glow sticks or flashlights) into your costume if at all possible to help drivers to see you.

Also, masks can often times reduce the visibility of the people inside them. Try non-toxic face paint if you can instead; otherwise, be mindful of your restricted vision and try removing the mask before crossing streets.

Reduce Risk of Tripping
When putting together your costume, make sure it’s the right size. Make sure it doesn’t hang too low—how embarrassing (and potentially painful) for a mummy to trip on his own wraps or a princess to stumble over her own dress! Avoid nasty spills with a cautious costume.

Arrange Adult Supervision
Kids should always have adult supervision when out Trick-or-Treating unless their parents feel their kids are mature enough to go without. Many parents feel like 12 is old enough, but some kids mature faster than others. If your kid is old enough to Trick-or-Treat without you, remind them to only visit familiar, well-lit areas and that it’s safest to stay in groups.

These tips ought to keep you safe so you can have a spooky, but fun time Trick-or-Treating this year! Happy Halloween and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hello, Good Folks out there!

Kindness is a pretty big deal. Everyone appreciates it, it spreads its goodness everywhere it goes, and it benefits the doer of the kind deed as well as the deed’s recipient by delivering a well-deserved feeling of self-satisfaction. It’s no wonder that there are so many days on the calendar for the celebration of kindness.
Not only is today ‘Do Something Nice Day’, but there are four other days on the matter—three of which we’ve posted about on this Blog! January 24 is ‘Compliment Day’, a great day to spread your natural sunshine by saying something nice about someone. February 17 is ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day’ in which you do something nice for someone. There’s also ‘Make Someone’s Day Day’ on October 29 and ‘World Kindness Day’ just a couple weeks later on November 13.

For the Blog post I wrote on World Kindness Day, I put together a list of good deeds people can do for one another. For the ‘Make Someone’s Day Day’, I discussed altruism and how a selfless act can actually benefit not just the recipient, but you as well (as the doer of the good deed).

To touch on another, somewhat self-serving benefit of kindness for today’s post, treating others with kindness will typically return to you. It’s true! You can call it Karma if you like, but really it only makes sense to think that if you treat someone kindly, they’ll respond with kindness—treat everyone kindly and you’ll receive nothing but kindness back!

What goes around certainly does come around, so make today of all days, a kind day and see what you get back in return! It’s a great incentive to doing something nice! Happy ‘Do Something Nice Day’ and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John