Tag Archives: creativity

National Ugly Sweater Day

19 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by in Holidays, News, Special Events

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dachshund dog wearing a red sweater

Photo by Dominika Roseclay on Pexels.com

When you think about the holiday season, what comes to your mind? You might imagine twinkling lights, blankets of snow, lush evergreen trees, stacks of beautifully wrapped presents… or maybe obnoxious, ugly sweaters!

We can’t be the only ones who have noticed this unofficial holiday become part of the season. Friday, December 20, is National Ugly Sweater Day, but before you pull out that hideous sweater from the back of the closet, let’s find out where this obscure celebration got its start.

The original “ugly sweater” first made its appearance in the 1950s but was more fondly known as a “jingle bell sweater.” They were quite different from the sweaters we see nowadays; these pieces featured tasteful winter themes such as reindeer, snowflakes and other simple motifs. These sweaters were never intended to be ugly; rather they were creative and joyful. They remained modestly popular for the next three decades.

In the 1980s, Americans started seeing bold sweaters with outrageous patterns on TV. You may remember seeing examples of these sweaters on “The Cosby Show” and “Christmas Vacation.” This trend slowed down, but never completely disappeared. Many believe the sweaters’ turning point came when Colin Firth donned a tacky Rudolph sweater to a Christmas Party in his role as Mark Darcy in “Bridget Jones’ Diary” in 2001.

Then, one fateful night in Vancouver, Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch created the first Christmas Sweater Party. The idea caught on and spread across Canada, into the United States and eventually, around the world. Celebrities and politicians were being photographed out on the streets in their favorite Christmas sweaters. By 2010, designers started creating collections based on the ugly ones.

Today, it seems like everyone is hosting ugly sweater parties, which has encouraged retailers to sell sweaters of their own. Of course, with the increase in options comes an increase in competition at these parties. To win the title of the ugliest sweater, you need to get creative.

Will you be participating in Ugly Sweater Day tomorrow? If so, let us know where you found your creation in the comments below.

Whether you love or hate ugly Christmas sweaters, there’s no denying that they have made their mark on the holiday season. And it has certainly become another way to celebrate during the most wonderful time of the year.

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!

The History of Gingerbread Houses

12 Thursday Dec 2019

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cream with jelly on top

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This time of year, you may have noticed that it is much harder to resist the temptation of sweets. It seems like everywhere you go, you’ll find candy canes, sugar cookies, peppermint bark and, of course, gingerbread houses.

But, as we continue to make our way through the season, we are left wondering where these types of desserts came from, but we’re determined to find out. Today, December 12, is National Gingerbread House Day, and we’re putting on our detective hats to determine the origin behind this magical craft.

If you think back, can you remember the first time you heard about a gingerbread house? If you’re like many of us, it was when you were listening to the fairytales of Brothers Grimm. Perhaps you remember the one. The story of Hansel and Gretel, two young children got lost in the woods before stumbling across a gingerbread house, which is home to an old witch who tries to eat them? That one couldn’t possibly be the story associated with a Christmas tradition.

Although the story may not sound especially Christmas-like, it is the story that inspired a culture of people to start building these houses. German bakers took the description from the story and began crafting their own versions. Since gingersnap cookies were already commonplace during Christmas, the activity became part of families’ annual traditions.

As German families immigrated to the United States, their gingerbread house baking traditions followed closely behind. Nowadays, building gingerbread houses is not only a fun way to pass an afternoon but can also act as a powerful creative outlet.

Are gingerbread houses a part of your families’ holiday traditions? If so, do you build them from scratch or start with a kit? Let us know in the comments below.

If this activity has not been part of your usual preparations, remember that it’s never too late to start a new tradition. Celebrate this unofficial holiday and release your inner architect. Happy Gingerbread House Day from Lions Pride!

National Pumpkin Day and the Story of the Jack O’ Lantern

24 Thursday Oct 2019

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smiling jack o lantern

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If we were to ask you what object best symbolizes the month of October, how would you respond? If you’re like many of us, you would probably say the pumpkin. During this month, the famous orange gourd has shown up on doorsteps, featured in coffee drinks and has become the scent of choice for houses across the country.

To celebrate America’s favorite squash, National Pumpkin Day was born. The unofficial holiday is commemorated on Saturday, October 26. To honor the celebration, we thought we’d have some fun with the story of the Jack O’ Lantern.

Legend says, the Jack O’ Lantern came from an old man named “Stingy Jack” who liked to play tricks on people. One day, Stingy Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him. Old Jack decided that he didn’t want to pay for the drinks, so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin. Instead of paying for the drinks, Jack decided to keep the coin and placed it in his pocket next to a silver coin; therefore, trapping the devil. He eventually agreed to release the devil but made him promise not to bother him for another year. If he died, the devil could not claim his soul.

One year passed, and again Jack tricked the devil into climbing an apple tree. Once he was up the tree, he made the sign of the cross in the bark, again trapping the devil. He let him down but made him promise not to bother him for another decade.

Soon after, Stingy Jack died and made his way up to Heaven. Saint Peter told him that he was not allowed in, so he tried to get into hell. The devil also denied his entrance because of his promise not to claim his soul. He sent Jack off into the night with only a piece of coal lighting the way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been forced to roam the earth ever since.

In an attempt to ward off Stingy Jack and other wandering spirits, people In Ireland and Scotland began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips and potatoes. As immigrants came to America, they brought their tradition with them but found pumpkins to be perfect for Jack O’ Lanterns.

If you still haven’t carved your annual pumpkin, there’s no better day to get creative than this Saturday. We invite you to show off your Lions Pride spirit with this fun pattern from Pumpkin Stencils:

Lion Pumpkin Pattern

Be sure to keep away Stingy Jack by carving your Halloween Jack O’ Lantern. Happy decorating!

Go Green This Halloween Season

26 Thursday Oct 2017

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Typically, orange and black are the first colors that come to mind when you think about Carving Pumpkinthe spookiest day of the year. This Halloween; however, we’d like to throw in another word – green. As you likely already aware, in the upcoming months, we are going to see a massive increase in the amount of waste found in the United States. Let’s help minimize the harm on our planet (and keep more money in our pockets) by coming up with new ways to stay eco-friendly this Halloween.

  • Make your own decorations

Did you know that Halloween is the second biggest decorating holiday of the year? Consider reusing your old decorations or get crafty by making your own with recycled household items. Check out these 19 DIY ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

  • Use eco-friendly lights

Light up the path to your front door by using LED lights or solar-powered lamps for your trick-or-treaters. Rather than selecting Halloween lights that will only be used one time each year, you may want to consider investing in something more versatile. Studies have shown that solar garden lights, which could save you in the long-term, with a return on investment of 47 percent over the course of ten years. Wow!

  • Reuse your pumpkin

According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Americans have created a demand for over 1 billion pounds of pumpkins each year. These pumpkins will likely get carved or used for traditional fall décor, and the get tossed. This year, don’t throw out ole Jack! After showing off your carved masterpiece, repurpose your pumpkin by using it in a new recipe. While carving pumpkins may not be as flavorful as sugar or pie pumpkins, they will still work for several recipes including vegetable stock, pumpkin puree and pumpkin lasagna. If you’d prefer not to eat your Jack o’ Lantern, there are always many other fun ways to enjoy your pumpkin.

  • Host a Costume Swap

While it may be a little too late to implement this idea, it may be one to consider in 2018. The National Retail Federation has found that the average American spends $74 each Halloween, nearly 36 percent of that total cost is spent on a costume. Rather than going out and buying a new costume each year, parents may find relief with a Halloween costume swap. The swap could be as simple as getting a few neighbors together or as large as a city-wide event – the opportunities are endless.

There’s no reason why you can’t have fun and be eco-friendly this Halloween. These are only a handful of ways to take control of your carbon footprint. How will you plan to protect Mother Nature? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy (Green) Halloween from Lions Pride!

3 Ways to Express Your Gratitude This Mother’s Day

11 Thursday May 2017

Posted by in Holidays, Lions Camp, Special Events, Uncategorized

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We hope that we’re not the first ones to Happy Mothers Daytell you that Mother’s Day is only 48 hours away. While this may seem to be another obvious greeting card holiday, don’t fall for the deception! Mother’s Day is a holiday that honors motherhood and takes many forms all over the globe. In America form of Mother’s Day was created in 1908 by Anna Jarvis, and became an official US holiday in 1914. (She later tried to denounce the commercialization of the holiday and spent much of her lifetime trying to remove the holiday from the calendar, but that’s a story for another day!)

There’s no question in our minds that parenthood, and motherhood, in particular, is one of the most challenging jobs that comes with its own share of sacrifices. Mother’s Day is a wonderful holiday that gives us all an opportunity to show the moms in our lives how much they mean to us.

Often, this gratitude comes in the form of gifts, but gifts don’t necessarily need to include the typical card and flowers. This Mother’s Day, think about giving a more creative present to the moms in your life with a few ideas:

  • Giving your time: Rather than giving a physical present, say, “I love you” with the gift of your time. In this day and age, it’s easy for time to get away with us. Spend Sunday doing the activity of her choice like going to church, seeing a movie or just spending the afternoon catching up. We are confident that mothers will agree that there’s nothing better than spending precious time together.
  • Taking on her usual duties: In life, we all have responsibilities that we don’t much care for. Whether it’s scrubbing toilets, washing dishes or eliminating loads of laundry, take one or all of those duties to give her a chance to put her feet up and relax. After all, how often does that actually happen at home?
  • Giving a gift that keeps on giving: It’s very likely that Mom has a special cause that she cares about. Help that organization carry on in their mission by giving a gift in her honor. If your mom is a Lions Pride supporter, consider giving an honorarium donation to help us continue preserving, providing and protecting for the Wisconsin Lions Camp and all WLF statewide projects. Click her for a memorial/honorarium form.

Remember that the best gifts in life don’t always come packed with ribbons and bows. This Mother’s Day, say “thank you” to the most important moms in your life with a present that she won’t soon forget. How do you plan to express your gratitude?

From all of us at Lions Pride, Happy Mother’s Day!

Worldwide Week of Service to Fight Hunger

12 Thursday Jan 2017

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Did you know that each night nearly 800 million people lions-100th-anniversarygo to bed hungry? This month, Lions are on a mission to decrease that statistic. This January, Lions and Lionesses all over the globe are working together to eliminate hunger in their communities, and you can help, too!

This particular week is officially the Worldwide Week of Service Against Hunger. While it may be too late to complete a project, it’s never too late to start planning a new one.

In Wisconsin alone, approximately 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger. Fortunately, there are resources available to help including local food banks, reduced school lunch programs and various special events. If you and your club are looking for a new project to complete in the near future, consider taking part in the fight against hunger.

To get started:

  1. Decide upon and plan your projectHost a service project that impacts hunger in your community. Help stock food at your local pantry, bag school lunches or come up with an idea of your own. Invite other members of your community or another local service club to join in.
  2. Promote your projectPublicize your project with the help of social media, signs and banners, press releases and more. A successful project involves lots of promotion – don’t be afraid to get creative!
  3. Report your projectAfter your project is complete, be sure to submit your MyLCI Service Activity Report. All service projects are still being put towards the Centennial Service Challenge.

Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion! Let’s work together to end hunger in our communities. From all of us at Lions Pride, thank you for your ongoing service.

Creative Ways to Save on Holiday Gift Wrap

08 Thursday Dec 2016

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Did you know that from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, US household waste increases by more than 25 percent? An additional one million tons of garbage is added to our landfills each week from increased food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons.

While there are plenty of reasons to be thankful for this time of years, that’s not to say that life is perfect. This holiday season, we thought we’d incorporate a major lesson taught out at Lions Camp each summer and practice environmental awareness with a few fun ways to save on gift wrap:

newspaper-wrapping
Newspaper – Finished catching up on today’s current events? Start saving your newspapers and take your recycling to a whole new level. The best part about this material is that no special skills are required to wrap your gifts. You’ll follow the same techniques that you use with regular wrapping paper but will likely spend a little less time with your scissors.

 

potato-chip-wrapping
Potato Chip Bags – Leave it to Martha Stewart to find a way to reuse potato chip bags! Simple wash and air dry the empty bag and cut along the seam to reveal beautiful, metallic colors. Wrap your presents and dress them up with ribbons and homemade cards.

 

 

map-wrapping
Maps – Thanks to the technology found in our smartphones and GPSs, those once ever-so-important paper maps, are no longer necessary to get from Point A to Point B. Give your old map a new life as gift wrap and add a worldly touch to the holidays.

 

leftover-fabric-wrapping
Leftover Fabric – Attention crafters! You finally have a use for those saved scraps of fabric by replacing it with gift wrap. Depending on the size and shape of the gift, you may be able to use some creative folding techniques to complete the wrapping job, or you may need to find a pretty bow to add the finishing touch.

 

 

Used Gift Bags – If you’re ahead of the game and already have your presents wrapped, it’s never too early to start thinking about the year ahead. Begin collecting bows, ribbons, gift bags and wrapping paper to reuse for the next year’s holiday season.

 

These are only a handful of ways that you can do your part to reduce household waste. How do you plan to wrap all of gifts this holiday season? There’s never been a better time to get creative and save; you’ll never know what you might come up with.

Happy Wrapping from Lions Pride!