This week we learned a lot of news about the Grateful Dead. First we learned that John Mayer might plan on continuing with Dead & Co once the original members of the Grateful Dead have retired. How do you feel about that? I have some very mixed feelings, especially once all of the original members retire.
Our next game to try out on game night is one called Stupid Deaths. The game is shaped like a coffin, which is what first drew my attention. It even features a grainy gray background like a tombstone.
If you search for cat videos this week, you might find some nefarious information. And that's just one of the many weird cat stories in the news this week! Apparently videos and photos of cute cats are being used to spread misinformation online by various groups of people, so beware if that cat flushing a toilet is captioned with some conspiracy theory.
Today I met a crafty person who wanted to pick out some craft-themed names for a project. I thought it was a really interesting question. I know a lot of parents and writers who center their names around themes, but they are usually magical, botanical or some other more common theme.
There's a new sculpture inspired by one of the wonders of the ancient world--the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The garden consists of five wooden pods, all different geometric shapes and sizes, which are all organized at different offset angles to create a tall image of vertical beauty.
Bones Coffee has a bunch of holiday deals and specials right now. I've bought samplers from the company a few times and always enjoyed both their flavors as well as their cool skeletal designs. My favorite is their Highlander Grog but I also love their Sin-O-Bun. right now they have their holiday sampler in stock, which features their delicious Oh Fuuudge, which I tried last year and loved. They also have an eggnog flavor I haven't tried, among others, and I can't wait to sample it.
Indian food is something that I can always find myself in the mood to eat, and small plates are my favorite ways to eat anything. Tiny tasty bites to share with the table? Yes, please! Kricket Club, which just opened in Seattle, has both and I'm super excited about it.
After hearing that there was a Family Guy Clue game, I went on the hunt recently to find it. Alas, I couldn't find a copy. Have you seen one or know where I could find one? Undeterred, I decided to look for other Family Guy games to give as holiday presents and found a few gems.
When people talk about pet cloning, it's often thought of as some kind of joke or futuristic sci-fi plot. But it's an actual reality, and in the United States ViaGen has offered the incredibly expensive procedure since 2015.
This week saw so much in weird animal news! Much of this is just purely interesting so share your thoughts about them in the chat.
Humans might have an ancient relative! How exciting. Some footprints were discovered in Tanzania that researchers think might have been made by an early humanoid creature with some kind of cross-stepping way of walking.
It's freaky enough watching robots take inventory in Schnucks stores lately, but the thought of humans piloting flying cars now is worthy of losing sleep. In what world can politicians keep limiting voting rights and the rights of LGBTQ people, ban abortions and other life-saving medicine and just let kids keep getting killed in classrooms, yet not regulate something as important as a car flying through the actual sky?
We've been saying that we're tired of thoughts, prayers and complete inaction for years while children continue to get murdered at the place where they should be safe--their own schools. Politicians continue to say that it's the price of our freedom while kids keep getting their parents' guns and teens like Justin Shilling, 17, Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Tate Myre, 16, are gone forever.
Vaccine boosters are now recommended by the CDC for all adults, given that a new variant has been identified.
Drink of the Month specials are totally my downfall. If I know someone is having a special, like the Grinch Shake at one of my favorite spots, or the Eggnog Latte or Chocolate Covered Orange Mocha at my favorite little coffee house, I will actively make a special trip to try them all. I'm THAT into specials! So naturally I'm on the lookout for some great specials, and I'd love to hear what you've found so far.
December means lots of fun, seasonal eats at Trader Joe's! While our nearest TJ's is over half an hour away, we love to go when we can to check out their quirky specials (not to mention fun art). Their holiday version of the Fearless Flyer is out and with it comes a bunch of yummy goodies to try!
December has some of the yummiest treats available in our area. Whether it's the menu items returning at favorite restaurants or just the pomegranates now available at Aldi, it's a very exciting time to nosh! These are just a few of my family's favorite December eats and treats...
Hot chocolate flavored everything! We have a few local eateries that make hot chocolate shakes or coffee drinks, which we LOVE. Dairy Queen also has a hot cocoa Blizzard with peppermint that might be available in more areas.
If you are familiar with the Hour of Code as a parent or teacher, you already know that it's a fun way to introduce kids to coding in general. Now Code.org has a bunch of different programs kids can use to get into coding, including one for the kids who love poetry. There are a couple of options for interested kids, too.
Scientists have discovered that there's a connection between climate change and how frogs are aging in North America and Europe. Senescence, which refers to mortality related to aging, is currently accelerating, resulting in a loss of elderly and older frogs who help keep the population stable. These are the frogs that breed, so if their populations dwindle, so, unfortunately, do the tadpoles'.
When you realize that 66% of Supreme Court justices currently in service were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, it's incredibly disheartening, to say the least. Now that those justices seem to be in agreement with dismantling Roe V. Wade when 70% of the population is in favor of keeping abortion legal to at least some extent, it's honestly terrifying. 800+ people die of pregnancy a day, not counting those who are injured, rendered ill or disabled from pregnancy, sometimes for life.
As a bookworm who lives among bookworms, you can bet I'm always after the perfect books and bookish gifts for the people I love--and for myself! Today I was looking at Owl Crate and found SO many cool gifts as well as some pretty great deals that I thought I would share. Owl Crate is a subscription service, and while I've never tried it I've heard good things.
