November 30, 2024

Thanks to Internet, shoppers can to take advantage of Black Friday deals without leaving their homes. Adobe reports that Americans spent $1.33 billion online during Thanksgiving last year, along with $2.4 billion on Black Friday. Online shopping increased approximately 25 percent during both of those days compared with 2013, according to the study.

- usnews.com (November 23, 2015)

November 29, 2024

The wreath, has a long history. Coming from the Old English word “writhian,” which means “twist,” wreaths are usually made by twisting greenery together and adorning with flowers, berries, and other decorative materials. Often created from the trimmings of Christmas trees as they’re given their signature triangular shape, wreaths are a great way to prevent waste and celebrate winter festivities.

- agricultureforlife.ca (December 7, 2018)

November 28, 2024

Safe Thanksgiving Foods to Feed Dogs Sweet Potatoes Potatoes (Save the mashed potatoes whipped with butter and cream for your own plate) Turkey Meat (Without Bones or Skin) Green Beans Peas Pumpkin (just pure pumpkin puree and not the pre-spiced or sugary pie mix)

- akc.org (October 23, 2024)

November 27, 2024

Nutcrackers have been made in the Ore Mountains since the 18th century. Their bitingly grim portrayal is intended to reflect the authorities. Because that's how the nobility had to work for the common people - cracking nuts. Over the course of time, the Ore Mountain nutcracker developed more and more into a purely decorative figure, although its functionality is still there. In addition to kings, hussars and soldiers, there is nowadays a wide range of enchanting motifs.

- ulbricht.com

November 26, 2024

Watchmakers make and repair watches, clocks and other timepieces. People who make watches and clocks are also called horologists. They work on all types and sizes of watch and clock, from tiny wristwatches to large clocks (including public clocks). Some horologists can also be involved in making scientific timepieces, such as atomic clocks and those controlled by radio signals.

- craftscouncil.org.uk

November 25, 2024

Box Office: ‘Wicked’ Opens to Record-Setting $114 Million, ‘Gladiator II’ Starts Strong With $55.5 Million

- variety.com (November 24, 2024)

November 24, 2024

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) plants are only mildly toxic to cats and dogs. The milky white sap found in poinsettias contains chemicals called diterpenoid euphorbol esters and saponin-like detergents. While poinsettias are commonly “hyped” as poisonous plants, they rarely are, and the poisoning is greatly exaggerated.

- petpoisonhelpline.com

November 23, 2024

IKEA prides itself on being affordable, not cheap. To ensure this is always the case the design team work backwards from a price tag – determining a price to meet, designing and sourcing materials to make that price possible.

- idealhome.co.uk (May 3, 2022)

November 22, 2024

1976: VHS
In the early days of television, JCR came up with a cheaper alternative for recording shows. Their design was a tape that could be played on any television. The patent and reasonable manufacturing costs allowed VHS to become the most popular videotape format ever created.

1996: DVD-Video
This new disc allowed for a much better experience when watching films at home, as the image and sound quality was significantly improved. DVD quickly became the preferred format for home viewing.

2006: Blu-Ray DVD
As digital streaming services become increasingly popular, HD films are being released on disc less and less. In the past, people would wait for their favorite movies to come out on DVD or Blu-Ray, but now they can just watch them online. This shift has changed the way people consume media.

2016: Ultra 4K-HD Blu-Ray
There is no denying that streaming has become the most popular way to watch films. However, collectors still have a reason to buy Blu-Ray discs - the Ultra 4K HD disc. This top-of-the-line disc offers unbeatable picture quality, making it a must-have for any serious movie fan.

- yourvideo2dvd.co.uk (May 13, 2022)

November 21, 2024

Red-tailed Hawks have sharp eyesight that’s eight times better than a human’s. In flight, they can spy a mouse on the ground from 100 feet in the air. To keep their eyes clean, birds have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane. Red-tailed Hawks can close this extra eyelid when perched to shield their eyes from wind, or for protection when diving to make a kill.

- audubon.org (December 3, 2021)

November 20, 2024

Rice in its natural form is "brown," meaning it has three parts: a fibrous outer layer known as the germ; a middle layer called the bran; and a starchy center called the endosperm. The germ and bran of the rice help it to be nutritionally dense, including high in fiber. Rice that has had the germ and bran stripped is known as white rice. White rice is more shelf-stable, but doesn't offer the same nutritional benefits of brown rice. White rice offers some benefits. The carbohydrates in white rice provide energy to get through the day. Plus, white rice often is enriched, meaning some nutrients have been added back in.

- thedrummer.com (September 19, 2024)

November 19, 2024

Christmas is a major expenditure for many Americans. According to the latest data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans spend an average of $997.73 each Christmas. That’s approximately the same as the median pre-tax weekly salary of $1,001. Put another way, the average American spends about a week’s salary on Christmas gifts annually.

- explodingtopics.com (November 21, 2024)

November 18, 2024

Mall Santas have been around for over a century, with the first one appearing in the 1800s. There is a slight debate about who the first mall Santa was, but there is no argument about the monumental figures who paved the way for many Santas to come. 1861: Santa makes his debut visiting children in department stores at Macy’s on 34th Street in New York. This continued for 159 years straight, all the way until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which affected the 2020 and 2021 holiday seasons for Santas in Macy’s.

- brookhavencourier.com (December 5, 2023)

November 17, 2024

The average U.S. household now has more than 17 connected devices – and that number continues to grow. To put everything in perspective, 500 billion devices are expected to be connected to the internet by 2030. Your digital conveniences – fitness and health data, home entertainment systems, energy usage, voice recordings and sites you access – all can be used to build a profile of you and your family that criminals can leverage to commit financial fraud, privacy invasions and even home break-ins, both physical and cyber.

- jpmorgan.com (November 15, 2024)

November 16, 2024

Over thirty years ago, Department 56 began as part of Bachman's, a premiere retail florist in Minneapolis. Bachman's used a numbering system to identify each of its departments. The number assigned to wholesale gift imports division was, you guessed it, 56. Now headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Department 56 has become a leader in the giftware, collectibles and holiday decorating industry and is best known for our hand-crafted lighted villages, Snowbabies figurines and extensive lines of holiday and home decorative products.

- department56.com

November 15, 2024

We provide visuals in our our assembly instructions to better illustrate how to assemble IKEA merchandise. IKEA products are sold worldwide. Using photo diagrams ensures our assembly instructions are accessible to all and as easy as possible to understand.

- ikea.com

November 14, 2024

Just how it made the jump from sacred herb to holiday decoration remains up for debate, but the kissing tradition appears to have first caught on among servants in England before spreading to the middle classes. As part of the early custom, men were allowed to steal a kiss from any woman caught standing under the mistletoe, and refusing was viewed as bad luck. Yet another tradition instructed the merrymakers to pluck a single berry from the mistletoe with each kiss, and to stop smooching once they were all gone.

- history.com (December 24, 2013)

November 13, 2024

Core vaccines are considered vital to all pets based on risk of exposure, severity of disease or transmissibility to humans. For Dogs: Vaccines for canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis and rabies are considered core vaccines. Non-core vaccines are given depending on the dog’s exposure risk. These include vaccines against Bordetella bronchiseptica, Borrelia burgdorferi and Leptospira bacteria.

- aspca.org

November 12, 2024

As you watch a setting sun, you see the sky go darker. Some people call that period ""dusk,"" while others may call it ""twilight."" But these words aren't arbitrary in the astronomical world. They have specific meanings. Civil twilight occurs when the sun is between 0 degrees and 6 degrees below the horizon. Nautical twilight occurs when the sun is between 6 degrees and 12 degrees below the horizon. Astronomical twilight occurs when the sun is between 12 degrees and 18 degrees below the horizon. Night is classified when the sun is 18 degrees or farther below the horizon.

- howstuffworks.com (February 27, 2024)

November 11, 2024

Henry Ford was among the first to introduce the eight-hour workday back in 1914. It proved to be a success for the Ford Motor Company in terms of increased productivity and profitability, so other companies quickly followed suit.

- Jamie Johnson, buisness.com (June 5, 2024)

November 10, 2024

According to Houzz, after August 2023, a vast majority of homeowners (91%) enlisted professional assistance for their renovations, and 88% of those planning projects for 2024 intend to follow suit. General contractors, electricians are particularly full-service design-build firms are in high demand, emphasizing the essential role of professional expertise in home renovations.

- gallerykbny.com (March 13, 2024)

November 09, 2024

Perhaps the most significant influencer of gumball machines was the Ford Gum and Machine Company. They invented a carousel gumball machine, which featured a round shape, and a twist mechanism to release the gum. While gumball machines have been modernised, many still retain the classic carousel design!

- appletonsweets.co.uk (March 21, 2022)

November 08, 2024

Internet and smartphones enable users to be permanently online and permanently connected (Vorderer et al., 2018). As a consequence, users can permanently be distracted by social media. Social media distraction refers to the process by which social media cues draw individuals’ attention away from a task that they originally pursued (e.g., working). Due to especially mobile access to social media, distractions by social media can occur frequently. Previous studies on multitasking have consistently demonstrated negative effects of distraction on performance (Jeong and Hwang, 2016), on academic performance among students (Junco and Cotten, 2012; Giunchiglia et al., 2018) and on well-being (e.g., Brooks, 2015). By drawing away users’ attention, distractions take up limited cognitive resources.

- National Library of Medicine - nih.gov (December 2, 2021)

November 07, 2024

Napkin folding is an ancient art form dating back to civilizations such as the Egyptians and Greeks. Historically, it was a symbol of status and wealth for the host or hostess. Today, it has become a popular hobby and important element of event planning, with napkin folding now achievable with a variety of napkin types.

- simplyelegantcorp.com (March 19, 2024)

November 06, 2024

A cluster of bananas, called a “hand,” consists of 10 to 20 individual bananas, also known as fingers. In fact, the word banana comes from banan, the Arabic word for “finger.”

- farmersalmanac.com (January 31, 2024)

November 05, 2024

Today, citizens over the age of 18 cannot be denied the right to vote on the basis of race, religion, sex, disability, or sexual orientation. In every state except North Dakota, citizens must register to vote, and laws regarding the registration process vary by State. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified. Prior to that, women had only been able to vote in select States.

- whitehouse.gov

November 04, 2024

Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, and Tintypes Daguerreotypes are printed on a carefully-polished silver plate which gives the finished product a distinctive, mirror-like quality. Ambrotypes are printed on a translucent glass plate. The glass plate is then framed against a dark backing, often black velvet or lacquer, which provides the shadows for the photograph. Tintypes were the cheapest and most durable of the three. The exposure and fixing process is very similar to an ambrotype, but the support is a thin plate of iron rather than glass.

- Indiana University Bloomington

November 03, 2024

Surveys from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) have found that about 63% of Americans would prefer to eliminate DST, and 55% experience tiredness following the switch. But the time transition does more than just inspire mixed opinions, grogginess, and foul moods. Researchers say that the change has long-term negative consequences for our bodies and minds.

- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - jhu.edu (March 9, 2023)

November 02, 2024

Like the smoke detectors, you should also change the batteries in your CO detector at least once per year. Let daylight saving time serve as a reminder that when you change your clocks, also change your batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. A few minutes could save your life.

- Defense Media Activity - dla.mil

November 01, 2024

According to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the U.S. is the world’s largest turkey producer and largest exporter of turkey products. An estimated 46 million turkeys will show up on American tables this holiday, and most of those will come from turkey production facilities.

- usda.gov (November 25, 2014)