Activity Book - Copy12345

ACTIVITY BOOK 2020 let’s “ROLL OUT” Some FUN!

Acts of Kindness “Start evereynthd- EinwlijgaihlwJlamibteeshKonkikgihnatdy.n”ess and the Being positive in a negative situation makes you a leader; an example-setter to those who are nervous, scared, or doubtful during uneasy times. Sometimes it’s easy to focus on the things that are bringing us down and making life difficult. But, science shows that when we spend even a small amount of time focusing on the things for which we’re grateful, our lives are much better. We start seeing things in a more positive light and find fewer things to complain about. It can be as easy as starting your day by thinking of one thing for which you are grateful! There are even mobile apps which remind you during the day to take a moment to be grateful for something. Make it a point to take a deep breath and think of something you’re grateful for in your life. How great it is that YOUR ran- dom acts of kindness and good deeds could brighten someone else’s entire day? Here are Random Acts of Kindness that can make anyone’s day a happier one! • Create a holiday to celebrate someone you store. Ask if they’d like you to pick something up. Being love…an APPRECIATION DAY for your spouse, significant the beneficiaries of this random act of kindness is so other, child or grandchild. Declare this day a holiday and appreciated by those who are the recipients of your kind do random acts of kindness for that special person on deed. this day. • Flowers brighten everyone’s day! Take flowers • Find opportunities to give out compliments. It to a neighbor living alone, a friend who is unhappy, or a costs nothing, takes little time and could make some- co-worker who is struggling. Leave a small “Spring Flow- one’s entire day! Don’t just think it-Say it! When you ers” bundle on a neighbor’s doorstep with a sweet note open your inbox for the first time of the day write a short attached will certainly bring a smile to that recipients face. email – 1 paragraph max – praising someone. This note • Bring humor to someone’s day! Send a funny can be as simple as, “Just wanted to say, ‘thanks for being card or postcard to make someone laugh. Jokes, giggles, such a great friend.’” Or, “Thinking of you.” Or point out and laughter can brighten anyone’s day. something nice you noticed. 15 seconds can make some- • Photos from the Heart! Take a cute photo of one’s entire day. And looking for something to compli- someone you love, or find a past photo of a fun occasion ment a person on each day will make you more aware of with that person and drop it in the mail or email it to and appreciative of the kindness around you. them with a kind note. Remembering the occasion and • “Want me to pick something up for you?” If how special the time spent with that person was for you. you know someone who is overwhelmed by current • Think of the amazing people in your life and take situations– give them a call when you’re going out to the the time to write to them and let them know how much

you appreciate them and their role in your life. LOOK FOR • If you are healthy, go to a local blood bank and give blood…during SOMETHING times of crisis this is one of the most beneficial acts of kinds you can give POSITIVE IN to your community. EACH DAY, • Reach out! Contact a friend you haven’t been in touch with for a long time. Follow up with a friend who has been ill, battled cancer, un- EVEN IF dergone surgery, dealt with a divorce, has lost a loved one; hearing from SOME friends can be the best medicine of all. Pick up the phone and give them a call! DAYS YOU • If you’re upset, take a deep breath and count to 10 (or perhaps HAVE TO 15) before you say anything. Ask yourself if what you’re going to say will LOOK A be helpful. Pausing will reduce the likelihood you’ll say something you’d regret. Remind yourself that a positive mindset is a choice you can make. LITTLE • Give Audio Book or e-book suggestions to your friends and HARDER. families via emails. A list of books you have enjoyed reading and can pass along are a wonderful gift you can give to those you care about. 15 SECONDS • Put together a Care Package! The next time you’re grocery shop- CAN MAKE ping purchase “packaged items” you think your neighbor might enjoy SOMEONE’S receiving. Include a new game, puzzles, deck of new cards, nail polish for ENTIRE DAY! a manicure, etc.

Easy Paper Flowers Tissue Paper Flowers are simple, quick, and inexpensive. They are a thoughtful hand made gift that is easy to customize, looks beautiful, and can last a long time. You can whip up a dozen flowers in about an hour. It’s a perfect gift or decoration for Spring time! To get started you’ll probably have most of these items already laying around your house. This is what you need to make one dozen tissue paper flowers. One piece of tissue paper makes one flower. It’s eas- iest to make the flowers in multiples of three. Adjust what you need based on how many flowers you want to make. You’ll Need: STEP 1 12 Sheets of Tissue Paper (6”x12” or 20”x26) Lay three sheets of 12 Pipe Cleaners or other Flexible unfolded tissue paper Wire down on a flat sur- Scissors face. Stacking them A Vase on top of each other. Optional: Ribbon to decorate the Vase Scotch Tape to attach the Ribbon to the Vase STEP 2 Place the tissue paper stack in front of you portrait style. Take the bottom edge and fold in over one inch. Then flip it over and fold it back on the other side. Continue folding your way up the paper one inch at a time. When you are done folding your tissue paper stack should look like an accordion. STEP 3 Fold that accordion in half and fold an inch and a half of a pipe cleaner around it. Then twist the pipe cleaner together to secure the flower to the stem. Take two more pipe cleaners and attach them the same way, on each side, about 6-7 inches away from the center. The paper color at the top of the pipe cleaner will be your center color and the color at the base of the stem will be your bottom color. By placing the pipe cleaners in different directions you’ll get opposite color combinations for your flowers. If you position your pipe cleaners all in the same direction your flowers will all be identical.

Cut the paper into three equal sized pieces (about 6-7 inches long), the STOP BEING pipe cleaners should be in the center of each of the pieces. Adjust your AFRAID pipe cleaners if necessary. OF WHAT Cut rounded edges on each end of your three flowers. You’ll probably need to trim the outer edges a bit more than the inner edges to even COULD GO them out. Catch paper trimmings in the bottom of the vase for decora- WRONG AND tive confetti. This is a great stopping point, if you want to prep all your tissue paper THINK OF up to this point in advance. After this point your tissue paper flowers will WHAT take up more space and be more fragile. COULD GO RIGHT STEP 4 While holding your stem (pipe cleaner), gently open up the flower accordion and begin pulling the top layer straight up all the way around the flower. Be careful not to rip the delicate paper. You usually can’t tell if it’s been ripped. Separate the other two layers by pulling the middle layer straight up to- YOU ward the top layer, while pulling the bottom layer straight down. CANNOT HAVE A POSITIVE LIFE AND A NEGATIVE MIND JOYCE MEYER STEP 5 For the first layer slightly bend your flower stems into when i smile the vase so your flowers are facing outward. Do the I FEEL GOOD same with the second layer. For the top slide one to three more flow- ers on to the top. Adjust your flowers as necessary till you are happy when you with your arrangement(s). smile *If using ribbon it to decorate your vase, cut a strip of ribbon and use I FEEL MUCH double sided scotch tape to secure it to the vase. BETTER Have fun making your flowers! Play with different color combinations. Reds and pinks are great for Valentine’s Day. You could also use one yellow for the center and two white sheets to make Daisies. Use yel- low and brown to make Sunflowers. The possibilities are endless!

A YEAR FROM NOW YOU WILL WISH YOU HAD STARTED WHILE YOU HAD THE TIME Things to do We’ve compiled an extensive list of “things to do” in the months ahead! Take some time to read through these suggestions and pick your Top Ten! No need to binge watch on the televi- sion every day…something will certainly spark your interests in this amazing list! 1. Play some games! Try Sudoku, cross word puzzles, word searches, concentration puzzles, board games, card games and much more! 2. Start a new puzzle or coloring book (they’re not just for kids anymore). 3. Try a new craft or go back to one that’s been “sit- ting” for a while: Knit & Crochet, Needlepoint, Macramé, Scrapbook, Wood work, make Jewelry, Paint rocks, paint your house, Sew, make Handmade Cards, learn Calligra- phy 4. Start your Christmas sewing / gift giving projects 5. Read a book; start an online book club; re-read the Classics or a new Trilogy (“Pillars of the Earth”, “infinite Jest, Jane Austin novels, “Les Misérables, “The Stand”, harlequin romances…whatever suits your fancy! 6. Listen to a Podcast or a You-Tube tutorial 7. Learn to use Skype, Facebook, Instagram, Marco Polo (it’s a phone app)…ask your grandkids to teach you! 8. Engage with your grandkids via video chats-they’ll think you’re the hippest & coolest 9. Watch this year’s Academy Award nominees: Little Women, Ford Vs Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Parasite, 1917, Marriage Story, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

10. Watch some indie movies or festival winners…from Sun- I’m a dance, Cannes, Palm Springs, and others 11. Start a story about your life; your memoir (see “how to” Wooden Spoon in this issue) Lead Paint 12. Make some fun lists: all the boys or girls you dated, all No Car Seat the jobs you’ve had, all the places you’ve RV’d, your favorite states, all the cars you’ve owned, your favorite restaurants, your No Seat Belt favorite books of all time, etc. No Bike Helmet 13. Write a letter! To a long-lost friend, a serviceman, your Bed of Pickup Riding children & grandchildren…and send it in the mail! 14. Write a short story or start a novel Garden Hose 15. Call or email a friend or family member; keep in touch Drinking with people 16. Watch your favorite movies; classics, thrillers, Sci-Fi’s, Corona Virus westerns, romantic comedies, action heroes and more 17. Learn sign language or a foreign language; brush up on a SURVIVOR language from your past 18. Download a language app on your phone; Duolingo is a Imagination great one! is the eye 19. Organize your house; declutter the cupboards and draw- ers; go through your closest and donate items you no longer of the soul need…Spark “Joy” in your wardrobe like Marie Kondo (google her if you don’t know about her). Joseph Joubert 20. Throw out your old make-up and beauty products; same goes for expired medicines. BE KIND 21. Clean out your pantry and spice rack…things do expire; for make more room in the cupboards & drawers 22. Fix broken things around your house…leaky faucet, loose EVERYONE doorknob, re-caulk the shower, you meet is 23. Organize your digital photos; make albums on your FIGHTING smartphone a HARD BATTLE

24. Organize your loose photos that are sitting in a 45. Make a list of all the things which you are grateful box; put the names on the back of the photos 46. Work on financial planning, refinancing, money 25. Clean up the “contacts” on your computer or saving strategies, etc. smartphone 47. Go online and buy gift cards from your local 26. Create a chat book or a memory book for a grand- businesses to help keep them in business. child 48. Get food “to go” from a local restaurant 27. Try a new recipe; use a cooking device you’ve still 49. Take time to reflect: What have you accom- got in its box plished in the last year? What goals are you setting for 28. Learn a new line dance on You-Tube yourself in the upcoming year? How are you paying it 29. Take an online course forward? How are you keeping things positive during a 30. Learn a new program on your computer; Excel, difficult time? Word, Publisher, Adobe Photoshop 50. Rest, sleep and listen to your body’s needs…you 31. Learn how to edit photographs on your smart- are number #1 on our list! phone 32. Learn on how to “Pin” on Pinterest…it’s addicting! 33. Take a hike and enjoy our beautiful desert 34. Photograph nature, your pet(s), your neighbor- hood 35. Plant a spring garden using recycled pots, contain- ers, baskets, etc. 36. Make a time capsule for your grandchildren (in- clude the current events), add a note instructing when they can open the capsule…2030 perhaps? 37. Make Jell-O Easter Eggs or a fun Easter craft 38. Give yourself a manicure or pedicure…even an at- home facial will be a wonderful treat! 39. Go on Health Kick- start a new diet; KETO does work! 40. Make healthy milk shakes and smoothies 41. Learn to meditate (many apps and You-Tube demonstrations). 42. Acquire a foam roller and give yourself some physical therapy; roll out sore muscles 43. Sit in a massage chair 44. Try Yoga on a Chair or any type of new exercise regime you can do at home

To Get Your Life In Order We are about 3 weeks from 1. Make a life goals list. 2. Come up with a family or house knowing everyone’s hold statement of purpose. 3. Set up a new budget. true 4. Take a look at your existing budget. Hair Color 5. Read up on money matters such as investment strategies, paying off debt, be or how to reach your savings goals, aflzainmg- whatever fits your situation. 6. Get caught up on your bills. 7. Go through that pile of mail. 8. Go through your pantry and see what items you have. 9. Make a meal plan. 10. Make some lists. It can help declutter your brain. and stand tall

OwThHenEyRoSu lUiftP GoYdOwUilUl Pli.ft wShOeMn EyoBuOmaDkYe ELSE’S DAY goYdOwUiRllDmAaYke BE SAFE SOCIAL DISTANCING: What does it mean? Social distancing is the practice of reducing close contact between people to slow the spread of infections or diseases. Social distancing measures include limiting large groups of people coming together, closing buildings and cancelling events. AVOID Use Caution Group Gatherings Visit a local Restaurant Concerts Theatre Outings Visit Grocery Store Get Take Out Athletic Events Pick up Medications Crowded Retail Stores Play Tennis in a Park Visiting the Library Malls Church Services Workouts in Gyms Traveling Visitors in your House Non-essential workers in your House Mass Transit Systems

Discover Your Roots BE LIKE A TREE Genealogy is a curiosity for most, a hobby for many Stay Grounded and an obsession for some. Connect with Find your family. Discover Yourself. your roots Turn over a Bring to life your family’s history by exploring the lives of those that New Leaf came before you. Bend Before Discover your family story, Grow your family tree, you Break find new relatives. Explore billions of historical Enjoy Your Unique records. Search through huge international records databases – Discover the stories and lives of your an- Natural Beauty cestors. Uncover more than you ever imagined. There Keep are hundereds of websites to search from! Listed are just a few Growing websites to check out. myheritage.com Genealogy Ancestry.com Familysearch.org IF YOU THINK Discover Genealogy In Time Magazine, a popular online YOUR FAMILY genealogy magazine and one of the world’s largest free IS NORMAL, genealogy websites. Hundreds of Articles, Tools and Resources to learn how to Search your Familly Tree: YOU Genealogyintime.com PROBABLY AREN’T A GENEALOGIST!

Write Your Own History 4. Use the senses. The one thing that will help you explore long forgotten memories is to use your senses. As you recall events, try to remember the smells, tastes and sounds that ac- company them. Not only will this help you remember details, it will also enrich your writing. 5. Find the theme. Once you have compiled a large number Where do we begin? Real Life of significant scenes, it’s likely you will is better begin to see a theme emerging. Your Writing our personal stories is the than theme is the central question driving most vulnerable kind of writing we your story. The ability to carry this can do. We fear being laughed at, Fiction theme through the sequence of events rejected, or that our words will be met with silence. And in turn, we ourselves you have recorded is what will turn your remain silent. individual scenes into one story. It may be that you discover more than one theme. That’s okay; it’s likely there will be one that stands apart from Through the process I have found six important steps the others. to be helpful: 1. Tap into your emotions. 6. Tell a story. Your story won’t resonate with others if it is void of You have your theme and a multitude of scenes; emotion, as I discovered when writing that first draft you’ve gone through a box of tissues in the process of of my own story. So take out your paper and pen and exploring your emotions, but have you told a story? As write down some key feelings that you associate with you begin to work on pulling it all together, focus on your life so far. Then write something about each feel- the reader. What about your story will connect with ing and the story behind it. him? The best stories are ultimately those that con- nect with the reader the most. 2. List the turning points. This process of telling your story is, I believe, one of the most rewarding and clarifying things you can do People often make the mistake of starting with their for yourself, and for others. earliest childhood memory and moving through their So step into that place of discomfort and write the story chronologically. But rather than starting at the words that will bring freedom and meaning to your beginning, it’s more helpful to make a list of your life. Is it not time? life’s key turning points—those times when you were standing at a crossroads and the direction you chose Claire De Boer is a writer, teacher and visionary with marked a significant change in your life. a passion for stories and a strong belief in their power to connect us. She is a certified Journal Instructor and 3. Write everything down. teaches online workshops at www.thegiftofwriting.com. She is also a contributor to The Audacity to be a Writer. It might not seem like much at the time but it’s amaz- Follow her on Twitter @ClaireJDeBoer. ing how one memory leads to another and allows you to go deeper into your story. As with all writing, you may not use many of the scenes you write, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a purpose.

Questions to help you get started If you don’t recount your 1. What is your full name? Explain why your parents gave family history, you that name. it will be lost. 2. When and where were you born? Describe your home, Honor your own your neighborhood and the town you grew up in. stories and tell 3. What memories do you have of your father (his name, them too. The birth date, birthplace, parents and so on)? tales may not 4. What memories do you have of your mother (her name, birth date, birthplace, parents and so on? seem very 5. What kind of work did your parents do (farmer, sales- important, but man, manager, seamstress, nurse, stay-at-home-mom, profes- they are what sional, laborer, business owner, etc.) binds families and 6. Have any of your family members died? If so, explain makes each of us what they died from and what you remember of their death; the circumstances of their death. who we are. 7. What kind of hardships or tragedies did your family experience while you were growing up? Madeleine Engle 8. Are there any obvious or unusual genetic traits that run in your family line? Where will 9. What are the names of your brother and sisters? De- Your Story Start? scribe things that stand out in your mind about each of your siblings. Forks in the Road 10. What were some of your family traditions that you re- My Family, My Self member? The Meaning of Wealth 11. Did your family have special ways of celebrating specific holidays, birthdays, etc.? My Life’s Work 12. Share your memories of your grandparents. Were there Self-Image and Well-Being any special things they shared with you (hobbies, beliefs, their The Male-Female Equation own childhood, work, etc.) 13. Did your grandparents live close by? If so, describe how The End of Life they were involved in your life. If they lived far away share some From Secular to Spirit memories of visiting them or of them traveling to visit you. My Life Goals My Legacy Letter

14. Who were your aunts and uncles? Write about 29. How many children do you have? List their any of your aunts or uncles who really stand out in your names and share a few memories about each one. mind. Give some details about them (names, personal- 30. Describe some of the major community, nation- ities, events that you remember doing with them, ways al, and world events you lived through. How did these they touched your life, etc.) events change your life? 15. Where did you go to school? Give some details 31. What are some of your life philosophies or life about what was school like for you and some of your views that you would share with others? memorable experiences. 32. What are some of the personal values that are 16. What were your favorite subjects in school? Ex- very important to you? Share some examples of what you plain why. have done and what you are doing now to teach these val- 17. What subjects did you like the least? Explain why. ues to your children, grandchildren, others. 18. Who were some of your friends in school? Ex- 33. List at least five people who have had a memo- plain what your friends were like. What they are doing rable influence on your life. What did they do that had today if you know that information. such an influence on you? 19. If you went to college or a vocational school, what 34. What are 20 things about yourself that make you school did you attend? Describe what memories you uniquely you? have of those years and what subjects you studied. 35. What are 20 things that you are grateful for? 20. What do you see as your greatest strengths? 36. What is your philosophy on money? 21. What were some of the challenges you have had 37. If you could spend a day with any famous person to deal with in your life? in the world, who would it be, and what would you do 22. What medical issues have you had to deal with during your day with him or her? throughout your life? 38. What scares you? 23. Has Religion been an important part of you and 39. What makes you stop and go “WOW”? your family’s life? If so, explain what religion your family 40. What are some of the things you enjoy doing in practiced and what it meant to you. Explain if it is or is your leisure time? not an important part of your life today. 41. If you could go back in time and spend an hour 24. What foods do you like or dislike? Describe any visiting with yourself at age 15, what would you tell your food allergies you or other family member have/had. younger self? 25. Were there two or three food dishes your mother 42. What are some of your talents? Explain how you or father made that were especially memorable? Have you passed these dishes on to your own family? Well-arranged time 26. How did you meet your spouse? (How old were is the surest mark of you at that time? What city/town were you living in?) a well-arranged mind 27. What was your courtship like? Describe your wedding day. Sir Isaac Pitman 28. Share some stories about your spouse.

discovered them and what you have done to cultivate and im- prove them. Describe how your talents have affected your life. 43. What did you do for a career? Explain how you chose that career. 44. What were some of the jobs you had throughout your life? Explain some of the memorable experiences you had with these jobs. 45. What are 5 significant events or experiences in your life and explain what effects they have had on you. 46. What are some of the life lessons that you have learned and would like to pass on to your descendants? 47. In how many places have you lived during your lifetime? Provide a brief description of each place you’ve lived, why you lived there and why you moved. 48. If someone gave you $10,000 and Adventure told you that you could NOT give it to any is not of your friends, family members or use it for yourself, what would you do with it? outside man; it is within David Grayson 49. If you could go back in time and do things over again, what would you change? The 50. When all is said and done, what do you want to writer be remembered for? Explain what you are doing now to create a legacy worthy of remembering. is an exployer. 51. If you were to leave 5 different bits of advice for your Every step future posterity, what would they be? is an 52. Have you traveled to any place outside of your home advance into country? If so, explain the reasons for your trip(s) and what memorable things happened on some of those trips. new land 53. If a newspaper wanted to do a story about you, what Ralph would the story be about? Emerson 54. What were some of the popular fads you experienced EVERY DAY during your life? of your LIFE 55. How did you spend your summers? is a PAGE of your HISTORY 56. What were some of your more memorable vacations?

TOP Here is a list of the easy-to-use online programs for FREE seniors wanting to learn more, where age is no limita- COMPUTER tion! Check some of these programs out and discover CLASSES the right one for you! FOR SKILLFUL SENIOR: The Skillful Senior is an excellent tool for anyone new to computers. Calling the product 55 “Quick, Easy and Fun” this computer skills program uses easy-to-understand tutorials. Starting with the PLUSERS basics of using a mouse and keyboard. Also, typing games make learning fun, providing practice skills, and improve your typing speed. It’s a perfect place for elders to learn new essential skills. Emailing your children and grandchildren is a great way to stay in contact. TECHBOOMERS: The Tech-Savvy seniors are even on social media platforms. From Pinterest, Twitter, Insta- gram, Facebook and more, these social media outlets have taken over. Wanting to learn new things and to make technology work for them, seniors seek out how- to options to understand these platforms. TechBoom- ers offers tutorials for each platform. Venturing into the world of social media can be intimidating. Also depending on what outlet you start with, this site pro- vides multiple tutorials for all the social media inqui- ries. Instagram becoming one of the most favorable of them all. Although Instagram is a bit different and can be confusing at first. Luckily, TechBoomers offers an easy crash Instagram course taking you through the process step-by-step!

THE SENIORS GUIDE TO COMPUTERS: Seniors Guide XP, Windows 7 and Windows 10. Additionally, mul- to Computers uses a different approach to learning. tiple classes on spyware and basics types are includ- Using examples, pictures, and videos to teach users ed; 10 tutorials cover Outlook Express. Seniors can how computers work. The step-by-step instructions complete all tutorials and have a better understanding are more than just learning how a mouse and keyboard of how to work their PC. work. The author has been working with computers since 1979. As a web-developer, his experiences offers GOODWILL to teach on information for a more intermediate user. Learn about web browsers, computer security, backing COMMUNITY up data, hardware, and software. Setting up a comput- FOUNDATION: Learn- er for individuals with vision, hearing, or other disabili- ing how to live in the Education is ties is done quickly with this program. 21st Century can be the movement TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS: The creator of difficult for many from darkness the website, Teach an Old Dog New Tricks, suggests around the world. that learning starts with Microsoft Word. Offering 70+ New advances in tech- to light. hours of free computer training. Each Word training videos and tutorials are short, making it easier to learn Allan Bloom specifics. Starting from 2-5 minutes each, they are like mini-training sessions. Every new lesson is a step up nology often require an from the last. Here you can find a vast range of com- essential skill set to oper- puter knowledge. You are starting with the basics like ate. GCFLearnFree.org offers how to work a mouse and keyboard. Before you know thousands of learning opportunities, including Micro- it, you’re connecting your Bluetooth speaker to your soft Office, how to operate an email account, or start IPad. from the computer basics course. Covering over 180 HOME & LEARN: A site wholly targeted for beginners, topics, with over 2,000 lessons, and more than 800 Home & Learn, is a great place to start. All online tu- videos to watch. Check out a few interactive games torials are free and accommodate complete newbies. and activities, 100% free. They believe, “if you are Individuals can begin any time with little or no experi- willing to learn, they’re ready to teach”. They have ence. Lessons include topics on Windows systems like been doing online education for over ten years. SKILLEDUP: The company, SkilledUp, has a collection of free online computer-science classes to choose from to further your computer education. Cours- es range from self-paced to requiring week-long or month-long studies. Longer courses are comparable to college courses, minus the debt; all classes are free. Subjects include cryptography, compilers, program design, hardware security, fundamentals of program- ming, web development, intelligence, and big data. SoLmeeatrhning TNodeawy!

DIGITAL www.freedomhomeschooling.com/virtual-field-trips/ Virtual field trips allow you to visit places around the world without ever leaving your homes. Through virtual field trips, you can visit other states, countries across the globe, and even other planets. This allows you to experience places you wouldn’t get to see otherwise. Virtual field trips are also great for when you can’t get out due to illness or can’t afford to travel. Here are several free resources you can use to take virtual field trips. So set a daily itinterary and get ready to see and learn about all the exciting places to go . . . without leaving your house! Free Virtual Field Trips Included: I still Haven’t decided where Anne Frank House – Take a 360-degree tour of Anne Frank’s home in to go for Easter. Amsterdam. The living room Buckingham Palace – Tour the famous London palace virtually. or the bedroom. Farm Tours – Learn about agriculture through these virtual tours of farms in Canada. Great Wall of China – This panoramic virtual tour allows you to walk the Great Wall. Holy Land Tour – Virtually visit Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and more. Houston Zoo – Watch animals in several of their exhibits via live webcam.

The Louvre Museum – Explore exhibits at this famous art museum in Paris, France. Mars – Explore the surface of Mars in a 360-degree view while learning about the planet and space exploration. Monterey Bay Aquarium – Watch sea creatures in this California aquarium with the live animal cam. Mount Everest – Explore the mountain through 360-degree photos and informative articles. Mount Vernon – Take an interactive and informative tour of George Washington’s home in Virginia. National Aquarium – Take a virtual tour of this aquarium located in Baltimore, Maryland. National Museum of the US Air Force – Take a virtual tour of this museum. San Diego Zoo – Watch live videos and learn about animals, play games, and more on this interactive website. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History – Virtually explore many current and past museum exhibits. The Statue of Liberty – Learn about the Statue of Liberty through the videos and photographs in this virtual tour. The Virtual Rainforest – Learn about the rainforest with this interactive tour that includes informative videos and articles. Zoo Tours – This YouTube channel visits zoos all over the country. AirPano – Visit locations all over the world virtually with 360-degree videos and photographs. Discovery Education – This website offers a wide variety of virtual field trips. 360 Cities – Provides interactive 360-degree videos and images of locations around the world. Sites in 3D – Tour locations across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Yemen, and many other countries using 360-degree images. Google Arts and Culture – View the art collections of over 500 different museums and galleries. Some of the museums also offer full virtual tours. Google Earth – “Fly” anywhere in the world in seconds, explore hundreds of cities in 3D, take guided tours, and create your own maps and stories. Google Maps Street View – Type in any address, select street view and explore the area. Not only can you take a virtual trip down the streets, but you can also “step” into many museums, landmarks, and other attractions. Here are some I’ve found. The White House – Washington, D.C. Add value to every day, The Colosseum – Rome, Italy Sharpen your skills, Stonehenge – Wiltshire, United Kingdom your understanding. Palace of Versailles – Versailles, France Wilson Island – Great Barrier Reef, Australia This is just a small sample of the places you can tour with Google Maps. Search for other locations that interest your family and see if Google will let you take a peak inside.





Copycat Hashbrown Casserole Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 32 oz frozen shredded hash browns Combine all ingredients in a large bowl defrosted reserving 1/2 cup of cheese for topping. 1/2 cup melted butter Place in a greased 9×13 casserole dish and 1 10 1/4 ounce can of cream of chicken top with reserved cheese. soup (or cream of cheddar) Bake for 45-55 minutes or until hot and 1 pint of sour cream bubbly. 1/2 cup onion finely chopped 2 cups grated colby cheese Unroll dough onto work sur- 1/4 teaspoon pepper face; separate into 8 trian- gles. Cut cheese slices in half; Sausage Egg & Cheese Breakfast place 1 half on each triangle. Roll Ups Top each with spoonful of scrambled eggs and 1 sausage 3 eggs link. Loosely roll up triangles 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls as directed on can; place on 8 fully cooked breakfast sausage links ungreased cookie sheet. 4 slices (sandwich-size) cheese of your choice Brush reserved beaten egg on top of each crescent. Salt and pepper to taste Sprinkle salt and pepper over each. Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, beat eggs. Reserve Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. 1 tablespoon beaten egg for brushing on tops of cres- cent rolls. Scramble remaining eggs. Fiesta Ranch Dip *1 packet Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch Dip OR 1/2 packet of ranch dip and 1/2 packet of taco seasoning (Reduce amount for less intense flavor) 10 ounce can Rotel Original (drain excess liquid) 16 oz sour cream 1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese 1 small can of mexicorn (11oz) Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Chill in fridge for 1 hour. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Great with veggies too! Enjoy!

Homemade Beer Bread & Garlic Dip Garlic Dip: 16oz of sour cream OR greek yogurt 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp dill 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp dried chives (optional) Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate. Make the day ahead for stronger flavors Bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 5”x9” loaf pan with cooking 3 cups flour spray 1/3 cup sugar Stir flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon baking powder beer slowly and mix until combined. Dough will be sticky. Scrape dough 1/2 teaspoon salt into loaf pan. Pour melted butter over top. 1 (12oz) bottle beer OR 12 oz soda Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown and 3 tablespoon butter, melted toothpick comes out clean. Cut into chunks and serve with dip Ham & Cheese Sliders one 12-count package Hawaiian sweet rolls, sliced in half 3/4 pound cooked deli ham, thinly sliced 3/4 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 2 teaspoons dried minced onion 2 teaspoons Worcesteshire sauce 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch or 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside. Using a large serrated knife, slice the rolls in half so you have a ‘slab’ of tops and a ‘slab’ of bottoms; don’t pull the rolls apart and slice individually because you want to keep them connected. Place the bottom ‘slab’ of rolls in prepared pan. Evenly layer about half of the ham over the rolls. Evenly layer the cheese. Evenly layer the remaining ham. Add the top ‘slab’ of rolls; set aside. To a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Add the mustard, poppy seeds, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and whisk to combine. Evenly and slowly pour the butter mixture over the rolls. Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the tops. Some of the mixture will pool at the base of the rolls. Cover with aluminum foil & allow rolls to stand at room temp for about 5 to 10 minutes. Bake covered for about 20 minutes or until cheese has melted. Uncover & cook for 3-5 minutes. Slice into individual sliders & serve warm





























SUDOKU Use Numbers 1-9 Sudoku is played on a grid of 9 x 9 spaces. Within the rows and columns are 9 “squares” (made up of 3 x 3 spac- Use Process of Elimination es). Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs What do we mean by using “process of elimination” to to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating play Sudoku? Here is an example. In this Sudoku grid any numbers within the row, column or square. Does it (shown below), the far left-hand vertical column (circled sound complicated? As you can see from the image below in Blue) is missing only a few numbers: 1, 5 and 6. of an actual Sudoku grid, each Sudoku grid comes with a few spaces already filled in; the more spaces filled in, the One way to figure out which numbers can go in each easier the game – the more difficult Sudoku puzzles have space is to use “process of elimination” by checking to very few spaces that are already filled in. see which other numbers are already included within each square – since there can be no duplication of num- bers 1-9 within each square (or row or column). Dont Repeat Any Numbers As you can see, in the upper left square (circled in blue), In this case, we can quickly notice that there are al- this square already has 7 out of the 9 spaces filled in. The ready number 1s in the top left and center left squares only numbers missing from the square are 5 and 6. By of the grid (with number 1s circled in red). This means seeing which numbers are missing from each square, row, that there is only one space remaining in the far left or column, we can use process of elimination and deduc- column where a 1 could possibly go – circled in green. tive reasoning to decide which numbers need to go in each This is how the process of elimination works in Sudoku blank space. – you find out which spaces are available, which num- For example, in the upper left square, we know we need bers are missing – and then deduce, based on the posi- to add a 5 and a 6 to be able to complete the square, but tion of those numbers within the grid, which numbers based on the neighboring rows and squares we cannot fit into each space. clearly deduce which number to add in which space. This Sudoku rules are relatively uncomplicated – but the means that we should ignore the upper left square for game is infinitely varied, with millions of possible now, and try to fill in spaces in some other areas of the grid number combinations and a wide range of levels of instead. difficulty. But it’s all based on the simple principles of Don’t Guess using numbers 1-9, filling in the blank spaces based on Sudoku is a game of logic and reasoning, so you shouldn’t deductive reasoning, and never repeating any numbers have to guess. If you don’t know what number to put in a within each square, row or column. certain space, keep scanning the other areas of the grid For more information and games go to: until you seen an opportunity to place a number. But don’t SUDOKU.COM try to “force” anything – Sudoku rewards patience, insights, and recognition of patterns, not blind luck or guessing.