July 4th Facts: Fireworks, Founding Fathers, and More

Fireworks: Out With the Old, In With the New

• Fireworks may be flourishing, but some July 4th traditions have faded.
• Nineteenth-century July 4ths featured noisy artillery salutes, as explosives left over from various wars were fired all day. The practice faded as cannons aged and fell into disrepair.
• "Back in the early 19th century, they also celebrated with a lot of greenery," American University's Heintze said.
• "That was started by George Washington and his troops. Soldiers wore greens in their caps, and buildings were decorated. But as red-white-and-blue paper [became widely available], and the flag became more important, that fell out of favor."
• Meanwhile, new traditions have arisen—many of which would have surely stumped the Founding Fathers.
• Take Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which will be held for the 94th time on July 4th, 2009. Legend has it that the battle began when a group of recent immigrants wanted to prove their patriotism on the nation's birthday. Today the event is a crown jewel in the world of competitive eating.
• Happy July 2nd?
• "The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival," wrote John Adams to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776.
• The second U.S. president had the date wrong, but Heintze maintains that the U.S. really should observe July 2nd—the day Congress voted for independence—as Independence Day. (The signing of the Declaration of Independence didn't begin until August and wasn't complete until November.)
• "They didn't have the written document completed until the 4th," Heintze said.
• "When they took that document to the printer on July 4th, he printed that date on the top. And that was the broadside that was sent out to all of the new states and the generals in the field. It became widely circulated, and July 2nd was forgotten."
• Americans have celebrated July 4th ever since, though it was not declared a federal holiday until 1941. But if the date itself has changed, the rest of Adams's Independence Day vision remains on the mark more than two centuries later. Adopted from news.nationalgeographic.com

Money Saving Guide

• Reduce debt - Clearing your most expensive debts always comes first when trying to save money. Holding a balance on a credit card or store card is one of the easiest ways to run up unnecessary debts. Generally credit card companies allow around one month to clear your balance, then the interest rate can rise to extremely high rates. Always try to pay off any credit card debt as soon as you can. Paying off the higher interest cards first will save money and clear your debts quicker.If you have debts on several cards, then a good idea is to transfer your balances onto a new credit card with a balance transfer deal, then pay off the balance at a lower interest rate.
• Coupon Sites - Not just newspaper clippings anymore. There are many sites that offer current promotion codes or discount codes with online coupons or vouchers. eg coupons.com or groupon.com. Remember to always consider if the purchase is necessary, even if you find a good discount.
• Price comparison sites (Google Shopping) Interested in buying a product online?
  Before you click the buy button, copy and paste the product name into Google Shopping. This is a price comparison site that links to the very best deals.
  You can sort the results to arrange by price - low to high etc
  Watch out for any added delivery costs that may be added if you find your desired product cheaper elsewhere. Make sure you are comparing on a like for like basis - eg if shipping is from another country, then you may have to pay special import taxes.
  If the price difference isn't too great, then many customers may prefer to stick to well known sites they can trust, or one with a no hassle returns policy.
• Do you have any Unclaimed Cash or property? Did you know that thousands of people have unclaimed money that they can claim? eg old uncashed checks, tax refunds or dormant bank accounts? There are several online sites that allow searching of multiple state databases for a small fee. Many people are pleasantly surprised at what they can find. Adopted from http://www.savemoney.com/

Recipe Of The Month - All American Apple Pie

"Quick and easy, with a great non-crust topping. Try a variety of apples, mix it up..." Adopted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons cold milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 Fuji apples, cored and sliced
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. To Make Crust: In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, oil, milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and salt until evenly blended. Pat mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, spreading the dough evenly over the bottom and up sides. Crimp edges of the dough around the perimeter.

3. To Make Filling: Mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over apples and toss to coat. Spread evenly in unbaked pie shell.

4. To Make Topping: Using a pastry cutter, mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and butter until evenly distributed and crumbly in texture. Sprinkle over apples.

5. Put pie in the oven on a cookie sheet to catch the juices that may spill over. Bake 45 minutes.

Any experience is right at your finger tips to enjoy Midwest summer vacations…

Midwest summer vacations have endless possibilities! The summer months in the Midwest can provide you with any experience you and your family would like.Summer is full of so many options for your family to enjoy. The Midwest has some of the best theme parks, water parks and outstanding lakes to access.The Midwest is also a great choice when looking for an affordable vacation in the summer!

Here are 8 different ideas for Midwest summer vacations for your family to enjoy:

1. Gurnee, Illinois can offer your family an outstanding summer vacation that everyone will love!

Start with Six Flags Great America. This is possibly one of the best theme parks in the Midwest. You and your family can experience their great roller coasters, unbelievable shows and for the younger family members, Wiggles World.

When you and the family are needing time to cool off from the long day at the theme park, enjoy Hurricane Harbor’s awesome wave pool along with the fantastic water slides.

Experiencing a rainy day in Gurnee will not provide you with disappointment, just enjoy one of the indoor water parks such as Key Lime Cove Resort and Water park. Also, an afternoon at the Gurnee Mills Shopping Mall may be just what you and your family needs to get away from the summer heat!

2. An unforgettable summer vacation in the Midwest can involve a trip to Indiana Beach Amusement Resort in Monticello, Indiana. This summer vacation has any experience at your finger tips!

Here are just some of the great activities you and your family can experience with Midwest summer vacations in Indiana:

Enjoy the unforgettable amusement park located right on the lake. Experience the five outstanding roller coasters along with all of the other unforgettable adventures that the whole family can enjoy! Spend an afternoon at Ideal Beach Water park located directly on the lake! Some great evening activities can include enjoying a competitive game of miniature golf with the family or time at Lake Shore Drive-In Theater. There are numerous places for you and your family to dine but if you are looking for a night life that the adults could enjoy, it's there also. Lodging at the resort includes hotel rooms or book a stay at one of their cottages for more privacy. If you and your family are looking for an adventure, a camping facility is located on the ground also.

3. A light house will greet you and your family when you enter this great Midwestern town Storm Lake, Iowa. Storm Lake is a great way for you and your family to get back in touch with nature on your family’s summer vacation!

Some of the many great outdoor adventures are: Walking trails, Boating, Fishing, Golf, Camping

King’s Pointe Waterpark Resort can give you and your family the enjoyment of the lake but also offer the comfort of resort experience! You and your family can enjoy the indoor/outdoor water park at the resort, along with all of the lake activities!

4. Battle Creek, Michigan, home if the Kellogg Cereal, could be just what your family is looking for in Midwest summer vacations!

Experience these family fun activities: Binder Park Zoo, Full Blast Indoor/Outdoor Water Park, Kingman Museum and Planetarium, Fort Custer Recreation Area includes hiking, biking, camping and a great beach! Kalamazoo, Michigan is less than a half hour away which could offer extra family fun!

5. Eagan, Minnesota promises to offer a great summer vacation! Most people think of Mall Of America when considering a vacation in Minnesota but there is so much more! Although Mall Of America is only 5 minutes away, consider some of these family activities in Eagen: Minnesota Children’s Museum, Science Museum of Minnesota, IMAX Theatre, Zoo, Zoological Garden, Cascade Bay outdoor water park, Grand Slam USA can offer batting cages, bumper cars, miniature golf, arcade, play zone and laser tag!

6. Ozarks, Missouri is a great place for Midwest summer vacations! This vacation can be planned around your favorite summer activity. Here are just a few ideas: Enjoy any type of water activity such as para sailing, boating, jet skiing and tubing to just name a few! Enjoy Ha Ha Tonka State Park or Lake of the Ozarks State Park can provide great outdoor activities.Fabulous restaurants are located everywhere. Family fun activities such as go carts, miniature golf, small shops that offer things like homemade fudge and a great outlet mall!

7.Sandusky, Ohio located on Lake Erie is a beautiful place to enjoy a summer vacation!

Ohio Cedar Points Amusement Park will provide you and your family with a summer vacation that is unbelievable! The amusement park has any nightly accommodation that you an your family would want! Your family can choose from a beach front hotel, suite, cabin or the option of camping. Other amenities include an outdoor water park or marina along with other exciting activities!

Part-in-Bay-Island has activities such as caves to explore, a winery, butterfly house, water front dining and historical sites to explore.

Jet Express will take you on a ride across the lake so you can enjoy other water activities found at Kelly’s Island.

Two other great family activities are African Safari Wild Life Park which allows you to roam around and see exotic animals. Also a trip to Ghostly Manor Thrill Center can be fun for the family.

8.Milwaukee, Wisconsin can be a great place to enjoy Lake Michigan in the summer!

Some of the great activities in Milwaukee are: The Children’s Museum, A Milwaukee Brewers Game, Have fun at the zoo, Discovery World- a great science and technology experience, Paradise Landing Indoor Water park, Theatre, IMAX, Go Sailing, Dinner cruises, Ice Skating

Whether you are ready to book your stay at one of these Midwest summer vacations or just exploring some ideas, remember to lay back and enjoy what the Midwest has to offer! A family vacation in the Midwest will not disappoint! Adopted from www.midwest-vacation-ideas.com

Vitamins For The Mind! - Think Your Stress Away

There's a lot to be stressed about these days; political unrest, economic woes, an unpredictable future. With so many concerns, is it really possible to simply change the way we think and eliminate some of our stress?

Philosopher William James said, "Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." So, if changing our thoughts really can change our world where do we start? What thoughts do we change? And, how?

Most of our stress at work is self-induced - I've survived workdays that were so exhausting that I felt like I'd been juggling elephants all day long. I was stressed to the hilt, and the crazy thing is that most of my stress was self-induced. I was worrying about ridiculous things. My bet is that when you examine what's stressing you at work you'll realize much of your stress is self-inflicted, too.

Three thoughts to change - There are three thoughts rambling around in our brains that exaggerate or eliminate our stress factor dependent upon our perspective. With a few simple thought adjustments we can reduce our workday stress and get back on track toward productivity. So, what are those three annoying thoughts? Me & you & The Cosmic Forces. Let's take a closer look. Me - I should perform well and always demonstrate my strength, skill and ability. You - Other people should behave appropriately. The Cosmic Forces - The universe should be in alignment.

It's all about me - We tend to beat up on ourselves when we make mistakes. We think things like, "What was I thinking? Why did I do such a stupid thing?" Thoughts like these certainly create stress. They tend to keep us up at night, beating up on what's left of our self confidence. The quickest cure is to turn the thought around and tell yourself this: "I made a mistake, and I certainly learned something from it. I'll never do that again. At least I took a chance and gave it a try. I got out of my comfort zone and that's a good thing."

It's all about you - We're often perplexed by other people's poor manners. People who play on their iPhone or Blackberry during our presentation at work, rude drivers, and grocery store line-cutters annoy us. We wonder what's wrong with people, and why are they being so rude to us when we didn't do a thing to deserve it. We wonder what ever happened to common courtesy. We think everyone should at least be civil.

It would be a nicer world, but it's not going to happen. When we change our own thoughts about other people's behavior we'll spend less time wondering what we did to deserve their wrath. Tell yourself this, "Sometimes people are just rude. They've had bad training, or they're just having a bad day. It's not really about me, it's about them, and their decisions and actions."

The Cosmic Forces are uncooperative - When the universe falls out of alignment we get stressed. Missed deadlines, undelivered packages, late reports at work; they set us off. Long lines, bumper-to-bumper traffic, opportunities lost; these things are unsettling because we expect things to go well. We don't expect things to go wrong. But that's irrational. Things go wrong; it happens. Don't become a pessimist, expecting everything to go wrong, because that's bad for your health. But, be ready to change your thoughts when you find yourself dwelling on the bad circumstances. Tell yourself, "Sometimes things just don't fall into place, but it isn't the end of the world. As long as I'm alive and breathing, I can try something else."

Changing your thoughts is age-old wisdom - Changing the way we think about these three thoughts will help us lower our stress at work and at home. Even Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome knew about the power of changing our thoughts. He wrote, "Everything is but what your opinion makes it; and that opinion lies within yourself. Renounce it when you will, and at once you have rounded the foreland and all is calm; a tranquil sea, a tide-less haven." Adopted from www.associatedcontent.com