What to Celebrate May 10 thru 16, 2021
Celebration Ideas for May 10 – 16, 2021
Around here we don’t plant outdoors until after Mother’s Day (well, we know we’re not supposed to but …). That means planting season is here! And this year it’s definitely been too cold to cheat by a few days or a week. But now it’s time!
Of course we’ll still make time for things like thanking skilled nursing care facility staff, school nurses, & third shift workers. Plus spreading the word about Ehlers-Danlos & preventing tick-borne diseases.
And we’ll enjoy good food & drink while we do it.
So do jump right in to take a peek and plan your week. And as always …
Enjoy!
Celebrate All May Long
This week we’re focusing on some of May’s month-long health awareness celebrations.
Apraxia Awareness Month: This condition makes it hard for kids to talk. They know what they want to say, but they can’t quite form the words right. Learn more about it and how to help kids with it for this month.
Skin Cancer Awareness Month: Fun in the sun season is almost here! Which means we need to remember to be smart about our sun exposure. Most skin cancers happen because of exposure to UV light.
Lyme Disease Awareness Month: Learn about Lyme disease and how to prevent it for this month. Lyme and some other diseases are spread by tick bites, so make sure you also celebrate Tick Awareness Week this week.
Ehlers-Danlos Awareness Month: Have you heard of Ehlers-Danlos (EDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD)? Learn more about them, and help spread the word this month. So one day soon it won’t take patients years or even decades to get an accurate diagnosis.
Weekly Celebrations for May 10 to 16
Most of our weekly celebrations this week are also health related. So take care of your own health (or that of the women in your lives), celebrate the caregivers, and avoid tick bites to prevent tick-borne diseases.
And then raise a toast to it all with a craft beer.
National Women’s Health Week (May 9 – 15, 2021): This week is a reminder to women & girls to take care of themselves. Get those checkups and follow your doctor’s advice for any health issues you may have. And remember, mental health is important too!
National Skilled Nursing Care Week (May 9 – 15, 2021): Skilled nursing care facilities (nursing homes) have had an especially tough job this past year. They’ve had to keep their residents safe from the pandemic while also trying to manage the isolation & loneliness the residents feel from not being able to visit with loved ones. If you have a family member or friend whose care facility has done a great job in an impossible situation, find a way to thank the staff for all they’ve done and do.
Tick Awareness Week (May 10 – 16, 2021): For this week pest control companies are asked to spread the word about ticks and the danger they pose—to humans and animals. If you own or manage a pest control company, check out the resources available to help you educate your customers. For the rest of us, let’s educate ourselves about ticks.
American Craft Beer Week (May 10 – 16, 2021): Bars & brewpubs have been reopening! So if you feel safe doing so, head out to support your favorite local brews. If you’re not ready for dining/drinking out, pick up a growler to enjoy at home.
Celebration Days coming up for May 10 thru May 16
This week we love hamsters & trees, watch frogs jump & sea monkeys swim, dance like chickens & clean our rooms.
After all that strenuous activity we need buttermilk biscuits, nutty fudge, & apple pie. And mimosas.
However you choose to celebrate this week, make it a fun-tastic one!
May 10:
World Lupus Day: Learn more about this often misunderstood and hard to diagnose autoimmune disease. Because it can attack any part of your body the symptoms can look like many different diseases. That’s part of why it can take a long time to get a diagnosis.
National Women’s Checkup Day: This day is part of National Women’s Health Week and reminds women to schedule their annual well-woman visit if it’s been a year or more since the last one. Women are often so focused on taking care of others that they forget about themselves. But remember: You’re just as important! And taking care of yourself helps you be more able to take care of others.
National Hamster Day: Give your hamsters lots of extra love & attention! Maybe some treats or new toys, too. And of course, share so much hamster cuteness on social media that everybody wants to unfriend/unfollow you to get away from it (ok, maybe not quite that much 😁). 🐹 ❤️
National Clean Your Room Day: Despite the name of this day, you don’t have to limit yourself to one room! Plan to get some serious spring cleaning done. Including your hamster’s cage (in between loving on hammie, that is 🥰). If you have kids they can, of course, do their own rooms … although you may have to inspect their work to make sure they actually did some cleaning.
National Lipid Day: For this day we raise awareness of dyslipidemia, which is a fancy word for abnormal blood levels of lipids. For most of us that’s our cholesterol & triglyceride levels. And also for most of us, if we have abnormal levels, those levels are too high. Spend some time learning about lipids and how diet & lifestyle changes may be able to help lower lipid levels.
National Shrimp Day: For this day you must eat shrimp! Have it your favorite way or try something new. There’s lots of ways to enjoy shrimp, from shrimp cocktail or scampi to seafood gumbo or shrimp tacos.
May 11:
Root Canal Appreciation Day: Open wide & let your dentist drill away! Or just recognize that a root canal is actually pretty deserving of appreciation if you happen to need one. After all, the alternative is having the tooth pulled.
National Twilight Zone Day: Celebrate the truly bizarre and still-popular science fiction show that premiered in 1959 (but not on May 11). Watch your favorite episodes from the original series or one of the reboots.
National Foam Rolling Day: Have you tried foam rollers? Not, not the kind grandma put in her hair. The kind you use to relieve muscle soreness & tightness. It might seem like a fad that burst on the scene just a few years ago, but foam rollers have actually been around since the 1920s! Learn more about them for the day. And if it looks like something that might help you, get rolling!
National Eat What You Want Day: For this day we put aside the diets & the guilt and eat whatever our hearts desire. There are no limits on how you indulge for this one day. (Unless you have a medical reason to avoid certain foods of course! Definitely do not eat foods that may cause anaphylaxis or any other serious problem.)
Hostess Cupcake Day: Celebrate the anniversary of the Hostess Cupcake. They arrived in our lives (ok, not our lives … but you know what we mean) in May 1919. And snacking was never the same. Celebrate with—what else—a Hostess Cupcake (or 2)! And don’t worry about the sugar or the calories … remember, it’s also Eat What You Want Day. 😋
May 12:
Limerick Day: Recite limericks all day! Some people will love you and others will run away. Either way you’ll have fun (assuming you like limericks, anyway). You could also try your hand at writing limericks.
National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day: Fibromyalgia is one of those conditions that are hard to diagnose. And some people believe don’t really exist. But it does, and without treatment it can be hard to live with. Learn more about fibromyaligia & help spread the word for this day. If you recognize any of the symptoms in yourself, talk to your doctor to see if you might have it.
National Third Shift Workers Day: Third shift workers make sure essential services and other 24-hour operations keep running around the clock, 365 days of the year. Thank any third shift workers you know. And if you are a third shift worker: Thank you!
National School Nurse Day: School nurses do more than hand out bandages or call parents to come pick up sick students. They advocate for students and help guide them toward healthy lifestyles. Thank the school nurses that look out for your kids (or who looked out for you!).
International Nurses Day: The Wednesday of Nurses Week is busy! Not only do we celebrate school nurses. The international community celebrates all nurses. This year’s theme is Nurses: A Voice to Lead. Seems quite appropriate. Let any nurses you know how much you appreciate their dedication to keeping us all safe & healthy.
National Odometer Day: For many of us our odometers have been sorely neglected this past year. With no place to go we’ve barely added any mileage at all to our vehicles. Well show your odometer some love & take a drive someplace for this day. Watch the numbers roll over & smile.
National Nutty Fudge Day: During that drive consider heading for a restaurant or dessert shop that sells nutty fudge. Because you’ll want some to celebrate nurses, third shift workers, limericks, and of course, that odometer that’s merrily ticking off the miles travelled to get that fudge. Or you can make nutty fudge at home (but your odometer is going to be disappointed!).
May 13:
Frog Jumping Day: If you have a frog, enter it in a jumping contest. Or jump like a frog yourself. Your kids would probably love that. You could even have a jumping-like-a-frog contest!
Children of Fallen Patriots Day: For this day we honor the children whose parents have died in the line of duty. They had no choice in their sacrifice, and their lives were changed suddenly and forever when they lost their parents. We celebrate on May 13 because it is the anniversary of Arlington National Cemetery’s 1864 establishment.
National Crouton Day: Add some crunch to your life for this day! Top your salad with croutons. And then get creative! You might like to make your own croutons, too. Then you can have your croutons just the way you like them.
National Fruit Cocktail Day: How do you use fruit cocktail? As a dessert? Maybe over cottage cheese? As a snack? What’s your favorite fruit cocktail? The regular kind with the little cherries (never enough cherries)? Tropical? Something else? Whatever you love & however you love to eat it, enjoy some fruit cocktail to celebrate Thursday. You might like to try making your own fruit cocktail, too. Or maybe even an adult version with rum simple syrup?
International Hummus Day: If you love hummus, here’s your excuse to eat more of it! Not that you really need an excuse. And of course, homemade hummus is simple to make and ten times better than store bought. You can even make your own dessert hummus, like this salted caramel hummus.
National Apple Pie Day: Don’t fill up on croutons, fruit cocktail, & hummus! You’ll want to leave room for a big slice of apple pie. If you’re making your own croutons, fruit cocktail, & hummus you might as well add apple pie to your kitchen adventures. Consider this dutch apple pie recipe if you don’t already have a go-to recipe.
May 14:
National Dance Like a Chicken Day: It’s time to do the chicken dance! 😁
Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks a Voice: Celebrate sharks, skates, and rays! Learn about them. Talk about them. Protect them by eating sustainable seafood. Draw some. And just love them. The day is geared toward kids, but why should they have all the shark-loving fun?
National Decency Day: For this day we advocate for decency, the basic civility we all deserve but that seems so lacking these days. So how can we achieve decency? According to the grassroots movement DECENCY, it starts with active listening, better understanding, and compassion.
National Underground America Day: Did you know thousands of people in America live underground? It’s true! And they do it by choice. They’ve built their homes at least partially underground. It’s a good way to conserve energy, but it can get a bit dark! Even if underground living is not for you, why not learn a bit about it and why some people love it?
The Stars and Stripes Forever Day: Celebrate the anniversary of the very first public performance of John Philip Sousa’s most famous march. Perhaps by listening to a performance by the US Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus?
National Buttermilk Biscuit Day: Enjoy buttermilk biscuits all day! Maybe as part of Biscuits and Gravy for breakfast? Make a sandwich with a buttermilk biscuit for lunch. And serve as a side with butter for dinner. Now that’s a delicious day.
May 15:
Straw Hat Day: It’s time to put away the warm winter hats & wear something cooler. Like a straw hat! Choose something with a wide brim for sun protection, too.
National Nylon Stocking Day: Nylon stockings are no longer required legwear for women exposing their legs under short skirts. And haven’t been for a very long time! But still we take this day to remember when women wouldn’t feel dressed without their stockings. If you own stockings, wear a pair to celebrate! They’re not the same as pantyhose, but if that’s all you have, wear those to celebrate. And if you own neither? Well maybe just learn a bit about them for the day.
Peace Officers Memorial Day: This day honors all law enforcement officers who have died or been injured in the line of duty.
National Armed Forces Day: This day honors all the men & women serving in all branches of the US military.
National Learn to Swim Day: This day raises awareness of the importance of knowing how to swim. And starting kids swimming early can help keep them safe. It’s an important skill for anyone, but especially anyone who spends time in, on, or near the water.
National Chocolate Chip Day: Add chocolate chips to everything for this delightfully sweet day. Chocolate chips pancakes for breakfast. Chocolate chip cookies for a snack. Chocolate chip banana bread (or another quick bread), too. Maybe mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert? So many ways to enjoy these little nuggets of happiness.
May 16:
National Sea Monkey Day: Did you have sea monkeys as a kid? Relive the nostalgia & get yourself a pack of hybrid brine shrimp to hatch.
National Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day: How well do you know your neighbors? Once upon a time neighbors up & down the block all knew each other. These days that’s less common. But maybe a little more common now that we’ve spent a year at home? Maybe? At any rate, knowing at least some of your neighbors is important! So do something good for one or two of those neighbors. You’ll both benefit!
National Love a Tree Day: Trees are important life forms on our planet. They offer shade, homes for animals, and even food in some cases. They also remove carbon dioxide from the air & make the oxygen we need to breathe. Their roots prevent soil erosion, too. With all this & more going for trees, how can we not love them? So plant a tree, prune a tree, hug a tree, or just learn more about trees to celebrate this day.
International Day of Light: Celebrate the anniversary of the first successful laser in 1960. And appreciate the role light plays in science and our lives.
National Mimosa Day: Start your Sunday right with a refreshing mimosa for brunch (or breakfast; we won’t tell). Here’s a mimosa recipe (with variations) to try if you need one.
National Coquilles Saint Jacques Day: What the heck is Coquilles Saint Jacques?! Scallops in a cheesy mushroom sauce. Kind of a scalloped scallop dish, if you will. 😉 Try this easy Coquilles Saint Jacques recipe to celebrate.
National Barbecue Day: For whichever meal you’re not enjoying scalloped scallops you’ll want to fire up the grill. Barbecue all your favorites & have a picnic. Invite the neighbors (might this count as your something good?).
