Life Hacks

by Tegan, 5th grade

Making moms happy beyond Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day, which falls this year on May 14, is dedicated to honoring and appreciating the hard work and love that mothers put into raising their children. It is a day to show gratitude for all sacrifices, support, and care that they provide to their families.

As May 14 is just around the corner, one of the best ways to show appreciation for mothers is through thoughtful gestures. Simple actions like preparing breakfast in bed, sending flowers or a personalized gift, and spending quality time together can go a long way in making a mother feel loved and appreciated. Another way to show gratitude is through acts of service.

Mothers often have a lot on their plate, so offering to help with tasks like cooking, cleaning, or running errands can be a great way to ease and acknowledge their workload. Beyond Mother’s Day, though, there are several life hacks that can make a mother happy and make her life easier throughout the year.

One of the most important is time management. With so many responsibilities, mothers can find it challenging to find time for themselves. Setting aside specific times each day or week for self-care activities like exercise, reading, or meditation can help them recharge and stay centered.

Another life hacks for moms is meal planning. Organizing meals in advance can help simplify grocery shopping and meal preparation, ensuring that healthy and nutritious meals are available for the family, even on hectic days. Scheduling weekly activities, appointments, and tasks with a calendar can also help moms stay on top of things and reduce stress.

Mother’s Day may be a special occasion for recognizing the prominent maternal figures in our lives, but there’s nothing sweeter than making their lives easier throughout the year.

What’s Trending

by Irene, 11th grade

Bringing Back Memories

Despite growing trends and the evolving entertainment industry, some things remain unchanging. Hailed as a staple part of our childhood, the fictional character Miffy is making a comeback for adults and teenagers seeking to revive their childhood nostalgia.

Created in 1955 by Dutch artist Dick Bruna, the bunny has made its way through various television shows, books, toys, and, most recently, fashion and beauty collaborations. As TikTok users noted a rise in popularity of the “coquette aesthetic” — a hyper-feminine style typically characterized by ribbons and pastel colors — more and more netizens have turned to the classic bunny to upgrade their wardrobe, interior design, and accessories. Luxury brands, including Mulberry and Tommy Hilfiger, have also hopped onto the train to appease their audience.

From crochet dolls to teapot sets, Miffy is quite literally dominating the world with its iconic cross mouth and simplistic design. Despite the pressure of looming adulthood, the recent return of Miffy reminds us that it is more than okay to embrace and romanticize our youth.

Featured Pet & Animal Trivia

by Rosie, 6th grade

Meet Redford

With sultry, charismatic, and charming amber eyes, and his magnetic, rakish grin, Redford attracts plenty of friends who hover around him like bees surrounding honey. A one-year-old Labrador Vizsla, Redford has bloomed into a sultry, warm-hearted companion. Affectionate and dignified, this dog cleverly sits for appetizing delicacies. Best in a home with no young children (he wants to be the young child!)

National Celebration

May Day: A celebration of unity and spring

For many people around the world, the first day of a new month is very exciting. It symbolizes a fresh start and gives people a chance to reflect on the past month, using this reflection to improve themselves during the new month. However, the first of May is a particularly special day.

Every year on May 1st, the world celebrates May Day. Although it has multiple different meanings and interpretations in many different countries, the most common celebration on this day is that of the change in seasons. Traditionally, this observance took place right around the time spring transitioned into summer. In general, however, May Day is a celebration of life and the opportunity to live together on this wonderful Earth.

Here is the history of May Day, as well as some of the other events and topics celebrated and observed on this day.

The origins of May Day dates all the way back to the time of the ancient Celtics. Referred to as “Beltane” at the time, it was one of the four major Celtic astronomical holidays, occurring between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.

Beltane involved many festivities, from dancing and singing around large bonfires to decorating homes and pets with yellow flowers and ribbons that represented the coming of May. Because it was still spring, morning dew commonly formed on the grass, and the dew that formed on the day of Beltane was said to bring youth and beauty to its beholder.

As humanity entered the 19th century, May Day began to symbolize another important event: International Workers’ Day. During this time period in America, many people were protesting on the streets and going on labor strikes due to long workdays and dangerous work conditions. These protestors adopted May Day as an opportunity to express their complaints.

Ever since these labor disputes, May Day has continuously spread to different cultures, each one of them celebrating the event in a different way.

In America and Europe, people celebrate May Day by partaking in large group dances with maypoles or long, colorful ribbons. People all connect one end of their maypole together to create a pyramid shape, which symbolizes unity, and they begin to run around together in circles to complete the dance.

The people of Hawaii use May Day to celebrate their jubilant spirit and their light-hearted culture. In Britain, citizens gather flowers and place them around their homes to symbolize and honor the spring.

All in all, there are many fun, unique, and intricate ways to celebrate May Day. However, the most important part of celebrating the day is to have fun with it. Choose activities that you enjoy the most in life, and partake in these activities with the people closest to you, and you will have a blast on May Day without a doubt.