Can you believe we’re almost into the third month of the new year? Not sure where the time goes these days, but that’s all the more reason to celebrate often with the ones we love. Get ready for the first day of spring later this month with all sorts of outdoor plans to enjoy the beauty.
Go for walks, get the back yard ready for planting flowers or a small garden, and maybe purchase a new sprinkler in anticipation of warmer weather. Find lots of ways to celebrate with family during the month of March and include some of the wild and wacky holidays below.
International Ideas Month – Do you have an idea for a top-notch invention like the world has never seen? Would you secretly like to be a famous inventor? This is the month to celebrate your creativity and make it happen. Read together the book The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow. Then give each person crayons and drawing paper and have them draw pictures of their invention ideas. Make sure to give each invention a creative name, too.
National Noodle Month – Gather in the kitchen and make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta together. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Melt ½ cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add eight ounces of cubed cream cheese and two tablespoons ranch dressing powder. Whisk until cream cheese melts. Slowly add two cups milk and whisk until smooth. Stir in eight ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese. Cook until melted and sauce thickens. This usually takes between five and ten minutes. Crumble in six strips of cooked bacon. Stir to blend ingredients. In a large bowl, combine 16 ounces of pasta cooked according to package directions, drained, and cooled with two chicken breasts, cooked and shredded. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Crumble two strips of cooked bacon and spread evenly on top of pasta dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about twenty minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
National Pet Sitters Week – If you have a pet sitter, consider sharing a special treat like a gift card or animal-themed t-shirt or another personal present. Plan on reading some of these fun chapter books about pet sitters, too: Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter by Ann Martin; Miles Lewis, Pet Sitter by Kelly Starling Lyons; Must Love Pets: Dog’s Best Friend by Saadia Faruqi or Must Love Pets: Kitten Chaos by Saadia Faruqi.
Act Happy Day – Plan to make some fun, happy-face emoji crafts to celebrate the day. You’ll need yellow paper plates, large wiggle-eyes, markers, large wooden craft sticks, and glue. Get creative to make happy-faces with the craft materials and glue craft sticks in place to turn each face into a puppet. Consider putting on a puppet show with some of the plates once the glue is completely dry.
National Old Stuff Day – Work together to do a little spring cleaning and cull some “old stuff” from closets, storage shelves and the attic. Donate gently-used “old stuff” to an organization who can repurpose the items. Find a way to reuse or recycle “stuff” that’s past the point of sharing with someone else. Celebrate the completion of your spring cleaning holiday with a milkshake or another treat and talk about “old” memories shared as a family.
March burst onto the calendar like a lion, blowing strong breezes and a last-minute dab of wintry-like weather – at least by southern standards. Look forward to spring and make all sorts of plans to enjoy with the family. Make every day a holiday with the ones you love and enjoy every moment of March with family.
Statesboro native Julie Lavender enjoys spending time with her family, getting outdoors to observe God’s beautiful creations and writing. Her most recent book, coauthored with husband David, releases next month. Look for "Raising Good Sons: Christian Parenting Principles for Nurturing Boys of Faith and Character" from Penguin Random House.