Fabulous July 4^th!

This Wednesday, families and friends across the country will be celebrating the Fourth of July with food, fun and fireworks!  Everyone knows the drill for this holiday - fire up the grill, decorate kids’ bikes with crepe paper streamers and find the perfect spot to watch the fireworks displays!  Although it is hard to improve upon this All-American holiday, here are a few thoughts!

Give Your Kids a History Lesson!

Even though school is out, a quick primer in July 4^th history is a great idea!  The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, a document signed on July 4, 1776 declaring the United State’s independence from Great Britain.  The celebration of this momentous event began on the Declaration’s first anniversary in 1777, with much the same fanfare as today - dinners, fireworks, and red, white and blue bunting!

The American flag is the predominant symbol of this holiday and it has changed and evolved, along with our country, over the past 231 years!  In fact, the flag has been changed 26 times since its original creation!  And about that original creation – I grew up in the Philadelphia area and happily believed that Betsy Ross was the seamstress for the first American flag, as designed and requested by George Washington himself!  For better or worse, I’ve learned that this is most likely a legend since there are several theories as to who actually created the flag and no definitive answer!

The 13 stripes represent the original thirteen colonies, and stars have been added for the admission of each new state, resulting in 50 stars overall.  George Washington is credited for stating, “We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity, representing Liberty.” 

Create Your Own Fireworks!

 If it’s too far or too late at night for your family to get to the actual fireworks, consider this clever idea from Martha Stewart Living! 

• Purchase red, white and blue balloons and matching confetti. 
• Using a funnel, fill balloons with confetti until they are about ¼ filled and then inflate with a hand pump. 
• Use a sharpened pencil to pop the balloons releasing colorful confetti and fun popping noises! 

Safety Note:  be sure to supervise this activity. Kids under 8 should never handle un-inflated balloons or broken balloon pieces!

Upgrade Your Picnic Linens!

This adorable idea is also from Martha Stewart! 

• Purchase plain white cotton napkins, tablecloth or runner, along with red, white and blue fabric paint. 
• Gather various sized kitchen scrub brushes with a round shape, such as a vegetable scrubber or bottle brush. 
• Dip the brush into the paint and press firmly onto the linens. The design left by the bristles looks just like exploding fireworks in the sky! 

Dress Your Family In the Spirit of the Day!

Take an extra minute to deck out the family in red, white and blue clothing!  If you need to purchase patriotic attire, look no further than Old Navy or Target!  These stores both carry patriotic T-shirts for every member of your family for around $5!

However you choose to celebrate, enjoy this fun holiday with family and friends!