National Nurses Week

Every year from May 6th – 12th the American Nurses Association celebrates National Nurses Week. The 2011 theme is “Nurses Trusted to Care.” May 12th, the last day of the celebrated Nurses Week, is Florence Nightingale's birthday! Since 1998, May 8th has been designated National Student Nurses Day, and whichever date the Wednesday of that week falls on has been designated National School Nurse Day as of 2003. Nurses week is not only celebrated in the United States, as May 12th of each year is International Nurses Day and is celebrated around the world!
With National Nurses Week only a bit over a week away, I would like to take this opportunity to remember and thank all the wonderful nurses that I have known personally this past year. It's been a rather tough year for my family, with more than one family member being hospitalized and for long periods of time, as well as my mother being cared for on a daily basis at the nursing facility where she has lived for almost exactly a year to this date. Without their expertise, kindness, caring, and general help in all areas I dont' know what we would have done. If you have ever had a loved one in the hospital you know how important the nurses and nurse aides are. They spend the most time with the patient, and are responsible for most of their care in every aspect.
My mom has some wonderful nurses and aides who tend to her needs every day. They not only administer her medications, help her with her meals, and help her to change and bathe, but they bring her smiles and friendship. One day lately when I went to see her, one of the nurses was helping my mom and my mom looked at me when I first got there and said "Oh I'm glad you're here, I should pay this girl for helping me and I don't have any money". (My mother has dementia and thought she should pay the nurse). The nurse immediately said 'Ohhhh no, you don't need to pay us. We just do it because we love you!" and she gave my Mom a hug. They both smiled and hugged and I felt the love. They were not words, she really does love my mom. That made me feel so good, to know that the people who tend to her on an every day basis actually care about her and love her, and are not merely doing a job.
So thank you! Thank you to all the nurses who I have met this past year, who have helped my family so much. I can't say enough or feel stronger about the importance of the job you do, and how well you do it!

Mad Scientist Birthday Party

I have promised for some time to upload some photos of my grandson's 7th Mad Scientist Birthday Party given by his mom, my daughter. His birthday was a few months ago and being it was mid winter here, it was indoors. Many of his schoolmates were invited as well as adults, the friends parents, and of course his own uncles and grandparents.

My daughter puts a lot of forethought and effort in planning parties, and the results show. Not only was there a lot of fun, very cool, and educational activities for the kids, there was also great party decorations, cute and yummy cakes, and great food.

Some of the really cool things about this party in my opinion was that she did several different very cool science experiments. With the help of several adults, the kids made green slime, a little tornado in a bottle, a mini lava lamp, and even made snow! These items were purchased from an online site, stevespanglerscience.com. There were plenty of test tubes, petri dishes, as well as buckets of eyeballs, brains, monster fingernails, and other lab animals scattered throughout the two big rooms the party was held in.

One of the rooms was done almost entirely like a dungeon type lab complete with brick walls, tables full of scary brains and such, magnifying glasses, skulls, test tubes, rubber snakes and lab rats, and even a fog machine to give the room an even more eerie feel. The kids loved it!

Lab coats were handed out to each child as they arrived, and each child was also given a clear plastic name tag button to wear on his lab coat that had his name as Dr. Example Sample. The invites clearly stated to dress with "wacky hair" so most kids came with hair ratted up or with pink or blue hair. They fit right in with the mad scientist theme!

The tables were covered with bright green tablecloths, square silver paper plates, eyeball napkins, and cups for green juice that were clear with an eyeball glued inside each one! Each child was able to take home their cup, which they were really happy about. Jello jigglers were made in little petri dishes, individual bags of chips were handed out, pizzas were delivered, and there was plenty of fresh veggies and dip, cupcakes, ice cream, and cake to go around. My daughter decorated one of the cakes to look like a giant eyeball!

And when the party was over, each child took home a bag of treats that included swirly straws, stickers, candy treats, and more in a science theme paper bag.

What a hit this party was with the kids and adults alike. I have a feeling there's going to be more mad scientist theme birthday parties being held in the near future!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all my friends, family members, and online friends and customers! I hope that your day will be full of peace, love, friends and family, and a renewed energy and happy soul as you look forward to the coming summer. May you get to spend time with people who are special to you, and you to them. If your loved ones are not able to be with you, I hope you will get the chance to say hello via phone or facebook. I hope you find the simple joys of life still abound.
I want to thank you for your friendship. I want to thank you for your time, for reading my blog posts, for visiting my website and sending ecards, for purchasing your T-shirts and other items from my stores.
I hope your Easter is blessed and memorable in a very good way.

Spectacular T-shirts for Mom

Mother's Day will be celebrated this year on May 08, 2011. Mother's Day is a great time to let your mom, grandma, or another person who acts as your mother figure know that you appreciate her, think the world of her, and love her. Whether you celebrate the day together over dinner or you just give her a quick call to let her know you are thinking of her, it will let her know she's special.
Children love to give mom flowers on this day, whether they are picked, store bought, or made of tissue paper and pipe cleaners. They love to make her breakfast in bed, and are so proud to have done this act of kindness for mommy. A paper card with "MOM" written out in crayon and a stick figure mom becomes a treasured work of art that Mom will keep forever.
At Peacock Cards, we know how important family is, and we know that Mom is the heart of the home. We have many T-shirts for both Mom and for the kids to help celebrate Mother's Day. Imagine the surprised look on Mom's face when the kids walk into the bedroom with a breakfast tray for her wearing T-shirts that say "My Mom is Best" or "My Mommy Rocks!".
Check out the beautiful Mom and Grandma design T-shirts we have in our Mom Gifts store. They make great Mother's Day gifts for Mom and Grandma but can be worn all year. We also have some really cute shirts for the first time Mommy celebrating her first Mother's Day.

And for the kids to wear on Mother's Day to show their love and adoration for Mom we offer these adorable T-shirts and bodysuits!

The Royal Wedding

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am so far from being the princess type. I'm not girly girl nor ever have been. I'm not one who wears nail polish, makeup, or even very much jewelry for that matter. I only dress up when I need to, and dresses have never been much of staple for me, even as a teen. I'm a jeans type of girl and always have been.
That said, I am a bit of a romantic at heart, and like thousands of people, I look forward to watching the royal wedding on April 29th! I recall watching the wedding or Princess Diana and Prince Charles years back, and that of Prince Andrew and Princess Fergie. I can easily get glued to the television. I'm not sure what it is about princess and princes, kings and queens, that I find so fascinating, but I do.
The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton will take place on Friday, April 29th at Westminster Abbey. As it will be very early here in the United States, I haven't yet decided whether I will go to sleep earlier than normal or just stay up all night! I'm a night owl, so at this point I'm thinking I may just opt to stay up all night.
What is it about princess and castles, knights in shining armor, kings, queens, princes, and crowns that peak our curiosity? Is it because in life we grow up believing in all things magical...the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, leprechauns and the like...and it's a bit of reality mixed with fantasy to know that kings and queens and princesses that we read about in fairy tales are actually real?
Whatever it is, I for one will be glued to the television watching the royal wedding! If you love fairy tales, princess, kings, queens, knights in shining armor, romance, fantasy, princes, and the like...check out some of the cute princess T-shirts, mugs, cards, stickers, and other items for sale in our stores.