Thank you to all of our United States Military and their families!  

You are appreciated!

Memorial Day is a well-known, well-celebrated American holiday in May (the last Monday of the month, to be exact).  Most of us are very familiar with the holiday in that it often provides us with an extended weekend.  Yipeeeee!!  I like a long weekend as much as the next person, for sure!

According to History.com, “Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.”  Americans still celebrate this holiday with remembrance of our military members who sacrificed their lives for us.  There is often a country-wide moment of silence on Memorial Day to honor them.

Like any national holiday, there are many parades in most towns or surrounding areas that really involve the local communities.  The parades are usually pretty cool and provide a fun time for the whole family.  If you’re looking for something to do with your friends and family, check your local paper or town website to see if there are any Memorial Day parades or events happening in your area.  A major national parade that is televised and radio broadcast on some stations is the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC.  You can find more information on the American Veterans Center’s website such as time, location, sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, parking, TV and radio stations, etc.  

Another fun, and almost patriotic, happening on Memorial Day are BBQs.  You cannot even walk outside in most places without smelling a grill during Memorial Day weekend.  I keep thinking it would be a lot of fun to “crash” someones BBQ.  Maybe be their uncle’s first wife’s cousin or their best friend John’s other best friend?  Maybe I could get away with it.  

BBQs are a lot of fun and it seems everyone does a little something different.  Hamburgers, steaks, hot dogs, ribs, potatoes, corn… there are so many things you can cook out on the grill and so many sides to go with your main dish.  I’m always for a good grilled hamburger, and even a hot dog from time to time.  There’s just something special about them on a grill at a holiday BBQ; don’t you agree??  So, what is your favorite thing to grill?  Do you have a big get-together, a small family gathering, a neighborhood block party?  What is your tradition?

Some other Memorial Day weekend ideas that are cheap and  fun for the whole family include going swimming at a local park, beach, river, spring or a pool.  Even better, if you have the space, create your own Slip ‘N Slide in your own backyard (eHow provides instructions on how to make your own) or you can turn on the sprinkler for the kids to play in.  This is a great way to spend the day enjoying the outdoors, getting a little exercise and burning off the kid’s energy.  Speaking of burning, remember the sunblock, water and hats!  SPLASH!!!

There are so many arts and crafts you can do together for cheap, which are also perfect to do outdoors as well as indoors in case you have bad weather.  You can also make a lot of great food items in a Memorial Day theme, which will be enjoyable while making them AND while you eat them!  To find some ideas, check out Pinterest, Tip Junkie, DLTK’s Crafts or just do a simple Google search for more fun!  If you decide to do any of these crafts or bake any yummy goodies, share them with us by posting your pictures on my KD’s Korner Facebook page!

Better yet, share all of  your ideas and traditions on how you and your family celebrate Memorial Day!

Thank you to all of our United States Military and their families!  

You are appreciated!