With the Fourth of July falling midweek in 2018, fewer Americans are expected to celebrate the summer’s biggest holiday than in years past — 216 million, down from 2017’s 219 million, USA Today reports. More than half of revelers are expected to have a cookout or picnic, with the forecast for a large portion of the United States being clear enough for fireworks, while the Great Lakes, Northeast, and parts of the South could see scattered storms. Of the millions of Americans heading out of town, many will contend with the highest gas prices in four years, at an average of $2.86 a gallon, up about 63 cents from the year before. Americans are expected to spend more than $900 million on fireworks and more than $1 billion on beer, and consume some 150 million hot dogs, PennLive reports: Americans expected to drink $1 billion of beer, eat 150 million hot dogs on July 4

Americans may love Thanksgiving — but not the side dish of political fighting that often comes with it. According to a new poll, 58 percent of those surveyed said they dread talking about politics during the holidays. Source: Potatoes And Pies Are OK, But Poll Shows Americans Don’t Want Politics For Dinner

I think the first time it happened to me this year was last weekend, the beginning of November, in an IKEA. When we rounded that final corner to the cash registers, my boyfriend and I came face to face with hundreds of artificial holiday trees waiting to bought. Afterwards, I started noticing advent calendars and ornaments popping up almost everywhere I go, along with mentions of the holidays in my social feeds. Source: How to Block Premature Holiday Posts on Facebook

I love how Kris handled this situation. First of all, she set clear limits that were easy to follow (no dessert). She was able to involve the whole family, which not only makes it easier for her to stay on track, but also improves the health of her loved ones. Source: How to Set your Holiday Table for Joy Rather than with Shame and Guilt – Positively Positive!! Positively Positive!!

Every year, on the second Monday of October, the U.S. celebrates Columbus Day, which commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Yet he sailed for the Spanish, landed in the Caribbean, and was kind of a jerk. So, uh, why is this a U.S. holiday again?

Source: The Real History of Columbus Day

Consider this data as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Teacher-About-Christopher-Columbus/dp/1595589856/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1507646247&sr=8-4&keywords=lies+my+teacher+told+me

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things is now on Netflix, which means you can stream it with your friends and family during the holidays.

Source: Minimalism Documentary on Netflix | The Minimalists

So happy to see that one of my favorite blogs and podcasts now has a documentary available on Netflix. #recommendednewyearsviewing

Director Frank Capra’s 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life is sacred in the holiday movie pantheon. It’s not as quotable as A Christmas Story (1983) or as lyrical as 1966’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, but the story of George Bailey has a universal message behind it that endures 70 years later. Though the movie is the quintessential Christmas tale today, when it was first released in 1946, audiences and critics were lukewarm toward the picture, resulting in a box office disappointment that killed Capra’s nascent production company, Liberty Films. In a strange twist, decades after it was first released, an unlikely clerical screw-up managed to turn It’s a Wonderful Life into the Christmastime staple we know today.

Go to the source for the rest of the story: How ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Went From Box Office Dud to Accidental Christmas Tradition | Mental Floss