Baseball and the Star-Spangled Banner

Baseball Sports Decor Wall Hanging

Reviewing how the Star-Spangled Banner became associated with sports. 

September 14, 2014, marked the 200th anniversary of the “Star-Spangled Banner”.  

It originally was a poem called "Defence of Fort M'Henry" written by Francis Scott Key 0n 9-14-1814 after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the American victory and by seeing the American flag flying over the fort.  The poem was later set to music and published under the name “The Star- Spangled Banner”.

The song gained popularity throughout the 1800s and was played by bands during public events.  On July 27, 1889, Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Tracy made it the official tune to be played at the raising of the flag. 

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that "The Star-Spangled Banner" be played at military and other appropriate occasions. 

And on March 3,1931 President Herbert Hoover signed a law officially adopting “The Star-Spangled Banner” as America's National Anthem.

How Did Our National Anthem Become Associated with Sports?

The National Anthem

So, how did the song become associated with baseball?  It happened during the 1918 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox.  A band had been hired by the Red Sox owner for each game in the World Series and, as a tribute to enlisted players and other soldiers in Europe during WWI, they played “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the seventh inning stretch.  The song was many years away from becoming our national anthem, but players still stood at attention and saluted the flag during the performance.  Servicemen in the crowd found themselves cheering and everyone burst into applause at the end of the song.  

Near the end of that World Series, the tune was played before the first pitch at Fenway Park and it was the beginning of a tradition that became a baseball game standard during World War II.  Eventually the playing of the American National Anthem became a custom adopted by other American sports and continues to this day.

This reminds me of that oldest of baseball jokes: "What are the last two words of the national anthem? Play ball!" 

Baseball Dad Flag T-Shirt on Etsy 

(c) Wednesday Elf, the Review This! Baseball Contributor

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How to Conquer Clutter by Stephanie Culp – Book Review

The 'clutter' shown in these photos is my house at the present time. My house does not normally look like this ~ this is the result of weeks of sorting and packing to make a major move.  But if your house frequently assume a look such as this, you might be ready for this book by Stephanie Culp titled “How to Conquer Clutter”. 

Clut`ter To fill with scattered or disordered things that restrict movement or efficiency.  A collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.

Or, as the author says, “all that stuff you've got all over the place that everybody keeps telling you to get rid of." 

Normal Clutter Invasions

(c) Wednesday Elf Sorting & Packing to Move

We all deal with some form of clutter from time to time, no where near as bad as my current chaotic "moving mess". 

• The children scatter their toys throughout the living room because they want to play where their special adults are instead of in the playroom or their bedrooms. 
• We get out a project and the dining room table stays cluttered while we are working on it.
• You get interrupted in the middle of a long-term desk or computer project and would lose your place if you put it away before you were finished with it. 
• You have a sewing or crafting project that will take several days to complete and putting it away before you are done would be wasted effort. 

The clutter referred to in this, and similar, books refers to the stuff that starts as a small problem and, over time, becomes a very large and overwhelming situation. By that time, we make excuses for not dealing with it. Now the 'clutterbug' handles it by saying “I'll just put it over here 'for now'. But soon 'for now' becomes forever and here  comes that clutter crisis.

Author Stephanie Culp

Stephanie Culp is an organization and time management consultant who has written several books on getting organized. Her organization firm has helped people and small businesses get – and stay – organized since 1982. 

How to Conquer Clutter

Source: Pixabay

In How to Conquer Clutter, Stephanie helps you get yourself organized and reduce or eliminate the clutter that has taken over your life. This book is informative and humorous and will give you simple ways to take back control of your stuff. 

Pack Rat – A large, busy-tailed rodent from the Rocky Mountains that collects and stores food and miscellaneous objects. Just like you!

Available on Amazon

Stephanie includes a “Pack Rat's Excuse Almanac to help you deal with the mess in your life, a 'clutter quiz' to help identify problem areas and 19 'Clutter Checklists” to provide practical ideas for storing everything you cannot live without. She deals with each area of clutter from A to Z, from addresses to ziplock bags and everything in between.  Included are areas inside the house, outside the house and under the house! Culp even tells you how to use this book by defining the worst area of clutter in your life and identifying specific problem areas so you will know where to begin. 

How to Conquer Clutter is a helpful guide to get control of and 'conquer' your clutter!  Having read this book myself (which helped me especially with my admittedly biggest clutter problem area ~ dealing with paper - filing, purging, processing, etc), I am now passing my copy of the book on to my daughter, who is an admitted  'pack rat' just like her dad. 

(c) 2018 by Wednesday Elf

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Sock Daddy Sock Review

My sister-in-law has a rescue Boston Terrier pup ~ Abbi.  Abbi is the light of her life (after my brother, of course) and she loves to collect Boston Terrier related items to show her proud preference for this sweet dog.

While out shopping one day recently, I found the perfect gift for my sister-in-law for her birthday.  On a rack of special socks with images of dogs and cats, there was one with Boston Terrier faces and paw prints all over it.  I definitely had to get it for her. 

Sock Daddy Socks

See on Amazon

The Sock Daddy Socks are made with soft combed cotton – 200 needle count – and are machine washable.  The pair of socks I purchased has 20 to 24 Boston Terrier faces woven on each pair of these socks, interspersed with paw prints. 

These socks are available in a wide variety of colors and a large selection of dog and cat breed designs.

Animal Shelter Support

Part of the proceeds of these socks support animal shelters to find new homes for pets in need!  The label states “Help us find a home for the shelter pets!”.  

My Fur-baby nieces and nephews. 

This is another reason these socks are the perfect gift, since my sister-in-law has been involved in supporting animal rescue efforts for many years and has taken in a multitude of rescue cats and dogs over the years. At one point she had Abbi, the Boston Terrier and four cats.  Today her rescued group involves Abbi and two cats, but she continues to find homes for other animals in need. 

E&S Pets Company

The Sock Daddy socks are imported by E&S Pets, a wholesale company located in Holbrook, New York.  They specialize in pet-related products in many categories. Amazon carries a large inventory of these socks in a variety of designs of breeds of both cats and dogs. Plus they are available in a number of stores. 

The Perfect Gift for Pet Lovers

Boston Terrier Sock Daddy Socks

I am so excited that I found just the perfect gift for my sister-in-law for her birthday.  I'm sure she will enjoy showing off her love for Abbi with these look-alike Boston Terrier socks! 





(c) Sock Daddy Socks by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of National Pink Day

Image Created with Stencil

National Pink Day is observed on June 23 to celebrate the color pink.  So before you read this celebration of all things PINK, go put on a pink shirt or pick a pretty pink flower.

Butterfly and Rose of Sharon Postcard

by Sylvestermouse

Pink is used to represent a variety of causes and awareness factors (breast cancer awareness, diversity issues, etc.) but today we are here to talk about the Color Pink itself.

Pink was first recognized as a color name in the late 17th century.  Combined with white or pale blue, it is associated with babyhood/childhood, often represents femininity, and has become a sweet, romantic color. 

National Pink Day does not appear to have an official origin, but is one of those 'different' days it is fun to have an excuse to celebrate. 

It is interesting to note that June is known as Rose Month and many varieties of roses are Pink.  In fact, this pale red color now called pink originally got its name from a flower of the same name. 

The Color Pink Surprised me Today

*See all my handmade pink plush animals at Coastal Crochet Crafts on Etsy.

I have a crochet shop on Etsy where I specialize in creating plush animals.  My creations range across the animal kingdom and the color spectrum.  Just because a real animal comes in a particular color in nature doesn't mean I have to stick to just that color.  Plush animals are a fantasy, especially in a child's world, and can be created in any color you desire.  Because of this, my crocheted 'critters' are represented by a wide range of fun & fanciful colors, as you can see by these pink animals in the picture.

On Etsy, we have a forum like most sites do and part of the forum is a promo section where we can show off our latest. Color themes are popular forum threads.  Today I picked one forum thread that called for 'pink' items.  I did a search within my shop in order to pick out a pink item to feature, and was absolutely amazed at how many pink items I had. 

Pink has never been one of my favorite colors stemming from the fact that I was a blond (now gray...LOL) and always thought pink didn't look good on me. It became a habit and I stayed away from anything pink.  Well, obviously that no longer applies to my world today, as my pink search selection came up with more than a dozen items in pink and several more that had pink accents.  I really surprised myself! :)

Ways to Celebrate Pink Day

• Of course, the easiest way is to wear Pink today.
• Eat or drink something pink.
• Donate to a charity that uses the color pink for their symbol.
• Pick a bouquet of pink flowers.

So, have a lovely PINK day whichever way you choose to celebrate. 

Pink Azalea Card

by mbgphoto

Related Pink Articles:

• Decorating your Living Room with Pink and Purple by Barbara Trembly Cipak
• 5 Tips to Consider when Creating a Pink Themed Room in the Home by Barbara Trembly Cipak
• The Pink Dress book review by Brenda Little
• (Pink) Rose of Sharon Flowering Bush by Sylvestermouse

(c) National Pink Day written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of Creativity on Review This!

(c) Kimberly Austin Daly, Artist*

Creativity Lives in Everyone!

My daughter is an artist.  She studied art in college, graduating with a degree in Fine Arts. But her creativity in this field has been present since she was old enough to hold a crayon.  All her life she has been compelled to draw & paint.  I've always admired her artistic ability because I can't draw a straight line with a ruler! :-)

*Artwork is the property of Kimberly Daly, Artist/Illustrator.  Copyright: Do not copy.  Permission granted for display in this story.

My hubby was a fine musician, having studied the violin for 14 years, then played the guitar for many more years and even had his own 'trio' during the 'folk music' era of our college days.

Today my son plays guitar and several other instruments and has his own local band with a group of fellow musicians.  I can't play any instrument and have no musical ability.

My brother sings and plays guitar.  My mother and sister could sing up a storm. I can't carry a tune in a bucket!  

Coastal Crochet Crafts on Etsy

I used to say to my talented family that I had no 'talent' for anything, until they reminded me that my crochet and needlework crafting was MY creative ability.  

Creative Talent is in Everyone

You don't have to be able to sing or dance, play an instrument or draw to be talented.  Creativity in ANY area is a talent all its own.  It was a nice reminder that we all have some form of creative talent, whether its in the arts & crafts field, music or dance, or simply being a wonderful cook.  Being able to express ourselves in writing is also a creative endeavor.  

Highlighting a Few Reviews Written by Our Talented Contributors on Review This!

Our team of contributors who write for Review This! review many products and do music, book and movie reviews, in addition to a wide range of other topics.  They are also very creative, sharing a variety of crafts, tutorials of DIY projects, cooking and baking recipes, and photography and gardening tips.  The following are a few examples of this team's creative talents.

Crafts Reviews

(c) Dawn Rae

How to Make Easy Christmas Tree Ornaments by Dawn Rae.  Dawn gives us easy step-by-step instructions on how to create with your children these simple, yet lovely, ornaments for your holiday tree.

(c) Bev Owens

For crochet crafters, Bev Owens tells us about this easy pattern you can use to create your own handmade poncho in her review titled Reviewing A Crochet Poncho Pattern.

(c) Wednesday-Elf

Wednesday-Elf loves to crochet, particularly stuffed animals.  Handmade crafts are her favorite, as shown in this A Bird in the Hand-i-Craft article.  In addition to her own crochet crafting, she enjoys sharing the creative talents of many other fiber art creators on Etsy.

DIY Projects

(c) RenaisanceWoman2010)

Clever & creative Diana (RenaissanceWoman2010) gives us a tutorial for a DIY Mason Jar Bird Feeder using a regular canning jar, a pretty plate or bowl, and a few other simple supplies (glue, wire, and a chick feeder base). Then just add bird seed and watch the local feathered friends in your area flock to your new bird feeder. 

Photography Tips

(c) mbgphoto

Several of the Review This contributors are photographers, but Mary Beth Granger (mbgphoto) goes one step further with sharing her fabulous photography tips for all of us to learn to take even better photographs. She shares the tips she's learned from taking photography classes and doing LOTS of practice. I would imagine Mary Beth seldom goes anywhere without a camera. Her favorite subjects are lighthouses! Check out her Review of Photography Tips for some helpful advice for your own photographs. 

Recipe Reviews

(c) Sylvestermouse

Sylvestermouse is our creative baker here on Review This! She loves to put together fancy cakes and cupcakes.  A quick look at one of her favorite cookbooks for baking (the Cupcake Cakes Cookbook) will give you an idea of some of the fun and clever ideas she often incorporates into her baking.

Gardening Tips

Olivia Morris is one of our resident gardeners.  In her How to Grow Your Way to Happiness and a Great Garden, she shares some tips for your spring planting. 

Articles on Creativity

For more articles on these creative reviews, click on each subject below:

• Crafts/DIY
• Photography
• Recipes
• Gardening

What do you consider your 'creative' talent?  

(c) Review of Creativity by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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National Hamburger Day Review

Image Source: Pixabay

Date Celebrated:  May 28

Memorial Day and the 4th of July wouldn't be the same without a juicy hamburger, so it is appropriate that a national day has been set aside to celebrate this favorite picnic food. There is no official origin for 'hamburger day', but we are glad someone picked out a day to celebrate it. 

Cook your burgers on an outdoor grill or fry them up inside.  Add your favorite fixings and enjoy!  If you add cheese, you suddenly have the popular cheeseburger, which has it's own day (National Cheeseburger Day ~ September 18).

(c) Wednesday Elf

If you don't want to cook your own, or are out-and-about on “Hamburger Day”, then stop by a local Five Guys Restaurant for a tasty burger fixed in a homemade style. 

A Few Hamburger Facts

• The hamburger was originally created in Hamburg, Germany (thus the name), but eating a hamburger on a bun is an American idea.
• The hamburger was originally made from ground up meat scraps from cutting up other meats.  First it was made with beef, but today it can be found in other forms, such as ground chicken and ground turkey for those who prefer a non-meat burger.  Other meats, such as Buffalo Burgers, have also become popular. 
• Seymour, Wisconsin has a 'Burger Fest' each year and in 2001 they made the largest hamburger ever – weighing 8,200 pounds. Burger Fest is held each August and includes a parade, a hot air balloon rally, and, of course, lots of hamburgers to eat. Check out their website Home of the Hamburger for details.
• Americans eat about 50 billion burgers every year, which equals approximately three burgers a week for every person in the U.S.

Handmade Hamburgers

The title of this paragraph indicates that here I will give you a lesson in making the perfect hamburger patty – so I will.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Take a ball of meat the size you wish your burger to be.  Some like them big served on large hamburger buns; some like them a bit smaller.  The choice is yours.

Press the meat into a patty, pressing down in the middle and patting in from the sides as you turn the burger around in your hand.  Continue until the patty is even and uniform.  It needs to be a solid disk of meat that is compacted tightly

A tip I read online at EATS – How to Make Hamburger Patties said to prevent the cracks around the edges as the burger cooks (caused by shrinking due to the cooking process), slightly depress the center of the patty when you are finished shaping it to make it thinner in the middle than it is around the edges.  The depression tends to push a little extra meat towards the edges, making an even patty once it is cooked.

More Handmade Hamburgers

Now, since I am a craftsman of handmade items, I shall continue a bit with my 'Handmade Hamburger' theme and show you a few clever handmade items representing this favorite food.

Hamburger Cookies

Homemade Hamburger Cookies

Mona Flood of Orlando, Florida makes homemade cookies.  Her Hamburger Cookies are adorable and perfect for a picnic-themed party or to celebrate Hamburger Day in a fun way. Each cookie is roughly 3 inches in size and is individually packaged in a FDA compliant clear cellophane baggie and heat sealed to ensure freshness and a safe arrival. 

They are a made with a Shortbread cookie recipe, a rich buttery cookie that melts in your mouth.  

The ingredients list is in the listing in her Etsy Shop called Merci Bakery.  Each cookie is individually decorated. 

Hamburger Apron

Handmade Hamburger Design Apron - Etsy

This hamburger design apron is perfect for those backyard BBQs, especially when burgers are on the menu.  Handmade by a crafter from Clare, Michigan and featured in her SweetApronzNCupcakes Etsy Shop, this is an adult size apron made of a black fabric with large hamburgers on it. Some of the hamburgers are singles, others are double deckers, some have bacon on top, others have lettuce and tomatoes.

Hamburger Playfood Crochet Toy

Crochet Amigurumi Hamburger/Cheeseburger Play Food

Kimberlie of Redlands, California created this cute hamburger/cheeseburger play food 7-piece toy for kids who love to play in a pretend kitchen. The set contains 7 separate play-pieces to stack the perfect burger.  They include the Top bun, Tomato, Lettuce, Onion, Cheese, Patty, and Bottom bun. 
All the pieces are soft and squishy, especially the top bun, which has been stuffed with polyester stuffing. 
The entire stacked burger measures about 3.5" tall, and about 3.5" wide. 

It can be found in Kimberlie's Etsy Shop she calls ShopKimberlie.


Related Links:

Handmade Crochet Hamburger/Cheeseburger Potholders Tutorial

And for my fellow crafters, here is a free tutorial to crochet a set of potholders which look like a hamburger or cheeseburger when stacked together. 

Hamburger Month

In addition to May 28th being a DAY to celebrate the humble hamburger, The entire month of May is is known as National Hamburger Month. 

So get those burgers grilling, pile on the condiments, and enjoy National Hamburger Day and Month with a tasty hamburger! 


(c) National Hamburger Day Review by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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