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Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Crossword Puzzle Day – Holiday Review

Crossword Puzzle Day is held each year on December 21. A journalist (Arthur Wynne) invented this fun word game we all enjoy today. His first crossword puzzle was published in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913. Today this challenging word game is enjoyed by millions around the world.

Crossword Puzzle Facts

The crossword puzzle is the most popular of all the word games.

The objective of the game is to fill the white spaces of a grid with the words for the given clues. Black spaces separate individual words.

The levels of these puzzles range from simple puzzles for kids to challenging puzzles for adults.

Reasons to do Crossword Puzzles

In addition to being fun, crossword puzzles also provide additional benefits:

They sharpen the brain for problem-solving.
They may help delay the effects of dementia, so exercise your brain with a crossword puzzle.
They can increase vocabulary.
If you are bi-lingual or learning a new language, consider completing a crossword puzzle in your second language.
They can even relieve the mind from the day's stresses.

Challenge yourself to complete a puzzle a day for fun, entertainment and for any of the reasons above.

My brother always begins his day with a coffee in one hand and a newspaper with a crossword puzzle to solve! Where others have given up the daily newspaper delivered to their door (in favor of quick news online and on TV), Ken loves his newspaper for the daily crossword puzzle. Many turn first to the 'funnies' for their morning entertainment via a newspaper; Ken goes straight to the crossword puzzle. He often does the daily puzzle with his wife. A fun couple activity.

Crossword Puzzle Day Summary

So, if you have not been in the habit of doing crossword puzzles, consider making it a daily habit for any of the number of reasons I have stated in this article, or simply for the fun of it!

If you do not subscribe to a daily newspaper, which always has a crossword puzzle, a daily crossword calendar can give you one for every day.

New York Times Crossword Page-A-Day® Calendar 2026

This desk calendar features daily crossword puzzles designed to challenge and entertain. The easier puzzles start at the beginning of each week, then progress to some serious stumpers. But, never fear, if you get stuck, the solution is on the reverse side of each page.

Numerous crossword puzzle books are published regularly and available in many stores. Crossword puzzles can also be found online and on apps for your Smartphone.

National Crossword Puzzle Day

December 21

More Links to Word Puzzles Articles on ReviewThisReviews

More Links to Holiday Articles on ReviewThisReviews.

Click here for more crossword puzzles in a variety of forms

National Crossword Puzzle Day Holiday Review was written by

Wednesday Elf on 12/21/2022

*Crossword Puzzle Images courtesy of Pixabay.

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

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Monday, December 20, 2021

Birds: Reviewing My Experiences with Window Strikes

As someone who loves birds, and considers myself a beginner bird-watcher, I was vaguely aware that bird injuries via window strikes is a thing. But it was a distant thought and nothing I concerned myself with. I suppose I imagined that window strikes only occurred in cities with massive buildings, lots of glass, and limited outdoor space. And that only startled birds took flight and flew into buildings in their fright. I am finding that I was wrong about the frequency and locations of window strikes. I thought it important to pass on my experiences to our readers who may also be concerned about the safety of the birds in their communities.

My Own Recent Experiences with Window Strikes Causing Death and Injury

I have recently moved to my new, small home that is located on a mountain ridge and next to a wooden area. Bird-watching is one of my favorite things here and was one reason I chose to locate my house on the property; next to the treeline where the most bird activity occurs.

My home is small. To take advantage of both natural light and the views, I have a window-door configuration at both ends of my home that in essence creates glass corners. I love them and consider these to be the highlights of my home. Unfortunately, I had not known that this window set-up is at high risk for window strikes.

My first clue was while the house was still under construction. I found a deceased Yellow-billed Cuckoo on a scaffold set up just under my bedroom window (one of the door-window configurations I mentioned earlier). All About Birds by The Cornell Lab states "Yellow-billed Cuckoos are slender, long-tailed birds that manage to stay well hidden in deciduous woodlands" and "Yellow-billed Cuckoos are fairly easy to hear but hard to spot." How very sad that my first spotting of one of these bashful birds was via a window strike. Still, I did not expect that there would be more window strikes at my home. I assumed that the Yellow-billed Cuckoo just was taken by surprise by my newly installed windows (installed just that week into openings that had been open for months due to supply chain problems).

Last week, I was sitting in my livingroom, in the corner window area, when a bird strike occurred. The bird was stunned. I was unsure about what to do - intervene and "help" the bird while knowing that typically human intervention with wildlife is often the opposite of helpful or leave it to fend for itself. While I searched the internet for advice, the bird recovered enough to fly away. It was then I realized that my home is the problem and not just a one-time problem.

Bird Strikes Information

According to The Cornell Lab's All About Birds, "For birds, glass windows are worse than invisible". Due to the reflections of the surrounding area, in my case the sky and trees, the birds see an area they'd like to fly into. According to the study they cite (2014) "about 1 billion birds die from window strikes each year". They also report that even birds that appear to be only stunned from the strike and able to fly away are often fatally wounded. Which is not happy news at all. (Read the article in it's entirety here.)

Not only do bird strikes occur during daylight hours when the glass reflects the surroundings (in the case with my home) nighttime strikes occur because the lighted windows divert migrating birds from their route. According to this article dated 2017, it is not fully understood why this happens. More research might find more current information about nocturnal window strikes and migrating birds. At this time, however, I am focused on learning solutions for my windows. As you can see in the photo above, the trees and sky are reflected almost perfectly in the glass. And that is what the birds are seeing and flying into.

Decreasing the Risk of Window Strikes

The short answer for decreasing the risk of window strikes in cases like mine is interrupting the reflection of the sky and trees.

Window screens. Both bird strikes occurred on the glass (unscreened) portions of my window/door. Placing screen over the entire windows stops the reflections. This may be an option for me for my windows. But unfortunately, not for my sliding doors.

Interior curtains or blinds. These are definitely options for my bedroom door and window. Those areas could easily remain with closed curtains. However, the bird strike in the livingroom occurred with me sitting near the sliding door and looking out. Even with a curtain over the livingroom slider there would be extended periods of time that the curtain would be open and the birds at risk.

Bird Tape, One-Way Transparent Film, and Window Decals. Covering the glass with closely spaced objects break up the reflection enough to deter the birds. The transparent film covers the entire window which makes the windows appear opaque to the birds but remain clear when on the inside looking out. This is the solution I'm researching and will probably pursue. I want to preserve my view while protecting the birds I love so much.

As odd as it might sound, this is another reason I am thankful for my small house. I believe that is why I noticed the most recent window strike. I can only imagine how many occur and are never observed. If I had not heard the collision and seen that poor stunned bird on my deck, I would not have learned about how lethal windows are for our backyard and migratory birds. With this information I will be able to find a good solution. At this point I am leaning toward curtains for the bedroom glass and window clings for the livingroom glass. However, I am still researching Collidescape brand window "dots" and window film as well as the WindowAlert cling designs.

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Sunday, December 19, 2021

The Best Baby Booties - A Personal Recommendation

The arrival of our Granddaughter has given me an education on what's popular and what's not with baby products.

Having raised four sons, I know a thing or two about constantly losing baby socks.

About a month ago, I noticed our super-cute Granddaughter had these very warm, comfy, and secure booties on her feet. I asked my daughter-in-law what kind they were, and she informed me they were called "Hudson Baby Booties."

Hudson Baby Booties Come in a Variety of Sizes, Designs, and Colors - They're Awesome!

Here's One Pair Our Granddaughter Wears

I've since purchased two additional pairs for our Granddaughter, and I highly recommend them for gifts. If I were a new mom starting out, I'd want many pairs of these to go with a wide variety of outfits.

What's So Great About These Booties?

They're soft and comfortable
They're cozy and warm
They're easy to put on and remove
They have never fallen off of our Granddaughter's feet!
They come in multiple designs, sizes, and colors
They make a lovely gift
No more losing sockies
They open up wide for baby's feet to go in
They velcro-wrap for closing
Great for cold winter nights or cooler days
A good choice when taking baby for a walk or in the car

Notice How Much They Open So You Can Easily Put Them On

The Tongue is Soft - Pulls Forward so Foot can Easily Go Inside

Here's a Look At the Velcro Close

The Two Velcro Sides wrap around Baby's Ankle - They Stay On!

I highly recommend these booties for the baby in your life. Several pairs of these, in multiple sizes, make an excellent gift. In fact, these are now my go-to baby gift. They're usable, cute, and practical. Our Granddaughter, especially now during the winter months, wears hers daily.

You can find Hudson Baby Booties here on Amazon.

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Saturday, December 18, 2021

Oatmeal Muffin Day – A Food Holiday Review

National Oatmeal Muffin Day is celebrated on December 19th each year. It's one of those minor holidays with no known origin, but since it involves a delicious and healthy muffin, we are happy to celebrate this fun foodie day.

A Bit of Background

A Muffin, or Quick-Bread, is similar to cupcakes both in size and in cooking method.

Muffins are popular breakfast foods, especially served with coffee.

Muffins come in many varieties and can be savory (like cheese muffins) or sweet like blueberry or banana nut muffins.

Oatmeal muffins have oatmeal as the primary ingredient – which has many health benefits which far outweigh any worry you might have over calories.

Oatmeal muffin recipes began appearing in American cookbooks as long ago as the mid-1800s. They are made with flour, butter, eggs, OATMEAL, and baking soda as the raising ingredient.

Quick Recipe for Easy Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients for a quick & easy oatmeal muffin recipe I like that I found on Allrecipes include 1 cup of quick cooking oats, milk, an egg, vegetable oil, flour and salt. Baking powder is added as the raising ingredient.

You can find the exact list of ingredients and also the directions for mixing this muffin recipe at the Allrecipes site for Easy Oatmeal Muffins.

Prep time is about 15 minutes and baking in a preheated oven (at 425 degrees) is 20-25 minutes. Not long at all for a dozen tasty breakfast muffins. A warm, delicious treat on a cold morning.

Summary

So whip up a batch of Oatmeal Muffins, or pick up a few at your local bakery, to celebrate this day with a delicious & healthy breakfast treat.

National Oatmeal Muffin Day

December 19

For more Muffin Reviews, check out ReviewThisReviews: Muffins

For more Holiday Reviews, check out the ReviewThisReviews Holiday Category

*National Oatmeal Muffin Day review written by

~Wednesday Elf

**Images are from Pixabay; Intro image was created with GetStencil.

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Friday, December 17, 2021

Christmas Pen Pals Movie Review

I am always thrilled to find a new wonderful Christmas movie!

Most often, I default back to classics of the past during the holidays, but this year I was searching for something new. I tried several that ended with the movie being clicked off within the first 15 minutes. I wanted a good movie, not just a time-passer. When I discovered "Christmas Pen Pals" starring Sarah Drew & Niall Matter, I knew almost immediately that I had found the Christmas movie gem I was seeking.

This sweet, romantic movie was perhaps a bit predictable since we knew Hannah (Sarah Drew) was going to fall in love. However, there were plenty of fun surprises along the way that kept my attention and made me hopeful that this kindhearted woman would find someone who loved her as much, or more, than she loved them.

Yes, I know. I am an unapologetic hopeless romantic! I love a great love story whether I am reading a book or watching a movie. Of course, no love story is better than a real life love story, but we rarely get to see that from the very beginning and see those first sparks.

Christmas Pen Pals Movie Synopsis

Hannah Morris has a well organized life and in isolated from people and pain by her electronics and gadgets. As the creator of a dating website, her financial stability is also dependent on the internet via those devices. When her company partner shares how their site is struggling because people are leaving it in droves due to the lack of the emotional element they desire, the two woman know they need a new "catch" to continue to succeed.

CHRISTMAS PEN PALSCheck Price Unfortunately, Hannah also lacks a romantic relationship in her own life. That makes it rather hard for her to envision how to set up a new dating app that would have the needed emotional appeal. When searching through her phone list of men from her past, she accidentally calls her dad. Because she doesn't want to let her father down, she ends up agreeing to come home for Christmas.

However, home is where Hannah must come face to face with pain, the past, and the reality of Christmas at home without her mother. But, she is also greeted by family and friends who welcome her home with open arms.

The town is celebrating Christmas this year by having secret pen pals assigned to participants who decide in advance if they are seeking love or a new friendship. Because of her current work problem, she decides to check "love" on the application, hoping she will find that needed inspiration for her dating website.

Does she find that inspiration and the "catch" she needs to be professionally successful? I won't tell!

You must watch the movie for yourself to find out.