With a little imagination and DIY knowledge, you can make the most of the warmer days, right in the comfort of your own backyard. One fun idea is to create an outdoor theater, and it’s easier than you think! Below are tips for putting together the ultimate outdoor theater so you can enjoy your favorite movies under the stars!
Theater Set Up
First things first: grab your projector andpick your favorite spot in the backyard!It’s easy to set up a sheet or a portable screen with a stand against the exterior wall of your home. If you don’t have enough space, consider setting up in the driveway against your garage door. You’ll also want to invest in portable outdoor speakers that fill the area with sound.
To stream your movie, connect your projector to your favorite media streaming source.
Classic Snacks
When it comes to movie snacks, it’s all about what you like. Fresh popcorn from a popcorn machine is a movie theater staple, but don’t forget about the chewy chocolates, sour gummy candies, cheesy nachos, and ice-cold drinks! You can’t go wrong with a savory or sweet popcorn tin or sample from The Popcorn Factory to make your backyard movie night even more POPtastic!
Viewing Comfort
Here’s where the real advantage comes in. Now you can enjoy your movie-going experience from a picnic blanket, a lounge chair, or even from a cozy hammock. There are so many options and the choice is yours!
As humans, we are always on the lookout for a little magic. Taking a foray into the realm of the supernatural is both fascinating and exhilarating, whether it’s fanciful daydreams or a deep dive into a fantastical world of mythical creatures.
And there is little debate over which magical animal is at the top of the food chain (figuratively speaking): the unicorn. This unmistakable horse-like being features a single spiraling horn on its forehead, making it impossible to overlook.
Here are 10 fascinating facts about unicorns
1. Unicorns are earthbound
That’s right: Despite possessing beauty and power that seemingly defy the laws of our universe, unicorns call our humble Earth “home.” While we’re happy to share our space with such majestic creatures, they do set a pretty unrealistic standard for us earthlings.
2. Unicorns are small but mighty
While a unicorn may be large in stature next to a common human, among beasts, it’s quite diminutive. You should never underestimate these horned horses, though, because they are powerful enough to bring down an elephant. (We think they’d probably just get along and be friends…)
3. They are solar powered
If you happen to stumble upon a unicorn in the forest, you won’t see it munching grass; that’s way too mundane. They actually use their horns to absorb the sun’s light and convert it into energy.
4. Those iconic horns have a name
A unicorn’s horn is called an “alicorn” and is said to contain magical healing powers.
5. You’ll have to hike if you want to find a unicorn
Unicorns are rumored to live deep within forests (preferably enchanted ones), so you’re unlikely to ever see one. Of course, you should still stay vigilant the next time you take a stroll through the woods.
6. Unicorns stick together
Typically, unicorns live in groups of four to five, making them communal creatures. While we’ve never had the honor to enter the inner unicorn circle, we’re sure the conversation is top-notch.
7. They’ve been around a long time
In the Middle Ages, unicorns didn’t necessarily symbolize fantasy: While still magical, they represented grace in the age of castles and knights.
8. They’re multi-hued
Like normal horses, unicorns come in a variety of colors, each as vibrant and beautiful as the last.
9. Unicorns tend to have blue or purple eyes
As with coat colors, other eye colors are possible, but most unicorns have either blue- or purple-colored eyes.
10. They are magical beyond belief
Speaking of color, if you manage to lay hands on a white unicorn, you’ll receive a special gift — eternal happiness.
Whether you’re on a quest to find a unicorn, just hoping you stumble upon one by accident, or are simply happy to see them in your imagination and on the big screen, there’s no denying that these mythical creatures are inspiring.
Give the gift of unicorns
You’ve got your fill of facts about unicorns. Now it’s time to look for whimsical unicorn-related gifts. There’s no need to go beyond the rainbow or traipse through an endless enchanted forest. From bouquets bursting with colors to unicorn-themed treats, we have unicorn gifts for every occasion.
Like flowers, friends are a colorful addition to our lives, adding beauty, inspiration, and happiness to all our days. To celebrate this unique bond, we’ve collected some of the most inspiring quotes about friendship, from everywhere from Hollywood to literature.
International Friendship Day is July 30 this year, so grab your favorite pals and celebrate your special relationships and memories! If your friends are close at heart but far in distance, pick your favorite quote about friendship and pair it with a heartfelt card about friendship delivered straight to their inbox!
Friendship quotes
“What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” – Aristotle
“Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought that no one but myself…’” – C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” – Elbert Hubbard
“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” – Mark Twain
“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” – Linda Grayson
“’We’ll be Friends forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet. ‘Even longer,’ Pooh answered.’” – A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
“’Why did you do all this for me?’ he asked. ‘I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’ ‘You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.’” – E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web
“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” – Muhammad Ali
“There’s not a word yet, for old friends who’ve just met.” – Jim Henson, Favorite Songs from Jim Henson’s Muppets
“A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.” – Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.” – Mario Puzo, The Godfather
“Friends are the family you choose for yourself.” – Author unknown
“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” – Jim Morrison
“Close friends are truly life’s treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.” – Vincent van Gogh
“Friends are like walls. Sometimes you lean on them, and sometimes it’s good just knowing they are there.” – Author unknown
“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” – Winnie the Pooh
“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” – Oprah Winfrey
“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” – Henry Ford
“But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.” – Thomas Jefferson
“True friends are like diamonds – bright, beautiful, valuable, and always in style.” – Nicole Richie
“False friendship, like the ivy, decays and ruins the walls it embraces; but true friendship gives new life and animation to the object it supports.” – Richard Burton
“Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.” – William Blake
“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” – Woodrow T. Wilson
“Things are never quite as scary when you have a best friend.” – Bill Watterson
Smiling is the universal sign of happiness. Handshakes, hugs, and bows all mean different things to different people, but smiling spans across all cultures. Read further for more smile facts and uncovered conundrums surrounding the art of smiling, and make this summer a summer of smiles!
It is scientifically proven that people are attracted to those who smile and are pushed away by those who frown or scowl. A study conducted by Orbit found that 69% of people preferred a smiling face not wearing makeup to a non-smiling, makeup-wearing face!
Did you know that you can trick yourself into being in a better mood simply by smiling? Try it! It’s hard to be down when you have a genuine smile on!
Smiling helps you relax and boosts your immune system.
Smiling lowers blood pressure.
Smiling releases endorphins and relieves stress.
Smiling is a sometimes referred to as a natural pain killer!
Smiles are contagious- a study done in Sweden at Uppsala University showed that people struggled to frown when they looked at other people who were smiling, and their muscles twitched into smiles on their own!
It takes 62 muscles to frown, but only 26 muscles to smile!
The two muscles that create a smile are the zygomatic major and the orbicularis oculi.
Other muscles can simulate a smile, but only the two above create a genuine, involuntary smile.
Duchenne smiles are the scientific name for genuine smiles.
The crinkling in the corner of the eyes is a tell-tale sign of a genuine smile.
People who smile are more likely to get a promotion.
Smiles are the most easily recognized facial expression; they can be recognized from over 300 feet away.
Women smile more than men.
Women are more likely to tell the difference between a genuine and a fake smile.
Babies start smiling as soon as they are born in their sleep. They start voluntarily smiling as soon as four weeks of age.
Newborns prefer a smiling person to a non-smiling person.
A dog smiles by wagging its tail!
It is rare to smile when reading a funny passage from a book on our own, but when that same passage is read out loud to us, or even if other people are in the room, most people are likely to smile then.
American emoticons focus on the mouth 🙂 🙁 whereas Japanese emoticons focus on the eyes ^_^ – _- Studies show that Japanese emphasize the upper half of a face when determining its trustworthiness, whereas Americans focus on the lower half.
Primates smile for all the same reasons humans do.
The orbitofrontal cortex, which distinguishes feelings for people with whom we have a close relationship from others, becomes active when parents see their own babies smile, but not other babies.
When people subconsciously mimic a false smile, they don’t experience the same brain activity as an authentic one. This mismatch lets them know something’s wrong.
Research has found that a slow onset smile (a smile that takes longer to spread across the face) is found to be more trustworthy, authentic, and sometimes flirtatious than a fast onset smile.
The orbitofrontal cortex, which distinguishes feelings for people with whom we have a close relationship from others, becomes active when parents see their own babies smile, but not other babies.
When people subconsciously mimic a false smile, they don’t experience the same brain activity as an authentic one. This mismatch lets them know something’s wrong.
Research has found that a slow onset smile (a smile that takes longer to spread across the face) is found to be more trustworthy, authentic, and sometimes flirtatious than a fast onset smile.
And don’t forget- sending flowers is a sure way to deliver a smile!
Whether they’re big or small, scented or unscented, cut or uncut, flowers always make us happy. But there are some flowers that are a little extra cheerful — the ones that instantly put a smile on your face.
If you’re having one of those off days (you know, the ones where you just miss the bus or spill your coffee before you even get to work), or you know a friend who’s going through a tough time, here are five of our favorite flowers that are sure to give anyone who receives them a serious pick-me-up.
Sunflowers
Nothing says “Have a sunny day” like a bouquet of sunflowers. After all, it’s right there in the name. Not only do sunflowers embody pure joy, but they also teach us to thrive and turn toward the light, even in the darkest of times.
Gerbera daisies
With their large flowering head that closely resembles a sunflower, gerbera daisies also have the power to lift anyone’s spirits. What distinguishes them from sunflowers is their array of bright colors. To really put a smile on someone’s face, try mixing red, orange, yellow, purple, and pink daisies in one bouquet.
Psychedelic roses
While we love a classic red rose, sometimes you need something a little out of the ordinary. Oscar Wilde once said, “A mere color can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways” — so imagine what a dozen colors could say!
Hibiscus
With their beautiful, pale pink petals and soft bloom, hibiscus flowers have become synonymous with cheerful feelings of warmth and joy. But did you know that they have been shown to have physical health benefits as well? If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, hibiscus flowers have been known to actually lower blood pressure and improve your mood.
Tulips
With their simple, soft bloom, tulips have a feminine feel that can lighten any mood and lift everyone’s spirits. And with so many tulip colors to choose from, there are infinite ways to gift spring’s favorite flower.
In addition to flowers, we also love cats! With that said, we hope these cute cats with flowers pictures helps make you smile!
“This basket is definitely not as comfy as Mom’s bed.”After a long day, a nap in the flowers sounds like a great idea!Portrait of cute little kitten outdoors in flowersFlower pots are the best hiding place!Have you ever seen a tinier floral crown in your life!?This cat makes modeling look easy!Don’t mind me, I’m just sitting here looking adorable.little kitten wearing bow tie in the dandelion flowersThere are two types of cats: the curious and the clearly unamused.“This is how you wear it, right?”This kitten is NOT happy that the flowers are taking up his space on the windowsill.Kitten pawing vase of rosesThis white fluffy kitten is almost as fluffy as the flower bush!
Ever take the time to plan or do something nice for somebody just because? Didn’t you feel GREAT afterwards? Well, what if we told you that you could lift someone’s spirits again almost instantly and not have to do too much work to get there? The next time you see someone who could use a pick-me-up, or if you’re just feeling generous, here are 11 easy ways to spread a smile:
You certainly don’t need to be a cat owner to know how much joy a furry friend can bring to one’s life (though it helps!). But, regardless of if you have a cat or not, there is so much more to learn about these adorable little guys that many of us call family. Here are 20 of our favorite fun facts about felines:
It is estimated that 30-37% of all households in the United States have a cat.
On average, a fertile cat will produce one to two litters of kittens per year, with each litter containing four to six kittens.
Cats are intelligent enough to sense what a human is feeling and understand their overall mood.
Cats are likely to get along well with dogs if they are first introduced while the cat is less than six months old and the dog is less than one year old.
A cat’s teeth are actually sharper when they are a kitten.
On average, cats will sleep for about 15 hours per day, though some can sleep for as long as 20 hours in a single 24 hour period.
One way that cats show that they are happy or in a good mood is by closing their eyes.
The glands on a cat’s face, tail and paws release a scent that they use to mark their territory, which is why they may rub up against their humans.
Cats have the ability to make more than 100 different sounds, though dogs can only produce about 10.
Having a cat can reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes in its owner(s) by about ⅓.
Adult cats only meow when they want to communicate with humans.
Cats rely on their whiskers to determine how large an opening is and whether or not they can fit.
A cat’s brain is extremely similar to a human’s – 90% similar, in fact!
Cats’ noses have a unique pattern, which can be thought of as how each human has their own fingerprint.
Since their fur does not insulate well when wet, cats typically hate water.
Cats can jump up to six times their length.
The Egyptian Mau is known to be the oldest cat breed, and in fact, “Mau” is the Egyptian word for cat.
Cats are only able to sweat through their paws.
Female cats are generally considered to be “right-pawed,” while male cats are said to be “left-pawed.”
The scientific name for hairball is “bezoar.”
Who knew cats could be so complex? Did you learn something new today? We bet you did! If you have friends or family that love cats too, be sure to wow them with some of these facts the next time you talk!
Gifting is not only beneficial to the receiver, but the giver, too! Our new series, The Guide to Gifting, highlights the emotional and mental benefits of gifting. From sending thoughtful gifts to your family to spreading random acts of kindness to strangers, there are many ways giving increases your happiness. We speak with market-based experts to explore what works best.
If there’s one thing that nobody can deny, it’s that the holiday season is one of the happiest times of the year — there’s family, food and of course, gifts! But while most people view presents as those material items you wrap up and place under the tree, we at 1800Flowers.com believe that there is something even more special you can deliver just by donating some of your time and energy: a smile.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of 10 organizations that you can work with this holiday season to give someone the best gift of all. But first, a few tips on how to help you decide which one is right for you.
1. Think about your interests. What are you passionate about? Sports? Music? Animals? Deciding on a cause that you’d like to support is the first step to finding the perfect charity or organization. 2. Determine a distance. Are you just looking to help out locally or are you interested in traveling? If you want to stay around town, look to see what organizations work in your neighborhood. 3. Check out the mission. Once you know what type of organization you’d like to help and how far you’re willing to go, find a few and take a look at each of their mission statements. Although they may be supporting something similar, their lines of work may differ, so you’ll need to decide exactly what about that cause you’d like to help with.
Smile Farms provides work opportunities to developmentally-disabled adults
The goal of Smile Farms is to provide meaningful work opportunities to developmentally-disabled adults. This organization helps to place these individuals in positions at local farms, urban gardens and greenhouses in their respective community, and you can help! If you’re located on Long Island like we are and want to contribute to the success of this local nonprofit, learn how to host a fundraising event, form a Smile Farms club or become a Smile Farms Ambassador by clicking here. However, if you’re not and would still like to aid in the efforts of those working with developmentally disabled individuals in your area, consider the next organization – the Arc.
The Arc helps those with intellectual disabilities participate in their communities
Similar to Smile Farms, The Arc also works with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to ensure that they are included and able to actively participate in their community. To show your support for these individuals and their families, you can become a member or make a donation! Click here to find a chapter nearest you.
Special Olympics helps individuals find strength through sports
For all of the athletes out there, team up with the Special Olympics to help individuals with intellectual disabilities find strength and success through sports. As the world’s largest sports organization for athletes who are living with a disability, the Special Olympics offers 30+ Olympic-style sports for people to participate in individually or as a team to obtain the training and competition experience they’re looking for. Interested in becoming a coach or want to volunteer at a sporting event near you? Click here to find a chapter in your area.
The Ronald McDonald House provides resources to children struggling with their health
The Ronald McDonald House is dedicated to providing the necessary resources to children (and their families) who are struggling with their health. By keeping kids and their families together, they work to promote healing for all. Want to volunteer and lend a helping hand? Find your local chapter and a list of volunteer opportunities here.
Children’s wishes come true with the Make-A-Wish Foundation
The purpose of the Make-A-Wish foundation is to grant the wishes of those children who are diagnosed with life-threatening conditions. Did you know that in the U.S, a wish is granted every 37 minutes on average? If you want to make a child’s dream come true, find your local chapter and see what volunteer opportunities they have available. For those of you in New York like us, you can be a wishgranter or speaker, or become a wish story volunteer, medical outreach volunteer, office volunteer, or wish assist phone greeter or guide.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America makes great futures a reality
Did you know that each and every day, 11 million children leave school without a place to go? The Boys and Girls Clubs of America seek to help young children become outstanding citizens by offering a safe place to grow, programs that encourage good character development and the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with adults. To make a difference in a child’s life and help them get on the right path towards a successful future, find a local club near you or “give the gift of a great future” by participating in their holiday campaign.
Support service men and women with the Wounded Warrior Project
If you have service men and women in your family and hold our nation’s warriors near and dear to your heart, this is the organization for you. With a purpose to help injured service members and raise awareness about their needs, the Wounded Warrior Project serves vets and service members who received an injury or illness on or after 9/11. To support this cause, you can volunteer your time, donate, or even host an event at a school! Last but not least, you can also participate in a popular community event – the Tough Mudder.
The Habitat for Humanity provides individuals in need with a safe place to live
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit Christian housing organization that works to provide individuals in need with a safe place to life. With more than 1,400 U.S affiliates and 70+ organizations on a national level, Habitat for Humanity has helped 6.8 million people since its inception in 1976. If construction is of interest to you, lend a helping hand by joining a team of builders in your area.
Support homeless animals by donating to the ASPCA
Calling all animal lovers! Animal homelessness and cruelty are major issues for our furry friends, and the ASPCA strives to be the voice for these animals and provide them with a loving home. If you have a soft spot for pets, donate some of your time this holiday season by being an advocacy volunteer, field investigations and response daily care responder, ASPCA adoption center volunteer, or even become a foster parent!
The Teresa McCormick Center educates and connects those in need
At the Teresa McCormick Center, the primary goal is to help community members find and maintain a self-sufficient environment for themselves and their family. To aid in this, they provide access to services and resources such as food, clothing and household items, and also work to help with homeowner responsibilities such as utility bills. To learn more about the center, visit its website here.
