Here’s an easy way to explain the extra day to your kid

“What is leap year?” If you’ve heard that recently, and you’re wondering how to explain to your kiddos why there’s one extra day every four years, we’ve got easy answers. It’s simple (especially if they know how to count): Leap Year is all about keeping the calendar in sync with how long it takes Planet Earth to completely orbit the sun. And fun fact: It takes more than 365 days.

The earth takes almost six more hours to make its way around the sun. Add up those extra hours, and every four years, there’s an extra day on the calendar, which is where February 29th comes from.

The story of Leap Year goes way back to Julius Caesar, who added an extra day to February (this was the last month of the year in Roman times) over 2,000 years ago. However, his math wasn’t precise, and it wasn’t corrected until the Georgian calendar, which has a mathematical formula that keeps leap years in check. Yep, that means not every four years is necessarily a leap year! In layman’s terms, if the year is divisible by 100 but not 400, it’s not a leap year (e.g. 1900).

What does this mean if we didn’t have Leap Year? Well, dates would slowly shift, and eventually, the seasons would be way off. That could mean celebrating the 4th of July in the dead of winter!

And remember, while people born in February might be Leap Year babies, they can still celebrate on February 28th or March 1st!

Related: 100+ Fun Facts for Kids They’ll Want to Know

 

With many kids learning remotely, parents are looking for enrichment activities that can be accessed from home. LUMI offers a way to learn how to play the piano without leaving the house. 

LUMI

The all-in-one LUMI system lets you choose the songs you love from Beyonce to Beethoven in the app and play them instantly by following lights on an illuminated keyboard. You can select from hundreds of songs, lessons and exercises that will help to build lifelong musical skills

Roland Lamb, founder and CEO of ROLI, said: “We set out to make LUMI the world’s first fully integrated hardware, software, and content platform for music learning. Its growth and evolution over the past year truly make LUMI the easiest and most fun way to get started learning the piano. Meeting a need that’s more important than ever before, LUMI empowers people who love music to teach themselves an instrument entirely from home.”

LUMI

Previously available only on Kickstarter, LUMI was the most-funded music learning project ever on that platform. Over the past year, ROLI has comprehensively upgraded LUMI Keys and the LUMI app based on feedback from thousands of early users. These improvements include:

  • Internally redesigning LUMI Keys 1 for an overall stronger build. Now 77g heavier, the keyboard is more durable. Its key action performance is better and its key sensitivity is even more precise.
  • Tripling the size of the LUMI Complete content library, now with 400+ songs and 100+ lessons.
  • Introducing new ways to read music and play songs, including through traditional black-and-white musical notation.
  • Introducing 360 exercises for practicing scales and chords in every key.
  • Improving navigation, interactivity, and the performance of the app experience on an expanded range of devices.

Stock of LUMI Keys 1 is limited, and all preorders will be delivered on a first-ordered, first-shipped basis. Early buyers save $130 in a limited-time bundle offer that includes LUMI Keys 1, a free Snapcase, free shipping, and a $50 discount voucher to LUMI Premium all for $299.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of LUMI

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2020 has been a year for the books, with many families spending more time apart then ever. To help you feel connected, Ancestry has just announced a huge sale on some amazing products that are perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

From Nov. 1 through Nov. 23, you can catch huge savings on Ancestry Subscriptions, AncestryDNA and AncestryHealth test kits. Keep scrolling to see the deets!

Ancestry Online Gift Subscriptions

Give the gift of family this year and save 20 percent on a gift subscription. For $79.20, you can give a friend or family member access to the largest collection of online records to build the details of their family tree.

AncestryDNA (Origins & Origins + Traits)

Pick up an AncestryDNA kit for $59 and get three months of Ancestry Online Gift Subscriptions for just $1! You can also grab the Origins + Traits offer for $69 and get a precise ethnicity estimate, DNA matches and personal traits.

AncestryHealth

Normally you'd be paying $179 for this kit, but it's now on sale for $119. AncestryHealth will give you better insight into inherited health conditions, genetic conditions and traits.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of Ancestry

 

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Are you ready for an adventure? With a total of $10 million dollars in cash spread out across 10 states, The Blackbeard Treasure is launching the only treasure hunt of its kind on a scale this large. In California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas, there will be hidden and buried across cities and towns one treasure in each state containing $1 million in cash. 

Treasure map

 

The Blackbeard Treasure hunters will be given a digital map to download, clues, and riddles—all of which will lead to the treasure chest. To join the treasure hunt, participants must purchase a map on The Blackbeard Treasure website. Each map costs $49.99, and only a limited number of maps will be sold for each treasure chest. Treasure maps will be available for purchase starting Aug. 8, 2020.

“With The Blackbeard Treasure hunt, our goal is to get people excited about getting outside, either by themselves or with friends and family, in order to have the adventure of a lifetime,” said Justin Cohen, managing director of The Blackbeard Treasure. “And in the process of having the time of your life, you may just unearth a fortune.”

 

Each treasure chest contains $1 million in cash, a location beacon, and a hidden camera pointed at the precise location of the chest. Once the treasure chests are found, the winners will remove the key taped to the side of the chest, and open it. Inside, the winners will find their treasure money and a phone number to call to officially claim their treasure.

Additionally, starting Nov. 21, The Blackbeard Treasure will be following and filming select treasure hunters on their journey in search of the hidden treasures. They will be featured on an upcoming reality show, titled The Hunt for Blackbeard’s Treasure. The company is currently in negotiations with three networks in regards to airing the show.

For more details on participating in The Blackbeard Treasure hunt, please visit TheBlackbeardTreasure.com/Rules.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: N. on Unsplash

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The reality of being a parent is that it requires a lot of time, devotion and, of course, money. 

Streamline Grocery Choices

A lifelong struggle in my household, in particular, is entirely focused on one single question “What are we going to eat?” Not because we don’t have enough resources to buy food or any other similar reason. The reason that this question almost puts me in a triggered shock is the fact that nobody is willing to offer any ideas. They don’t know what they want to eat, but as it sometimes turns out, they didn’t feel like having what I’ve prepared. 

That’s why I started organizing weekly menus and stopped dealing with the question altogether. But what I’ll sometimes do is offer two options to choose from and that’s it. Also, I started organizing the menus according to ongoing sales at my local grocery store. This way, not only do I save my time and nerves trying to figure out what to eat, but I also manage to save some money.

Reuse & Recycle

Another thing that allowed me to really cut costs is saying yes to hand-me-downs. The fact is that I come from a particularly large family so I’ve always been used to receiving and enjoying other people’s hand-me-downs. Since I have two older sisters, I just couldn’t wait for them to ask me whether I wanted some piece of their clothing that doesn’t fit them anymore. Oh, it was like Christmas all year round! 

That’s why I’m always on the lookout for some hand-me-downs that are still in good condition. Also, I, almost entirely, have given up fast fashion and only choose to buy second-hand. 

Side Hustle 

While we all wish to find ways to save money, we can’t really do much if there’s no money to save. Honestly, we were really struggling financially when the babies were little because they used to require constant attention. But, as they got older, I started thinking about getting back in the business game. Working from home is definitely not easy, especially when you’re a full-time stay-at-home parent. However, when there’s a will there’s a way. 

Use Tech to Help Save

And by “technology” I mean apps. Money-saving apps to be more precise. Since in this day and age, you probably have some sort of a smartphone that’s also probably somewhere at your arm’s reach, why not use it to save money? 

Thanks to some amazing geniuses, you can now use various apps that scour the internet for you in search of the best possible deals you can find. Aside from apps, there are also browser extensions that can easily match the prices and present you with the best deals. So, don’t be lazy and use these to your advantage. You won’t believe just how much money you will save in the end!

Teach the Value of Money

This is something that, if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t quite understand until I became a parent. To me, this advice sounded like something people say when they have nothing else to talk about. However, it turned out to be one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard. 

While you certainly won’t make your child pay for themselves for every single thing, you should start teaching them as early as possible about the value of money. The fact is that they can’t really grasp this concept entirely but if they learn that they can’t simply ask for anything they see you will be teaching them a valuable life lesson. What I did is I made a pact with my daughter that every time she sees something she wants—but doesn’t need—she can get it as soon as she can afford it herself. 

In the end, no matter how good you are with managing finances and no matter how careful you are not to overspend, the fact is that you won’t always be successful. So, don’t be too harsh on yourself, give yourself a break and enjoy raising your beautiful kids. It’s not all about the money but having money sure does help.

 

Jessie Connor is a passionate writer and researcher from Brisbane, contributor at several business and lifest‌yle blogs, hooked on yoga and healthy living. She loves to spend her free time travelling, reading and of course – shopping!

There’s nothing quite like the breathtaking sight of blazing red and orange leaves to get you in the fall spirit. Thanks to this amazing interactive fall foliage map you can figure out the best times and places to see those beautiful colors from now through November.

The fall foliage season varies across the country and the peak changes from year to year based on the annual temperatures and rainfall, which means knowing when and where to visit is the key to enjoying an incredible view. Each year SmokyMountains.com creates a predictive map of the fall foliage season by using a complex algorithm that carefully analyzes several million data points, like historical temperatures and precipitation, which is used to forecast county-by-county the precise moment when peak fall will occur.

“The predictive fall leaf map helps potential travelers, photographers and leaf peepers determine the precise future date that the leaves will peak in each area of the continental United States,” explains the creator of the map data scientist and CTO Wes Melton. “By utilizing the date selector at the bottom of the map, the user can visually understand how fall will progress over a region. We believe this interactive tool will enable travelers to take more meaningful fall vacations, capture beautiful fall photos and enjoy the natural beauty of autumn. Our nationwide fall foliage prediction map is unique––it is one of the only fall leaf tools that provides accurate predictions for the entire continental United States.”

While no prediction is 100 percent accurate, the map is an excellent guideline if you’re making travel plans around the peak foliage times. According to this year’s map, the first peak will begin at the end of September with most of the country passing the peak by the beginning of November.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Boudewijn Huysmans via Unsplash

 

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Who better to get decor tips from than an HGTV star and media mogul? This Joanna Gaines’ design hack is simple, sleek and stylish—and you can totally copy it. Here’s how!

When it comes down to it, Gaines knows what she’s doing in the decorative sense. So if you’re looking to redo a room, take a tip from the designer and try one of her fave tricks by using repeating patterns within a room. This doesn’t mean you need to make the room majorly match-y; instead, carry one precise pattern throughout the entire space selectively.

Gaines suggests echoing one pattern in several different areas. Instead of repeating the same shape over and over again, use similar patterns. Don’t worry if you aren’t into wallpapering your space or don’t have the budget to buy new furniture. Echo your area rug’s pattern in a throw pillow, window treatments or any other awesome accent!

We love this super simple way to do a quick seasonal refresh—without breaking the bank.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Chip Gaines via Instagram 

 

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It’s summer vaycay planning time, and if you have your sights set on an out-of-this-world vacation, news has finally dropped about when the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening day arrives Disneyland. Disney CEO Bob Iger recently spilled the tentative month it will open, and it’s sooner than we thought.

In a recent interview with Barron’s, Iger opened up about some of Disney’s latest (and hopefully greatest) changes. Along with talking about Disney’s soon-to-be streaming video service, Disney+, Iger also gave some insider info on Disney’s 2019 slate of feature films and upcoming park openings.

While Disney Parks have yet to provide the public with anything short of a “summer 2019” opening for the new Star Wars land, Iger noted that the 14-acre area for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Anaheim, California park will open in June 2019.

He also added that Star Wars: Galaxy Edge at Disney World is slated for an opening “in Florida later in the year.” Again, like Disneyland, Walt Disney World has kept mum on a precise date. But the Walt Disney World website does give “fall 2019” as its Star Wars land opening time period.

One other insider tidbit? Star Wars: Galaxy Edge is the biggest land that Disney has ever built, according to Iger. Is it June yet?

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Courtesy of Disney Parks

 

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Convenience rules. And that’s probably why Amazon Go stores tempt us so much, giving shoppers the ability to quickly browse, grab and go. Well now it looks like these genius cashier-less stores from the mega online retailer may soon come to airports across the United States.

According to Reuters, Amazon may have reached out to two major airports about the idea. Reportedly, a lead for Amazon Go may have requested a meeting with a technology adviser for Los Angeles International. Likewise, it has also been reported that an account manager from Amazon’s Cloud Unit reached out to San Jose International Airport about the possibilities that Amazon Go offers.

Amazon has yet to comment on the “Amazon Go at airport” idea and Reuters recently reported that neither airport has had any further contact with Amazon’s representatives about the cashier-less stores.

Even if airport Amazon Go stores aren’t officially a go, the cashier-less stores continue to pop up across the country. Currently, you can find Amazon Go brick-and-mortar stores in Seattle, Washington, Chicago, Illinois and San Francisco, California. Reports surfaced back in September that the online retailer was planning to open 3,000 of its cashier-less stores by 2021. But Amazon has yet to confirm an exact number, precise locations—or these airport possibilities.

—Erica Loop

Featured Photo: Eurasianjetsetter via Instagram 

 

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