Finding a Way to Have a Great Day

Two days ago things hit the fan. The tablets for kid-school were not working well, the kids were extra antsy, you were trying to accomplish small tasks with zero progress, and you felt like nothing was going well.
So you had a good, an ugly cry at one point on the phone with your Mom, called in your husband for reinforcements, and shut the technology and school all down. No more work for the kids, and you went with what you had already finished for middle school class, and you scrapped the rest.

We went outside, played ball, went to the park, made dinner together, rode our bikes, made a sidewalk course for neighbors, and went to the park. It was absolutely great to see them smiling and enjoying the sunshine.
That was not a good day, but you refocused on the good and made the best of it. You made the decision to try all over again the next day. Hang in there, everyone. Find the sunshine in your days. And when that fails, it is important to call your person and have a good cry.

Finding Reasons to Celebrate

In spite of all of the changes, chaos, and uncertainty that these last weeks have brought, churches across the world are celebrating one of the biggest holidays of the year. And while most will start their Sunday mornings watching services online instead of in pews, it is important to note that there are also those who will still find a more traditional way to celebrate the secular part of this holiday. Fortunately, even though the churches are closest and the malls are limited by the the social distancing guidelines that are in place, there are still options for making sure that children can enjoy a day of candy and brightly colored eggs. With the help of online candy stores, parents and the Easter bunny alike can still find chocolate candy Easter eggs, old fashioned candy options, and, even, gourmet lollipops. In fact, online candy store options are likely busier this season than many in the past as parents have had weeks to plan for the inevitablility that they would be spending this holiday at home.

Candy, especially chocolate, is one of those things that simply makes people feel good, and the fact that you can still order your favorites from an online candy store means that there is still one part of life that you can control. Consider some of these facts and figures about the candy preferences of many and the reason that so many online candy stores are still busy no matter what is going on in the world:

  • Nearly 25% of adults will choose to have at least one piece of candy every day of the week.
  • In fact, the average American eats approximately 25 pounds of candy every year, and nearly 50% of that candy comes from the 51 chocolate bars that Americans eat every year.
  • By definition, milk chocolate, a popular form of candy for bars, includes 10% to 20% cocoa solids made up of cocoa and cocoa butter, and more than 12% milk solids.
  • In comparison, children eat four hard and chewy candies for every one eaten by adults, as adults prefer to eat chocolate candies more than anything else.
  • The average American indicates that they will eat chocolate for about 50% of their annual candy intake.
  • Known for having a collective big sweet tooth, Americans over 18 years of age consume 65% of the candy that is produced each year.
  • 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate are consumed in America each year, which is over 11 pounds per person.
  • When measured by value, Americans were estimated to have eaten 18% of the world’s chocolate confectionery in the year 2015.

Not many things are normal this first Easter of the new decade, but many parents are finding comfort that with an online connection to their places of worship and a little bit of ingenuity when it comes to other tranditions, there are still many ways to keep this holiday full of joy. From baskets of candy ordered from online stores to making sure that the eggs you do have are hidden extra well this year, there are still many kinds of reasons to celebrate!

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