Thanksgiving 2009 Resources List!

It's our second annual Thanksgiving Resources list! We've updated last years and in the honor of preemptive reference, we're posting it through twitter, MySpace, and Facebook. Check it out:

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Are you prepared for the food, family, and fun?

To help you have a happy, safe, and healthy holiday, we’ve put together some resources we hope you’ll find useful.

Happy Thanksgiving from all your friends at Maryland AskUsNow! (We’re thankful for librarians and all our friends like you!)

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What do I do with this Turkey?
Butterball’s Thanksgiving guide is complete with shopping lists, conversations, thawing guides, seating, safety, what to do with leftovers, and more:
http://www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/tips/thanksgiving-guide

I may need to know CPR
http://health.howstuffworks.com/cpr2.htm
(TIP: don’t know what the timing is? hum the Bee Gee’s Stayin Alive for the right rhythm (http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20081017/cpr-gives-stayin-alive-new-life))

Vegetarian Thanksgiving?
eHow’s “How to choose a Turkey Substitute for your Vegan T-day” http://www.ehow.com/how_4599009_turkey-substitute-vegan-thanksgiving-dinner.html

Vegan holiday recipes http://www.vegcooking.com/f_holiday_cooking.asp

Worried about handling the family stress?
Check out the Mayo Clinic’s 12 tips for coping: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/MH00030 or the Family Guide’s Guide to Managing Holiday Stress: http://family.samhsa.gov/be/holidaystress.aspx

Send your thanks to our military?
Go to http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Usgresponse/Help.shtml#vgn-support-our-troops-vgn to send care packages, donate calling cards, or write letters, emails, or text messages of gratitude.

Volunteer this holiday!
http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/PublicService.shtml

What’s the real story behind Thanksgiving?
History.com tells the tale of the First Thanksgiving: http://tinyurl.com/6jwxzx and what was actually on the menu. Also check out the Smithsonian’s site at http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/thanks.htm

Have kids to entertain?
Print out some coloring book pages here: http://coloring-page.net/thanksgiving.html or here: http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cpthanksgiving.shtml or here: http://holidays.kaboose.com/thanks-color.html

Interested in Thanksgiving Facts?
The U.S. Census Bureau can help: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/014332.html

Traveling?
Check out highway conditions at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Trafficinfo/

The Federal Aviation Administration can tell you what the status of flights and airport delays are: http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp

Have a question about something else? Get answers at www.askusnow.info We’re available 24/7, even on Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays,
Your friends at Maryland AskUsNow!

Resources for your Independence Weekend Celebration

Fourth of July, 2009

All over the United States people celebrate our Independence Day with bar-b-ques and fireworks. Here are some resources to enhance your holiday weekend:

1. Fun Facts
Table conversation won’t be boring with the U.S. Census Bureau’s list of fun facts about our Independence Day. Learn about where the traditional Fourth of July meals come from to how many U.S. places are called “America.” Online at:

http://tinyurl.com/fourthofjuly2009FunFacts

2. History
   One of our country’s national libraries, the Library of Congress, offers an extensive history of our Independence Day, online:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul04.html

Also from the Library of Congress is a list of patriotic songs; their words and histories:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/patriotic/patriotic-home.html

3. Celebrations in and around Maryland
   USA.gov offers a list of resources that include places to celebrate, from National Parks to our Nation’s White House.
   
   http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Independence_Day.shtml
   
   

You can find more about events in the Maryland/Washington D.C. region on About.com, too:

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/4thofJuly.htm

Events specific to Maryland, see:

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/4thofJuly_2.htm

4. Family-style celebrations and food
USA.gov offers a list of recipes from famous Americans, child-friendly cooking ideas, healthy eating recipes, and even creative ideas for working with watermelons!

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Health/Recipes.shtml

5. Crafts and Family Picnics
   Many ideas can be found on Kaboose, at:
   
   

http://holidays.kaboose.com/july-4/

6. Fireworks Laws
   Need to know the fireworks laws (what’s permitted and prohibited) in your state? A document (PDF) from the American Pyrotechnics Association is found at:
   
   http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Independence_Day.shtml
   
   
   
   

Have a safe and fun Fourth of July from all of us at Maryland AskUsNow!

Using Holidays to market AskUsNow!: Thanksgiving 2008

Maryland AskUsNow! is using T-day as an opportunity to do some preemptive reference. On it’s MySpace and Facebook pages, fans and friends of AskUsNow! saw a list of resources put together by AskUsNow! on various Holiday-related questions we hope will answer FAQ's and remind them AskUsNow! is a resource for them. Check it out:

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Are you prepared for the food, family, and fun?

To help you have a happy, safe, and healthy holiday, we’ve put together some resources we hope you’ll find useful.

Happy Thanksgiving from all your friends at Maryland AskUsNow! (We’re thankful for librarians and all our friends like you!)

—-
What do I do with this Turkey?
Butterball’s Thanksgiving guide is complete with shopping lists, conversations, thawing guides, seating, safety, what to do with leftovers, and more:
http://www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/tips/thanksgiving-guide

I may need to know CPR
http://health.howstuffworks.com/cpr2.htm
(TIP: don’t know what the timing is? hum the Bee Gee’s Stayin Alive for the right rhythm (http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20081017/cpr-gives-stayin-alive-new-life))

Need to have a Vegetarian Thanksgiving?
Check out Mahalo’s suggestions: http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_have_a_vegetarian_thanksgiving or eHow’s “How to choose a Turkey Substitute for your Vegan T-day” http://www.ehow.com/how_4599009_turkey-substitute-vegan-thanksgiving-dinner.html

Worried about handling the family stress?
Check out the Mayo Clinic’s 12 tips for coping: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/MH00030 or the Family Guide’s Guide to Managing Holiday Stress: http://family.samhsa.gov/be/holidaystress.aspx

Want to send your thanks to our military?
Go to http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Usgresponse/Help.shtml#vgn-support-our-troops-vgn to send care packages, donate calling cards, or write letters, emails, or text messages of gratitude.

What’s the real story behind Thanksgiving?
History.com tells the tale of the First Thanksgiving: http://tinyurl.com/6jwxzx and what was actually on the menu. Also check out the Smithsonian’s site at http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/thanks.htm

Have kids to entertain?
Print out some coloring book pages here: http://coloring-page.net/thanksgiving.html or here: http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cpthanksgiving.shtml or here: http://holidays.kaboose.com/thanks-color.html

Interested in Thanksgiving Facts?
The U.S. Census Bureau can help: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/012692.html

Traveling?
Check out highway conditions at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Trafficinfo/

The Federal Aviation Administration can tell you what the status of flights and airport delays are: http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp

What is Thanksgiving like at the White House?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/thanksgiving/2008/

Want to volunteer this holiday?
http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/PublicService.shtml

Have a question about something else? Get answers at www.askusnow.info We’re available 24/7, even on Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays,
Your friends at Maryland AskUsNow!

Update: this went over REALLY well! A lot of people on facebook shared it with other people and it seemed to catch on a viral quality! yay!

25 Great Resources for Valentines Day

Whether you use them for yourself or to help out a customer today, check out these 25 Great Resources for Valentines Day:

http://mashable.com/2008/02/12/valentines-day-resources