Author: Mars Salazar Page 17 of 29

On March 17, 2019

Are you as excited for St. Patrick’s Day as we are? While the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S.A. should not be missed by fans of the holiday, it’s also worth noting that it’s also celebrated by other countries in a grand manner. In fact, it’s one of the most celebrated holidays in the world, with festivities spanning all the corners of the globe.

If you’d like to experience the holiday at a new destination, pack your bags and paint the town green at these places.

Montreal, Canada

Montreal has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day since 1824, and they’re not pausing the festivities anytime soon! Don’t miss the 196th Montreal St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17, which will feature floats, bagpipes, marching bands, and a whole lot of good green fun.

Sydney, Australia

If you’re in the Land Down Under, don’t miss the chance to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Sydney! Catch the parade at First Fleet Park, then head to The Rocks for some family-friendly Irish-themed festivities. Don’t forget to take a picture of the Sydney Opera House, which will be lit green for the occasion!

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has a penchant for throwing over-the-top street parties, with locals and tourists dressing up in elaborate costumes to partake in the celebrations. It’s no different for St. Patrick’s Day, with an Irish-themed parade taking place in the Omotesando district and an “I Love Ireland Festival” replete with Irish food and drink taking place at Yoyogi Park.

Munich, Germany

Munich is a great place to be at if you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. The weekend of the holiday will see several parades making their way through the city, and there will be Irish fairs and food parks that you can check out. The Allianz Arena will also be lit up in green. Don’t forget to dress up in your best green outfits for extra luck!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Did you know that Argentina is the country with the fifth largest Irish population? As such, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in a grand manner in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, with several city blocks closed off for a massive street party. If you’re in South America, Argentina is definitely the place to be for St. Paddy’s Day!

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Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

How To #GiveLikeMum On Mother’s Day

On March 16, 2019

March 31 is a big day for our readers who live in the United Kingdom. This is the day when you’ll be celebrating one of the most important women in your life: your mother. Your mum has likely made so many sacrifices for your family, and this is the best time to let her know just how much you adore her and appreciate everything she has done for you.

This Mother’s Day, #GiveLikeMum with these simple yet meaningful gestures.

Surprise her with flowers.

Get mum a bouquet of her favourite blossoms, and give it to her first thing in the morning. Her day will be off to a great start!

Help out with the household chores.

At one point or another, we’ve all been asked by our mums to do the dishes, sweep the floor, take out the trash, and do other chores. Impress your mum on Mother’s Day by doing all of these chores without her prompting. This is bound to bring a huge smile to her face.

Take her out for some pampering.

Bring mum to her favourite spa and treat her to a day of relaxation and pampering. Get her a massage, a manicure, and a pedicure, maybe even a haircut too!

Compile your family’s favourite memories.

Take out your photo albums, gather all your favorite photos, and compile them in a scrapbook. Even better, scan your photos and display them on a Nixplay Frame! This will also allow her to see your latest family photos in real time.

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Get her something she really wants but would never splurge on.

Most mothers think twice before purchasing something they love, willingly forgoing some luxuries for the sake of their families. Show your mum that you appreciate all the sacrifices she has made for you by surprising her with a thoughtful present, like a well-made bag she can carry to work or concert tickets to see her favourite musician.

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

St. Patrick’s Day Traditions You Should Join

On March 15, 2019

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most fun holidays in the USA. Even if you don’t have Irish heritage, you can’t help but want to join in the festivities. Good thing there are so many ways to spread the Irish cheer on St. Paddy’s Day! Here are some of them.

Wear green.

It’s not a proper St. Patrick’s Day Celebration if you’re not in green! Why green, though? Well, legend has it that mischievous leprechauns enjoy pinching people randomly. Wearing green, however, renders you invisible to leprechauns, meaning they won’t be able to pinch you. To play it safe, it won’t hurt to paint the town green on St. Paddy’s. You don’t have to be in head-to-toe emerald—accessorizing in green will do!

Attend a St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in the USA for centuries, with several cities going all out for the occasion. A simple online search should reveal if there are any events in or near your hometown. New York City, in particular, is well-known for its festivities, which starts with Mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral before a grand parade that wounds around the metropolis.

Drink a few pints of beer.

To be more specific, drink a few pints of Guinness. The Irish stout, loved worldwide for its robust flavor, is consumed by lots of adults who are out the celebrate the holiday. If you want to join in the fun, you might as well first learn how to pour a pint of beer properly: Tilt the glass at a 45-degree angle and fill it with beer until it’s 3/4 full, then let it settle a bit before filling it all the way to the top. Cheers!

Eat corned beef and cabbage.

Corned beef with cabbage is considered a St. Patrick’s Day staple for historical reasons. When the Irish began immigrating to America, they discovered that beef was more affordable than pork (the opposite was true back in Ireland). The growing Irish-American population paired corned beef, which almost everyone can afford, and cabbage, which was traditionally paired with salted pork. The rest, as they say, is delicious history.

Look for a four-leaf clover.

A little extra luck never hurt anybody. And what better way to attract luck this St. Patrick’s Day than with a four-leaf clover, one of the ultimate symbols of luck? That is, if you manage to find one: the ratio of ordinary three-leaf clovers to four-leaf clovers is estimated at 5,000 to 1. You’ll be a lucky soul, indeed!

Don’t forget to capture the spirit of the holiday in photos! Display your memories on your Nixplay Frame, and take advantage of our St. Patrick’s Day sale to get up to 25% off on selected frames!

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About St. Patrick’s Day

On March 14, 2019

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner! It’s one of the most celebrated holidays around the world, marked by all things Irish and a whole lot of green. Embrace the spirit of the holiday with these lucky little bits of trivia:

St. Patrick was actually British.

According to legend, St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain and was kidnapped by Irish pirates at the age of 16. He was able to return home after six years in captivity, studying Christianity in Auxerre, France before returning to Ireland as a missionary.

The shamrock symbolizes the Holy Trinity.

Legend has it that St. Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leafed plant, to explain the Holy Trinity. This greatly boosted his evangelical efforts, as three was a very significant number for the pagan Irish.

The first recorded St. Patrick’s Day celebration happened in the USA.

And it wasn’t held in New York or Boston, but in the Spanish-held colony of St. Augustine, Florida, in 1600. The first known St. Patrick’s Day parade was also held in the same city in 1601, possibly due to the influence of the few Irish residents of the town.

Several monuments will turn green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Over 400 landmarks around the world will be greenified on March 17 to join the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. These include Victoria Falls, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Sydney Opera House, the Burj al Arab, the Christ the Redeemer Statue, and the Empire State Building.

Lots of adults celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by drinking green beer.

St. Patrick’s Day would not be complete without a pint (or two) of this emerald concoction! The best part is that it’s so easy to make: Just squirt a few drops of green food dye into your beer glass, then fill it with ale. Cheers!

Feeling lucky? Get the Nixplay Seed 10.1 inch and the Nixplay Iris at up to 25% off for St. Patrick’s Day, only until March 24!

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

How To Make Your Living Room More Homey

On March 11, 2019

In Home & Interiors

The living room is usually where you welcome visitors into your home. As such, it’s imperative for this room to make a lasting impression on your guests. Here are some things you can do to make this room cozier and more welcoming for both your family and your visiting loved ones.

Use natural light.

Are your living room’s window curtains always drawn shut? If you want to make your room more inviting, you better do something about that. Few things are quite as welcoming as morning sunlight spilling into a room with wide windows. Throw those curtains open, and let the light in!

Add throw pillows, cushions, and blankets.

These accents add an element of softness to your living room, tempting people to take a break from their on-the-go lives and make themselves as comfortable as possible. Because really, few things are as relaxing as snuggling on the couch, a glass of wine nearby, to watch your favorite TV show or read your favorite book. Speaking of books…

Install a bookshelf.

Books—ones you’ve actually read, not pretty ones for display—give off a comforting ambiance. An interesting title invites the reader to pick it up, leaf through it, and linger while reading a few pages. If you have a large collection of novels, consider making the living room their home.

Personalize with family pictures.

Give your living room a warm, personal touch by displaying your favorite portraits! Aside from your printed picture frames and artwork, you can have a few Nixplay Digital Photo Frames around the room to put your family’s stamp on your home, truly making it yours. As a bonus, Nixplay Frames can display up to 2,000 photos per playlist, letting you showcase all of your favorite memories without having to switch printed photos out.

Use a light, warm color palette.

Warm brown and cream shades can make a living room—or any room, for that matter—a lot more welcoming. Feeling a bit brave? Use punchier colors like orange and yellow to accent the room. A cream couch with sunflower yellow pillows sounds inviting, don’t you think?