NATIONAL TV DINNER DAY

September 9, 2026September 8, 2026Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

National TV Dinner Day is observed annually on September 10th. In 1953, C.A. Swanson & Sons changed the prepackaged meal business forever. Introducing the TV Dinner revolutionized frozen food.

In 1962, Swanson stopped using the name TV Dinner. However, in the United States, the term remains synonymous with any prepackaged dinner purchased frozen from a store and heated at home.

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The first Swanson TV Dinner consisted of a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cornbread dressing, peas, and sweet potatoes. Originally, Swansons made the tray of aluminum. They separated each food item into individual compartments, too. At home, the cook heated the dinner in the oven. The cooking time was usually 25 minutes. Today, nearly all frozen food trays can be cooked in the microwave or a conventional oven.

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When Swanson’s first sold TV dinners, they priced them at 98 cents. In the first year, production estimates reached 5,000 dinners. To their surprise, Swanson far exceeded that amount. In the first year, they sold more than 10 million of them.

TV Dinner Facts

1960 – Swanson added desserts to a new four-compartment tray.
1964 – Night Hawk name originated from the Night Hawk steak houses that operated in Austin, Texas, from 1939 through 1994. The original diners were open all night, catering to the late-night crowd. The restaurants produced the first frozen Night Hawk TV dinner in 1964.
1969 – The first TV breakfasts were marketed. Great Starts Breakfasts and breakfast sandwiches followed later.
1973 – Swanson markets the first Hungry-Man dinners. The meals included larger portions of its regular dinner products.
1986 – Microwave-oven safe trays debut on the market.
1986 – The Smithsonian Institute inducted the original Swanson TV Dinner tray into the Museum of American History.

Much has changed since the original TV Dinner. They also remain a popular choice for a fast and convenient meal, fun to eat in front of the TV!

Looking for something to watch? Check out some of my favorites here.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalTVDinnerDay

Get out a TV dinner, pop it in the microwave or oven, and enjoy! Use #NationalTVDinnerDay to post on social media.

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National Salad Month

April 30, 2026April 21, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 5 Comments

It’s time for the freshness of National Salad Month. Greens pop this time of year, and it’s easy to grow garden lettuce even in a small space. They fill the grocery with a variety of color, too.

Beyond the leafy part of the salad, the crisp vegetables, proteins, flavorful cheeses, herbs, berries, grains, and nuts make salads exciting and healthy. If we don’t over indulge in the cheese and fatty meats, it’s usually the dressing that causes our salad downfall.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Salads are an excellent way help get your 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. We’ve provided tips to get the maximum salad-eating in this month!

Mix up the lettuce variety. Iceberg is what we’re most familiar with in the United States. Try spinach for a change of pace. Romaine makes excellent lettuce wraps. Butterhead comes in loose, crisp, rosettes.
Prepare salads for the work week. Fill the bottom of a Mason jar the salad dressing. Add the more solid fruits or veggies to next layer followed by any proteins and cheeses. Next, add the leafy greens. The items crunchy croutons, nuts or soft fruits and veggies should be added the day you eat the salad.
Serve salad with every meal, even breakfast. Fruit salad is a bright way to start the morning.
Substitute salad for one meal a day.
Try a different type a salad every week.

Use #NationalSaladMonth to share on social media.

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NATIONAL GARDENING DAY

April 13, 2026March 5, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 2 Comments

National Gardening Day on April 14th encourages gardeners and would-be gardeners to pick up a shovel, plant some seeds, and kick off a beautiful year of homegrown bounty.

Whether you want to grow vegetables, fruit, flowers, houseplants, or anything in between, National Gardening Day celebrates a satisfying pastime that you will enjoy for decades.

Growing your own food also provides fresh and natural nourishment for your family and saves you time and money at the grocery store.

As many gardeners know, the benefits of gardening come from more than the produce. Spending time in the garden also provides physical activity and an opportunity to join with nature.

The day is a call to action to get out and grow flower or vegetable gardens. No matter how you garden, plant in the ground, in containers, in straw bales or in a square foot gardening box. Just garden!

NATIONAL GARDENING DAY HISTORY

Cool Springs Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group, founded National Gardening Day on April 14 to celebrate gardening and to encourage home gardeners and students to learn more about how to garden.

About Cool Springs Press

Celebrating over twenty-five years of inspiring gardeners, Cool Springs Press is a leading publisher of best-selling gardening books with titles that cover all facets of plant cultivation and gardening techniques, both indoors and out.

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Green thumbs are not required to learn to garden. Attend gardening seminars to gain knowledge. Read up about the plants that thrive in your zone. Start with some easy plants to grow such as: Radishes, Lettuce, Potatoes. We always do Tomatoes, Herbs, Zinnias, Pansies, and Marigolds.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL GARDENING DAY

There are many ways that you can celebrate the day, including:

Find the right book, guide or resource for your needs at Cool Springs Press, county extension service, the local bookstore or library.
Look for a community garden in your area.
Organize a seed and perennial plant swap with neighbors and friends.
Join a garden club. There isn’t one near? Start one!
Visit your local nursery or garden center—you will be amazed and excited by all the beautiful options
Visit Quarto Homes on Facebook and Instagram for more gardening information
While you’re gardening, be sure to share your experience with others on social media using #NationalGardeningDay, #garden and #gardening.

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NATIONAL WEDDING MONTH

January 31, 2026January 1, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 6 Comments

Ahh, February. The month of all things “love.” Why not honor weddings during the month that honors American Hearts, Valentine’s, and Chocolate Souffle?! February is National Weddings Month; a celebration of the beauty of unconditional love and the excitement of marriage and wedding parties.

Did you know that more than 2.4 million couples get married in the U.S. every year, and about 16 thousand of them get married on Valentine’s Day?! Even though the majority of weddings do take place during the summer months (specifically June, August, and September), February does own the most weddings to a single day. Since it’s known as the most romantic month on the calendar, it seems fitting to give weddings an extra special celebration in February.

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According to the National Association of Bridal Consultants, it’s also the month that most brides and grooms-to-be start doing serious wedding planning. That may be because December is the most popular month for proposals!

So, let romance win in February and celebrate all things wedding-related.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalWeddingsMonth

National Weddings Month is an excellent time to celebrate romance and the excitement of weddings.

Share a picture from your wedding.
Begin planning your wedding.
Visit wedding venues for your big day.
Call florists, DJs, bands, banquet halls, caterers, and dress shops.
Design your announcement and invitations.
Send Save-the-Date cards.

Share your plans and excitement on social media, too. Include tips and recommendations for the best businesses for weddings. Businesses, celebrate the month with promotions and deals. The brides, grooms, and parents will thank you! Check out this playlist too. For the ceremony, reception and everything else.

Use #NationalWeddingsMonth or #WeddingMonth to post on social media.

NATIONAL GARDENING EXERCISE DAY

June 5, 2024June 6, 2024Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

National Gardening Exercise Day is observed each year on June 6 and encourages us to maximize the benefits we reap from gardening by adding some stretches and a few extra steps or squats.

Gardening on its own is therapeutic, builds muscles and burns calories. Some of the gardening activities that are excellent for working your muscles and for burning calories include weeding, digging, spading, planting, pruning, mowing, raking, and walking.

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Many of us do not realize the amount of healthy exercise that we can get while working outside in the garden. It involves a lot of walking back and forth as well as bending up and down along with other things. Being out in the fresh air and sunshine are also an added benefit. Incorporating stretching into a gardening routine may help to prevent injury, much like it does for any athletic endeavor. Adding those squats will contribute to building or maintaining muscle, and extra steps may make gardening more aerobic if it increases the heart rate. Gardening and exercise are excellent stress relievers, too!

Other suggestions to get the most exercise out of your gardening:

Start slowly. Just like any new workout program, small steps.
Use the right and left hands equally. When raking or shoveling, switch hands every 5-10 minutes to give each side a good workout.
Make sure to breathe. Deep, cleansing breaths bring oxygen to those working muscles.
Lift with your legs! When lifting, bend your knees. Don’t lift with your back.
Drink plenty of water.
Enjoy your garden. Visit it often!

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Pull those weeds, plant some seeds and get your muscles moving! Your garden will look great, and you will feel fantastic, too! Show us how you celebrate by using #GardeningExerciseDay on social media.

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