Dad, Daddy, Pop, Papa, Father - Whatever you call him, this Sunday is a day to honor him. It is his day to shine and be in the spotlight. Create a simple or super celebration he will remember, or give him a gift he will treasure.

Add Zest to Your Father’s Day Celebration

If you're planning The Great Daddy Event of the Year, start his day with a hardy “Good Morning”and treat Dad to breakfast at his favorite cafe. Take him where he can show off his family with button-busting pride. After that, head to the golf course (or bowling alley) with those special shirts you had imprinted with “World’s Best Dad”and “Son/Daughter of World’s Best Dad”. Then, it’s time to end the day with a fun and relaxing outdoor family event. Get the family together and bike, ride, walk, or run to his favorite nature spot. Lay out the plastic tablecloth, paper plates, and Styrofoam cups and enjoy his favorite picnic goodies while you watch the stars come out.

Gifts That Say “You Are Special, Dad”

Family photographs are a great gift. Make a memory book; it just takes a bit of creativity mixed with great family photos and captions. Add children’s’artwork and items that recall a special event, whatever you can find. Dad’s Memory Book will be a special treasure.

The greatest gift you can give Dad is time. So mark your calendar. Set aside the third Sunday in June to spend with him. Let him know you appreciate and love him. Make this Fathers’Day one he will remember forever.

We all wish we had more money in our savings accounts. But how? You want to save more but there isn’t any extra money in the budget. Here are some creative ways to add to your savings when you can.

Extra Cash

You may have extra cash you did not think you had. Take the cash from rebates, tax refunds, and bonus checks and add to your savings. You always have change rattling around in your pocket or purse. Create a change jar and watch the coins pile up. Nickels and dimes add up to dollars and dollars add up to increased savings. Some banks even have a machine you can use to put your coins in, to make an automatic deposit to your savings account.

Trash or Treasure?

Have a garage sale. You've heard it said that one man's trash is another man's treasure. Sell everything you haven’t used, worn, or looked at for 6 months. To get more people, have a neighborhood sale. Still have unused gifts or a door prize? Turn them into cash by selling them online or at a consignment shop.

Reduce Spending and Add Cash to Savings

Groceries can be a major expense item. Make a grocery list before you go and stick to it. You can save money by shopping at discount grocery stores and don’t forget to use coupons. Take advantage of the reward points available at some grocery stores to purchase gas. The few dollars you save in the grocery budget will be a little more you can add to savings.

So gather up all those nickels and dimes, cash in that bonus check, and plan that garage sale. Get started adding more money to your savings account. Saving even small amounts will add up.

Laughing just feels good. When you laugh really hard, tears may fill your eyes and your stomach may hurt, but it stills feels good. Laughter is fun. Probably some of your best memories are of you and your friends or family laughing together. You always remember a funny movie or a really good joke that made you laugh out loud. Laughter brings joy to your life.

Is laughter the best medicine?

Scientists have shown that laughter is healthy. When you laugh you have more energy and you breathe better. A good belly laugh is the same as 10 minutes of exercise. Laughter can also strengthen your immune system and keep your blood pressure and blood sugar levels in check.

What are you worried about?

When you laugh, you think about the good things in your life and you gain confidence that helps you solve problems. If you feel nervous or unsure in a situation, humor can relieve the tension. Ouch, you just hit your finger with a hammer or stubbed your toe, try to laugh. Your body is designed to deal with pain and laughter is the key. Feeling tense or nervous? Can’t relax? Relieve that stress by watching a funny movie or a comedy show on TV.

Humor and laughter can improve friendships. People want to be around a happy person; they want to feel good about themselves and the world. So if you want more friends, laugh more and share that laughter with others!

Laughter is contagious; when you laugh, others will laugh with you. So smile, laugh, giggle, or chuckle, and share that good feeling.

Sometimes people think that Memorial Day and Veterans Day honor the same people. But while Veterans Day recognizes the living veterans who have served their country in uniform, Memorial Day is to honor the soldiers and members of the military who gave their lives as sacrifices for their country's freedom.

Honoring Those Who Died in War

On this day, communities often celebrate with parades. Organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or the American Legion plan special celebrations to honor their fallen comrades. The song “Taps” is typically played at the gravesites of the soldiers during these occasions.

Flags, Flowers, and Concerts

It’s common to see American flags hanging in parks, in public places, and even mounted on parking meters in the town’s business section! Sometimes the U.S. flag hangs at half-staff in memory of the fallen soldiers. It's a tradition for the President of the United States to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Families who have lost loved ones in the nation’s wars take a wreath, or bring flowers to place on the graves of their deceased relatives. Outdoor concerts may feature bands playing patriotic songs by composers like John Philip Sousa.

Memorial Day Fun

Memorial Day was originally celebrated on May 30, but then the date was changed to the last Monday in May so that the day would be part of a three-day weekend.

This holiday is traditionally regarded as the beginning of summer fun, when people enjoy cook-outs, going to the pool, and spending time outdoors.

But in the midst of having fun, it’s important to remember the sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform, who gave their lives so that all the things that we value and cherish as Americans can continue to be enjoyed.

It's never too early to start teaching your children about money. Even preschoolers can begin to understand money concepts by playing pretend store or restaurant games.

Money lessons for five-year-olds

At age five, you can teach your child words like savings, bank, check, bills, and trade-off. A piggy bank is an easy way to demonstrate how the child can save for something that he or she really wants. Make a game of it; count the coins once a month, and create a chart showing how close they are to their goal.

When bills come, show what the family receives in exchange for payment. Explain that a trade-off is deciding not to buy something right now so that you can save the money to buy something that you really want later on.

Teaching 10-year-olds about money

When children are 10 years old, you can teach them about interest, loans, credit cards and taxes. Take buying a car for example. Explain that the sticker price on a car isn't actually what you pay to buy the car.

If the family is saving up for a vacation, explain that the time horizon is the length of time that it will take to save the money that's needed to go to Disney World. When you go to a store, show them the tax that's added onto the receipt.

Teaching 15-year-olds about money

By age 15, your teenager can learn about investments, retirement savings and compound interest. As they start to think about college, financial concepts will be more real to them and they can begin to pay closer attention to the money they earn, save and spend.

These early money lessons could help your kids make smarter financial decisions and avoid costly mistakes in the future.

Sunday May 11th is Mother's Day. Did you know that more phone calls are made on this day than any other day of the year? Planning to call your mom this Sunday? Read on for some other ways to make your mother feel special this year.

Expensive flowers and gifts are always nice, but not if you're on a tight budget. Here are ways to pamper your mom without breaking the bank.

• Dinner out - If Mom usually does all the cooking, give her a break by taking her out for dinner. It doesn't have to be expensive; Mom will enjoy time out with the family.
• Handwritten keepsakes - Why not write a poem, letter, or handmade card telling her how much you love her? These are often treasures Mom will appreciate for years to come.
• IOU vouchers for Mom - these coupons can be once-a-month gifts for things like washing her car, cleaning out the garage, or doing something else that you know she doesn't like to do.
• Make a Cooking Calendar - When she's wondering what to cook for dinner, she can check the calendar; once a week tacos, or Wednesday pizza, or Friday night salad bars. If you're really organized, you can even prepare a shopping list for the calendar so that the chore is easy for her to do.

But remember that the best gift of all is to say "I love you." You can’t wrap it up, but she’ll remember that you said it. And it’s a gift you can give her every day.