The Halloween display turned national fundraiser 🎃

Published 3 days ago • 4 min read

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A HALLOWEEN TRADITION TURNED MISSION OF HOPE

What began as one man’s love of Halloween has turned into a movement of hope. When retired Army veteran Jeff Robertson went “a little overboard” decorating his North Carolina home in 2020, he didn’t expect it to become his life’s purpose, St. Jude shares. But after meeting a young St. Jude patient who laughed with joy at his skeleton display, Robertson found meaning in channeling that moment into something bigger. Today, his Skeletons for St. Jude fundraiser has grown to more than 1,000 families across the country, where neighbors are turning front yards into symbols of generosity, raising over a million dollars and counting to help children battling cancer.

Jeff still thinks about that little girl and how her happiness changed everything for him. His story is a reminder that purpose often finds us in the simplest displays of joy, and that even a Halloween skeleton can become a symbol of love and community.

CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT OF HOME COOKING SINCE 2019

Founded to make cooking and sharing a meal easier and more joyful. Our Place designs products that align with celebration, culinary artistry, and communal dining.

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A NEW VOICE FOR THE POWER OF INCLUSION

In Kenya, one young innovator is bridging the silence between worlds. Elly Savatia has created an AI-powered app called Terp 360 that translates speech into sign language in real time using lifelike 3D avatars, reports CNN. The breakthrough just earned him the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Designed alongside deaf and hard-of-hearing Kenyans, the app helps people communicate without needing a human interpreter, offering access to education, healthcare, and work that’s too often out of reach for the deaf community.

Savatia’s creation is a bridge of understanding. By digitizing over 2,300 signs and developing translations for multiple African and global languages, Terp 360 is making communication more inclusive and scalable. It’s a reminder that innovation at its best restores connection, dignity, and belonging.

HOW TO TREAT YOUR GUT KINDLY THIS HALLOWEEN

As Halloween wraps the world in candy and costumes, it’s worth remembering that the sweetest part of the season might be balance. As The Conversation notes, too much sugar can throw your gut’s delicate ecosystem off-kilter, feeding inflammation and fatigue instead of joy. But caring for your gut doesn’t mean avoiding the fun all together, it’s about putting intention into the recovery. A little moderation, paired with fiber-rich foods, dark chocolate, and gut-loving staples like yogurt or kimchi, helps restore what sugar takes away.

Think of it as an act of kindness toward the tiny universe within you. Trillions of microbes all work together to keep you balanced and well. The lesson? Enjoy the treats, laugh with your kids, savor the caramel apple. Then return to the everyday rituals that nourish from the inside out. Health, like life, is about rhythm, not total restriction.

WHY MYSTERY IS THE NEW LUXURY IN TRAVEL

In a world where travel often feels overplanned and over-filtered, a new trend is bringing back the thrill of surprise. As Thrillist reports, “mystery trips”, where travelers board flights or cruises without knowing the destination, are on the rise. These spontaneous excursions offer an antidote to decision fatigue and a spark of old-fashioned wonder. From Scandinavian Airlines’ Destination Unknown flights to Windstar Cruises’ secret voyages, these experiences invite travelers to let go of control, rediscover curiosity, and savor the joy of not knowing what’s next.

It turns out, spontaneity can be deeply restorative. Studies show that leaning into the unexpected can boost creativity, lower stress, and even forge new neural pathways. Whether it’s touching down in Seville or sailing toward a surprise port in Italy, travelers are remembering that adventure isn’t just about where you end up, it’s about the aliveness of getting there.

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TURNING PAGES, TOGETHER

Reading has always been an intimate act of one reader, one story, but the rise of online book communities within e-libraries is transforming that quiet solitude into a shared experience, states The Art of Healthy Living. Platforms like Z-lib are evolving beyond digital bookshelves, becoming living, breathing spaces where readers gather around modern-day campfires to exchange ideas, debate characters, and discover stories together. What began as a personal pastime has now become a collective one, connecting readers across borders through shared interest and conversation.

These digital circles bring a new sense of belonging to readers worldwide. Through shared annotations, community shelves, and author drop-ins, e-libraries are turning reading into a dialogue and transforming isolation into connection. It’s a reminder that even in our most solitary rituals, we’re wired to reach for one another and keep the conversation going, one story at a time.

THE LOVE & LEMONS COOKBOOK BY JEANINE DONOFRIO

an apple-to-zucchinni celebration of impromptu cooking*

OUR PLACE

nonstick toxin-free ceramic cast aluminum 5-piece bakeware set*

AWAY

large carry-on luggage suitcase with TSA lock*

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