Five Favorites Friday

Two days of posts in a row, off to a great start. My Friday blogs will typically be short and sweet with Five Favorites, Facts or Fotos that you might find interesting, humorous or inspirational.

1. Gigil (pronounced GHEE-Gil) is a Tagalog (Filipino) word which roughly translates to "trembling or gritting of the teeth in response to a situation that overwhelms your self-control". We don't have an exact word for it in English, but it's a feeling we are all familiar with. A perfect example is when you see an adorable baby or little puppy and you just get so excited by the cuteness that you want to squeeze them, pinch their cheeks or nibble their toes. I know I have felt this too many times to count, so why don't we have a term for this in America?

2. The elbow has very few nerve/pain receptors. If you sneak up behind someone and lick their elbow without their knowledge, they will never feel it. They have to see or be aware it is being done so the brain can stimulate the receptors to feel it.

3. A Native American tribe in South Dakota collects bottle caps left by campers, using them as currency. Several banks in the area now recognize the caps as legal tender. Now that is an excellent way to recycle.

4. The human brain is fascinating and even more interesting is how the development in a child's brain can be changed by their experiences.

Did you know?

a. A stimulating environment for a child can make the difference between a 25% greater ability to learn or 25% less in an environment with little stimulation.

b. The capacity for such emotions as joy, happiness, fear, and shyness are already developed at birth. The specific type of nurturing a child receives shapes how these emotions are developed.

c.  Children who learn two languages before the age of five alters the brain structure and adults have a much denser gray matter.

d.  A study of one million students in New York showed that students who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes not only improved their memory and ability to focus, but they did 14% better on IQ tests than students who ate lunches with these additives.

5. For my 5th, I am choosing to share a Foto I like.

Have a Fantastic Friday!