Sure they look cheery and upbeat, with their cute little pipe and smart beard…but what the heck are they? Small humans? Fairies? Aliens perhaps?

Actually a leprechaun is a real live fairy and a generally solitary one who enjoys mischief. He’s been referred to as a “degenerate fairy” (who isn’t?) and “not wholly good nor wholly evil.”

What does a leprechaun do for a living?

Makes and repairs shoes. They’re very good cobblers.

Where do leprechauns stash their earnings?

In a hidden pot at the bottom of a rainbow.

What does a leprechaun do in his spare time?

Mess with people.

What does a leprechaun look like?

According to folklorist David Russell McAnnaly:

“He is about three feet high and is dressed in a little red jacket or roundabout, with red breeches buckled at the knee, gray or black stockings, and a hat, cocked in the style of a century ago, over a little, old, withered face.

What do you do if you corner a leprechaun?

Hold his gaze to keep him from disappearing. If you look away for even a second, he’s gone!

Best time to catch a leprechaun?

Between dawn and dusk, of course.

We have real live leprechauns here at Doozy. But you’ll have to catch them. Look through our collection of St. Patrick’s Day ecards and you may stumble across one…if you’re quick enough.

Most holidays have colors associated with them. Christmas prefers red and green. Valentine’s Day loves red, of course. And St. Patrick’s Day insists on green.

But that wasn’t always the case.

St. Patrick’s Day used to be symbolized by a different color: blue. But by the 19^th century, green became the permanent color associated with the holiday. (Can you imagine blue beer? Green beer is bad enough!)

And did you know:

In Irish legends, fairies and immortals donned green. It was also worn by Irish folk as a way of encouraging their crops to grow.

Green, like all colors, has a certain psychological effect on us as well. Green connotes renewal, harmony and self-control (yeah, right. Next green beer is on me).

Conversely, certain shades of green can conjure up feelings of institutions and illness. (Lime green anyone?)

Green is also second only to blue as the most liked color as well as the color of money in the US, which we seem to like a lot as well.

Send a touch of green your Irish and non-Irish friends and family by sending one of our St. Patrick’s Day ecards.

Top of the morning to you and yours!

Some lucky humans don’t have to play this whole “fall backward” and “spring forward” game every year (like Arizona and Hawaii). For the rest of us, it’s a mixed blessing. Falling forward means an extra hour of sleep—definitely a good thing. But “springing back” feels a little like a cruel temporal joke.

As a matter of fact, in the days following the spring transition, car accidents, heart attacks and injuries on the job increase. That one hour of precious lost slumber means something:

Dr. Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute, states:

“It shows the importance of even gaining one hour of sleep. If we can make an effort to get a little more sleep, maybe we can control diseases like heart disease or diabetes or risk of accidents.”

So what can you do to make the adjustment a little smoother?

Dr.Oexman has the following suggestions for the Autumn Daylight Saving transition:

• Expose yourself to plenty of light. When it starts to get dark out early, turn on the lights around the house, he says, to remind your brain that it’s not quite time for bed. Get outside during the day, maybe during your lunch break, for natural light. If it’s too cold, open your blinds to at least let some sunshine into your home.

• Exercise late. Typically, experts don’t recommend working out too close to bedtime, but a late-afternoon or early-evening sweat session can help keep you energized during those dreary evenings.

• Try light therapy. Oexman suggests buying a small box to keep on your desk at the office, or for women to turn one on while putting on makeup in the morning. The gadget mimics natural sunlight, so a regular lamp won’t do the trick.

And for Springing ahead? Go to bed early! There will be plenty of sun and fun 8 hours later for you to frolic in!

Add a little light to a loved one’s day by sending them one of our Daylight Savings Time ecards this March 10th. (It also serves as a great reminder because many of us forget.)

Source: HuffingtonPost.com: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/03/daylight-saving-time-2012-sleep-mood_n_2058154.html

Most of us just “spring forward” and “fall backward” with little more than a yawn and a scratch. But it’s actually a fascinating holiday. (Okay, maybe not exactly fascinating but work with me.)

First—as the title of this piece points out—it is Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight Savings Time, with an “s.” But most of us have gotten used to that error apparently since the incorrect spelling is Googled infinitely more than the correct one. (This is why it is spelled with an “s” on the Doozy website… so all the S-people can find their ecards!)

And did you know:

Daylight saving time was introduced during World War I as a method to conserve fuel in the United States and other warring countries. In theory, optimizing daylight saves fuel and energy because it reduces the need for artificial light?

And how about:

Two states—Arizona and Hawaii—and four U.S. territories—American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—don’t observe daylight saving time. Indiana adopted it in 2006.

This March 10^th, remind a friend or a loved one about Daylight Saving Time with a Daylight Saving Time ecard.

(Partial Source: US News)