Kathy Landin

Somehow another summer has flown by and the kiddos are headed back to school again. Sure, that means vacations are over, the house will be empty and days at the pool are numbered. But what it also means is that it’s time to shop for supplies.

At the end of April, Honolulu County passed a ban that made Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban plastic bags at store checkouts statewide. Of the four counties in the state, three had previously passed bans and the Honolulu County decision officially made the ban statewide.

In an announcement made earlier this month, the US Postal Service told customers that as of May 16, they will no longer ship electronics like iPads, Kindles, smartphones and other devices containing lithium batteries overseas. This means that people who want to ship electronics to troops serving abroad will have to pay a premium to go through private shipping services.

Any parent will tell you that it is tough to find a good babysitter, and even tougher to find that good babysitter available when you need him or her. Even so, parents would rather have a qualified sitter stay with their children, or no sitter at all.

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history: 1863 – Confederate General Stonewall Jackson dies, eight days after being accidentally shot by his own troops (More info) 1869 – The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western US, is completed with the driving in of a golden spike in Promontory Summit, UT (More info)

It’s just about the sweetest thing when your husband and kids give you a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Mother’s Day. A thoughtful husband will get them from a store. A thoughtful kid will get them from your yard. Either way, the sentiment is adorable and always well received.

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history: 1914 – Mother’s Day becomes a public holiday (More info) 1962 – The Beatles sign their first recording contract and hire George Martin to be their producer (More info)

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history: 1877 – The first Westminster Dog Show is held (More info) 1902 – On the Caribbean island of Martinique, Mount Pelee erupts, destroying the town of St. Pierre and killing nearly 40,000 people (More info)