Who is getting ready for back to work and the school year?-Written by Fatima, GiGi’s NYC Participant

There are a lot of wonderful holidays to celebrate in September 2024. For example, Labor Day, National Cheese Pizza Day, National Grandparents Day, National Double Cheeseburger Day, and National Daughters Day. Also, my cousins Max and Lily celebrate their 14th birthday this month. 

Labor Day was celebrated on Monday, September 2nd, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion in different ways. For example, having parades, often organized by labor unions and featuring speeches from the union leader and politicians, are a staple of the holiday. People also like to go to parties and barbecues as a way of spending time with all of their loved ones. 

National Cheese Pizza Day was celebrated on Thursday, September 5th. One way to celebrate this day is by making your own cheese pizza at home with pizza dough, flour, warm water, and yeast. You can also use pre-made refrigerated pizza crust. Another idea is to order cheese pizza from a local restaurant or online. Some people like to take a pizza tour and try new pizzas at local restaurants. This is a great day to take a poll among your friends and family members to find out who makes the best cheese pizza in your neighborhood. Have a cheese pizza party where everyone makes their own pizza, and make it a contest. See who can break the world record for the largest or thinnest cheese pizza or who can eat the most slices. On this day, I made a cheese pizza with olives, onions, mushrooms, and peppers for dinner. You can try adding different cheeses to your pizza, such as smokey gouda or gorgonzola.

National Grandparents Day was on Sunday, September 8th. This day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. To celebrate, you can make something special by preparing a favorite meal or dessert or putting together a photo craft. You can also share stories and memories with your grandparents. If you have children, include them in the celebration. Another idea is to create a photo album. You may want to organize a family photo session or use older pictures of memorable moments together. This is a great day to interview grandparents and learn about and from them. I visited my grandparents on this day after working at Citi Field. 

National Double Cheeseburger Day is celebrated on Sunday, September 15th, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion in a lot of different ways. For example, people like to visit a burger restaurant. Many restaurants offer special deals or new cheeseburger variations on this day. You could check with your favorite burger place to see if they have any specials. It’s also popular to host a burger barbecue by inviting friends and family to a backyard cookout where everyone can grill their own cheeseburgers. When cooking your own burgers, get creative. Try adding some unique toppings like avocado, crispy onions, or a different type of cheese. You could also try a chili double cheeseburger which is a double cheeseburger topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and chili. Another idea is to have a cheeseburger bar at work during lunch hour and include a variety of cheese slices, tomato slices, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayonnaise, ketchup, and barbecue sauces for people to choose from. Don’t forget to share on social media pictures of your creative double cheeseburgers. On this day, I am planning on going to Burgerology.

National Daughters Day is celebrated on Wednesday, September 25th. Parents can get together with their daughters, whether it’s to share a meal, watch a movie together, or simply have a heartfelt conversation to express their love and appreciation for their daughters and acknowledge their unique qualities within the family. On this day, I am planning on going out for a late dinner with my parents and my brother Harris after Dancing Dreams. Other ideas to celebrate National Daughters Day are to take your daughter out for ice cream, go to the movies, stay home, play games together, and go to a Broadway show and then a late dinner.

A big day in my family is Monday, September 16th. That is my cousins’ Max and Lily’s 14th birthday. We’re going to celebrate the occasion with our family on the weekend before their actual birthday. I’m looking forward to celebrating my cousins and seeing my whole family.

It was great to see everyone from GiGi’s NYC at the NDSS Buddy Walk on Saturday, September 7th. I want to give a shout-out to Laura Lyle for being picked as the Grand Marshal for this year’s walk.

I also hope to see you all at GiGi’s NYC’s gala on Tuesday, October 15th at City Winery. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Check out this link for more information: https://gigisplayhouse.org/newyork/gala/.

Also, my 24th birthday is next month on Saturday, October 26th, and I want to celebrate with all of you. I am hoping to get a lot of birthday cards and gifts from everybody from GiGi’s NYC. 

Sending you all of my love, peace, and happiness this school and work year. Happy fall season!

Love,

Fatima