Whether we like it or not, the weather is starting to get colder and colder. Today we shared to perfect way to fight off the cold, it’s time for some soup!

January is Soup Month! Wanna know some of the history behind the holiday?

Historical evidence of the existence of soup dates all the way back to about 20,000 B.C. Boiling was not a common cooking technique until the invention of a waterproofed container, which started out as clay vessels. Animal Hides and watertight baskets were used along with heated rocks. The word soup itself derives from the French word soupe which means soup or broth. The word restaurant was first used in France, around the 16th century, to refer to a highly concentrated, inexpensive soup, sold by street vendors, that was advertised as an antidote to physical exhaustion. Super cool!

So, since it’s Soup Month so we are sharing some our favorite recipes with you!

Rachel’s favorite soup is Cheesy Potato Soup, because she LOVES cheese and potatoes. Check out the recipe here!

Marcy loves to make Vegetable Soup, but with canned chicken! Add some to this recipe!

Rachel also shared about the first time she had gumbo in Houston, Texas! Check out a similar recipe to what she had here!

Check out a list of 70 AMAZING soup recipes from Taste of Home here!

Make sure to listen to the Morning Thing and Afternoon Drive as we start our WinterJam giveaways! We are giving out FREE passes to WinterJam 2019 starting today through Friday the 11th!

Winter Jam stops in Ohio 3 times!
Saturday, January 19^th – at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus (Jam Nation members get in the doors at 3:30pm, General Admission doors open at 5pm. Pre-Jam Party starts at 5pm. Official show starts at 6pm)
Saturday, February 16^th – at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati

Sunday, March 31^st – at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland

NEW this year – Winter Jam’s Tour 360 will be like never before because the stage is going to be IN THE ROUND! This is going to really make the 2019 Tour unique!

Everyone can participate in this contest, even if you have won in the past 30 days. One important restriction for this contest – only one winner per household is permitted.

For more details on Winter Jam, head to wnzr.fm

Today on the show Marcy and Rachel talked about some things that YOU can look forward to in 2019!

CNN gave 19 things too look out for in the coming year!

Some things on the list are:

1. 3D Printed Everything:  Expect 2019 to be the year 3D printing really, really comes into the mainstream. We’re talking 3D bioprinting in the medical field, advanced 3D metal printing which will revolutionize manufacturing and even more accessible 3D printing at home. Yes, printing giant Xerox is getting into the 3D printing game, and has plans to develop an at-home 3D printer this year.
2. The Grand Canyon turns 100: Obviously, the Grand Canyon is way older than that (by about 6 million years), but 2019 will mark its 100th birthday as a national park. The National Park Service is planning a year of celebrations for the centennial, so if you’re lucky enough to be heading that way, your trip will be extra special.
3. A massive Disney takeover at the movies: “Avengers: Endgame” will be one of the most anticipated (and emotionally taxing) films of the year, and it’s set to drop in April. But don’t forget about Captain Marvel, another hot Disney/Marvel property that will land in theaters in March. Live-action versions of several Disney classics will be headed to the big screen too, including “The Lion King,” “Aladdin” and “Dumbo.” And of course, we couldn’t go another year without some “Frozen” news. While there isn’t much info about “Frozen 2,” we do know the sequel is coming sometime this year.

See the entire list here!

Marcy and Rachel will be back on the show tomorrow talking about new Christian music coming in 2019. Make sure to tune in from 6-9am!

Today on the Morning Thing, we looked at an article from Lifehack.org. This article is full of ideas for your New Year’s resolutions, plus some tips and tricks for how to make them stick! Check out the MANY ideas and links below!n As always, thanks for listening!

• Get in shape: Losing weight is the top resolution for Americans, and combined with “exercise more” and “stay fit and healthy” it is something that over a third of the population wishes to achieve. It’s easy enough to start an exercise and diet program, but the trick is to find a decent one that will give you steady results and will be easy to stick to in the long run. Have a look at these tricks, hacks, exercises and mistakes to avoid to make the best our of your resolution.
• Start eating healthier food, and less food overall: This is usually an extension of the previous resolution. Switching to a healthier diet can be incredibly tricky when we are surrounded by cheap junk food. However, with a good amount of determination and some basic tips you can slowly develop healthier eating habits. Learn to control emotional eating, be aware of reasons for diets to fail, make use of these tricks and have a look at these awesome and healthy recipes.
• Stop procrastinating: The biggest barrier that keeps most people from reaching their goals is the desire to relax and do something fun instead of working hard. Once you get used to procrastinating it’s difficult to snap yourself out of it, so you’ll need to put in a lot of work to change this bad habit. There are many useful tips out there to find your way to stop procrastinating. There are also tools which can help you achieve this task.
• Meet new people: When we get stuck in a rut, we usually end up staying at home most of the time, missing out on a lot of interesting opportunities for networking and having fun. Meeting new people can be beneficial to your mental well-being and help your career, so don’t be afraid to get out there and make some friends. Overcome your shyness, get some knowledge and go and get to know new and interesting people.
• Become more active: Some people don’t really have a big weight problem, and they even get some exercise a few times a week, but they just sit around the most of the time at home and at work, which can have a negative effect on their posture and health. In that case, all you need is to find ways of moving around more throughout the day instead of staying hunched over the computer. It’s even more fun if you share your activity with friends and family.
• Become more confident and take some chances: If you are confident other people notice it, and it is much easier to have your opinions heard, ask people out on dates and get ahead at work. A good dose of self-confidence will help you lead a much happier life overall. Don’t hesitate to get some input on ways to boost your confidence.
• Become more polite: Good manners have always been an important part of a civilized society. They make it easier to connect with others, avoid offending people and will ensure that others perceive you as a good and trustworthy person. So know the etiquette, be prepared or other manners in other countries, deal with rude people in the right way and learn how to say no.
• Reduce stress: They say that stress is one of the biggest killers out there, and it can have a very destructive effect on your relationships as well as your health. It may be an unavoidable side effect of our hectic modern lifestyles, but it can be effectively managed with the help of useful, unconventional and easy to practice tricks for stress management.
• Learn to be happier with your life: Even those that are in decent shape, make a good living and have stress under control can still be unhappy. It takes time and patience to learn how to find joy in the little things and not to let problems bring you down.
• Get more quality sleep: With big TV’s, computers, smartphones, tablets and all sorts of gadgets with glowing lights and beeping alerts, it can be hard to get enough sleep at night. You should be gunning for at least 8 hours of sleep a night, and there are fairly simple ways to achieve this number if you make use of science and everday hacks.
• Watch less TV: The average person wastes a lot of time in front of the TV, time that could have been better spent developing skills, learning or keeping your body active. Once you manage to cut down on TV time, you will realize just how long and productive a day can really be.
• Read more: Books are an excellent way to gain a lot of knowledge on a huge variety of topics, and are also a great exercise for your brain. It’s not that difficult to go through 20 or more books in a year – you only need to make it a habit, discover your type of books and find a bit of time for reading here and there.
• Become tidier: There are a lot of slobs out there who can’t really get their stuff organized, and a cluttered desk or chaotic home will negatively affect your productivity and even your mood, so it helps to clear the clutter, clean your house and lead a tidier and more organized life.
• Spend more time with the people that matter: There is just too little time in this life for us to waste it on insincere, duplicitous and toxic people. We should focus on the people who we care about deeply and who care about us, as this is the best way to stay happy. And don’t forget to spend time with God!
• Get out of debt: You can’t really move forward in life if you are weighed down by debt. The road to financial freedom is a rocky one, but it is definitely manageable with a bit of planning and self-restraint. Take a look at these strategies and methods and pay off your debt. You won’t believe how good it will feel.
• Start saving money: Once you have your debt under control, it’s time to start putting some money aside. A rainy day fund and some extra money that can go towards traveling abroad, fixing up the house or buying a new car are a welcome change of pace. Make use of these hacks and apps to save money efficiently.
• Learn a new language: Not only will learning a new language help improve your communication skills, it will also look great on your resume and possibly open up some doors for you. These days there are plenty of resources that allow you to learn a language for free and in your spare time.
• Volunteer and give more to charity: To devote your time and energy to helping those in need is a noble gesture and a reward in itself, but it is also an opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills and boost your resume. Here’s how you can find time to volunteer in your busy life.
• Pick up useful skills or fun hobbies: Just sitting around all day won’t get you anywhere. It is much better to use your free time in a constructive manner and pick up new skills while having fun at the same time. The Future-You will be glad that you did. No matter if you’re interested in communication skills or sports, find out how to learn new skills and hobbies in a short time.
• Learn to let go of grudges and avoid moping: Times can be hard, and it may take a lot to overcome adversity, but sitting around and moping about it is just counterproductive. If you have a big fight with someone and fall out or get hurt over a small issue, you will only lose a friend or life partner and remain sad and bitter. Forgiveness is a much healthier way to deal with issues that should be left in the past.
• Travel more and see the world: You’ll need to have your finances in order, get the right equipment and invest some time and effort before you consider traveling across the globe, but there are ways of experiencing different cultures and visiting faraway places even on a tighter budget.
• Learn to cook: Cooking is one of the essential skill that every man and woman should possess. It allows you to save money, eat the food you love just the way you like it and impress dates with lovely meals shared under candlelight. If you go through useful tips, keep your kitchen clean and avoid common mistakes, nothing stands between you an your 3-course-meal.
• Spend less time on social media: Some people might not spend hours in front of the TV, or playing video games, but social media has become a serious addiction among a wide range of demographics. It’s fine to stay in touch with friends and family, but if you consistently spend more than an hour every day on social media, it’s time to make a change.
• 48. Face your fears and insecurities: You will find this particular point masked beneath other New Year’s resolutions, but fear and insecurity are often the cause of several problems that we want to address. You need to think of it as surviving and controlling your fear rather than overcoming it, and it will enable you to shed off a lot of the insecurities that you have.

Today on the Morning Thing, we counted down the top 30 songs of 2018. We’re helping you end 2018 with a bang and get the new year started right. Click HERE to listen!

30. The Way (New Horizon)- Pat Barrett

29. Living Hope- Phil Wickham

28. Stand in Your Love- Josh Baldwin

27. Bleed the Same- Mandisa ft TobyMac

26. My Feet are On the Rock- I Am They

25. Just Give Me Jesus- Unspoken

24. The Breakup Song- Francesca Battestelli

23. So Will I (100 Billion X)- Hillsong United

22. Witness- Jordan Feliz

21. All My Hope- Crowder ft Tauren Wells

20. God of All My Days- Casting Crowns

19. I Just Need U- TobyMac

18. Only Jesus- Casting Crowns

17. Everything- TobyMac

16. Resurrection Power- Chris Tomlin

15. Even Then- Micah Tyler

14. No Matter What- Ryan Stevenson ft Bart Millard

13. What A Friend- Matt Maher

12. All In- Matthew West

11. Counting Every Blessing- Rend Collective

10. Do It Again- Elevation Worship

9. Confidence- Sanctus Real

8. Who You Say I Am- Hillsong Worship

7. Control- Tenth Avenue North

6. Known- Tauren Wells

5. Grace Got You- MercyMe ft John Reuben

4. Fear is a Liar- Zach Williams

3. joy- For King and Country

2. You Say- Lauren Daigle

1. Reckless Love- Cory Asbury

As always, thanks for listening and happy New Year from WNZR!

As 2018 comes to an end, our Morning Thing Co-Hosts plus special guest co-hosts Todd McKinley and Lilly Buckley share their favorite memories from this year! Everything from seeing Lauren Daigle soundcheck to traveling to Italy! Take some time to remember some of the memories from this past year with your Morning Thing crew!Click onthepicture of the host below to hear their favote memory of 2018!

Good morning! Friendly resident Afternoon Drive Co-Host Lilly here!
Todd McKinley and I took over the Morning Thing for one more day here on WNZR, and today on the show we shared with you the top New Year’s Eve party ideas!

If you want to see the whole list, click here!

Here are some of the highlights!

Tuxedo cheese and Crackers – Add a creative twist to your cheese and cracker plate by placing black olive ties and buttons onto each cheese wedge! You can use your favorite type of soft cheese, or you can use an assortment of cheeses.

Oreo Cookie Clocks – These adorable cookie clocks are made using Oreos, black candy melts, white and black fondant, almond bark and silver and black sprinkles. These are the perfect treats to snack on as you countdown to midnight.

Disco Truffles – New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to celebrate all things sparkly, making disco truffles a great choice for your dessert table. The truffles are made using semi-sweet chocolate, and they’re decorated with gold and silver dust.

Glow in the Dark Celebration – This unique glow-in-the-dark party featured neon glow stick plate toppers, light-up centerpieces, glow-in-the-dark silverware and glow stick favors for each guest.

Antipasto Skewers – These antipasto skewers are quick and easy to make, and they taste absolutely delicious! To make the skewers, simply place a slice of prosciutto, a sun dried tomato, basil leaves and a mozzarella ball on a wooden skewer.

Easy Fruit Rockets – For a fun and healthy dessert, try creating these fruit rockets. To make the rockets, simply place a strawberry, blueberries, and grapes on a colorful foil skewer.

Honeycomb Ball Table Decorations – Pay homage to the New Year’s Eve ball drop with these honeycomb ball table decorations. You can make them in a variety of colors, and you can also hang some above your table

Today we also played our Morning Thing Game of the Day and today it’s “Freaky Friday”! I’d like to call it ‘riddle me this’ for today though hahaha.
Here was today’s riddle…
Question: What two things can you never eat for breakfast?
Answer: Lunch and dinner!

Congratulations to David from Fredericktown! He guessed correctly!
They won one of our 2018 WNZR sports shirts!
Also congratulations to our birthday and anniversary winners this week…
Alisa Miller was our birthday winner and Steve and Kathy Griffith were our anniversary winners this week! Congratulations and happy celebrating!

Thanks for hanging with us!
– Lilly and Todd

Today on the Morning Thing, your resident Afternoon Drive Co-Hosts held down the fort, talking about how to use those Christmas leftovers, the best zoos in Ohio, and of course, giving away some awesome prizes!

Do you have leftovers from Christmas dinner? Don’t fret! We’re here to help! (Courtesy of our friends at Better Homes and Gardens)!

A south-western twist with leftover pork!
A recipe Ben Wyatt would be proud of!
Chicken + broccoli = a delicious Christmas casserole
Gruyere and ham? Sign me up for this Dr. Seuss dinner!
A lighter take on your leftover pork
The best use for leftover ham? Split pea soup!

Check out the whole list here!

Did you know today is ‘Visit the Zoo Day’?
Here’s a little history…
The idea of having exotic animals confined to a certain area for other people to view or observe is not new at all. The earliest such enclosure , called a “menagerie” discovered by excavators in Egypt and is believed to date back to about 3500 B.C. King Solomon of Israel was a known ancient animal collector, as were King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and Alexander the Great. The first actual zoo, created to educate and entertain, was opened in London in 1828.

The best way to celebrate this day is to visit a zoo yourself! Of course, we have the awesome Columbus Zoo here in Ohio, which hosts “Wildlights” every year.
Alongside the light displays, you can see attractions like Vanishing Giants, Discovery Reef, Manatee Coast and more. Also, enjoy other holiday festivities like Sparkling Spruce, Rudolph and Friends and the Polar Bear Express.
Hours for Wildlights are 5pm-9pm Sunday through Thursday, and 5pm-10pm Friday and Saturday through January 6th.
Learn more about the Columbus Zoo and Wildlights here!

We also shared with you a few more of the cool zoos that Ohio has to offer!
Check out the Cincinnati Zoo, hosting the PNC Festival of Lights now through January 1st.
And also, oh my goodness, the Cincinnati Zoo has the Southern Tamandua, and it is the cutest animal I have ever seen.
Check out the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo! They’re hosting some “Keeper for a Day” events this month! Learn more here!

The Toledo Zoo hosts ice carving at 6pm on Thursday’s, and they also have a Tasmanian Devil conservation? WHAT!? S’cute! Check out more here! Check out the Akron Zoo!  They also do their version of Wildlights now through December 30th. Visit SantaLand, and the Holly Jolly Hillside featuring lighted North American animals & trees synchronized to music. See the Classic Holiday Town in Grizzly Ridge and Rockin’ Lighted Spectacular with a wall of animated lights set to holiday music! For more information, click here!

For an inside experience, check out the Greater Cleveland Aquarium!
Did you know a lionfish can consume up to 30x it’s own stomach volume? You can see these lionfish at the Greater Cleveland as well as round Goby’s, pythons, sea dragons and more! Learn more about the Greater Cleveland here!

Of course, we gave away a $5 gift certificate to the Southside Diner! We played “Throwback Thursday” for our game of the day today, where we gave you facts about a ‘throwback’ artist, and you had to guess who it was!
Today’s artist clues were…
– a Christian rock band from Canada.
– They have released six studio albums to date: downhere (2001), So Much for Substitutes (2003), Wide-Eyed and Mystified (2006), Ending Is Beginning (2008), How Many Kings: Songs for Christmas (2009), and On the Altar of Love (2011)[1]
– They have won several Juno and Covenant Awards.
– In July 2012 the members of the band announced that January 1, 2013 would mark the end of their traveling ministry for the foreseeable future. Members of the band have stressed that this is not a break up, and they are still open to playing select shows and events here and there. Each of the members have felt God is leading them all in different directions, thus logically ending this chapter of the band
– The band was formed by Marc Martel and Jason Germain who were roommates at Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Saskatchewan.

The answer, of course, is Downhere!
Congratulations to Kim from Mt. Vernon! She was our winner today!

Thanks for listening!
– Lilly and Todd