Keeping Peace at the Dinner Table
Have you ever had a night at the dinner table where chaos reigns? Children are squabbling, parents are tense, milk is spilled, tears are shed, and sanity is called into question. Maybe your table is too small and you need to get a dining table and 6 chairs instead of the 4 chairs that you...
How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap
Every so often we have some sort of fruit fly EXPLOSION at our house…it’s crazy. We’ll see one or two fruit flies one day and then the very next day…BAM, they are everywhere! One way to get rid of the pesky flies is to get pest control in, like Terminix Florida, as nobody wants flies...
Gold Bling Bachelorette Party
Are you looking for a glamorous theme for a Bachelorette Party? How about Glitter & Gold? That’s the look my cousin went for when planning a Gold Bling Bachelorette Party for her sister in law a few months back. It was a very fabulous party with all sort s of special touches that sparkled with...
Five Reasons Children Should Pack Their Own Lunch
Lunch packing has been the norm in our family since Ella started Kindergarten in 2008. I used to make lunches for all of the kids and sometimes Michael too, but for the past year or so the job of lunch-packing has been delegated to the children. The kids are 11, 9, 7 and 4 and...
Back to School: Helpful Tips
It’s that time of year…time to send the kids back to school for a year of growing & learning. This time of year is always hard for my family. We hate to see summer end, and we dread the return to early mornings & chaotic evenings. I’ve put together some tips that help me and...
Family Fun in Siesta Key & Sarasota
Last year we took our family of six to Siesta Key for a long vacation. We had so much fun exploring Siesta Key and the surrounding area, that I wanted to share my ideas for family fun in Siesta Key with you. Our focus was mostly on beach lounging, so we weren’t able to do...
Handmade, Frugal & Sentimental Wedding Decorations & Invitations
For my cousin Veronica’s wedding a while back I offered to help put together the wedding invitations, wedding programs, and a few of the decorations for the wedding. A lot of her money went on the essential items like her flower bouquets, the bride maid dresses and a wedding gown that looked like it came...
Things We Don’t Want to Think About: Writing a Will, Choosing Guardians, and Preparing for the Future
Have you taken time to think about preparing for the future in case something should happen to you or your spouse? There are certain subjects in our life that are taboo or forbidden, and certainly not talked about at over the water cooler at the office. Preparing for your own demise is one of these...
Getting Organized :: Children & Chores
I am a stay at home mother of four children. I hate housework, but I also hate a messy house. It’s a frustrating way to live. And with five other people in this house with me, keeping up with the housework is a never ending task. My husband and I have always thought that our...
Creating a Family Travel Guide
When Michael and I were in college we spent many weekends at the Red River Gorge, and even after we got married we still went camping pretty regularly. But once we started having kids camping got a bit complicated, and we started staying in cabins and not tent camping as much as we used to...
Family Movie Night :: A Hobbit Party
Last week we had a Hobbit Party to celebrate finishing the book. One of my favorite things to do is to read with my kids. It’s important for so many reasons, most of all that it helps them develop a love of literature. And to make reading even more fun, we started a tradition last...
How to Keep Cut Basil Fresh
Do you cook with fresh basil? Have you ever noticed how fast it goes bad? I’ve found a way to keep cut basil fresh longer! How to Keep Cut Basil Fresh: I usually like to cut my basil right off the plant when I am ready to cook with it, but sometimes I receive cut...
