20 Creative Writing Ideas for Kids of All Ages

20 Creative Writing Ideas for Kids of All Ages

Just because summer is here doesn’t mean the kids need to stop learning!  I wanted to make learning fun this summer so with the help of some friends I put together a list of 20 Creative Writing Ideas for Kids of All Ages.  My kids are all very creative, and...
Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti Pie

Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti Pie

Growing up in the Greater Cincinnati area makes it hard not to love “Cincinnati Style” Chili.  It’s not like your traditional hearty chili recipes, Cincinnati chili has a bit of sweetness to it and it’s perfect atop noodles and smothered with cheese.  We have our local preference on where to...
Sandusky:  Cedar Point and Hotel Breakers

Sandusky: Cedar Point and Hotel Breakers

Recently we made our first visit to Sandusky, Ohio for a long weekend spent at the Hotel Breakers.  While much of my time was spent learning great things at the Bloggy Conference, we also spent many hours exploring Cedar Point (known as the Roller Coaster Capitol of the World) getting...
Rowe Woods Cincinnati Nature Center

Rowe Woods Cincinnati Nature Center

The Rowe Woods Cincinnati Nature Center is one of my favorite places in the Greater Cincinnati area to spend a day in the woods exploring nature.  There are over sixteen miles of trails in Rowe Woods and they meander past a lake, over bridges, along boardwalks, over hills and through the...
Pesto Cream Cheese Dip

Pesto Cream Cheese Dip

You must know by now how much I love easy appetizer recipes.  Well here’s something you might not know about me, I cannot go to a party empty handed.  That’s where all of my easy appetizers come in…I have a collection of easy appetizers that I can throw together in no...
Spend a Day in Hamilton Ohio

Spend a Day in Hamilton Ohio

Edit:  June 2023 – I have come to realize that this post has some outdated information so I have deleted places that have since closed in Hamilton and will endeavor to make a day trip to Hamilton to make some updates this summer!  That being said, there’s still some good...
Our Chicago Vacation

Our Chicago Vacation

For Spring Break 2014 we took the kids on a mini-vacation to Chicago for three nights and four days. We crammed as much fun as we could into those four days and had adventures all over the Windy City. For our next trip, we may even take a trip to...
Five Easy Appetizers

Five Easy Appetizers

I have lots of favorite easy appetizer recipes, because I love making Hors d’oeuvres for any occasion.  Over the Thanksgiving weekend we had five different events going on!  So I had lots of easy appetizers to make.  I put together five of my favorite easy appetizers this weekend and thought...
Our Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes

Our Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes

My slow cooker is my best friend during a busy school week. I really don’t know what I’d do without it. If you don’t have one, I really recommend buying one! You can browse the best ones at somewhere like https://buyersimpact.co.uk/ to see if there are any that take your...
Cheap Date Nights in Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

Cheap Date Nights in Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky

My husband and I value our date nights.  We have four children, we love said children, but we also cherish our alone time.  Sometimes we will jump at any chance to have a date night.  While we enjoy having nice dinners in swanky restaurants from time to time, we also...
Family Fun in Siesta Key & Sarasota

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...
Getting Organized :: Children & Chores

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...
Walt Disney World with Kids :: Tips for a Fun Trip

Walt Disney World with Kids :: Tips for a Fun Trip

For Spring Break last year we took the family to Florida and spent three days at Walt Disney World. It was a blast! I was so thankful to have the tips & advice from friends and family before we went…I felt somewhat prepared for the special kind of chaos that...
Our Favorite Homemade Pizza Recipes

Our Favorite Homemade Pizza Recipes

Homemade Pizza with Salad is a favorite dinner around our house. I would venture to say we have homemade pizza on the menu almost every week. Homemade Pizza When Michael and I were first married he would make the dough and I would make the sauce, and we made some...
LEGO Birthday Party

LEGO Birthday Party

Last summer we had a big birthday celebration for all four kids at a local Civic Club. I wanted to find a common theme that they were all interested in, and settled upon a LEGO Birthday Party! They all love their LEGO blocks and especially their Minifigures. When I told...
Thirteen Ways to De-Stress

Thirteen Ways to De-Stress

I have days where I feel stressed & overwhelmed all day. There’s a huge amount of reasons, one is that I’ve just found out that I can get cheaper broadband deals with the help of someone like Usave, but there are many other things that are stressing me out. I’m...
Create Your Own Chihuly Sculpture

Create Your Own Chihuly Sculpture

Our family loves the arts, and we also love creating our own works of art. A few months back I read about a very cool art project for kids on the blog Mary Making and it inspired me to do a similar project with my children. The project was to...
Homemade Spaghetti & Meatballs

Homemade Spaghetti & Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs is a quintessential comfort food, and a favorite at our house.  I found this recipe years and years ago and have tinkered with it over the years until I deemed it perfectly delicious.   This recipe is written for making mass amounts of sauce and meatballs…because I...
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Kitty Brew Cat Cafe

Kitty Brew Cat Cafe

Whether you want to adopt a cat or just hang with some cute kitties for a little while drinking coffee you really need to stop by the Kitty Brew Cat Cafe in Mason. My son Max loves cats and dogs with his whole heart, but unfortunately, we cannot have either at our house because of...
Broadway in Cincinnati presents The Book of Mormon

Broadway in Cincinnati presents The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is back in town for a limited run engagement and you need to RUN to get tickets to this show because it will be gone soon!  This was our second time seeing the Book of Mormon and we laughed just as hard and just as loud (if not louder) than we...
Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe

Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe

Lately our go-to easy pasta dinner has been Tuscan Chicken Pasta.  It is so simple to make, and it is a hearty and delicious dinner.  Before you make this recipe you need to get your hands on some of Colonel De’s Tuscan Herb Blend.  This stuff is the bomb. Tuscan Blend is the one spice...
Easy Sausage & Vegetables One Pan Dinner

Easy Sausage & Vegetables One Pan Dinner

I  have found a delicious sausage and vegetables one pan dinner that is easy to make and popular with the whole family.  When I was a stay at home mom I loved to cook and experiment with new recipes.  I  still love to cook, but find that I do not have the energy after work...
Alexandria Brewing Company

Alexandria Brewing Company

Alexandria Brewing Company in Campbell County is a great place to hang out and try some craft brews.  They are located a few miles off of I275 in Alexandria and are family friendly with the atmosphere of a cool neighborhood bar.  You can order a flight of four beers to sample their selection on tap.  They...
Broadway in Cincinnati Presents Disney's Aladdin

Broadway in Cincinnati Presents Disney’s Aladdin

This week Broadway in Cincinnati began their latest show, Disney’s Aladdin.  This show was spectacular, and going to see it would be a great way to kick off your summer break with the family.  I daresay that this is my favorite Disney Broadway production that I have seen.  The acting, dancing and singing were impressive,...
Cirque du Soleil Announces a Brand New Show!  CRYSTAL

Cirque du Soleil Announces a Brand New Show! CRYSTAL

Cirque du Soleil has a new show coming to town and it is a Cirque production like no other.  Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL is going to take the acrobatics, music and action of their already existing Cirque productions and add in a new component – ICE!  That is right, Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL is performed...

A Sweet Shower for a Baby Girl

This weekend Ella and I attended a lovely baby shower for my cousin, who is expecting her first baby girl in a few months. Her family went ALL OUT to make the shower special for the mama to be and for everyone who attended. Because the mama had used something similar to this gender test...
Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps & Salads at Skyline {GIVEAWAY}

Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps & Salads at Skyline {GIVEAWAY}

This week we had the opportunity to taste the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap and Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad at Skyline Chili.  They were soooo good!  I was not sure what to think about the addition of Frito chips in the wrap, and then I remembered that when I was little I would put Fritos in...
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe

Our family loves pasta of all sorts.  We have many favorite recipes, but when I want just a little bit of kick we turn to Buffalo Chicken Pasta.  It is a creamy pasta dish with just the right amount of heat for this mama who does not like it too hot.  The best thing about...
Cirque du Soleil's Corteo is Coming to Cincinnati

Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo is Coming to Cincinnati

Ever since I saw my first Cirque show under the big top on the banks of the Ohio River I have been hooked!  Cirque du Soleil’s CORTEO is coming to Cincinnati next week and I cannot wait.  And the best thing is that it will begin it’s run on my birthday!  What a perfect way...
Brink Brewing Company

Brink Brewing Company

If you find yourself in the College Hill area of Cincinnati you really need to stop by Brink Brewing Company for a craft beer.  Have a pint, or try several of their offerings in a flight of beers.  We stopped by Brink Brewing on a sunny day and spent a few hours on the patio...