Parenting
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Buddy
I was trying to get a picture of Buddy with a Santa hat and failing miserably. Muza Ulasowski came to my rescue. Thank you, Muza and Photoshop! Buddy is one of the family. The difference between when we first brought him home from the shelter in July and now is amazing. He’s still Mr. Mellow but he looks us in the eye, responds to his name and gets very excited when Eric comes home from work. Eric will play with him. I jump on the furniture when Buddy wants to play for fear of getting knocked on my keister. Buddy’s a big boy! When I’m writing Buddy is at my side. If he wakes and…
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Holiday Post Links
Here is a list of links to my favorite holiday posts. This article is number 281! I know time is something a lot of people don’t have right now so I’ve made the recipe search easy. Just click on a link, turn on your favorite holiday tunes, take a sip of hot chocolate and start baking. It is the most wonderful time of the year. Especially if you live in Florida! Okay, I miss the snow…a little. Recipes Pizzelles Pumpkin Bread Banana Stuffed French Toast Apple Pie Epic Success Holiday Cake No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Apple Butter Cupcakes Incredible Cupcakes Apple Crisp Pumpkin Pie Bites Great Appetizer! Stuffed Olives! This has to…
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Be Conscious of Your Treasures
“We can only be said to be alive when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” Thornton Wilder One of the things I love best about being around children is that they are almost always happy. They wake every day with the intention of happiness and the excitement of a new day. They see the world in a different light than adults. Where adults see responsibilities children see opportunities. Where adults want to try to control their entire universe–a child’s existence is mostly controlled by others yet they still have a sense of freedom. Perhaps children are so alive with life because they are conscious of their treasures. Whether that…
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Easy Homemade Holiday Candles
After seeing the cinnamon stick holiday candle on Pinterest I had to try it. Then I wondered what else I could glue to the side of a canning jar. I came home with peppermints and candy canes. My evening was spent experimenting with holiday sweets and hot glue. The cinnamon sticks didn’t quite reach the bottom of the jar so I added red marbles under the candle. Peppermints and the candy canes were a success! Happy crafting and gifting! Update: Here’s another idea: Chocolate peppermint spoons! Instant hot chocolate or afternoon snack. MYSTIC on Amazon! It’s a hit with kids ages 9-12. Check out my Teacher Resources page for classroom activities and recordings from Florida Virtual…
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Thankful Moments with My Kids
Turkey Trot 5K Cape Coral, Fl. Arielle came home from college for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful having us all together again and the balance in our family was restored. Two females and two males. Also, two vegetarians and two omnivores. Lucky for me Eric was very excited to cook whatever his beloved daughter wanted. Arielle and I had many vegetarian feasts beginning with his famous jalapeno grilled cheese. We also discovered the best veggie burgers in town at Square 1 in Ft. Myers. Thanksgiving flew by and soon I found myself at the airport saying good-bye to Arielle again. “Three more weeks.” I told her. “I get to see you in three more weeks.”…
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MYSTIC Cover Sketch
Illustration by Timothy Banks When I first saw the message that the cover of MYSTIC was available for me to review I was very nervous. I had no idea who the illustrator was. All I had done was fill out a questionnaire about MYSTIC and speak to a project team member about my vision for the cover. I told her what I thought I wanted but also that I was open to ideas. A week later I received an email. The first sketch was ready to be viewed. The characters of MYSTIC had been in my head for six years and now I was going to see them in…
