Simple Pleasures

Simple Pleasures

Hot black tea (always Lipton here!), a little sugar, a little cream. A small (or big!) slice of cake. Take out the fancy plates and cups because they should be enjoyed, not just sitting gathering dust on a shelf waiting for the perfect moment. A good book, with a simple plot. Or maybe it’s you quiet time with God. Hopefully something that takes you away from the stress of the day and gives you some space. Talking with your kids…

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Wade in the Water

Wade in the Water

Wade in the waterWade in the waterChildren wade, in the waterGod’s gonna trouble the water It was a song we learned back in junior high. I was in 7th or 8th grade, attending a public school and we had one of those all-school choir festivals. The soloist stepped up to the platform and sang out in her rich alto tones, taking everyone’s breath away. It was a song that was sang by slaves in the American South. They sang many…

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Nampa Farmer’s Market

Nampa Farmer’s Market

So I’m now located weekly in 2020 at the Nampa Farmer’s Market. This means you can come out between 9am and 1pm each week on Saturdays and purchase a book, get it signed, maybe participate in a coloring contest or come away with some homemade playdough. Each week, I hope to feature a fun activity so that the kids can enjoy the trip into downtown Nampa with you. There’s just nothing like shopping local! Another great reason to come out…

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Don’t…Panic at the Walmart.

Don’t…Panic at the Walmart.

So we were on our last two rolls of TP yesterday. With Hubby working at the airport, and a family with five littles, I’ve been watching the reports coming in, taking note of the rising panic. But we really _needed_ toilet paper. We had already discussed the idea that having a back up grocery stock was a good plan, before this virus hit the US. But yesterday, yesterday got real. It’s not so much that we’re worried about getting sick….

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DIY Last Minute Gifts (Without Breaking the Bank)

DIY Last Minute Gifts (Without Breaking the Bank)

It’s that time of year again…The kids are asking me daily at this point, “How many days until Christmas?” and there’s not enough hours in the day to finish all the tasks on my to-do list as it is. Yesterday, one of my kids found a favorite bracelet of mine and thoughtfully asked me if they could gift it to their best friend. Now, the bracelet in question isn’t real as far as quality is concerned, and in fact, it’s…

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Seven Gifts for Moms and Daughters 2019

Seven Gifts for Moms and Daughters 2019

What do you do when you want to have a memorable gift, but you’ve already done the standards? What about the kid or relative that has everything? Here’s your 2019 guide to seven Mom and Daughter gift ideas that are sure to bring flavor to your festivities this year: KIDS $25.99 Available Here BILIBO TOY Meet the Bilibo. (Billy-Bow)What is it? It’s a sled. It’s a hat. It’s a turtle shell. It’s a chair. It’s a basket. It’s a doll…

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Marriage and Fire Alarms

Marriage and Fire Alarms

The Context:We heat our house by wood-burning stove. It’s old-fashioned, but we like it. And it suits our pocketbooks. Tonight, we put a fire in, and our smoke alarm went off. Okay. Odd. Closed the dampeners, and realized that the fan we have blowing the air away from the stove was actually turned toward the smoke alarm. No problemo. Easy fix. When we installed the stove, we learned what to look for, and I probably went a tad overboard by…

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My Take on Disney Plus

My Take on Disney Plus

So our family hemmed and hawed last week over Disney+. We are what you would refer to as movie and television mavens. But we’re picky. Insanely picky. We don’t like anything that has an underlying agenda. We don’t like anything that’s just junk, and we’re more likely to enjoy an old classic en masse than use our limited screen time with something new and risky. Now, right out of the gate, (I can hear the voices clamoring) if you are…

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Nana Rama? What?

Nana Rama? What?

So this month is National Novel Writing Month. Or, as we scribblers like to call it: NaNoWriMo (Nah-No-Rye-Moh). This program is in it’s 20th year. Wow! Since I’ve been penning typing up my fabulous children’s book series this summer and fall (available here), I thought it would be good to get out into the public and do a few writer-friendly events. The purpose behind NaNo- is to write fifty thousand words in thirty days. To give you an idea of…

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Create-A-Holiday

Create-A-Holiday

You may or may not have heard about the recent kid-created holiday of Wolfenoot, which took the internet by storm this autumn. Long story short: a young boy was given the task of inventing his own holiday and he invented a holiday that was for people who are nice to dogs. It is both endearing and creative. And it’s captured the world’s hearts and imaginations. I mean? Dogs? Presents? Total win! Having children who are easily bored with tedium we…

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