October has come and gone but I would be remiss not to share some of the inspirational October releases from Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Group.  I have been swamped with volunteer activities and a new puppy.  As I mentioned a few months ago, our beloved doggy of 13 years passed away over the summer.  After some careful consideration, Hubby and I decided we wanted to have another doggy.  He's keeping us pretty busy and we love it! October was a rollercoaster of emotions for me.  I attended not one but TWO amazing social media conferences.  Lots of volunteer activities with our church youth. I won a 2nd place ribbon at the State Fair for one of my poems.  Go me!!!  It was my first time participating so not too shabby huh?  I volunteered for the Susan B Komen Race for the Cure and had my annual mammogram.  This was the first time in a long time I didn't walk the race.  It was too emotional for me.  So much so tha...

  My sis and I were talking and out of the blue she says "Remember when we were little and you used to make those sugar cookies?" I can't believe she remembered.  My sis and haven't baked cookies together in years.  She laughed when I told her I still bake those cookies. The recipe was simple: 1 stick of butter, some sugar and flour.   Sometimes we would get all fancy and mix in some of the flavored extracts my mom kept in the pantry or top the cookies with sugary sprinkles or a dusting of sugar. Nothing compares to the smell of cookies baking in the oven and it's one of my favorite ways to spend quality time with the kids. I always enlist the aid of my three boys and little lady when I'm in the kitchen.   Funny seeing my kids whipping up stuff in the kitchen on their own, making their own snacks or following along a recipe from one of my cookbooks.  What makes this recipe so perfect is that it's only 3 ingredients and even ...

If you’ve never been to ShiftCon, go. ShiftCon is a gathering of social media influencers, brands and others who champion for healthier families, sustainability and wellness. The conference offers those who believe in and support healthier communities an opportunity to partner with others who believe in and support healthier communities. The 2019 ShiftCon was held in Atlanta, Georgia on October 3, 4 and 5 and featured several informative workshops, great camaraderie, tasty food and... SWAG! Seriously, nobody swags better than a group of bloggers at a blog conference. ShiftCon in a nutshell is three days of AWESOME! Let me break it down: Thursday featured workshops on branding, affiliate marketing, photography, SEO, YouTube, launching a podcast all geared to educating influencers on ways to grow their blog. Adam Reimer led a session on SEO and monetization and Kate Kordsmeier of Root + Revel lead a workshop on affiliate opportunities. Each month Kate shares income re...

Happy Halloween! Have we got the perfect Halloween read for kiddos ages 4-8! Frankie's Scared of EVERYTHING by tattoo artist Mathew Franklin (10/7/2019; Building Block Press; ISBN: 978-1944201227; Age 4-8; 32 pages; Hardcover $19.95) You would be scared too if your own brain was out to get you! The world can be a dark place. More and more we find ourselves and our children feeling overwhelmed by the unknown and the pressures of society. This book helps instill early on the fact that our fears can be our greatest strengths. Follow Frankie as their imagination runs wild creating robots, beasts, sea creatures, and even a mole man on this technicolor adventure. Being afraid has never looked so fun. About the author/illustrator : Mathew Franklin is a tattoo artist, painter, graphic designer, and musician. After receiving degrees in painting and photography from Miami University he immediately became a staple in the art scene in Columbus, Ohio where he currently resi...

Halloween is just a few days away and now is the perfect time to grab the remote and queue a few movies for a Halloween Family Movie Night. Most of these movies are available on DVD or via your fave streaming channel (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. or you may even find a couple of them airing on cable. Once you’ve found the perfect flick it’s time to think about snacks and nothing screams “Halloween” like candy corn. My kids and I like to whip up this easy Candy Corn Popcorn. It’s super easy to make and perfect for snacking. Ingredients: 2 c. popped popcorn (stovetop, air-popped or microwave) ½ c. candy corn ½ c. M and M’s candies DIrections: 1.  Pop some popcorn 2.   WHILE THE POPCORN IS STILL WARM , dump in the candy corn let it melt slightly.  Stir a bit to mix the candy corn throughout.  Some pieces won't melt and that's okay.  If you want a little EXTRA candied corn, you can heat the candy corn in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds a...

October 31 will soon be here.  Before the kids put on that costume, now is a good time to talk to your kids about Halloween safety. There was a time when I didn't believe these tips were important until a few years when a car narrowly missed hitting a group of neighborhood kids.  Talk about a terrifying experience. Here are 7 tips for to help trick or treaters of all ages have a safe  Halloween 1.  Decorate using reflective tape.  Add a few pieces of reflective tape to your child's costume and trick or treat bags.  This makes it easier for others to see your trick or treater.  If you don't have reflective tape, consider using glow sticks or a flashlight.    2.  Set a designated time to trick or treat or a specific number of houses.   3.  No running. Make sure little ones look both ways before crossing the street.  This is a great time to practice pedestrian safety with your kids.  4. ...