Category: family

The first harbinger of spring

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, local fun, restaurants

I have some  happy news for all of you that live here in southern Maine. Spring is nigh. How do I know this?  Because: THE DAIRY QUEEN IS OPENING TODAY!!!! If your family is anything like mine, you've been counting the days until the DQ reopened...well count no more. Now, after Memorial Day weekend and … Continue reading The first harbinger of spring

You, Mii, and Wii

by Karen, posted in family, fitness, health, Holidays, tweens

Hate exercise? Mii too.  Well, I do if you are referring to Going to the gym Jogging Stairmaster Shoveling If you've been reading my blog for a while, you are not shocked by this admission. I do to practice yoga and like to hula hoop, but getting exercise is a byproduct (for me) of the … Continue reading You, Mii, and Wii

Snow day top 10 fun things to do (Part 2)!

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, fitness, local fun, tweens

Can you believe that we're (possibly) getting (yet) another storm tomorrow? Just in case you exhausted your personal Top 10 list of things to do, here's another bunch of ideas. Go sledding. By now, you (most likely) have piles of snow that are plenty big enough for the kids to sled on right in your yard. … Continue reading Snow day top 10 fun things to do (Part 2)!

Kate Braestrup’s new book

by Karen, posted in books, family

Kate Braestrup's new book is Beginner's Grace and is a book about prayer: learning about it, thinking about it, finding occasions to engage in it. Kate talks about occasions of prayer that are present in one's everyday life, and offers some simple words that people can use if they don't already have their own. She describes prayer as … Continue reading Kate Braestrup’s new book

Snow day! Top ten (fun) things to do

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, italian, Karen's Kitchen, movies, recipes, writing

I have not had a snow day for quite a while  (the Christmas Blizzard doesn't count because I was too worried about my husband and son driving home from work in it to enjoy it). I decided to plan ahead for the next one, so I was ready to dive into distraction at a moment's notice. … Continue reading Snow day! Top ten (fun) things to do

One of the Best Christmases ever

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, Holidays, italian, quest for the best, tweens

I originally thought that this would be one of the worst Christmases ever.  It had three strikes against it before it even started: I had to work late and wouldn't get home until 8:20PM Christmas Eve. My husband had to work early Christmas Day, leaving at 5:10 AM, and would be gone the entire day … Continue reading One of the Best Christmases ever

Gratitude

by Karen, posted in family, good grief, Holidays, Midlife Crisis

I've been keeping a gratitude journal this year. A long time ago, I read Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach and decided to give the "keeping the journal all year" thing a shot.  It was an easy enough premise: write down at least three things that you are grateful for each day. That's it. It starts off fairly … Continue reading Gratitude

The worst cell phone experience ever

by Karen, posted in family, Someone's gotta say it, tweens

The OffenderWhat's a mom to do? When you have the whole Christmas thing under control, all presents bought and (almost all) wrapped, you might be feeling a little cocky. The only thing that I had left to do was activate the cell phone that was the tween daughter's big gift this year. Imagine my surprise … Continue reading The worst cell phone experience ever

Give yourself a break

by Karen, posted in family, friends, local fun, no fear

Is your birthday coming? Are you wondering what to get yourself for Christmas? Have a really good friend that  you want to appreciate? Stacey at Mainely You Massage  is there to help you. Never had a massage? Don't be scared. It will be both the fastest and the slowest hour you've ever experienced. You can just … Continue reading Give yourself a break

The Chicken Whisperer

by Karen, posted in family, raising chickens

This morning, as I was rushing around the coop, trying to let the chickens out in their run, feed them, and give them a treat before I left for work, one of the smaller ones slipped past me and got out into the garage. I wasn't too concerned at first, hoping that she would hear … Continue reading The Chicken Whisperer