Colleen Stout

Much is said and written about how to survive winter in Michigan. Online you can find lengthy lists of the winter gear you need, like long underwear, snow shovels and rock salt. It’s suggested you keep those and a few other survival items in your car in case you end up stranded in a snow bank...
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We make the most out of our warm Michigan summers by hitting the beach as often as we can. Beautiful Gun Lake at Yankee Springs State Park is just a few minutes from our house. We swim there as many as three times a week once school it out. Lake Michigan is about an hour away, and we make several tr...
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Michigan is a large state with a long history, and the list of famous native sons and daughters is a long one. It includes everyone from famous inventors to artists to politicians. Here are just a few that are household names around the country. 1. Francis Ford Coppola, the famous Hollywood directo...
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School is officially out for summer here in northern Michigan. Myself, along with many parents worry that some of the academic progress our children made over the school year will be undone by summer learning loss. At the same time I don’t want to spend the summer sitting at the kitchen table with...
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Lighthouses have such a romantic, mysterious pull, a light in the dark, bringing mariners safely home through the storm. Their unique architecture is graceful and beautiful. They are a symbol of our rich maritime history and a record of the people whose lives followed the currents of the water. Mic...
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It wasn’t even Halloween yet when my five-year-old came home from kindergarten and said a classmate told him Santa wasn’t real. He was upset, and I could tell he wasn’t ready to let go of the fairy tale just yet. I wasn’t ready either. He’s my youngest, and I love seeing the magic of Chris...
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Ugly Christmas sweater parties are all the rage this year. It’s a great way to lighten up a holiday that can sometimes be filled with stress. There are sure to be lots of fun and laughs with your family and friends when everyone comes to the party dressed in their tackiest Christmas wear. Here are...
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We have over 600,000 veterans living in Michigan, ranking us 11th out of 50 states for total veteran population. If you live here, there’s a good change you know someone who has served in the military. For Veterans Day last Saturday, towns all over the Mitten State held parades and services to hon...
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In the cult classic film Escanaba in Da Moonlight, about life in Michigan, Jeff Daniel’s character says opening day of deer season is like, “Christmas with Guns.” Deer season is a big deal in Michigan. The deer harvest is Michigan’s most popular game season, with 93 percent of all hunter�...
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Today is National Sandwich Day. If you’re in Michigan, you can celebrate by chowing down on one of these regional favorites. Coney Island Hot Dog Is a hot dog a sandwich? Well, it fits the definition of meat or another filling between two pieces of bread. So, yes, for our purposes, it is a sandw...
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