Recent Blog Posts

My mother-in-law, Mari Shorter, is out visiting us this week so we teamed up today to share some table setting ideas.  I have found that many people are not learning how to set a table properly before entering the adult world.  It is a good skill to have when entertaining or helping a...
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Hello friends! With the days getting longer and the weather getting warmer is seems to be that time of year when we all start eating a little bit healthier. You know what I'm talking about. Summer will be here soon and I know when it comes to summer I like to have easy healthy meals on hand and sp...
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Good morning, friends! Can you believe it's the last week of April already? I don't know about you, but I'm getting antsy for school to be out and for summer to finally be here! Today on the blog I am bringing you information on summer camps here in Northern Michigan. I work from home year-round...
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Earth Day was this week, and folks in Michigan had a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. We’re rich in natural resources here. A portion of four of five Great Lakes lie within our borders. 35,000 inland lakes and 49,000 miles of river stretch across our state. Wetlands, sand dunes and forest ma...
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If you know my mother-in-law, Mari, you know that she knows all things about proper house keeping and entertaining. This is something I really admire and strive towards. Mari just showed me a great trick on how to fold a napkin so you can grab the corner, lift it up and spread it across yo...
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(Photo Credit: Boyne City Ridge Run Dog Park) Hello friends and happy Monday! Today on the blog I am bringing you some information on the Ridge Run Dog Park in Boyne City! Being a dog lover, I was excited to write this post and give our readers a little bit of information on the new par...
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Are you looking for an easy recipe to entertain friends and family this summer? I'm always on the lookout for elegant, yet easy recipes. I prefer recipes that don't take a long time to make and are of course, delicious! Brownwood Farms products from Grandpa Shorter's are always a great go to for ...
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Nickelodeon, iPads and Play Stations tempt children to stay in the house and sit on the couch all summer. Even when the sun is shining and it’s warm, it's hard to get them outside. But children do need to go outside. There are so many benefits to kids playing outdoors. Studies show that time spen...
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For the past 6 months we have had 4 teens ages 17 to 19 living with us.  So our little family of 3 has been a big family of 7 all winter.  The kids are each from different states: Montana, Utah, Michigan and Washington - all with one thing in common - the pursuit of excellence through ski racing...
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Happy Tuesday everyone! Today on the blog I'm featuring a homemade recipe using Brownwood Farm's Cherry BBQ Sauce. This past weekend was absolutely beautiful up here in Petoskey and we took full advantage of it. You just never know when it's going to start snowing again here in Michigan. My hus...
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