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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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With the snow falling day after day, all week long, in Northern Michigan, it’s time to embrace winter with Hygge, the secret the Danes use to endure their long, dark winters. It’s a word that doesn’t translate easily to English. Pronounced hue-ga, it infers a sense of coziness but goes beyond...
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Four Unique Ways to Display Petoskey Stones Around Your Home Have you ever wondered what you could do to your home to add some Northern Michigan pizzazz or even just how to uniquely display that collection of Petoskey Stones that you've been adding to for years? Well, if you have, then great! I hav...
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A Way to Refresh This Spring: Shower Therapy Tabs I don't know about you, but this constant change in climate from warm-and-sunny to cold-and-wet really does not play nicely with my sinuses/allergies. Often I walk into work dragging because I can barely breathe out of my nose. Like most, I have med...
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Birds add color and life to your yard in the middle of winter. There’s nothing as striking as a pair of bright, red cardinals against the white snow. You can attract birds to your yard with the right food and feeders. Of course, you’ll also be helping them get through the winter, so you can enjo...
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Christmas break equals a lot of time with the kids out of school. Let me preface this by saying, I love my children dearly, I really do. That being said, I also relish the time they are in school that allows me to work (quietly) from home and keep my sanity in check. The first week of Christmas...
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Last February, my husband and I broke down and bought a snow blower after 17 years. We were reeling from two harsh winters in a row. It’s a matter of pride for diehard Michiganders to shovel their own snow. But with both of us pushing 40, we decided we were done having sore backs from slinging the...
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Yes, Michigan moms are tough. We’re resilient and resourceful. We can stuff one kid into snow pants and tie another’s scarf at the same time.  We can clear a vehicle of the night’s ice and snowfall in two minutes flat and get everybody to school on time in our four-wheel drive SUV, even thoug...
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Now, I don't know how many of you love to host a party but I really do. I think it is especially important to stop and celebrate a child's birthday.  I know both my husband and I have very sweet mothers who threw us parties each and every year.  It is something growing up that I really looked for...
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Have you ever found a unique item and wondered to yourself the history behind it? Or, remarked how unique and different it is and thought 'I must have that right now!' Today on the blog I'm talking about a unique gift item carried by Grandpa Shorter's. Popular and unique by nature but often questio...
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