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The title of this blog comes from a dear friend of Ryan and mine, AJ Cronk, who loves to throw a party.  He was known in college for his wild costume theme parties where the guest list was envied by all. For many people parties cause stress and it disables them from entertaining often or at all. �...
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Something you might not know about me unless you are in the ski racing community is that I cook for all the campers, coaches and staff at our PV Alpine Summer and Fall Camps at Mt. Hood, Oregon and Vail, Colorado. This summer I cooked 7,992 meals by making breakfast, lunch and dinner for 24 days fo...
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These authors all have two things in common: They live in and write about Michigan. If you're looking for a good beach read, grab one of these books and hit the sand for a relaxing afternoon. 1. Aaron Stander’s Ray Elkins Thriller Series is a group of eight mystery novels set in Northwest Lower...
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Many people HATE to entertain or have given up having friends over all together because they really don't have time. At our house we seem to end up having a planned or impromptu party at least once a week - the key is to make it as stress free as possible - like it should be. Here are some tips ...
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Spring is here and summer is on the horizon. Many people start taking trips and visiting family during these months. There are baby showers, weddings and everyone is making the most of the beautiful weekends. I think it is really important to make guests feel welcome and comfortable in your ...
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For me spring is all about regrouping, reorganizing, purging and bringing in new fresh ideas.  It makes me happy and sane to have my spaces usable again. As my mother-in-law, Mari, always says spring cleaning is taking inventory of what you have and what you need.  For me it always seems that...
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Good morning friends! Today on the blog I'll be sharing with you some tips for gardening with kids. Growing up on a farm, I was out working in the fields even as a kid but now that I'm grown I enjoy having a small garden. My kiddos love nothing more than 'helping' my husband and I outside. Every ...
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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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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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