books & more
My goal this year is to get a bit more organized in the kitchen so we aren't left at the last minute wondering what's for dinner. That usually results in an expensive and unhealthy fast-food run . . . or breakfast for dinner, again. I was inspired by a friend whose New Year's Resolution last [...]
It's one of my favorite times of the year to browse around the bookstore, so I wanted to share the books I've read this year to give you some ideas on what to buy...and what not to buy...for yourself or the people on your list. Good, bad, and in-between, here's my 2025 reading list. I've [...]
I clipped this poem from a copy of Real Simple magazine back when I subscribed to it (along with Victoria and Martha Stewart Living) in the late 1990s. It spoke to me then, in a way I didn't even fully realize. It still speaks to me now. I started watching a documentary recently on Netflix [...]
This isn't a cooking blog. It never will be. That said, I threw some ingredients together for dinner tonight and it turned out really tasty, so I thought I'd share. I have a feeling you could switch things up to suit your personal preferences, and it would probably turn out just as well. 1 cup [...]
Over the past year or so I've had the real pleasure of discovering and discussing new books with a group of friends in a new book club. We meet once a month at someone's house, and the host cooks a main course. We keep it simple -- soup, chicken, pasta. The rest of us bring [...]
Before I launch into all the details on these incredible free 11th grade homeschool curriculum options, you might want to read my perspective and background, first. TLDR version: Our kids have been in public schools, in private schools, and homeschool. You probably know that homeschool can be pretty expensive if you don’t know where to look. But you [...]
I loved this book. Catherine Newman's Sandwich is, in short, the story of a family's annual trip to the Cape Cod coast for their summer vacation. Empty nesters Rocky and Nick are there with their two just-barely-adult children, Jamie and Willa, and Jamie's girlfriend Maya. Mid-week, as always, Rocky's parents join them for two nights. [...]
You may be wondering why I'm spending time writing about books that hit the shelves of bookstores years ago. Well, two things have happened. I've joined a book club, which I've already told you about. And I've made a promise to myself that I'm absolutely sure I will break, and that is to read the [...]
Over the years, my husband has helped teach classes at our co-op, and his American Film Studies course was one of the most popular electives he taught. Twenty-something kids signed up for it, and they had a great time talking about the different genres and aspects of filmmaking. This post contains affiliate links. The course [...]
Our book club read Claire Keegan's Foster this month, and it's the type of book that continues to settle in you over the days and weeks after you finish it. The cover is riddled with blurbs like, "A small miracle," or "A thing of finely honed beauty," or even, "As good as Chekhov." In my [...]
Spilled Milk 