As an artist, it can be helpful to have a theme to inspire my creativity and help build a cohesive group of artworks for a show or series. For the month of April, I worked on drawings, paintings, and sculptures inspired by zoo animals.
I love creating clay bowls with lots of texture to them. Each bowl I make is a one of a kind piece of art that brings me joy in making and using. Here is how I make my bowls so you can share in the joy of creating your own unique artwork.
This meal is great for feeding your hungry kids between the Dance practice and the soccer game! Cooks up fast using just refrigerator biscuits, shredded cheese and leftover ham. Grab and go!
Join me in a 30 week attempt to make myself a healthier person. I am choosing one habit a week on which to focus. At the end of my 30 Week Challenge I will be well on the road to health!
An assortment of random polls. Add your vote and see what others are thinking on a wide variety of topics.
Looking for an easy way to fill your kid's play kitchen. This simple carrot is quick and easy to crochet, yet will bring much joy to the child to whom you give it! Crochet one or make several and fill a basket. They also make a good gift for a baby as they don’t have any buttons or choking hazards.
When you have two kids and one wants brats and the other grilled cheese, what do you do? Make up a new recipe. That is how Grilled Cheese Brats found their way into the world!
Cold Pasta Salad is an easy, refreshing dish to serve in those dog hot days of summer. Make this recipe a day ahead of your next BBQ and enjoy your day outside!
My family loves the simple Japanese soup we get at our local Japanese restaurant. Using that as inspiration, I created a simple and tasty soup which uses many ingredients I have on hand in my kitchen.
Take advantage of beautiful summer squash with this easy to make Pasta that is great either as a light vegetarian meal or a side to some grilled chicken.
I took my kids to the dollar store on the first day of summer break to come up some ideas to keep them occupied for these next few months. At the entrance they had a big display of pool noodles in red, green and blue. My three year old son started...
A tasty Vegan Potato Hash that has a nice kick. This dish makes a wonderful dinner for a chilly fall evening.
My little boy loves Chocolate and Bananas so for his third birthday it came as no surprise when he requested a Chocolate Banana Cake for his birthday party. Since my mom was coming and had just recently found that she was allergic to dairy and eggs,...
Anyone who has helped a child with homework can appreciate the value of teaching kids to look up the words they need to spell in a dictionary. Growing up, I was sent to my dads twenty pound behemoth of a dictionary that had every conceivable word...
Each August in Western Michigan, fiber art lovers converge on the Allegan County Fairgrounds for a weekend of workshops, shopping and shows. This year was my first visit to a fiber festival, but it will not be my last. My mom and I travelled across...
Vinyasa Yoga is a type of yoga characterized by movements that flow from one pose to the next, timed with breathing in and out. This particular style of yoga is my preferred way to start the day. I find it a fabulous way to get my body energized,...
My family loves to play games together, and during the warm summer months we are eager to spend as much time as we can outside before the cold Michigan snow returns. While we enjoy bocce ball as one of the games we regularly play, it doesn't much...
We are busy planning for my daughter's upcoming 6th Birthday Party. She has chosen a Wizard of OZ theme, and there are so many neat foods and drink ideas we are considering. Today we gave a test run of our Melted Witch Punch. This drink will make a...
I have a passion for all things sci-fi, and that passion doesn't stop at the kitchen. When I first heard about the Babylon 5 cookbook, I kew I had to have it. I special ordered it from the UK as it was not available in the US. I had a blast...
Make everyone scream for sweetness with this amazing Old Fashioned Caramel Recipe. This Old Fashioned Caramel Recipe makes enough caramel candies for everyone and makes a quick sweet treat after dinner. Delicious Old Fashioned Caramel Recipe. ...
If you are looking for a great gift to give to your aspiring chef this Christmas, then you've come to the right place. Help inspire your young one's life-long love of cooking with these child sized gifts that will bring much joy to them and to you....
Have you been searching for a quick and easy cookie recipe that is great for parties and get togethers and that everyone is sure to love? Try my amazing Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Recipe today! Check out my easy to follow recipe the next time a peanut butter cup craving hits.
My family loves berries! We have a small strawberry patch in our front yard and the kids pick and eat them so fast my husband and I are lucky if we get one or two all summer. My very berry loving family goes crazy for this summer dessert. We usually...
Have you been searching for a quick and easy lunch or snack recipe that you can whip together in minutes and serve to your kids? Try my delicious Baked Cheese Sticks Recipe today! These are nearly as easy to make as the frozen pre-packaged...
Are you an on-the-go mom who is looking for a quick and easy breakfast recipe that is delicious and healthy and that everyone is sure to love? Try my delicious Almond Crunch Oatmeal Recipe today! Watch my easy to follow recipe video that I have...
Have you been searching for a delicious breakfast recipe that is great when you are on the go, and everyone is sure to love? Try my wonderful Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe today! Here in Michigan the blueberries are fantastic in the...
The change of the seasons isn't official to me until I bring home my first bushel of apples from the farmer's market. There is just something so wonderful about freshly picked apples. In the fall we take advantage of the abundance of apples to make...
The saying that "Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day" may be cliche, but that makes it no less true. Starting each morning with a healthy meal will help to set the tone for the rest of your day. Read on for some details on the benefits...
Until I found this bowl, suction-cup bottomed bowls were one of those things that only was a good idea in theory. We had tried a few with my daughter, and they seemed to make a bigger mess for us to clean up than a standard bowl. Now that my son is...
Are you looking for a delicious recipe that is perfect for a breakfast or even as a dessert after dinner? Try my amazing Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast Recipe today and you will be utterly speechless by its greatness! Watch my easy to follow...
This easy cheese sandwich is sure to warm you up on a cool fall day. The combination of three cheeses and rye bread is out of this world. Serve with some tomato soup for a quick and easy dinner.
Let's face it. An expectant dad is very deserving of a Father's Day present. He deserves recognition for all the midnight craving runs, foot rubs, and his insistance that, no, you do not look fat. Show him how much he is appreciated and for how...
Many retailers are offering their customers special one day only deals at highly discounted prices. Many shoppers are not aware of these bargains offered by their favorite stores. There are other sites that are set up exclusively to provide a new...
Michigan has so many great places to visit, but here I will highlight five of Michigan's great places to visit. It is the perfect time to plan your next vacation to see some of Michigan's beauty. With the current economy and cost of gas, many...
If you enjoy the feeling of going barefoot, but still need the protection that a shoe offers than minimalist footwear is something you should look into. There are many different styles and brands from which you can choose, so there is your dream...
Kate Chopin's short story "Ripe Figs" is quite brief, but in it you will find so much symbolism. If you have not read this work, please take a minute to do so; a few minutes is truly all it takes to finish reading this story. I have provided a link...
Lorraine Hansberry wrote her play "A Raisin in the Sun" in the 1950's, but it remains as relevant today as it was then. Contemporary audiences will find it easy to relate to the themes of poverty, racism, the American Dream, embracing one's heritage...
My favorite thing about summer is all the fresh food I can get from my home garden. I don't have a huge space and my backyard has lots of shade, so usually I don't get such huge harvests that I can can and preserve. But what I do get makes perfect...
What started as an assignment for my composition class has lead me to a new favorite author. I love the symbolism used in her short story, "The Red Convertible." Here is my own interpretation of the symbolism in this great short story. I hope you...
On nice days, we are most likely to be found at the park, zoo or in the backyard playing, but when the weather is not so great we have loads to indoors. Paper crafting is one of my favorites since we can do so many different things, but often with...
If you are looking for a fun way to get your preschooler to learn the lowercase alphabet, or start to sight read simple words the you will want to check out Melissa & Doug's See & Spell. My daughter went on and on telling me all the ways you can use...
Epiphany marks the Twelfth Day of Christmas. On this day we celebrate the arrival of the Three Kings to visit baby Jesus. This special day is celebrated every January 6th. The Three Kings are known by several names including the Wise Men and the...
If you thought that your parents telling you that carrots would help you see in the dark was an old wive's tale, you are wrong. Carrots are just one of the foods that contain Vitamin A, which is necessary for good night vision as well as color...
My daughter is not too pickey of an eater, but there are days when it can be a real pain to get her to eat. Once I discovered that she would eat a smiley face meal without a fight, I set out to find meals that are face friendly. I hope this can help...
While Ebay may be the most well known of the online auction companies, they certainly are not the only one out there. Here is a guide to some of the lesser known auction sites. Often better deals may be found on these sites as sellers try to avoid...
Free Rice is a webpage that allows users to support the World Food Programme. It does this by offering multiple choice quizzes on a subject of the users choice; for every correct answer 10 grains of rice are donated. These grains of rice are paid...
One of the harder domestically made items to find is shoes. There are very few US based shoe manufacturers left. I am making an effort to buy US made products for my family whenever I have that option. In some categories it is impossible to find...
There are many reasons to go camping in the winter. It is less crowded. There are no bugs. You don't have to worry about bears. Not to mention the sheer beauty of the winter landscape. Cold weather camping does require careful planning and some...
Two of my most important goals include supporting our economy by buying USA made products when there is one available, and protecting our environment buy buying products that are Eco-friendy. When I can accomplish both of these goals simultaneously,...
So many great products are made right here in the great state of Michigan. Check out some of these fine products that will show your love to the Great Lake State!
Finding out I had an MTHFR mutation saved the life of my son. Knowing sooner would have saved my preemie son and daughter. Can you afford to not know about this common gene mutation?