In general, I avoid the romance genre. I don’t have anything against it, exactly, but it really isn’t my thing. I like fantasy, science fiction, character studies, and procedurals. Maybe romance doesn’t appeal to me because I’m not generally a romantic person myself, or maybe I’m just a bit too cynical to really get into …
So last night I read that one in four Americans are currently under a “shelter in place” advisory or mandate. Across the world, schools are closing or doing virtual instruction. Many businesses are closed, running with limited staff, or having their employees work from home. Add store and restaurant closures, restrictions on public gatherings, and …
The best thing about the holidays is spending time with family and friends. The second best thing is having more free time. I chose to spend a lot of mine reading. With a whole week off work, I binge read like nobody’s business, and put ten more books in the “finished” column. That brings me …
So I’ve technically finished Blogmas (and I’m so proud of myself for completing the challenge), but I still have a few things I didn’t get to, so I’m going to keep daily posting up for at least a few more days. My niece Catalina (age 8) chose cookie decorating for her holiday experience, so we …
It’s going to be a busy day today! In a few hours, I’m off to decorate cookies with my niece Catalina, who has been infinitely patient as we’ve had to reschedule her special holiday activity twice (if you missed the posts about my outings with my other nieces, click here for Cassidy and here for …
After my first attempt at seeing Christmas lights didn’t go entirely as planned (see Blogmas Day 2), a friend suggested going to the Winter Wonderland display at Tillis Park. So last night, we grabbed a box of cookies and a thermos of hot chocolate and took a drive through the St. Louis County Parks Department’s …
If you’re still stumped on gift ideas for someone, you might consider one of my go-tos: assemble the tools they need to enjoy a special evening. This gift is easy to put together, can cost as little or as much as you want (depending on how many things you include), and is fairly universal. A …
During the holidays, I always plan a special day or evening with each of my three nieces. This year, when I asked four year old Carly what she wanted to do, she said, “Eat spaghetti”. I suggested several more unique activities, but she was set on spaghetti (like I said, she’s four). So last night …
That’s right: National Gingerbread House Day is a real thing, and how awesome is that? Making a gingerbread house was one of my new experience goals, but I have to admit I’ve had some difficulty pulling it off. My plan was to take a class with my sister Amy and one of my nieces, but …
It’s almost Halloween! I love this time of year, and spend weeks getting into the spirit (mostly by watching a lot of scary movies, but also with decorations and other spooky activities). There are lots of fun ways to celebrate Halloween, and here are a few of my personal favorites (both old and new): Activity …
Amanda Cade 