GIVE ME A CALL SOMETIME!
Those pleasantries that we all learn as we get older. Those short pat answers and replies that flow off of our tongues. Right about now you may be wondering what I am talking about and are about to move on to the next post but I ask you to continue reading, you will see yourself soon or maybe you won’t.
Scene one: Someone has received bad news, it may be health related or…
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Added by Cindi Walton on December 31, 2013 at 10:37am —
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So, today I've reached my 100th post on this blog. Not too bad for a hobby I only started in late July. Instead of my usual ramblings about the latest news parents could use, I thought I would take this opportunity (right before the new year) to check in:
Everybody ready? (This could be bumpy.)…
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Added by Lauren Markman on December 31, 2013 at 6:51am —
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You read it correctly. Write a Mile.
Do you make exercise goals such as walking or running a certain number of miles a week? What about writing? Do you try to write a certain number of words or pages a week?
Well, I'm combining the two. This month I'm going to do a Write-a-Mile-a-Day challenge.
I takes me an average of 18 slow minutes to walk a mile. At least that's what the treadmills at the YMCA say. Each time I write for 18 minutes I'll consider it a mile. And when I…
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Added by Marcia Fowler on December 30, 2013 at 12:27pm —
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When I was able to eat hot lunches at school, there were limited options. We ate the food that the kindly nuns made for us. Actually, I am pretty sure the nuns didn’t cook, but it was Catholic school, so you never know.
The point is, we didn’t have options.
But some schools do give children a choice in what they select for meals, which fascinates me. I can see the boys and girls lining up in the cafeteria, deciding between roast beef or spaghetti. Between carrots or tater tots.…
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Added by Lauren Markman on December 30, 2013 at 7:30am —
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Added by Amy Strouth on December 29, 2013 at 9:30pm —
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I cannot be the only one…who feels like they have been wrapping (and unwrapping…pun intended) this past week up for days now. A holiday in the middle of the week, mixed with cookies and cocktails, can throw a Mama off her game. I have offered reflections of this Christmas, our attempt to find the perfect balance in the right…
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Added by Janice Perry on December 29, 2013 at 6:30pm —
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A wise man once told me that the man is the head, while the woman is the neck. And a woman has the power to turn the head of the man in any direction she chooses.
While I love Beyoncé and am enamored of her talent, her beauty, and ability to take creative risks I have a little bit of an issue with the fact her most recent album sparked such a debate once again about “feminisim”. While you will find 1,980,000 results if you Google Beyoncé + Feminism (seriously) that stake claims on…
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Added by Julia El-Haj on December 29, 2013 at 2:14pm —
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It's winter...and there's nothing like a good cup of rich, creamy, and smooth hot cocoa to warm you up... To make it special for grown ups, I added a tiny spoonful of rum...for the underage kiddos, however, you must skip that part of the recipe. Enjoy and have a Happy New Year!
INGREDIENTS (serves 2):
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 packages of Starbucks Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix
- 1/2 cup of Half & Half (creamer)
- 3 Tbsp of table cream (…
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Added by Vanessa Rouse on December 27, 2013 at 9:42pm —
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I cannot be the only one…who is more than a little relieved that all the salutations of seasons greetings have been said, all the festive meals have been eaten, and all the wrappings have been unwrapped for this years Christmas. Now that the season has been said and done it is time for us to review, recap, and recite some of the holiday happenings.
First, allow me to start with the gifts not purchased from the multitude…
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Added by Janice Perry on December 27, 2013 at 4:21pm —
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** Next year, I really need some elves, dammit.
** My twins now have nicer phones than I do. Thanks, Santa.
** Candlelight church services with kids make…
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Added by Jennifer Marshall on December 27, 2013 at 12:21pm —
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With a new forum to share my ever so exciting adventures of mommyhood, I would like to give you all the skinny on my background. I am Amanda and I reside in a small town in east central Indiana with my amazing husband Ross, our amazing almost two year old Jackson and our three dogs. We are expecting baby number two by February third!
My husband works for a machine sales company and I graduated with my paralegal degree last spring and worked as a paralegal for a very short time…
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Added by Amanda Crabill on December 27, 2013 at 10:01am —
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My mom taught me to write thank you notes (thanks, Mom!), because we are civilized, polite people who have respect for our loved ones and an overall fondness for the complex social cues found in Jane Austen novels.
She gave me the basic formula when I was little:
Thank person for…
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Added by Lauren Markman on December 27, 2013 at 7:30am —
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Part of writing fiction is knowing your characters. Of course you already know their ages, names and physical characteristic.
But if your characters are children, what can you tell me about gifts they've recently received?
- Did your characters write a wish list?
- Did they receive what was on the list?
- What surprise gifts did they receive?
- How did they show their excitement?
- Were they disappointment if they didn't receive a gift they'd…
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Added by Marcia Fowler on December 26, 2013 at 9:06am —
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I read the Harry Potter books - even though I was an adult when they came out. I loved the world that J.K. Rowling created, and enjoyed each of her novels. I know I wasn't the only one; evidently adults enjoying children's books are now a thing.…
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Added by Lauren Markman on December 26, 2013 at 7:30am —
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So we're driving home the other day after picking up Isla's best friend at her grandmother's house. At some point, the girls start talking about their elves and some of the goofy things that they do at night while they're sleeping. After a few minutes, I interrupt to tell Ava about Jinxy and how she is able to give the other two TOY elves magical powers when she visits.…
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Added by Lisa René LeClair on December 25, 2013 at 12:13am —
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I cannot be the only who…doesn’t really have much to do on Christmas Eve, thankfully my mom still puts together the big family shindig, so we usually spend the morning relaxing. With all this unusual spare time, I decided to conduct an interview with the fantastic Mr. Sonny Boy, to learn his five year-old thoughts on what is happening with Santa now that he has officially started his magical trip around the world.
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Added by Janice Perry on December 24, 2013 at 3:20pm —
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Some of you may remember this post from a few years ago, and some of you may be reading it for the first time. Whatever the case, it was my own nucking futty spin on the classic tale of "The Night Before Christmas". If your holidays are anything like mine, you'll appreciate the recounting of a Christmas Eve that's not exactly what you might call picture-perfect.…

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Added by Jennifer Marshall on December 24, 2013 at 11:16am —
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I know I don't reference my Dad a lot in this blog, but that's mostly because I am really good at apologizing to my Mom. (Sorry, Dad.) Although my parents separated when I was little, I have some very nice memories of my Dad. For example, sometimes, he would make us waffles for dinner. It was pretty cool, because waffles are awesome and it added a touch of whimsy to an otherwise regular week day. He'd even put chocolate chips into…
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Added by Lauren Markman on December 24, 2013 at 8:09am —
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Here’s another delightful romantic short story collection about Christmas and dogs from Jennifer Conner.
In “Central Bark at Christmas,” Tennyson has just been dumped by her arrogant and insensitive lawyer boyfriend. She swears to stay away from men, believing they’re nothing but bad luck. But then, while walking her dog she…
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Added by Mayra Calvani on December 24, 2013 at 5:32am —
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Christmas parties are a wonderful way to help your child celebrate the holiday season. Planning a great Christmas party is easy, if you keep a few things in mind. Here are some tips to help you plan a memorable Christmas party for your child.

- Structure helps
It’s a good idea to…
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Added by Lynda Way on December 24, 2013 at 5:14am —
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