• Time Savers For Spoonies: The AngryMama Microwave Cleaner

    As a parent with chronic illness and special needs children, I need all the time/energy saving tricks I can find. The AngryMama is one of my favorites. I HATE cleaning the microwave! All that baked on exploded food? Eww! And the strength and energy it takes to scrub it all off?? Especially on days where I am running low on spoons (for those who aren’t familiar with Spoon Theory, here ya go) and have to choose between two urgent needs like taking a shower or making dinner, I don’t have enough in me to scrub a microwave. Enter: The AngryMama. It is a life saver! Fast, easy, eco-friendly. All you…

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  • Persephone: Chapter 10

    I am slowly learning that written is better than perfect. I’m starting to focus on getting this book written instead of trying to perfect it. Yes, these early drafts will be rough, but it will be written. After it’s written, I will go fix everything and make it all shiny and pretty. In the mean time, I’m having fun sharing this process with you! Read the first chapter of Persephone here. Chapter 10Persephone Mother and I crossed vast meadows, forests, rivers, and mountains. Everyday was a new place. Was this really how much she usually traveled? Was this why I sometimes didn’t see her for days at a time? I…

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  • Persephone: Chapter 9

    Trauma brain isn’t a fun thing, and when you’re in survival mode, it’s hard to access the creative part of your brain. Fun fact: survival mode reduces blood flow to the creative center of your brain, instead prioritizing essential life functions. After of year off, I’m finally back behind my keyboard and writing again! Read the first chapter of Persephone here.  Chapter 9Hades It wasn’t hard to track them down. Wherever Persephone stepped, things tended to blossom beneath her feet. (Did she even notice?) I followed the trail she left behind—flowers ranging from exquisitely bright to sad and dull, as I’d noticed happened as her moods shifted. But I would…

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  • The Under-Qualified But Overly Opinionated Weirdo’s Guide To Finding Happiness When Life’s Lemons Bury You: Chapter 2

    I could just be rambling and making no sense at all…. I always wonder when about this sort of thing when I write. Please understand that this is the very first draft and completely unedited. Chapter 2 The Book is Always Better Than The Movie Ever wonder why, with very few exceptions, the book is always better than the movie? The easiest explanation is that you’re comparing apples to oranges. Books are written to be read and enjoyed as a reading experience, and that’s hard to transfer to a different medium. Imagine taking a painting and trying to turn it into a sculpture (or vice versa). Now, it might turn…

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  • The Under-Qualified But Overly Opinionated Weirdo’s Guide To Finding Happiness When Life’s Lemons Bury You: Chapter 1

    I know you all were just waiting for me to start another book before my others are finished, but here we go anyway…. I don’t know much, but there are a few things I’ve learned so far. Please understand that this is the very first draft and completely unedited. Chapter 1 Diagnosing Your Problems Life isn’t exactly like a box of chocolates. Sure, you never know what you’re gonna get, but in many ways, if you’re paying attention, you can often predict exactly what you’re gonna get. No, I’m not saying you can predict the future or know everything that’s going to happen in your life, but, generally speaking, life…

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  • Thor: Love and Thunder Spoiler-Free Review and Parental Guide

    When it comes to Thor movies, I'm usually 100% onboard. While, Thor: Ragnarok more than made up for anything wrong with Thor 2, I always get a bit worried when going into a new movie in a series I love...

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  • That Time We Learned How to Make Sourdough Bread From Scratch

    My son and I joined master chef Ron Tressler in his home kitchen/YouTube studio to learn how to make sourdough bread from scratch!  My mom’s Uncle Edwin stole a starter (a family secret) from either my great-grandma or her sister-in-law and took it to The Nugget Casino in Sparks (Reno), where they used it for YEARS (maybe even still do today, I don’t know). It was a huge family controversy!  This sweeeet loaf of sourdough bread is long gone, but it was delicious!  I’ve always been intimidated by anything labeled “artisan.” including bread. I never though I’d be able to make it in my own home. I’d heard of friends making Amish…

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  • The Time I Got To Meet Lois Lowry!!!

    How much more do I need to say? I mean, LOIS FREAKING LOWRY! If you didn’t grow up reading Number the Stars or The Giver, I am so sorry for your deprived childhood. There’s still hope for you, don’t worry. *wink* I actually enjoy these books even more as an adult!  When I heard that our keynote speaker at the Storymakers Conference in 2022 would be Lois Lowry, I just about lost it! She has been a hero of mine since childhood, and listening to her speak, I was NOT disappointed. She made me cry. Seriously. TWICE. (The person next to me, whom I had just met, even started patting my back, probably thinking I was…

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  • Star Wars Day: Revenge of the Fifth

    Star Wars Day is an obvious favorite around here. But you know what we love more? Revenge of the Fith! It’s a holiday full of fun and sarcasm, where the jokes are a bit more on the Dark Side! Has a mask but likes to remove it… Has a contentious relationship with his coworkers… Likes to talk to inanimate objects when he’s alone… Prone to violent tantrums…wait… Oh my Kylo Ren is really Dark Helmet! Darth Vader: Is Padme safe? Is she alright? Michael Jackson: The real question here is, Ani are you ok? Are you ok ani?​Darth Vader: Nooooooooo Jedi when their apprentice betrays them vs. Sith when their apprentice betrays them Hello…

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