Gemutlichkeit is my absolute favorite word in the world. This feeling captures the holidays beautifully! Ezra Jack Keats wrote the most gemutlich book…Snowy Day about a small boy named Peter who experiences the joy of a snowy day. We just returned from a trip in the mountains. Let me paint a picture…Christmas morning it was …
Best Halloween movies for kids & kids at heart
We love Halloween!! Nothing beats a weekend family movie night…especially if it’s Halloween time. What Halloween movies do you watch with your family? Which ones did you like growing up? On our kitchen counter there’s a list of Halloween movies to check off before the big day. We’ve almost checked them all off…two more to …
Be Mindful
My assistant principal does her very best to inspire our little school. I’ve been an elementary teacher for a loooong time! It’s so nice to come to work and know that we will laugh and smile because of something she’s cooked up! She is always dressing up and celebrating special days like national angel food …
Book Fairies do exist
Our secret mission began on a cloudy summer morning. My daughter carried the package under her arm, hoping not to attract attention. I whispered, try to look normal. Zooey surveyed the coffee shop…a dark cozy table with summer flowers in a green vase. Looks good. Casually, she wandered to the table and laid the package …
Five ways to ensure a well written thank you note
A well written thank you note does not have to be complicated. It’s one of the warmest ways to show our appreciation to our friends and loved ones. Our grandmothers told us that it was necessary but once we write it, we know it’s the right thing to do and it makes the writer …
Ebelskivers (Danish Pancakes) perfect for a winter morning
My daughter made me promise, “Mommy, pinky promise that we can make ebelskivers in the morning?” It’s after the holidays, I still have leftover egg nog and it’s 24 degrees outside…the weather couldn’t be better for ebelskivers! I’ve had my ebelskiver pan for a while now and I use them to make these Danish pancakes but …
Ebelskivers (Danish Pancakes) perfect for a winter morningRead More
The history of Vail: the no-named mountain
WWII veterans Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton established Vail Ski Resort. They discovered a peak with a good location and snow that they called, “no-name mountain.” We know it today as Vail which opened in 1962 with one tottering gondola and five dollar lift tickets. In 1957, Eaton led his friend Seibert up a deserted mountain …
Robert Wyland…an artist inspiring future conservationists
Have you ever listened to a child critique art? They are the best…no filter, honest and very observant of things we might not see at their eye level. The conversations they have about art are priceless. One of my first grade students said while looking at a Wyland painting, “Look, I’m swimming with the turtle …
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Get Lost with your family in Lost Pines (part deux)
Everything’s bigger in Texas…especially your vacation! Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa has a way of making families feel at home. This year, we brought our puppy with us and he fit right in with the alpaca. Traveling in your own state is less stressful…it’s more like living part of your life somewhere else. It feels …
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Birthdays: Celebrating New Decades!
Any birthday with a ZERO on the end is reason to celebrate! Almost all of our family has a summer birthday and most of us end with a zero this year…so that means we celebrated new decades together. My mother-in-law, my Dad, husband, daughter (and me too) happily share that zero. Along with another birthday comes the inevitable question …
Puppy Power
Our new puppy, Archer, has soft puppy fur, floppy ears, and that curious look that is so darn cute! There’s also that special puppy smell…much like the distinctive scent of a newborn baby. He is full of love and energy…we like to call him, “Puppy Power!” Meeting our puppy for the first time was quite …
Vail: Rites of Spring
Sunshine, google tans, spring back to winter snow, cold après-ski cocktails on or off the mountain…the only thing not to love about spring skiing is the inevitable end of the season. The clock bells chimed four times, that meant the lifts were closing. My husband said, “Hurry, we can still get on for one more run.” We …