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Looking for Something to Read?
In my effort to continue growing and learning, I will often look for book recommendations. (There are WAY too many options available if I were to just check out the shelves at the bookstore or library.) Using the WWF (Wonderful World of Facebook), I posed the questions below to part of the FB community. More specifically, I posted this (and received responses) on my personal page as well as three local community pages. I knew that I would be reaching out to groups whose members’ opinions I respect. This is what I posted: I want to try to create and share a list of non-fiction books which have had a…
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TEDx: Reboot–Prepare for a Reset, a Fresh Start, a Do-Over
We all have times when we feel a need to reboot. We need a reset, a fresh start, a do-over. Sometimes you need to stop, turn, and take a new path. Sometimes you want to simply find a better way to do something. My local library hosted a TEDx event back in September A TEDx event is an independently organized TED event. These events take place literally all over the world. This type of program is about community. They spark conversations. A TED talk presents “ideas worth spreading.” The recent one in my community had the theme of “Reboot.” Although the event was last fall, now, with the start of…
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Terrain, Terrain, Pull Up, Pull Up–Our Experience at Extreme Flight Simulation
Disclaimer #1: My family received a complimentary Extreme Flight Simulation experience in exchange for sharing our adventure and opinions in my blog. Disclaimer #2: I shared several links in case you are interested in learning more about some of the airports mentioned. Some of these links are to Wikipedia or other blogs. I acknowledge that these may not be the most ideal sources of information, but, since no life or death decisions are being made here, I figured that these sites would be fine in this situation. During winter break this year, my family flew around the world! It might be more accurate to say that we “flew” around the…
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WE ARE BEING INVADED BY EUROPEan buckthorn!
I originally heard about buckthorn at a TEDx event at my local library last year, but I honestly did not do anything afterwards. I recently saw on the Lake County Forest Preserve District calendar that there was a program at one of the nature centers close to me focused on the removal of buckthorn. I figured that I would take the opportunity to learn more. (I was the only person in attendance who really did not know what buckthorn even looked like. Everyone else there knew of their buckthorn problem and wanted to find out what to do about it.) Well, I learned a lot! Buckthorn is found extensively in…
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Enjoy Your Wine; Then Upcycle the Wine Bottle!
Last month I attended a local craft show at my area community arts center. Several of the vendors represented larger brands, but there were some individual crafters and artists as well. One of the tables really caught my eye–it was covered with beautifully decorated bottles. I had seen similar items on-line, but you get a different reaction seeing such artwork in person. I chatted with the artist for a bit and took one of her flyers. Later that day, at risk of freaking this woman out, I sent her an e-mail telling her a little about my blog “project” and asking if she would be interested in showing me how…
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Chicago History Tour–I Love to Play Tourist Locally!
Disclaimer: I received complimentary tour passes in exchange for sharing my experiences on the tour. Last Saturday, I played tourist in downtown Chicago for an afternoon. There were no loud shirts, dark socks with sandals, or large cameras on straps. (It’s November for heaven’s sake–winter coats and hats were the appropriate attire!) My group included myself with my husband, teenage daughter, and my other teenage daughter (more specifically, my daughter’s BFF). (She took my son’s place since he was participating in an Operation Snowball retreat that weekend.) We started at the Hyatt Regency for a Chicago History Tour. This activity was conducted by Chicago’s Finest Tours. There we met up…
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My Intro to Geocaching
On a cold, wintery November morning, I joined Lawrence to go geocaching. On one of my Facebook calls for “who would be interested in teaching me something new?”, Lawrence jumped at the opportunity (well, perhaps not, but he responded) to teach me about geocaching. I had done it once to find one geocache a few years back, but, since I did not remember much, I considered this a fresh start! I was in for an adventure! Long story short, I had a great time, and I can see how this can become addictive! First, Lawrence recommended that I register on-line at geocaching.com, which I did, and download the “Geocaching” app. …
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The Elf on the Shelf–A Christmas Musical (It will soon be on the stage! Start your holiday planning!)
"The Elf on the Shelf--A Christmas Musical" is a brand new musical which is about to start touring. This may be a great addition to your holiday season!
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Mixed Media Art Project–Painting, Stamping, Decoupage
As a kid, I wasn’t always into art. Yes, I loved my Spirograph, Shrinky Dinks, and Fashion Plates (weren’t those the BEST?!,) but I was not necessarily “artistic” per se. I was more of a “performing arts” kind of gal who loved and still loves dance and theater. As an adult, I have been spending more time over the years trying to become more crafty, artistic, and creative, and I have been really enjoying the process. Pinterest has helped with that. (Although searching on Pinterest can suck hours out of a day, when I actually finish a project inspired by Pinterest, it makes it worth the time!) Fortunately, I have even…
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Tiramisu–I Can Hardly Believe That I Now Know How to Make Tiramisu!
I learned how to make tiramisu!
If it's not illegal, immoral, or blatantly stupid, I am willing to give it a try!
