Dawn

Southwest Chicken Salad {Please Comment and Help Me Win a Recipe Contest!}

May 23, 2012

When Jen asked me to be part of a virtual BBQ I thought it sounded like fun, however, the part about contributing an original recipe using Philadelphia Cooking Creme sounded a little scary. In some areas I’m as creative as the next girl, but in others I’m a rule follower, or a recipe follower in this [...]

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Tips for an Old-Fashioned Picnic

May 21, 2012

With Memorial Day, Labor Day, and summer right around the corner, it’s time to think picnic! On Sunday afternoon our homeschool group held its annual year-end shindig with a homey, old-fashioned theme. I helped coordinated the event, and a lot of thought went into the details. Hopefully this will help you plan an event this [...]

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For Those Days When Parenting is Hard

May 19, 2012

I‘ll never forget the day my mother told me that she worried about me because “you’re only as happy as your least happy child.” I could have lived a lifetime without learning that phrase. As any mom knows, children aren’t always happy, and the chances of having eight contented children at the same time? Let’s [...]

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Camera Phone Friday: Pick a Frame Edition

May 18, 2012

1. My big little girls, 2. My girls, 3. All 10 kids plus grandparents. Happy Mother’s Day!, 4. Sleeping ukulele player, 5. Family outing, 6. Hello summer toes! I‘ve certainly enjoyed the slower pace this week with no more outside classes for the school year! The weather here in Atlanta cooled down enough to turn [...]

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The Evolution of Our Instagallery

May 15, 2012

Last summer I wrote How to Create Your Own Instagallery, the story of a DIY magnetic chalkboard project that became a place to display our Instagram photos. Eleven months later, I thought you might like to see how we continue to use and update it. Periodically I take down some photos and put them in albums [...]

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Is Radical Change Possible?

May 15, 2012

Major changes can be difficult to make and to maintain, just ask anyone who’s tried to lose weight, stop smoking, or quit a bad habit. We’ve all heard the stories; however, there are successes, too, and that’s what I’m interested in examining. What does it take to make a radical change stick? Please join me [...]

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Sometimes I Need to Think Small

May 14, 2012

A day devoted—at least in theory—to honoring mom {me} sounded like a good excuse to plan big. Two years ago I requested a family outing to the High Museum and I seriously considered the same this year, until a conversation with a friend on Saturday night made me stop and think . . . Iris [...]

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In Case Mother’s Day Sneaked Up on You

May 11, 2012

Is it just me, or do birthdays and holidays have a way sneaking up on you? I tried to be ready this year and got our Mother’s Day gifts ready early. Unfortunately, because of work and sleep schedules it took two days to get everyone in the house to sign the cards, and then I forgot [...]

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Camera Phone Friday: Good Reading and Homemade Body Wash Edition

May 11, 2012

1. Sunny day baseball, 2. Yellow, 3. #cincodemoes @Moes_HQ, 4. Heading to the lake! Life is starting to slow a bit this week now that we’ve wrapped all of our outside classes and one of our two baseball seasons. Yesterday the pollen got the best of me and I felt pretty lousy, so it seemed [...]