My 5 year old loves to color. She goes through coloring books so frequently that we’ve taken to purchasing them at the Dollar Tree so we can keep up with the demand. When I was offered the opportunity to review Djeco Bugs, a scratch-off art kit carried by Timberdoodle, I knew that it would be something she might …
Review: Timberdoodle’s Batik Painting Kit
I’ve long-admired batik fabrics for their vivid colors and beautiful designs. Mr. 3 loves to paint. So when there was an opportunity to review the new batik painting kit from Timberdoodle, I was happy to sign up. About The Kit There are five options for the kit – Turtle, Seahorse, Fish, Macaw, and Hummingbird. We chose …
Motivation Monday: How to Prioritize When Everything is a Priority
We’ve all struggled with days where it seems like everything on our lists is a top priority – I know I have, but how do you get started? Where do you start with your action items? Here are some suggestions for things you can do when everything feels like it’s super-important. Create an Eisenhower Decision …
Q & A with Cecilia Aragon Writers in the Secret Garden: Fanfiction, Youth and New Forms of Mentoring
Where did you grow up/live now?I was a shy, nerdy girl who was too smart — and, as the daughter of immigrants from Chile and the Philippines, a complete oddity in the Indiana town where I grew up. So I left early and headed for college in California. Then I spent 20 years in the …
Sometimes, You’re Just a Hot Mess (And Maybe That’s Okay)
Anyone who has known me for any time at all knows I’m the super type-A list-maker and scheduler. I like to know what’s going on, when. I don’t do well with ambiguity, ambivalence, or up-in-the-air stuff. Even my lists are part of lists. But sometimes, you have three kids ages 5 and under. Sometimes, your …
Excerpt: If I Had Two Lives by Abbigail Rosewood
Abbigail Rosewood’s debut novel, If I Had Two Lives, has earned impressive early reviews from media including The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Review of Books and Foreword Reviews, follows a young woman from her childhood in Vietnam to her life as an immigrant in the United States – and her necessary return to her …
Book Review: One Dish – Four Seasons by Jordan Zucker
Jordan Zucker’s debut cookbook, One Dish – Four Seasons: Food, Wine, and Sound – All Year Round is a fun resource for home chefs. Zucker takes a single, base recipe, then varies it seasonally based upon which ingredients are available. Each dish has four variations, and is paired with a wine and a musical album. …
Excerpt from Confessions of a Plastic Surgeon by Thomas T. Jeneby, MD
In Confessions of a Plastic Surgeon, Thomas T. Jeneby, M.D., or “Dr. J.,” takes readers behind the scenes of his successful plastic surgery practice and tells all, everything you want to know about plastic surgery and few things you’d rather not know (or see – there are photos). Not only does Dr. Jeneby invite readers …
Author Q&A: Kelly Watt, Author of Mad Dog
Kelly Watt, award-winning short story author, has a new novel, Mad Dog. Her stories have been published internationally, anthologized, and longlisted for CBC Radio’s Short Fiction Contest in both 2015 and 2017. Recently, Ms. Watt answered some questions to share with readers of this blog. Mad Dog tells the story of a young girl experiencing …
Hello Fall Theme Q&A
It’s my favorite time of year again – autumn. There’s always been something magical from mid-September through the end of the year and even into some of January. I’m excited, because even though we’re going to be very busy in the coming months, there are a lot of fun things on our calendar. I became …













