The North Pole is for suckers. Santa Claus enjoying a drink at a local waterhole in Santa Barbara. Ho, ho, ho. I think this picture says it all: it’s good to be Santa Claus in Santa Barbara. It’s a wonder that Jolly Ol’ St. Nick spends anytime in the North Pole, knowing that he has [...]
Hi all… a small flooding incident in my bathroom prevented an early morning post. But, I swabbed the decks and we’re all set here. So… I wanted to post those links like I promised on Chaos Chronicles Podcast 439. First and Foremost in our To Do List for the Weekend: Click here to Like the [...]
Tis the season for all those school projects to get turned in. The “semester long” combo platters of maps/food/calculations/iMovies/dramatic readings/costumed monologues that invariably get done the week they are due. The dreaded Group Projects that sound so good at the beginning of the year that become a scheduling nightmare around the due date. But in [...]
Neither hurricane-force wind, nor rain, nor LA traffic could deter me from my Holiday Mission: Take my mom, Edna Dolan the Maxxinista, to her neighborhood TJ Maxx for some home decor shopping. Thanks to the lovely people at TJ Maxx who saw my last blog about my mother’s Thanksgiving haul, we were invited to the [...]
Putting together your Holiday Wish List for friends and family? Or maybe you’re the gift gatherer in search of some fun items for under the tree? I’ve put together a list of books, audio books, games, stationery and more. Some are are my wish list, too! For the cook: Recipes, techniques and great information for [...]
“Ugh, here we go, ” I uttered to my husband this morning at 5 am as he was headed into the shower and I was right behind him, ticking off a mental to do list for the month. Though I love this time of year, thanks mainly to Christmas carols and white lights, I’ve also [...]
Cooking up your stuffing sausage today? Download the Chaos Chronicles Podcast 437 and enjoy a Thanksgiving Special This week on the show: Make Thanksgiving Fun for Everyone! Click here to read my tips from makinglifebetter.com on how to make Thanksgiving a holiday of gratitude, not attitude. Having relatives over? Send them the link so they [...]
I just can’t help myself. I’m attempting a “casual” Thanksgiving this year, with some formalities giving way to convenience. We are headed out of town early Friday morning for a soccer tournament, so hauling all (my mother’s) china out of the basement has zero appeal. (It’s not the hauling out, it’s the putting back that [...]
With all apologies to Thanksgiving, Ho, Ho, Ho! Yes, the 31 Days of Confection Perfection is back, thanks to makinglifebetter.com. That means 31 days of inspiring holiday dessert ideas in your inbox every day in December– from cookies to fudge to chocolate covered strawberries! And this year, 31 Days of Confection Perfection is even sweeter– [...]
Classic. And personalized! Last Saturday night, I was on The Mark Isler Show here in Southern California with Alison Arngrim and Mary McDonough, otherwise known as Nellie Olesen from Little House on the Prairie and Erin Walton from The Waltons. Frankly, I don’t know why I was on the gig, other than to soak in [...]
