Have you ever wondered if your holiday could be more about gathering and connecting rather than collecting stuff? I’ve got seven of my favorite tips to share with you below to bring a sense of hope and refreshment to you during the holidays this year. Discuss what kind of holiday you want to have as a whole family. Plan a special dinner or coffee outing to bring a notepad and brainstorm this all together. Should you get out all the decorations or are there too many commitments right now? What memories mean the most for each of you in past…
Creative Family Times At Sawdust Art Festival
Having difficulty accepting that the holidays are here? Looking to restart your excitement for the Christmas season, finding joy that bubbles up from within? Try visiting a local art festival in your area. We discovered art festivals when my kids were much younger and my husband and I wanted to begin sharing our love for art and creative things with them. We’d wander the stalls, nibble on delectable foods, and laugh when they got paint splattered or discovered a fun item. Jonathan used to sit on Santa’s lap (but now he’s almost too big, Santa was brave!) when we would…
Resilient YA Author Lorie Langdon’s Wit, Struggles, and Triumphs
Lorie Langdon shares about her series Doon, co-written with Carey Corp, in which the tale of Brigadoon is retold in a modern context for teens. Magical bridges, foggy moats, castles, musical theater, big cities and pastoral lands, and romance with handsome Scots make this all fun. I love the enchanted premise and Lorie brings us behind the scenes for key decisions she made with Carey about the story and characters. Lorie also opens up about her own path to resilience through her battle with Crohn’s disease which has taken a great toll on her in the past. She’s so inspiring…
New Frozen Musical Medley at Hyperion Theater
As part of living a beautiful life, it’s important to seek out uplifting moments for the whole family, especially with all of the turmoil going on in the world. Come find some refreshment and truly “let it go” watching captured moments of Disney’s production of Frozen at the Hyperion Theater in California Adventure. You can see the long version soon on Geek Central Blog, too! Sign up for my blog posts and be entered in the November giveaway!
Doctor Strange’s Costume Up Close!
We at the VT household have been recovering from a terrible bug, so I’m letting Jonathan take over today and show you an up-close look at Doctor Strange’s costume worn by Benedict Cumberbatch that we saw in a preview recently! And some great pictures as well. What did you think of the movie? The effects looked great but we wondered about some parts of the plot. Let us know your thoughts! More soon and stay healthy! And remember to sign up for the blog and quarterly newsletter on the home page to qualify for an Amazon Gift Card drawing…
Let Your Creativity Take Flight with Actress Wendy Speake
Have you ever felt like the edges of your dreams—the ones where you’re a creative, lovely person writing, painting, drawing, or sewing—had slipped so far from your grasp as a wife and mother that you wondered whether you could really find them again? I have. After a summer of travel to launch the blog and for my writing projects, things were, well, a bit crispy on the fringes. I missed the simple joys of cooking a dinner and laying a table with pretty flowers and candles. And then I got to sit with Wendy Speake. She is part of a…
Resources for Bullying and Healthy Friendships
People often ask me what resources we used to teach our kids about friendship and healthy boundaries. In honor of National Anti-Bullying Month, I’ve listed my top three favorites below. What do you use? I’d love to hear it too. Recognize their strengths and plan to enhance them In addition to protecting your child, find ways to encourage their unique traits. One of my favorite books, Five Love Languages for Children, by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, (there’s also one for teens) helps you diagnose what your child’s way of feeling loved is and what actions or words will help…
A Frenemy or Bullying? Helping Kids Understand The Difference
Helping Your Child Understand Bullying vs. Friendship For Young Ones Especially “Mommy, so friends are nice one minute, and then mean the next one? Is that how it works?” My young four-year-old son asked me, watery eyes intensely looking for answers. I was so caught off-guard by his question, several years back, but his look is seared in my memory. It took months to understand that the mean child had formed a little “gang” of sorts, taunting him about everything from his sandwiches to his fun new light-up shoes. He stopped eating well and had dark circles under his eyes….
Enter A World of Gems with Eiseman Jewels
Join me for a special visit to Richard Eiseman Jewels, where I used to work as a gemologist, in Dallas, Texas. It is a joy to introduce you to some of my favorite people and an exceptional purveyor of fine jewelry and watches. Come get up close to gorgeous pearls, diamonds that capture a ray of moonlight, and emeralds that twinkle with greens beyond belief. As someone who’s passionate about creating and appreciating beauty, I’ve always been so grateful for the experience to work with such gorgeous gems and amazing professionals in the jewelry industry. Richard’s father, Richard D….
The Other Side of Unblemished with YA Author Sara Ella
My dear friend Young Adult Author Sara Ella shares all kinds of insights about her debut novel, Unblemished, which is launching October 11th, 2016. Scroll down to see the YouTube interview. As a resilience expert, I dig deeper into character insights and choices Sara made while developing the plot and character aspects. Sara shares interesting tidbits to watch for, like the influence of musical theater on the chapter titles, and even about a character that took over the whole story line. He just wouldn’t keep in check! Check out my review of her wonderful adventurous book and connect with Sara…
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