The phrase “peace be with you” is often used in discussions or when you visit a church, but what does it really mean? How does it apply when you are in waiting mode? This school year has brought several unwanted and unusual challenges, ranging from house repairs to really tough trials for our children. In some cases, they’ve taken over my time and energy entirely and caused me to have to be in get-by mode for a season. The more I fought against it, the more it became evident that this was a time to make things uncomplicated, cut back…
Tools and Treasures For A Great New Year
Thorn & Vine blog features three key areas to ramp-up your new year dreams and reenergize your family during this first quarter of 2017. Life 101 has tips for living well and intentionally with your choices and planning. Life Stories dives deep with books and inspiring stories of resilience. And in A Beautiful Life, you’ll find places and items to dazzle and delight your hunt for simple joys in life. Life 101 I’ve turned to some home remedies for help this fall and winter, both with health and outlook. From simplifying our household using time and money-saving processes, to dealing…
10 Ways To Help A Family This Holiday
Do you know a family going through a rough patch? Perhaps they’ve just had tough news about health issues or a significant loss through natural disaster or other ways. With all of the recent fires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and seeing some friends recovering from hurricanes in other parts of the country, I yearn to help. Sometimes it’s easy to send a quick prayer up and then get on with life. The echoes of our own weary years as wildfire survivors who lost everything still keep me tender when I hear of another family that may need extra kindness. But what…
Sherry Kyle and The Girl’s Guide to Life
When you were a tween, wouldn’t you have loved having a road map to help with the twists and turns of puberty? Sherry Kyle is a wonderful author I met at ACFW a couple of years ago. When I saw her new book called The Girl’s Guide to Life, I loved the cover and wanted to know more. The sage wisdom is presented effortlessly in a fun format for girls. Here’s an excerpt from our interview: What inspired you to begin to write and specifically about your most recent book, The Girl’s Guide to Life? When my kids were small,…
Rogue One At Disneyland Star Wars Launch Bay
In honor of Walt Disney’s birthday, Joey wanted to take you on a tour of the new Rogue One installation at the Star Wars Launch Bay. Take a break from the crowds and step inside the large building in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. It’s fun to watch the insider tracks and interviews with the director and key people who have worked on the film, bringing it to life and keeping it in the family of Star Wars movies. You can see some of the costumes up close and models they used to envision the movie. While you’re there, also take some…
Seven Steps to a Resilient Christmas
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…
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