I recently tried out Exciting Romantic, a new app designed to bring some spark back into a relationship. The app is easy to use. It has one page with 9 Category buttons on it: Crazy Plans, Presents, Movies, Recipe ideas to make together (note: the actual recipes are not included), Questions, Discounts, Bedroom Ideas, and then […]
A few months ago, I was driving over to Cafe Rio to grab some lunch and a new sign in the Traverse Mountain parking lot caught my eye: “Coming Soon: Just Add Chocolate.” The banner noted that the shop would have chocolate classes and parties. How cool is that? As a lifelong chocolaholic, this idea […]
Last week, I got to cross “Visit Somewhere Out of the Country” and “Go On a Cruise” off of my bucket list. Back in October, my husband and I booked a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean’s ship Enchantment of the Seas. At the time of booking, we weren’t sure when my dad […]
I have the best boyfriend in the world (fight me), and I am constantly looking for new ideas of what to do for him! My roommate was telling me about what she did for her friend’s half-birthday, and I laughed so hard. She organized “half” activities (such as eating half a sandwich, watching half a movie, […]
Throwing a birthday party during a move isn’t the easiest thing to do. On the day of my husband’s birthday, we had one foot in the old house and one in the new. I was frustrated! The original birthday plans for Jake went out the window, and any hope of making his day feel special […]
You might have heard the marriage advice about having a weekly (or at least regular) date night. My husband Joey and I rocked at this our first few years of marriage and said we’d always make it happen. Well, life happened. And there have been several seasons where it has felt like we don’t really […]
“What?! Valentine’s Day is this week?! I haven’t done anything!” Unfortunately, I am no planner like my wonderful sisters! Holidays always seem to sneak up on me, leaving me scrambling last minute. (Is it fair that my boyfriend is a hopeless romantic and way better at all this than me?) But Valentine’s Day does not […]
Long-distance straight up stinks. Being away from your significant other is hard enough, but Valentine’s Day makes it 100 times worse. Not only are you missing your partner, but you also have to watch everyone else be happy with theirs. Your friends in relationships pity you. Your single friends tell you that you’re lucky to […]
My daughter, Claire, is going to be four this week. Four! We are moving in just a few short weeks, so we decided to have her birthday party a little early to alleviate some stress. Because even fun, birthday party stress is still stress. My mom was able to come visit for a few days, […]
To learn more about the benefits of using music like a Song of the Week in your home, please see my original post introducing this fun and simple routine. It has lots of great tips for choosing a “song method” and the inspiration behind this program, as well as other song lists. This is my […]
I love Valentine’s Day! I love how cheesy and lovey-dovey it is. Even when I was single, my mom always made it fun and special. Which is probably why I love it so much. Today, I’m doing a post on what I do for my kids, since they are some of my favorite Valentines. Make […]
Do you ever just need a night to party? A night with no “scrubs”? (Especially scrubs wearing hats, those are the worst kind (don’t worry about it, it’s an inside joke)). This past fall, the Utah sisters behind This Blue Dress were in desperate need of such a night. I (Tara), won 2 free tickets […]
One of my favorite family traditions was when we performed a nativity skit for my parents! Sometimes it was silly, and sometimes, it was VERY silly! (Imagine Madison with an Aladdin hat on, giggling as a “wiseman”!) But it was always very meaningful and fun. This week, one of my friends organized a nativity scene […]
So they tell you not to eat the yellow snow….(that’s some good advice right there!) But what about the other snow? I remember always playing in the snow with my siblings, building snowmen and forts, and making snow angels. However, there’s a lot less excitement for me now, especially because I was just hired on […]
Christmas – There is snow, cuddling by fires, gifts, shopping, good food, and time with loved ones. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Christmas – There is snow, cuddling by fires, gifts, shopping, good food, and time with loved ones. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! But the reason it is […]
