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10 Magical Places to Travel, In Books
Today, I traveled to Coney Island, coastal playground of the greatest city in the world, New York. I explored the amusements of Dreamland on the famous Boardwalk and walked among the Lilliputian village teeming with little people. I marveled at the oddities of the side shows and human zoos with their strange and wondrous sights – mermaids, two-headed goats, and a lady whose beard covered her breasts. I searched the city for a missing girl, unsure if she survived the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in Greenwich Village, some 14 miles away. And I managed all that before lunchtime. And the best part is, I never left my chair! The Coney Island…
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The Inn at Christmas Place
he said… I’m in love with an elf! Dawn lives for Christmas joy, and carries it with her year round. Finding the Christmas Place was nothing short of a miracle. I was lucky to come across it when planning our Dollywood adventure, and instantly knew we had to stay. The entire grand sized hotel is decked out in holly and bows, elves and tinsel, and popular holiday references everywhere! Admittedly, I feel Christmas is more for the kids and recently lost some of that spirit I so welcomed as a child. But, The Inn will most certainly send you back to days of youthful Christmas joy and anxious optimism of…
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Family Style Feast in Pigeon Forge, TN
Not only are your taste buds in for a treat, but so is your nose; because the first thing that takes over at Paula Dean’s Family Kitchen is the smell of the most delicious fried chicken your senses will ever experience! I have loved the Queen of Southern Cooking for about as long as I can remember. Her Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake was my take along recipe of choice for my Thanksgiving contribution. I mean, how can anything with pumpkin, cream cheese, and 2 sticks of butter be bad, am I right? It is just as sweet and down home as her personality, and the love she puts into her…
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Help others, simply by cleaning out your closet
When I was growing up, we had “summer clothes” and “winter clothes.” One set would be in your bureau and closet, and the other would be in the suitcases under the basement stairs. You know the ones, the heavy Samsonites with the plastic handles and flip up latches that popped when you slid the button. They somehow always managed to get pushed to the back and it was an all day event to move the Christmas decorations and old toys that “might be worth something one day” just to try to get a t-shirt because it was a random 80 degrees in April. Now Tony on the other hand, he…
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Fiendishly fun Halloween dinner
Crisp, vibrant leaves dance on the breeze, swirling and drifting past lit pumpkin faces. There’s a chill in the air, like phantom fingers slowing sliding down your spine. The ghouls and goblins are preparing their path, and the witches are ready to take flight. It’s All Hallows Eve in the neighborhood, and the kiddos are ready to run the sidewalks in search of sugar bounty. When my boys were young, Halloween was always a challenge for me as a working mom. When it’s already dusk when you’re pulling in the driveway, and you need to somehow manage to put some food in your families bellies before they rot their teeth…
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Fall is here, so grin and “BEAR” it
Fall has always been my favorite time of year! Being smack dab in the mid-atlantic states means I get to enjoy everything that each Season has to offer. (If you live in this area, you know that sometimes that could be all in one day LOL) The crisp air seems to increase the vibrancy of changing leaves, the cycle of nature blazing into dormancy. A deep, cleansing breath fills your lungs with smells of apple, pumpkin, cinnamon, and campfire. Children seem to buzz with excitement of hayrides and Halloween, and a time of festivals and revelry begins. Weekends bring frolic and fun with apple festivals, corn mazes, Oktoberfests, and OktoBEARfest!…