Nov 22
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of two men who greatly influenced the world and our individual lives…President John F. Kennedy and celebrated author, C.S. Lewis. Read more
Nov 21
Although the names have been changed to give these people privacy, this story actually took place. A dear chum of ours posted it on Facebook and we were so touched by it that we wanted to share it with you all. Read more
Nov 20
Nov 19
One hundred and fifty years ago today, just ten sentences that took a mere two minutes to deliver became, arguably, one of the most famous of all American speeches. Delivered by President Abraham Lincoln to dedicate the cemetery at Gettyburg, Pennsylvania, this is of course what we now call The Gettysburg Address. Read more
Nov 18
Want to get some things cleaned up and ready for the holidays?..I know I do:-) Read more
Nov 15
Mr. Rogers had a precious children’s television show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, for many years – watched by millions. Reminiscing about his mother, he was heard to say this:
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Nov 14
Sometimes when you are planning a meal it is more difficult to be creative with side dishes than it is the main dish. Read more
Nov 13
Our dear chum, Jennifer, sent us this list of uses for nail polish you may never have thought of before…thanks Jen! Read more
Nov 12
Certainly, Ashton Kutcher is continuing to raise consciousness – create a new mind set – with youth. Ellen DeGeneres recently interviewed him on her show and here’s what he said: Read more
Nov 11
In Canada, Britain, South Africa, and most Commonwealth countries, in the days leading up to the eleventh day of November, Remembrance Day, there are very few people walking along the streets who are not wearing a poppy. People sell them on every street corner and inside a lot of stores. There is no set price – any donation will do. The proceeds go to support the Armed Forces.
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Nov 8
This is a fabulous, non-alcoholic punch that everyone loves once they take a sip! Read more
Nov 7
Nov 6
Dr. Andrew-Jaja is the kind of person everyone wishes was the first person their sweet little baby would have as his or her first acquaintance with the world 🙂 Read more
Nov 5
I love a clean floor…who doesn’t? So I just have to share with all our chums….I found a GREAT floor cleaner! Read more
Nov 4
Chocolate pudding, peanut butter mousse, graham cracker toffee and whipped cream…need we say more? Read more
Nov 1
Always wanting to magnify the good, we thought this would be a wonderful way to start off the month of November! After all, it is the month of Thanksgiving!
Oct 31
Sadie Rae Vann, my 7 year old granddaughter wrote a poem in school that she entitled “When Is Halloween?”. On this day that every child looks forward to I felt it was certainly worth sharing….I think you will too. Enjoy her creativity and sensitive writing. A very talented little girl if I do say so:-) Read more
Oct 30
Who knew that baking soda was good for all of these things! Try them….especially number 10 – a very fun thing for Halloween!
Oct 29
A street vendor sells popcorn to children in 1912 Illinois. Image by © Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis.
Ever wonder how popcorn made its way into the movie theaters? It was not always there! Read more
Oct 28
These are fun and soooo easy to make for your Halloween celebration!
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Oct 25
Anyone would be honored to be the godparent of this little dolly, but the fact that he will one day be the King of England makes the job a particularly special honour! Read more
Oct 24
In the early 1920’s, Queen Mary’s (the wife of King George V) cousin came up with the idea that it would be nice to have a dolls’ house made for the Queen. And, so she did! Read more
Oct 23
Yes, today is the day that His Royal Highness, Prince George, is being christened. He wore the christening gown that his Daddy wore (seen below)….the only difference is that George actually wore a replica of the gown as it was felt that it was getting a bit old and fragile.
Oct 22
This is NOT the cake that will be served at Prince George’s Christening tomorrow….but it could be! Read more
Oct 21
With all of this talk of His Royal Highness, Baby George, and his christening coming up this week, we thought you might find this interesting. There is one more name that is about to go onto this family tree – do you know who? Read more
Oct 18
Falafel, warm pita bread, saganki, hummus and tzatziki sauce…yummy! Simple to make at home and good for you too! Read more
Oct 17
By now you may be realizing that all this week we have been highlighting people, stories and food that come from the Mediterranean. Up until now, we have been focused primarily on Italy.
Oct 16
Growing up in London, as I did, it was never very difficult to get to most countries on “The Continent” i.e. in the rest of Europe. Read more
Oct 15
What’s more Mediterranean than pasta, tomatoes, peppers, salami and olives? Put them all together and you’ve got one great pasta salad! Read more
Oct 14
Not only did he discover that the world was round and not flat but, in so doing, he found the New World which encompasses what we now call the United States of America! Read more
Oct 11
The title of this post just about sums these bars up. Only one descriptive word is missing from the title….delish! Read more
Oct 10
Those of you who knew my mother, Ruth, know that my pet name for her is Sugarplum – and what a Sugarplum she was and continues to be…..in my heart.
Oct 9
Oct 8
Everywhere we turn we hear about the adverse effects of stress. In only a few minutes a day, do something good for yourself to get rid of stress and feel refreshed. Read more
Oct 7
Need a fresh start to your week? How about a wonderful and simple sugar scrub you can make in a snap that will give your skin a lovely, healthy glow!
Oct 4
As Fall sets in, what could be more inviting than a warm soft homemade pretzel?!!! And yes!…anyone can make these 🙂 Read more
Oct 3
As the weather cools down the cooking we did outdoors all summer begins to move indoors again. Here are some tips and ideas to make your cooking and baking easier and more successful. These are some Savvy Secrets for cooking.
Oct 2
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a new Conjugal Coat of Arms which will represent them in heraldic terms as a married couple. Read more
Oct 1
Today is October 1st. Whether you are of German heritage or not, it’s time to celebrate. It’s Oktoberfest time! Read more
Sep 30
Sep 27
Sometimes we think foods that have a foreign name or that we aren’t sure how to pronounce, must certainly be difficult to make. Not this one! Read more
Sep 26
A Dairy Queen employee, Joey Prusak, has certainly hit the headlines this week with his act of kindness. Read more
Sep 25
After a long day it is nice to be able to make a meal that won’t take longer to clean up than it did to eat. From time to time we want to bring you ideas for some meals that you can make in minutes and that are oh so satisfying…otherwise known as Simple and Hearty. Today it is Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew. Read more
Sep 24
His Royal Highness, Charles, Prince of Wales (shown here with his grandmother, the Queen Mother) was just three years old at the time of his mother’s accession to the throne of England and ever since that young age has been groomed to be king. Read more
Sep 23
The shelves of stores are jammed with products that claim to be the strongest, best smelling, easiest to use, best value, etc. Read more
Sep 20
This is quick and easy to make and SOOOO yummy! Read more
Sep 19
This breakfast muffin is so good, all you have to do is add a little butter cream cheese icing and you’ve got the perfect cupcake! Read more
Sep 18
“While Diana reignited the royal family, she also rocked the royal institution to its core. Kate, however, has taken to her role seamlessly, embracing the royal rule book.” Read more
Sep 17
Many years ago my darling cousin, Nancy Joy, served my son, Trevor, and I a wonderful taco salad. Read more
Sep 16
The mother of one of the 26 victims of last year’s Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre has written a powerful letter to the teachers of America. Read more
Sep 13
Sometimes the hottest days of summer, otherwise known as The Dog Days of Summer, come at the beginning of Fall. When they arrive, we can all enjoy a treat of something cool and refreshing! Read more
Sep 12
Sep 11
Puff the Magic Dragon turns 50 this year! Read more
Sep 10
It would be just as delicious on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday! Read more
Sep 9
How touching it is to read a wonderful story about something good that has taken place in the world. Indeed, we feel that we should magnify and ponder these things and pass them along. So, that we are doing. Read more
Sep 7
It has been brought to our attention that we had our head in the clouds on Thursday when we mentioned that George Carlin was the author of those wonderful observations about life. Read more
Sep 6
Love a good lemony dessert? Here’s a quick, easy and very yummy one for you! Read more
Sep 5
The Grammy Award winning George Carlin was not only a stand up comedian but, after reading his “observation” on the vast subject of life, we realize that he was obviously a great thinker as well. Read more
Sep 4
Simple, cheap, quick and fun….why wouldn’t you make these pretty gift tags to keep on hand? Read more
Sep 3
Want the perfect glass of iced tea? Read more
Sep 2
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a day set aside each year to celebrate the achievements of American workers and the contributions they have made to our country. Read more
Aug 30
This is the start of Labor Day weekend. We’ve got a tip to make your burgers better:) Read more
Aug 29
Words are powerful…sometimes life changing. Here are a few powerful quotes we have run across lately that we wanted to share with you, our “chums”. Read more
Aug 28
Our “chum”, Sally from Texas, shared this recipe with us that she found in a 1960’s copy of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Read more
Aug 27
Everybody loves Mickey! You can delight kids of all ages with a breakfast or lunch that includes this world famous mouse 🙂 Read more
Aug 26
Ashton Kutcher rose to the top of the pile a couple of weeks ago when he told a gigantic crowd of teenagers that to be sexy, one needs to be smart, thoughtful and generous. Read more
Aug 23
How I wish that a Journal had been started for me when I was a babe and began my travels!
Aug 22
If your home is like many, as mothers and their children ready themselves each day to get out the door to school, there is often a battle over the combing of the hair… but wait!…..not anymore! Read more
Aug 21
Photo from earlymama.com
What did we do before backpacks! Golly, other cultures have carried things on their backs for centuries so we finally caught up and now, most school children you see, will be carrying one on their sweet back. Read more
Aug 20
Waffles are always a welcome sight on any morning, but especially on school or work day mornings. They don’t have to be time consuming or a hassle. And they can do “double duty ” if you use them to make lunch to! We’ll show you how 🙂 Read more
Aug 19
It is hard to believe but summer is coming to an end and everyone is going down the list of things to be done in order to be prepared for that first day of school. Read more
Aug 16
We gave you our “recipe” for all natural laundry soap a couple of days ago. But we thought the job wasn’t complete until you had our “recipe” for an all natural fabric softener too 🙂 Read more
Aug 15
Continuing on with the “cleaning” idea, here are a few Savvy Secrets! Read more
Aug 14
Rarely, well actually never, do Jackie or I post something from someone else’s blog just verbatim. We may reference it or use it for inspiration or suggest that you, our chums, check it out, but copy and paste a whole article….NEVER. Until now 🙂 Read more
Aug 13
If you want to, you can make just about anything you need for your home. Many people now do make products they use everyday in an effort to save some money. Nothing wrong with that! But there is another reason for making some household products yourself, that may be even more important. You can control what goes into them. Read more
Aug 12
When John Kralik was a young boy, his grandfather told him that he would give him a silver dollar. His grandfather also said that, if he wrote a thank you note to his grandfather for the silver dollar, when he received the silver dollar, he would give him another silver dollar and for every thank you note thereafter, he would get a silver dollar. Read more
Aug 9
Simply cannot miss an opportunity to wish my sweet husband a very blessed and Happy Birthday. He is an amazing husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend and very, very loved by all who know him …especially and mostly me 🙂 So I simply must say loudly:
Happy Birthday Randy!
Aug 9
What is everyone’s favorite summer sandwich? Why an ice cream sandwich, of course! Read more
Aug 8
When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! What a great bit of advice that is. Read more
Aug 7
To continue our week dedicated to the joys of lemons, we have some very helpful ideas about how to use lemon peel!
Read more
Aug 6
According to Wikipedia: “A no-fly zone is a territory or an area over which aircraft are not permitted to fly.” We aren’t referring to that no fly zone. According to your Two Chums “A no-fly zone is a territory or an area over which flies are not permitted to fly.” Read more
Aug 5
Ceramic lemons in bowl
There is something just rather wonderful, rather traditional, rather timeless, about a bowl of ceramic lemons sitting on a coffee table or a kitchen counter. The yellow in lemons is so cheery, so upbeat, reminding us of wonderful summer evenings, sitting outside sipping on a long glass of lemonade. Read more
Aug 3
No you aren’t seeing double. Due to a problem with the server, many of you, our chums who subscribe to Two Chums, were unable to open the e-mail containing the post yesterday. So we are resending it out to you today. Happy Saturday and Bon Appetit !
All across this great land, as the weekend approaches, so does brunch! What better way to celebrate the weekend than with breakfast and dessert combined? !!! Read more
Aug 1
As the new loving first time parents, William and Kate are all about tradition and duty and teaching their son the lessons he will need to be the future King. You can be sure Uncle Harry will balance them, and in true form, he will be all about fun:) Read more
Jul 31
We hear stories all the time about celebrities or teenagers who shave their heads. They choose baldness to get attention or as the result of a prank or a dare. This is a different story…the story of going Bald for Good 🙂 Read more
Jul 30
Nothing tastes better for lunch or dinner on warm summer days or nights than a refreshing crisp salad. Cool and crunchy and perfectly dressed, this Kale Salad surely fits the bill…oh and did we mention it is really healthy too? 🙂
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Jul 29
In the late 1800’s John W. Nordstrom, at the age of 16 came to the United States from Sweden with $5 in his pocket. Read more
Jul 26
Tootsie. This movie is a classic. It is funny and poignant and is one of Dustin Hoffman’s finest performances. He has some very interesting thoughts about having played the role of a woman. Read more
Jul 25
This week we have all been busy celebrating the birth of Prince George but today, this Chum celebrates a very special lady – her Chum, Robin! Read more
Jul 25
The new little prince has a name…George Alexander Louis. He will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. A big name for this little guy. But then he comes from a family with a big history!
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Jul 24
The world is rejoicing at the birth of this new Prince. Babies who were born in England on Monday, when His Royal Highness Prince of Cambridge was born, will receive a commemorative silver coin….in blue pouches for boys and pink for girls. Apparently, commemorating a birth by crossing the palm of a baby with silver has long been a tradition.
The Royal Mint has made 2013 of these silver pennies. The sterling silver penny features the shield of the Royal Arms along with the year 2013. How lovely that in some small way each baby who receives one will share in the celebration! Read more
Jul 23
Let the celebrations begin….the future King has arrived! Read more
Jul 22
Last week we offered you some Savvy Secrets for WD-40 and quoted G. Weilacher as saying “One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop.” We promised then to bring you some Savvy Secrets for duct tape so today we are making good on that promise. Read more
Jul 19
What is summer without some yummy cookies for your trips to the beach, a weekend picnic, a Sunday lunch or a treat with a cup of tea or a tall glass of iced tea any afternoon of the week? Read more
Jul 18
Growing up I looked forward every year to the circus coming to town. Perhaps because it was always close to my birthday, I associated the arrival of the Greatest Show On Earth with excitement and delight! Read more
Jul 17
Catherine and William will not be needing any witnesses at the birth of their baby! Read more
Jul 16
“One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop.” – G. Weilacher Read more
Jul 15
Yes, let’s hear it for the French! Bastille Day having been celebrated in France yesterday, we thought it would be fun to raise the French flag and salute France. Read more
Jul 12
The weekend is coming. Wouldn’t an easy and delicious banana muffin make your Saturday or Sunday breakfast or brunch just perfect? Read more
Jul 11
