A Full Life

Weekend Reading: Checking In Edition

June 14, 2013
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I realize things have been a little slow around here of late. I blame the lazy days of summer. Still, I wanted to check in and update you on a few things. On a whim, I decided to take Operation Houseplant outside. This basket had been filled with dusty, fake flowers and greenery that I [...]

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Weekend Reading: Memorial Day Edition

May 24, 2013
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A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle. - George William Curtis Those of us in the U.S. will be observing Memorial Day this weekend. Here are some posts I’ve run across lately that are perfect reading [...]

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Books with Memorable Settings: Savannah, Nantucket and Ireland

May 20, 2013
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I’m drawn to books with a strong sense of place. The kinds of books where the setting plays a major role, almost like a character. So it’s not surprising that three of my favorite authors write books that fall into this category. Mary Kay Andrews I first discovered Mary Kay Andrews when I was getting [...]

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Blog Rewind: Spring, Finally!

May 7, 2013

I think it’s finally safe to say that Spring has arrived in Kansas City. I hope I’m not jinxing things, since we did have snow in May this year, but I think we’re now in the clear. We even had a mother bird build a nest in the wreath in our front door. She laid [...]

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Washington and Lincoln Facts and a Quick Killing Lincoln Review

February 18, 2013
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The nice folks at H&R Block have created an infographic for President’s Day. Some things I found interesting: Both of these guys were really tall. Lincoln was only 56 when he died. Why did I think he was older? There was no federal income tax when Washington was President and only two income tax rates [...]

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Will You Have Downton Abbey Withdrawal? These Things Might Help.

February 15, 2013
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Like the rest of the free world, it seems, I’m a Downton Abbey fan. Actually, my whole family is. From my parents to my husband to my college-aged daughter and high school son. We’ve all found something to love in Downton. My daughter actually drives the 30 miles or so from college to home each [...]

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Weekend Reading: Happiness Edition

February 8, 2013
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I recently ran across these 5 Simple Rules for Happiness on Pinterest and they stopped me in my virtual tracks for a bit. Like a lot of you, I’m sure, I see many inspiring quotes and sayings and lists on Pinterest and Facebook. But this one really resonated with me because it’s so simple. And [...]

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Book Club Report: What Alice Forgot

February 1, 2013
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On Tuesday it was my turn to host book club at my house. Our book club began 10+ years ago (no one can quite remember exactly the year) when our kids were all students at the same elementary school. There are 12 of us, and while there have been a few additions and subtractions over [...]

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Happier at Home Book Giveaway

December 31, 2012
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The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life. – William Morris, “The Aims of Art” This quote is how Gretchen Rubin’s book Happier at Home begins. This quote is also how I immediately knew I was in the right place, because I have a [...]

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Thrifty Sonoma Fashion: An Interview with Adrienne Shubin

October 23, 2012
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I don’t remember when or how I discovered Adrienne Shubin’s blog, The Rich Life (on a budget), but I’ve been a fan for a while now. Adrienne lives in the beautiful Sonoma wine country of northern California with her fire chief husband, three great step-kids, and four pups. Besides blogging, she volunteers with the elderly [...]

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