Sep 18, 2018 | Adult Education, Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd Days are getting shorter and families are settling into Fall routines. Hints of cooler temperatures, tailgates and football games all welcome this time of year. My selections this month highlight stories that make people think,...
Aug 24, 2018 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Lloyd It’s that time of year again — back to school! Excitement, with an added touch of apprehension, accompanies children as they meet new teachers and classmates, and learn the “lay of the land” for the new school year. Start the school year...
Aug 19, 2018 | Just for Moms, Local Events, Local Resources, Local Sales & Shopping Events, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies, Shopping
By Katie Moosbrugger In today’s Sunday Spotlight… ~ Back to School Deep Cleaning with TL Cleaning ~ Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors ~ New Fall Gift and Entertaining Collections at Swoozie’s ~ Win a $125 Target Gift Card from Cone Health...
Jul 30, 2018 | Adults, Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Laura Simon Every Monday, I make sure my three-year-old tornado doesn’t take a nap. I schedule activities that I’m certain will wear her and her older brothers out. We swim, run, wrestle, and climb a few walls. Meanwhile, I walk around with an extra pep in my step,...
Mar 28, 2018 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Lloyd The Triad area has one of the most beautiful displays of springtime in the country. The flowers and trees offer an explosion of color against the backdrop of lush, green spaces. All of this added to the beautiful lakes, parks, extensive...
Feb 20, 2018 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Lloyd “Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.” – John Boswell Between the new beginnings of January and the anticipation of springtime in...
Feb 17, 2018 | Family Time, Humor, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Pop Culture, Books & Movies, Recreation, Sports
By Laura Simon If you need me between now and February 25, you need only check the space in front of my TV. In general, we aren’t a TV-watching family, but I make an exception for the Olympics. Bedtime, screen time limits…it all goes out the window for two weeks. I...
Jan 24, 2018 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Lloyd Happy 2018 — a new year with new beginnings and opportunities! Many people begin the new year by making new year’s resolutions. I first learned about making resolutions when I was eight years old. A friend told me that I would have a year...
Dec 13, 2017 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Lloyd Don’t forget – you can win a book of your choice from today’s blog! For as long as I can remember, I have been enchanted by this time of year. I can recall my first memory of driving around town to see all the holiday...
Nov 16, 2017 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Lloyd Happy November — the month that reminds us to be thankful for our many blessings in life. Having a grateful heart is key to living a happy and healthy life, not just in November, but throughout each and every year. Each of the suggestions...
Nov 3, 2017 | Adult Education, Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Adam Witten When’s the last time you had a spare 30 minutes? Can you count those occurrences in the past week on one hand? Like many of you, I’m a working parent and spare time has been as rare as an easy bedtime with my four-year old son. Then, when...
Oct 18, 2017 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Lloyd The falling leaves and cooler weather beckons me to sit in my favorite chair with a cup of tea and read a good book. When my children were younger, my book time included a sweet child on my lap and a stack of books that would easily take...
Oct 6, 2017 | Adults, Just for Dads, Just for Moms, Marriage & Couples, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Rachel Hoeing Who doesn’t love a good game night? We’ve blogged before about great games for the family (click here and here), but how about for a girls’ night in, or a couples’ party? Get some friends together and enjoy a good old-fashioned...
Sep 27, 2017 | Humor, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Kelly Hines One of the greatest joys of parenthood is sharing a part of your own childhood with your kids. For some people, it’s camping at a special lake, or making a favorite meal, or reading a treasured book. For me, it’s watching all the movies that seemed to...
Sep 7, 2017 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Lloyd Transitioning from lazy summer days by the pool to early mornings, packing school lunches and heading to school can be a little challenging. Children will be engaging their brains more and working to balance homework with extracurricular...
Apr 19, 2017 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Hot Topics, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd Win a book of your choice from today’s blog! Details below! I love springtime and the way the world seems to come back to life after the cold, dark days of winter. Trees show off their new growth, flowers awaken with color and birds...
Mar 14, 2017 | Family Time, Local Events, Local Resources, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Kristi Johnson Marion The 19th annual RiverRun International Film Festival will run March 30 – April 9, 2017, screening 151 films, over 11 days. Tickets are $6 (matinee screenings Monday-Friday until 5:00pm), $12 (regular screenings) and some...
Jan 17, 2017 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd Win a book of your choice from today’s blog! Details below! A cozy fire, a cup of tea and a good book are three of my favorite things on cold, winter days. My selections this month include old favorites that warm the soul, and two...
Nov 16, 2016 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd Win a book of your choice from today’s blog! Details below! Gratitude: grat·i·tude ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/ noun — the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. During the Thanksgiving...
Nov 5, 2016 | Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Pop Culture, Books & Movies, Pregnancy & Babies, Recreation
By Rachel Hoeing I was asked the other day by one of my pregnant friends, “If you could use only one baby book to get advice, what would it be?” Hands down, my answer was Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. Whether you are a first time mom or about to give birth to your...
Oct 21, 2016 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd Win a book of your choice from today’s blog! Details below! As a child, I loved Halloween and couldn’t wait to go trick-or-treating. My mom made costumes for my siblings and me, and I vividly recall the excitement I felt when...
Oct 19, 2016 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Hot Topics, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Rachel Hoeing Moms need “friend time.” It is a proven fact! Time with other women makes us better mothers. A few hours with your girlfriends can send you back home rejuvenated and ready to take on any motherly task that comes your way. There are so many...
Sep 19, 2016 | Adult Health & Wellness, Health, Hot Topics, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd I was listening to NPR in my car one afternoon, and thinking about all the tragedy our world seems to experience. As I approached a stoplight, I listened as the announcer reported yet another horrible, sad story. At that same time,...
Aug 31, 2016 | Hot Topics, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies, Recreation, Sports
By Rachel Hoeing It’s not every day that someone from our own area participates in the Olympics! This year, local swimmer Kathleen Baker not only participated, but came home with a silver medal in the 100 meter backstroke, and a gold medal in the in the 4X100M...
Jul 28, 2016 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd I recently heard someone refer to this time of year as the dog days of summer, and I wondered what this phrase really meant. According to dictionary.com, the dog days of summer are defined as “the sultry part of the summer… from...
Jun 27, 2016 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd Grilling out, making s’mores by the fire pit, spending time with family and friends, catching fireflies, making homemade ice cream, and relaxing by the pool with a great book are some of the enjoyable things that come to mind when I...
May 27, 2016 | Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Katie Moosbrugger I love a good book, and who doesn’t? Reading is my routine before I go to sleep, although it definitely ebbs and flows. Yet right now my reading is flowing more than ebbing. This typically happens when neither of my two “shows” (yes I only...
May 18, 2016 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd North Carolina authors and books with thought-provoking storylines make up my selections this month. I appreciate books that make me dig deep and really think about what I believe and what is important. Ivan the gorilla made me...
Apr 20, 2016 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd North Carolina in the springtime has to be one of the most beautiful places in the country. We are so fortunate to live in an area that welcomes spring with open arms. With the gorgeous flowers and blooming trees, it is hard to not...
Mar 21, 2016 | Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Kelly Hines Our family cut the cord to cable several years ago, and we’ve never looked back. The amount of quality program available to stream on services like Netflix and Amazon Prime is almost limitless, and we never feel like we’re missing out. Supplement that...