April 19, 2017 I have learned from first-hand experience that writing is indeed a muscle. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Alternatively, when you get away from writing -- well -- it (like exercise) becomes quite difficult to pick back up. I wrote my first book, Marianna Mestre: Nothing’s As It Seems (Volume 1), and published it exactly … Continue reading Getting Back to Fiction
Looking for a low-key and easy-to-plan birthday party idea for your child? I certainly was this winter when my boys had their birthdays. Out of smart planning (cough, cough) I mean desperation (if I am being honest), I came up with the following party idea: Get a bag full of prizes, plan a bunch of … Continue reading Party Games and a Bag Full of Fun!
Cooking is not my forte. To be honest, I hate cooking. For me, it is a necessity--a means to an end. In the corresponding post, One Hour--Seven Dinners, I describe the plan that has literally eliminated a lot of stress in our household: Pre-Cooking or what I like to call Power Cooking. This is when I plan … Continue reading Cooking Tools That I Can’t Live Without
The Easy Guide to Making a Week's Worth of Dinners in One Hour I am all about making things E A S Y (finding ways to eliminate the stress)—that is one of the goals of BrightLightLiving.com and for myself. I have not mastered this (not by a long shot), but the intent is there. After … Continue reading One Hour — Seven Dinners
I am all about EASY, and this recipe is quick to prepare and tastes great. Besides cooking up the rice at the end, the rest of the preparation is simply dumping in the ingredients. My kids love this too--they claim my crockpot Chinese meals are just as good as Chinese take-out. What You Will Need: One … Continue reading Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry Crockpot Meal
Finding Your Passion. . . Say what? How new-agey. What an esoteric and obscure phrase---finding your passion. You may have clicked this posting just to find out what the heck I mean by this? Do I mean, discovering your life purpose? Do I mean, figuring out what you want to do for a living? Maybe, I … Continue reading Finding Your Passion
I had to drive my son to school yesterday--in my pajamas, without a driver's license or even a bra to my name. We tried catching the bus at other stops, but we missed the bus all together. I ended up having to drive him all the way to school. The reason? He was reading my … Continue reading Trust Your Crazy Ideas
Looking for a good flick to watch---one that will move you to tears, inspire you, and make you feel uplifted? Each of the following movie clips were selected for its pertinent message. I hope that you will check out the movies (if you haven't already) or -- at the very least -- watch the clips below. … Continue reading Movies and Scenes that Inspire
Chili is one of my youngest son's favorites; he would eat it every day if I let him. Thankfully, this recipe is super easy to make and very delicious. Spring is almost here, so why not give Chili one last eating before grilling season officially begins. (Not that this household will stop eating chili. My son would not stand for that.)
Follow my blog with Bloglovin I Have a Confession. My name is Kristin and I, among other things, am a WRITER. I write because I love it; I write because it is my thing—what I’ve done since I was a child; and I write because it’s what I think I’m on this earth to do. … Continue reading How My Life Perspective Changed at a Gas Station
This is my BEFORE (oh my, what a mess!). And this is my AFTER. Photo Credit: TessaSollway.com Photo Credit: TessaSollway.com It looks much more sparse, but the truth is everything has a place. I keep fresh fruits and vegetables elsewhere. To create the space (clean and clutter-free) that I wanted, … Continue reading My Pantry Organizational Re-do
Spring is in the air---at least that is how it feels in Maryland, even though it is the middle of February. And with this beautiful weather comes my itch to renovate, clean, purge, remodel, and redecorate. I am a dreamer but also a realist; I know that everything cannot be done all at once. There is … Continue reading The Ultimate Home Improvement Master List
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