Tips on Boosting That Mood Ever wonder how to successfully get through the long winter months that lay ahead? As someone who has settled in the Midwest region, you have unfortunately discovered how the long, dark, cold, wintry season may impact one’s mental health. However, ‘Tis the season to improve the winter tide, so let’s…
Healthy Holiday With the holidays quickly approaching, it’s up to us to continue to make healthy choices to better both our physical and mental health. The holidays are often centered around three things: family, friends, and food. The typical holiday foods, while very tasty, are oftentimes not the best for our overall health. However, there…
Whether you have your own or looking to start one, below are some Christmas traditions submitted by local families. My kids can open one present on Christmas eve that is specifically marked “open on Christmas Eve” it has: 1. New Pajamas 2. A book 3. A small treat like a candy or cookie 4. A…
Family-Friendly Ways to Heal Together Navigating the delicate path of helping our children cope with loss is a journey that demands both strength and tenderness. Over the past few years, my family has faced our fair share of heartache – from the painful experience of a miscarriage in 2021 to bidding farewell to my beloved…
Not-For-Profit Spotlight: Festival of Lights One thing that my family and I have enjoyed doing the last couple of years is driving through the Festival of Lights that takes place at Moorman Park. Each year, I am always amazed to see the display. So much time, work, and effort goes into building and creating this…
Coping with Grief During the Holidays Grief is a curious thing. It is supposed to get better with time, but what it really does is change you over time. It changes the way you look at things. It changes the decisions that you make. It changes the relationships that you have with others. It ultimately…
Tips & Tricks for the Busy Working Parent Initially, when I wanted to write this article, I thought it would be about Tips for the Commuting Parent. I’ve been a commuting parent as long as I’ve been a parent. When my daughter was born, I commuted from Belleville, Illinois, where we lived, into St. Louis’s…
Marriage Date Night First, let’s just get the credits out right now. I snagged this adventure from my church, The Crossing, in Quincy. My husband and I participated in this date night challenge, and it was one of the greatest dates we ever had. I’m including dates when we were newly in love and still…
Jingle Bell Bark PREP TIME: 10 minutes ADDITIONAL TIME: 2 hours TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 10 minutes Ingredients 12 graham cracker sheets 12 ounces white chocolate morsels, melted Sprinkles Instructions Place graham crackers on a baking tray. Melt white chocolate morsels according to package directions. Spread over graham crackers. Sprinkle generously with sprinkles of choice.…
Reindeer Pancakes Reindeer Pancakes Prep Time: 10minutes Cook Time: 10minutes Total Time: 20minutes INGREDIENTS 1 package of bacon 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I prefer Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix) 2 large eggs 1 1/2 cups milk 1 Tablespoon oil 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract 1 cup mini marshmallows Marshmallows and M&M’s for eyes Red candy…
Holiday Food Safety 1 – Hand washing. Keep your hands clean by effective hand washing with soap and water. Avoid using your bare hands to touch “ready-to-eat” foods. Ready-to-eat foods do not need to be cooked in order to be consumed. Examples are crackers, breads, cheeses, deli meats, veggies for a veggie tray, etc. 2…
Soup Season It’s getting cold out, and nothing screams warm and cozy dinner like an inviting bowl of soup. One of my favorite ways to make soup is with my Instant Pot! Many people respond to that last sentence with, “Oh, yeah, my (insert relative here) bought me one for Christmas a few years back,…
Difference Maker: Kevin Blickhan Difference maker? “I don’t think of myself as a difference maker.” -Kevin Blickhan Story By Kari Vogel & Kaitlyn Wegs Making a difference is a goal most people in the service field have, but they don’t always know the ways in which they are making a difference unless someone points it…
Quincy Children’s Museum – We envision joyful children, engaged families, and a connected community. I got the chance to sit down with Amy Peters, Executive Director of the Quincy Children’s Museum, and discuss how her vision has come to life and what the future looks like for Quincy Children’s Museum (QCM). Q: Can you…
How many of us consider our home to be our safe spot? I do. What does the phrase “safety of my own home” really mean? These days, sales pitches include “From the safety of your own home.” There are plenty of reasons for that phrase. This is where we should feel safe, can relax, have…
As parents or guardians, life tends to run in the fast lane, and often, we figure it out as we go with what we have handy. Here are a few first-aid hacks to treat Ouchy’s and Boo Boo’s for those moments that catch us off guard.
Did you and your kids keep up on your summer reading lists? Goodbye summer, and hello to Autumn! Did you and your kids keep up on your summer reading lists? If not, it’s ok. I know summer gets busy for us, and we get away from reading regularly to our kids. Now that they are…
Difference Maker: Amy Peters I would describe a difference-maker as a person who embraces their fears and hesitations to step out of their comfort zone and take risks. A difference maker is a passionate individual who can’t just sit by and hope someone else sees the need and takes the initiative. Above all, a difference…
Digital Safety for Kids Summer break is over, and students are back in full swing with connected devices, apps, and many websites that open all kinds of online safety concerns. This brings a great deal of challenges to parents these days. In today’s digital world, we are continuously worried about our children’s online safety. The…
As parents or guardians, life tends to run in the fast lane, and often, we figure it out as we go with what we have handy. Here are a few first-aid hacks to treat Ouchy’s and Boo Boo’s for those moments that catch us off guard.
Ever wonder what it would be like to be a part of a community theater? One local teen tells us how theater has
shaped her future.
Difference Maker: Kim Runquist I met Kim at an engagement party for my sister, Kim’s husband Andy is good friends with my brother-in-law, and immediately I knew I liked her. She has this amazing bright smile, a bubbly personality, and a sweet, disarming demeanor. We’d chat over the next few pre-wedding get-togethers, and the more…
Entertaining Children, One Book at a Time My childhood years were filled with stories from my father. He didn’t tell stories about characters or animals. No. He told stories about himself, my mother, or us children. They were all so funny or odd, the kind of things that would make you wrinkle your eyebrows and…
Pumpkin Cake Bars Ingredients 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. cinnamon 2 cups pumpkin 2 cups sugar 1 cup cooking oil 4 eggs Ingredients (Icing) 3 oz. cream cheese 1 tbsp. milk 3/4 stick of butter 1 tsp. vanilla 2 cups powdered sugar Instructions Cream…
Local Family Day Trips: Westercamp Rent a Horse Farmington, IA Westercamp Rent a Horse in Farmington, IA offers a 2.5 hour guided forest trail ride. The owners and trail guides are friendly, knowledgeable and take the time to assess riding ability/level in order to pair you with one of their well cared for horses that…
Pumpkin Oreo Balls Pumpkin-shaped Oreo balls made with only 5 ingredients! This festive treat is easy to make and great for a fall party or Thanksgiving gathering. Ingredients 36 Oreo cookies 8 oz cream cheese softened 12 oz orange candy melts Bag of stick pretzels Green Candy or Leaf Frosting Decoration Instructions 1. Pulse Oreo…
Scarecrow Crunch Snack Mix Prep Time: 5 minutes Servings: 12 cups Ingredients 6 cups caramel corn with nuts 2 cups Shreddies or Chex/Life cereal (Plain or Honey Flavor) 2 cups Pretzel twists 1/2 cup Candy corn 1/2 cup candy pumpkins 1/2 cup Reese’s Pieces 1/2 cup mini Rolos Instructions In a large bowl, mix together…
We’re constantly gathering new stories to share with our readers. Each quarter we publish a new issue of the magazine featuring the latest stories, inspiration, and wedding goodness for you to read.
