When visiting Alton, Illinois — or even if you’re just traveling through between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. — do yourself a BIG FAVOR and get lunch at My Just Desserts! Just remember, order dessert first, because once the Mrs. Ledbetter’s Chocolate Pie is gone for the day — it’s gone! Ann Badasch, the owner […]
Snow Cream: A distinctly southern treat
Growing up in the snow belt, I am quite familiar with everything snow: how to build a snowman, which type of snow is best for sledding, and even how to shovel it without too much back pain. One thing I didn’t learn until moving south was how to make snow cream. My first winter in […]
Forget pumpkin! Make mine maple! (cookie recipe)
Pumpkin spice latte might be the social media darling of October and November. But, it’s spot at the top of the fall flavor world may be coming to an end. And maple is to blame! Personally, I’m not a big pumpkin spice latte fan. I like pumpkin pie, pumpkin rolls, and even pumpkin cheesecake. But, […]
Stuff your piggy bank with Groupon Coupons
This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine. One of our vacation budget stretchers is to save up spending money all year long. Believe it or not, we actually use a piggy bank and add to it whenever we can. When we find a coin on the ground, we get a bit giddy! While […]
Holiday Gift Guide 2016
Post contains affiliate links for which I receive a small commission. Here it is! The 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for family travel and it’s a good one! We’ve got the best of the best — holiday gifts for every member of the family, even Fido! And, if you’re road tripping over the river and through […]
Work to live: Break the debt cycle
My husband said not to long ago that, “If I wasn’t married to you, I’d be driving a Jeep.” At first, I wasn’t sure how to take that. Was it a criticism? Or was he testing the midlife crisis waters to see if he could buy one? So, being the good wife that I am, I […]
Budget Talk: Online shopping, do you really save?
Over the past 5 years, online shopping sites have gained so much market share that they outsell many brick and mortar stores. Sites like Amazon.com, Overstock.com and Wayfair.com promise low prices on first quality goods. For a really long time, that was true. True enough to convince us, collectively, to change our shopping habits. In […]
Tourist in my own city
A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure to be a tourist in my own city with some wonderful travel writers. They flew in from across the country to discover the fun right here in Johnston County. While I write often about Johnston County, I’ve never really stepped out of my “resident” life to experience it as a […]
Stretch the budget with Groupon Coupons
This post is sponsored by Groupon Coupons, but all opinions are mine. 2016 is proving to be a budget challenge! We have one son graduating from college in Alabama. Two weeks later, he gets married — in Alabama! And two weeks after that, our second son graduates from high school. Late this summer, he heads […]
Budget tips to cut energy costs!
Around our house, one thing we ask is, “Would you rather spend money on this or vacation?” Most of the time vacation wins! With this summer’s record setting temperatures in North Carolina, we’ve had to work hard to keep our electric bills in check. It’s worth it though. I don’t want to dip into my […]