Holiday highlights, plus GRAND Social No. 137 link party for grandparents

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Holiday highlights

As some of you know, I was a little concerned about how my Christmas holiday might play out. Why I worried at all, I don't know. Considering I have pretty much the best daughters — and a pretty darn awesome husband, too — I should have known everything would turn out exactly as it should. For me, it turned out nearly perfect. The only way it could have been better would have been for my grandsons and their parents to have been here, too.

Here are some highlights of the holiday time with some of my favorite people — and pets — in the world:

christmas 2014 collage

For two full days, my nest was...

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Saturday movie review: 'The Grand Seduction'

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The title makes you wonder, doesn't it? Well, have no fear: I'm not delving into racy and raunchy films for review, I promise. Nope. In fact, THE GRAND SEDUCTION is likely one of the least racy films you'll ever see — and likely one of the most fun, too.

 The Grand Seduction

THE GRAND SEDUCTION, a remake of the 2003 Quebec film SEDUCING DR. LEWIS, takes place in rural Newfoundland in a fishing village in economic dire straits. In order to get...

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Christmas and how the empty nest gets harder after college

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Christmas and how the empty nest gets harder after college

I used to be one of those moms whose child — or children, plural — recently left for college. You know... the moms walking around with a dazed, how-the-heck-did-this-happen-so-fast look in their eyes, virtually visible cracks in their hearts as they miss the once little ones who have flown their nest. They're the moms who live for holiday breaks, spring breaks, summer breaks, for that's when their loved ones return home, back to the safety of the nest where mom can hold each one in her arms and savor the sweet scents and sounds of her babies all around.

family christmas stockings

I was one of those moms. That first year my daughters were scattered afar for schooling and such was rough. It got easier, though, as it does for all moms (and dads) whose kiddos have gone off for enrichment and enlightenment on the road to becoming full-fledged adults. I found new...

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Last of the last-minute gift ideas, plus GRAND Social No. 136 link party

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Last of the last-minute gift ideas

With Christmas just days away, I bet a few of us still have a couple gifts left to get. In recognition of that, I managed to get in two more full reviews of last-minute gift ideas you may want to consider.

First, there's Just Dance 2015. I love this game/workout fun. Perhaps you have someone who would love it as much as I do. Perhaps that's you that would love it is much as I do.

just dance 2015

Click here to read my review of Just Dance 2015.

Next up is one I mentioned last...

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Saturday movie review: 'The Sapphires'

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My husband and I scanned Netflix streaming the other night, in search of something uplifting and fun yet unrelated to the holidays. We happened upon THE SAPPHIRES, a 2012 film I had heard great things about but that we never had the opportunity to see in theaters here in Colorado, where the mountains are high, the skies are blue... and the independent film scene is dismal. 

Thank heavens for streaming movies, for THE SAPPHIRES turned out to be one serendipitous and soulful find.

The Sapphires

The film is an Australian musical dramedy loosely...

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