Tag: Family & Home

Anti-Coddling Mountain-Life Dad Lets Skiing 3-year Old Tumble; Now She’s a ‘Little Ripper’ on Slopes

Dad Erich Leidums grew up “free range” in the 1990s—before smartphones and today’s hyper-realistic video games—when kids got outside a lot more than today and rode their bikes until the streetlights glowed. The 34-year-old ski patroller knows that the outdoor life instills confidence and resilience, which is why his family chose to live in the…


Bride Walks Down the Aisle Wearing Her Grandmother’s Wedding Dress From 1961

A 23-year-old bride made her special day even more memorable by walking down the aisle wearing her grandmother’s 60-year-old wedding dress. Allie Livingwater, from Massachusetts, tied the knot with Timothy, 27, on Sept. 25 wearing her 88-year-old grandma Anne Cooke’s white laced wedding gown. The dress was discovered in a black bin liner in 2016, and…


Let’s Make Every Day a Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is all about food, family, friends, and festivity. Wherever people gather—Grandma’s farmhouse in Iowa, a condo in Jacksonville, or a small apartment in Atlanta—ideally, there’s the mouthwatering scent of cooking food, a lot of talk and laughter, and televisions featuring parades and football games. The kids kick a soccer ball around the front yard,…


Put It in Writing: The Art of the Thank You Note

A proper thank you note showing appreciation for a holiday or birthday gift or a considerate action is a core concept of good manners. As a pleasant bonus, it can also result in unexpected benefits for the sender. Why Send a Thank You As children, we learned at an early age to write thank you…


Choosing the Best Paneling Type for a Room

Dear James: We have a storage room, and the drywall is pretty beaten up. I want to put paneling over the drywall. What panel choice is good, and how can I install over the drywall? —Randall K. Dear Randall: The walls in a storage room can get damaged from hauling things in and out, and…


7 Simple Way Practice Generosity

‘Tis the season to be giving. If you are looking for simple ways to practice generosity, here are some ideas you might start with. You’re sure to find that not only does stepping up your acts of generosity bless the recipient, but the rewards come to you as well. It’s such fun and colors the…


Couple With 2 Biological and 7 Adopted Kids Adopt 2 More: ‘God Directed Our Steps’

An Arizona couple with two biological and seven adopted children have just welcomed two more adopted siblings into their home, making them a family of 13. The proud parents, who call all their kids “precious jewels,” claim God directed them every step of the way. Elementary grade school counselor Maria Hansen-Quine, from Phoenix, and her…


The Gracious Host’s Guide to the Holidays: 3 Rules for a Memorable, Stress-Free Dinner Party

Years ago, I invited both sides of my family to a Thanksgiving dinner. This meant that there were 25 little children from 1 to 9 years of age; we had to deadbolt the door lest any neighborhood children wander in. The adults were 27 in number, which included my brothers and sisters, our parents, various…


British Soldier Who Saved a Dying Man During WWII Was Reunited With Him 4 Decades Later

A British soldier who saved a dying man after the latter’s leg had blown off in the World War II trenches was reunited with him four decades later when he bumped into his wife at the local supermarket. In lieu of the 13th death anniversary of the late soldier, his family has shared the incredible…


Formerly ‘Homeless Piano Man’ Goes Viral, Shoots to Fame Overnight, Soon Releasing Biopic Movie

He was living on the streets of Sarasota, Florida, off and on—until a video posted on social media captured him making magic on the piano and catapulted him to fame. That was in 2015 when the Sarasota Keys Project gave Donald Gould, 57, a formerly homeless Marine veteran and musician, his big break. A dozen…