I’ve really missed blogging.

I’ve missed having a place to whine and reflect. I’ve missed the creative outlet. I’ve missed playing around with my camera and trying to master taking photographs of ice cream before it melts.

Most of all I have missed my fellow bloggers. I am truly amazed and humbled by how kind and supportive so many of you have been through this crazy upheaval in my life. Humbled and incredibly grateful!

So thank you, for your emails, your tweets, your messages on Facebook, your comments, and for being here with me as I grow a little, fail a little, and learn loads along the way.

And speaking of learning experiences, have you ever tried to photograph a bowl of soup? Seriously, how hard can it be? It’s not like it moves or anything.

I took 193 pictures of this bowl of soup. I kid you not.

It’s a darn good thing that it’s really good soup because I was seriously considering hurling the bowl off my balcony…

What did I learn?

First of all, set up your shot, bowl and all and then ladle the soup into the bowl. Otherwise when you carry it, it will leave unsightly little rings around your bowl. SO NOT COOL!

Second, wait for it to cool down before trying to photograph it. The steamy lens look is also not cool…

If you’re a food blogger, what food (or foods) do you struggle with photographing the most?

Am I the only person who is disappointed when nothing magical happens at midnight on New Year’s Eve?

It’s like I somehow think that life should have a gigantic reset button which automatically gets pushed when the ball drops at Time Square. Only it doesn’t, and each time I’m left thinking, “Well, crap, that was disappointing.”

Every year I resist the urge to make resolutions because quite frankly I suck at dieting and exercise. So unless it’s suddenly become posh to resolve to eat more cheese and chocolate I am completely out of luck on that front.

After the nightmare that my 2012 turned out to be, I somehow find myself making lots of lists – goals big and small that I want to accomplish. Resolutions if you will, despite myself.

And as long and completely irrational as my list is, they all boil down to one thing.

I want to be happy. Like honest to goodness can’t wait to get out of bed and see what this day brings kind of happy.

I feel like I’m in limbo and I just keep waiting for something to happen and then I’ll be happy. Like if I just get divorced then I’ll be happy. If I could go home to Maine for a visit then I’d be happy. If, if, if…

Somehow in all the stress of the last few years it’s like I’ve completely forgotten how to let go and just be in the moment.

So that’s it, my one and only resolution for 2013 – to learn how to find joy in my everyday life.

It starts with making time each and every day for the things I love. So here I sit with a cup of hot tea, listening to Joshua Bell, editing photos of a hike to one of my new favorite places, blogging about how crazy I’ve turned out to be, and hoping that 2013 will be an amazing year. Although truth be told, I’ll be happy if it just sucks less than last year!

I feel like my life has turned into a gigantic roller coaster ride.

I’m talking the super freaky scream your way through it kind of ride which makes you want to yell, “Stop the ride! I want to get off!”

The last few months have been anything but easy. First I went back to work after fifteen years as a stay at home mom. Then I moved, had a short skin cancer scare, and was forced to take a leave of absence from school.

But the whole truth is that in the midst of all of this, I got divorced.

My life has been turned upside down so many times in recent months, that I’m not sure I really know which way is up anymore.

I’m tired and stressed out, worried about my kids, and money and the future. I’m wondering if I’ll be able to finish school. All in all, I’m finding it hard some days not to wallow in self-pity.

As much as I wanted the divorce, the truth is I’m heart-broken. I never imagined that after sixteen years it would all end like this.

I try so hard to find moments of joy and to hold onto them, but I struggle to find balance.

So I haven’t been around much lately. I don’t really feel like I have anything funny to say and find it very difficult to get into trying to take a great picture of a bowl of ice cream, no matter how damn good it was!

All I can do is take it one day at a time.  And today I’m going to get lost in the sight of the sun setting over the horizon…

Thank you for being patient with me!

They say that friends are the family you choose for yourself.

When I started blogging, I never anticipated how much it would change my life. It’s given me drive, and confidence, and made me a part of the most supportive community, made up of people from all over the world.

Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is just one of those people. She’s never far with a kind word at a time in my life when I have so needed it. I’m ever so grateful that I happened by her blog one day!

And I’m also happy to return the favor. Liz recently had the chance to go on the vacation of a lifetime and asked me if I could whip up something tasty in her absence.

With a hint of key lime and coconut, these scones are the perfect mental vacation for the rest of us left behind!

Besides, I’m on a mission to rid the world of hockey puck scones, one person at a time!

For the recipe and the secret to light and fluffy scones, head on over to That Skinny Chick Can Bake. I’ll see you there!

Is it just me or do women’s bathing suits seem to be getting smaller and smaller with each passing year?

Maybe it’s just that I prefer to believe that they’re getting smaller than the alternative…

Although my 12-year may insist that it’s just that fact that she now wants to wear one of the itsy-bitsy pieces of spare cloth that has me objecting so strongly to their obvious decrease in stature! There may be some truth to that…

Since the pressure to look good in these miniscule bikinis starts somewhere around New Year’s with the yearly onslaught of New Year’s Resolution crap and only gains steam as summer approaches, I’m always on the lookout for ways to reduce calories without sacrificing flavor.

I found this new Light Cider from Michelob ULTRA that’s sure to be welcome at any bikini clad summer party. Or not bikini clad if you prefer…

Doesn’t it just scream drink me?

While I typically think of cider as a fall drink, Anheuser-Busch has really made this a win-win for summer. This crisp and refreshing mild cider is great alone or poured over a tall glass of ice. And it makes a pretty killer Apple Cider Sangria, if I do say so myself… It’s not only less sweet than a traditional hard cider but it also has 1/3 less calories.

Being that it’s naturally sweetened and made from hand-picked apples I knew it would be the perfect complement to a nice light dinner with sliced Braised Fennel and Green Apples. The mild sweetness and tang in the cider really enhances the flavor of the fennel.

If you prefer to make this as a side dish, or vegetarian, simply omit the Chicken and Apple Smoked Sausage and substitute vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.

As an added bonus, it can all be made in just one pot, which leaves more time for hanging out at the beach in that bikini. Although on second thought, maybe that’s not such a good thing…

For more information, visit the sponsor’s site.

Which favorite summer meal or activity do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Light Cider? Check out the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider page on Blogher.com to see what other bloggers think!

My children have been out of school for a whole week and a half and I’m already sick of hearing, “I’m bored.”

Every summer my job description changes slightly as I become the chauffer, social coordinator, and grand poobah of entertainment.

Between the kids, going back to work, a move, and a little bit of skin cancer my life has closely resembled a circus this year. Some days it was enough just to make it through the day, let alone think ahead.

Let’s just say I’m totally unprepared for summer! I needed a little help. Okay, I needed a lot of help…

Cue Susan Heid at The Confident Mom, a certified family management planner and parent coach. Susan has just released the 2012 Confident Mom Summer Survival Calendar and Action Guide.

Check this bad boy out!

This calendar contains over 100 budget-friendly, creative, and fun-filled activities that families can enjoy together! It has at least one activity, craft or kid-friendly recipe for each day with clickable links that include the directions/supplies needed for easy planning.

It also includes extra worksheets to help you set summer goals, set your plan in motion and stay organized while doing it.

Here’s a sample of what you will find in this calendar:

• Over 100 NEW ideas to BUST BOREDOM
• Links to instructions, recipes and useful tools*
• 4 Easy to read calendars
• A Weekly planning page
• Summer Goals worksheet
• Ideas for Summer Fun checklist
• 10 Strategies for Your Best Summer Ever Action guide
• Your Best Summer Ever Audio Workshop
• Quiet Time Activities worksheet
• Important Summer Dates checklist
• Standard Operating Procedures worksheet
• Weekly Menu Planner/Grocery List
• Summer Weekly Planner
• Be Summer Organized checklist
• Peace of mind!!

With everything from solar s’mores to ice cream in a bag, sandpaper painted t-shirts and driveway baseball, Susan has just mad my summer about a million times easier!

The calendar and all its contents – nearly 30 pages – retails for only $9 and is available as a digital PDF download from her website HERE. Susan even offers a 30-day money back guarantee!

Or you can enter to win a copy. You will LOVE it!

Giveaway Details

One lucky winner will receive a copy of the 2012 Confident Mom Summer Survival Calendar and Action Guide.

How to Enter

Leave a comment. You could say Happy Monday or shower me with praise, anything you want. That’s it. Easy as pie! You have until Wednesday, June 6th, 12 midnight EST to enter this giveaway. One winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 3 days to respond or a new winner will be selected.

Want to earn an extra entry?

Head on over and “Like” The Confident Mom on Facebook, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me.

*I received a free copy of the Summer Survival Calendar and Action Guide for my review. All opinions are expressed are my own – I just thought it was a smashing good guide and wanted to share the love. This post also contains affiliate links.

As every Memorial Day approaches a small ripple of discontent winds its way through the military community.

Image Source Flickr

One quick glance at the evening news reminds us just how fortunate we are to live in a country where we are safe and free.

But that freedom comes at a price, often the ultimate price.

Image Source Flickr

Each and every day, men, women, and their children are paying for that freedom. They sacrifice more than most people realize – time deployed overseas, at sea, stationed far from home, managing without their spouse, hoping and praying their mother or father will come home safely…

As both a Navy veteran and spouse, it’s hard not to feel the sting as Americans spend more time thinking about who to invite and what side dishes to serve at their annual Memorial Day picnic than on how to honor the men and women to whom the day is dedicated.  And I know that I’m not alone.

It’s easy to feel like the sacrifices these men and women make are taken for granted, the sacrifices my family makes.

I want you to go and spend the holiday with your family and friends; I really do. I want you to grill hamburgers and go to the beach and enjoy your families and the nice weather.

After all, that is truly why we all sacrifice what we do. We sacrifice so that you don’t have to.

Image Source Flickr

But please, please this Memorial Day don’t forget. Don’t forget the men, women and children who sacrifice each and every day, those who have been wounded along the way, and especially those who have fallen in the line of duty and the families they left behind.

Whenever I get really stressed out I start eating like total crap. Let’s just say I’ve eaten a lot of crap lately! The first thing to go is always breakfast…

The more junk I eat the worse I feel, and the more stress bothers me. It becomes a vicious cycle that requires a good swift kick in the a** to break.

Granola is my go-to healthy breakfast to get back on track because you literally throw all the ingredients in a bowl, add a little fat and something sweet, and toss it in the oven. Even better you can make it any flavor you wish.

Since I can’t get away on a vacation to a lush tropical island anytime soon, I’ll settle for a little Piña Colada for breakfast. With a little bit of sweetened coconut, some dried pineapple, and some crunchy macadamia nuts thrown in for good measure, it’s like a mini vacation for breakfast.

It makes Monday morning such a prettier sight to behold!

Other great granola recipes I love:
The Three Little Piglet’s Brown Sugar and Agave Pecan Granola
Family Fresh Cooking’s Tropical Granola
The Novice Chef Blog’s Crunchy Classic Granola