Author: tosatotarporley

I recently bought a new 2019 planner and have been adding dates for the year ahead with school days off, trips planned and visitors that are booked. I was transferring some birthday/anniversary dates from 2018 to 2019 when I stopped and looked at my August 2018 page vs. September 2018. June, July, August…each day completely filled with work activities, kids activities, events with family and friends.

Then we moved. Continue reading “24 hours in the Lake District; AKA: to plan or not to plan, that is the question” →

Hello! First, let me apologize for the headline. It’s definitely clickbait. But…I’ve spent a lot of time at a lot of corporate communications conferences where we were told that it’s important to draw readers in, and also, listicles (articles formatted as lists) are popular. Gotta compete with videos where sassy cats push things off ledges, or BuzzFeed’s “21 pictures that will restore your faith in humanity!” Continue reading “The Top 6 Things on my 2019 To-Do List, and the SHOCKING Thing That’s Not.  “ →

When we first told people we were moving, a few mentioned that they would visit us. While some of you are seriously slacking on your follow-through (it’s been like four months, guys!), we have been very fortunate to have a few guests. Continue reading “The definitely not-definitive guide to visiting us in England” →

One of my favorite podcasts is called Terrible, Thanks for Asking. If you haven’t checked it out, here’s the synopsis: the host, Nora, experienced several devastating losses in a matter of weeks. She shares how she has come to terms with loss, grieving, picking up the pieces and dealing with the well-intentioned questions asking how she is, when the honest truth is, “Terrible, thanks for asking.” Continue reading “100 days in: how we’re doing” →

We survived the start of school, and have been adapting to life as best we can, working to understand customs and traditions in England and create new memories. But there is also something special about recreating our own traditions – maintaining some consistency, no matter where our home. Continue reading “Fall traditions with a twist (an evil twist…muhahaha)” →

In an era of HGTV makeover shows and snazzy Facebook recipe videos that show 30 ways to use cheese in 30 seconds, I kept putting off writing this post. Why? Because I wanted it to culminate in a house tour or beautiful before and after photos. Mostly because it would make me feel like I’ve accomplished something.

But as we continue to dig through boxes and stuff, I figure it’s better to be real about the entire house setting-up process, mess and all. Continue reading “Our Stuff Arrived! And the pirates spared my spices.” →

A weekend ago we decided that we were going on our first exploration trip that didn’t involve housewares. As mentioned, we promised castles, and it was time to deliver. Continue reading “Castle: Check! Sunset: Thwarted.” →