Enjoying the snow

Posted on January 27, 2026 by mlenoach

NYC got hit with a lot of snow on Sunday.

I had the best day wrapped up in blankets. I was also mildly productive.

On Monday, it was all about the snow day.

snow shenanigans

My Dear Friend Cards

Posted on January 24, 2026 by mlenoach

In honor of MLK Jr. Day, my daughter and I made cards for seniors in nursing homes/rehab facilities. We’ve been doing this for a few years now and really enjoy it. I was in charge of the writing, and my daughter did all the drawings ❤️.

This amazing program is facilitated by GlamourGals. Check them out!

Keychain making at Michaels

Posted on January 13, 2026 by mlenoach

On Sunday, my daughter, Maxi, and I attended the keychain-making class at Michaels.

Maxi got to choose all her beads, and I just helped with the knots. It was a nice, quick, and free event.

Building a tow truck at Home Depot

Posted on January 3, 2026 by mlenoach

We are starting the new year by trying new things and learning! Every first Saturday of the month, Home Depot holds a free workshop for kids. This month, the workshop focused on building a tow truck. Staff provide you with everything you need to make it, including all the tools.

I wasn’t sure if my daughter would enjoy this activity, but she absolutely loved it. The instructions are easy to follow, and upon completion, they leave you with a sense of accomplishment. Each packet also includes a certificate of achievement and a pin to collect. The activity goes from 9 am – 12 pm while supplies last. I arrived around 9:10 am, and the area was already packed.

Next month, the project will be making a penguin mailbox.

The Calendar Kids Recipes Part 2

Posted on December 31, 2025 by mlenoach

Here are the recipes I made from July to December from ‘The Calendar Kids’ series.

The recipe is actually for watermelon popsicles, but we like our watermelon the old-fashioned way, especially in the summer.

The recipe was for a pencil waffle to celebrate the start of school. I incorporated the idea for winter, so this is our winter version. Complete with snowflake, Christmas tree, snowman, and candy canes.

The recipe was for applesauce. My daughter loved mashing this lol.

The recipe this month was pumpkin muffins. These were delicious.

The recipe this month was a Thanksgiving handprint on your favorite pie.

Last but not least, December’s recipe was for reindeer cookies, using your favorite cookie recipe. They turned out so cute! We loved this.

Overall, the book series was very cute and the recipes were a lot of fun.

The Calendar Kids Recipes Part 1

Posted on December 28, 2025 by mlenoach

It’s that time of year when I like to take an inventory of all the fun stuff I did. A few things I enjoyed were reading and cooking with my daughter. In ‘The Calendar Kids’ series, I got to do both. There are 12 books, one for each month, and each book focuses on one kid (named after the month) as they explore seasons, holidays, and memorable moments with friends and family. Each book has a cooking recipe that is tied to the story, and it’s been fun reading the book each month and trying all the recipes.

The recipe was actually a snowman pancake recipe, but we made hearts instead.

February was chocolate-covered strawberries. I admit it’s not our finest work lol, but it was yummy.

This month, the recipe was a rainbow donut. We did munchkins instead.

April we did dirt pudding! It was so good.

May’s recipe was a Cinco de Mayo salsa. Which was yummy.

June’s recipe was Dad’s famous burger recipe. I made them mini burgers to make it easier for my daughter to eat.

More to come in part two.

Our 2025 Advent Calendars

Posted on December 4, 2025 by mlenoach

Advent calendars are my jam. I think this will be my families fifth year participating. This year I kept it simple, but still fun.

My daughter Maxine loves all things Gabby.

My cats BB and PJ are sharing treats from Country Kitchen.

My husband and I are sharing the WSJ wine advent calendar.

Time to enjoy day 4!

Seeing the balloons up close

Posted on November 26, 2025 by mlenoach

I was able to score access to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons while they were getting inflated. It was amazing!! Extra bonus, I got to share the experience with some of my family members.

Happy Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2025 by mlenoach

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I’m really grateful I got to do some amazing things to celebrate this year.

Celebrating Jane Austin at the Morgan Library & Museum

Posted on September 23, 2025 by mlenoach

I visited the Morgan Library & Museum to see the Jane Austin exhibit before it closed. It was packed and crowded, but doing something different with my family was great. The day’s highlights included afternoon tea at the cafe and enjoying the small garden.