F Bombs I’ve had three teenagers, I’m the world’s worst golfer despite decades of desperation and I’m also a card carrying member of the never-ending Walmart/Vendor cage match – so hearing the occasional “f bomb” is not out of the ordinary. But, let’s keep this story family friendly; sort of. Last month, after a lot of togetherness, my family finally deployed. One kid to high school, one kid to college, one kid to England to study abroad, me back to the cube farm. But for this tale we’re going to focus on the college kid and a different kind of f bomb filled school experience. F Bomb #1: Fun G ..read more

Since my age is increasing it was brought to my attention that perhaps my daily steps should as well. And while the NWA outdoor vibe of biking and running continues to accelerate, my car window sticker is “0.0” rather than the popular “13.1” or “26.2.” Meaning, as the saying goes, if you ever see me running you ought best to follow as there is something very large and very scary chasing me. My iPhone can track my steps, but we’re not on speaking terms so I opted for a Fitbit. I thought it would give me some street cred to rock a tracker; which it likely did, although the downside was having to ..read more

Finally fired up the family truckster after the last year or so of pandemic induced house arrest. Headed down to the Redneck Riviera for some R and R, or as someone once told me “to get some Vitamin Sea.” Much needed as working from home during Covid turned pretty much into 24-hour homework. Yeah, I haven’t been very good at clearly defining “work time and “dad time” so getting us out of the house to refocus on the fam was in order. Destin was our choice of destination and upon arriving there was a bit of culture shock. After basically only being around the five people in our family for the la ..read more

Manly Nuts and Exotic Meats Gift Box  https://www.sugar-plum.com/products/meat-nut-box Sugar Plum has sourced a collection of exotic meats handpicked to cater to that primal hunter-gatherer instinct that echoes in the background from the evolution of early man.  First up is a wild boar summer sausage, which fuses the traditional sweet and tangy taste of summer sausage which the succulent, rich, and nutty taste of well-ironed wild boar to craft a unique gustatory experience, the memories of which continually call to to be freshly experienced. From there, you will find included two b ..read more

Round Advice A co-worker of mine is preparing to have her first child. She wisely chose to weather the pinnacle of her pregnancy during the frigid season instead of the humid season. For those of you that are new to Northwest Arkansas let me elaborate. We really only have two seasons, Winter and Summer, since most years Fall and Spring can be measured in days instead of months. But maybe someone advised her that carrying an extra human inside you is much more pleasant when the temps are cooler. Dunno. I do know that she, like most people, has received tons of advice, mostly unsolicited, about ..read more

Summer Camp Summer Camp at Thaden School offers opportunities for children entering Grades 5 and 6 to experience our distinctive educational programs and learn from master teachers. We will host three fun-filled weeks of camp with offerings in the performing arts, cycling, culinary arts, and tinkering. Camps will be small with no more than 15 students in each program. The counselor to camper ratio is 1:7. Additional Details: The camp day will run from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Tuition is $300 per week Daily transportation is available for an additional $50 per week Post-camp care from 3:00 to 5:00 ..read more

Recently we cut the cord, you know, got rid of cable. Previous encounters with the satellite sadists led us to seek a streaming service. Naturally we didn’t end up with just one, so now we have a plethora of apps that cost far, far more than cable. Folks there is a reason there are so many services, apps and options; it’s because they are all profitable. But, as you’ve noticed, for the last few months there hasn’t been much going on in the outside world, so having vast viewing options isn’t such a bad thing. And, despite the dollars devoted, it is way better than running to Redbox in the rain ..read more

Mother’s Day Must Have!! For the perfect gift for that special momma in your life Isabelle Grace has something for everyone. We are currently obsessed with this Boho Bead BMAMA bracelet. Isabelle Grace Jewelry https://www.isabellegracejewelry.com/…/favorite-gifts ..read more

Meet Semimu, a brand that is proudly designed in Arkansas, parent tested and kid approved! We focus on simple, practical classics we know you’ll love. If you’re a parent, certainly you can relate with the growth spurt your kids experience as toddlers. Like many of you, my initial reaction to this was to keep buying new clothing so they feel comfortable and, in most cases, I found myself going up a few sizes in order to extend the lifespan of their clothes. Primarily, my littles ones lived in onesies and it became almost unrealistic to continue making changes so often. I immediately started th ..read more

The Pollinator Partnership has joined forces with the Arkansas Monarch Conservation Partnership and Arkansas Native Seed Program, as well as several other organizations and agencies to expand Project Wingspan into Arkansas, and we need your help! We are looking for enthusiastic seed collecting volunteers in three regions of Arkansas (see map) to help identify and collect seed from milkweed and other valuable native nectar plants. As a seed collecting volunteer you will be provided with training and be making valuable contributions to support migrating monarchs and other imperiled pollinators ..read more