Today, I'm so very happy to bring you the beautiful, interesting, creative, and playful art of a longtime friend, Hannah Miller.

I LOVE Japanese food. One of my favorite party foods is a yummy rice-ball confection called Dango. We found a recipe for kushidango online, and adapted it. These are fantastic rice balls (mochi) that are steamed and grilled, adn served with a sauce. I remember eating them at festivals I went to, in Japan. They are really easy to make, and quite delicious! Here's the recipe:

Extraordinary! The light. The colors. The vibrancy of life...it's JUST what we need right now. Luckily, global photographer Mathias Falcone is here for us. He is a master at sharing essence of people, and place.

Rounding the corner at Grand Rapids Comic Con last year, we stopped in awe. In front of us was extremely whimsical, playful, creative art that made me smile with pure joy.

The artist? Kat VanderWeele, whose art makes us happy.

One of our very favorite people in the world (not to mention one of our very favorite artists: read our profile with her here!), Lara Smith, has a new book that, honestly, is a must for any parent or educator to share with their kids.

One of our family's very favorite Japanese recipes is an adaptation of Tonkatsu (pork cutlets), which we make with Chicken. I first had these while I was living in Japan, and after that, had them several times a week!

It is a very easy recipe, and is so very tasty!

Recently, because of the COVID-19 virus and its implications for education, I was interviewed by Matt Villano for his CNN article on How 'regular school' parents can homeschool their kids. The article is packed with experts sharing interesting information for parents, and he included my advice on getting kids outside (you know that is a passion of mine!).

Learning at home? The internet is a big place!! Here’s our ever-evolving guide to the best free online educational resources. (Just started homeschooling? Read our New to Learning at Home? Start Here.) Let’s go!

One of our favorite towns, Stratford, Ontario, is also a coffee shop lover’s dream. Why? Well, not only for the many options available, but also for the love and care each coffee shop puts into their brew. There are also 2 (!!!) roasters in the area (yay!).

We tasted them ALL on a recent visit (buzz, buzz), and have put together the complete guide to Stratford Coffee Shops. 

What do Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Monty Python's Life of Brian have in common? I bet you were wracking your brain to remember if Harrison Ford was in Life of Brian (he wasn’t). No, it’s more geographic – all of them were filmed in Tunisia!