All Blog Posts (221)

My Road to a VBAC

            The line ‘Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get’ from Forrest Gump has never rung so loud in my ears as it has in recent years for me.  I have been on this windy road for almost 8 years.  It has been riddled with the tightest of curves, blinding fog, the highest of mountaintops and the lowest of valleys.  It has been one that I wish I had never been forced onto but yet I…

When I moved down here in 2007 Progress Energy forced us to pay a security deposit on our new account. When my husband died 18 months later I made the mistake of telling the power company when I needed to have a permit pulled and powerlines refastened to the house. They forced me to pay a security deposit double the amount of what my late husband put down prior. I was in disbelief we are the same family but because my husband did not have my name on his account the light company held me…

Applications of interest are now being accepted for the Pre-K/VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) program operated by the Title One Office of Marion County Public Schools. This full-day program takes place during the normal 2012-2013 school year and is not related to Summertime VPK programs.

Applications are available at participating school sites, the Title One Office (306 NW 7th Ave. in Ocala) and online at …

My husband wanted to take our daughter to the Father-Daughter Dance Saturday. After he told her he was taking her on a suprise date we found out the tickets were sold out! Does anyone have suggestions or know about something else going on this weekend. We feel horrible and are trying to come up with something really special; she has her dress picked out and everything :( We had no idea this was something that would sell out so quickly.

Looking for an activity to do with your kids this coming weekend? Well in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, why not make some Valentine crafts? These easy and fun crafts will keep the kids occupied and help you spend some quality time together. Some can even be made in vast numbers so your child can take in extra for their friends at school.…

There is a free service offered by the Early Learning Coalition, Child Care Resource and Referral, that can assist you in finding quality child care that will meet your family needs.  You may contact us at 352-369-2315 to complete an interview.  The interview can take up to 30 minutes to obtain all of the information needed to help you locate child care.  Once the information is obtained, Resource and Referral will be able to generate referrals for you to local child care providers that meet…

With Valentine's Day less than a month away, it's time to start amping up the romance. Luckily, you don't have to spend a ton of cash to get into the holiday spirit. These apps will help you avoid broken hearts without breaking the bank:



Love Songs- 100 Greatest of All Time: Set the mood on the 14th with this app. Love Songs compiled a playlist of Valentine's Day music. The list has a variety of songs…

It’s Valentine’s Day again, and I just want to remind people there are alternatives to chocolate when it comes to showing your love.

Because let’s face it, at any given time many of us are on diets or at least watching what we’re eating. And a box of chocolates isn’t exactly helping out.

So if you’re looking for a romantic Valentine’s Day gift that’s truly from the heart, why not give the best gift of all — a mouth-watering, healthy meal you make…

Is there a support group for single parents in the Ocala area? After 13 years of marriage I am now a single mom to 3 beautiful girls. I know I am not the only one and would like to connect to others in the same kind of situation.

A couple years ago I found myself depressed, fatigued, and not really happy about life anymore. I have 4 kids and a crazy life. My husband was in school full time and worked part time- which for all who know that means NO MONEY. I was miserable to say the least and had no idea why.  I soon discovered the reason....I had nothing in my life that I did to benefit MY happiness. My life evolved around my kids and husband. Now dont get me wrong that's great and all, but something was missing. I…

If there is possibly anyone out there with or knows someone with a 4 bedroom house in NW area due to teenagers in school.  Our family has grown so that a 3 bedroom is no longer large enough....my husband and our 6 children need a decent home to raise our family.  He is a hard working man and I am a stay at home mom and we have a good reliable income.  Please respond if maybe can help!! Thank you so much.....and maybe can do favor for favor...I cook clean babysitt...lol...thanks!!!

Yesterday afternoon Allen was in the bathroom and I was doing something with Makily.

Allen came out of the bathroom and said "Where is Jakob?" 

I say I think he's in his room.  Allen looks and Jakob is not there.  We both call his name a couple of times. 

No answer.

We start looking through the house, calmly at first....then once we kept running into each other realizing the other had not found him well we both got more…

I am about to start a part-time jobe at munroe hospital and I am supposed to start Monday however I am having a hard time finding a daycare partime for my 17 month old dwe jsut moved to the are and Im looking for a trustworthy place for my son.

im looking for a good karate class for my kids. I have a 8 year old and a 12 year old. something not to expensive. my kids need this class. I need them to get out and experience different things in life.

Hello ladies and happy new year to you all. I am looking for a good condition van for my family. I have a special needs chil who has to go to a lot of appts. I have to travel to shands and go to st petersburg for genetics. I have a car but it needs a lot of work before I ever put money to that car I would rather buy another vehicle. If any of you can help me out that would be great. My spending limit is about $1,700.00. I am waiting on my tax to come at the end of this month. Then I can buy…

Just in time for family-friendly holiday feel-goodery is Steven Spielberg's sweeping, historical epic "War Horse."



It's a story that began life as a children's book by Michael Morpurgo, then made its way to the London and New York stages to great acclaim featuring inventive puppetry, and now arrives in theaters with all the grandeur a master filmmaker can conjure. "War Horse" features a strong cast and the sort of impeccable production values you would expect from Spielberg - that…

They key to a great holiday party is a relaxed host. And that is easier than it sounds. All it takes is a little planning.

When I entertain, I make sure that all the food can be prepared and served or set out on a buffet with very little effort. At the very most, I include only one menu item that has to be cooked just before serving. For that reason, I find beef tenderloin to be my entertaining slam dunk!

It also is economical because you can slice it thin and…

The Ocala Star-Banner's and The Gainesville Sun's second annual Holiday Cookie Contests drew about 70 entries in both cities combined. Readers sent in new recipes they had created while others sent in recipes that had been passed down from generation to generation.

 

Here is a database of all of the recipes from this year's contest as well as recipes readers submitted last year.

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