Super Sunday.. @ Sam's Club

Once a Month trip to Sam's Club

It is always an adventure to go to the grocery store, but to the local Membership Club box store is full of FUN! Especially when you get the sweet seat cart.

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We woke up today (losing an hour of sleep) knowing exactly what we had in store for us. It was our Sam's Club Sunday!  

We got the kids up, dressed and headed out for a quick bit to eat at Bob's (Bob Evans is my kiddo's favorite place to eat) - where my children dined on Piggy Pancakes (yes, they were piggy faces and they said they were delicious) and headed for our journey to our local Sam's Club. 

We had a list and knew it was membership renewal day too! It was a rough one, that is all I have to say folks!

We stocked up on our usual's, toilet paper, flush able wipes (if you have kids and do not have these- you should seriously consider- they are AWESOME!) our food, fruit and veggies and beverages.  Hubby wanted an Xbox One game, we had some stuff to get for gifts and they girls conned us out of 2 movies- Dora and Minnie Mouse. 

Things we buy from Sam's and Why:

We always stock up on Milk- @ 2.49/ gallon. We always buy two! 
We get 3 lbs of banana for 1.36- which we all like bananas! Picky kids only eat Bananas and Apples.
Which brings us to our next deal: Apples pre-sliced (yes, pre-sliced) for 3.98 for 32 ounces.
 And they are red delicious (my girls favorite kind of apples).

Ground beef is 3.18/lb for 90/10. This is good ground beef and all I will buy. I pay extra money for it but you don't have any gristle or funny bone particles in this meat and less fat when cooking up.

3 lbs. of red seedless grapes for 6.98.  We always buy grapes.  I had children who loved them, then didn't and I have gotten very creative by using koolaid packets to sweeten the grapes up to make them sweet n' sour and the girls are back to loving them!

Beef Chuck Roast for 3.98/lb.  We do roasts. Not many people do, but we do! I add the potatoes, the carrots and the mushroom soup mix and have a roast at least once a month. It is a staple that I grew up with and want to make that something my girls remember also!

Beef Ball Park Franks - All BEEF for 6.52 for 3 lbs. and I freeze half of the package for double my value. We always fall back on hot dogs when the girls won't eat what I cook, which is usually always. I make sure we have these on hand because they are quick and easy and in a pinch, they work!

These are just a few of my regular items that I always pick up and the reasons why. 

I think it is also important to note that Motts apple juice- you get a 2 pack for $4.88, when I went to Meijer's just the other day and for 1 that is not even as many ounces as what I am getting 2 of was $4.28 and YES, I walked away. Better to do without until my Sam's Sunday run, than to get ripped off!

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I am starting a new diet, so I had some things to grab and a bag of Meal Replacement Protein powder (sorry Shakeology, but since I no longer coach, I can not afford you, not that I could coaching either but now it is NOT an option).  

So, you want to hear about my diet? I know your ears perked up with that lovely four letter word.  I am not a diet kind of girl. I work hard, I work out and try to eat decent, but lately, since I have had 2 kids and seem to be tired all the time and do not get nearly 8 solid hours of sleep at night, my metabolism seems to be all out of whack.  I have stayed at a steady weight since having #2 and can not seem to move it, no matter how much I do. So, I have been reading up on how to boost your metabolism and found a 3 day diet plan that boosts your metabolism and gets you on the right track to continue to think about what you are putting into your system. 

Picture from email from friend who is doing diet with me

So Day #1 looks like this:

Breakfast:  1/2 grapefruit, 1 slice wheat toast, 2 tablespoons of Peanut Butter and Coffee or Tea.

Lunch: 1/2 cup tuna, 1 slice wheat toast, and coffee or tea.

Dinner: 3 ounces of any type of Meat, 1 cup green beans, 1/2 banana and 1 small apple with 1 cup of Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert.

Day #2 looks like this:

Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 slice toast, and 1/2 banana *hard boiled egg

Lunch: 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 hard boiled egg, and 5 saltine crackers

Dinner: 2 hot dogs (turkey or beef- no bi products) - no buns,  1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup carrot's, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Day #3 looks like this: 

Breakfast: 5 saltine crackers, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1 small apple 

Lunch: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 slice toast

Dinner:  1 cup tuna, 1/2 banana, 1 cup vanilla ice cream.

It is super important not to SNACK!  Also, do not substitute anything listed. You must follow exactly as planned.

After day #3- eat normal for 4 days before you can start the diet again.

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I am super excited to start this challenge and to see if I an get my metabolism moving. I just want something to start it. It is also important get exercise with this plan, which I currently get 20 minutes on my elliptical and I do a T25 video every other day (everyday kills my knees- even at Tania's pace)

<<<Back to your adventures at Sam's, all went smooth. The girls had a good time and were excellent and we all made it out with being upset or anything but all smiles, even with the sticker shock!

What a great Sunday!

Even better, Zombies are on tonight and I can not wait!

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Happy Sunday.. Let's count down to Friday, again!

~KEL~

Parenting Saturday... Life without kids- did it really exist?

nickmom.com

Life without Kids- did it really exist?

Were those days real? Is it getting harder and harder to remember life before? 

 

Last night we had a "Birthday Party" for my Uncle (who is only 10 years older than myself)- and although we all were gathered around the table singing Happy Birthday, it was more for my kiddos than for the Birthday Boy himself.  The whole time my kids were singing at the tops of their lungs when my 2 yo says "Happy Birthday to Uncle Peeeee" and everyone starts laughing!  (He goes by P.R.) 

In this moment, I find myself having a hard time remembering LIFE without children. They are the best thing to happen to Hubby and myself and although we have our moments (more than I would like to admit) where we are screaming and yelling, trying to get someone to listen- it still remains that absolute truth that LIFE is truly better with them here! 

Trying to go back to the days when it was just Hubby and me is getting harder and harder to remember, especially the older that our kids get. 

It was not even like we "jumped" into the whole parenting pool.  We were together for 7 long, strong years before we welcomed Baby Girl #1. And trust me, when they say a Baby Changes Everything, boy do they mean it!
 

The hardest years on our marriage were the beginning years of baby! Somehow, if your love and bond is strong, you both hold onto your commitments, you muddle your way through the hard times and find that happy place, bliss. 

This is where Hubby and I are now. We are in that blissful place where we are just enjoying life with kids.  Today, our 2 yo was a comedian.  She makes the funniest faces ever! Her newest thing is, she tells you something (and yes, it is rather hard to understand when she gets to talking so fast!) and at the end of her spiel she says, "You say Yes, OK!" and it is hilarious! 

from NickMom.com

Sometimes I think it is the little things. Our 5 yo has her moments also! She is very serious and when you can get her past that, just to hear her laugh is the best! I have made it my personal goal to break her "serious face" at least five times a day! And yes, tickling works!

Can you remember the days before you had kids? Does it feel like a mirage? 

I know that Hubby and I ate out a lot. I have no idea how I stayed so skinny because after two kids and eating "in", I can not seem to get back down to what I once was, b.k.  That in itself is crazy! 

I know that we used to have time to watch movies and stay up late and see friends.  I almost think we took it for granted, looking back on it!  But, if I had to say anything, I think life is so much better with our kids. I just can't remember what we used to talk about? Not that all we talk about is our kids, but it is never a dull subject! 

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Do my kids drive me mad? Of course! I don't think I have calmness in me anymore because I honestly feel like I am always hyper! But every once in a while the girls throw me a bone- like today. Our day was good, no yelling, no timeouts, no nothing. It was calm.  I had one minor incident with Play Doh and my 2 yo, in which I had to clean up the YELLOW play doh from the rock board in the kitchen (because we still don't have tile) - but its rock board and it will be covered by Tile so whatever!

Tonight was pretty fun, my girls dressed up and put on a Frozen musical, hilarious karaoke and all! They are , as my 5 yo is such an actress and can not focus on just singing but has to keep playing with her hair the whole time!

These moments are etched into my brain and forever will be. I wouldn't ask for it to be any other way!

So, the time before kids, yes, it was Hubby time and it will always be a part of us, but not a reality for 16 more years! (lord help us) 

For now though, I am OK with it. I love my girls and love being a Mom and am so happy with the life that my Hubby and I have built.  I'm still one lucky Bea...

~KEL~

 

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Friday Fever... What the heck is *!$@#*OIL PULLING?

What is the deal with Oil Pulling?

What is it? 

How does it work?

Why is it gaining so much popularity?

Happy Friday Friends!

I woke up this morning thinking to myself (after a crazy Giant Badger Dream) what kind of "Fresh" stuff can we talk about on this beautiful Friday? It's getting warmer out, our Ohio Snow is starting to melt and Its Friday!  (it is so sad that my life is a constant count down to Friday... welcome to the life of a Wife/Mom who works Full Time outside of the home- Aaaaayooo)

So, I opened up my Facebook (love my smartphone) and started to see what everyone was talking about today- only to see something about "Oil Pulling" - in which I am like, what? Tell me more...

I know your curious too- aren't you... C'mon, just admit it. It sounds weird. 

Then came my research. With this research came the fascination to get started. Yes, I said, "Get Started" - because it sounds so convincing and so crazy that I want to try. 

I know, you are llike, C'mon Kel, tells us what the heck you are talking about Already!! Right!

So you want to know WHAT OIL PULLING is?

  Oil Pulling is a process (that you can make with Just 3 Ingredients!) of reducing bacteria that causes plaque build up, gum disease, tooth decay and gum sensitivity, even making your teeth whiter during the process.

There is a 3 ingredient recipe: 

1) Organic Coconut Oil 

2) Melaleuca- a 100% therapeutic grade essential oil that is an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-septic, expectorant, immune stimulant and decongestant.

3) Shield- a 100% therapeutic grade essential oil that has anti-viral properties.

The blend contains Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Clove Bud, Eucalyptus radiata and Rosemary essential oils.

Coconut Oil contains Lauric Acid, a healthy fat that is proven to be anti-microbial.

To save time, you can make a 2 week supply of Oil Pulling Blend and store in a 1/2 pint Mason Jar.

2 Week Supply of Oil Pulling Blend

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1 Cup Softened Coconut Oil

16 drops Melaleuca

16 drops Shield

Whisk softened coconut oil and essential oils together until well blended and smooth. Add to a 1/2 pint Mason Jar- or similar, preferably glass since Essential Oils can leach petrochemicals from plastic.

TO USE:

Once a day, put approximately 1 tablespoon of the Oil Pulling Blend in your mouth and swish for 20 minutes. DO NOT SWALLOW!  The oil your are pulling from your mouth will be full of bacteria and you will want to spit into a garbage at the end of your 20 minutes. 

Once you spit out, brush your teeth and you will notice the difference- even after the first time!  

You can find the essential oils at WEBSITE:  Sparknaturals.com and both are extremely reasonably priced.

Pictures care of Sparknaturals.com

WHY I THINK IT IS GETTING SO MUCH HYPE?

My Review:

I found a few different variations of this Oil Pulling method.  Luckily in my town, we have an essential oil store, not far from my house, and I was able to obtain both bottles of the essential oils.  I am very interested in figuring out the difference in the variations of recipes, but, starting with this one, I feel different after my 20 minute swish. 

 I instantly knew that something was happening, especially seeking what I was spitting out.  I used a plastic baggie, instead of spitting right into the garbage.  (I have two small children that would NOT approve of my hovered over the can spitting my nasty pulling blend into it. Not that the plastic baggie was any better but at least I didn't have to hold my hair!) 

I brushed my teeth right after and everything felt smooth and fresh. It was strange because I was not expecting after one trial to feel such a strong effect from the blend. 

 The second thing I would like to note is my energy level seemed to increase.  I was dog tired when I tried this blend and after my swishing, I felt rejuvenated, which is crazy because  it is eight o'clock at night by this time and I have been up and adam since 4:45 AM. 

 

I highly recommend and honestly can not wait to do it again tomorrow night. I can't wait to see if my teeth whiten up also!  Bottom line is THIS WORKS!

 

**Check back later for updates on this story. I would like to try a few other methods to Oil Pulling and see what I come up with!

Thanks for checking me out.  If you would like to share your Oil Pulling experiences, please email me @ kelamstutz@gmail.com.

~KEL~

If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face

like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.

Roald Dahl

**from my calender today.  Happy Friday!!

Throwback Thursday.. Do you remember...

So, I was checking my email and one caught my eye

reading "Retrieve your Photos from MySpace."

This had me looking further, only to discover that it took me to MySpace, in which I had to retrieve my password since I haven't accessed the thought to be gone, site since 2011. 

After a few hoops of jumping, I logged on, only to discover my old profile with ALL my old photos, which brought me back down Memory Lane, since most of them were of days either BEFORE kids or right after the first one.

So this brought on a HUGE project- I had to retrieve them, I had to SAVE them to my PC, because my head was telling me that I have the originals backed up a million +1 times, my heart was telling me that if I didn't save them I would surly lose them forever!

Now, for my Throwback Thursday, I found this picture of the day my first kiddo was born. It was February, cold, but no snow was on the ground. I got up, as usual, got ready for work. I was bending down for a Pepsi out of the case next to the fridge (I know, lecture me later!) and...gush... I was like, hmm... OK. I don't remember thinking anything at this point. I wasn't scared or shocked or anything, I just made my way to the bathroom to pad up and decided that since it probably was going to be a while until this kid came out (horror stories of 30 hour births) - I should eat the warm pop tart that I had in the toaster. So, I did!

I finished a few minutes later and called my work peeps to let them know (or their voice-mails) that I was going to be headed to the hospital to have me a baby. Then, I made my way up stairs to wake up Hubby. 

He JUMPED up! He rushed me out the door, with Hospital bag in tow and off we went. He even had the nerve to reprimand me about eating, while I should have been waking him up. (We love this story today!)

Next came the check in, make sure your in labor stuff. They wheeled me in a wheel chair- which I thought was ridiculous because I was in NO physical pain, what-so-ever.  But, I was wheeled away, Hubby trying to keep up, to Maternity. Then came the monitors and all the fun stuff. 

Around 10:00 am, I still wasn't not have contractions so they started the Petocin. Shortly after, Epidural came and the only pain that I had was a sharp, shooting pain in my back that literally made me scream and caused panic in me because I thought that I was never going to walk again. (weird sensation and feelings!)

Me and 5 YO- 2009

But at 1:58 PM we welcomed a beautiful, 7lb 1 ounce baby girl into this world.  She was beautiful! She was a really good baby from the start, very quiet and content, like she knew right where she was. 

Hubby and 5 yo- 2009

I can not believe that day, which is still so FRESH in my mind, was 5 years ago.  It seems so unreal! 

Hubby- so proud- feeding 5 yo- 2009

What is your Memory of your First Baby and the Labor experience? 

Until next week.. (sorry, gotta run, Gray's is on!)

~KEL~

Wacky Wednesday... Random Facts...

It's Wacky Wednesday Everyone!

Is everyone ready for what I have been cooking up all day? I have some good ones this week, some that are funny, wacky, and some that will just plain knock your socks off and make you say...WHATTT?

It's another Wednesday here and time for our Wacky Wednesday Random Facts.  I am warning that I found some that I was like, WOW, this week! So, without further ado, let's jump in...

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Since it is HUMP day..

Did you know that Giraffes and Rats can last longer without water than CAMELS! (bam...)

       Dreamt is the ONLY English word that ends in the letters AMT.

Bulgarians are known to be the biggest YOGURT eaters in the world! (holy yogurt! I wonder if that is where FAGE is made?)

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      0.3% if all ROAD ACCIDENTS in CANADA involve a MOOSE!  (i love moose!)  

Bacteria, the tiniest free-living cells, are SO SMALL that a SINGLE drop of liquid contains as many as 50 MILLION of them! (gross!)

       Stairs KILL about 12,000 people EVERY YEAR!  

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1/3 of all BABIES born TODAY will live to be 100 years old.  

       

Time for some CRAZY Stories...

In 1994, a woman named LUCY MORO was found GUILTY of Manslaughter after kicking her husband in the balls and accidentally killing him.  (watch where you kick!)

pinned image- ELMO KILL JAMES by HUG!!!

In 2008, an Elmo doll bought for a boy named James began saying “Kill James” after the batteries 

were changed.

WEIRD but TRUE...

Yawning is contagious.  Even thinking about yawning is enough. (as i myself yawn!)  In fact, there is a 50% chance that you're about to, or just did YAWN... (true story!)

 

Just for FUN!

In the original version of Little Red Riding hood, the wolf and the girl EAT the grandmother together. (EWW)

           M&Ms were developed so that soldiers could eat candy without getting their        

           fingers sticky.

While staring at the blue sky, you can see individual white blood cells flowing through your eyes. (um, weird!)

Coincidences...hmm... I think NOT!

The man who designed Saddam Hussein's secret bunker was the grandson of the woman who designed Adolf Hilter's. (creepy!)

THE ROUND UP- TOP 10

1) 37% of MEN keep their eyes OPEN while kissing- only 3% of women do this! (creepy)

 2) 52% of women in Britain, state they'd rather eat CHOCOLATE than have SEX- 87% of MEN said the opposite. (Chocolate is a substitutes for sex, and of course men said SEX, duh!)

3) A 13YO boy in Florida was once arrested for excessive farting in school. (What was that noise?)

4) The green parts of potatoes contain a chemical called "solanine" which, when consumed in high quantities are very poisonous. (Psychedelic man.)

5) Internet trolls are defined as people who use the web "only to cause trouble and conflict" (um, isn't that what a troll does under the bridge?)

6) Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone was originally rejected by 12 publishers. (In your face now!)

7) Astronauts cannot burp in space because there isn't enough gravity to separate the gases from liquid s in the stomach. (is that why "space" food is so gross?)

8) There are an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the universe. (so what makes this one with Earth so special? Makes you wonder, huh!)

9) All of the bacteria in our body collectively weighs about 4 lbs. (that is gross- Oil Pulling anyone!)

10. A study conducted by Harvard Researchers found women are happier when their males partners open up about being upset. (you think? I mean, when Hubby is upset and is throwing stuff around, IT IS NICE TO KNOW WHY!)

   

   

RANDOM IMAGES FROM GOOGLE:

 

 

 

 

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

  

Until next time.. have a GREAT WEDNESDAY Everyone!

~KEL~ 

Book Review- Tuesday.. Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

WHISKEY BEACH by Nora Roberts- Book Review

for 3/4/2014

**Side note:  I know that I was SUPPOSED to be reviewing COMPLETE ME by J. Kenner (Stark Trilogy), but I haven't been able to pick it up this week. I have two sick kids- still, one is on breathing treatments every 3 hours and with keeping up on cleaning to get rid of these germs, I have not had  a minute to myself- sorry! Tune in next week!**

 

Book Cover from Barnesandnobles.com

I am reviewing Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts this week. I read this book in February of this year and have it still pretty fresh in my mind. I think that it should be noted that I  might do a lot of book reviews about Nora Robert's Books- I am a HUGE fan! I love to write and feel that I idolize the way that she write and captures the pictures in her stories and try my hardest to reflect that quality in my own work. 

So, onto Whiskey Beach. It is centered around an old historic home, Bluff House that sits on Whiskey Beach.  The main character is Eli Landon, a lawyer from Boston who goes back to the house, which his Grandmother lives in, after there is a murder, involving his ex-wife.  His Grandmother has a fall in the house late one evening and is back in Boston with the rest of Eli's family and has entrusted Eli to take care of the house in her absence, while she is on the mend. She really wants him to relieve some of the stress that he is under due to being under investigation for the murder.

Eli is fighting his demons during the story and relieving a lot of the past. He meets his Grandmother's "housekeeper" Abra Walsh.  Her character is presented as a bit of an eccentric, she teaches yoga, which Eli finds out his Grandmother attends regularly, she makes jewelry and does massages. She is on top of everything from getting the groceries that Eli likes, to talking to his Grandmother on a regular basis. 

There is definitely a spark between the two and during the story you watch what unfolds, all while the house unlocks its own old secrets. Murder starts to happen within Whiskey Beach's community and stirs controversy with Eli's recent visit. 

Eli and Abra are also dealing with an intruder in both Abra's home and in Eli's, attacking Abra, while trying to reach the basement. It leads to the discovery that the intruder was in the house the the night that Eli's Grandmother was attacked. 

There is a man who will stop at nothing to destroying Eli and his reputation. 

***I think that Nora produced a page turner with this one, as I could NOT put it down. I read it cover to cover (well, on the Nook of course) in less than 2 days. I was engrossed with the budding romance of Eli and Abra, hooked with the historical house and the picture it painted and taken back with the twist of the plot and trying to find out the "who Dun it" of the story line.

ANOTHER REVIEW:

Adapted from: Goodreads.com  

After a year spent at the center of a murder investigation, Boston lawyer Eli Landon has taken refuge at Bluff House, his family’s home in Whiskey Beach. Eli’s tired of the spotlight and the accusing stares from people who believed he killed his wife during their acrimonious divorce. He wants peace and finds it at Bluff House. Until housekeeper/yoga instructor/massage therapist/jewelry designer Abra Walsh turns his world upside down. Abra seems determined to bring Eli back into the world of the living — whether he likes it or not. But there’s someone in Whiskey Beach who’d like to do more than see Abra fail. Someone’s out to destroy Eli Landon, and they’ll kill anyone who gets in their way.

Nora Roberts takes readers on an engrossing journey of love, lust, betrayal, and treasure in Whiskey Beach and I, for one, could not be more delighted.

In many ways, Whiskey Beach is Eli’s story. Eli’s a successful criminal attorney who lost a lot of himself when he was accused of murdering his soon-to-be-ex wife. He’s been hounded more than anyone could handle and it’s no surprise he begins the story a bit broken. I loved watching Eli develop over the course of Whiskey Beach. Seeing him come out of the darkness thanks, in large part, to Abra, was a joy all of its own. And speaking of Abra… What a heroine. She bursts onto the page with a palpable energy that endeared her to me from the start. I adored her strength, charm, and attitude toward life. The romance between her and Eli develops so smoothly over the course of the book that I was amazed; no one can write such flawlessly organic love stories like Ms. Roberts. Separately and together, Eli and Abra are dynamic and are sure to draw readers into the world of Whiskey Beach.

A healthy dose of intrigue from not one, but two mysteries rounds out Whiskey Beach. Buried treasure and murder ensure there’s quite a bit of suspense and keep Whiskey Beach moving at a quick clip. I won’t say much about these storylines other than they’re excellently crafted and even if you can see what’s going to happen, the way Ms. Roberts writes the story each revelation and action sequence is still exciting.

ABOUT NORA ROBERTS:

Nora Roberts- goodbook.com

aka 

Jill March
J.D. Robb
Sarah Hardesty


Eleanor Marie Robertson was born on October 10, 1950 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. She was the youngest of five children, also the only girl, of a marriage with Irish ancestors. Her family were avid readers, so books were always important in her life. She attended a Catholic school and credits the nuns with instilling in her a sense of discipline. During her sophomore year in high school, she transferred to a local public school, where she met Ronald Aufdem-Brinke, her future first husband.

In August 17, 1968, as soon as she had graduated from high school, Eleanor married, against her parents' wishes; the couple settled in Keedysville, Maryland. Her husband worked at his father's sheet-metal business before joining Nora's parents in their lighting company, while she worked briefly as a legal secretary. "I could type fast but couldn't spell; I was the worst legal secretary ever," she says now. After their sons, Dan and Jason, were born, she stayed home. Calling this her "Earth Mother" years, she spent much of her time doing crafts, including ceramics and sewing her children's clothes. The couple ended up separating; they divorced in January 1985.

In February 1979, a blizzard forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three- and a six-year-old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate. During the now famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of her stories. It was then that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981 under the authorship of Nora Roberts, a shortened form of her birth name Eleanor Marie Robertson, because she assumed that all authors had pen names.

Eleanor wrote, under another pseudonym (Jill March), a story titled "Melodies of Love" for a magazine.

Eleanor met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Bruce owns and operates a bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland called "Turn the Page Books". Since getting married, Eleanor and Bruce have expanded their home and traveled the world.

In 1992, she adopted another pseudonym so as to publish a futuristic-suspense novel series. She first decided to use the pseudonym D.J. MacGregor, but discovered that this pseudonym was used by another author. In 1995, her first "In Death" serial novel was published under the pseudonym J.D. Robb. The initials "J.D." were taken from her sons, Jason and Dan, while "Robb" is a shortened form of Roberts.

Eleanor has also been known as Sara Hardesty, because when the "Born In" series was released in U.K. it carried that name instead of Nora Roberts. She has since changed publishers.

Eleanor has been plagiarized by another best-selling romance writer, Janet Dailey. The practice came to light after a reader read Nora Roberts' Sweet Revenge and Janet Dailey's Notorious back-to-back; the reader noticed several similarities and posted the comparable passages on the Internet. Calling the plagiarism "mind rape," Eleanor sued Janet Daily. In 1997, Janet admitted to repeatedly plagiarizing from Nora Roberts' work and that both Aspen Gold and Notorious lifted heavily from Roberts' work. Both of those novels were pulled from print after Janet's admission. She acknowledged the plagiarism and blamed it on a psychological disorder. In a settlement, Janet paid Eleanor an undisclosed sum, which Eleanor donated to the Literacy Volunteers of America.

A founding member of the Romance Writers of America (R.W.A.), Eleanor was the first inductee in the organization's Hall of Fame. She also is a member of several writers' groups and has won countless awards.

**Recommended Books**

Inn Boonsboro Trilogy (these are ecelent!)

Wedding Quartet

Sign of Seven (really good Trilogy!)

Midnight Bayou (my favorite!)

Cousins O'Dwyer (new triology- read the 1st book and LOVED IT!)

 

 

Enjoy!

~KEL~