Archive for April 2014

Watervale - My Slice of Heaven

Watervale - My Slice of Heaven
Every summer for as long as I can remember, my family has vacationed at a resort in Northern Iowa Michigan called Watervale. Watervale is a third-generation family owned resort that began as a logging town in the 1800s. The Kraft family purchased the abandoned town in 1917. My family ties don’t go back quite that... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 30, 2014 at 10:05 pm • 

12 Tips for Buying a Used Car

12 Tips for Buying a Used Car
4/24/14 NOTE: This post has been updated to reflect a 13th tip that I inadvertently forgot to include. It’s a very important step, so please check it out. Two weeks ago, I unexpectedly put myself in the market for a new car when I totaled my car. The good news is that no one was... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 16, 2014 at 6:36 pm • 

Life List Year 2: 250 New Experiences

After a whirlwind 160 new experiences in 2013-14, I’ve upped the ante for my 2014-15 Life List and set a goal of having 250 new experiences. I’m 2 days into the new year with no new experiences. I suppose it’s time to get to work. A couple of people have asked me why it’s important... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 13, 2014 at 8:38 pm • 
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DONE: 1 Year, 160 New Experiences

DONE: 1 Year, 160 New Experiences
One year ago today I set out on what I believed to be an incredibly ambitious journey and one that I wasn’t sure I could complete. Today I celebrate the successful completion of that journey and reflect on the lessons I’ve learned and the new person I’ve become. My life was in a rut, both... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 11, 2014 at 10:32 am • 

Happy National Siblings Day

Happy National Siblings Day
According to my Facebook wall, today is National Siblings Day. All of my friends are posting pics of their siblings and spouting lovely platitudes about just how great their siblings are, blah, blah, blah. I hate to break it to all of you, but I have the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious brother ever. EVEH. Let me tell you why your... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 10, 2014 at 7:08 pm • 

We are a drug addicted nation and it's not only 100% legal, but it's encouraged

We are a drug addicted nation and it's not only 100% legal, but it's encouraged
Disclaimer: I am a fan of Western medicine. I think they’ve made some incredible strides in curing and completely eradicating previously deadly illnesses and disabilities. I like doctors and nurses and EMTs. They work hard and often see people at their absolute worst. They deliver good news and life changing awful news and are sometimes... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 9, 2014 at 3:54 pm • 
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Better Safe Than Sorry or The Chronicles of My Cat Scan

Thursday night, after my car accident, I went to bed feeling fine. A little stiff, but fine. Friday morning I woke up with a pretty sore abdomen. I had a few errands to run and ran them, still feeling a dull ache. Late in the morning, my awesome State Farm agent called to talk about... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 5, 2014 at 1:23 pm • 

Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm and My Friends Were There

On my way to Skokie this evening, in the heart of rush hour, I was in a car accident on Interstate 94 and it appears I’ve totaled my car. It doesn’t really matter exactly what happened. Well, I suppose it does, but for this post, those details are meaningless. What is important is that there... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 3, 2014 at 9:22 pm • 

12 Secrets to a Clean House With Minimal Effort

1. I make my bed every morning. This prevents Sammy and Zoey from getting kitten hair all over my sheets. My comforter is currently at the dry cleaners for its semi-annual cleaning, so this is the best picture I can give you.
It’s no secret that I’m a bit OCD and a clean freak. Frankly, I wear it like a badge of honor on my sleeve. It goes back to childhood, but fully manifested itself in college, where, from time to time, my friends enjoyed giving me a bit of grief about it. Fortunately, I can accept a... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 3, 2014 at 1:30 pm • 
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    Jessica Gardner

    A native of Chicago's Northwest Suburbs and resident of the North Shore, Little Merry Sunshine comes by her name honestly. The story goes that as a child, she was always so happy that she even slept with a smile on her face. Her mom nicknamed her Little Merry Sunshine. It stuck, along with her insatiable desire to focus on the good in the world and to leave it a little better than she found it. She does this by sharing her passions and dreams, what inspires her, and maybe you too, and furthering the discussion about how we can listen to our better angels. You can reach her at LittleMerrySunshineCN[at]WowWay[dot]com.

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