Articles written by Barbara Claire Schaefer

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About me - Barbara Claire Schaefer

I am writing a column for a local newspaper and loving every minute of it. The pay is not fabulous but the reward of writing again for a publication outweighs the money.

I'm freelancing from my home and looking forward to having time to write more. Although

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Celebrations & Holidays > Gifts & Gift Ideas (Other) The best gift you've ever received: 15 of 174
This Mother's Day is be a good time to look back and realize that one of your best gifts you've ever received was probably what your mother taught you as you were growing up. The best gift I ever received are these very same things. We didn't have much money but the values she taught me don't have a monetary value.She taught ... More..
Entertainment > TV News & Commentary American Idol: Reactions to the Season Six premiere: 5 of 34
My reaction to the sixth season of Idol is it's a laughing out loud comedy disguised as a talent show. How many shows can you say that about? Few sitcoms anymore can leave you with a smile on your face for an hour or two.Not only can you laugh during the show, you'll find yourself driving down the road and breaking up again w... More..
Home & Garden > Home Interior How to avoid clutter in your house: 9 of 41
Decluttering a house is an ongoing job. To avoid it you have to make it a habit to remove any unwanted item from a room everytime you leave it. Here are some examples.If you, your husband, or children eat in a room instead of in the kitchen or at the dining room table (which far too many do), there's always going to be dirty ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Literary Themes & Ideas Reading as the most valuable leisure activity: 2 of 9
Reading is at the top of my list for valuable leisure activity. When you are tired of Facebook, scrolling around the internet for the same old news, you can find new adventure in a book. It has been proven countless times that reading is one of the most valuable things you can do with a child that will help in their education... More..
Food & Drink > Cooking (Other) Guide to having a stress-free holiday dinner: 2 of 8
The secret for stress free holiday dinners can be summed up much like real estate's mantra location, location, location only this involves planning, planning planning. Advance planning can mean the difference between a hugh success or a disaster. Don't allow yourself to get too uptight though, just take it one step at a time ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Ghosts & Paranormal Phenomena Do Ouija boards really work?: 19 of 63
ARE OUIJA BOARDS EVIL OR JUST FUN?The neighborhood kids and I used to play around with an old ouija board but we never had anything earth shattering happen. It was fun to go up to the third floor attic, turn out the lights and prepare for something scary or exciting to happen. If I recall correctly, most of the girls in the g... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Halloween: 7 of 21
BOO!Halloween is in the air. Can you smell it? There's the smell of the first wood fires of the season after a long, hot summer, seeing your breath in the air, dried leaves crackling underfoot and the beginning of cold, crisp nights. It's like once again taking a walk down memory lane.When I was young we lived in the country ... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Babies (Other) Tips for naming your baby: 7 of 20
BABY NAMES - WILL YOUR KID LOVE YOU OR HATE YOU?Naming that bundle of joy these days is not what it used to be. The phrase, "Every Tom, Dick and Harry" is almost a thing of the past. These names are too common today for most parents. I consider myself one of the lucky ones because I've always liked my name. My daughter on the... More..
Entertainment > TV Genres & Trends Why television shows tend to lose their appeal over time: 6 of 17
Why TV shows lose their appeal.It's pretty simple. People get bored very easily.When a TV show first comes on there is a lot of media hype about all the good points of the show. We watch, get hooked for several seasons, and then we get bored with it.There are only so many ways the writers can keep coming up with new and inter... More..
Home & Garden > Home Interior Changing Christmas tree decorations inexpensively, year to year: 2 of 5
Do you ever just plain get tired of dragging out the same old Christmas tree decorations year after year? Sure you want to keep and display family treasures but why not put up two trees? That's what I do each year. One pencil type small tree in the dining room is full of old Santa Claus decorations and colored lights for the ... More..