Happy New Year From Our Family to Yours

2014.   There.   I wrote it for the first of many times.

We hope yours is full of wonder... yes, wonderful.   We're so thankful for all of our readers and can't wait to share many more reviews, interviews, photo & video filled features and nationwide giveaways with all of you in the coming year.   Come ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama for loads of fun in Chi, IL and beyond.

Our holidays flew by and were filled with friends, family, fun... and new Guinea Pigs!   Meet Bweep and Brave.   We even invented a new word while playing board games with friends... pumarang or poomarang.   Use your imagination...

We also began a new tradition... the burning of the yule shovel!

No, really.   Our 92 year old family friend, Cliff, is thrifty and salvaged a discarded, broken handled shovel from a job site.  He arrived for Christmas dinner with shovel in hand, to burn the wood out in our fire!   Worked like a charm and he's ready to add a new handle for the new year.   There's a metaphor in there somewhere!

So for 2014, reduce, reuse, recycle, salvage and celebrate.   Even if you're feeling broken by circumstances, you can rise from the ashes like a Phoenix and get retooled for the new year.   Save what's working for you and reinvent the rest.  

We'll see you out there.

ChiIL Mama