Author: Tracy Cleland

Tracy Cleland is a middle school teacher, wife, mother, and grandmother. She loves to visit new places and share her experiences with the world.
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Seven Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me

Unless you are from my little hometown and have known me most of my life, there’s probably a lot you don’t know about me. So, I’ve decided to enlighten you with this post. It wasn’t my idea, however.  I’m stealing this great idea for a post from my fellow blogger, Shannon at Simply Shannonigans. She’s an awesome person who always has a positive attitude about the obstacles life throws at her. She also posts a lot of great recipes!

So, here we go!

1.  Dennis and I have five kids.

We claim them all–there’s no mine or his. We may not see them often, but they are still ours. Our kids range in age from 22 to 29, and none of them live at home.  The funny part is that I’ve known Dennis’s kids longer than he has. You see, I was Aubree’s preschool teacher when she was three. He didn’t adopt Aubree until she was five or six. Aubree did quit preschool, and I didn’t see her again until she and Meghan were in high school. They were cheerleaders together, and it took me a while to figure out why her name had changed.

Celebrating Aubree’s college graduation–finally an RN!

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Fall Fun at White House Fruit Farm

If you live in Northeast Ohio, you’ve probably heard of White House Fruit Farm. Located in Greenford, Ohio, just south of Canfield, it’s a family-run farm and market. We pop in from time to time to browse their impressive selection of fresh fruit and vegetables and pick up a dozen of their delicious home-made donuts.

Imagine our surprise yesterday when we drove down and found the place packed! Many men would have turned around, but Dennis is one of a kind. Either that, or he really wanted a blueberry donut.

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Camping Essentials: Have Tent, Will Travel

For many years, my motto was “Have tent.  Will travel.” The kids knew that if they wanted to visit new places, they had to be willing to sleep in a tent.  They’ve slept in tents in Quebec, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Florida, South Dakota, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and several other states. They even slept in tents when visiting the capitals of both the United States and Canada: Washington, D.C., and Ottawa.  And when they wanted to see the ocean? Guess what–they slept in tents in New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. While our need to cut traveling costs diminished as the children grew older and flew the coop, camping remains a great way to see the country on a budget.

A dog stands next to a baby boy who is seated in a blue bumbo chair in a wooded area.
First time campers–Alabama, age 8, and Josh, age 4 months.

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Disney’s Harmony Barber Shop

On our way to the airport last month, my amazing husband mentioned that he hadn’t had time to get a haircut before vacation. (Never fear! Amazing wife here!) Since I am an avid reader, I know a few details that the average Disney Parks visitor may not know. In this case, I knew that there was a barber shop  located on the Town Square of  Main Street U.S.A. in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. I quickly whipped out my phone and made a reservation for the next day at Harmony Barber Shop. Continue reading “Disney’s Harmony Barber Shop”

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Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade Dining Package

When planning our latest trip to the World, I stumbled across something I hadn’t heard of before, the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade Dining Package at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom.  The price was a little more than I’d normally pay for  lunch, but since we had just upgraded our free Disney Dining Plan, I thought “Why not?” and went ahead and booked it. What a great decision!


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Lessons from a Summer of Blogging

Summer always seems to fly by, and this one was no exception. Our last day of school for staff was the Tuesday after Memorial Day, and we reported back on August 13. I had planned to write over the summer, but not nearly as much as I ended up doing. And, over the summer, I learned several valuable lessons about blogging.

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Road Trip Essentials

As we gear up for the long weekend ahead, millions of Americans and Canadians will be hitting the road, traveling by car, truck, SUV, or minivan to their destination. It’s the last three-day weekend of summer, and everyone wants to get that last bit of sunshine in before cracking down and hitting the books.  We’ll be part of that cavalcade as we head north for one last weekend at the cottage. It’s 800 miles round trip–a lot of time to spend in the car. Because of that, I’ve put together a my little list of road trip essentials.

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Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf

Looking for something fun to do at Walt Disney World on your day off from the parks? Check out Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf.

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Step2: Four Toys I’d Buy Again and One I Wouldn’t

Since I became a grandma three years ago, I’ve bought a lot of toys. Dennis just shakes his head each time I come home with something new. Many of the bigger items have come from a company I know and trust: Step2.  The grandbabies were over today playing with some of those toys, and I decided to write about the four Step2 toys I’d buy again and again, and the one I wouldn’t. Continue reading “Step2: Four Toys I’d Buy Again and One I Wouldn’t”

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Sunshine Blogger Award

Imagine waking up at 1:00 a.m. on the morning before school starts and checking your phone (just because) to learn that you’ve been nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award! That’s my life this morning–what a great way to start the school year off!A field full of sunflowers with a orange-yellow sky and a centered white circle with the words Sunshine Blogger Award in the middle. Continue reading “Sunshine Blogger Award”