At the Fence

Hey neighbors!! This post is definitely late.  We received the September Gramma in a Box and we created our treats, but then my life went crazy.  We were heading out for a trip to Pigeon Forge and I completely forgot to post.  I am sure you have seen my previous posts, but each box that comes is unique and has a theme.  September's box is Back to School. So, let me share with you the treats we made. Each project has a card that tells you what items are needed, gives step by step instructions, and lists any possible allergens. Our first project was wafer pencils.  They are so cute when finished.  A little chocolate chip is the pencil point.   Our second project was creating apples for the "teacher"!!   I love the way these turned out! The last project is decorating cookies!! This is one of our favorites.  We get creative with the icing and extra decorations! If you are a parent or grandparent who is interested in having

 My love of reading is no secret and the fact that I adore anything and everything written by Jen Turano- pretty sure that’s no secret either. I mean, who doesn't love witty, charming, funny and inspiring books?! ;) I personally believe that interviews with writers in the Christian fiction genre are sorely lacking so I reached out to Jen. Not only did she agree to an interview but she graciously offered up the chance for one of you lucky readers to win a signed copy of Diamond In The Rough -  her novel that was just recently released! Let's get started, shall we? Mercy:  Can you share a little bit about yourself? Jen:  I live outside Denver, Colorado, but I’m originally from this small town in Ohio. I majored in fashion of all things in college, and after college, I moved to New York where I met Al. We had one of those whirlwind romances, got married a mere seven months after we met and we just recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary – and everyone said it wouldn’t las

  So, I have a little story to share with you today.  Once upon a time (theoretically, about three months ago), a family was looking for a new tv series to start watching together.  One of the three sisters in said family brought up the Hallmark Channel original series Chesapeake Shores as a suggestion, and they decided to give it a try.  Fast forward those three months and this hypothetical family has now seen the first 3 seasons twice, and are anxiously awaiting each new episodes airing.  After viewing an episode, this family has lively discussions regarding the good and bad, favorite and least favorite scenes, advice for any and all characters, etc.  Of course one of the frequently visited topics is which characters are their favorites... so many to choose from!  However, one of the family's unanimous favorites is the phenomenally talented Jessica Sipos, who perfectly portrays the character of Sarah.  This (remember, completely metaphoric) family adored her from her first moment

Hey Neighbors!! I am sure many of you have children or grandchildren who enjoy watching Paw Patrol!! Well, the new movie is out at Walmart, Paw Patrol - Ready Race Rescue!! The PAW Patrol is shifting into high-gear in   PAW Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue , an all-new feature-length special episode. Walmart will be the exclusive home for   Ready, Race, Rescue , with the DVD and special edition product across 10 categories launching in the U.S. on September 3, 2019. The DVD will be bundled with a digital copy of the 44-minute episode for a retail price of $14.96. Pre-orders for the   PAW Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue   DVD can be purchased   here .  "It's the Adventure Bay 500 and legendary race car driver, The Whoosh, can't compete! The pups speed into action to help Marshall take the wheel against cheating rival, The Cheetah, for the championship trophy." I am sure your children will be cheering on Marshall and the Paw Patrol as th

Many of you may remember that towards the beginning of this year, I had the honor of interviewing Jack Turner right after the premiere of One Winter Proposal.  I reached out to this immensely talented actor about an interview a week or so ago, and he graciously agreed to fit an interview into his schedule.  I know how much all of you Hallmarkies adore Jack and he really needs no introduction, so let's gets started, shall we? Courtesy of Crown Media/Hallmark Channel Mercy:  Can you share a little of what you've been up to since we last talked? Jack:  I’m on my last rewrite of a script that I’m pretty excited about. It’s kind of a biotech thriller. Also, I have a decent outline for another which is about a con man. It’s a lot of work to finish a script and more work to rewrite it, so I’m pleased a couple of them are moving forwards. Also a movie I did the soundtrack for, “Steam Room Stories - The Movie”, is releasing this week. It’s a great film, I was so happy to be a part of it

Hey neighbors!! We are taking a trip to Pigeon Forge TN in a little under 2 weeks!! I am so excited!! We rented a cabin for the 5 of us and are taking the dogs with us too.  We are going for NQC, the National Quartet Convention.  This will be a week of wonderful southern gospel music, as well as a few speakers. Not only are we going to be having a lot of fun, but you are going to see social media posts of our trip, including some products we are taking along with us.  Check these out, and then keep a lookout for them in our social media. The first is from Overland Dog Gear.  I am so looking forward to using this Ultimate Week Away Duffle and the accompanying Dine Away Set on this trip.  This is going to make it easy to keep all the dog gear in one place.  I hate when we take the dogs along and are constantly searching for bowls, leashes, cleanup bags and toys.  This will make everything convenient.  It includes collapsible bowls and storage containers for dog food.  Keep watchin

Hi Neighbors!! We recently received the Disney Aladdin live action DVD!!  We watched it together as a family and it was quite a bit of fun!!  My daughters love musicals anyway, so this was right up their alley to have songs throughout the movie.  Even my husband enjoyed the movie. Disney's "Aladdin," the thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of the studio's animated classic, lands in homes on Digital in HD, 4K Ultra HD™ and Movies Anywhere on  Aug. 27 , and physically on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD on  Sept. 10 . Fans of all ages will enjoy the exciting, humorous tale of the lovable “street rat,” Aladdin (Mena Massoud), courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and the larger-than-life Genie (Will Smith) with all-new bonus features. The release of the live-action adventure coincides with the addition of the original animated classic to the highly celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection  —  granting “Aladdin” fans everywhere the opp

 As you all know I'm a big fan of the movie-series done by Hallmark entitled Mystery 101.  I've had the pleasure of interviewing most of the main cast and I always enjoy getting to see who the guest stars are going to be before each new movie. Later this month we're going to be getting two new Mystery 101 movies (thanks Hallmark 😉) and I had the opportunity to interview Matthew James Dowden who will be appearing in Mystery 101: Dead Talk. Matthew is an immensely talented actor and I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to interview him so, without further ado lets get started! Mercy:  Can you share a little bit about yourself? Matthew:  I'm a British-born resident of Canada, actor, and writer living in beautiful Vancouver and, except for the four years I was in law school, I've been in the entertainment world most of my life. Before I moved to Canada, I was traveling with my one-person theatre show "Magic of the Movies" which was a variety show that paid tribute

Hey neighbors!! How many of you remember the Chipmunks singing Christmas Don't Be Late?  I do!!  They actually won three Grammys for that song in 1959 for "best Comedy Performance", " Best Recording for Children" and "Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical".  Well, the Chipmunks released a new album titled "YOLO" digitally on August 30th.  It is available to stream on iTunes.  Did you realize they have been around 60 years?  I did not. A family owned and operated business for 60 years, the Chipmunks made their debut with the 1958 novelty Christmas song, "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" written and sung by Bagdasarian's late father, also named Ross. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart and won Grammys for best comedy performance and best recording for children at the inaugural Grammy ceremony in 1959. "The Chipmunk Song" was also nominated for record of the year

If you often lay awake on a summer’s night, tossing and turning, and feeling glued to your bedsheets, it is likely your eyes will feel more than a little sore each morning. Thankfully, there are actions to take to make your sleep deprivation a thing of the past so that you can enjoy some much-needed shuteye during the height of the season. To sleep peacefully in your bed, find out how to survive a hot summer night. Stick with Cotton Bed Linen While satin, silk, and polyester can feel great against your skin during fall and winter, they can be a living nightmare during hotter temperatures. It is, therefore, wise to stick with a lightweight cotton when selecting bed linen, such as Egyptian cotton . The breathable material can improve ventilation and airflow as you sleep, which can help you to drift off as soon as your head touches a pillow. Install an HVAC System Maintain a cool and comfortable bedroom by installing a HVAC system, which can help to regulate a room’s heating, v