At the Fence

  Mercy:  Can you share a little bit about yourself.  Daniel:  I am a 21 year old singer songwriter from Wexford, Ireland. I started singing at the age of seven when I joined a local choir. Since then, I've never looked back and music has always been the central theme of my life. I started to learn how to play the guitar when I was twelve. I did this because I knew that when my voice would break, I wouldn't be able to sing for a couple of years. It turned out to be the best decision ever! Once I reached a good standard on guitar I then started to write my own music. In the last year I have started to record my music in the studio and have been releasing songs on Spotify etc. The studio feels like my second home at this stage and that's not going to change anytime soon. I just love creating music!    Mercy:  What started your interest in music? Daniel:  My brother joined a local choir and when I was old enough, I then followed suit. I had never sang before that but I think I

After a long day at work, it’s natural to search for ways you can relax and watch all of your stress melt away. Finding relaxation methods that work for you might seem complicated, but there are a number of simple techniques that you can try out. Once you’ve incorporated your favorites into your daily routine, you can observe a noticeable difference in your stress levels on a day-to-day basis. Here are some of the easiest and most enjoyable relaxation techniques that can help you de-stress naturally. Muscle Relaxation Whenever you find yourself in a stressful situation, you may notice that your muscles become tense in response to the trigger. To combat this reaction, you can try engaging in muscle relaxation . This technique requires you to deliberately tense each muscle group and then relax it slowly. The purpose of this exercise is to help you become aware of the difference between tension and relaxation, which can teach you how to relax whenever you’re caught up in stressful circ

Hi Neighbors!! We received three different headbands from Headbands of Hope .  Each one is beautiful and unique.  We also have their Beanie Hat, that one of my daughter's claimed the minute it came out of the package. Let me tell you a little about Headbands of Hope before we share the different bands we received.  Jess is the founder of Headbands for Hope.  Her journey started in college when she did an internship at Disney World as a photographer.  She saw and photographed many children there on wish trips from organizations who donated trips to children with life-threatening conditions. Move forward in time and Jess came up with the idea to create headbands and for every headband sold she donates one to a child with cancer.  Be sure to read the full story on her website. The Gold Crystal Tie (above), is perfect for a dressy night out or perhaps to a concert.  This piece is very dainty and delicate looking.  The tiny gold wire has beautiful, crystal gems as accents.

Hey neighbors!! The  Defender Ring is a unique piece of jewelry, also designed to be used for self defense.  You simply remove the beautiful floral top and there is an extremely, small, sharp blade.  You probably would not actually cause major harm with it, but it would definitely break skin and cause bleeding.  Not to mention, it would retain DNA evidence.  It comes in a nice gift box, with a pull string bag for storing your ring.  I know my daughters would LOVE to find this ring under the tree!! I know my daughters will think this is a great addition to the pocket knives and boot knives they already carry with them when they travel.  A nice thing about the Defender Ring, is obviously, you can wear it anywhere, unlike trying to carry a pocketknife on you.  My daughters regularly attend concerts, where it may not be easy to carry a small knife with them.  This also prevent fumbling in your purse searching.  Your self defense ring is right there on your finger. The

  Mercy:  Can you share a little bit about yourself? Michaela:  Hi! My name is Michaela Russell. I am 11 and I LOVE to act, dance and perform. I also have a younger brother who is 8 and he loves to act too. I'm homeschooled and take a dance class four hours a day, three days a week. I love to draw, read, travel, and try new things! Mercy:  What started your interest in acting? Michaela:  My interest for acting was for my future. When I was 8, I decided that whatever I wanted to do in the future, I wanted to begin now. Whether it was renovating a house,  traveling to Europe,  working on international projects and/or perhaps government work. I started thinking, why not begin now. I knew that kids my age were professional actors, making money, and doing what they love so I put two and two together and did the research on how to get started. Also, I've apparently loved to perform since I was two (according to family and friends). So, I went online and  first found Backstage (it had

  Mercy:  Can you share a little of what you've been up to since we last spoke? Nikki:  Well, since Reunited At Christmas aired I did 3 movies for Hallmark. I did Love To The Rescue and Love Takes Flight - both of which aired earlier this year. Love Takes Flight was a Hallmark Hall Of Fame movie, it was incredible to be able to be a part of that. Love To The Rescue was just...I've never had more fun inside of a character in my life. I just felt like Kate was so similar to who I am as a person and she was so fun. I really got to do a lot of comedy with that role and that whole project AND work with someone - well, two people - who would end up becoming 2 of my favorite that I've worked with in my entire life! One of them being Michael Rady and the other being Michaela Russell who played my daughter in that movie. Such tremendous human beings and actors. All of which takes me to Two Turtle Doves because the gang was reunited! The only difference in this one is that Michaela p

Hey neighbors!! I am sure many of you have already purchased gifts for the holidays, but if you are one of those like me, who still has some gifts to purchase, or if you haven't even begun yet, then this Guide is for you!!  It will be easy to find, as we have a tab at the top of our page.  We will be sharing some of our old favorites, as well as some "new to us" products.  We will give share our thoughts on these products and include links so you can go look at the websites yourself.  I am going to include links to their social media pages, so you will be able to follow them, and see if they are offering any specials for the holidays.  So keep an eye out, because we have a lot to share!!

The modern technological world is an amazing place filled with innovative comforts and advancements – but only for some. Millions of children fight each day just to stay alive in a world they find filled with obstacles. Here are just three of the many problems millions of children face every day. Water Children throughout the world lack clean water . When they do find a water source, it is often filled with bacteria, larvae, or animal feces. The kids are even forced to share watering holes where animals are bathing as children are drinking the water. There are charities that focus on bringing clean water to those youngsters. If you have a few extra dollars each month, save a child. Food In a world filled with so much abundance and prosperity, it is difficult to believe that children lack ample food, but it is true. There are over 16 million American children that go to school hungry every day . Although those starving children may have one meal a day during the school year, what

 I was so thrilled when I reached out to Jacks and Shawl about doing an interview and they agreed!  These ladies are so talented as well as being extremely kind and supportive.  I literally only regularly listen to 2-3 podcasts and lets just say theirs is one of those few. They make each podcast so much fun that after I finish listening to one I'm already looking forward to the next one!!  Without further ado lets get started! Mercy:  Can you both share a little bit about yourselves?  Jacks:  I’m from Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania. Mount Carmel is a really small coal region town and I loved growing up there. My brother and sister were the stars of the basketball teams that my parents coached, but I couldn’t even make the starting line up. My mom and dad encouraged me to get involved in my community theatre at a young age (I mean, I had to do something if I couldn’t play basketball!) and I’ve always loved telling people’s stories. I went to acting school and moved to New York City and I

Hey neighbors!! I love this last product from our Pigeon Forge trip!  Do you remember Viewmaster Reels?  Well this company, Retro Viewer allows you to commemorate trips, birthdays, anniversaries, sport events, graduations and the like by creating your very own, unique reel!!  I LOVE it!! I was able to choose some pictures from our trip and have a reel created.  I also received a viewer, which is not included in the price of the reel, but it can be added to your order. You can put 7 pictures on a reel.  So be sure to choose carefully, or perhaps you can order a 2 reel.  I stuck with family members and some of the things we did on the trip.  For example a picture with my husband and I with Ray Reese of the Kingsmen at NQC, my daughters at the Ripley's Aquarium Gatlinburg, my husband in the Batmobile at Hollywood Cars in Gatlinburg and a couple others.  You are also able to choose a picture that appears in the center of your reel.  I added the Image 3D Viewer that has &q

Hi Neighbors!! (James Lyman) The Hollywood Wax Museum , located in wonderful Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is filled with wax figures of celebrities from every era.  If you are younger, and therefore lean more towards the modern film stars, you will have plenty to enjoy with likenesses of Jason Statham, Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp.   For the folks that remember the more golden years, Clint Eastwood, Lucille Ball, John Wayne and others are present.  Many of the figures are of actors and actresses that have been popular in both eras such as Pierce Brosnan, best known for James Bond and Remington Steele.  Of course any tribute to Hollywood would not be complete without Sylvester Stallone, hero of Rocky, Rambo, the Expendables and many more movies. Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Aniston are just a couple of the actresses represented by the figures.   My personal favorites were the Star Trek scenario, (complete with the likenesses of Captain James T. Kirk and t