Washington DC - the CliffNotes Version!
We arrived back from our Spring Break trip to Washington DC last weekend. In contrast to prior trips, I decided to create one larger...
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Spreadsheetmom
Motherhood Honestly
by Jana Lieblich
- Mar 29
- 5 min
Winter is in the Rearview Mirror. I, for one, miss it Already!
As sad as it is for me to accept, winter is in the rearview mirror. Unlike most people, who prefer warm weather (or even hot weather,...
- Jan 19
- 9 min
Rome. The Colosseum, the Carbonara, and Covid?!
You might have noticed a bit of a delay in getting this post published. We arrived home, two weeks ago (on January 5), which now seems...
- Dec 31, 2023
- 4 min
Delicious, Florence!
I'll admit that Florence took a little bit of getting used to when we first arrived. Venice had been so quiet and uncrowded. Not to...
- Dec 25, 2023
- 4 min
Buon Natale da Venezia!
After 30 long hours of traveling, we finally arrived in Venice on Friday, about 18 hours past due. I'll admit that the trip here not...
- Dec 21, 2023
- 2 min
Night at the Airport! When Will we Ever get to Venice? Someday......
Our trip is off to a stellar start. A few minutes before we were due to walk out the door for the airport, to catch our flight to...
- Dec 19, 2023
- 4 min
Winter is Almost Here. Christmas is Upon us. Isn't it High Time to Report on our Fall?
Blog burnout? Check. Too busy to write? Check. A tad bit disinterested? Perhaps. I will admit that all of these factors have...
- Aug 28, 2023
- 4 min
Back to School, Already? What About Labor Day?
Some things never change, such as how quickly the summer flies by. Whether you are a student, or the parent of a student(s), the feeling...
- Aug 23, 2023
- 4 min
The Twins Turn 11 on Sunday, Amidst a Once-in-a-Lifetime "Hurriquake" in Southern California.
As luck would have it, the twins' birthday was on Sunday, the very day the now-named "hurriquake" hit Southern California. Luckily we...
- Jul 25, 2023
- 4 min
Our Final few days in Scotland are spent Peacefully in Stirling. Saying Goodbye is not Easy.
I am writing this blog from my kitchen table in Hidden Hills. We arrived home last night. It feels strange to be home. First thing this...
- Jul 24, 2023
- 5 min
A Serene and Deeply Meaningful Day Spent at Balmoral Castle as we bid The Queen a Final Farewell.
Like so many other experiences on this trip, visiting Balmoral Castle exceeded even my greatest expectations. Ever since we planned this...
- Jul 23, 2023
- 3 min
Pitlochry - Our Favorite wee Town in all of Scotland!
We have loved every moment of our time in Scotland (except for the expected family squabbles, which are to be expected on any lengthy...
- Jul 22, 2023
- 2 min
Culloden and Cawdor - We're all over the Scottish Sightseeing map Today!
We continued on with our castle circuit on Wednesday. We are on Scotland after all! However, we mixed it up a bit and added a famous...
- Jul 21, 2023
- 3 min
We Continue on the Castle Circuit as we Head to the Capital of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness
We departed the Isle of Skye for Inverness on Tuesday. We saw some beautiful scenery as we made our way through the legendary Highlands...
- Jul 20, 2023
- 1 min
We Spend the day on the Spectacular Trotternish Peninsula Loop, on the Isle of Skye.
On Monday, we spent the day driving the Trotternish Loop, which is a 50-mile circuit around the northern part of the island. This loop...
- Jul 19, 2023
- 2 min
Our Discovery of the Highlands and the Islands of Scotland, Continues
As we were packing up to leave our Airbnb, the kids came upon this wee friendly duck in the parking lot. She followed us around for...
- Jul 18, 2023
- 2 min
A Three Isle Tour, A Three Isle Tour.
Unlike the doomed SS Minow's three-hour tour, on the beloved 1960s show, Gilligan's Island, our eleven-hour, three-isle tour, went off...
- Jul 16, 2023
- 3 min
Have Car, Will Travel, Through Scotland!
On Friday morning, we were back in business (well, after a few hours of sitting at the Budget Rental trying to work out a few problems)....
- Jul 15, 2023
- 3 min
Off we go to Glasgow!
On Wednesday morning we headed off to Glasgow to spend three days and two nights, more or less. This was our third big city in a row. As...
- Jul 13, 2023
- 3 min
As our Visit to Edinburgh Continues, The Queen Beckons, Again.
On our last full day in Edinburgh, we packed in the sights. With not enough time in this glorious city, we tried to see as much as we...
- Jul 12, 2023
- 3 min
Edinburgh is Our Kind of Town!
We got to see a lot more of Edinburgh on our first full day there. We really liked what we saw! I like to call it London Light. It has...
- Jul 10, 2023
- 3 min
Goodbye Ireland, Hello Scotland!
We departed Ireland on Sunday morning. We were so sad to go. We absolutely loved our time there! We even chose our very own favorite...
- Jul 9, 2023
- 4 min
A Long, Mostly Sunny Weekend in Dublin and a Short Reprieve From Driving!
Although we were sad to see the bean can car go, I felt a big weight lifted off me when Garin and I returned the rental car to the...
- Jul 8, 2023
- 3 min
We Relish our Last Day in the Irish Countryside Before Heading to the big City.
After a rather underwhelming and therefore not-so hearty breakfast at the River Court Hotel in Kilkenny, we were on the road yet again. ...
- Jul 7, 2023
- 2 min
Our 1700-Mile Irish Road Trip Continues with Visits to a Giant Rock and a Norman Castle.
As expected, the breakfast at Faithlegg was top-notch, served in their elegant dining room. It was a treat to stay in this stately manor....
- Jul 6, 2023
- 3 min
July 4th - We immerse ourselves in Irish Emigration, Leaving us Grateful for Those who Came Before.
We had a long day on Tuesday. We made many stops, but all the advance planning was so worthwhile! We saw and experienced some really...
- Jul 5, 2023
- 2 min
Kenmare and Kinsale. We're Making our way South in Ireland and Loving Every Minute!
Well, we may not be loving every minute, but you have to grab readers with a compelling title, right? The car rides continue to be long...
- Jul 5, 2023
- 2 min
Rough Seas Make for a Calm Day.
On our second day in Dingle, we were scheduled to take a (very small) ferry to the Great Blasket Islands. We were really excited for...
- Jul 4, 2023
- 2 min
Dinlge Town, we are Bound!
We started our day in Ennis, which is an absolutely charming town in Western Ireland. We had to hit the road fairly early to get to our...
- Jul 3, 2023
- 4 min
There's Rain and Then There's Rain!
On Friday we had an amazing itinerary of events planned, en route from Galway, County Galway, to Ennis, County Clare. We had planned the...
- Jul 1, 2023
- 2 min
The Lieblichs of Inishmore
We may not be as dysfunctional as the characters in The Banshees of Inisherin, but if I keep driving around Ireland at the pace I have...
- Jun 29, 2023
- 2 min
Coastline, Castle, Cod, and Oodles of "Chips!"
Between the hearty breakfasts served in Ireland, which are included with your hotel stay, and their love of "chips," otherwise known as...
- Jun 28, 2023
- 4 min
We Return to Ireland, Where We're off in a Search of Family Roots in Stunning County Mayo.
Knowing that we would be traveling to Ireland this summer, we started doing rather extensive family research a few months ago. On my...
- Jun 27, 2023
- 2 min
The Giant's Causeway and Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge. Our Adventures Continue in Northern Ireland.
We were so excited about this particular day on our trip. Further north and west into Northern Ireland, the Antrim Coast is absolutely...
- Jun 26, 2023
- 2 min
Derry or Londonderry? Catholic or Protestant? It's a Charming Town, Either way you Slice it!
We finished up complex Belfast in the morning, before heading on to our next destination. We were sad to say goodbye to Belfast since...
- Jun 25, 2023
- 3 min
After Visiting an 800 Year-Old-Castle, we Push off for More Adventures in a new Country!
Although here for only four days, Ireland has been fantastic so far! It is everything that we expected and more. The people are kind,...
- Jun 22, 2023
- 3 min
We Celebrate the Summer Solstice in Ireland!
We started planning our five-week trip to Ireland and Scotland last August, just a month after we arrived home from Portugal. The amount...
- Jun 21, 2023
- 3 min
We Wrap up Another School Year With Fanfare and a wee bit of Drama.
Another one bites the dust, as the saying goes. I managed to get four kids through another year of school. As modest as I'd like to...
- May 8, 2023
- 3 min
God Save the King! But I Miss The Queen!
Admittedly, I approached Coronation Day with some reservations. As a steadfast devotee of The Queen, I am still coming to terms with her...
- May 5, 2023
- 4 min
Nature or Nurture? No Doubt, it's Nature!
In my last post, I mentioned some of the downsides to having four kids. Namely, they are loud, fight a lot, and require a lot of...
- May 1, 2023
- 4 min
"Didn't you Used to Have Four Kids?" An Unexpected Revelation as Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Catherine, Graham, Miles and I walk to school every morning. I love having that twenty minutes or so together before our respective days...
- Apr 25, 2023
- 5 min
Hollywood Lore and Fast Cars! A Birthday Celebration Perfectly Befitting a boy of Fifteen.
Garin turned 15 last week! Last year we were in Hawaii for his birthday, which fell over Spring Break. How do you top that? You don't....
- Apr 12, 2023
- 7 min
Has it Really Been two Months? Where has the Time Gone?
I can't tell you how many days I have intended to sit down and write a blog post since Miles' birthday, nearly two months ago. It's...
- Mar 17, 2023
- 4 min
Miles Turns 8 Years Old and we Party Like it's 1999!
Miles turned eight on 2/22/23, which was over three weeks ago. Between my busy schedule, often leaving me little time to write, and his...
- Feb 25, 2023
- 4 min
On a day Devoted to Love, I Finally Determine What Love Language I Speak.
Preparing delicious food is not one of the official love languages, but,I have decided that it is definitely my language of love. Words...
- Feb 8, 2023
- 7 min
A Remarkable Pioneer and Beloved Friend, Gone way too Soon.
By some people's standards, 90 years old is considered to be a long and full life. But not by my standards, nor do I suspect, by...
- Jan 30, 2023
- 2 min
Winter is the Best and Most Underrated Season in Southern California! Here's Why...
Days like yesterday are one of the reasons that Californians put up with all that we do to live here (wildfires, earthquakes, droughts,...
- Jan 2, 2023
- 6 min
After a Rough Couple of Months we Enjoy a Much-Deserved Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
It's been four months since I've written a post. It's hard to believe, given there was a time, not so long ago, in 2020, when I wrote...
- Aug 30, 2022
- 5 min
Our First Week Back to School is Tinged with Tragedy, Causing me to Take Stock of my Blessings.
When the kids returned to school last Wednesday, everything seemed run-of-the-mill. The days leading up to the first day of school were...
- Aug 25, 2022
- 3 min
Catherine and Graham's Absolutely Smashing, Jolly Good, 10th Birthday Weekend Celebration.
My babies turned ten last weekend. It's almost impossible to comprehend. Where did the time go, is all I can ask. I remember the hot...
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