Stephanie Newton Books

So, I got the house decorated, presents bought or made–and wrapped (albeit after midnight on Christmas Eve)–the fudge made, everyone had Christmas PJs, and Santa came. We had church on Christmas Eve, lunch on Christmas Day. We visited family and neighbors. What I didn’t do was mail the Christmas cards.

I ordered them. They arrived. [...]

Top Ten Favorite things this Christmas…10. Playing Jumpin’ Monkeys with the kids.9. Staying home in my pajamas all day and being creative with meals (yes, fudge and coffee is a perfectly acceptable breakfast)8. Straightening my hair with my daughter’s new Chi.7. Playing Guitar Hero. I rock. (uhh…on medium.)6. Listening to Cameron and Nicole sing.5. The [...]

I have to admit, I’ve complained–a lot–about the warm temperatures in December here in NW Florida. It doesn’t feel like it should be the Christmas season. It’s muggy and misty and my son said my hair was frizzier than our poodle’s. However, yesterday as we took a family walk on the beach on Christmas day, [...]

What I caught CC doing yesterday.
She’s either saying, “What!? I was just kissing the Baby Jesus.” Or she’s incensed that there are no dogs in the manger scene. I can’t quite tell from her expression.

From my son’s Algebra II teacher: Please, class, do not come to school tomorrow. You are not learning anything anyway.
In context, the entire school has some wretched flu, but because finals are this week, they’re all too scared to miss class. I think I’m going to give his teacher a case of Lysol for [...]

It wasn’t me, Mom. I swear I was framed….what? The teeth marks in the pencil? I don’t know how those got there. It must’ve been….yeah, that’s right. It was C.C. Definitely not me.

Santa is definitely not coming to see the person who left the lights like this last year!

Hey, coffee lovers, my best bud and critique partner Brenda Minton is having a contest on her website. She’s giving away a custom blend made at the Roasterie in Kansas City: Brenda’s Inspired Blend.
The description: A mild acidity complements nutty earthiness and quiet hints of fruit. (I keep begging her to let me win the [...]

Confession time: I have a secret addiction to Britney Spears music. It all started with the single Baby One More Time when I was, well, let’s just say I was way out of high school. Now I have a kid in high school and I’m singing Womanizer along with him. It’s just catchy. What else [...]

This year, my husband and I cashed in all our frequent flyer miles and spent a week in Paris. It was like going home for me. I studied there in college. All the things I remembered that I loved, I still loved. The café au lait, the chocolate, the museums, the…well, not everything I loved [...]