“I’m a food and travel blogger/photographer”.

That’s my short answer when people ask what I do for a living.  I’m typically met with curious faces, a plethora of questions, and a lot of misconceptions. The assumptions about what I do for a living or what a typical day looks like for me are pretty funny…I don’t stay in my pajamas all day. I don’t go around and write nasty reviews of restaurants. I love food but don’t believe I’m obsessed with food (I rarely watch The Food Network or read food related books and magazines). Since I cook a ton and have four kids, I’m about the last person who can give a lot of great restaurant recommendations in the city I live in.

I’m BLESSED to be a blogger. I’ve grown Dine & Dish since 2006 and have had some incredible experiences. My job is not hard…fighting cancer is hard. Blogging? It’s not hard. Does it challenge me? Yes! I’m running my own multi faceted business, which provides a ton of daily challenges. Can it be frustrating? Like any job, it definitely can. But overall the best way to describe my career is as a blessing. I’ve been able to stay home and take care of my kids, doing something fun and fulfilling, while bringing in an income that helps support our family. I have the best of both worlds.

I’ll admit that lately, mostly in this past year, I’ve taken my job for granted. I haven’t felt burnt out, necessarily, but I needed to step away and re-shift my priorities. I mean, Leah starts kindergarten in 2 weeks (!!!) and my oldest is starting his last year of middle school. Add to that my mom being in the hospital all summer and my sister-in-laws breast cancer diagnosis, it seemed that my personal life was changing, and with that the need to refocus became crystal clear. …

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The post Sharing by the Shore Bloggers Retreat – Traverse City, Michigan appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I am so glad we listened to all the praise because in the summer of 2013 my family vacationed in a gem of a town called Holland, Michigan. It was a 10 hour drive from where I live on the west side of Kansas City…pretty much straight highway the entire way. Holland isn’t as far as the Upper Peninsula (YOOP) of Michigan, but this little gem of a city is a family vacation destination worth spending some time in. I pretty much insta-hoed our family vacation and took tons of pictures, sharing them on Instagram and Facebook. Several people since have asked me about how we liked Holland, so I thought I’d share some of that today! (Spoiler Alert… we loved Holland and I would seriously go back every single year if I could!)…

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