How to Repurpose Leftovers

I recently had a get-together and made a mountain of fajitas. Unsurprisingly, I made way too much. I thought, well, at least these will be good leftovers. The next day came and went, and the next—but I made new dishes. I just wasn’t in the mood for fajitas. And it didn’t help that my fridge gusted …

Hitting Puberty

My pre-teen has become an eye-rolling ball of snark. I’m doing my best to be cool about it. Hitting puberty, much? Most of his responses have a “duh” undertone nowadays that delights in so many ways. If I didn’t have such healthy self-esteem, I’d worry I was the stupidest person in the world. Simple questions like …

Profile of a December-Born

In celebration of my birthday, I’ve written about what it’s like to have a December birthday. I have listed 15 factoids. Profile of a December-born: Holly Noel. Born during a blizzard in Illinois on December 15. Christmas baby. Factoid #1: I dated a guy called “Snow” for 3 years. If I would have married him, …

Top 5 Scares

I think scaring people is enjoyable–probably much in the way horror authors and filmmakers or spook house creators do. That reaction—the yell, the jump, the popping eyes—tickles my funny bone. In honor of Halloween creeping up on us, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite ways I have scared strangers, friends and family. 1. The …

Halloween Traditions

Depending on where you live and who you know, people have various Halloween traditions.  When I was a kid in Highlands Ranch, the customs were pretty straight-forward: We carved pumpkins, dressed up and went trick-or-treating. Sometimes we went to a party. Sometimes my dad would take us to a spook house (as he called it; they …