Author Archives: maryjane

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“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow
it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt

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Glamping Sites to Visit: Day 15 of 15

Now that you’ve read my book, Glamping with MaryJane, you need to find a fabulous place to get your campin’ glam on, right?

We’re back for our 15th and final day of where to glamp in 2013, or well, 2014.

In some parts of the country,

where we’re already getting a taste of the season’s first snow …

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Photo courtesy of George Tuli via Wikimedia Commons

we’re bidding adieu to the glamping season until next spring.

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Photo courtesy of Besopha via Wikimedia Commons

But in the heartland, there’s still time to sneak in one last trip

(or, heck, maybe TWO if you’re a glamper with gusto!),

and I have the perfect destination:

Hoot Owl Hill.

Sounds like a hoot, doesn’t it?

Well, gather up a gaggle of girlfriends and head on out to the golden hill country of Paola, Kansas, because Hoot Owl Hill is gussied up and ready for glampers.

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Photo courtesy of Hoot Owl Hill

“Imagine arriving at your campsite under the stars, entering your spacious bell tent set up with a comfy bed complete with linens and cozy quilts, a couple of chairs, some soft lighting enhancing the beautiful color of the tent,” invite Hoot Owl hosts Brenda and Steve Wrischnik. “Someone has already built a fire for you, and per your request, prepared a delicious garden-fresh meal. You spend the night under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of nature.”

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Photo courtesy of Hoot Owl Hill

While you’re “on the hill,” you can also sign-up for a variety of classes that run throughout the year, including yoga, cooking, gardening, and crafting. Coming up in November, the folks at Hoot Owl Hill are offering The Heart Intelligence Code with Cheryl Wilken (November 10) and Papa Hoot’s Special Cracker Cooking Class (November 16).

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Commonopoly

While we’re on the subject of board games

(if you’re scratching your head, visit my recent Farming Game entry to catch up),

Classic Monopoly fans may—or may not—enjoy this twist on tradition:

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Photo courtesy of Big Hope via Co.Exist

That’s right: Commonopoly.

While countless Monopoly spin-offs have flooded the market in recent years, none is quite like this one.

Not only is it basically a DIY game (check out playing instructions on the Big Hope website), but it also scraps the whole notion of monopolization altogether.

But, wasn’t that the point?

Not anymore.

“Commonopoly demands that players brainstorm alternative economic systems through activities placed around the board,” explains Sydney Brownstone of Co.Exist. “The players move counter clockwise, as per the instructions, and subsequent creative acts are to be documented in booklets later distributed to the public. Much of the game focuses on coming up with ideas for public spaces, as well as sharing home remedies for common ailments.”

Bringing social consciousness into a game built on power play?

I’m game!

 

 

 

 

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