I’ve been fascinated by languages since I was 15, when my family moved to Germany.  One of the things I love most is discovering the hidden stories inside everyday words. Since Easter is tomorrow, I wanted to share one of the most surprising discoveries I’ve come...

Forgot to send this on Saturday... so, here I am on a Monday.   Back in April of 2022, I discovered Chatterbug.com. In those days, Chatterbug featured live stream language learning nearly every morning.  I loved it.  Then, inexplicably, the live streams ended. ...

  Hey, Vestavia Hills!   If you are a Formula One fan and looking for a way to display your sets, you might like this: https://amzn.to/4i6JQA1. ________________________________________________________________ Almost every Saturday, I send out a Tip of the Week. ...

This tip isn’t about Latin or Greek, or any other languages.  It's about survival.  And it could save your life one day. If you are going on any hikes this spring, carry a whistle. A whistle can do something your phone can’t do when it’s dead or out of range. It can...

  Sometimes, I bite off more than I can chew.    I have too many PDFs, courses, and books—info products I bought with high hopes—I’ve never really benefited from. So, these days, I am focusing on what I already have. Instead of buying more, I try only to invest...

  At Bricks and MiniFigs Vestavia Hills, we have seen some pretty creative ideas.  Turns out, many of you are willing to show us the photos and videos on your phones.  🙂 Well, here are some more creative ideas for you that I found on YouTube!  ...

I ended up with the flu over spring break.  Fun.   Some things you just have to push through, I suppose.  When it comes to the flu, I found something that helps. Years ago, while working in a fishing cannery in Alaska, I got sick—but stopping wasn’t an option. That’s...

  You probably know already, but it turns out, playing with LEGO is actually good for you! The Children’s Wellness Center in London, England recently posted a blog post on the benefits of playing with LEGO. Among other benefits, LEGO brings people together to...

This might get me into trouble.  There is an easy way to save a ton of money in America.  Avoid new cars.  I spend a lot of time with students.  As soon as they turn sixteen, many start driving brand-new cars. According to this article on lendingtree.com, the average...

I have a weird problem.  I teach in the morning.  Each class lasts 25 minutes.  Between each class, I have time for a very short break.  Sometimes, I will heat up a cup of coffee, only to find it lukewarm by the following break. For Christmas one year, my mom bought...

If you're like me (and I know I am), your phone is overflowing with thousands of photos. Over the Christmas break, I tried to clean up my camera roll and found the process overwhelming. I needed an easy way to free up space on my phone without spending hours...

  Have you heard of Brick Owl?   I hadn’t. One of the great things about running a Bricks and Minifigs store is talking with you!  We have discovered so much just from listening to customers.   This week, thanks to one of you, I (Dwane) found out about Brick Owl....

  Pretty sure I am late to this party, but if you have not heard of it, Wordle is fun. Wordle is an online word game.  Players get six attempts to guess a five-letter word.  Every day, there is only one solution.  The entire world attmpts to guess the same word....

During the winter, I like to drink hot drinks.  Keeps me warm.   I like coffee, but am trying to cut back.  I like hot chocolate, but try to avoid too much sugar.  Sugar, especially in the form of chocolate, is my Achilles heel.   Tea is the best alternative, of...