Kayla Tornello
Kayla grew up in southeastern Ohio and met her Vermonter husband while in college. They now live in Essex Junction with their two children. Kayla is a stay-at-home mom to her son (born 2010) and her daughter (born 2011). She is also a church pianist/organist. Her hobbies include singing, reading, acting, and coming up with tasty ways to feed her family vegetables. She enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible.
A House Divided About Winter
When I was pregnant with my second child, I worried about how I was going to deal with two kids. Among my many worries,...
Creative Ways to Reuse Greeting Cards
I am always a little bit sad in January when it's time to take down all the Christmas decorations and return to life as...
Christmas Break Diaries
December 23rd - Day 1 - I spend most of the day trying to convince my kids that Christmas is not tomorrow.
They still don't believe...
School Lunch Wars
I am packing a lot of school lunches this year.
My daughter is in preschool, where the children have to bring a packed lunch and...
How to Bake a Pie in 61 Easy Steps
1. Sign up to bake a pie for a party.
2. Immediately realize that you have never made a pie before, unless you count the...
(Far From) Home for the Holidays
This year will be the tenth time I have celebrated the holidays in Vermont after moving away from my hometown in Ohio.
I moved here...
Adventures in Bread Baking
Almost ten years ago, someone gave me a bread machine as a wedding gift.
I had never used one before, but I followed the recipes...
Halloween Craft – Bats and Ghosts
I have been enthusiastic about celebrating holidays ever since I was a child.
I really enjoyed all the routines and traditions that go along with...
An Abundance of Apple Recipes
My entire family loves to visit our local orchard to pick apples.
It's a great way to spend time outdoors as a family while also...
Thanks, Mom!
As the school year begins, I find myself incredibly busy.
My son just started kindergarten this year and my daughter began preschool. There is a...
Don’t Pass It On – Ending Disordered Eating
When I found out that my second child was going to be a girl, I immediately worried that she would grow up to face...
Preschool Prep – Learn from my Mistakes!
My five-year-old son graduated from preschool in June and will be headed off to Kindergarten soon.
At the same time, my three-year-old daughter will begin...
Why It’s Okay to Talk to Strangers
My son is the most outgoing person I know. He absolutely loves talking to strangers. When he was two years old, he convinced two...
The ABCs of CSA
When I first moved to Vermont nine years ago, I decided that I wanted to start eating better.
I slowly started cooking meals that required...