Dana Burland

You know what I noticed most while strolling through Amsterdam after work? The lights. Lights strung over streets, in windows, creating a warm light glow as you walk through town. They’re not Christmas lights, a Dutch coworker corrected me, they’re winter lights. Up November through March to brighten the city in the cold, dark winter. Wow, that’s smart. And not to be a total American-swooning-over-London, but I still haven’t recovered from how much I loved afternoon tea. Walking around London in November it made sense. It’s chilly and gray there, too. The total body warmth of tea, and ability to down more of it than coffee, I get it. As a Coffee Girl I was not prepared to come home scouring the grocery store aisle tea selection… or Facebook Marketplace for tea sets. I found one. For $8. Anyway. Winter just dumped itself on us, as it typically does in West Michigan. It’s freezing and gray, and it’ll stay this way forever. I went wild on automatic ambient light this year. Some of...

A 5K to start the day. Not my fastest, by design. Just for fun, because I can, and it feels good. This stuffing (without chestnuts), which has become the de facto stuffing for years and years. These very easy mashed potatoes . These never fail brownies (with 2 handfuls of chocolate chips tossed in before baking.  If you might be traveling for Thanksgiving dinner like me, I highly suggest that trifecta. The stuffing transported across the state easily, only vying for one spot in the oven. The mashed potatoes reheated perfectly in the microwave. I brought the brownies baked. There was something about my mother-in-law's pre-cooked onion and ginger ale turkey that hit just right this year. Classic cheesy potatoes and my sis-in-law's simple green beans were great, too. There weren't 400 people nor 500 dishes. Just enough for a special family dinner together and a good reminder you don't need any more to be thankful for what you have.

For a while work has had me designing web experiences for consumers, and working closely with colleagues, in Europe. In mid-October my boss asked–can you make it on a business trip to Amsterdam next month? To which I quickly replied–sure, but can I tack on personal travel with my husband after? And that (after frantic planning, rushed freezer meal stocking and a lot of help from family) is how a work week in Amsterdam and a whirlwind 4 days in London with B happened. First stop: Amsterdam Obviously this was mostly work, but with some touristy moments too. Most memorable: the Anne Frank House. Beforehand I watched A Small Light , a GREAT mini series from the vantage point of a Dutch woman who hid the family. Highly recommend. The Anne Frank House itself was incredibly powerful. Walking the same floors, staircases, the moving bookshelf door leading to the annex where 8 Jews hid for 2 years. 2 YEARS. It’s one thing to learn about history, it’s another to stand in the middle of it. I ...

You’re 6, and you’re dressing up as a Michigan State football player. You don’t know anything about the university’s continued failures to do the right thing. You know we have a new coach, we’re not great this year, and MSU is Daddy’s favorite team. You came home from school telling me how you cheered “go Michigan…” and a fellow State fan/friend in your class responded “STATE!”... over and over again. That delighted you. When we got squashed by U of M this year you said “that’s ok because they’re a really good team and we tried our best, and that’s all that matters”. That delighted me. You’re 3 and you’re George—the little brother of Peppa Pig, your current favorite cartoon. George is a sweet little baby brother pig who just wants to play dinosaurs and hang with his big sister Peppa—who mostly adores George, except when she doesn’t. I wonder if you can relate?! Your costume comes with a pink piggy hat, a shirt with extra fluff in the tummy and a pink curly pig tail. When we ask what G...