Marlena Renner

Marlena Renner
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Marlena is mom to 6-year-old Joshua and has been married to her husband, Andy, for 10 years. They reside in Alton, Illinois where he is the head athletic trainer for Alton High School. Her parents both grew up in Kirkwood, and even though she spent most of her childhood in Montgomery City, MO, she had a feeling she would end up in St. Louis someday. She worked in minor league baseball after college, eventually landing for a season with the River City Rascals. She worked for the St. Louis Blues, Stifel Theatre, and Enterprise Center for 13 years before the pandemic stopped so many things. Today she is the email specialist for Caleres, which means shoes … all the shoes.
Josh and I found books about turtles at the Kidzeum in Springfield, IL.

National Read a Book Day: It’s Not Just for Bedtime!

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        Happy National Read a Book Day! This is quite possibly one of my favorite unofficial holidays on the calendar. Full disclosure: almost every day is read-a-book day for me.   I do not know when my...
Josh and I posed in the spot in front of the Lincoln home that has been the most photographed.

Exploring the Capitol of Lincolnland

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Learn about Lincoln and have some family fun in Springfield, IL!     My husband Andy and I have a common theme on vacations: find Abraham Lincoln. From Independence Day fireworks at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C....
Josh and I showing off our final Hedwig owls made out of our robe pieces.

International Harry Potter Day: Our Wizarding World Weekend … At Home

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May 2 is International Harry Potter Day!     Sometimes we have the best of plans, and then something happens. In this case, the plan was Harry Potter day at the library. The something that happened was...
Pile of J.R. Liggett's shampoo bars

Seven Ways to a Mother Earth Approved Bathroom

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Have you ever noticed how much plastic is in your bathroom? From shampoo and conditioner bottles to soaps and face care products, plastic is everywhere! I have been changing what we buy and use,...
A collection of 50 books read by our book club.

Take a Look, in a Book … Club

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"How did you start your book club?”   When I started a book club 10 years ago, I never thought I would be asked that question. I also didn’t think we would still be gathering every...
leaves on a tree blowing in the wind

My Corona Lessons

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Almost two years ago, I was texting with my cousin (who is a doctor), asking her if this coronavirus thing was really worth canceling events. Looking back, I feel completely ridiculous even having asked...
Produce in vegetable bags, with UnPaper Towels, fruit huggers and a bowl with a silicone cover.

Small Steps to a Sustainable Kitchen

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How sustainable is YOUR kitchen?   For my resolution last year, I decided I would make a conscious effort to try and reduce some of our waste and plastics. My goal was to replace one thing...
an Open sign in the window of a small business

My Shop Small Holiday Guide

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  This year, my mission was to do most of my holiday shopping through small businesses – and I have largely been able to stick to that mission. Here are a few of my favorite local...
a cooked turkey on a wooden table with side dishes in the background for Turkey Day

Don’t Be Afraid to Tackle Turkey Day

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  After a few years of spending more time in a vehicle than time with families at Thanksgiving, Andy and I decided to take the plunge and host.   It made sense. We were the halfway point...
Scenes from Heritage Farms

A Riverbend Haunted Fall List

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I am not originally from Alton, but it has become my home over the last 13 years. And thinking back on it, this is a great place for my family and me. We love...