I grew up in a dusty little South Texas town near San Antonio called Devine. My name is Michelle Donnell and I would like to take a few moments to share a little bit about myself with you. I grew up in a loving family and led a simple life along with my younger brother.

My Dad was in Law Enforcement and my Mom worked for the Government. I was the first and only one in my family to attend college and get a degree. I attended Tarleton State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications. It was there that I realized there was more to the world than where I had come from.

Forget not knowing which fork to use…there was only one fork placed in front of you at the local diner! I began educating myself on the social manners that help mesh a person nicely into society. Etiquette was something, I soon realized, would help me in every aspect of my life. From the workplace to handling family matters, these manners were a necessity if people were going to have the perception of me that I wanted them to have.

Since then, I have married. My husband, Randy, and I have three great children. I work full time so I had to learn very quickly how to maximize every minute of every day. Quick meals and easy fun things to do with my kids are an arsenal I have to have available to me at a moments notice. At the end of the day, I don’t want to spend the small portion of time left in the evening slaving over a hot stove.

With three children, there is always a party to be planned for something or another. From school events to birthdays to holidays, my creativity is always being tested to come up with ideas that are fun and exciting. This is my release. I always look forward to planning the next big (or small) event.

So, in sharing some of the things I have learned through the years, I hope to help you and yours get the absolute most out of every day.