Jennifer J Foreman

Latest Author Features

A Thrifty Christmas Celebration

Christmas in Ireland is a massive celebration over the entire month of December. Normally we would be celebrating Friendsmas, a great huge gathering of my husband’s mates from Blackrock College and their spouses in a nice large restaurant spilling over with people. There is also the grand adventure of The 12 Pubs of Christmas, where friends and family take on a pub crawl that is not for the faint of heart, as revelers must complete a set of challenges for each pub. Anyone sick of his family on Christmas Eve can wander down to his local watering hole, always bursting to the door with people. For television entertainment, there is

Baking Traditions: The Search for the Great (Can of) Pumpkin

I have had many conversations about American Thanksgiving. I have been asked many questions. “Why are we all so crazy about them?” So I’m working at a kids’ clothing store in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, and a couple walks into the shop. The man stops, sniffs the air, and puts his hand on her arm to stop her. “There’s a Starbucks. I’m going to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte and no one can stop me!” And he turns on his heels and exits as quickly as he can. “My husband,” she shrugs. “He’s American …” — her way of offering an explanation. I, with my own thick-enough American accent, say, “Don’t

Let Them Eat Avocado Toast

As we all know, adults ages 23 – 39 years old are the ruin of all things. Somehow the millennials are destroying the economy by not buying napkins, diamonds, sugary cereals, and luxury goods, and by not eating at chain restaurants. What villains for not purchasing these obviously key and necessary products! Then in that same paint stroke they are good-for-nothing layabouts, stuck and unable to purchase homes or build savings. According to Tim Gurner, the problem is Avocado Toast. “When I was trying to buy my first home, I wasn’t buying smashed avocado for $19 and four coffees at $4 each.” The Australian multimillionaire truly believes that $23 is

Turning Your Home into a Tropical Oasis

The millennial curse is this: we are paid less than our parents’ generation, we are often living in apartments or smaller homes without gardens, and we often still carry debt from college. Kids and pets are a near impossibility while we struggle to provide for ourselves, much less for another living creature. But the need to nurture is still there, and it is strong. So I introduce to you the Plant Parents. Plants have the additional charm of creating a meditative place. They clean the air. They are living home decorations. Instead of purchasing tinkety decor items that will end up in a landfill, you now have plants. Feel powerless