JingleBelle Jackson | Updates

Raves on Some Favorite Things

JingleBelle Jackson — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There has been so much fun going on lately, I haven't kept up on my chatting with you all here or writing a single word in either book I'm working on! I'd lament about my lack of discipline but the truth is I'm having too much fun to whine about it. Last post I was ranting about non-clappers so this post I'm switching over to raving. Here are some of my favorite things lately:

Year-Round Christmas Lovers

As the author of five South Pole Santa adventure books this one likely isn't a surprise, but I do love how year-round Christmas stores always seem to be busy no matter what time of the year you pop in. Plus, don't look now, but, once again the Hallmark channel is getting ready for their annual Christmas in July where they feature nothing but Christmas movies the whole month of July. Now if they would just pick-up the South Pole Santa series!

Trader Joes

Maybe it's crazy that a grocery store is on my happy list but shopping at TJs is just plain ole fun. Walking in you find the latest in-season flower bouquets and bins of fruit (or pumpkins in the fall) and then you find new treasures throughout the store. And the music is always positive. Plus, check-out is fast and friendly. Regular grocery shopping is so ho hum but TJs is just so fun.

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Okay, last favorite thing for now. I caught the latest Star Wars movie featuring the Mandalorian and loved it. There is just something touching and heartwarming about the relationship between these two odd characters that I adore. The adventures are fun and Grogu can be endearing with his antics. I might go see it again. 🙂

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

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Clap Loud Clap Often

JingleBelle Jackson — Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Apologies ahead of time, but today I'm on a rant or maybe a bit of a lecture. What's my topic? Theater manners.

I love live theater. Whether it's local, touring shows or, my favorite of all, Broadway, it's one of my favorite activities. For me, this love of theater started when my sisters and I were young, and my parents would take us to the Childrens Theater in Seattle. (Thanks Mom! Thanks Dad!) So fun! It continued as I got older and the annual theater memberships were for musicals like South Pacific, Oklahoma, Finnegans Rainbow, Camelot, Funny Girl - I loved all of them. Once I got to college, I majored in Communications but had a Theater minor and got to actually be in and direct some plays. (One of my wild and crazy dreams is the idea of how fun South Pole Santa would be as a musical. I'd have The Pierces do the music for it and the movies. 🙂 🙂 🙂 )

Recently, I've seen productions of Chicago, Mama Mia and Grease. All local and all well done. And here's my rant: at all of these performances, there were audience members that didn't applaud. What the what?

I so hope no one reading this is a non-applauder (my on-the-fly word inventing 🙂). For every production there is SO much work that goes into bringing those shows to the stage for all of us to enjoy. Hours and hours of directing; learning lines and dance numbers; arranging music; designing sets; placing lighting; putting together perfect costumes. It takes months to bring together every production and a huge passion and commitment by those on stage and those we never get to see. And then, on opening night and every night after, they also have to fight their own nerves and self-doubts and sheer vulnerability involved in sharing their best. All of that. Yes, they love it, but that doesn't mean it's easy. The very least we can do is applaud after each song/each completed act.

This is true for any performance whether it's theater, concerts, soloists, an orchestra - whoever it is. They are bringing their art to us; we can cheer them on. We can give them our standing ovations and shouts of "bravo" at the end as well.

Applauding is just another way to show appreciation, respect and even kindness. In fact, don't just sit there. Lead the way! Choose to clap first, clap loud and be the last to finish!

That's my rant. Add joy to the world. Put those hands together. It's really so simple.

Oh Oh Oh - Jingle

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First a bit about the girl - and her familiar

JingleBelle Jackson — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A quick post today sharing the first chapter of one of the new books in progress. The Jarless Genie is written first person between Anna Cause - the sister of Sandra Claus... of South Pole Santa fame - and Crispin, a genie on the loose in New York City. It's all still a rough draft but coming along. (I hope you like Troubadour. I've been having so much fun with him!) Oh, and I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Some of my favorite things about the South Pole Santa books came from great ideas from creative readers.

Chapter 1

Anna

While I came from a magic-filled background and lived in a magic-filled city — aka New York City — I was weirdly only really talented at fairly routine human activities. I couldn’t disappear or fly or make it thunder on a sunny day, though I knew some who could, or the endless number of other talents magical beings usually had. I could, however, paint, any medium, though I preferred oils. I could play drums and was part of an alternative magic band called Better with Booze. If you heard us you’d know the name was appropriate. We were actually maybe decent but mostly we were just loud. I bake a decadent cake that my work friends say I could make some major dollars on if I ever wanted to start a side gig. There’s some other stuff I’m good at — like picking up languages quickly — but the one I like the most is that I’m one of the best potters in all of NYC, for my age, or so people tell me. I’m 21 by the way. Well, kind of. Maybe. Sort of. It depends on who you ask and how you want to calculate it but that is a story for a later time. Let's just leave it out of this. I can’t tell you exactly for sure because misused magic messed me up. But you know what? I like being 21 — it comes with lots of freedom — and I love being 21 in NYC.

Making the break from my way-too-protective family wasn’t easy. For me or for them. My parents are like mega-amazing and my sister, well, she’s the very best. But she’s also very famous and very busy and she worried way too much about me. They all live on this gorgeous island in the Caribbean but I still don’t really think of it as home. When I realized that, I decided I needed to find somewhere to call my home and I set to checking out three cities I had heard were filled with magic: NYC; London and Dublin.

I loved them all! I was suited to them all. They’re all old and fresh at the same time. Filled with light and dark. One of the things I didn’t tell you about me yet is that I lean towards the dark. That was part of why I needed space from my family. They’re all so light and bright and fun and kind and, well, perfect. Even St. Annalise where they live most the time is like that. But me? I’m just different. I’m all for kind acts and know the world needs everyone to shine their light but my light is a little dimmer. I tend to shine my brightest when its dark. My paintings are dark; our band is hard rock; I dress in dark clothes; even my specialty cake is dark chocolate.

Anyways, to get back to where I live. Have you been to London or Dublin? They’re old cities where the magic is almost tangible to even the most practical human. My skin tingles thinking about them. But NYC has Central Park and me and the park? We are meant to be. So that’s how I ended up here in the biggest apple in the world.

“Are you done telling your story yet? It’s like a sauna in this shell today.”

“Troubadour, you are such a complainer! It’s a perfect weather day and you know I have to get this backstory just right if I have any shot at all at the internship with Professor Luma. I’m reading it out loud because I need your input.”

“At least set me under this bench for a little shade.”

“Technically, while you are a turtle and a most stubborn turtle at that, you are nonetheless my familiar and therefore, as we both know, a true bother at times. But, more importantly, you are perfectly able to poof yourself safely under this bench.”

All of that was true, but I kindly moved him anyways. Troubadour — sometimes just Troub but Dour suited his personality better all too often — was the one absolute, no-bargaining, concession my mother had locked on in order to support me moving. My mother is a powerful magic maker and she insisted I have a familiar. (I know, I know. I’m 21 and don’t need my mother’s approval. But things in my world are a little bit complicated and I actually welcomed having a companion.) Are you familiar with familiars? They’re sort of like a magical pet (though never let Troub hear me say that. “Pet!” he would shout. “I am no pet! I am your magical superior!”) Since I am limited in my magical abilities, mom wanted me to have a guardian. I watch him and he watches me. She let me decide on what animal to bond with and, thinking back, I probably should have gone with a cat. They’re the most common familiar and surely easier, and more pleasant, than what I selected. That is saying a lot since cats have a reputation of being independent to the extreme — especially in their roles as familiars. But a cat seemed too cliché. My sister recommended a bird since she has this macaw she calls Squawk. He’s pretty spectacular and also pretty annoying and, because he can fly, he’s always around, so a bird was out for me. I mean we all want some personal time. Strangely, rats, too, are popular familiars, but, really? Ugh, just ugh. After a lot of thought, a turtle seemed like the right familiar for me. Different, can’t fly, and not a rodent. Check, check and check. Plus, the bonus was I figured it would be easy to leave him behind for adventures in the city on my own. Thus, mom would get her way, giving me a magical guardian, and I would get my way knowing I didn’t really need one and could leave him behind. Ha! The only one that got their way, on pretty much absolutely everything, is Troubadour. For a turtle, he is fast, magically fast. He goes just about everywhere with me. Either tucked into my backpack or he just blinks his way to wherever I am. He also can talk. To me, way too much and to others if he pleases. Which he never pleases. Thank the twinkling stars for that, since I don’t really have any magical friends other than my co-workers. They’re pretty much the only ones who wouldn’t be shocked by a talking turtle. Though, very stubborn turtle that he is, he has never said a word in front of any of them. They just think it's cute that I bring my pet to work. Whatever.

Troub was new at being a familiar and I was new to having one so we are still stumbling through our bonding together, though it’s only been 16 months and we’re already pretty tight. That doesn’t mean we don’t irritate each other on the regular. For instance, Troubadour insisted on living up to his name by all-too-often bursting into reciting loud poetry or colorfully announcing me when I would get home from a long day: “Now arriving, her Royal Fairyness the Honorable, Ageless, Most- Annoying-because-she-didn’t-bring-home-any-fresh-fruit, Anna Cause of Brooklyn.” Okay, I kind of liked the announcements since he changed them up every time but the sing-songy prose when I was studying or, worse, sleeping, was just plain annoying. And, often, not very good.

“I’m still hot.”

“Well poof yourself home then.”

“I’d like nothing better but then who would watch over you? I think instead, I’ll just start singing. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll start singing and everyone nearby can gather round to hear and see the amazing singing turtle and then you can explain it.”

“Fine, you swampy, bossy, termite-eating, reptile, I have to get to work anyway,” I stuff my laptop into my backpack and tuck Troub on top.

“I’m not bossy, I’m boxy,” Troub huffs. Technically he’s a box turtle but that doesn’t mean he’s not a bossy box turtle. “And don’t call me a reptile.” The last part I barely hear because I’ve zipped up my backpack and his voice is muffled. I’ve heard it plenty though. He thinks reptiles have a bad reputation so he prefers to just be referred to as a turtle. Or Mr. Turtle or Worlds Greatest Familiar or the Marvelous Troubadour — he has lots of titles he prefers.

Besides Central Park, one of the reasons I chose NYC as my new home is because it has some of the best art schools anywhere. The negative is, despite me having some talent, I haven’t got into any of them and I’ve applied to them all. Even the fashion colleges. Why not, I figure. I could learn to love textile art. Unfortunately, I have far from a standard education background, so, for now, I’m putting my attention to classes at the community college level and hoping to transfer as soon as I’m done. It wasn’t what I envisioned but I’m doing pretty well, its close by, I can balance classes with work and I’m meeting new people. A win in the end.

Right now, though, what I am, is nearly late for work, so, like the true New Yorker I am learning to be, I ignore the don’t walk sign and dart across the road with a handful of others. You can always tell the locals from the tourists at any crosswalk.

I weave in and out of the crowds of people going every which way, avoiding the sidewalk scaffolding from construction projects; the lines for the food vendors and the tourists who abruptly stop to take photos. My part-time job is right in Manhattan but if you don’t know where the shop is you won’t find the shop. It's part of the hustle and away from the bustle as Cinnamon, the owner, likes to say. (And yes, that’s her real name. She goes by Sin but I like her full name better. Its spicier.)

I smile at and step around a dog walker wrestling to wrangle five large dogs and push open the door to Rare Wares. “Anna!” comes the shout as a greeting from two of my artist co-workers and I can’t help but smile. It may not be the grandiose announcement Troubadour provides but it feels good to be welcomed and have a place you fit in.

“Hey Ry, hey Lexie,” I give a shout out in return while moving to the back to put my backpack in my locker and grab my apron. I check on Troubadour but he’s tucked in his shell and snoring away so I let him sleep.

I’m a potter. Well I want to be. Pretty much everyone that works at Rare Wares is but they all have their specialties. Besides Cinnamon, the owner, there’s four of us. I’m the intern still learning, but producing work. Ry and Quill do custom pieces only that people commission. Their work is spectacular. Lexie focuses on more ordinary pieces like cups and saucers and the like, for general sale, and my specialty that I like best, is containers. Some are custom, some are for general sale. All of them are designed and made with magical needs in mind. I make lots of very small trinket like boxes to hold magic dusts, magic spells and the like. Those are the most popular and the easiest to turn out. No matter the size, the containers are very sturdy and extra thick for spells that shouldn’t escape and precious ingredients that need to be locked.

My favorite thing to be assigned, though, are the fancy, custom containers. I love making jars with lids, lamp bases, teapots, vases — all the sorts of variety that the New York tiny beings, like fairies and pixies, seem to covet. So, between witches, some warlocks, an occasional genie and a flow of fairies, I’ve come to have a recognized name in the magical society of New York that I’ve established all on my own regardless of who my family might be. Even just working two days a week. Thinking about it should make me happy but it sort of just makes me nervous. Magic workers and beings are finicky and fickle. I could be completely passe by next week. Worse, I could be a fruit fly by next week. Many magical beings are not really known for their kind, patient sides. That thought gives me the shivers and I hustle to check my work in the dryer from last week.

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

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Choosing happiness in a world of turmoil

JingleBelle Jackson — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Holly hocks and chalk a blocks, we are living in some challenging times! At every turn something new seems to be rising as a hurdle to calm and peace and happiness. I hate it when I'm feeling anxious or restless or even a bit scared of late. It's just not my norm. So, I dug out my reminders of how to stay at peace and keep magic and joy in the forefront of my mind. Maybe these can help you too.

Turn off the news! Right now this is my number one step to being calm and at rest. The news is so constantly alarming. You can argue that we can't hide and we need to know, but decide for yourself how much, and from what source, you will keep up. For me, when I'm anxious, reading news rather than watching news is my go to source. And I counter it with reading, or watching, an equal amount of something that makes me happy. (The South Pole Santa books are great smile makers. Just sayin . . . 🙂 )

Decide things for yourself. When you need to make decisions about things, do some research, ask some questions and then ultimately make your own decisions. Absolutely all of us have opinions about everything, but you know you best. You decide. (Text me and I'll back you up if you need it 🙂) Everyone else can decide for themselves.

Say yes to you. I love yes. That and and are my two favorite three letter words. Yes has opened up so many things for me that it is my default answer to most questions. But . . . I have also learned that a no is sometimes also a yes. Say yes to you even if that sounds like a no to somebody else.

Do something you love. Get out for a walk - maybe with a friend, maybe in nature by yourself. (My waterfall photo is of Chatterbox Falls. A beautiful spot in the Canadian wilderness.) Maybe you like to get in a hard work out or meditation is your jam. I know lots of people that seek peace in yoga. Arts and crafts are great. I love travel. Taking a class. Pickleball is all the rage (I'm personally horrible at it!) Pick what works for you.

Let down your guard and expect wonderful. For some reason, lots of reasons really, I found trust hard for a long time. It's hard and it's scary to be vulnerable. I still have to work at it. We all have those experiences that surprise us in a bad way. Outcomes that go sideways. Dreams that bust. Trusting and letting your guard down is tough. But it brings new friends, big adventures, fun opportunities, and good surprises in. Put down your walls and expect wonderful to flow in.

And when you do have hard stuff hit try to trust even then. It's so hard, I know. But there's a good chance that hard lesson is going to lead to something great in the future. Sometimes stepping back is stepping forward. Or maybe it kept you from something even worse that could have happened. Who knows. I'm trying to remember to practice this whenever a setback hits. Something even better for me is coming right around the corner.

Actively choose joy. First thing every morning and last thing every night, I talk to the Universe about my day. I put out a loud request for a really great day and a big thank you for the one I just had. Even the tough ones. I look for the small things in a day - like a favorite song to sing along to, a funny dad joke that made me groan, the camelias blooming along my drive - there are lots of them in every day. I actively choose joy. (Oh, and choose kindness too. The two walk hand in hand.)

Live in gratitude. This isn't new. You hear this from so many happy people all the time. Because it works! I love gratitude! It's the best. Putting gratitude forward in my life; feeling, grateful and being thankful for the large and the small things, changed everything about my life for the better. For the best!

We deserve to be happy. Every single one of us. The pursuit of happiness is one of our fundamental rights. Choose it for you!

Oh Oh Oh - Jingle

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Screen Time Overload

JingleBelle Jackson — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

True confession time everyone:

This winter while I really should have been working on South Pole Santa promos and my new writing projects, I have watched a lot of TV. A lot. The days are short. Dark comes early. We get rain, cold and fog, on the daily, making driving at night just plain dangerous. Going out in the evenings has no appeal. I think it must be part of this whole getting older thing. Whatever it's from, it leads to an increased number of evening hours watching a variety of programs on the good ole television set. Which has led to numerous recommendations from friends, which has led to me having lots of opinions on lots of programs to share with you here. 🙂

Maybe the thing to share first is that I'm not your reviewer for anything really violent. Like, I probably will never watch Game of Thrones. Everyone raves on it but it's not for me. I've never watched a horror movie and I can struggle with shows that have too much suspense. My favorite way to watch any show is by streaming it so I can fast forward through scary parts or rewind when my husband comes in and starts talking during the most critical parts! 😬 Oh and I like series more than movies just like I like book series more than standalone books.

So, in no particular order, here's some of the shows that stood out for me the last three months and what I thought:

Let's start with The Lincoln Lawyer. This is one of my favorite series. It's on Netflix and really well cast. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is both easy on the eyes and on the ears with his Spanish accent. Lincoln has four seasons now. I really enjoyed the first two. The second two seasons, for me, were a little less successful. This fourth season particularly, with the main character, Mickey Haller, on trial for murder seemed a little routine. I mean, you knew he was going to get off, and frankly, after a lot of this and that, the solution to it all seemed anti-climactic. But I really love the characters in this show. Especially fun is Cisco and Lorna and how Mickey works with both his ex-wives. An A to B+ depending on the season
Next up, still in a crime-solving genre, is the new show CIA featuring the tall dark and handsome actor Tom Ellis with a Welsh accent. (I clearly have a type I'm realizing! 🙂)Tom was also the lead in the very interesting six seasons of Lucifer. He was a perfectly cast devil loose in Los Angeles. Anyways, CIA is the new CBS show from Law and Order and FBI producer Dick Wolf. As much as I like Tom Ellis and want to like CIA (I was a big fan of FBI International), so far, I think it's stumbling. It feels uneven - much like the new mismatched partners on the show - which might be expected with a new program, except this program has a skilled cast, experienced producer and easy stories. I have hope for it and will keep watching. Grade B-
And speaking of stumbling, have you caught the new half-hour comedy Stumble? I love it! I think it's a total hoot. The show is built around competitive school cheerleading teams. It has Kristin Chenowith in it but its Jenn Lyon in the leading role and Taran Killam as her husband that really makes it fun. I give this series a solid A.

Okay, finally for this round of Reviews by Jingle we have a new PBS TV series featuring one of my favorite books of all time: The Count of Monte Cristo. I love this story. It's the ultimate lead- character-done-terribly-wrong-who-then-seeks-revenge story. It's got terrible lows in it, treasure, romance, betrayal and, finally, redemption of sorts. Our hero is handsome and his so-called friends easy to dislike. I've read the book and seen two movie versions of The Count but this was the first time as a series. Bravo to PBS for taking this on as a series and, mostly, I liked it. Or at least I really wanted to like it and mostly did. The giant issue with this one is the casting of the main character, Edmond Dantes. An actor I hadn't seen before, Sam Claflin, plays the lead and he's just . . . unlikeable. You want to like him, but he plays the role too harshly. There's no softness in him. He's been gravely wronged and rightfully he seeks his revenge, but Claflin plays the role unwaveringly hard. I give it a B.

Thank goodness it's getting lighter and brighter out and ambition is returning so I'm not just a slug bug flipping the TV remote! It's time for me to stop watching (and reading) and start doing and writing. Anybody else got thoughts on the latest greatest shows though? Agree or disagree on these? Suggestions on what I should watch next? You know - in between my "must do's."

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

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Get Comfortable - For Just a Minute

JingleBelle Jackson — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Oh Oh Oh dear readers, life has been a buzz buzz of busy! So I'm top-of-mind writing today with some recent examples of why life is buzzing and about moving out of my very comfortable comfort zone.

Next on my commitment to trying new things, I signed up to volunteer at a local organization dedicated to raising funds to provide new clothes to local school children in need. A great cause. In truth, I've been a pretty non-generous volunteer. I happily donate dollars but have been quite Ebenezer about donating my time. So, with encouragement from a long-time friend, I plunged in. And wouldn't you know. . . I love it! I'm learning new things, meeting lovely generous women and getting to help with a great cause. A solid D on me for not trying earlier at least a B+ for getting out of my own way and giving it my best efforts now.

Moving along, for most this would be nothing, but after waaaaay too long, I went to the dentist. My insurance changed and while I have never been good about going to the dentist, having to go to a new dentist just was more than I could make myself do. But, like these other things, the fretting and worrying was all on me. My new dentist is both skilled and personable - and patient! Plus, like all things these days, dentistry technology has greatly advanced and all that I falsely feared is long past. My visits (alas with an s on the end since I waited long enough to need a crown much like the royalty I am 🙂) have been fast and as good as they can possibly be for being at the dentist. Open wide to eat your soft piece of humble pie, Jingle.

Lastly, an example of trying something new that was a bit less, well, smooth. Months ago, I joined a Facebook group about connecting women with other women in the area and they plan fun things. I've planned to go and for one reason or another, truthfully, some where I've been unavailable and some where I could have been available but worried myself out of going. Finally, right after I went to the dentist, in fact, when I had my brave girl pants on, I joined the group for tacos. They were all quite nice and . . . quite familiar with one another. Nobody really noticed I was there while I sat in the middle of them all. For assorted reasons, I definitely didn't fit. Maybe I'll try again and maybe I won't but, hey, I went! I set a goal to try it out and, who knows, I might have met a new friend or another writer or someone with big stories to tell. And it gave me a fun story of my own to tell so there is that.

I have some additional "comfort zone stretches" coming up: I'm going to a writing conference next week that involves small group work and I'm having lunch with a relatively new acquaintance who also loves to write. I'm excited about both.

So, c'mon, I know at least some of you are spending too much time in the comfortable box you've defined for yourself. I get it and there are lots of gifts to be found kicking back and relishing the gifts in each day. But, if you, like me, have been thinking about trying some new things then use this as one of the signs that now is the time. There are new learnings - and great stories - to be had in the stretching!

Go Go Go! - Jingle

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New Adventures Underway

JingleBelle Jackson — Sun, 8 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

After finishing Enchantments, the fifth book in the South Pole Santa series, I stepped away from writing for a while. For too long, really. I needed a break and got busy reading so many great books by other authors. For me, I find that I can't be reading other books when I'm busy writing my own. It all gets too jumbled and my mind becomes obsessively focused on my own project.

But the not writing drought is ending. Crazily, the Universe has given me three book ideas of late and I'm excited about all three.

For all of them I'm stepping way out of my comfort zone but that is one of my goals these days: to live outside my comfort zone and embrace all the fun and learning to be had from it.

So, to make myself a bit more accountable, stay on track and share my excitement, here's what's in the works (these are just working titles that are likely to change):

First up is The Jarless Genie

This one is slightly related to the South Pole Santa books and definitely to Sandra but its also totally different and, while a fantasy, it's more adult. The basic premise is a magical girl meets a homeless - jarless - Genie in New York City. He's lost; she's in danger, making for big adventures in one of my favorite cities. The big challenge for me with this book is I'm writing it first person. I love reading first person books so I decided to give it a try. Challenging but fun so far.

Next is Wicked and Wilde

Step up chick lit lovers because I am having fun with this one! Totally new for me but this one is about two brothers and one loved girl. Wilder and Wick Mallard are competitive brothers and Gemma Holiday is the girl next door. She's loved by both but crazy about only one who crushes her world with one drunken celebration night. That leaves the other brother to pick up the pieces. I love three way books where our girl gets her heart ping-ponged around a bit but this one has some sad added in so be warned! (And some sexy times. Yowza!)

Last up is Always Here

Now I'm drifting over into sci-fi which is really out of my norm! In this adventure, the aliens finally come forth but not from the sky as expected but rather from the seas. Turns out they've been here all along. It seems, as a water planet, our earth is rarer than we think. Their mission has always been to act as guardians for the planet. They've been amongst us not for decades, but centuries, and only now revealing themselves because a big threat is on its way and to fight them off, we will have to join together. Way way waaaay out of my normal but it all got downloaded during a dream so I'm going with it.

Still bubbling in my brain too is an official sixth and final book to the South Pole Santa series. There's still so much fun to be had with this series and some answers to complete. On my wish list: faster fingers for typing!

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

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Simple Travel Tips for Near and Far

JingleBelle Jackson — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Like the elves in the South Pole Santa series, I have a fondness for staying home. Living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, there is always something to do. However, like the elves, I also love to explore. Our planet is filled with stunning and interesting places to visit with cultures that are different and people just like us. Reflecting on our travels, both within the US and abroad, I honestly can’t think of any place we didn't enjoy. There are some destinations I might not revisit (this might be a controversial opinion, but I'm not particularly fond of most Caribbean islands primarily due to the humidity. I'm more of a Hawaii kind of traveler when I want a dose of the tropics.)

My favorite domestic trips usually last around three nights. I'm even considering starting a new blog called Three Days Away, chatting on all sorts of adventures you can do in a short time. When a vacation involves a long flight, though, more time is definitely warranted. For those trips, here are a few packing and travel tips I've gathered:

Regardless of the trip length—whether three nights or 20 nights—we try to pack only carry-on suitcases and a backpack each. We learned this the hard way after dragging oversized suitcases on a bus trip around Australia, where we changed hotels almost every night. Carrying smaller luggage ensures it stays with us on the plane. The biggest challenge packing small is shoes. I love shoes, but they take up so much space! I usually wear my most comfortable, largest shoes on the plane (typically sneakers) and pack a versatile pair of sandals.
Whether we carry-on or check our luggage, I recommend placing an AirTag ( http://bit.ly/4rOGzdL ) in your bag. This helps locate your luggage if it gets lost. The security is worth the price. AirTags are also great for purses, keys, and other items you might misplace.
As an avid reader, no vacation is complete without books. I download several books onto my Kindle app and bring at least one paperback. I start with the paperback and leave it behind when I return—passing it along to others. For music and movie lovers, download your favorites ahead of time.
For our upcoming trip, even though we are using carry-ons, we are going to check our luggage. My guy recently had shoulder replacement surgery and has limited arm mobility. Plus, with several stops before reaching our final destination, we want to avoid lugging our luggage through Customs at each location. Instead, we hope our bags arrive at the final destination with us. (think good thoughts please!) To prepare for the chance that maybe one arrives and the other doesn't, I pack a change of clothes for each of us in the other’s suitcase. That way we are slightly more comfortable while waiting for our luggage, which could take days.
Finally, for foreign travel, AAA is my favorite place to get your currency. The process is simple—it’s all done online, and the currency is delivered right to your home with low or no fees. Love easy!

Hope these tips are helpful and I hope I see you out there!

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

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Successful January Food Challenge

JingleBelle Jackson — Mon, 2 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It's February and I made it through my month of not buying groceries with ease! I really "cheated" only a couple of times—once, buying my husband's favorite cereal, and once, mindlessly picking up a four pack of muffins at Trader Joe's as I checked out. Otherwise, I stuck to veggies, fruit, eggs, and dairy (plus a loaf of bread, some parmesan, and olive oil that might be considered optional), but that was it. I spent a total of $112 on groceries. Go me! Who knew surviving without cereal could feel like a superpower?

This experiment went so well that I’m excited to keep it going and see how far I can take it. As luck would have it, we won't be home for about half of this month (Thailand, here we come!), so I'm confident February will be a breeze.

Here's what helped me succeed—and what might help you too if you’re considering a grocery-buying challenge:

**Getting Creative:**

Try out those recipes you’ve been wanting to make but never seem to get around to. Adding some culinary adventure to the month was surprisingly fun! I even baked several times, which is not my usual style. You’ll be surprised how fun it is!

**Staying Practical:**

Be realistic and work with what you have. Some nights, when I was tired, I found joy in going to the freezer or pantry and grabbing something quick—a pot pie, a can of chili, or frozen fruit for a smoothie. These easy options were satisfying and helped me use up what I had on hand.

**Batch Cooking:**

Whip up big batches of your favorite meals. I made noodle dishes and soups several times and froze half each time. Later in the month, those leftovers became effortless dinners!

**Being Committed:**

I have to confess, I felt a bit proud when my grocery store trips were so minimal. Sticking to the plan was surprisingly satisfying!

Of course, everyone’s needs and routines vary, so find what works for you. Don’t worry if you bend the rules—progress is what matters! My takeaway is that this idea turned out to be fun, financially rewarding, often delicious, and a little bit challenging. For sure, I’ll do it again—once I finish this round!

I'd love to hear your grocery-saving stories or any tips you might have. You can do it too!

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

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Love Makes the World Spectacular

JingleBelle Jackson — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Can you believe it’s already just a month until Valentine’s Day? Time really does fly—one minute it’s the holidays, and the next, we’re seeing heart-shaped everything in every shop window!

Valentine’s Day brings out a lot of feelings for people. Personally, I’m not a fan of the expectations that often come with the day, and I know how tough it can feel for anyone wishing they were in a relationship. (For the record: it’s my least favorite day, next to Mother’s Day, to go out for dinner—everywhere is packed and it’s nearly impossible to get a quiet table!) But setting all that aside, I can’t help but think love is absolutely worthy of a day all its own. After all, love makes the world go round!

Ideally, Valentine’s Day would be more about the celebration and power of love in all its many glorious forms—not just couples and Cupid. Love adds joy to the world, and everyone deserves to be included in the celebration. Whatever your feelings about Valentine’s Day, they’re important and valid. So, this year, let’s look for opportunities to make the day brighter for anyone who wants to celebrate love, whether that’s for a partner, a friend, or even a neighbor. Maybe you know someone who could use a smile—a friend living far from home, someone new to your city, or the neighbor who’s always there with a wave. It’s easy to add a touch of joy and kindness.

On that note, if you’re searching for gift ideas for your perfect someone—or for anyone you want to celebrate—here are a few I’ve come across recently:

- Starbucks has these heart coffee mugs. The “xoxo” inside is a fun touch, and paired with a gift card, it’s a sweet little surprise.

A quick tip: plan ahead! Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, which means dinner reservations will be snapped up quickly and celebrations might be grander than usual. If you want to mark the day out or in, a little preparation will go a long way.

I’d love to hear your stories or ideas for spreading joy on Valentine’s Day—feel free to share! Let’s make this Valentine’s Day a little brighter for everyone.

Spread love around like glitter! - Jingle

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A January Challenge

JingleBelle Jackson — Thu, 1 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When last we chatted here, I mentioned one of the best things about January was having time to get organized. Well, check it out! I started with my very disorganized refrigerator, and it is miles and miles better than it was. Thank goodness! I still have nine other areas on my list to organize this month but its good to get started and get one done.

My stretch goal for January, though, is a little more unique. I'm going to try to eat only out of our freezer and pantry for the month. We can still go out to eat but when we're eating at home, no matter what meal, the food has to come out of what we already have.

We have lots! In fact, I might be a bit of a food hoarder, I fear. I mean our freezer is full and our pantry has duplicates on most things in it. So, the time to work it down and use it up is now.

I will need to purchase milk and any fruit and vegetables, but I'm going to try and keep it to that short list. And I'm going to track - and photograph - what I purchase to keep me honest.

Any thoughts on a stretch goal for this month for you and yours? Have you tried anything like this before? I'm kind of excited about this. I'm hoping I can get creative with it but it might mean we eat a lot of soup this month.

Oh Oh Oh - Jingle

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The Gifts of January

JingleBelle Jackson — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Okay so the 12 months of 2025 are gone, gone, gone and it's time to look ahead and get planning for the next busy 12 kicking off with the long month of January.

Honestly, January is not my favorite month. In fact, thanks to the short days here in the Pacific Northwest (we get light only til 4/4:30 each day) and loads of drizzly rain with cloud cover, January is my least favorite in a monthly line-up.

In the South Pole Santa books, January is Slumber Month and all the elves plus Santa and Mrs. Claus sleep the whole month of January. After the super busy holiday months they need the rest! It seems like a wise use of January to me.

But I've been trying to change my attitude about the month. I mean so what if it is bleak and wet and dark and endless, even villains in stories are rarely all bad. So with that in mind, I've been deliberately approaching January with a brighter, more welcoming attitude, and seeing the gifts it offers. Like:

It offers us a slower pace. Maybe not in the sunshine states so much but up here in the upper left, things slow down with the shorter days. People are more likely to tuck in at home in the evenings and stay home.
And that slower pace at home provides more free time. For writing. For organizing. For having friends over and playing games. For working puzzles. For cleaning out my closet. All those things I seem to be too busy to get to when the pace picks up.
The dark days help me welcome and appreciate lighter and longer days even more. I always wonder where people living in paradise, er, year-round sunny locations, like to go on vacation. I mean we have so many places we can go in pursuit of some sunshine but sunny weather people hardly need more sun.
Plus, that's another gift of January: giving us a good excuse for a getaway to the sunshine! It means we have a great reason for a short trip to start off the year. Should we go to Arizona? Down to Palm Springs? Over to Hawaii? Any place with more light makes January a lot more fun!.

What are your favorite things about January? I welcome good tips on how to add joy to this winter month.

Happy New Year! - Jingle

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Oh Christmas Tree/s!

JingleBelle Jackson — Mon, 8 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When I was growing up, it was our family tradition to get a tree right around the middle of December. Dad would load mom, my two sisters and yours truly into the car and we'd head to the tree lot. There was lots of tree lot choices in those days since artificial trees were pretty much non-existent. We'd search around the lot looking less for the perfect tree but rather one that fit the family budget. Us girls didn't care. We were getting a tree!

Then, when I first got married, we had moved from Washington the Evergreen State where fir trees are abundant and found everywhere, to the high desert of Nevada, where tumbleweeds were more abundant than trees. And the trees we did have there were more of the pine variety. Nevertheless, my hubs and his brother were determined we were going to go find and cut our own tree.

Ha! That was an ordeal, and the biggest, strangest tree we ever had have or have had since then. That was a one and done experience and for the next ten years we went to the local tree lot until we finally switched over to two very nice looking artificial trees.

Two! Ah, the decadence. One, I could decorate with all our traditional ornaments and the other, I could do in some kind of theme. (I say I because tree decorating was more my thing than my guys.) I had some super fun theme trees! Tropical; under the sea; patriotic; all elves; all flowers. All of them fun.

And then we moved again and our home was/is smaller and now . . . we have no tree! I know, me, JingleBelle Jackson the lover of all things Christmas has no traditional tree, fresh or artificial. But I do have anywhere from 12 to 24 trees all around the house. :) This year the count is 15. The tallest is about 18 inches. It's different than most homes this time of year but it still manages to make our home cheery and has become our own unique tradition.

So, what is your tree tradition? I'd love to hear it. Do you put up one? Two? More? None? Fresh? Artificial? Before Thanksgiving? Whatever brings out your merry is the perfect tradition for you!

Oh Oh Oh - Jingle

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Make Yourself a Gratitude List

JingleBelle Jackson — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I read a blog post recently by Sophie Stern that read:

I love Thanksgiving.

I love finding reasons to be grateful, and I love food, and I love celebrating.

Me too!

So I’m just borrowing Sophie’s words to say how much I love this holiday. I have a long list everyday of all that I’m grateful for. Here are some for today:

The Macys Thanksgiving Parade is on its way! My favorite event of the year. It remains my goal to get in it - in any role.
Trader Joe's! I know that might seem silly but TJs brings joy to grocery shopping. It's not a chore - it's an experience.
People who push past their comfort zones. I learn so much from people who dare to step up, to show vulnerabilities, to chase a dream and shine their light. I've been watching Dancing With the Stars the last couple weeks and they all put me in a state of awe. (And I love that Robert Irwin and Witney Carson won! They both have kindness as a mantra.)
Christmas carols! Here in Seattle we have a station that plays all Christmas all the time. I'm a fiend for it. I know the words to all the songs. :)
Finally, importantly, you, fabulous you. Writing is part of who I am as a person and sharing the words and stories with readers who make time for them is something that helps my gratitude meter hit the high notes. Thank you so much!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Living in gratitude is my jam.

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

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The Wizard of Oz - A Timeless Fantasy

JingleBelle Jackson — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

". . . Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue . . ."

Those words from the most iconic song in the Wizard of Oz are true for many, but Seattle, where I am lucky to live, doesn't happen to be one of them. We may be the beautiful Emerald City as Seattle has had as a longtime moniker, but this time of year, something like Silver City might be a more accurate description. We lean to gray tones with rainy and cloudy days more than the sunny days others enjoy.

So, craving sun rays we looked south and this year we headed for a couple of days in Las Vegas.

Have you ever made the trip to Vegas? Pretty much everyone knows Las Vegas as the place to go for gambling, stage shows and its 24-hour wedding venues. But we skipped all of that. We went to watch the Wizard of Oz movie.

I admit I was skeptical of going to Vegas for a fantasy movie that I've seen, several times over the years. Even if it was being featured at the Sphere, the very unique round venue that is new to the strip. Truth be known, I might have gone largely for the hotel pool and soaking in the sunshine as much as seeing the show. If you've ever longed for a little bit of sun during a long rainy day, you probably know what I'm talking about.

But the show was so much fun! The Sphere is huge and be warned: the steps are steep. You feel a little like it would be easy to fall forward as you walk down to your seat. But once you're seated you get a sense of the giant theater you're in. Just seeing the movie on such a large scale is a wow but the Sphere has gone way past that. It adds in special effects!

Your seat shakes when the house lands!
The wind blows - in the theater! - when the tornado comes. Leaves blow in the air and float down.
Watch out during the apple tree scene because apples fall on you too!
And you might even see some flying monkeys fly by!

The whole thing was a kick and I marveled at L. Frank Baum's creativity in writing the Wizard of Oz. It really is one of the first full-on fantasy stories and has proved to be timeless with the messages its woven in. Including several around kindness which I particularly love. He's a total inspiration for writers like me.

I'd go again! The Sphere now hosts popular entertainers and I hear the shows are equally impressive in offering the unexpected.

And, while this version of the Wizard of Oz will be hard to top for most theatergoers, it isn't my favorite. As it happens, my niece, Savanna, my little dragon-lover that inspired much of my own writing, landed the lead in her high school version of Wizard and she knocked it out of Emerald City and clear back to Kansas in her performance! That will now always be my favorite version of the Wizard even if it was done on a dark, drizzly Pacific Northwest fall day. Afterall, there really is no place like home.

Oh Oh Oh - Jingle

P.S. That's my talented niece in the photo above!

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Winner Winner Appetizers with Dinner!

JingleBelle Jackson — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

You know how everyone has a dream for something out of their reach. Or supposedly out of their reach. Well, one of mine, for many years, was that I wanted to be in the Pillsbury Bake Off. (Another is that the South Pole Santa series will take off but that's for another column.)

The Pillsbury Bake Off for those not familiar with it, used to be an annual event Pillsbury would put on. People from across the country could submit a recipe and fifty winners would be selected to compete for a prize of $1 million dollars! A woman in our county actually won one year and when the local paper ran an interview with her, it set my dream into place. The whole idea was magical! It combined creativity with adventuring and maybe landing a million dollars.

But, every year the contest came - and went. I dreamed on it but never took any action. I mean I am seriously not a baker. It takes precision and patience and I lack both.

Still, I kept dreaming until finally I got annoyed with myself and decided to take action and enter. It was the very last day entries could be submitted, and I spent the afternoon scheming up appetizers from the listed product list and trying them out. I came up with one, typed it up, sent it off and forgot about it. No expectation to be selected - I mean, again, I'm not a baker - but pleased with myself that I took action.

I didn't hear back from them.

Until I did.

Six months later, we were in the middle of the English Channel on a cruise that took us from England to Boston (this is the trip I got to go to Normandy per my previous blog post) when I got a call. From Pillsbury!! They had reached out to me through my personal and work numbers and our office assistant told them how to get hold of me! What a call that was. I was in!

It was the best call ever.

I didn't officially win but I felt like a winner and boy did I have fun! I met contestants there from all over the country that have become good friends (several have helped me with South Pole Santa). Pillsbury gave each of us a microwave and flew us all to Florida to compete. I was on TV, did radio interviews and in the local paper - my five minutes of fame.

I share all of this with you because, well, it is one of my favorite stories ever, but more to the point, my appetizer entry is a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving celebrations. I entered it as Sweet Potato Surprise but Pillsbury gave it the far more practical name of Pecan-Sweet Potato Appetizer.

.My nephews request it every year. Maybe your family will love them too.

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

Pecan Sweet Potato Appetizers

1 small sweet potato

2 T sugar

1 T water

1/4 t ground red pepper

1/2 c chopped pecans

3/4 c thinly red onion

2 T apricot preserves

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls

1/2 c crumbled blue cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pierce potato and place in microwave 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Let stand 10 minutes and cut crosswise into 8 round pieces. (aout 1/2 inch each)

Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat sugar, water and red pepper to boiling over medium heat. Gently stir pecans until coated. Spread pecans on cookie sheet and bake 8 to 20 minutes in oven. Remove from oven and let cool.

Next, in 1-=inch skillet, heat oil, onion and preserves over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until onion is tender. Remove from heat.

Unroll crescent dough, separate into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal and then cut each rectangle in half crosswise and press each piece into a 4-inch square.

On each dough square, place 1 potato slice, 1 rounded t onion mixture, 2 t blue cheese and 1 T pecans. Bring up four corners of dough over filling to center and twist at top. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack, cool five minutes. Serve and enjoy the smiles!

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Yesvember!

JingleBelle Jackson — Fri, 7 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Its November already! Or as I like to call it: Yesvember! Seems like a nice update to one of my favorite months and I'm for saying yes to all the fun this time of year brings.

Here's five of my favorite things about this month:

It's a month with a holiday all about giving thanks. Living a life focused on gratitude brings instant joy.
Besides gratitude, I am all about the power of kindness. November 13 is World Kindness Day. On my, when-I-rule-the-world-list, I would add a day devoted to kindness on the calendar every month.
A day to thank Veterans. I wasn't as attuned to this day as I should have been. Then I went with my dad to Normandy in France and I felt like my whole life changed. Who I was going there was different then who I was leaving. So many brave young men died fighting in the name of freedom. Our freedom. For me. For you. For our democratic countries. And there are memorial sites all around the world similar to Normandy. Since then, I make sure I thank every person serving and every Veteran. I live a good life - full of freedom - thanks to great sacrifice made by way too many.
The decorations! I am all about fall. So I deck our house out with fall flair and then start mixing in the Christmas.
My very favorite event of the year comes this month! I adore the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade! I live in Washington state, so I don't attend in person, but I love watching it on TV.

Okay, and one little note on my least favorite part of this month. I live in the Seattle area and we get rain rain rain . A little is great. A lot gets old!

Still, its the holiday season. Everything is merry and bright!

Oh Oh Oh! - Jingle

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Welcome Fun-lover!

JingleBelle Jackson — Sun, 2 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Thanks so much for popping on my all new author site! I'll be adding regular content here about all sorts of things relating to adventures, kindness, creative ahas and, of course, holidays!

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