Hello everyone! For those who celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend. And to all, I hope you're enjoying the general slowdown associated with this time of year, and that you're staying cozy inside today while the blizzard finishes its course. And related to the holiday slowdown, I just wanted to touch base to let you know that I've decided to take the week off, both to spend some quality time with Laurel during her winter vacation and also to tackle some long overdue creative projects. I'll be back to regular posting on January 3.

Meanwhile, have a wonderful week and I'll see you back here after the new year! And if you're looking for a little Boston Mamas fix during my winter break, there are over 2,100 posts to peruse in the archives...just scroll down to browse by category or month in the left column.

Hugs and happy wishes as you wind down 2010 and welcome 2011!

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Christine Koh on 27 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Denae via e-mail. Denae had a series of questions regarding her relocation to Boston, which I have broken out into categories. In addition to my responses, Kate -- a Boston urban planner and car-free/public transport enthusiast -- kindly weighed in (thanks, Kate!):

Dear Boston Mamas: We are looking at relocating to Boston with a 3 month old. Coming from the South and big spaces, I am terrified by two things: an infant on the bus system and an infant in snowy weather. We will be leaving our car behind and I have no experience with snow...With the hubs getting his Master's we would be going to a single income and it looks like we could save a lot of money by not bringing our Honda Civic...if we can make it work. Thanks for your help!

Dear Denae,

Thanks for writing in and welcome (almost) to Boston! I can completely understand your trepidation, but fear not. Boston is a great city to be car-free in and the winter is definitely do-able (I say this particularly having spent 3 years living in Canada...). Below I've broken down your questions with responses following.

1. Car-free in Jamaica Plain

Denae: We are looking for as affordable as we can get around Jamaica Pond. Brookline was outrageous for a 2/1 bedroom flat. Something $1,300 or less would be ideal. Would northeast of the pond be more transportation friendly? My hubs would be going to school just west of the pond.

Kate: In general, the best place to be in Jamaica Plain if you want to live without a car is somewhere along the Centre Street corridor (east of Jamaica Pond). The best mass transit options lie either along Centre Street (various bus routes that carry you to downtown Boston, particularly the No. 39), or on the Orange Line, a subway line east of Centre Street that also carries you to downtown Boston and points north. Centre Street is also a nice retail center, with a small supermarket, drugstores, restaurants, etc. $1,300 sounds pretty low for a two-bedroom, but might be do-able for a one-bedroom (maybe).

2. Strollers & Buses

Denae: Is it common to bring strollers on the bus? Would I not need a car seat? You can't strap a car seat into a city bus right?? I assume a baby carrier (Ergo?) is the best way to get the kiddo to daycare and back.

Christine: Yes, it is common to bring strollers on the bus. Whether your baby is in a car seat attached to the stroller, or is simply in a stroller, simply lock the stroller wheels once you're situated on the bus. Your child wouldn't actually sit in a seat on the bus until they were older (i.e., probably out of stroller).

Kate: Strollers are very common (and completely allowed) on all public buses. Depending on the size of your stroller, it can be a squeeze during rush hour or any time when the bus is crowded, but you are certainly allowed to use the area close to the driver that is reserved for strollers and wheelchairs (the seats fold up to make room -- don't be shy about asking the driver for help with the folding).In general, strollers are expected to defer to wheelchairs. Most buses no longer use wheelchair lifts -- the vast majority of buses now 'kneel' in order to bring the floor of the bus close enough to the sidewalk that you can just roll on without the need for a lift. You cannot strap a car seat into a public bus -- babies/toddlers remain in strollers until they are old enough to sit safely in a regular seat by themselves (my daughter started sitting without a stroller at 4 years old).

3. Keeping Baby Warm in Boston

Denae: How do you keep an infant warm enough for the bus wait and trek to where ever you go? The snow suit doesn't look like it really comes in small baby sizes much less fit in an infant carrier.

Christine: In my opinion, the easiest way to keep baby warm on the go, then not have to worry about un-bundling and overheating once you get to your destination, is to use a snuggly car seat insert. When Laurel was a baby I used the JJ Cole Infant Bundle Me. She just wore regular clothes underneath -- so easy!

Kate: I used a Brookspond stroller 'blanket' with a zipper (it looks a bit like a sleeping bag) that worked great in the coldest weather. The stroller straps fit right through the blanket so that my daughter could be both warm and safely tethered.

4. Car-free Grocery Shopping

Denae: How do you grocery shop with an infant while not having a car?

Christine: If you have need to get a lot of groceries, I would recommend a grocery delivery service, such as Peapod. Otherwise, for smaller runs, I used to go to our neighborhood market and stow items in the basket under Laurel's stroller and in bags over the handles. If I just needed 1-2 bags of groceries, I would carry Laurel in a sling and just carry the groceries. It was a good cardio workout!

Kate: Some market trolleys seem to fit infant car seats, although I never did that myself. Small shops are definitely possible with an infant in a sling, and I recommend a rolling cart/suitcase to bring groceries home. Big shops are harder, and I would recommend Peapod for those.

5. City Sidewalks

Denae: I am trying to get the idea of how this city is planned but it seems to make little sense. Roughly around squares? There seems to not be strong commercial centers in these not downtown areas. Around the squares seem to have sidewalks but the area around the pond seems to not. I don't relish the idea of walking a stroller on the side of the street, especially with the Boston driver reputation.

Kate: There are very few areas in and around Boston that do not have complete sidewalks. The area immediately around the Pond may be an exception because it's a park-like area, and the Jamaicaway was designed primarily for cars. All of the neighborhoods elsewhere in Jamaica Plain will have good sidewalks, particularly as you move east -- as I recommend -- toward Centre Street. The bigger challenge can be in the winter, pushing a stroller through the snow. Ugh. There's not much to be done to make that better, but a sling can be handy then. In general, I would recommend traveling to Boston before picking a neighborhood/apartment -- it's hard to do sight-unseen.

I hope this information is helpful Denae - good luck with your relocation to this fine city!

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have a question for Christine? Drop her a line! And of course feel free to comment in if you have recommendations beyond those made above.

Posted by Christine Koh on 23 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Gear; Web (Admin)

I carry reusable totes everywhere; our car is loaded with them and I always have one scrunched up in my bag du jour. But my collection is getting rather tired so I was thrilled to learn about Bag the Habit -- makers of chic, lightweight, and roomy (apparently they'll bear up to 45 lbs) reusable bags made from 100% recycled fabric. I particularly love the luxe tote, which comes in pretty patterns and colors and is cleverly functional. The bag arrives as a compact little zippered pouch; when you're ready to use the tote, simply flip the bag inside out and your tote features a zippered pocket that's perfect for stowing keys, credit cards, or other small essentials. These totes even feature a small reinforced, padded area in the handles to ease the burden on shoulders. Pretty, functional, eco-friendly, and cleverly designed? I clearly need to order more.

Posted by Christine Koh on 22 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Eco Living; Home; Solutions

I've long been a fan of Stonyfield Farm; theirs was Laurel's very first yogurt (oh how that baby went crazy over the creamy full fat yogurt!) and Laurel and I are big fans of the Oikos caramel yogurt. And through Boston Mamas I've had the pleasure of learning about the evolution of their brand (how cool is it that their multipack cups are made from plants?), interfacing with CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg, and benefiting from their sponsorship. And now I'm thrilled to announce that I have joined Stonyfield's amazing team of contributors to write periodically about green and healthful living. My first post just went live, in which I share tips for eating healthy during the holidays -- important both because I'm pregnant and also since I find it especially important to model good eating habits for kids at this time of year. Enjoy the post, and of course feel free to share any other great tips you employ during this decadent season!

Posted by Christine Koh on 21 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Eco Living; Feeding & Nursing; Pregnancy & Postpartum; Web (Admin)

One thing I have procrastinated on for over two years is hanging pictures in our home. But thanks to inspiration from a recent Life.Style episode (re: photo gifts and décor), this post on creating gallery walls, and probably the fact that we're entertaining a lot over the coming weeks, this weekend I got over my fear of hammer and nail. And now? My home is about 3000 times more cozy! I wanted to share the easy how-to for creating staircase gallery walls. Admittedly, I still leave the big hanging projects (as in, you need to find studs in the wall and wield a drill) to Jon, but I did a lot of hanging (here's everything we hung and how the project related to my life list).

When I saw the gallery walls post over at Little Green Notebook, I loved both the general technique shared (in short, laying out the gallery on a big banner, marking the hanging fixtures, hanging the paper, driving the nails, then ripping down the paper) and the look -- specifically, the validation that it can look cool to mix and match frame styles.

However, after discussing with Jon where different things were going to go in the big wall hanging project, we decided that the family photo gallery should ascend the staircase. So, I couldn't simply lay out a rectangle of paper as in the LGN post. However, I was determined to draw from the method. Here's how I did it -- it was ridiculously easy and turned out beautifully!

1. Collect framed photos. Most of my photos were black frames with white mats, but I did have a few other styles. (I recently purchased a bunch of inexpensive black/white frames at IKEA and printed out photos at home -- super easy and awesome looking.)

2. Measure or trace the frames on paper (I used brown kraft) and cut out the shapes. As you go, in the proper orientation of the photo, write in a Sharpie on the paper: A) the image (e.g., "Laurel on horse"); B) the frame style (e.g., black, natural, floating, etc.); and C) the point where the picture will hang (e.g., the suspension point if on a wire) -- essentially, where you need to drive the nail into the wall. (I also wrote down the dimensions of the frame but I didn't end up needing that information.)

3. Arrange the paper templates on the floor, starting with the bottom right corner. It was good to do this phase on the floor (not on the wall) because I ended up rearranging a few times. Because a majority of my frames were black + white mat, I took care to intersperse the non-black + white mat photos throughout so they all wouldn't be clumped together.

4. Tape the paper templates to the wall. Start with the template corresponding to the foot of your stairs. Just put one or two pieces of tape at the top of the paper so it's easy to adjust spacing on the wall if needed. Keep a generally uniform horizontal amount of space between frames (I didn't measure this; just eyeballed) and follow the natural line/angle of your staircase.

5. Grab your hammer and nails and go! Nail holes through the paper, where you indicated your hanging markings (done in step 2C).

6. Tear down the paper. Reuse the paper for an art project or toss in the recycling and hang your frames.

Isn't that fantastic? The most time consuming part was deciding which photos to print and frame. Other than that, the rest of the process was super fast and the great thing about arranging and adjusting the paper templates on the wall first is that you don't need to measure/make pencil marks on the wall!

And best of all, the house feels like a home now. If you have a bare wall, I encourage you to try this method -- you could definitely squeak in this project before the holidays. Jon had a couple of friends over last night who saw the gallery in paper template then finished form and even they were impressed!

Posted by Christine Koh on 20 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (6) | Filed in Decor & Furniture; Home; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Web (Admin)

Today, Lindsey recommends a book that I have been meaning to purchase (given my love for Zen Shorts and Zen Ties):

Last night, in an unusual moment, both children sat with me on the couch for a book. Without interruption. They were rapt. That a single book could speak to them both, and so powerfully, is very rare. That it could also speak powerfully to me is almost unheard of.

The book was The Three Questions, written and illustrated by Jon Muth. I've loved other books of Jon Muth's, notably Zen Shorts, and this book has been on our bookshelf for a while, but somehow we haven't read it in a long time (possibly ever). The book asks three essential questions: When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?

With beautiful watercolor illustrations and Muth's trademark magical mixing of the human and animal worlds, The Three Questions addresses nothing less than how to be a good person in this world. As young Nikolai tries to figure out his three questions, he consults his friends: a heron, a monkey,and a dog. Finally, unable to find a satisfactory answer, he seeks the wisest person he knows: a turtle.

Nikolai's visit to the turtle turns out to be more involved than he thought, and eventually includes a storm and a lost baby panda. The turtle weaves Nikolai's three questions together with their experience into a compelling, beautiful moral. The answers to Nikolai's three questions are Zen-inspired and simple, yet essential and inspirational at the same time. The Three Questions is a lovely tale of a young boy asking big questions, and of the guides his open mind allows him to find. The message is meaningful for all ages, and the book itself is stunningly beautiful.

Posted by Christine Koh on 19 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Books & Entertainment; For Babies & Kids

So fitting for the holiday season, this week's episode of Life.Style was a wonderfully reflective one. Definitely check out the episode if you didn't see it live on Thursday. I chatted about happiness during the holidays with Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project, and about raising charitable children with Carrie Lundell of This Mama Makes Stuff. Check out the episode for full commentary and inspiration, but for easy reference, below are the links I shared during the interviews.

Conversation points with Gretchen Rubin

Getting along with difficult relatives
Are you the person whom everyone finds difficult?
Ideas for starting holiday traditions
Happiness boot camp

Conversation points with Carrie Lundell

Raising charitable children
Example 1: garage sale for a good cause
Example 2: sharing candy with others
Example 3: helping children learn about and cope with hard situations through service (two examples)

Community service resources
VolunteerMatch
VolunteerSpot
65 Ways to Make a Difference
10 Steps for Family Volunteering Fun

Favorite books related to service
52 Weeks of Fun Family Service
Beatrice's Goat

(For more books on service, visit Carrie's Amazon recommendations.)

Posted by Christine Koh on 18 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Books & Entertainment; Development & Behavior; Family Issues; For Babies & Kids; For Grownups; Holidays; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Web (Admin); Winter

Today, Stacey Sao of Boston Central kindly shares a second guest post with her favorite activity picks for this weekend:

Kick off your weekend at the Kendall Square Annual Holiday on Ice Show. Two outdoor shows will feature performances by former stars of Disney on Ice and the Ice Capades, as well as complimentary skating and snacks throughout the day. The Kelly Outdoor Rink in JP is also hosting a day of free skating on Sunday. And looking ahead this month, Boston Common's Frog Pond will be open for skating on Christmas Day this year from 4-9pm and the Disney on Ice Princess Wishes tour will be in town the week after Christmas.

In the literary vein, the Boston Children's Theatre performs The Velveteen Rabbit this weekend; this show features actors, original music, and puppets created by Marjorie Tudor of the Tasha Tudor family. And Barefoot Books is hosting a special Music & Storytime with Tim Seston at their Concord store. All ages are welcome.

Want to spot Santa? The Boston Pops Christmas Concert will make a stop in Lowell on Sunday. Keith Lockhart and the orchestra ring in the season with a sing-a-long and a special visit from Jolly Old Saint Nick. If you'd prefer a more personal visit with the man in red, you can visit Santa's Workshop in Newburyport, where children can visit with Santa, tell him their Christmas wishes, and receive a complimentary photo. And the North Pole Express will also ride this Saturday from the Newburyport MBTA Station.

If holiday lights and trains are your thing, hop on board at Edaville USA for their annual Festival of Holiday Lights; hundreds of light displays will surround you on this magical train ride. At the Wenham Museum, you can enjoy the magic of their Gingerbread Express Model Train Layout featuring gingerbread houses, farms, castles, and more -- all created by local professional and amateur bakers. South Station also features a (much smaller) Holiday Train Display in the main concourse. (A cute diversion if you happen to be in the area!)

Old Sturbridge Village's Christmas by Candlelight can help you escape the frenzy of a modern Christmas for a few hours with an enchanted evening of gingerbread, roasted chestnuts, music, dance, and a sleigh ride (weather permitting). A ride on The Polar Express at the Ecotarium in Worcester is always a special treat. There also is a cool Gingerbread Castle Competition at the Higgins Armory Museum this weekend.

Check out Boston Central for more seasonal listings and sign up for the newsletter to keep up on family-friendly events all year long. Happy holidays!

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Christine Koh on 17 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local

I'm not sure whether it's due to our full docket of holiday entertaining over the next couple of weeks or pure maternal nesting mode, but I've been tackling a lot of home projects lately. And last weekend, I became obsessed with the need to repaint a console table that, ironically, I last painted when I was pregnant with Laurel. And given that I'm 27 weeks pregnant and Laurel wanted to help paint, finding an odorless, eco-friendly paint was important for this project. Here's how our project turned out:

The first issue was that I wanted color, and I wanted it glossy so the console table really popped (the table is in front of windows in a sitting area that has a neutral modular FLOR rug and a pair of chocolate/blue slipper chairs). I had originally envisioned red, but Laurel was advocating strongly for orange (and so, it turned out, did the people of Twitter when I queried on the topic!). As I stood in front of the paint chips at the hardware store, I admittedly entered into a state of paralysis. I ended up bringing a bunch of swatches home, had a vote session with Jon, Laurel, and my brother-in-law (who was visiting from out of town), and later sent Jon out to get the final choice ("Outrageous Orange"), which he purchased from the Benjamin Moore Natura Zero-VOC Paint collection in semi-gloss. This waterborne paint is eco-friendly and -- they claimed -- virtually odorless.

Despite the claim, for Laurel and my safety, Jon made me promise to step outside after the first coat and come back in to see if I detected paint stink. Laurel and I rolled up our sleeves and started painting and the result was fantastic. The paint was smooth and easy to apply, there was no odor at all, it dried quickly so we could easily see where to apply the second coat, and the semi-gloss finish is gorgeous for this accent piece. We didn't even bother with primer (just painted over an existing matte layer of paint) and it looks beautiful. Wouldn't you agree?

I'm thrilled! We set up our potted Christmas tree on top of the console, and yesterday Laurel and I wrapped and laid out gifts on the top surface and bottom shelf. So festive!

So, if you're looking to do a little interior painting, definitely try the Benjamin Moore Natura collection; at the website you can easily find Benjamin Moore locations near you. I suspect knowing that we can paint safely indoors this winter will lead to some other fun interior projects!

Posted by Christine Koh on 16 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Decor & Furniture; Eco Living; Home; Solutions

Laurel recently has become obsessed with jumping rope, which has proven to be fantastic entertainment and exercise both on the playground at school and at home (often times indoors even, which I am OK with right now since it helps Laurel burn off energy). I bought her a lovely, eco-friendly Green Toys jump rope this past summer while we were in Maine and admittedly was a little disgruntled when she instead wanted a sparkly, pink, plastic jump rope that her friend had, even though the natural coils in the plastic made it harder to jump with.

Well, that jump rope broke and out came mama's jump rope. Personally, I love the natural look of this jump rope, but aesthetically it wasn't doing it for Laurel. So I decided to follow the successful lead of previous forays with dye (for example, Laurel's tie dye birthday party + dyeing all of her socks yellow so she would actually wear them as a toddler) to make her a tie dye jump rope.

And wow, that small effort (as in, literally minutes) made for major happiness (click on the thumbnail to enlarge photo). Laurel picked four colors of Rit dye (typically found at arts and crafts stores; I used the boxed dyes) and I mixed a little bit of each color with water in four plastic containers from our recycling bin. I set the dyes on a large plastic bag, put old produce bags on my hands (I couldn't find rubber gloves), and dipped sections of the rope into the different colors.

And that was it. Super easy. I left the jump rope to dry on the plastic bag and flipped it over once before I went to bed. The next day the jump rope was completely dry and the colors dried beautifully.

Now the only problem? Laurel said everyone's begging for a turn with her cool tie dye jump rope at school. Other than that, she's happily jumping cabin fever away!

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Art Supplies & Toys; Arts & Crafts; Eco Living; Home

Though I must admit that I'm relieved that Laurel has finally moved on from her obsessed-with-all-things-princesses phase, she remains faithful to Belle ("because she has brown hair like me," says Laurel) and I'm planning on taking Laurel to Disney On Ice during winter break. Laurel and I have seen three previous DOI shows in Boston and the skating and creative spectacle has proven so, so fun and entertaining for both of us! Disney on Ice Princess Wishes shows at the TD Garden December 26-29 and will feature Tinker Bell, Ariel, Snow White, Jasmine, Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, and Mulan. And how cool is this? The kind folks over at TD Garden are offering one lucky winner a four-pack of tickets to this show! Simply email contests@bostonmamas.com with "Disney on Ice" in the subject by midnight Thursday, December 16.

*One lucky winner (drawn randomly via Random.org) will receive four (4) tickets to any weekday show of Disney on Ice Princess Wishes in Boston (i.e., shows from December 27-29). The winner will be notified directly via e-mail, then listed back at this post using first name only.

Posted by Christine Koh on 14 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (7) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Local

Today, Heather shares a handy denim (and money!) saving solution:

My active 3.5 year old boys have been blowing through the knees of their jeans well before the rest of the denim shows wear. And while ripped jeans may be fashionable, my boys are taking it to the extreme! I thus was happy to find that Lee makes a reasonably priced jean with a "double tough" reinforced knee, and I was even happier that they come with an inner adjustable waist to accommodate growth. The jeans are really holding up great and I have been able to find them at Sears and Kohl's. So while I still cringe with every jump, climb, fall, and slide, at least I no longer have to add new jeans to my shopping list!

Posted by Christine Koh on 13 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Fashion; For Little Ones

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Melinda via e-mail:

Hi Boston Mamas! I'm thinking ahead for my boy/girl twins' birthday party in May. They'll be 3, and I'd love to take them and friends to a farm. I've been looking on the internet, and I'm having trouble sorting through the good, bad, and ugly. Drumlin Farms comes up, but it doesn't look like they do much. The place that looks terrific is Lil'Folk Farm in Holliston, but I've never heard of it before (I swear, this is not a plug). Have you heard of it? Do you have suggestions? I'd love a place that will allow the kids to actively engage with animals, better yet if they have someone on hand to do a little teaching/coordination.

Hi Melinda,

Thanks for writing in and what a great question! I'm all about teaching kids -- especially our little city dwellers -- about animals beyond the confines of the printed page or on the web! And one of the things I love about Boston is that you don't need to travel too far to connect with critters. (And sometimes you don't need to travel at all!) Here are some thoughts related to farms and other options. I canvassed on Twitter and Facebook about your query and received a number of leads, which I'll credit properly below.

Farms

First, to address your direct queries. I actually have attended a birthday party at Drumlin Farm (when Laurel was 3 I believe) and it was really cute. It wasn't interactive in the way that you are envisioning (it was more of an observe-the-animals type of arrangement) but the kids really enjoyed it and there was a hay ride too.

Just the other week I met some folks from the Mass Audubon Society at a panel I was speaking on. I reached out to them when I received your inquiry and here's what Mia from Mass Audubon said: "All of the Mass Audubon birthday parties have educational components but most are around habitats rather than specific animals. Even when they are about animals, kids don't usually get to hold the animals -- as these are generally wild animals. When people have birthday parties at Drumlin they can either do a party where they get just a walk around the farm, or they get a program with a teacher naturalist where they can milk a cow or visit with a chicken. Certainly they'd get to pat the cow while milking, but the contact they'd be getting would not be the same as at a petting zoo... There are several other Mass Audubon sites that also offer birthday parties. Most of them offer several nature themes that parents can choose from, and involve outdoor exploration of the habitats around the sanctuaries."

As for Lil'folk Farm, I hadn't heard of it before (though Holliston certainly holds a place in my heart since that's where Jon and I got married!) but it looks like a good option. The pony/riding parties (which look really fun!) will be too old for your kids, but the barnyard bash option allows the kids to hold and brush the animals. Also, via Facebook, Charlene recommended Natick Community Organic Farm, which has hands-on education programs and hosts birthday parties.

Visiting Animal Education Programs

If you are open to having critters come to you, check out this post I wrote on the New England Aquarium's home parties. We attended one of these parties last year and it was amazing. Super educational and interactive; the kids loved it!

Also in the vein of traveling educational animal birthday parties, @miguelina and @akenn recommended Curious Creatures (@akenn noted, "I always liked Curious Creatures. They come to schools, libraries, birthday parties, etc."), and @FranciscanHFC shared, "We've hosted the Creature Teachers and have been very happy with them."

Nature/Animal Educational Centers

Via Facebook, Rebecca recommended the South Shore Natural Science Center in Norwell, which has a variety of animal oriented birthday party themes. @BostonCentral also recommended the South Shore Natural Science Center, as well as Animal Adventures in Bolton (which also offers traveling programs), the Museum of Science Live Animal Presentations, and Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport (part of the Mass Audubon system).

And finally, via Facebook, my friend Patti shared via her animal loving friend Tania that, the New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth "is a good place to start. They do tours and have kids programs. They're a wildlife hospital but do have educational programs." Tania also recommended the EcoTarium in Worcester as "a great place for kids. Lots of fun things to do, science, animals, nature" and they do offer animal inspired birthday parties. And Tania also recommended the Harvard Museum of Natural History, though I took a look at the website and I didn't see birthday party information listed (just information for larger scale event rentals).

I hope this information is helpful Melinda -- have fun planning your birthday party!

Image credit: EcoTarium

Have a question for Christine? Drop her a line! And of course feel free to comment in if you have recommendations beyond those made above.

Posted by Christine Koh on 12 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Fun Indoors; Kid's Parties; Local

Wow, I learned so much via my amazing guests on episode 6 of Life.Style; definitely check out the episode if you didn't see it live on Thursday! Kristen Chase of Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Tech shared a great round up of unique photo gift ideas, Casey Mullins of Moosh in Indy recommended resources for turning your photos into artful décor, and Tracey Clark of Shutter Sisters shared photography gear recommendations. Check out the segment to see full commentary and inspiration, but as promised, for easy reference below, I link up the leads shared by my guests. Enjoy!

Photo gift ideas from Kristen Chase of Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Tech

Interchangeable photo rings
Cool photo ornaments
Key fob (scroll to "Best Grandpa in the World" section)
Photo books
Photo pads (scroll to "For An Awesome Teacher" section)
Wood mounted photos
Canvas mounted photos
Pretty frames (scroll to "Best Grandma in the World" section)
Photo based videos by Animoto
Custom photo cellphone case (scroll to "For the Cell Phone Addict")

Photo art and décor ideas from Casey Mullins of Moosh in Indy
Fracture glass mounted photos
Large Format Posters stretched canvases + posters
American Frame bargain custom framing
Tiny Prints canvas designs
Blurb books

Photography gear ideas from Tracey Clark of Shutter Sisters

Canon Rebel T2i (body only)
Canon 50mm f/2.5 lens (also, this is my amazing 50mm lens)
Collapsible LiteDisc
Canon Speedlite 580EX off-camera flash
Epiphanie camera bag
Straps and other unique photo gifts for shutterbugs
Canon PowerShot S90 (point and shoot option)

Posted by Christine Koh on 11 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Decor & Furniture; Gifts & Paper; Holidays; Home; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Web (Admin); Winter

I imagine that I'd be hard pressed to find parents in Boston who don't already know about Boston Central. In fact, Boston Central is one reason I didn't bother implementing an exhaustive calendar function when I launched Boston Mamas in 2006 (why reinvent the wheel, you know?). Boston Central and I recently teamed up as site partners (you can check out daily event listings right here via the BC widget down in the left sidebar), and in advance of the holidays, I'm thrilled that Stacey Sao of Boston Central will share a couple of guests posts with some of her favorite activity picks for the weekend. Check out Stacey's roundup of family holiday fun for this weekend:

From Stacey Sao:

Amid all the hustle and bustle, this is a really great weekend to get out and have some fun with the family. That's right -- just put all holiday stress aside and enjoy things like a kid again. For example:

Get your game on at the annual Candy Land Tournament at Faneuil Hall -- families can participate in this colorful classic game together along with a kids' buffet, face painting, and children's craft area. For some outdoor fun, bundle everyone up and go enjoy the Skating Rink Opening at The Charles Hotel.

Enjoy the sounds of the season at the annual Ben Rudnick and Friend Holiday Extravaganza. Or, perhaps you can start a wonderful new tradition and experience a Boston Pops Holiday Pops Kids Matinee.

Families who donate a new or gently used winter coat, hat, or pair of gloves can see the Kidtoons' Curious George - A Very Monkey Christmas movie at a Showcase Cinema near you. And for the older set, the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life will be playing on the big screen at the Brattle Theatre.

Also this weekend, The National Heritage Museum hosts their annual Holiday Train Weekend -- a magical display that will bring smiles to all ages.

Whatever you do, just let go and be a kid again -- and just have some fun!

Check out Boston Central for more seasonal listings and sign up for the newsletter to keep up on family-friendly events all year long.

Image credit: Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Posted by Christine Koh on 10 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local

As Laurel has come out of her shell in the past year, she has started to express an interest in theatre (recently going so far as to state that she's going to be an actress when she grows up). Subsequently, I've been interested in checking out Kidstock in Winchester. From what I have heard from various sources over the years, Kidstock's summer theatre camps are pretty fantastic. A couple of weeks ago, we had a chance to visit Kidstock for the birthday party of one of Laurel's friends, and I must say, I was impressed.

Kidstock is a colorfully outfitted maze of connected hallways and rooms, and the party started with the kids coloring a mural for the birthday boy in the cake room. Once all the guests had arrived, the group proceeded to a performance room (complete with a small stage, set, and costumes), where the teacher (Bob) engaged the kids in circle time, making introductions and teaching the kids how to act out emotions (e.g., happy, sad, scared, angry) in face and posture and engage in imaginative movement (e.g., walking through peanut butter, floating on clouds).

The theme of the party was fairies, dragons, and wizards, and the kids picked costumes (impressively, all oversized adult t-shirts adorned in creative ways + hats, crowns, etc.) and then Bob did an amazing job of leading the kids through a play. (Most of the parents either dropped their kids off for the party or hung out in the waiting room drinking coffee, but Laurel wanted me in the room, which ended up being fun since I got to see everything.) Bob asked the kids what characters they wanted to be and then he led them through three sections of the play (beginning, middle, end) for practice, then recorded the performance in those segments. I was extra impressed that Bob remembered each kid's name, even when the name tags were covered by costumes.

After the play portion was done, the party moved to another room for present opening, which was filmed. The dad of the birthday boy told me that usually they don't bother opening presents at parties, but Kidstock encouraged the process, to instill appreciation (each gift giver got to sit with the birthday boy while he opened their present) and sharing (the birthday boy's little sister got to sit with him and help open presents), plus, it was a nice bonus to have the kids' reactions recorded and so the parents could remember who gave what. After cupcakes (back at the first room where the mural was colored), the party concluded with the kids and parents watching the recording of the play in the gift opening room. The kids loved watching themselves on TV, and it was fun for the grownups to see the final production as well.

In short, if you're looking for something creative and off the beaten path for a birthday party, check out Kidstock. Though it's highly possible Laurel will change professional aspirations by summertime, if she's still keen on theatre as school draws to a close, I'm definitely going to investigate Kidstock's camp programming.

Kidstock, 50 Cross Street, Winchester,781-729-5KID

Posted by Christine Koh on 9 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Kid's Parties; Local

Last week on Life.Style, as I discussed inspiration points for easy and inexpensive gift wrap, I shared a link with photos of lovely recycled paper garlands. I decided to craft these garlands the other night and it was so easy (3 steps!) and they came out beautifully; I love that you don't have to be too precise with the measurements and they still look so geometric and festive. My friend Christie asked for the how-to since a tutorial isn't available at the original inspiration link. Here's how to make them:

You will need:

Today, Tracy shares a review of The Divvies Bakery Cookbook: No Nuts. No Eggs. No Dairy. Just Delicious! Read on for Tracy's review, as well as to learn how to be one of two winners to receive a copy of the cookbook:

I recently had the chance to test out the new Divvies cookbook. I've previously reviewed Divvies products, and our family loved them. Well, Divvies founder and mom-of-a-food-allergic-child Lori Sandler has released a cookbook sharing her well-loved recipes, and a few more, so everyone can enjoy Divvies.

Each recipe is milk-, egg-, and nut-free, but don't be concerned: the end results are fabulous! I'm normally the kind of mom who tries to inject as much health or nutrition benefit into my regular baking. If that's your thing, the Divvies book may shock you a bit. I was taken aback by it, too -- this stuff is pure decadence. Included are the treats that food allergic kids so often miss out on, and their families and friends miss seeing them enjoy.

My food allergic son Gabe and I tried out three recipes: cinnamon buns, carrot cake, and chocolate fudge. The buns were a bit of work, but the moans of ecstasy in our house that morning were well worth it. I made the carrot cake, complete with the dairy-free cream cheese icing recipe, and it was also well-enjoyed. And the fudge is going to be made by the batch for teacher holiday gifts this year.

There are only so many ways one can modify existing recipes with substitutions. For example, I've never found a carrot cake recipe calling for less than 4 eggs. Egg replacers (leavening powders) can only replace two eggs or the result is less than palatable. Using easy to find replacements such as pureed silken tofu, Sandler manages to recreate classics and invent new ones that are safe for most people with food allergies.

I love having this book on hand. I'll use it when we need something decadent and nothing else will do. I'm also planning on gifting copies to family and friends who would love to cook for Gabe, but are hesitant to do so. I know he'll flip when he goes to a friend's house and there are baked snacks that he can have that we know are safe.

Editor's Note: Tracy was one of my very first contributors here at Boston Mamas and it is with hugs and heartfelt gratitude that I announce that this is her final post. Thanks Tracy, for everything you contributed to the site!

Now, want to be one of two winners to receive a copy of The Divvies Bakery Cookbook? Here's how:

Rules:

Given that my parents used to subject their household visitors to impromptu recitals by me and my six siblings (at a point where none of us were exactly musically proficient), I tend to cringe a little when I think of family recitals. However, recently I was overwhelmed by the awesome that was Laurel's assembly of a family recital, thanks to these fantastic Kidsplay handbells that my mother-in-law had on hand.

From the perspective of a former music educator and psychologist, handbells are an awesomely easy way for kids to create music while encouraging cooperative play, timing coordination, and color/letter identification. To keep it simple, you could opt for the 8 note hand bell set and play everything in C major, but if you'd like to work off other music (i.e., not always have to transpose tunes to C), I'd recommend getting the 13-note chromatic hand bell set my mother-in-law used with Laurel. You can either simply write out the letters to some songs your kids love and decide on who plays which bells based on note name (the note name is printed on the top of each bell handle), or, even easier (particularly for younger kids), you can simply take a piece of paper and draw and color in circles to indicate the order of the notes and assign bells based on color.

From the perspective of a parent, it was so, so fun to see Laurel go crazy over these bells. She loved playing, whether in coordination with other family members, or working all of the bells on her own. Quite frankly, I probably should get around to music lessons for Laurel because her interest is definitely there and I know that she feels left out during the (rare) instances when Jon and I jam on guitar and mandolin (and she has made it clear that drums or triangle aren't going to cut it for her involvement). As you might imagine, after 20+ hard core years of violin training, I'll all about not being the parent who forces her kid into lessons of any sort. Meanwhile, handbells are a great, affordable way for Laurel to be able to create real notes without requiring the precision of finger placement or emboucher. (Piano or a portable keyboard is another option of course, but the color coding of the bells and the resonance seems to make the bells extra fun for kids.)

As for the family recital, it was pretty funny. Laurel wrote out an entire program, and it included her grandfather playing clarinet, Jon playing guitar, me singing, and her and her grandmother playing handbells. The recital included an eclectic mix of Christmas carols and Beatles songs and it was all wonky and silly and funny and wonderful.

And now, I can see why (or one of the reasons why) my parents always wanted us to have those family music recitals. It's not so much about the quality of the production as it is about the pure joy and fun of making music together.

Posted by Christine Koh on 6 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Art Supplies & Toys; Books & Entertainment; For Babies & Kids; For Grownups

Today, Jennifer shares her favorite beauty solution for the season:

A couple of weeks ago some gal pals and I went to a local salon, Lexington Nails in Lexington, to check a miraculous new gel-based nail polish we'd heard about called CND Shellac. Apparently it's strong enough to resist the smudges, chips, and fading that we moms experience all too quickly after treating ourselves to a manicure. Since the product is so new, this particular salon only offered a few colors, so I went with a basic pale pink just to be on the safe side. It took only 20-25 minutes to apply and dry under a UV lamp. It was crazy fast drying. Like, no-worries-digging-for-your-car-keys-in-your-handbag-right-after crazy fast. We all marveled at our nails over coffee afterward.

For the next several days I watched in fascination as, despite loads and loads of laundry, dirty dishes, and pulling apart teeny tiny Lego pieces upon my 7-year-old's request, my glossy, thick color stayed completely intact. I'm in love...hook, line, and Shellac! For the holidays I plan to rock the deep, deep red.

A couple of things to note though -- because of the awesomeness of the Shellac, the manicure is a bit more expensive; $20 at this particular salon vs. the normal $15. And, you are advised to come back to have it removed. Once my nails started to grow out in about a week, I found that regular nail polisher remover didn't cut it; they remove the Shellac with acetone wraps at the salon. And while this may seem a bit of a hassle, in my opinion -- particularly during this time of year, during which I have multiple mani-worthy events -- the benefit of the strength and quality of the manicure outweighs the need to go back to the salon for removal and reapplication (plus, I would venture to guess that you deserve 25 minutes to yourself every couple of weeks...).

You can check out CND's website for a list of salons near you. I noticed Lexington Nails wasn't on the list, so I'd call your favorite place to get the scoop. My guess is most salons will carry this soon!

Image credit: CND

Posted by Christine Koh on 5 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (4) | Filed in Bath, Beauty & Health; Beauty, Fitness & Wellness; Local

If you didn't have a chance to watch episode 5 of Life.Style live on Thursday, I highly recommend you check it out! It was a fantastic eco and budget friendly episode, in which Marie LeBaron of Make and Takes shared ideas for turning trash into craft treasure as well as nature inspired projects, and Allison Czarnecki of Petit Elefant offered awesome how-to's on home beauty remedies using five ingredients or less. I also shared some terrific video submissions showcasing clever ideas for inexpensive gift wrapping, as well as a few of my own inspiration points. Check out the segment to see additional images, video, and inspiration, but as promised, for easy reference below I link up leads shared by me and my guests. Enjoy!

Recycled craft inspiration shared by Marie LeBaron:

Egg carton art
Playtime menus with grocery ads
Milk jug snow scoop
Cardboard cell phones
New Year's noise makers

Nature inspired projects shared by Marie LeBaron:

Rock hunt
Rock museum
Start a science journal
Flower cards
Nature tic tac toe

Home beauty remedies shared by Allison Czarnecki:

Homemade face toner
Homemade sugar scrub
Natural deep hair conditioner
Homemade facial mask

Gift wrap inspiration shared by Christine Koh:

Comic book ornaments and paper garlands
Awesome recycled paper gift wrap ideas
Cool stamps
Make stamps even more fancy using an embossing tool

Also, I ran out of time and didn't have a chance to mention this on the show, but Marie LeBaron pointed me to a great site called Living Locurto, where you can download all sorts of printables. In the vein of giving plain bags or recycled gift wraps a fresh look, check out Living Locurto's free printable gift tags.

Posted by Christine Koh on 4 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Arts & Crafts; Bath, Beauty & Health; Eco Living; Holidays; Home; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Solutions; Web (Admin); Winter

Though Laurel now eats a lot more variety than she used to, I still experience a major thrill of victory when I cook a "grownup" meal that she actually loves. Such was the case last week when I decided to whip up lasagna for a casual dinner gathering. There are several things I love about this dish. 1. It's easy. 2. It's awesome (actually, wicked awesome). 3. I ended up tossing in tofu to bump up the protein and because we had a half block kicking around the fridge and no one even noticed it was in there. 4. The béchamel sauce makes it classy and deliciously creamy and is a nice alternative to ricotta. 5. It can be prepped the night before for low stress weekday meals. 6. It renders leftovers. Here's the how to:

Christine's Wicked Awesome Chicken Tofu Lasagna

Pregnancy hasn't slowed me down at all, but when I travel, I do now feel more acutely the burden of toting luggage along with my front-riding precious cargo. So I was thrilled to learn about Ellington's Amelia in-flight tote, which I put to the test last week during our Thanksgiving travels. Read on to learn more about this handy travel (or diaper bag!) solution, as well as to learn how to win an Ellington tote of your own!

The Amelia in-flight tote is a terrific solution for those who: a) like to organize all the myriad things they tote; and/or b) travel. Constructed of lightweight nylon, structured with two strap options (shoulder or a padded, detachable cross-body strap), and available in an array of modern colors (I love the burgundy, which looks more like plum/purple; shown above), this tote has a very compact silhouette. In fact, when I first pulled the bag out of the packaging I was concerned it was too small to carry everything I typically need on a business trip. But I was quickly proven wrong (more on that in a second).

From an organizational standpoint, this bag is a dream. There are four exterior pockets (not bulky at all) for easy access items, plus a zippered interior pocket (the paranoid traveler in me always wants to stow passports and boarding passes in a zippered pocket), and two interior mesh pockets for keeping things like water bottles upright or computer cords at bay. Then there are also two magnet-closure top entry exterior pockets along the front and back sides of the bag, one with additional interior organization. All of these pockets make stowing and then actually finding your things easy, and allow you to have certain items at varying levels of access. The bag also comes with a card wallet key ring and a plastic toiletries pouch (TSA approved on size).

But the feature that really sold me on the bag is so simple yet so key. The back side of the tote includes two horizontal zippers that -- when opened -- create a sleeve so you can slide the bag securely over your rolling luggage handle. I have had countless experiences where I've tried to balance my tote on top of my rolling luggage while rushing to make connections and it never works; the tote is always flopping all over the place and all the stopping and readjusting probably slows me down more than if I just bore the weight on my shoulder and walked slower. This might seem like a small thing, but it certainly hasn't felt that way, particularly when I have traveled on my own with Laurel hauling my stuff, anything she can't carry, a booster seat, and now a pregnant belly.

Now, $84 might seem a little spendy for a nylon travel tote, but I think it's a worthy investment. Not only does the Amelia tote work for general use and business travel (I fit my mini laptop, a stack of paper files, my DSLR in its cozy, plus all the other necessities I typically carry), but all the little compartments (not to mention the easy to clean-ness) offer another stream of use as a diaper bag. I imagine I'll use the bag in all three of these permutations for many years to come.

Now, want to win an Ellington tote of your own? Here's how:

Rules:

I've always been a proponent of assessing and using what you've got instead of always buying new. And if you're looking for a little inspiration in this domain, tune in to Life.Style with Christine Koh tomorrow at 1pm EST. I'll have two wonderful guests on to share awesome ideas for turning trash into craft treasure (i.e., perfect for crafty and non-crafty parents!) and making beauty remedies from natural ingredients around the house. I'll also be sharing some cool ideas for creative and inexpensive gift wrapping. You're welcome to call in or tweet questions during the live episode, or e-mail me a question in advance to pose to the experts.

And of course feel free to e-mail me if you have questions or if there are topics you'd love to see me cover!

Image credit: Petit Elefant

Posted by Christine Koh on 1 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Arts & Crafts; Bath, Beauty & Health; Gifts & Paper; Home; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Solutions; Web (Admin)