Per my previous post, welcome to this new series, in which I'll share everything from events to bargain alerts to other ideas and tips that spring to mind as useful and/or fun for the week. After considerable mulling, I decided to call the series Weekly Blueprint, because I think the name conveys a creative presentation of ideas and plans that are, ultimately, posed for your consideration (vs. including the term "to do," which suggests that I think you must do whatever it is I'm suggesting!). Enjoy, and please do drop me a line if you have suggestions for a future Weekly Blueprint!

October 31: Figure out how to sneak extra layers under your kids' Halloween costumes (long underwear! leggings!). Also, buy candy or other Halloween favors if you have procrastinated as I have.

November 1: Call someone you love and wish them a Happy November. Snap a photo of your kid(s).

By November 1: If this weekend's weather didn't already inspire you to action: procure winter gear. I ordered Laurel's snow bib, jacket, and boots from Lands' End last week and called in to get a priced adjustment when everything went on sale a couple of days ago. They're currently running a 30-50% off outerwear sale. Sweet!

November 1-6: Spread the Halloween wealth. Send candy to the troops (we've done this the past couple of years) or head to Magic Beans for their candy buy back (bring 1 pound+ of candy in exchange for 20% off one toy that day only...I highly recommend the Perplexus if they have it in stock!).

By November 3: Pick up easily lost items (I ordered gloves and hats yesterday) from Old Navy. They are running a 30% off sale until November 3 for cardholders.

November 4-6: Yowza, Christmas is on the horizon. The Christmas Festival at the Seaport World Trade Center runs Friday to Sunday and admittedly, mostly I want to see the gingerbread house creations!

November 4-6: Pottery Barn fans will swoon: the PBTeen pop up store arrives at the Natick Mall on Friday. Head over between November 4-6 for giveaways, design exploration, games, and a photo station.

By November 6: Buy one of these killer raffle tickets. Two dollars (or some multiple thereof) will do good + enter you to win a tote valued at $350.

By November 6: Remember that we fall back an hour on Sunday. Oh, darkness.

At your leisure: Browse the Mayor's Holiday Special website for discounted theatre tickets. I'm a big fan of experience-based, usable gifts at the holidays.

At your leisure: Score some off-season deals for yourself. I got some amazing deals at Anthropologie's sale section this weekend; not great for Boston right now, but perfect for my trip to Palm Springs next week.

At your leisure: If you haven't already, it's time to rotate your fast-growing children's clothing. If you have excess, swap with friends, or donate items to local charities such as Room to Grow or Cradles to Crayons. And/or list boxes online with thredUP (and score used gems for your kid).

At your leisure: If you're planning on getting flu shots for your family, book them now. (This reminder comes courtesy of the mom who forgot to take Violet to her flu shot appointment last week.)

Image credit: Lands' End

Posted by Christine Koh on 31 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fashion; For Little Ones; For Mamas & Mamas-to-be; Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Halloween; Holidays; Local; Winter
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

In reviewing the responses from the Boston Mamas survey (thank you, thank you to all who weighed in!), some themes emerged. Readers want more event picks (which I've addressed by adding weekday as well as weekend event roundups) and also general lifestyle ideas and money saving tips -- for kids and grownups. After pondering a few ways to go about addressing all of these different bits of information sharing, I decided to start a new series: a beginning-of-week post including a running list of everything from events to bargain alerts to other ideas, tips, and reminders that spring to mind as useful and/or fun.

When I started jotting down notes for this week -- based on things I took care of this weekend or need/want to do this week -- it reminded me a bit of Martha Stewart's magazine calendar page (minus the extensive gardening). I hope this week's inaugural column (next post) offers helpful tips and inspiration for the week. Please let me know if there are particular topics you'd like me to cover in the future, and of course if you have ideas for future weeks, drop me a line!

Thanks for being awesome. xoxo Christine

Image credit: Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Christine Koh on 31 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Web (Admin)
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

Having just recently returned from California, it's hard to believe I'm heading back in a couple of weeks for Camp Mighty. However, I'm super excited to engage in life happiness-centered connection and reflection, and the event organizers have built in an awesome charity component. Each attendee is responsible for raising $200 for charity: water, a non-profit dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

I'm teaming up with my dear friend (and camp roomie) Asha Dornfest of Parent Hacks and we're hoping you can help us reach (or exceed!) our collective $400 goal. Instead of asking for direct donations, we lifted the brilliant idea of a raffle from fellow attendee Amy (thanks Amy!).

So, you totally want to buy a raffle ticket (or 10!). We have an amazing tote full of goodies spanning home, office, tech, baby/kids, personal care, and jewelry. Value is approximately $350. For real! You can see a bigger picture of the overstuffed tote below the Paypal donation button (note not so subtle placement), plus a list of the contents.

Each ticket costs $2 and you may purchase as many as you like (e.g., $10 = 5 entries). We will collect raffle donations up until noon, Sunday, November 6. Anything Asha and I raise above our $400 goal will also go to charity:water so feel free to be generous! And thank you in advance for helping us do something good for those in need.

Tote includes: Sustainable Earth multipurpose cleaner, Filtrete water bottle, Measure Up portion control bowl, Chico bag recycled tote, Hama camera bag, signed copy of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, OXO staple remover, Robeez booties, HealthTracks record keeper, Baberoo organic baby socks (4pk), Skip Hop bottle tote, National Wildlife Federation stuffed animal, Baby K'Tan hat, Eric Carle growth chart, Ergo Baby organic front pouch, Leslie Graff stationery, Jabra bluetooth headset, Maclaren travel kit, Dr. Loretta Youthful Wri-Lax, Body Shop peppermint foot spray, Posh Peacock stationery, 2 Laylee Baby embellished onesies, Get Stoned jeweled pin.

Two more things:

1. If you'd prefer to make a direct donation, you can do so here. If you go this option, please write "Christine Koh + Asha Dornfest" in the Comment box.

2. Also, some of our fellow campers are fundraising creatively if you want to support them:

How is everyone doing getting ready for Halloween? Are you getting dressed up alongside your kids? Laurel is going to be a witch and Violet her black cat companion (Laurel has several years of coordinating costumes planned). I hope you have a fantastic weekend and enjoy this roundup of 16 Halloween inspired weekend picks:

1. The last SoWa of the season will be zombietastic.

2. Critters will abound at Zoo Howl.

3. Trick or treat for a cause at Pru Boo.

4. I'm tempted to go to the Linden Square Halloween Parade & Party just so I can go get my favorite salad at The Cottage afterwards.

5. Burn off the sugar rush at this dance party in Newton.

6. Celebrate Halloween Family Day at the Spellman Museum in Weston (and get inspired to send snail mail).

7. Search for the great pumpkin at Pumpkin Fest Weekend at The Discovery Museums in Acton.

8. Get lost in a corn maze at Halloween Kid's Day at Connors Farm.

9. Explore spooky critters at the Harvard Museum of Natural History's What's So Scary event.

10. Experience the theatre in a new light via the Strand Theatre Boo Bash in Dorchester.

11-16. Thanks to the Audubon, enjoy lots of Halloween and nature inspired activities in Wellfleet, Westport, Norfolk, Topsfield, Newburyport, and Natick.

Image credit: Absurdly adorable Halloween cake pops via Boogaboo on Etsy

Posted by Christine Koh on 28 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

I've been an avid label reader for well over a decade so it's been disturbing to learn about the US's lack of regulation when it comes to ingredient disclosure. I shared about this in 2008 regarding cleaning and personal care products and now I'm sharing about lack of disclosure and the food industry. Please read my post at the Stonyfield blog and take action to protect your loved ones via Just Label It's 8 steps (they're simple and doable, I promise!). And if you want to learn more, Stonyfield is hosting a free webinar on GMOs November 1 at 12pm EST.

Image credit: Just Label It

Posted by Christine Koh on 27 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Eco Living; Feeding & Nursing
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

Hello everyone -- I hope you've been having a fantastic week! I went off the grid longer than expected due to an amazing trip to California, the residuals of which left me a little loopy (we came in very early off a red eye flight yesterday morning) and also wanting to take a slower, more mindful pace as we re-entered life here at home. I need to take today to square up on various things; meanwhile, if you're interested you can read up on the trip (and see some lovely photos) here, and also, here are a few picks to enjoy this week.

Hello friends! I hope you're having a super week. I'm going off the grid for a few days so I thought I'd leave you with this weekend roundup a bit early. Enjoy! Also, a couple of fun media things. I've been meaning to share that a cute little picture of me, Laurel, and Violet is included in the October issue of Parents Magazine, along with a quote in an article on 10 healthy cities for families (Boston ranked #2!). And yesterday I was honored to learn that I was named to the Top 50 Twitter Moms of 2011 list at Babble (and #1 for most likeable...how sweet is that?). Thanks Babble, and definitely check out the rest of the women on the list -- I know many of them and they are truly awesome!

Now, on to the picks for this weekend!

1. A harvest festival in Beacon Hill.

2. Join the pumpkin party at the Boston Nature Center (BYOP or buy one on-site).

3. A quintessentially fall tradition in Boston.

4. Enjoy the pretty at Acton Open Studios.

5. Rock out with Bari Koral in Brookline.

6. Or for classical music lovers: the Boston Youth Symphony (known as GBYSO when I played with them back in high school) is playing this Sunday.

7. A good pick for Berenstain Bears fans.

8. A Halloween romp in Easton.

9. Celebrate the Mystic River.

10. A haunted playground in North Reading.

11. Critter inspired festivities at Boo at the Zoo.

12. A great pumpkin fest at the EcoTarium in Worcester.

And if you'd like to pick apples and pumpkins or get lost in a corn maze, check out this roundup from last week.

Posted by Christine Koh on 20 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local; Web (Admin)
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

I admittedly tend to shy away from plastic toys, but we recently caved and bought the Perplexus Maze Game, which Laurel couldn't stop talking about after learning about it from classmates. And I have to admit that this game is ridiculously fun. The 3D sphere comprises one long, convoluted maze track including three different entry points -- so, for example, you don't have to start at the beginning if you've already mastered section 1 of the maze. Following the maze requires careful rotation and keeping your eye on the ball.

The maze manages to be challenging (I'm still stuck on track section 2) yet doable (Laurel has already figured out track section 2), and the cognitive psychologist in me wonders whether the lasting enjoyment of this game relates to the fact that you're so concentrated on the track as you rotate that you rarely look at the big picture -- meaning, the maze always seems to look new and different when you approach it. Battery free and super fun for all (even baby Vi likes coming over and rolling it around on the floor...I think the sound of the marble rolling around inside appeals) -- it's a fantastic toy for home and travel.

Posted by Christine Koh on 19 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Art Supplies & Toys; Travel
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

I had a fantastic time experimenting more deeply (i.e., beyond the IKEA runs I've used the service for in the past) with TaskRabbit as the Boston spokeswoman for their Do More. Live More. Be More. campaign. I shared my mid-month recap a couple of weeks ago; below are my thoughts now that the campaign has come to a close. Also, read on for a discount code so you can give TaskRabbit a spin!

Here are the 6 general buckets I planned on working on at the beginning of the campaign:

Purging. Well, I still haven't gotten around to this one in a big way, partly because I haven't had a chance to go through my basement, and partly because I unloaded a bunch of Violet and Laurel's outgrown clothes at Isis and Family Swap Day when I was changing over their wardrobes for the season. I will keep this on my TaskRabbit to-do list because I still want to lighten our household load!

Pickups. I cannot say enough how fantastic TaskRabbit is for pickups, particularly since we are a one-car family and I almost never have the car during the weekdays. The service has proven handy for random pickups (e.g., drugstore, hardware store) as well as more specialized runs (e.g., birthday cakes, CSA). Last week I also experimented with using the service to pick me up at home and drop me off somewhere; it ended up being a little more expensive than a cab, but was definitely more pleasant!

Event planning. I haven't needed event planning help since Pivot (during which TaskRabbit was insanely helpful) but I'm planning a baby shower in early November and probably will use the service to help me take care of various things.

Household. As I mentioned in my mid-month post, almost all of Jon and my household to-do's cannot be outsourced. However, I was thrilled to be reminded by Rookie Moms Heather and Whitney (who participated in the same campaign as the Bay Area spokeswomen) about using TaskRabbit for yard work. I cannot believe I didn't think of this earlier! We don't have a huge yard, but weeding and general upkeep has completely fallen to the wayside since Violet arrived. I'm totally going to post to have someone take care of that! Probably in advance of the baby shower I'm hosting.

Travel. I haven't yet used TaskRabbit for travel errands but I have a couple of trips coming up and will probably use them last minute to help me square up on logistics. Or better yet, to deliver a few surprises to Jon and the girls while I'm away.

Virtual assistant. As I mentioned mid-month, outsourcing work matters is hard for me, but the other week I gave it a go and had a rabbit do some data entry and research for me. It was fantastic and I will totally do it again. I also like Heather and Whitney's idea of hiring a rabbit to distribute promotional postcards. Since I operate Boston Mamas on a shoestring I don't take out ads or anything like that. So this would be a fun "small budget" way to help get the word out about my site.

Concluding thoughts:

This outsourcing experiment has been really fantastic, and I'm grateful to TaskRabbit for asking me to be a part of the campaign. It's also been great to see how far TaskRabbit has come. When I first tested out the service, I was a very happy customer, but since that time, they have added a lot of features to improve the interface. Some of my favorites:

I hope you enjoyed the gorgeous weekend! Ours was full of fun stuff like soccer, play dates, baking (to celebrate our oven finally being fixed we made pumpkin bread and spinach pie...yum), and a stellar dinner at Oleana to celebrate my birthday. So. lovely. Meanwhile, I hope you're gearing up for a fantastic week; here some fun event ideas, spanning Halloween festivities, theatrical spectacle, nature exploration, relaxation for the whole family, water sport, and a pick for parents of girls. Enjoy!

Image credit: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Christine Koh on 17 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Food & Drink; Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

As part of Momversation and Ragú®'s Mom's the Word on Dinner Program, I recently chatted with Daphne Brogdon and Caroline Murphy about grocery shopping with kids. I've embedded the video below for your viewing pleasure (it's about two and a half minutes long) and would love to hear whether you find family outings to the grocery store super helpful, utterly exhausting, or somewhere in between. Feel free to weigh in below in the comments or over at the Ragú® Sauce Facebook page (where a very lively convo is brewing!).

Note: This video was produced in partnership with Ragú® and Momversation's Mom's the Word on Dinner Program. You can find out more about the program and join in on the conversation at the Ragú® Sauce Facebook page.

Image credit: digitalart via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Family Issues; Momversation; Web (Admin)
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

Today, Stacey Sao of Boston Central kindly tags in with a guest post sharing some of her favorite spots for fall fun (thankfully, the forecast looks good for the weekend so you can take advantage!):

Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year in New England; I love taking in the sights of fall foliage against a brilliant October sky, the smells of hot cider, and the crispness of the air. It's the perfect opportunity to create some time-honored autumn traditions with your family so I wanted to share some of my favorite spots to savor the season.

Apple & Pumpkin Picking

There are many local farms and orchards that offer pick your own fruits in the Boston area -- a few of our favorites include:

When Laurel started using a locker at school, I was immediately transported back to the days where I'd gaze lovingly at magazine cutouts in my locker between periods. Included were the likes of Michael J. Fox, Rob Lowe, and Duran Duran (and yes, I had coordinated pieces of flair for all of these artists on my denim jacket). Subsequently, I was feeling rather nostalgic when I heard that Duran Duran is playing at the Wang Theatre in Boston on October 28. Reps for the show kindly offered me tickets but I wanted to pass them along to one of you awesome readers, so read on to learn how to enter to win! Meanwhile, now I can't get Hungry Like the Wolf out of my head.

Rules:

In my ongoing quest to find protein-rich vegetarian meals for kids, I picked up a package of Harmony Valley vegetarian hamburger mix at Whole Foods and knocked together a batch of vegetarian chili yesterday for a gathering with friends. Though I've always found the make-vegetarian-food-look-like-meat thing a little odd, now I get it. Especially when you need help transitioning someone from non-vegetarian to vegetarian eating. This chili was a huge hit -- Laurel loved it and the grown up guests were clamoring too. Here's the how-to:

Ingredients:

We're hosting friends today so I'm just popping in quickly to share some fun event ideas for this week, spanning Hispanic culture, green living, babywearing, fossils, a shopping extravaganza, opera for kids, and a lovely event for bookworms young and old. Have a great Monday and to my friends northward, Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Image credit: JFK Library & Museum

Posted by Christine Koh on 10 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

Today, Stacey Sao of Boston Central kindly shares a guest post including a fantastic roundup of activities for the holiday weekend:

Happy October! This massive event roundup should help everyone get into the autumn groove. There is much to cover so I'll just get to it! On the fall festival scene, there'll be lots to see and do at the Annual Cranberry Harvest Celebration in Wareham. If pumpkins are more your thing, you can pick out this year's pumpkin at Pumpkin Day at Bourne Farm in Falmouth. In Providence, families are invited to see thousands of nifty jack-o-lanterns at the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Zoo. It's also the final week to visit the Topsfield Fair.

If you're heading up to New Hampshire to get a sneak peek at the foliage, you can swing by the Pumpkin Festival at Charmingfare Farm in Candia, the Warner Fall Foliage Festival, or the Milford Pumpkin Festival featuring the famous Punkin' Chunkin' Air Cannon.

For Columbus Day weekend, take advantage of the extra day off at the MFA's Annual Fall Open House with free admission and special activities to enjoy. In addition, The Fenway Alliance: Opening Our Doors Day 2011 will be granting free access to 22 other cultural gems in the Fenway Alliance. View the entire list of venues that will be welcoming visitors at no charge this Columbus Day. Additionally, you can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the JFK Library & Museum with a festive Mariachi Band Performance with Veronica Robles free of charge.

For those who love a quest: Partake in a fun, outdoor Columbus Day Scavenger Hunt at Gore Place in Waltham. Or, if you dig archaeology, check out the AIA-Museum of Science Archaeology Fair at the Museum of Science for lots of interactive exhibits. If you are on the hunt for a great deal, swing by Family Swap Day in Somerville with a bag of gently-used clothing, toys, games & costumes, then fill up a bag full of new-to-you consignment treasures to take home. Recycle and rejoice! Finally, if a new pet is what you seek, trek on up to the New England Reptile Expo. You'll find reptiles, invertebrates, and amphibians galore!

On the music and theatre scene, The King & I is playing at the North Shore Music Theater. This show is a real crowd pleaser with lots of singing, dancing, and an amazing set. At the Regent Theatre in Arlington, SteveSongs (aka Mr. Steve from PBSkids) is back in town for a fun new CD Release Concert. And on the literary front, the Wellesley Players will be performing Little Women, the Musical.

Lastly, the food truck craze that's been sweeping the nation will be hitting Metrowest in Framingham on Sunday. Enjoy your favorite foods to the tunes of live music at the WBLX Monster Food Truck Festival at Shoppers World.

For lots more family-friendly event choices this month and all year long, visit BostonCentral.com.

Image credit: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Christine Koh on 7 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

In May, I wrote about Laurel encouraging us to start up vegetarian week every month. Since that time, she's increasingly gone off meat and this summer decided to become a vegetarian. We're not a huge meat eating family to start with, but I know that being a vegetarian has challenged her at times, particularly when she's thought about tuna melts, moussaka, and my chicken tenders. And it's not quite as simple as just putting a salad in front of her, because even though Laurel consumes a lot more veggies than she used to, veggies are more of an accompaniment than the main attraction for her. And some easy options -- such as falafel and hummus -- haven't been received favorably.

We've told Laurel not to be hard on herself; that if she wants to be vegetarian, that's great, but that if she adjusts her plan and eats meat once a week (or whatever) she's still doing something amazing. But she's holding fast. So we're trying to support her and come up with new food ideas. At the moment, here are her favorites:

Oh my goodness, I'm still on a high from the awesome that was Pivot Boston last night! It was a huge amount of work putting together this two hour event but it was so gratifying! We sold out, our waitlist was overflowing, the positive energy was buzzing like crazy, people were asking about another event (I do, in fact, have an idea for a second Pivot...), and there were just so many incredible attendees, spanning a wide range of ages, interests, and backgrounds. Having made a big career pivot myself, it was moving to see so many people seeking passion in life. Yay!

Now, it goes without saying that this event couldn't have happened without help. This was a volunteer effort; a passion project by me and my co-hosts Morra, Whitney, and Roxanna. Our amazing assistant Kaitlyn and a couple of other fine helpers were invaluable. And then there are our sponsors. I wanted to take a moment to call them out. Because they are awesome and also took a gamble and supported us on this first-ever venture.

Thank you to:

Today, Kate shares a home fitness recommendation (shockingly well timed as I've been thinking of taking ballet but haven't found a class that works with my schedule):

I have written before of my love of ballet, a love that has been kept at a very long arm's length by my lack of necessary talent, drive, and height. However, a recent discovery allows me to feel like a prima ballerina for a few minutes each day: Ballet Conditioning -- a wonderful DVD by Element (the producers of Pilates Weight Loss for Beginners) -- offers several hours of appealing and fun exercises, all based on classical ballet positions and stretches and all aimed at toning and lengthening different muscle groups.

With my desk chair serving as a barre, the positions bring me back to the ballet classes of my childhood -- tendu! plié! port de bra! -- and I have a moment of living inside the grace and elegance of dance. But don't be fooled: this is a hard workout that will leave your thighs burning and your arms feeling like rubber.

Posted by Christine Koh on 4 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Books & Entertainment; For Grownups; Sports & Fitness
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! After knocking off a huge deadline on Friday (that was hanging over me all of September), it was so wonderful to decompress and enjoy the weekend with Laurel and Violet. Even though I miss Jon when he's away, I find it really fun to fly solo with the girls -- we had the best time! Anyhow, I wish you all a lovely week, and if you're looking for stuff to do, here are some fun event ideas for this week, spanning haunted happenings, salamanders, autism education, reading initiatives, stargazing, trains, and eco-living. Enjoy!

Image credit: How Stuff Works

Posted by Christine Koh on 3 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious

It's been two weeks since I embarked on the Do More. Live More. Be More. challenge. I'm curious about whether you have shared a promise for the campaign -- it's a reflective task that's easy and enters you to win cool prizes (I mean, really, who doesn't dig cool prizes?). Anyway, I wanted to report in about how my challenge is going. The six buckets I wrote about experimenting with were: purging, pickups, event planning, household, travel, and virtual assistant.

Purging. This is a tough one, I haven't gotten to it yet. I ended up dropping off one bag of baby clothes to Isis (for Room to Grow) since I was going there anyway but I otherwise haven't done any major purging, primarily because I need to set aside time to drag out what needs to be purged. Perhaps I need to hire a rabbit to help me with that!

Pickups. TaskRabbit has been a huge help here. We're still a one-car family (though admittedly, this is becoming more challenging, particularly as it relates to transporting Laurel and her friends around) and most days of the week I do not have the car. I have used TaskRabbit to help me get items at the hardware store, pick up a birthday cake, and track down copies of Parents magazine (I'm in the October issue!). All of these things are super helpful (the birthday cake pickup saved me yesterday!) but one thing that has made a huge difference is hiring a rabbit to do our CSA pickup. We knew from the start that the timing of the pickup is not great for our schedule but we're committed to our CSA. Having someone take care of the pickup for us (Bev, you rock!) has been fantastic, allowing our family to have a lovely and relaxed transition into evening and dinner. So nice.

Event planning. The preparation for Pivot has been insane. It was awesomely helpful to have a rabbit help stuff my Posh Peacock goodie bag contributions and the Boston TaskRabbit team is amazing and offered to help out with many Pivot tasks that were going to be hard for our little co-hosting team to coordinate (e.g., transporting goodie bags, picking up refreshments), as well as helping us with a rabbit for check in at the event. So if you need help with event planning, hire some rabbits to help you rock your party!

Household. Jon and I have a lot of to-do's here but unfortunately almost all of them cannot be outsourced. With the exception that I'm considering hiring someone to fix the paint job I did on our front door (whoops).

Travel. I definitely have some needs here but travel planning has been on the back burner while I close out some major client deadlines and events.

Virtual assistant. As I predicted, this is the hardest bucket for me. I just don't know where to start and what to outsource. I need to think about this some more because I really could use some help!

That's where I'm at! What am I missing? What would you love to outsource? And don't forget to go share a promise!

Image credit: Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Christine Koh on 2 Oct 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Home; Mama in the Workplace; Solutions
Share: Facebook   kirtsy   StumbleUpon   Delicious