Happy Friday everyone -- are you ready for a spooky weekend? If you're looking to get some extra mileage out of this year's costume before the 31st, I've rounded up a bunch of Halloween (and other!) events going on this weekend. (Laurel is super excited to test drive her vampire costume this afternoon at our town center trick or treat!) I'd love to see your kids' costumes this year -- feel free to upload your photos to the Boston Mamas Facebook page to share the cuteness! And have a fantastic weekend!

Continue reading "18 Fun Weekend Picks" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 26 Oct 2012 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Halloween; Holidays; Local

If you've been trying to find less-bad-for-you candy to fill your Halloween bowl (or less-bad-for-you treats for your own stash), here's a new brand that Jon, Laurel, and I dig. I first tried UNREAL at SocialLuxe in NYC this past summer, and recently sampled the remaining of the suite of five classic candy replicas. They're a pretty close approximation to the classics in taste (ah, sweet delicious nougat...), but the really good news? They're made from responsibly sourced ingredients while containing less sugar, more protein and fiber, and no corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, synthetic colors, and other undesirables.

Continue reading "Feel Good Candy" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 24 Oct 2012 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Feeding & Nursing; Halloween; Holidays

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!

Continue reading "Weekly Blueprint" »

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

Hi folks, if you missed episode 2 of Life.Style with Christine Koh, I highly encourage you check it out. In addition to covering some great Halloween food and craft ideas, most of the episode was devoted to eating real food. I interviewed three fantastic guests: Meagan Francis (a mother of 5 from Michigan), who shared great tips for feeding a large family on a budget when natural/organic options are not abundant, Greer Bautz (a mother of 2 from Maryland), who offered tips for getting the most bang for your buck at Whole Foods, and April Paffrath (a mother of 1 from Cambridge), who shared ideas for sourcing local food through the year. I also give a sneak peek into the fantastic show I have planned for next week. Enjoy!

Posted by Christine Koh on 30 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Eco Living; Feeding & Nursing; Halloween; Holidays; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Web (Admin)

Finally, Halloween is almost here! And if your kids are looking for extra places to wear that costume, consider (in addition to a few previously listed ongoing spooktacular events): the Halloween Party at Ringer Park (Allston), Franklin Park Zoo Howl (Boston), Titus Sparrow Park Pre-Trick-Or-Treat Halloween Party (Boston), and Newton Community Service Center Halloween Fair. Also, on Sunday, kids 11 and under in costume (accompanied by a paying adult) can enjoy free admission to the New England Aquarium and on Boston DUCK Tours departing from the NEAQ. Sweet!

Image credit: New England Aquarium

Posted by Christine Koh on 29 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Halloween; Holidays; Local

I'm super excited about tomorrow's episode of Life.Style with Christine Koh! As follow up to last week's Halloween costume coverage, I'll chat fabulous and easy Halloween food and crafts in the first segment. And for the remainder of the show, inspired by this call to action, I'll interview three fantastic guests re: tips and tricks for eating real food on a budget (in one case, a family of seven!) and sourcing local throughout the year. So tune in at 1pm EST; you're also welcome to call in or tweet questions during the live episode!

Continue reading "Eat Real Food" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 27 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Eco Living; Feeding & Nursing; Halloween; Holidays; Home; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Solutions; Web (Admin)

Last year, I loved all of the suggestions that rolled in when I queried about Halloween candy alternatives on Twitter and Facebook. Particularly since I started doling out Halloween treats as a parent, it's been important to me to hand out items that are: a) natural/organic; and b) an alternative to food, in case of allergies. Definitely check out the Halloween candy alternative post for additional ideas, but today I wanted to share the affordable and chemical free goodies that will grace our Halloween bowl this year. Admittedly, I was surprised to see rather limited Halloween selections at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's this year so I stocked up on three primary treat items and will get the non-food items later this week:

Continue reading "Happy Halloween Bowl" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 25 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Eco Living; Halloween; Holidays

Wow, wow, wow. I had such a fun time launching Life.Style with Christine Koh on Thursday! Perhaps as a function of all of those years performing violin recitals and giving lectures, I wasn't nervous at all. There were a few unexpected things to deal with given that the show is live, but it all seemed to come off well! For episode 1, I interviewed Danielle Friedland of Healthy Child Healthy World about easy and inexpensive tips for green living (helpful whether you are just starting to think about making green change or want to amp up your current routine), and also shared a great roundup of ideas for Halloween costumes. I hope you'll check out the segment!

Posted by Christine Koh on 23 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Eco Living; Halloween; Holidays; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Web (Admin)

If Laurel could wear a costume every day, she probably would. Barring that, there are plenty of opportunities to get into the Halloween spirit a week in advance. In addition to a few previously listed ongoing spooktacular events, consider these weekend Halloween happenings: Halloween Fest at Prudential Center (Boston), Ipswich River Halloween Happenings, Wachusett Meadow Halloween Night Hike and Hayride (Princeton), Halloween Prowl at Moose Hill Sanctuary (Sharon), Boo at the Zoo (Stoneham), A Great Pumpkin Day! at Gore Place (Waltham), and EcoTarium's Great Pumpkin Fest (Worcester). And of course there's Laurel's gentle yet beloved Spooky Hayride at Wilson Farm.

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Christine Koh on 22 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Halloween; Holidays; Local

My dad used to tell me that I should be a lawyer, diplomat, or talk show host since, well, I love to talk with people. And as it turns out, tomorrow I'll take a step closer to the talk show host thing. I'm thrilled to announce that starting tomorrow, I'll host a weekly live talk video show (like talk radio, but streaming live on the web...apparently you can also tune in via iPhone or iPad) called Life.Style with Christine Koh via The Pulse Network. My goal for the show is to share and connect with people around living well, stylishly, happily, and practically -- I'll cover topics such as green living, parenting, pregnancy, holidays and celebrations, art and design, crafts, and food. Basically anything and everything!

Continue reading "Life.Style Launch!" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 20 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Arts & Crafts; Eco Living; Feeding & Nursing; Halloween; Holidays; Home; Life.Style with Christine Koh; Web (Admin)

What a relief it was to finally see the sun yesterday, and how awesome that we'll see it all (long) weekend long! Here are some events that warrant being on your radar: Immerse yourself in music and culture at the Fenway Alliance's Opening Our Doors festival and HONK!fest. Enjoy fall fun at Harvard Square's Oktoberfest, the Newburyport Fall Harvest Festival, and the Yarmouth Seaside Festival. And see how Salem rocks the Halloween party (every day now through the end of the month) via Salem's Haunted Happenings.

Image credit: Salem Haunted Happenings

Posted by Christine Koh on 8 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Fun Outdoors; Halloween; Holidays; Local

If you're like us, you're overrun with Halloween candy. I subsequently was thrilled to read Fairly Odd Mother's post about ways to put the candy to good use; namely, by donating the loot to troops overseas. Check out the leads Christina culled, as well as those by Cool Mom Picks. And if you're looking for local drop offs, bring your Halloween candy to Magic Beans (all 3 locations) through November 10 and trade it for 25% off a toy, or to Wellesley Dental Group where they'll buy back paper lunch bags full of candy for $1 then donate the candy to the troops (through November 13).

Continue reading "Pass The Candy" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 3 Nov 2009 | Permalink | Comments (4) | Filed in Beauty, Fitness & Wellness; Halloween; Holidays; Home; Local; Retail; Solutions

As a foodie, eco-geek, and mom of a kid apparently prone to cavities, Halloween causes me some angst. I don’t want to deprive Laurel and the neighborhood kids of candy but I don't like buying the preservative laden junk; I want to purchase good stuff (e.g., organic, fair trade) and candy alternatives without breaking the bank and/or getting my house toilet papered. I queried folks on Facebook and Twitter yesterday and got some great feedback. Below are some ideas from the community on alternatives to offer instead of – or in addition to – traditional candy. See also handy back editorial including Michelle’s tips for greening your Halloween and Tracy’s tips for promoting an allergy friendly Halloween.

Continue reading "Halloween Candy Alternatives" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 27 Oct 2009 | Permalink | Comments (9) | Filed in Feeding & Nursing; Halloween; Holidays

It takes a village…to get an awesome deal. And to score bargains in Boston and beyond, check out BuyWithMe. The concept is simple: BuyWithMe offers big discounts on local offerings (e.g., the $20 for $40 Diva Bistro voucher I purchased last night…woo hoo!), but the deal only flies if a minimum number of people sign up. Extra cool: BuyWithMe gave me an editorial heads up on today’s family friendly bargain with Smolak Farms in North Andover (which, incidentally, Laurel just visited for a school field trip), and are offering two lucky winners Smolak Farms vouchers (great for apple and pumpkin picking and many other goodies). Read on for the details:

Continue reading "Smolak Bargains With BuyWithMe" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 23 Sep 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Fun Outdoors; Halloween; Holidays; Local; Winter

Laurel loves the spectacle associated with holidays, and we subsequently try to strike a balance between celebration and reinforcing ideas about material alternatives and diversity during these times. As such, we’ve been enjoying a few “holiday alternative” titles from Positive Spin Press - All Hallows Eve, Christmas Eve, and Winter's Eve - which I’m reviewing today in conjunction with the Parent Bloggers Network.

Continue reading "All About Eve" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 21 Nov 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Books & Entertainment; For Babies & Kids; Halloween; Holidays