How to Identify + Treat Poison Ivy
Today, Hillary of Mass Audubon shares a primer on identifying and treating poison ivy:
My gardening skills are subpar, at best. When we moved into our house, we were blessed with beautifully organized and manicured gardens. Now, it's a bit overgrown with who-knows-what growing in between. And it's the who-knows-whats that scare me. Not just because there could be weeds or invasive plants, which there are. But also lurking: poison ivy. The mosquitoes torture us enough -- the last thing my family needs is another excuse to itch.
I am, obviously, a big fan of the internet. And while my adventures around the web largely swirl in the domains of writing and online shopping, I'm always super impressed when service-based companies step it up and take advantage of technology to make getting stuff done easier. Such was my experience with 
Today, 
These days, I've been using the word epic with some regularity, there's just been so much good stuff going on! And today, I have something to share that is truly epic in the fun department. I'm teaming up with some wonderful bloggers to offer you an epic May giveaway including a 
Today, 
Today, 
Today, 
I have always loved the symbolism of birthstones. Arguably the best gift I ever gave (with my six siblings) was the seven-stone (!) birthstone ring I designed for my mom (whose wedding band had gone missing many years before). Subsequently, I was disappointed when I couldn't attend 
I've been so grateful for some happy things that have been happening around the internet, many of which went live last week while my brain was largely unable to focus on anything other than our dear city and my little family. So I wanted to take a moment today to share these happy things. Oh, and also, two really awesome photos. Here's why I'm now the (unofficial) fan club presidents of the 
One of the most beautiful things about the online space is how incredibly nimble people can be to make awesome things happen. In October when I traveled to Ethiopia as part of the 
I'm thrilled to announce a new blog post series that I've crafted with lovely (and long-time!) contributor 
Today, 
I love necklaces. Except when they're clumped and tangled, as most of my collection has been for some time now. I was planning on buying a cork board to make sense of the mess, and then this past weekend, as I stared disdainfully at furniture packaging that needed to be broken down for recycling, I had a light bulb moment: turn the large Styrofoam sheets into jewelry boards! It would save the effort of breaking down the material to fit into our recycling bin, and save me the cost of cork boards! Here's the how-to for this ridiculously easy and awesome project:
Today, Hillary of 
Today, Hillary of 
When 
Today, 
I love when I can be the chill mom who doesn't care about another snow day. But the reality is that that is not where I'm at right this second; my work load is very heavy and Violet hasn't been sleeping well (cue zombie mom music). Given that everything in Massachusetts seems turned upside down today, I'm skipping the Weekly Blueprint and instead present you with what offered a wonderful source of cabin fever relief this weekend: a recipe for ridiculously easy and yummy gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, 5 ingredients, 10 minutes of prep time, and 10 minutes of baking time is all that stands between you and a dose of happy.
Today, Jane (also of 
We've lived in our house for over four years, and while I'm grateful for the walls that bring us warmth and comfort each day, I have also, admittedly, been itching to move. It's currently more of a recreational fancy (oh, Trulia, how I've been enjoying your app!) but moving has been enough of a point of conversation that I've needed to talk Laurel down about it more than a few times. So when 
I love sending and receiving holiday cards. And since becoming a parent, I have fully embraced that it doesn't really matter when you send them -- the point is to reconnect in a way that matters to you whenever you have the chance to do it. (For example, one year we sent our holiday greetings in March...we had many people tell us they loved receiving cards off peak season!) As has become the norm, my holiday cards did not make it out before Christmas (the last batch is going out in the mail today), and it was so delightful to create them and even 
I'm so proud to work with the American Cancer Society and it was super fun to put together 
For me, part of 
Happy Monday everyone -- I hope you had a great weekend! This was an unusually busy weekend for us, which Jon and I kicked off by attending the 
Today, 
Well, so. No school tomorrow. Last week was frightfully busy and my family is still recovering from the craziness of my fall travel, so this weekend I told myself, Don't work! Play with Jon and the girls! Work can wait until Monday! We enjoyed a lovely, lazy weekend and now here we are, with Monday (and possibly Tuesday) off. Part of me is a bit freaked out about all of the work I need to tend to, and part of me realizes I just need to embrace the adventure. So I thought I'd garner some inspiration from my own archives and also share them with you. Many of the ideas are fun to do with the kids while also being somewhat productive! Here's to hoping we've got power...and stay safe everyone!
Today, Jane (also of 
Our final site visit in Ethiopia represented the awesome and the ironic. 
Happy Monday -- I hope you all are enjoying the long holiday weekend! As you probably know, I'm in Ethiopia right now on a mission trip with 
Today, 
A few weeks ago I arrived home from 
I love cooking, but like many parents, on weekdays I need dinners to come together fast (often one handed while I haul around Violet, whose latest great delight is honking my nose repeatedly). We've been in a bit of a food rut, so when my friend 
Today, Jane (also of 
I have developed a deep appreciation for many things in the six years since I started this blog, and two of those things are photography and daily reflections of gratitude. So when my talented friend 
Today, 
Come this Saturday, three of my sisters will have married within seven months (!), and each celebration has served as a lovely way to reconnect with extended family. Which has prompted me to revisit my 
Today, 
Happy Monday everyone -- I hope you enjoyed a wonderful first official weekend of summer! We took a quick trip to celebrate my father-in-law's retirement from ministry. It was major from a quantitative perspective (a 41 year career including 2,000 or so sermons!) and it was also quite moving to be present for his final sermon and to witness the love of the community. What a gift, and I hope all of us experience such connection and meaning in our lives. We're now back and sorting out our summer routine for the week (every week is apparently going to be different around here); here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's 
Today, 
When I was in middle school, my pride and joy was my small purple tape player, through which I would blast (I'm using that term generously) my New Edition and Whitney Houston tapes (procured from BMG of course) and otherwise try to catch favorite tunes via the radio. However, in the years that have passed, despite loving music (in addition to general listening, I was a violinist for 20+ years), I've found my listening habits hampered by evolving technology; for example, choosing aesthetics over music when it came to big ugly speaker units, missing the radio with iPod sound dock systems, and enjoying Pandora (a lot) but only being able to access it when I was working on my laptop.
Today, Jane (also of 
Pursuant to yesterday's 
Happy Monday everyone -- I hope you enjoyed lots of time outside during the glorious weekend (a stark contrast to today...)! I'm in Washington, DC right now for a short client-related trip and will head home later today, and I'm feeling quite nostalgic being here. I first spent time in the DC area back during college when I served as a White House intern, and then lived just outside the District when Jon was in graduate school. I wish I was here for longer to walk around and soak everything in but I'm thinking it would be fun to visit as a family sometime soon. Meanwhile, I hope you're all getting ready for a great week. Here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's 
Today, Hillary of 
Today, 
Today, 
Happy Monday everyone -- I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I also hope you are able to see this post, or, if you can't see it, that you will be able to see it soon. Last week I finished the server migration process and things have since remained a bit wonky for some folks (e.g., not being able to see the most recent posts, permalinks not working). However, thanks to the fantastic customer service of my site host, I think we have the last kinks ironed out -- thanks so much for your patience and to those who wrote in letting me know of tech trouble! Meanwhile, here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's 
Today, 
Happy Monday everyone -- I hope you had a relaxing weekend and April vacation (if your kids were off last week)! We had a lovely week but I'm also happily ready to get back into the swing of things with work this week. I'm even happy about all of this rain since it will help along the flower bulbs Laurel and I planted during the break. Anyway, there's lots of great stuff going on around town this week. Here's a roundup of fun events + some handy/interesting/pay it forward ideas to consider in this week's 
It is enormously gratifying when ideas that I propel into the world not only stick, but help people minimize stress and clutter. During my Do Less As a Life Strategy talk at BlissDom in February, someone asked me about e-mail management and I shared my "3-touch rule." And then a couple of days ago (about two months later!), there was a bunch of Twitter chatter between 
Happy Monday everyone -- I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Laurel and I had an amazing 
Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead -- if you observe Easter and/or Passover, I hope your reflections and celebrations are wonderful. I am off with Laurel today and she loves all things holiday projects so we have a 
I love photography and have approximately a bajillion digital photos sitting on my hard drive, but I definitely struggle with helping these images see the light of day (it wasn't until just before Violet's first birthday that I finally got a photo of her on the wall...doh). So I'm always intrigued to learn about easy ways to turn photos into gifts and art, particularly since Laurel and Violet's grandparents love photo gifts. Today, 
Today, 
Today, 
Today, 
Good morning friends -- I hope you had a great weekend! For the first time in what seems to be a long time, we found the perfect blend of relaxed family time, focused grownup conversation time, new adventures (roller skating!), reconnecting with old friends, taking care of household chores, and even some work time for me. It sounds like a lot but weirdly, it all came together in a very easy way and didn't ever feel as if we were pushing too hard. I need to bottle up whatever it was we did to make that happen! Meanwhile, I hope you're gearing up for a great week -- here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's 
Today, Hillary of 
Today, Jane (also of 
Happy Monday -- I hope you had a lovely weekend and are gearing up for an excellent week. Of note in my sphere is that I will be introducing the new Boston Mamas contributors very soon, diving into book writing mode (Asha and I just started a 
Even though the process can become messier and the results less perfect, I love baking with kids. It makes for a fun project (just this week we had a friend of Laurel's over for a baking play date -- so fun!), offers yummy rewards, and you can choose to work in some math teaching if you like. Laurel and I recently tried a new (to us) cookie recipe from Lori Longbotham's 
Today, 
Happy February! While I don't pay much attention to Valentine's Day from a commercial standpoint -- Jon and I don't exchange gifts -- the day does offer a fun inspiration point for crafts and food around our house. (Plus, I love the colors red and pink!) As I've mentioned before, I adore 
Because I'm all about reducing physical and emotional clutter in life (I'm even speaking about this topic at 
Every holiday season since 
Hello everyone -- apologies for the radio silence! I considered posting from the road but decided to be present and immerse myself in 
Pursuant to yesterday's 
This past weekend I co-hosted a 
Greetings all! I hope you're all adjusting to the time change. Did anyone else's kids fight bedtime yesterday, despite the "You know, it's actually an hour later than now" argument? And did anyone else not get their extra hour of sleep (my kids still woke up super early)? Anyway, how about a fresh start? Here are some fun ideas for your consideration in this week's 
Sometimes kids come up with the most brilliant ideas. I wanted to make pumpkin bread the other week (our oven finally got fixed so I've been on a bit of a baking bender) and Laurel suggested that we make a cream cheese frosting and call it cake. Brilliant. I doubled/adjusted slightly this 
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 
In my ongoing quest to find protein-rich 
It's been two weeks since I embarked on the 
Today, 
Today's 
Ever since signing on last year as one of 
Today, 
Since the sad passing of friend and Boston Mamas contributing writer 
Hello friends! Per usual, the web was replete with interesting tips and inspiration this week. Here are some links that I thought you'd find interesting -- enjoy!
My friends Anne and Michael live in London, and during a recent visit stateside, they introduced me to the term "butler's salad," which apparently refers to a salad comprised of pantry (or refrigerator) odds and ends. I couldn't get enough of Anne's butler's salad, and ever since that visit I've been inspired to eat a lot more greens (and make use of random leftovers from the fridge). However, given the frequency with which I'm now consuming salad and the fact that I'm often assembling while carrying baby Violet, I've also found it super helpful to do some prep work in advance. Here are my 4 steps to building an awesome butler's salad:
I recently wrote about getting back to basics with 
A couple of months ago I discovered how remarkably easy it is to 
Over the holiday weekend we had friends over for our first grilling and chilling of the season and as I was flipping through 
Hello everyone -- I hope you have fantastically relaxing plans for the Memorial Day long weekend! We're going to be staying local and keeping it low key since June will be a bit crazy, but at the very least, yummy food and fun and games with Laurel and Violet are on the docket. (Admittedly, hopefully we'll also chip away a bit at some household to do's.) Meanwhile, I thought I'd share 12 bits of web awesomeness to entertain you over the long weekend. Enjoy! 
I recently saw Jennifer of 
Though Laurel has been more experimental with vegetables since we embarked on our CSA journey last year, green vegetables (save cucumbers) remain a sticking point. Until recently, when my sister Jenn brought over a spinach pie and Laurel shocked me by both offering to try it (usually I have to ask) and loving it. So of course I was eager to find an easy recipe to take advantage of this new love. And I found it in 
I consider myself a total eco-geek, but clearly you can never stop learning. I picked up tons of 
In the weeks following Violet's birth, I have been utterly touched by the kindness and generosity of many people, and Jon has encouraged me time and again to not be too proud -- to take people up on their offers to help. Even so, shortly before the April break, I was hesitant to accept a dinner drop off offer from my friends Eli and Sheri of 
Natalie Zee Drieu and I are virtual kindred spirits around all things stylish and crafty. In addition to sharing fabulous finds at her blogs 
I met Joslyn Taylor of 
Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be a bit quiet this week. It's my first school vacation with Laurel and Violet and I'm excited to spend some time relaxing with the girls. We're planning on seeing friends, climbing trees (I'm actually thinking about trying it), finding crazy ways to wrap presents, making the best lemon cake ever for my mother-in-law's birthday, and probably snuggling a lot while reading piles of books (Violet's proven an impressively captive audience so far). And if there's any time leftover, I hope to get a handle on some client work and do a little 
I had a fantastic time chatting with Paige Lewin of 
One of the indulgences associated with my first week recovering at home with Violet was watching a little daytime TV while nursing; in particular, The Nate Berkus Show. I met Nate at BlogHer and enjoyed 
Words cannot sufficiently express how much I adore Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase. These ladies are smart, funny, and have fantastic taste -- and they share all of their favorite picks via 
Today's 
Whether you're early or late in your pregnancy, read on for my thoughts on 
Well, friends, my due date is St. Patrick's Day, but clearly, I'm not going to be the only lucky one. I 
Today, 
What a fantastic episode of Life.Style this week! I chatted about 
I had a bit of a 
This past weekend my friend Michelle hosted a Valentine's party that allowed the daughters to hang out and the moms to chat. And I loved the low-stress, communal way she structured the gathering. Michelle asked everyone to bring a food contribution and also a small token to put in each of the Valentine's goodie baskets she picked up for the girls. I decided to make cute little card kits and Laurel and I had a great time assembling them. I highly recommend something like this for favors for kids who like to craft. Here's the how-to:
Today, from 
I have some friends from the Midwest who joke regularly about the awful (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) casseroles they grew up on, but there is something so wonderfully easy and practical about the concept of one-dish meals that cover the protein, veggie, and starch angles. This week I was on "casserole patrol" duty to help a friend in need and was utterly thrilled with this 
Today, 
Today, 
One thing that I quickly learned with Laurel is that her level of content is completely different depending on whether I'm doing something not-so-present such as, say, checking my e-mail vs. crafting alongside her. Of course, her favorite kind of time is when we're working on the same project (e.g., we're finishing a really crazy quilt right now -- Laurel has become impressively facile with my sewing machine!), but when she's working on something like latch hook or pot holders, I'm kind of left hanging. So I've been thinking of -- and getting excited about -- revisiting knitting.
Though I found myself a tad depleted at the end of the whirlwind of holiday gatherings and guests we hosted, one thing I love about entertaining is assembling menus and trying out new recipes. (Admittedly -- perhaps not surprisingly given yesterday's 
I love gifting photo calendars. Yes, it takes a bit of effort to collect the photos (and, if you're like me, neurotically arrange them so that the photos are seasonally in line with the months), but they're always a hit, particularly with Laurel's grandparents, who not only love the photos, but also favor paper date keeping. And last month I was thrilled to discover 
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 
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: 
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 
Wow, I learned so much via my amazing guests on 
If you didn't have a chance to watch 
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 
Hands down, my best investment this year has been my 
Last week I had the pleasure of being in on a joint blogger interview with the talented (and adorable) 
If you didn't have a chance to watch 
I'm not sure what my problem is, but I'm having the hardest time wrapping my brain around the fact that Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday!) is next week. If you also need help getting in the holiday spirit, and/or want to pick up some awesome tips and inspiration, tune in to 
One of the best gifts I have ever come up with was back when I was in graduate school. For my mother's 60th birthday I enlisted my six siblings to go in on a big gift: a custom designed mother's ring to replace her wedding ring that had been lost (um, thrown out a moving car window by a toddler) many years before. (I wanted to go with custom because everything I saw ready-made on the market looked tacky, plus we needed something that could be styled awesomely to accommodate seven stones.) I've subsequently always loved the idea of mother's jewelry, but for those of us in our childbearing years, many of the options seem so, well, permanent. Which is one of the reasons I fell in love with 
Thanks to 
On 
Wow, I truly cannot get over the awesomeness of 
Do you -- like me -- enjoy taking pictures but want to take your photography to the next level of awesome? Then tune in to 
Thanks to 
I'm super excited about tomorrow's episode of 
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 
Today, 
Today, 
I've been meaning to post for a while now about some utterly lovely pottery we've been enjoying. During a hunt for unique Korean style pottery, I discovered Grace Lee's Vancouver-based studio 
Today, parent educator 
Our CSA has been rendering loads of zucchini, and in addition to enjoying it in the form of 
Here are some links that caught my eye this week, and that I curated over at 
Though in general I advocate for less of the unnecessary, every now and then something material catches my eye and refuses to budge from my periphery. Such was the case last weekend when Laurel and I were in Porter Square, picking up some Japanese pastries and browsing 
One thing I adore about the return of cool fall weather is baking. And this week Laurel and I busted out our first batch of fall cookies. We decided to try something new: the chocolate-chocolate chunk cookies from Lori Longbotham's 
As I mentioned last week week, Laurel wanted a unicorn party for her sixth birthday. It suits me perfectly that she prefers small gatherings at home; we hosted a super fun unicorn party that was pretty low maintenance while still being utterly unicorn-tastic. Below is the how-to for pulling the party together. And thematically, you could swap elements to tailor the party to your child's interests (e.g., horses, dinosaurs, fairies, etc.). Enjoy!
Today, a handy tip from 
Following a busy summer and lovely Labor Day weekend celebrating Laurel's birthday, it's been fun to get caught up on blog reading. Here are some links that caught my eye this week, and that I curated over at 
To celebrate Laurel's birthday this past weekend, it was all about unicorns and rainbows. I'll be posting a unicorn party how-to soon, but first, I wanted to share how I made the rainbow cake. I made two rainbow cakes -- one for her girlfriend party on Sunday and one for her family party on Monday -- and in both cases, the kids and grownups went berserk over it, with many grownups asking how I did it. Here's the tutorial:
Last week I took the time to cook something from my pre-parenting days. I was enjoying the 
A couple of weeks ago I hosted my mom's birthday party and asked my siblings to bring dishes for potluck. Since my family is so large, it's always fun to see what people bring, and for this event, they did not disappoint; to accommodate my mom's food preferences we prepared mostly vegetarian and the array of colors and flavors was fantastic. There was a lot of great food that day, but the dish I went back for seconds (and, admittedly, thirds) on was my sister-in-law Estelle's quinoa and black bean salad. I've heard a lot of talk about quinoa this year (it's a good source of protein and is high in fiber, among other things) but hadn't gotten around to trying it yet. Now I'm a total convert.
As a 
Laurel started attending day care part-time when she was 9 months old, and a large part of the communal learning environment since then has -- to my initial chagrin -- revolved around labeling her things. But oh do easy to use labels (read: no sewing whatsoever) make all the difference. Once I started using 
A few birthdays ago, Jon gave me the incredibly thoughtful and generous gift of flower "credits" at a local florist; over the course of three or so months, I walked around the corner and picked up fresh flowers whenever I wanted them. It made me so happy to have cheerful blooms in the house, and I feel that same happiness to this day, whether we pick up flowers at the market or receive a delivery to our door (which reminds me that I need to order a thank you bouquet for my in-laws, who took care of Laurel 
I have been a fan of 
Even though we've been in our home for two years, we're still not completely settled, and one area of the house that troubled me for a long time was our dining room. We have one big wall and I had no idea what to do with it. A single sideboard seemed pricey while not filling the space and what I really needed was a lot of storage to accommodate the contents of Laurel's open bookcase (that was exploding with art supplies), and other platters and vases and things. I recently hit on the perfect storage solution and several visitors have since asked me for the specifics about our setup so I thought I would share it here.
In line with my preference for 
The other week we received some zucchini from our 
Oh the irony of sleep: parents love it and long for more and kids resist it. Either way, pretty bedding helps create a welcoming environment (and yes, I've used cool bedding to make Laurel's bed more enticing for sleep). Whether you're looking for bedding sets, or need a top to bottom room makeover (furniture, décor, etc.), check out 
It was a pretty remarkable day when I moved from my big (way overpacked) diaper bag to cute, compact bags that -- save the occasional snack cup or activity book -- primarily held my stuff. And whether you've been in that zone for a while or are approaching it, this chic 
I love fine chocolate and I love all things local so I was thrilled to learn about 
I recently started helping my web savvy friend 
June is a celebratory month in our house, given Jon and my 
Next month will mark the second year of living in our not so new, new house, and we are just getting around to hanging things on the wall. Seriously. Part of the delay is attributable to uncertainty (and repeated testing) about where furniture should finally land, and part because some wall hangings required crafting. A couple of weeks ago I finally got around to assembling inspiration boards for my office and my workspace is now approaching a cosmic level of awesome. Read on for the how-to; these boards would be great in other areas of the home as well.
On Saturday we had some fellow soccer-loving friends over to watch World Cup, and my friend Heather brought a fantastic bean dip that was -- admittedly -- way more awesome (and quickly devoured) than the basic layered dip I made. Heather kindly sent me the recipe, which originated from her friend Betsy. I'm totally making this dip next weekend for another party I'm hosting. Yummy.
Today, 
As much as I love shopping for pretty new things for Laurel, I'm also keen on finding pretty used things for her, given my eco and 
Today, 
I've long been a proponent of 
When I was training for 
When the warm weather returned, so did my voracious appetite for salads and cold things such as hummus and tabbouleh. We've been consuming vast quantities of these foods (I especially like hummus because it reminds me to eat carrots) and I soon found myself disgruntled by the volume of plastic containers we were acquiring. We reuse them all for storing leftovers or Laurel's craft supplies or other odds and ends, but we definitely don't need more of them. So I decided to start making more of these small container items from scratch. I'm still tweaking my tabbouleh recipe and will share that when I land on just the right blend; meanwhile, if you have a food processor, hummus is ridiculously easy to make.
Yesterday, I was honored to be featured as a 
And 
When I was a kid, yard work always seemed onerous because all we did was remove stuff -- weeds, leaves, cut grass, etc. But oh the joy of adding. In alignment with Earth Day, today's 
Here are some lovely links that caught my eye this week around the web. Clearly I've got DIY projects (and travel) on my mind. I love this pretty 
Last weekend Laurel and I had a fantastic time at the 
I'm currently in the final stretch training for 
There's so much creative, organic mojo going on this weekend in Boston. In addition to the 
Today, 
Before it gets too hot to turn on your oven, try these cookies from Sarah Magid, recommended by 
Today, 
Amidst the sadness of attending 
Here's a roundup of inspiration as you plan for Easter and Passover. At Make & Takes, I love the 
This past weekend when Laurel and I hit the hardware store to pick up some final flood cleanup supplies, she immediately headed for the seed racks. Though we lack the garden space of our previous residence to 
In the vein of spring cleaning, here's a new use for old spices. Instead of simply trashing stale spices, line them up on the counter with a bowl, mixing spoon, measuring spoons, and spray bottle (less messy, plus adds longevity to the project), then let your kid go to town. The more variety (color, smell, shapes, e.g., cardamom pods) the better. Laurel loves pretend playing that she's making a stew or science experiment, we get entertainment mileage by repurposing a household item that we'd otherwise toss, and if you're feeling particularly pedagogical, you can build in some 
Spring has sprung! And today, 
Because I'm obsessed with compactness and efficiency, I am immediately drawn to all in one anything, especially when it comes to tech matters (because really, who doesn't want less cables and blinking lights in their office?). So how's this for cool? As part of my Giveaway Goodness series, 
Today, 
One of my favorite ways to make a lazy weekend morning feel special is with scones. And these currant scones by Martha Stewart are simple in composition (without any forethought I had all the ingredients on hand) and are easy enough to whip up while everyone is still lolling around in jammies. I made these scones last weekend for company and they were a huge hit; light (um, seeming), flaky, and delicious. And everyone was happy to simply nibble these special treats alongside fresh fruit. Easy peasy.
I stopped drinking coffee several months ago and since have been consuming a lot of herbal tea. And our friend Taina recently introduced us to a fantastic tea blend (inspired by her mama friend Jess) that I’ve been enjoying daily (I am, in fact, enjoying a cup right this minute). One batch is great to share with friends after dinner, or to enjoy through the day, whether it sits stove top at home or in a travel thermos at work. And it seems to me that the citrus-ginger blend could help stave off, or at least soothe, winter colds.
Today, 
Despite leading an uber digital life, I remain loyal to the tactile joys of books and print magazines. And given my passion for simplicity and 
I love that every culture embraces some variation of food wrapped around food (e.g., dumplings, empanadas, etc.) and I recently was inspired to translate the idea to baked treats. While at 
I adore hors d’oeuvres -- the variety they offer (I love sampling a little bit of everything at a meal), the artfulness, the utter cuteness of food in miniature. And to make any occasion feel special without a huge amount of work, try these elegant little 
If you’ve followed my February vacation week itinerary so far (and 
Though we’re very crafty at home, I love when Laurel comes home with new ideas from her art classes at school. And last week I was blown away by the awesomeness of this rosebud Valentine project. These Valentines are a tad time consuming if you make the hearts as big as Laurel did (about ¾ of a sheet of paper) so she’s just making a few for some special sweethearts. Alternatively, you could make them smaller (perhaps cutting 8.5 x 11” sheets of paper into four equal pieces and cutting hearts from those rectangles). The effect will still be spectacularly heartfelt. Here’s the how-to:
I love mailing goodies to people who aren’t expecting them (which I did on Monday as a thank you for a favor), and this Bon Appétit recipe for 
Though I always remember my reusable totes when I hit the grocery store, produce bags are another story. I save plastic produce bags with the best intentions, but they never make it back to the store with me. Solution? The pretty, fabric trimmed, cinch-top produce bags by 
Today, 
Probably not unlike many of you, at any given moment, I'm overwhelmed by errands. In addition to the length of my laundry list, I'm short on hours, and also wheels, given that we're a one car family and Jon has the car most weekdays. So I was thrilled to discover the excellence of 
Without fail, every time we visit with our wonderful friends Anne and Michael, we pick up lovely hosting ideas. And this New Year’s Eve we learned about raclette, a dish/serving method that’s wonderfully communal and conversation inspiring. It’s also perfect for people like me who like to sample a little bit of everything at dinner, and it presents elegantly while being super simple to prepare.
I don’t typically post about contests on other sites, but I wanted to share this 
Today, 
I adore Gabrielle Blair; I first met her at the inaugural 
There was a lot of holiday cookie talk on 
My respect, admiration, and affection for Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase of 
I feel as if I've known Kristin Brandt and Erin Kane of 
One beautiful thing about graduating from early parenting -- during which time I toted way too much stuff in an enormous diaper bag -- was the return of handbag use. Only problem? Laurel and my stuff got jumbled together and swapping handbag contents always was a nuisance, with some critical item (usually hand sanitizer) forgotten. Solution? The 
April Paffrath is one of the most devoted foodies I know. No taste is too simple, no ingredient too humble. And when you read her writing, you can tell how much she relishes preparing, tasting, and writing about food. April is a regular contributor here on Boston Mamas, but today I'm thrilled to introduce her via her voice on 
I met Amie Adams of 
Jon and I are all about everyday teaching moments with Laurel, apparently even when it comes to assembling a 
From our very first e-mail -- back when I was just starting out and she was very much established already -- Asha Dornfest of 
As a 
Marie LeBaron is a blog friend who I have yet to meet in real life, but we share a passion for crafting and food and I so admire all of the crafty awesomeness she shares on her site, 
Now that December is here I’m ready to embrace the holidays, and over the years I’ve found that Christmas décor is actually really easy. Once the tree is up, a pretty tree skirt and some festive stockings go a long way in creating the mood. And if you love having these elements (and more) coordinated just so, consider 
I first connected with Michelle Stern of 
Today, 
A few weeks ago I experienced a rather 
I adore Melissa Massello, not only because she’s super creative and fun (plus, we share bonds over figure skating, fashion, shredding, and all things writerly), but because I’ve seen her jump from traditional employment to fulfilling her dream of launching the online magazine 
Today, 
Last week I attended a media event hosted by 
Despite my clean approach to food, I still periodically long for – but abstain from – classic (i.e., preservative laden) childhood confections. So I was more than a little intrigued to learn about 
Last month I guest posted about 
If you're like us, you're overrun with Halloween candy. I subsequently was thrilled to read 
Today, 
Today, 
Per my role as a 
When first tasked to buy baby gear, it can be challenging to navigate the options; in particular the tradeoff between investing in more expensive long term solutions vs. inexpensive short term solutions. I tend to gravitate towards the former, and am particularly drawn to items (e.g., our 
It’s been so long since I posted about baking with apples that I couldn’t remember whether I already posted my mom’s 
Whether you've experienced data loss directly or have heard about hard drive crashes (and precious family photo and video loss...) from friends, clearly it's important to protect your files. Today, 
No matter the size of one's home, I believe in maintaining a minimalist, small space mentality given that the less you have, the less overwhelmed you'll be by your stuff. (I chant the mantra "one thing in, one thing out.") In my latest 
We’re still not out of the woods with Laurel’s 
Today, 
Today, 
Today, 
Despite my attempts to simplify and streamline life, I still have plenty of errands to run. And the other week, when I couldn’t rally Laurel to get excited about the pile of returns I needed to take back to Target (tantalizing, I know...), I queried on 
One of my favorite things about running Boston Mamas is learning about talented local mamapreneurs such as 
Laurel starts kindergarten in a couple of weeks but I haven’t been sweating the preparations due to a minimalist approach on the material side (the emotional preparation is another story...). In my latest 
Given Laurel’s volume of clothing and my distaste for ironing, the fabulous no-iron clothing and shoe labels from 
Some people just have a knack for assembling gifts artfully, and if you’re 
Today, 
Oh, 
There’s something to be said for paying for an experience; say, first class airline tickets, a meal at a chic restaurant that will stow luggage while you shop (as did 
I’m forgetful about plenty of things these days, but one thing I’m reliably mindful about is recycling and toting my reusable bags to market. And if you need to stock up on eco-wares, check out 
Today, 
Today, 
Few things in life appeal so universally as cookies do, and whether you order a batch online or visit their 
My friend Nooshi is truly impressive when it comes to hosting parties (whether they’re for grownups or kids) and her birthday parties for her son always are amazing. If you’re feeling up for a challenge, or simply want to glean a few of the basic ideas, check out the below write up of her son’s recent Outer Space Party. It is -- not surprisingly -- out of this world.
Today, 
My passion for color truly blossomed during my postdoctoral fellowship (where I felt rather confined within grey cinderblock walls), and whether I'm perusing clothing, paper, décor, or textiles, I gravitate towards bold, modern, and pretty patterns. So it’s no wonder I adore Boston-based 
Laurel and I both agree that a little bling (OK, in her case, a lot of bling...) goes a long way in lifting one's mood and outfit. And whether you want to purchase ready-to-go, made-to-order, or personalized goods, 
This past weekend our friend Rhoda introduced us to a dessert that impressively satisfied everyone’s sweet tooth while accommodating her lactose intolerance. Admittedly, though I 
I’m always striving for simplicity in life and this approach definitely translates to how I operate in the kitchen. For my second 
Today, 
Probably due at least in part to feeling conspicuous as one of a few minority families in our town growing up, I have a residual thing about blending in when I travel. Though I don’t bat an eyelash when I see tourists out and about, you'll never catch me holding up a map at a congested intersection in an unfamiliar city. So on my recent 
Although Laurel’s daycare runs year round, the summer tends to be a time for transition, and the recent departure of one of her friends reminded me of something I loved doing as a child: exchanging letters with pen pals. Laurel’s friend (or actually, her parents) left a colorful paper bag in each friend’s mail pouch with a sweet goodbye letter that included the friend's mailing address and a request to be pen pals. Also handily included: a note card and self-addressed stamped envelope to get the ball rolling.
Today 
Today, 
One of the things I love about weekends is restoring a sense of order to our home after a busy (typically rather untidy) week. And purging is one of my favorite mechanisms to achieve said order. Appropriately then, for the first installment of my new 
Today, 
Today, 
Today, 
Every so often Jon one-ups me in the kitchen, which leaves me both a tad surprised (read: vaguely jealous) and utterly grateful that he knows how to cook and bake. And this past weekend, he decided to make banana bread with Laurel and it was way better than my standard recipe. The loaf was gobbled up within a day and Laurel and I repeated the recipe yesterday, instead opting to make muffins - the advantages being plenty of awesome crustiness, faster baking time (handy for summertime baking), and improved portion control.
Today, 
Today, 
On chilly, raw days like today, I gravitate towards Asian comfort foods, and this weather reminded me that I’ve been meaning to post about my favorite way to prepare tofu. Don’t scowl; it really tastes fantastic! The original inspiration came from Susanna Foo’s Pan-Seared Tofu with Scallions & Ginger in 
Yesterday we enjoyed a fabulous BBQ with friends, and amidst the plates and piles of food, one simple yet elegant dish stood out as my favorite. A modern twist on traditional (sometimes unfortunately soupy) coleslaw, Bon Appétit’s 
Today, 
I’ll be the first to admit that cleaning is not among my top priorities these days, but hand me new eco-friendly cleaning products and I'll roll my sleeves right up to start scrubbing, hoping upon hope to discover that the eco stuff can live up to the non eco stuff. And this was, in fact, the case when I got my hands on 
On Laurel’s first birthday my friend Anne gave us art supplies and a box of 
If you’re like us and live amidst a landslide of kiddie artwork, here’s a clever solution to preserve and share those heartstring-tugging gems. Locally based 
I’m well aware that my passion for preserving and sharing memories – via photos, videos, and on paper – is related to the fact that I have very little documentation of my own childhood (other than school photos, I have about a dozen baby pictures, all shot on the same day). And as someone who relies on technology (both for work and said memory preservation) yet desires simple spaces and clean lines, I’ve long felt defeated by the battle of cords and cables. So it’s no wonder that I am totally in love with the ridiculously easy to use, blissfully cord-free 
Before it gets too hot to turn on your oven, try this bread recipe from 
I’ve 
I’m honored to be among a handful of moms that 
I’m thrilled to introduce new contributor 
One of my favorite time and energy savers these days is store-bought rotisserie chicken. I don’t need to remember to prep and bake it (perfect, since there’s no way I’m turning the oven on today…), my kitchen is saved from pan dripping smoke, and the chicken is ridiculously versatile. Today, I’m sharing our latest favorite usage of rotisserie chicken: fast and fantastically yummy chicken pesto salad.
If you love the ease of boxed cake mixes and desire all natural ingredients, fear not - you can have your cake and eat it too. Today, 
Here’s a handy household tip from 
As someone who likes things to be just so (yet periodically frets about permanence), I can’t help but love 
Last night my willpower was put to the test when I gathered with some lovely mama pals for an evening of wine and desserts. As I described in yesterday’s post about 
Today, 
Today, 
I haven’t even begun to sort out Easter crafts or goodies for Laurel, but luckily some lovely other bloggers have done my homework for me. Here are some cool Easter/Passover/Spring craft and treat ideas that caught my eye around the web this week per Love These Links!, where I share clever, resourceful, thought provoking, and/or hilarious links that I think would be of interest to the fabulous readers who peruse Boston Mamas. Enjoy!
My friend Nicola claims not to be terribly crafty, but she seems to have a knack for assembling super cute birthday parties. I’ve been meaning to post for some time about this teddy bear tea party she hosted when her daughter turned 4 years old. In a similar spirit to my 
Today, 
Today, 
Today, 
Monday night I met up with some mama friends for a lovely evening of catching up, crafts (bring a long abandoned project to work on…), and desserts. My fabulous friend Sarah brought a plate of divine meringue cookies studded with chocolate. Sarah kindly has shared her recipe for Two-Chocolate Forgotten Cookies (pictured, the last cookie standing):
Let go of mom guilt with 
During this seemingly endless winter, why not think green thoughts? And tomorrow (Thurs., March 5), you can think and learn green at 
Perfectly timed for yet another snow day, today, 
Now that our 
Welcome to 
Despite the disaster that is my inbox, clearly my mind is elsewhere on domestic matters. Here’s what caught my eye around the web this week – interesting for those who enjoy pets, baking, gardening, and/or not getting sick - per Love These Links!, where I share clever, resourceful, thought provoking, and/or hilarious links that I think would be of interest to the fabulous readers who peruse Boston Mamas. Enjoy!
Today, 
I adore clever green solutions, and here’s a fabulously chic pick to encourage shopping local. 
I’ve recently become obsessed with spring cleaning, and if you’re similarly ready to shake the dust from your closet, head over to 
Today, 
If there’s one lesson I've learned from my mom, it’s that it’s never too early to start caring for your skin. And today we offer a little something for the daddies who read this site (yes, daddies apparently read this site) and/or the women who like to gift them. 
Today I’m sharing a bit of a hybrid link post; including posts that caught my eye per Love These Links! (where I share clever, resourceful, thought provoking, and/or hilarious links that I think would be of interest to the fabulous readers who peruse Boston Mamas), plus links from my style blog Weekly Web Roundup partnership. Enjoy!
Today, 
'Tis the season for craft love. Here are some crafty, Valentine inspired posts that caught my eye for my 3rd edition of Love These Links! (where I share clever, resourceful, thought provoking, and/or hilarious links that I think would be of interest to the fabulous readers who peruse Boston Mamas). Enjoy! And if you have a fabulously crafty Valentine link to share, please feel free to comment in at the end of the post.
In an ideal world, I’d make everything from scratch, but often – not surprisingly – time is an issue. But the one thing I never, ever compromise on is granola. Store bought granola has never suited me (too sweet, not clumpy enough, skimpy on nuts and fruit, etc.), and the good news is that granola is super easy to make at home. I made 
A couple of weeks ago Laurel and I attended a super fun 
This post is a bit oddly juxtaposed to the 
It’s been a crazy, crazy week, but apparently there’s always time to surf. Here’s what caught my eye around the web this week, in my 2nd edition of Love These Links!, where I share clever, resourceful, thought provoking, and/or hilarious links that I think would be of interest to the fabulous readers who peruse Boston Mamas. Enjoy!
I used to have a love-hate relationship with laundry, but these days it’s all love thanks to 
I’m always looking for ways to improve our green living practices, and was pleased to see Bon Appétit’s February 2009 feature on 
Today, 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Welcome to 
Today, 
Laurel’s life is captured in many ways, but when I want to take a walk down memory lane I invariably gravitate towards her baby book (handmade by an artist friend) above the scores of digital photos and videos. If you’re looking for a similarly beautiful, tactile, and practical way to record memories, check out 
Pursuant to my recent 
Short on time this holiday season? Today, 
Given my love of baking and crafting, I’ve always wanted to make a gingerbread house, and not surprisingly, Laurel is totally on board with this idea. In anticipation of today’s early school closing, I hunted for some leads so Laurel and I could enjoy some time plotting our gingerbread structures and making templates. Following are my three favorite how-to's, which have useful information for both novice and experienced bakers. I’ll also jot notes on our process in case we come up with any particularly brilliant or time saving ideas to share for future use. Happy building!
In theory, the holidays are supposed to be a time to celebrate and relax with family and friends, but I’m hard pressed to think of anyone who hasn’t mentioned holiday-related stress in some form, whether it’s due to shopping, holiday cards, or the prospect of dealing with family. Today, I’m offering 10 tips for reducing stress this holiday season, per a blog blast in conjunction with the 
Today, 
Tired of tripping over strollers in your foyer? Today, 
Today, 
Although my pet allergies mean that Laurel will never get the puppy of her (childhood) dreams, at least consolation can be found in the cute, pooch inspired 
Today, 
As someone who strives for streamlined living and working, I’ve always loved the concept of multifunction machines, but until recently, I had yet to find one (on a reasonable budget) that really and truly did what it was supposed to do. That is, until I tried the 
In these challenging economic and environmental times, consider 
Today, 
Laurel has long been a bookworm, and her well-loved (read: grubby) baby and toddler books thus are far from keepsake quality. It’s only now, as she’s grown into a pre-K’er who takes pride in – and care of - her belongings, that I’ve looked at some of her books and toys in a preservative light. And I subsequently adore Newton-based 
Today, 
Today, Heather reports on her daughter's fabulous experience with 
Everyone’s heard of, or experienced firsthand, computer crash (with no backup) horror stories; tearful, frustrated tales of valuable work lost and precious digital family photos and videos never to be seen again. Thankfully though, the onerous nature of backups is a thing of the past thanks to the ridiculously easy to use 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
In chatting with other parents about how to handle post-Halloween candy distribution, my blog buddy Isabel Kallman over at 
In a departure from her usual content, today 
As someone who loves and relies on the convenience of online shopping, it’s probably surprising that grocery delivery isn’t part of our routine. But following my post about 
One of my favorite perks of traveling in creative circles is meeting truly inspired and amazing innovators, and I was honored when Melissa Massello and Meghan Udell - the savvy and stylish local brains behind 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Today, 
Today, 
Today, 
Following my absurd foray into making Laurel’s 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Here’s an event that eco-parents will want to try to attend: on Tuesday, Oct. 14 (6-7:30pm), 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Welcome to 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Today, 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Despite the fact that Laurel wakes up in time to her internal clock, she’s recently become interested in learning to tell time and asked for an alarm clock bedside. I wasn’t about to deter her interest in routine, and thus was thrilled to learn about the 
Welcome to 
This summer largely felt like a busy blur; one exception being a fabulously relaxing vacation we took with friends in Maine. During this trip my friend Anne made an amazing chicken salad; it’s a family recipe that she approved of my sharing here.
This past weekend we hosted Laurel’s 4th birthday party, and while it differed significantly from her previous parties in size (6 instead of 20 kids), it shared the same sense of themed imagination as in past years. Year 2 was an “everything yellow party” (all food and decorations were yellow), year 3 was a “rainbow color party” (
Welcome to the 8th installment of 
Summer may be over, but ice cream is good any time of year. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome new Boston Mamas contributor 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
This Sunday is Grandparents Day, and whether grandparents are near or far, there are many simple yet meaningful ways to express your appreciation for these beloved family members. Here are my 10 favorite ways to honor grandparents, for this weekend and beyond. 
Today, 
This weekend I hosted my mom’s birthday party, and since Koreans tend to make a hearty meal spread then opt for fruit or lighter desserts following, I made this 
If you’re looking to transform a room instantly without breaking a sweat (or your pristine walls), consider wall decals, one of the most brilliant décor inventions ever. 
Kids aren’t the only ones who need back to school supplies. And to get organized for fall (or any time of year really…), there’s the 
Few things are cheerier than a plate brimming with creatively cut and decorated cookies, and you can get just that - in an amazing variety of themed sweetness - at 
On a regular basis, I begrudge the absurd amount of time and energy we spend on grocery shopping. To get everything we need, we typically hit 3-4 stores, and I have talked to countless moms who share this inefficient routine. So when 
It can be challenging for busy parents to pull together paper invitations in advance of events. And the next time you find yourself in this boat, consider sending a pretty e-card. 
As an avid list maker, I start each day by jotting down 1-2 major and several minor (read: easy) to do items for the day. But I used to do this on envelope backs or scrap paper; basically, on sheets that quickly got buried under other things on my desk. That is, until I discovered the perfect solution in 
Babies respond best to black and white, and kids love animals, so why not outfit the nursery - or any room in your home really - with a super cool safari print from 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
In these days of excessive paper junk mail and bills, few things delight like real mail, whether it be a penned note or a party invitation. And today, 
You can never have enough clutter taming tools in the toy room, and today, locally based 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
If your kid needs a little inspiration to stay engaged at the dinner table, consider the personalized plates at 
Today, 
Life is meant to be lived joyfully every day, and for parents looking for ways to translate this basic – but sometimes lost – principle to their children, there’s 
Today, 
Thinking about finances can be intimidating, but having tips and information laid out in simple, tangible terms can help enormously. Today, the producers of 
My friend Nooshi is amazing at identifying a cool party theme then really running with it. A couple of weekends ago she threw a marvelous Messy Party for her son’s third birthday and the party was unbelievably fun and beautifully creative. Here’s a run down of how she made it all happen:
I have this thing about wall fixings. If I’m going to commit with nail and hammer, the item must be cool, meaningful, and/or relatively timeless; or even better, it’s multifunctional. And for parents looking for wall décor off the beaten path, 
Pursuant to yesterday’s broadcast of my NECN interview on cool kitchen gadgets for parents, you now can see the video at 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners: 
Wish me luck, folks! This afternoon I’m off to tape my first TV interview, with 
Not into the tactile tasks associated with traditional scrapbooking? Today, 
For the past year we’ve been sharing in our neighbor’s 
I’m not sure whether it’s coincidence or consequence that June-born Jon loves cherries, but every year he’d rather have cherry pie than cake. The year Laurel was born, in my sleep deprived, frantically trying-to-bake-while-on-a-conference-call state, I dropped my fully assembled pie as I tried to put it in the oven. I thus was too traumatized last year to try again, but when Bon Appétit’s June 2008 issue featured this 
Today, 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Formal heat advisory or not, it’s important to keep cool and hydrated during this incredibly hot weather. Aside from installing air conditioning units or fans in your home, here’s a roundup of simple, inexpensive activities to keep the whole family cool:
Ready, set, grill! Today, 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Today, 
Given Laurel and my needs to post (her artwork, my notes-to-self), it’s not uncommon to find sticky tape shards on walls and doors throughout our home. Thankfully though, now there’s a stylish, tape-free way to exponentially increase your household display surfaces. 
If you’ve got something to say that’s deserving beyond a typical phone call or email to a loved one, consider the unbelievably cute 
As the mama of a round-the-clock little artist, I’m always looking for interesting ways to post or preserve Laurel’s work. And the 
As grateful as I was for my first cookware set, I distinctly remember Jon and my later disdain – sometime before the Teflon safety scare actually - when we looked at the set's scratches and thought about all of the little Teflon flakes we likely had ingested over time. We’ve since stuck with stainless steel or cast iron, but recently have enjoyed 
As someone for whom the word Clorox tends to elicit middle school memories of fad-driven bleached denim experiments, imagine my surprise when I learned that the makers of Clorox products were rolling out a natural cleaning line. And happily, these green goods deliver. Plant and mineral based, biodegradable, and petrochemical-free, the 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Someone told me that April typically is crazy as people come out of hibernation and get ready to party. This certainly has been the case for me in the realm of scheduled events, and last night kicked off Chapter 1 of a crazy but fabulous April, via an event where I played hostess to some of my family, friends, and colleagues as a Boston 
Whether it’s due to laziness, a desire to not rush the process, or not having a 2nd child waiting for the crib (one of my girlfriends needed to transition her older daughter early to a big girl bed when #2 was on the way, and the older child responded by climbing into the crib, removing her diaper, and leaving an unpleasant surprise…), it occurs to me that we’ve had a tendency to let Laurel’s growth - or, let’s face it, claustrophobia – determine her nest transitions. 
Happily, gone are the days where kids and adults with allergies are left out at treat time. Today, 
Today, 
If you’re looking to streamline your laundry routine and your imprint on the planet, check out 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
The art of letter writing is far from dead and today, 
Today, 
Few gifts tug the heartstrings like a “letter” or artwork from a budding scribe/artist, and your kid won’t be able to resist writing (or scribbling) on 
A passion and skill for ironing is not something I inherited from my mom (who used to press sheets and my father’s boxers), nor do I have legible penmanship. I’ve thus found the chore of labeling Laurel’s clothes and shoes for school onerous; that is, until I discovered 
Today, 
I love the convenience of online shopping, but I resent the accompanying landslide of junk mail and catalogues. To fight the tide, I now have a new online obsession in 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners: 
Today, 
I typically am all about do-it-yourself crafts, but to artfully frame photos, I’ve experienced considerable frustration in the process of printing images, then finding frames that are the right style, have appropriately sized windows for your printed photos (sometimes resizing and reprinting photos is necessary), and aren’t dinged up from excessive handling at the store. Luckily, I now have a great solution. Read on for a review of the online framing service 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
It only makes sense to recycle quickly outgrown kiddie goods, and lucky for Boston parents, 
I remember being devastated in 1st grade when I learned that one of my best friends was allergic to chocolate and peanut butter. After missing out on all those classroom birthday cupcakes (always with an accepting smile), I can only hope that wherever he is, he knows about 
Today, 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners: 
I firmly believe that everyone’s got a little creativity at their core, and sometimes all that’s needed to unleash the creative beast is the right canvas. And for those who love hosting parties but need a little help figuring out how to personalize the details, there’s 