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, 
Today, 
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, 
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 
For me, part of 
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 
Today, 
Today, 
Today, Jane (also of 
Pursuant to yesterday's 
Today, 
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 
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 
Because I'm all about reducing physical and emotional clutter in life (I'm even speaking about this topic at 
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 
It's been two weeks since I embarked on the 
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!
I recently saw Jennifer of 
I consider myself a total eco-geek, but clearly you can never stop learning. I picked up tons 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 
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 
I had a bit of a 
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 
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 
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) 
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 
I'm super excited about tomorrow's episode of 
Today, 
Today, a handy tip from 
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 
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.
I recently started helping my web savvy friend 
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.
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, 
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 
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, 
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 
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 
Today, 
I adore Gabrielle Blair; I first met her at the inaugural 
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 
From our very first e-mail -- back when I was just starting out and she was very much established already -- Asha Dornfest of 
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 
Last month I guest posted about 
If you're like us, you're overrun with Halloween candy. I subsequently was thrilled to read 
Today, 
Per my role as a 
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 
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 
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 
Today, 
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, 
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, 
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 
I’ve 
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 
Today, 
I’m constantly looking for ways to streamline or repurpose around the house; here’s a lovely way to give old plant pots new life. This project was inspired by: a) plant clippings we already had rooted (plus more overgrown plants that needed grooming); b) yet another snow day where we were looking for something to do; and c) a tired collection of empty plant pots. Laurel and I decided to paint one of our old pots to make a creative, earth-friendly gift for a loved one. Here's the how-to:
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 
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!
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 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!
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 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Short on time this holiday season? Today, 
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, 
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, 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 
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, 
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:
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Today, 
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 
Thinking about finances can be intimidating, but having tips and information laid out in simple, tangible terms can help enormously. Today, the producers of 
For the past year we’ve been sharing in our neighbor’s 
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:
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
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. 
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 
Happily, gone are the days where kids and adults with allergies are left out at treat time. Today, 
If you’re looking to streamline your laundry routine and your imprint on the planet, check out 
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 
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: 
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 
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, 
Dear Readers: This is a departure from the usual, but today I feel compelled to ask for your advice. Over the last few years - as I have learned how to be a parent, and also free myself of external expectations and make major professional leaps - I have come to believe firmly in the power of the universe; that life throws you the crazy pitches to force you to deal with stuff. So this week, as I was driven to the brink of a breakdown over an invasive squirrel, I have been trying to figure out what my lesson is. The chronology follows, and I welcome you to 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
It’s never too late to make a resolution to go green, and whether you’re new to eco efforts or are an avid recycler, check out 
Ever since becoming a parent faced with the inevitable incoming flow of kid stuff, I’ve become increasingly obsessed with our household “stuff in, stuff out” mantra. And if you're eager to recycle outgrown books, music, movies, or games, check out 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
I’ve 
I never would have thought a preschooler could be so adept at shoveling snow, but Laurel really rocked yesterday’s storm, thanks to a pint sized snow shovel borrowed from our neighbor’s granddaughter. The shovel is the perfect solution for busy, cabin fevered kids on light and fluffy snow days (we spent an hour shoveling and Laurel could have kept going). The shovel Laurel used isn’t labeled but the Suncast Kids Snow Shovel (shown) looks similar and is inexpensive (at 
We've recently received some useful leads for toy and safety guides, good for the holidays and all year round. Locally organized Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment (
(shown) and 
, and the calendar year (Jan. – Dec. ’08) in 
and 
.
looks like it will do the trick. Even though we’re already a third of the way into the year, this visual aid looks worth it based on the rave user reviews; you also can preorder the 
.
, 
, and 
goals also are available at Amazon.
