Join Me for Milk + Bookies!
I love when literacy, fun, and philanthropy intersect, and if you and your kids enjoy the same, come join me on Saturday the 26th (11am) at the North Shore Mall in Peabody for a special event at babyGap. I'm honored to be the guest reader of The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit (I just received my copy to practice for the reading and it is a gorgeous book!) as part of Milk + Bookies' in-store book drives to benefit local Boys & Girls Clubs around the country. Milk + Bookies is a non-profit that encourages kids to feel the joy of giving back through a passion for books; please bring a gently used book (or 5!) with you for donation and come say hello! The event runs from 11am - noon and I would love to meet you!
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My friends Sheri and Eli Gurock of 
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Though I do enjoy shopping, I've admittedly been turning a blind eye to the onslaught of big box Black Friday pitches I've been receiving -- partially because this marketing approach seems awfully tiresome, and partially because I'm a big fan of supporting local indie businesses. As in past years, we plan on adhering to a pretty minimal approach to holiday shopping, but when I do get around to it, I'll start by turning to what's immediately around us. I wanted to share some great ways to shop local -- there's so much talent that warrants your attention!
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Doesn't it feel fantastic to get to Friday? Here are 5 fun picks to consider this weekend:
This week has been crazy so I'm behind on sifting through my calendar pitches. However, I wanted to share two events that have been on my radar for some time now. Indie artist collective 
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Last month, I actually had to ask someone when Mother's Day was, which seemed comically fitting. However, once informed, I was thrilled to connect with several local establishments who are hosting fun Mother's Day events. I'll be sharing these events over the next few days, and first up is a pick for moms who love to engage in a little retail therapy. This Thursday (May 5), moms around the country will enjoy a collective night out via 
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While I adore the community feel and eco-friendliness of public libraries, and the shiny newness and convenience of large bookstores, my current happy medium is the independent used bookstore. And 
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.
If you didn't have a chance to watch 
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As much as I love the convenience of online shopping, you can't beat the tactile delight of in-person boutique shopping. And especially so when over 55 cool shops are assembled under one roof to make browsing easy and fun. Sound good? Next week (October 6 & 7) 
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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 
In line with my preference for 
In the last few years, it's been fantastic to watch the evolution of cloth diapering (we cloth diapered Laurel in her first six months with traditional diapers, liners, and covers that were a tad challenging to keep in place with our squirmy one). And it's especially fantastic that there are stores such as Somerville-based 
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 
This week, I've been utterly grateful for all things local and lovingly cultivated as I've marveled over the first week's offerings from our 
At last year's 
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There's so much creative, organic mojo going on this weekend in Boston. In addition to the 
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Are you looking for a compact, portable reference to help navigate the kid-friendly ins and outs of our fair city? Today I share my thoughts on Kim Foley MacKinnon's new book, 
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One fun by-product of parenting is reliving games of my childhood with Laurel (oddly enough, I’m also looking forward to a second pass at learning math and history when Laurel hits high school…). And often times it’s the simplest and least expensive games and activities that offer so much fodder for fun and creativity.
Pursuant to last week’s 
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Though we tend to go minimal and handmade for the holidays (column on this topic forthcoming), when we do buy gifts, we shop local and/or indie as much as possible. And oh how the local and indie awesomeness abounds in Boston! Worth checking out this weekend: the 
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Davis Square’s bargain retail profile recently kicked it up a notch with the addition of 
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I recently wrote over at my personal blog about 
Though I still can’t stomach the concept of holiday in terms of retail displays in early November, I’m willing to make exceptions for the 
If you're like us, you're overrun with Halloween candy. I subsequently was thrilled to read 
Now that we've hit November, the concept of holiday is slowly creeping onto my radar. I'm still ignoring holiday retail displays, but I'm all for securing tickets to Boston’s fabulous arts scene at a budget in celebration of the season. In addition to discounted arts tickets, the 
Why yes, there are things happening this weekend that don’t relate to Halloween. Two cool picks that piqued my interest? The 
Poor customer service is perplexing, frustrating, and amazingly rampant in the retail industry, so I’m always thrilled to discover a store – such as 
One reason I've never purchased a traditional mother's ring or necklace (such as the seven-stone mother’s ring my siblings and I gifted my mom on her 60th birthday, when she was definitely done) is the permanence factor. And this is why I dig the chic flexibility of locally owned 
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Some people just have a knack for assembling gifts artfully, and if you’re 
When Laurel was a baby, one of my favorite places to visit – for resources, retail, and a remarkable sense of tranquility – was 
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I’ve recently become obsessed with spring cleaning, and if you’re similarly ready to shake the dust from your closet, head over to 
I love supporting local, indie retailers, and I love it even more when I learn about one who knows how to deliver as well as - or better than - the big chains. One such example is 
If you’re north of the city, love shopping, but find it challenging to get into the city to shop (or park the minivan once here), our friends at 
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Babies and toddlers attract a lot of attention on their own, but don a costume and they take the cuteness to a whole new level. And this Sunday (10/26), 
Today, Kate reports on local kid's resale shop 
I feel blessed to know many artistic souls, and last week I had the fabulous opportunity to work with Kristin Chalmers on professional headshots. Kristin is a creative tour de force via her 
We love 
Kids move fast, so if you want to catch precious fleeting moments (and perhaps even be in a photo for once), call a pro equipped with both an eye for composition and super fast shutter speed. Lucky for local mamas, today 
Want to foster your child's love for learning letters while supporting a local, eco-conscious mamapreneur? Today, 
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 
As much as I love the convenience of online shopping, I also firmly believe in supporting the local economy, particularly when the offerings are fabulous and eco-minded. Today, 
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