Today's Dear Boston Mamas query comes from new reader Amy via e-mail:

Hi Christine, I recently discovered your site and love it! It's super helpful for a working mother of a 6-year-old and 3-year-old. I find it refreshing, very well-written and with a great dose of humor. One question: I was inspired to clean out the junk. In doing so I've been able to give a lot to consignment (I love Growing Up and Revolve in Belmont) however, I have a lot of gently used toys, women's clothing and household items that I would like to go to charities who give these items away to the needy for free. Can you suggest and organizations? Perhaps Cradles to Crayons for the children's items? Any ideas for the adult items?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: 8 Ways to Declutter for Good" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 16 Jan 2013 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Good Deeds; Local; Outreach; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas query comes from a mom on the South Shore via comment. Coincidentally, Boston Mamas contributing writer Priya (who recently relocated to the South Shore) already was working on a post about South Shore indoor activities and shares a roundup of leads in response to the question:

Anyone have any ideas for party places/venues for the South Shore or even the Cape? I swear the South Shore is LAME and all the cool places are North and West :(

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: South Shore Birthday Parties" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 10 Jan 2013 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Kid's Parties; Local; Web (Admin)

While I was en route to California this past weekend, I was so happy to have some quiet time to read through more of the Boston Mamas survey comments. Among the responses was a question that fit well both for the Dear Boston Mamas column, and given that I just guest posted at Rookie Moms about what I have learned in having a second child. Of course, a lot of the below would apply to 2+ children as well; if you have additional thoughts to share, feel free to do so in the comments!

Question: How is life with two kids? We are expecting #2 and I know it will be different but how? How are you managing? Is baby #2 on a schedule or on older child's schedule?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Life with Two Kids" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Nov 2011 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Family Issues; Pregnancy & Postpartum; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Renee via e-mail:

Dear Boston Mamas: Hello! I'm hoping to get some input/advice. I'm a mom to a 19 month old girl and I'm pregnant with twins. We do not yet know the genders. Several people have suggested to me that I should have a shower. I always thought of a shower for your 2nd+ kids as greedy and poor etiquette. However, given that we are expecting twins, there are quite a few things that we will need, especially if one or more of the babies is a boy. Do you think there is an exception to the etiquette if you are having twins?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Baby Shower Etiquette" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 7 Aug 2011 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Pregnancy & Postpartum; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Janelle via Twitter. Janelle asked me for some ideas for unique baby shower gifts. Having enjoyed a baby shower for Violet earlier this year and given my minimalist tendencies, my preference definitely leans towards practical, but sometimes practical also equals unique! Here are some of my favorite ideas -- spanning practical and pretty.

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Unique Baby Shower Gifts" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 25 Jul 2011 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Gifts & Paper; Home; Pregnancy & Postpartum; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Jen via Facebook:

Hi Christine, I just had my third little boy. He is a joy. Although I successfully breast-fed my first two sons, I was not successful in getting my second son to use a bottle (which led me to be resentful towards the end), so I have taken your advice and started my baby on a bottle at three weeks. I was wondering about how often you pump and provide bottles to keep up your supply and still be able to nurse? I've forgotten how I managed with my first son.

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Nursing & Pumping" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 19 Jul 2011 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Feeding & Nursing; Gear; Sleep; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from a friend -- I know lots of new moms have the same question so I'm sharing here:

Dear Christine, I am asking all my friends who have had (or currently have again) newborns: what do you do with them all day? Sometimes I get really bored during the day; is that normal? Does he have to be learning all the time? Is it ok if he just sits there in his bouncer? Going out with a newborn in [my city] is tough! We go out once a day, but nothing too complicated that requires public transportation, not yet. I find myself saying...ok, what are we going to do next? [My son] is amazing...he has such a gentle and sweet demeanor. In the morning when he first gets up we spend about 20 minutes "talking" to each other, then he naps and I shower and we take it from there. Tuesdays are awesome because I go to this fantastic moms group -- just a few, quirky, non-judgmental, amazing women and our babies. We rotate houses and literally stay all day. It rocks.

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: What Do I Do With A Newborn All Day?" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 7 Jul 2011 | Permalink | Comments (4) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Development & Behavior; Family Issues; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Amy via the Boston Mamas Facebook page:

Dear Boston Mamas, do you know of any St. Patrick's Day parades downtown or in the metro-Boston area? It's our first year here and we'd love to take our 2 year old to a parade!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: St. Patrick's Day Fun" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Mar 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Fun Outdoors; Holidays; Local; Spring; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Denae via e-mail. Denae had a series of questions regarding her relocation to Boston, which I have broken out into categories. In addition to my responses, Kate -- a Boston urban planner and car-free/public transport enthusiast -- kindly weighed in (thanks, Kate!):

Dear Boston Mamas: We are looking at relocating to Boston with a 3 month old. Coming from the South and big spaces, I am terrified by two things: an infant on the bus system and an infant in snowy weather. We will be leaving our car behind and I have no experience with snow...With the hubs getting his Master's we would be going to a single income and it looks like we could save a lot of money by not bringing our Honda Civic...if we can make it work. Thanks for your help!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Moving to Boston" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 23 Dec 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Gear; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Amy via the Boston Mamas Facebook page:

Hey Boston Mamas, It's me again! The "new to Boston" mama you helped out before with great toddler-friendly activities. Well, I have another question! This is our first year staying here for Thanksgiving and I am wondering if you know of any Thanksgiving Day parades or activities like that? (Again, we live in Watertown.) I know this [past] weekend [was] the lighting of the tree at Faneuil Hall...any more activities like that (Thanksgiving or Christmas) would be appreciated!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Thanksgiving Weekend Holiday Fun" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 22 Nov 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Liz via e-mail:

Dear Boston Mamas, I want to take my daughter somewhere warm and fun (beach/pool) in February and was thinking about a cruise or Miami or somewhere without breaking the bank. I'm having trouble finding places that promote things to do with your kids. Everywhere seems to think I'll want to put her in kids camp all day long. I want to do things with her. Any advice/suggestions?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Miami Bound with Kids" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 10 Nov 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Travel; Web (Admin)

Hello friends! I know we're coming off a long weekend where I've already taken a couple of days off from blogging (excuse: we were away at the loveliest wedding!), but today I'm going to remain offline because it's my birthday. I don't have major plans (Jon threw me an amazing surprise party last year so I told him to do nothing this year), with the exception that I'll spend most of this morning taking care of prenatal matters (including finding out whether we're having a boy or girl), but I hope to otherwise enjoy some relaxation and reflection today.

Continue reading "Birthdays, Babies, & Advice" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 12 Oct 2010 | Permalink | Comments (5) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Precillia via e-mail:

Dear Christine, My good friend gave birth 3 weeks ago to her daughter - 12 weeks early. She lives in CA, and a number of her good friends are now on the East coast. She asked for a support group after delivery, and the doctors were not able to provide one locally. I'm wondering if you have any advice from your experience, and or from your readership on how we (her friends) can best support her from afar. We are beyond flowers, etc. We did send a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant so that they could enjoy a night out. We are all texting, calling, emailing etc. without expecting a response, but really to show our support and convey our thoughts and prayers. Their situation is so stressful and we all feel so helpless...not to mention, guilty, that many of us have had babies this year who are healthy.

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: How To Support Parents of Premature Babies" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 22 Sep 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Family Issues; Pregnancy & Postpartum; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Amy via the Boston Mamas Facebook community page:

Hi Boston Mamas! I am new to the Boston area and have a 21-month-old little girl. I need things to do with her this fall/winter and weekends/rainy days. Also, I need some ideas for her birthday this fall. I would LOVE some suggestions! (FYI, we've done Boston Children's Museum, Aquarium, etc... we're looking for something a bit more interactive and smaller scale). Also, we live in Watertown so closer to that side of town would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Ideas for Indoor Fun" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 16 Sep 2010 | Permalink | Comments (7) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Fun Indoors; Kid's Parties; Local; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Elizabeth via e-mail:

Hi Christine, I recently started looking for a babysitter for my 9-month-old daughter. I tried Craigslist with mixed results, and signed up for a free trial with Sittercity and Care.com. I have been SO disappointed! Sittercity never made it clear that while I could post a job, I would not be able to contact any of the applicants without paying a membership fee of $50-100. Care.com's free membership was slightly more clear, but I still did not understand that I would have to pay their monthly membership fee to contact any applicants as well. I understand that this is partly my fault for misreading; however, I can't help feeling that these websites are taking advantage of me. Now I either lose out on the 8 applications I already received, and go back to slogging through Craigslist, or I have to pay for a membership to a website that I have lost trust in. I'm wondering if this happens to a lot of moms, and if people in your community have suggestions for other ways to find a good sitter!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Finding Babysitters" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 9 Sep 2010 | Permalink | Comments (13) | Filed in Childcare; Dear Boston Mamas; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Sue via e-mail:

Dear Christine, I have been out on an extended maternity leave (almost 8 years) and have found very little information on what it is like to rejoin the workforce after such a long break. Have you ever written a blog entry on this? Any suggestions on a voice of authority? I am not ready just yet, but the longer I am out the scarier the prospect becomes.

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Career Re-entry" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 3 Sep 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Family Issues; Mama in the Workplace; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Liz via e-mail:

Hey Christine! A friend and I are celebrating our "friendship anniversary" and wanted some new ideas of things to do. What's a friendship anniversary? My best friend and I wanted to make sure we took the time each year to celebrate what a fantastic and rewarding friendship we have -- we've been friends for 29 years! Think about it -- we never really think about the close relationships we have with our friends... a lot of the time we have relationships with friends longer than we've been with our significant others. Though thick & thin (waists), good times and bad, celebrations and memorials -- our friendship has always been there for us -- why not celebrate it!? On our anniversary "night out" (day/night) we try to do something other than just going out for drinks and dinner (which is nice, but not as special as we'd like). One year we did indoor skydiving, which was a blast, and we're looking for new, fun ideas (that don't cost an arm and a leg). Any ideas?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Friendship Anniversaries" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 22 Aug 2010 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Web (Admin)

Now, the second of two Dear Boston Mamas questions from Susan via e-mail:

Dear Christine, My mother-in-law is obsessed with feeding everyone, and apparently this includes the baby! She keeps pressuring me to use formula even though I keep telling her that I am breastfeeding. She will not relent and got to the point where she actually did bring me formula. It makes me feel incredibly unsupported with breastfeeding and I am going to lose my cool soon. She knows I go back to work soon and now asks every week what kind of formula we plan to use. This is just one item that I really do not want her to provide and she won't lay off. Any advice on how to handle a formula obsessed MIL?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Handling Formula Obsessed Relatives" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 18 Aug 2010 | Permalink | Comments (16) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Family Issues; Feeding & Nursing; Mama in the Workplace; Web (Admin)

Today I'll be fielding two Dear Boston Mamas questions -- from Susan via e-mail -- in separate posts:

Dear Christine, I am returning to work from maternity leave next month and I am really nervous about being able to handle everything when I get home at night. So I am trying to make a bunch of dinners to freeze and microwave when I get home for hubby and me. Seems like there is other stuff I could be doing now to make things easier for later. Do you have ideas on how to make the transition back to work easier?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Return to Work Strategies" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 18 Aug 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Family Issues; Mama in the Workplace; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from @Rhoosting via Twitter:

Dear Christine, What are your recommendations for the best, hip backpacks for toddlers? I'm sure others would appreciate your thoughts, given that back to school season is upon us.

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Awesome Backpacks" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Aug 2010 | Permalink | Comments (4) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Eco Living; Gear; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Jillian via e-mail:

Hi Christine! I have been faithfully reading your site since my daughter was born almost two years ago. Thanks for sharing all of your insights and recommendations. They're invaluable!! Unfortunately my family is moving to London, England in the next few months and I'm a little nervous to be moving to a different country without at least the online resource you've proven to be for Boston and the surrounding towns. Please please please tell me you have a counterpart in London that you love and would recommend to a new-ish mom. It would be great if you had a twin doing the same type of blog in London!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: London Parent Resources" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 10 Aug 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Nan in Minnesota via e-mail:

Dear Boston Mamas, Growing up in the suburb of Belmont, I recall entertaining myself by hopping the bus to Harvard Square, eating copious amounts of Ranc's ice cream, skinny dipping in Walden Pond, and stealing traffic cones. As I sit pondering a visit back to Massachusetts later this month with my almost 2-year old daughter, I certainly hope to let her enjoy two of those activities, but am looking for some ideas on what else we can do. Thoughts and ideas on fun activities for a youngster in and around Boston would be appreciated!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Toddler Fun in Boston" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 25 Jul 2010 | Permalink | Comments (4) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Victoria in Chicago via e-mail:

Dear Christine, I live in Chicago and I am planning my best friend's baby shower in the Boston area. She lives in Newburyport. Any suggestions for places in Boston or Newburyport?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Baby Shower Venues" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 11 Jul 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Food & Drink; Local; Pregnancy & Postpartum; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Kimberly via Twitter:

Dear Christine, my hubby and I are celebrating 10 years in September. Any suggestions for a nice getaway? I am in Malden (so, about 5 miles from Boston). We are willing to travel a little!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Spa Getaways" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 25 May 2010 | Permalink | Comments (8) | Filed in Beauty, Fitness & Wellness; Dear Boston Mamas; Local; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Perri via Facebook:

Hello Boston Mamas, I'm (relatively) new to Boston and am looking for a great photographer to take some photos of my one year old. I'm looking for color and black & white, maybe some shots at Boston Common, and yes, at least one with the [Make Way for] Ducklings statues. Any suggestions?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Boston Area Family Photographers" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 14 Apr 2010 | Permalink | Comments (12) | Filed in Creative Services; Dear Boston Mamas; Local; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Jan via e-mail:

We are visiting Boston this summer (from Ireland) with 3 kids (12, 10 and 5) and are looking for recommended kid-friendly restaurants, some free activities, best ice-cream, best toy shops, etc. We will have 10 days in Cape Cod then 10 days in Concord. We will have a car, and the house we are staying at in Concord is close to the train station so the plan would be to take the train into Boston.

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Summer in Boston" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 8 Apr 2010 | Permalink | Comments (12) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Food & Drink; Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local; Retail; Travel; Web (Admin)

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Perri via Facebook:

Baby girl turns 1 this week and I wanted to find a cute T-shirt or onesie for her to wear on her special day. I saw a couple of cute (non-cheesy) items in Chasing Fireflies but unfortunately do not have time to order. Any ideas of local shops that might have some fun, cute, sassy, non-cheesy birthday gear?

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Cute Local Tees" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 1 Apr 2010 | Permalink | Comments (4) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Eco Living; Fashion; For Little Ones; Local; Retail

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from @papaproducts via Twitter:

Hey @bostonmamas do you have ideas for places to go out to Easter brunch/dinner with little kids? Have you seen a roundup of spots anywhere? Thanks!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Easter Dining With Kids" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 31 Mar 2010 | Permalink | Comments (4) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Easter; Food & Drink; Holidays; Local

I field a lot of inquiries here at Boston Mamas and I've been thinking for some time about sharing some of the reader Q&A I typically engage in via e-mail with the community at large (as I've seen my friends Gabrielle and Jo-Lynne do so well on their blogs). As a result, I just wanted to share that tomorrow I'll be launching a new series called Dear Boston Mamas, in which I'll periodically post reader Q&A. I hope you find the series useful and entertaining, and of course feel free to comment in if you have recommendations beyond those I've made. And if you have questions, send them in; I'm always happy to hear from readers!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 30 Mar 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Dear Boston Mamas; Web (Admin)