My relationship with Asha Dornfest began online 10 years ago when I discovered Parent Hacks not long after starting Boston Mamas. I was an immediate fan of Asha's work and I reached out to tell her so. I was shocked when she wrote me back, and following that first e-mail developed an incredible friendship that migrated from online to in person and later blossomed into one of the most incredible working relationships of my life, through our co-authoring of Minimalist Parenting and co-hosting of the Edit Your Life Show.
So today is National Doodle Day (in the UK anyway) and I figure it's just as good an excuse as any to inspire some creativity! I've long admired the ability of other people to create those pretty hipster doodles but I haven't ever had much success creating them myself. The good news is, there's plenty of inspiration out there, whether you want to learn to draw patterns, flowers, or even Star Wars characters. Here are 5 fun picks to try.
Marie Kondo’s “Japanese decluttering book” has taken the world by storm. The book details the author’s philosophy about organizing and decluttering, and gives step-by-step instructions for decluttering one’s home. She calls her steps the “KonMari Method,” and promises that it will change the lives of those who follow it. Thousands of people say it has, but plenty have voiced skepticism. In Episode 22 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I touch on different aspects of Kondo’s approach, and share our reactions -- both positive and negative -- to her method.
I'm a bit of a broken record when it comes to my advice that it's awesome to get kids in the kitchen with you, but it's totally true. Getting your kids in the kitchen is a fun way to have together time with the added benefits of hands on learning (math! science!), life skills development, and the eventual payoff of having your kids make a meal for you (WOO HOO!). This week's lifestyle solutions video involves a brilliant idea Jon and I landed on to inspire Laurel to cook (even more than usual). The results have been DELICIOUS.
Last Friday, my dear friend Paige hosted the coolest thing ever: a maker night! The guest was Anne Weil, author of Knitting Without Needles: A Stylish Introduction to Finger and Arm Knitting. Anne is utterly delightful and an excellent teacher -- she was unphased wrangling our chatty group of ladies! It was so fun to learn a new craft and I made this gorgeous cowl in 30 minutes! The yarn was so delicious and I want to sleep in a big fluffy pile of it every night.
Reading ought to be fun, but can sometimes be a stressful topic for parents. In Episode 13 of Edit Your Life, I interview Amy Mascott, co-author of Raising a Rock-Star Reader, a nonjudgmental book loaded with quick tips for busy parents. Listen in to hear: why you need not correct your kids’ speech, a clever way to teach kids literacy using your phone (what?), how to help reluctant readers, how to balance your own reading time and reading with older kids, and whether or not to monitor content.
Last week at Wayfair's Heart Home conference, I had the pleasure of hearing Maxwell Ryan (of Apartment Therapy) speak. And the experience was a good reminder of why it's so important to get out and see/meet people (I mean, I know this to be the case but clearly sometimes I forget!). I've known about Apartment Therapy forever, but it wasn't until I heard Maxwell speak that I truly became invested in the brand. Does that make sense?
Though I've known about podcasts for a long time, I didn't start listening regularly until the spring -- partially because it became a boredom busting solution for me during playground outings where Vi would just want me to endlessly push her in the swing, and partially because of my excitement about the Edit Your Life podcast. And now, well, I'm obsessed! Podcasts are so great to listen to while commuting, puttering around the house, exercising, etc.
I’ve always been a fan of public libraries, but this summer -- save when we were on vacation -- I took the girls every single week, and it was awesome, both for them and for me! During the summer I queried on Facebook, asking for books that were “stay up late by flashlight reading” awesome. Here are 55 resulting picks! I’ve smartened up since my 80 and 100 booklist posts, and below list the titlesalphabetically by author so it’s easy to zip through the stacks. And of course Amazon links are provided below if you’d prefer to load up your cart!
Friends, I have an epic summer giveaway for you today! I’m partnering with nine amazing blogger pals to offer two lucky winners one $500 Amazon gift card each! The graphic at the bottom of this post includes inspiration for a few cool things you could use that gift card towards (Apple watch! iPad! Samsung camera! Kate Spade bag!), but of course if you’re looking to load up on GU or fancy pens or books to load into your summer tote, that’s totally up to you!
Today, Lindsey shares a trio of reference books that kids and adults alike will love:
As my kids get older, I'm finding it harder and harder to buy birthday presents for their friends. Tween girls? That's hard. 4th grade boys? Also hard. But thankfully, these three books are a total slam dunk. My son (10) refers to and looks at all three on a regular basis. I've given them -- individually or together, depending on the birthday giftee -- more times than I can possibly count. I've personally read all three, and they are terrific.
When I first heard that my friend Gabrielle Blair landed a book deal, I was thrilled and filled with anticipation because, quite plainly, Gabby is one of the most delightful, gracious, and positive people I know, and everything she touches evokes quality, style, and beauty...but in a totally down-to-earth way that makes you feel like you're her best friend. And Gabby's new book Design Mom: How to Live With Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide does not disappoint.