When I was in New York for BlogHer, I was thrilled to celebrate my friend Gretchen Rubin at her book launch party (if you're interested, here are some very happy photos!). I loved reading The Happiness Project and am now immersed in Gretchen's new book, Happier at Home (given how crazy things have been with work and general household minutia these days, I've been particularly tuned to the marriage chapter). Gretchen is awesome -- so warm and down to earth and smart. She's going to be reading at Brookline Booksmith this Thursday at 6pm; I hope you'll be able to attend. We all deserve to be happier at home!When I was in New York for BlogHer, I was thrilled to celebrate my friend Gretchen Rubin at her book launch party (if you're interested, here are some very happy photos!). I loved reading The Happiness Project and am now immersed in Gretchen's new book, Happier at Home (given how crazy things have been with work and general household minutia these days, I've been particularly tuned to the marriage chapter). Gretchen is awesome -- so warm and down to earth and smart. She's going to be reading at Brookline Booksmith this Thursday at 6pm; I hope you'll be able to attend. We all deserve to be happier at home!
Today, Miriam (also of Other Pieces of Me) shares a wonderful local developmental resource:
What do you do when your child doesn't qualify for early intervention (EI) but still needs help? It's a question that many parents don't think about until the moment they're told by their daycare provider that their child may have developmental challenges that should be evaluated. That's exactly the situation my husband and I were in this past winter, a mere 6 weeks after our second child was born. While we were confident that our firstborn was expressing behaviors within the range of "normal" for a 2.5 year old with a new sibling, we wanted to have him observed in his classroom.
Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) recommends an upcoming yoga camp for kids:
Last summer my 8-year-old daughter Grace attended Tara Rachel Jones's week-long yoga camp at the Arlington Center and absolutely loved it. She was, and continues to be, at an age where doing a camp or activity without a friend takes some cajoling. After the first day of yoga camp, though, she bounced home happily and eagerly back every other day. She absolutely loved yoga camp with Tara.
Today, Kate shares an art center I'm itching to try with Laurel:
My daughter has always loved art. From her early daycare days of finger-painting and messing around with sand, through coloring and cutting, and now up to learning how to sew and knit and make complex collages, she is drawn to create using color and materials and shapes. And while she always makes a beeline for the art table at school and we have collected boxes full of art supplies at home, there are still limits on what we're able to do ourselves. For this reason, I was thrilled to discover Maud Morgan Arts, a wonderful art center and school discreetly hidden on Sacramento Street in Cambridge.
Today, Debbie (also of Two Adopt Two) shares her adventures putting PYOP Studio in Northborough to the test with her kids:
My kids and I have painted plenty of objects at plaster-painting shops. With relatively few choices in paint colors and no wait to have the object kiln-fired, these outings were great when my kids were younger. However, now that they're 8 and 9, we have been seeking more adventure (and my kids now can handle delayed gratification!).
I've been meaning to share about Life Alive ever since my sister Kyoung and her partner Marjorie introduced me and Laurel to it following a fun downtown outing in February. We visited the Central Square location (they also have a home in Lowell, and will open another in Salem) on a Saturday -- the two-floor café has a casual yet warm vibe and was bustling with adults and kids, all happily munching on and sipping organic, vegetarian, unprocessed fare. (Kyoung and Marjorie kindly suggested we visit this café since Laurel is a vegetarian.)
Today, Miriam (also of Other Pieces of Me) shares seven favorite local indie shops (that have saved her on more than one Saturday):
It's not entirely uncommon for me to wake up on a Saturday morning and realize that my son is scheduled to attend a birthday party later that day. I imagine I'm not the only one who has encountered this scenario, right? Thankfully, there's no shortage of independent stores in almost every corner of the city of Boston that are replete with great last-minute selections. Here are seven of my favorites...and bonus points if you pick up something for the next birthday party that's coming your way!
Today, Kate shares a fantastic spot to eat (and play) with the kids:
My daughter is now six, which means that she is generally old enough to contentedly make it through a restaurant meal without complaint, provided that the food is not too complicated and the atmosphere not too fussy (crayons can help, too). Gone, happily, are the days when we would ask for the check not long after sitting down and have our meals packed to go before taking more than a bite or two.
Today, Jennifer (also of Hey Girl Momma Go) shares 12 ideas for winter birthday parties (that go beyond the bouncy castle):
I actually don't mind indoor jumpy houses and long inflatable slides. I have even grown to appreciate the "fun" in large singing mice, cheesy pan pizza, and gobs of tickets that propel out of game machines like a crazy paper adrenaline rush. But as a parent who frequents the kid's birthday party circuit, it is refreshing to switch it up. Here are 12 ideas for kid's birthday parties that are great for the winter season (many are great the rest of the year too!).
Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) recommends a welcome addition and workshop series:
The famed Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum recently opened a new addition to the existing, ornate, historical space. The modern, Renzo Piano-designed addition -- a 70,000 square foot temple of light and glass -- holds space to showcase art by current and former members of the museum's artist-in-residence program, an impressive performance hall, and a gleaming new studio. It is in this latter space that the museum is holding weekly Education Studio workshops. Visitors of all ages are welcome to participate in workshops, which are drop-in and held on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 4:30pm, and included in the price of museum admission.
Today, Jennifer (also of Hey Girl Momma Go) shares some local spots to get your groove on:
This week's warmer temperatures aside, we've had some really cold days. The winter blues are lurking in the corners of our house for sure, but thanks to my 6 1/2 year old daughter's new microphone and my husband's old amp, we are doing a lot of rockin' out these days. We dance, we sing, we whip our hair around, we even have a disco ball. So it got me thinking about cool options for dance classes. Things have certainly evolved from the traditional ballet, tap, and jazz of my youth. Here are a few local options to help kids and adults stave off the winter doldrums.
Today, Evadne shares a great game from a Newton-based company (also, check out below for details on a sale today and tomorrow!):
I recently played Gamewright's Take the Cake with my kids and was reminded what good wholesome fun board games are. Take the Cake's tag line describes the game perfectly: a sweet game of shakes, shapes & cupcakes. The idea behind the game is to decorate cupcake cards with colorful wooden shapes that sprinkle out of a shaker. If you complete the toppings on your turn, you collect the cupcake card -- that is, you take the cake. The player with the most cards wins the game.
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!
Today, Kate shares a great find for relocating your outgrown kid's clothing and gear:
If you're like me, you occasionally find yourself looking for good ways to pass along the clothes, toys, and gear that your kids have outgrown. Due to generous grandmothers, my daughter's dresser is often overflowing, and I search out ways to share the bounty. Two Little Monkeys, a new children's resale shop in the Union Square neighborhood of Somerville, is a great resource for anyone looking to either unload or pick up clothing, books, toys, and gear (including high-end strollers at terrific prices) for babies and children.
Today, Lindsey shares a local self-care gem (that is making my feet twitch in happy anticipation):
I am a runner with ache-y Achilles tendons and a (probably related) on-and-off case of plantar fasciitis. I have wanted to try reflexology for a long time: partially I am drawn to the concept of spots on the feet correlating with imbalances in the body, but mostly I love having my feet rubbed.
Hello everyone -- I hope you've been having a fantastic week! I went off the grid longer than expected due to an amazing trip to California, the residuals of which left me a little loopy (we came in very early off a red eye flight yesterday morning) and also wanting to take a slower, more mindful pace as we re-entered life here at home. I need to take today to square up on various things; meanwhile, if you're interested you can read up on the trip (and see some lovely photos) here, and also, here are a few picks to enjoy this week.
Today, Jennifer recommends a visit to Barefoot Books for more than books:
Given the variable nature of New England weather (cue today's monsoon...), it's always good to have some indoor activity ideas in your back pocket. My kids and I recently enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the Barefoot Books pottery studio in Concord. Our mission was to try out their newish paint-your-own pottery studio (it was added to the store's offerings this past spring), and oh, did we have a grand ol' time.
Despite the hurricane on Sunday (which didn't amount to more than heavy rain in our neighborhood), we headed out to a surprise birthday party for my friend Morra. And two things about that event turned me into a fan of Lakota Bakery. First were the goodies; the cakes -- one golden with raspberry buttercream, the other almond meringue with dark chocolate ganache and chocolate buttercream -- were spectacularly moist and delicious (yes, I had three pieces). The cookie platter was equally impressive and I realized after looking at Lakota's website that the reason the cookies looked so familiar was because I have eaten them before from Darwin's (most recently, while in the hospital following Violet's birth).