Now that we've officially switched from count up to count down mode with this pregnancy (7 weeks to go!), many people have asked what we're naming our second daughter. And as with many responses to questions (e.g., Have you figured out child care? Where will the baby sleep? What do you need for baby stuff?) associated with my remarkably laid back approach to this pregnancy, the answer has been, "Hmm...I have no idea." But a few things recently suggested that it's time to get a move on thinking about this name business -- and I'm hoping you can help me out here:Now that we've officially switched from count up to count down mode with this pregnancy (7 weeks to go!), many people have asked what we're naming our second daughter. And as with many responses to questions (e.g., Have you figured out child care? Where will the baby sleep? What do you need for baby stuff?) associated with my remarkably laid back approach to this pregnancy, the answer has been, "Hmm...I have no idea." But a few things recently suggested that it's time to get a move on thinking about this name business -- and I'm hoping you can help me out here:
Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that this is a short week here at Boston Mamas, between the school holiday and travel to Salt Lake City. I am so thrilled to be heading to Altitude Design Summit tomorrow -- Alt is a design/lifestyle conference that I admittedly was a tad intimidated to attend last year, so this year I decided that I needed to get over that fear and go. And I'm truly honored to be among this incredible lineup of speakers (which includes lovely friends/talented creatives such as Liz Gumbinner, Amy Turn Sharp, Allison Czarnecki, Laura Mayes, and Laurie Smithwick). While at the conference, I'll be soaking up all things creative, and will also speak alongside Chelsea Fuss, Christine Castro Hughes, and Lisa Warninger about taking the leap into full-time creative work.
This week on Life.Style, I engaged in the first of a two-part (at this point...the conversation could have continued for hours!) series on work, life, and parenting; definitely check out the episode if you didn't see it live on Thursday. I chatted with Erin Kane and Kristin Brandt of Manic Mommies about everything from the financial implications of opting out, the pros/cons of working in an office vs. working at home, resources for launching your own business, and strategies for finding personal time and getting a handle on home logistics. Check out the episode for full commentary and inspiration, but for easy reference, below are the conversation point links that were shared during the interviews.
It was so great to get back into the studio this week, and it was wonderful to kick off my 2011 programming talking about reflections and new routines. Definitely check out the episode if you didn't see it live on Thursday! I chatted about the #reverb10 reflection/manifestation project with Gwen Bell, and about starting and sticking to fitness routines with Leah Segedie of Mamavation. Check out the episode for full commentary and inspiration, but for easy reference, below are the resource links that I shared during the interviews.
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!
I've long been a fan of Stonyfield Farm; theirs was Laurel's very first yogurt (oh how that baby went crazy over the creamy full fat yogurt!) and Laurel and I are big fans of the Oikos caramel yogurt. And through Boston Mamas I've had the pleasure of learning about the evolution of their brand (how cool is it that their multipack cups are made from plants?), interfacing with CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg, and benefiting from their sponsorship. And now I'm thrilled to announce that I have joined Stonyfield's amazing team of contributors to write periodically about green and healthful living. My first post just went live, in which I share tips for eating healthy during the holidays -- important both because I'm pregnant and also since I find it especially important to model good eating habits for kids at this time of year. Enjoy the post, and of course feel free to share any other great tips you employ during this decadent season!
One thing I have procrastinated on for over two years is hanging pictures in our home. But thanks to inspiration from a recent Life.Style episode (re: photo gifts and décor), this post on creating gallery walls, and probably the fact that we're entertaining a lot over the coming weeks, this weekend I got over my fear of hammer and nail. And now? My home is about 3000 times more cozy! I wanted to share the easy how-to for creating staircase gallery walls. Admittedly, I still leave the big hanging projects (as in, you need to find studs in the wall and wield a drill) to Jon, but I did a lot of hanging (here's everything we hung and how the project related to my life list).
Last week on Life.Style, as I discussed inspiration points for easy and inexpensive gift wrap, I shared a link with photos of lovely recycled paper garlands. I decided to craft these garlands the other night and it was so easy (3 steps!) and they came out beautifully; I love that you don't have to be too precise with the measurements and they still look so geometric and festive. My friend Christie asked for the how-to since a tutorial isn't available at the original inspiration link. Here's how to make them:
If you didn't have a chance to watch episode 5 of Life.Style live on Thursday, I highly recommend you check it out! It was a fantastic eco and budget friendly episode, in which Marie LeBaron of Make and Takes shared ideas for turning trash into craft treasure as well as nature inspired projects, and Allison Czarnecki of Petit Elefant offered awesome how-to's on home beauty remedies using five ingredients or less. I also shared some terrific video submissions showcasing clever ideas for inexpensive gift wrapping, as well as a few of my own inspiration points. Check out the segment to see additional images, video, and inspiration, but as promised, for easy reference below I link up leads shared by me and my guests. Enjoy!
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?
On Thursday's episode of Life.Style I interviewed Tracey Clark, founder of Shutter Sisters and editor of the amazing book Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sisters' Guide to Shooting from the Heart. The publishers of Expressive Photography sent me a copy of the book to peruse in advance of the show and I cannot recommend it enough, whether as a gift to yourself or a loved one. Whether you're a novice, amateur, or professional photographer, Expressive Photography is replete with inspiring imagery and practical tips and tricks on approach, perspective, composition, lighting, details, and processing for different types of photos (e.g., landscape, portraits, still life, etc.). When I created my life list last month, #5 was "Remember to take photos of my family on the first day of each month." This book is providing immense inspiration to move forward with this project.
Do you -- like me -- enjoy taking pictures but want to take your photography to the next level of awesome? Then tune in to Life.Style with Christine Koh tomorrow at 1pm EST! In addition to sharing some fantastic interview footage with renowned pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene (we chat about teaching kids to love real food), I interview three talented photographers who will share great tips on how to rock your camera, whether it's a point and shoot or a DSLR. You're welcome to call in or tweet questions during the live episode, or e-mail me a question in advance to pose to the experts. And if you have a photo you'd like some advice/constructive criticism on, send it to me today at editor@bostonmamas.com.
What an outpouring of birthday love I felt in my inbox and Twitter stream yesterday -- thank you! I had a fantastic day off; most of the morning was spent with my midwife and an ultrasound technician, and then I enjoyed bento boxes with Jon, he helped me take a step towards #36 on my life list via a very generous gift, and I enjoyed relaxation, cake, and music making with Jon and Laurel throughout the rest of the day. So lovely!
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.
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!
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!
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.
Hello friends! I hope you had a fantastic week while I was away. Other than dealing with a pesky head cold, I had a wonderful, reflective week off; I'm excited to be back sharing all sorts of useful and clever awesomeness with you, and I'm also feeling very happy about a new perspective I developed on parenting, work, and balance this past week. It only seems fitting to share these thoughts with you in my first post back. Enjoy!