I did Laurel a major disservice when I tried to cut her bangs for the first time. Despite cutting tips from a professional stylist pal, my efforts rendered a look disturbingly similar to Ralph Wiggam from The Simpsons.
So I gave up on bangs and moved to hairclips. This strategy worked well for the front, but the back – after a recent botched attempt – was looking pretty sorry. Following a strong recommendation from my mama pal Kate, we headed to Lulu's Kids' Cuts last weekend.
Truth be told, when I called to make the appointment I nearly backed out based on the price ($25; cash or check only), but it was worth it. Laurel got a great haircut, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pretty (it’s sort of like a hair salon meets gallery, with artwork, jewelry, and accessories for sale) yet kid friendly, with fun patterned smocks, a playroom downstairs, and ring pops at the end of the journey.
Lulu's Kids' Cuts, 2323 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, Tel: 617-876-2323
I did Laurel a major disservice when I tried to cut her bangs for the first time. Despite cutting tips from a professional stylist pal, my efforts rendered a look disturbingly similar to Ralph Wiggam from The Simpsons.
So I gave up on bangs and moved to hairclips. This strategy worked well for the front, but the back – after a recent botched attempt – was looking pretty sorry. Following a strong recommendation from my mama pal Kate, we headed to Lulu's Kids' Cuts last weekend.
Truth be told, when I called to make the appointment I nearly backed out based on the price ($25; cash or check only), but it was worth it. Laurel got a great haircut, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pretty (it’s sort of like a hair salon meets gallery, with artwork, jewelry, and accessories for sale) yet kid friendly, with fun patterned smocks, a playroom downstairs, and ring pops at the end of the journey.
Lulu's Kids' Cuts, 2323 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, Tel: 617-876-2323
As someone who is personally and professionally obsessed with color I was blown away when I checked out the vibrant, modern designs of Avalisa.
Avalisa offers vivid wall art suitable throughout the home or in professional settings; their animal, color block, and things that go designs are particularly fabulous for kids’ décor. Designs are offered on a variety of colored backdrops (shown; green pandas), printed on canvas and hand-stretched on 1 1/2” deep stretcher bars, and come ready to hang. Three canvas sizes are available: 12x12” ($45), 18x18” ($75), and 28x28” ($115).
It’s typically difficult to make sense of any conversation when you have a collective of 12 adults and 4 preschoolers at dinner (as was the case Christmas Day), but the family went audibly and definitively berserk over the salmon cakes we brought for potluck. This recipe also happens to be Jon’s all time favorite; it works well during fall/winter (paired with rice pilaf and simple vegetables), spring/summer (over a bed of salad greens), for potluck (as evidenced by the empty platter I brought home), or as elegant little bite-sized appetizers for a New Year’s gathering. Enjoy!
Typically, I am all about color, and am thrilled that Laurel’s favorite activity is painting, but the no mess factor of the Aquadoodle is pretty fantastic.
Laurel received the (award winning) Aquadoodle Travel Doodle
with extensive experience with other Aquadoodle products weren’t as happy with this new entry in the Aquadoodle line, but as newbies to Aquadoodle, we have no complaints. If traveling, we’d just suggest bringing a bottle of water along to keep the pen (and yourself) hydrated during the journey.
There are countless nursery rhyme books out there, but we hit on a real winner at the public library. And lest none of the other children at the local branch have a chance to read it, we finally ordered our own copy so we could stop renewing the loaner.
Sanja Rescek’s Hickory, Dickory, Dock: And Other Favorite Nursery Rhymes
($7.95 at Amazon) comprises soothing, pretty illustrations of classic nursery rhymes; the rounded corner, padded board book format is perfect for little hands and will withstand a lifetime of reads.
Moms are the ultimate multitaskers; at the park the other day I met a mom who was knitting some groovy socks while looking after her son. I used to be an avid knitter, but I had never seen anything like the little knitting pouch wristlet she was working from and I had to try tracking one down.
A super stylish option is the GoKnit Pouch from KnowKnits ($18; available at KnitPicks.com). Made of lightweight, ripstop nylon fabric (in hot pink, lime green, or turquoise), this pouch has a loop that can go over your wrist, belt loop, or purse strap and includes an interior snapped guide loop to keep your yarn in order. Measures 6 inches in diameter by 8 inches tall.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with my mother about tampons, and this morning I found myself discussing them with my 27-month-old.
Laurel had gotten herself into my bathroom toiletries, and as I worked out some preschooler-friendly explanations on the fly, I was reminded of the increased confidence I gained in having these types of conversations since attending a Planned Parenthood home talk a couple of months ago.
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts’ Let’s Be Honest program is designed to help parents create an environment of trust and comfort in talking with their children about sex and sexuality. Although the program is especially suited to parents of children aged 10-14 years old, the facilitators were open to discussion of how to talk to kids of all ages about sex, and they provided useful handouts (e.g., how to respond to the “where do babies come from” question) applicable to kids aged 2 and up.
Click here to learn about how to host or attend a “Let’s Be Honest” workshop. If you’re not in Massachusetts, the national Planned Parenthood website offers educational resources for parents, including age by age guides for how to talk to children about sex, human sexuality, and AIDS.
Yesterday, desperately in need of relaxation and rejuvenation following wrap of a series of crazy deadlines, I headed to Urban Oasis. Urban Oasis offers private and community hot tub sessions and massages set within peaceful, elegantly appointed rooms. (Sessions are suit on; the community tub schedule largely is co-ed, but there is some single sex availability.) Towels and plush robes are provided, and change rooms and showers are stocked with quality body products. During my visit I was the only person in the community tub and enjoyed a half hour soak ($10 on its own; $8 when booked along with a massage) prior to my massage with Beth, who was marvelous at untying the knots in my back.
These fabulous hot tub soaks give new meaning to tubby time, and would make for a fun outing with friends or family (my mom will go crazy over this place...). Student and senior discounts are available.
Urban Oasis, 243 Hampshire Street, Cambridge; Tel: 617-491-0716
UPDATE 4/5/08: Urban Oasis has changed its name to Inman Oasis.
As someone who spent many years “driving with the brake on” professionally, I very much want to encourage Laurel to follow her natural gifts. Next on my reading list is another book suggestion from Boston Mamas’ contributing therapist Adelaide Smith, MSW. Adelaide highly recommends Caron B. Goode’s Nurture Your Child's Gift: Inspired Parenting.
Goode’s book offers ideas and techniques on how parents can encourage their children to be confident and joyful through procession on a path that draws on their natural talents.
The other day, Auntie Sha-Sha left her sneakers at our house; this was a major event for Laurel. She wanted to know all about why the shoes were there, what we could put in them, and how fast Sharon could run when she was in them (answer: pretty fast). Ultimately, she wanted a pair just like them.
Laurel’s been in need of more weather appropriate footwear (she’s still been roaming around in her fall kicks) so we decided to check out the New Balance Factory Store this past weekend.
This store is definitely worth a visit. The infant/toddler section is smaller than the kid, women, and men sections (there were about 8 different infant/toddler shoe styles to choose from), but Laurel loved the sneakers she picked out and they apparently fit great (I have never seen her jump around in a store like that before…). They also were a mere $14.99.
New Balance Factory Store, 40 Life Street, Allston, Tel: 877-623-7867
Holiday brunches ought to be enjoyed; you’ll be able to do just that with this terrific make ahead Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Strata from Epicurious.com. This dish (first enjoyed at the home of fellow food lovin' friends) is a winner every time. And it’s easy enough to substitute spinach for prosciutto to accommodate vegetarian guests.
Oh how I love the holiday butter cookie. Here’s a terrific, simple cookie recipe that I picked up from a departmental secretary when I was in graduate school. As if it wasn’t enough to just have a butter cookie, this recipe involves wrapping the butter cookie dough around Hershey’s Kisses and rolling the finished product in powdered sugar. Brilliant!
Beautiful fabric makes me dizzy; I can only assume it was new parent fatigue that left me with the bland (navy blue, beige) slings I purchased a couple of years back when Laurel was born. And with Laurel, the sling practically was my uniform during her first year; I deserved better trimmings.
ZoloWear celebrates stylish babywearing through their gorgeous collection of pouches (one loop of fabric that can be tightened with a single button and four buttonholes) and ring slings (rectangle of fabric threaded through two rings for adjustability and positioning versatility) in bright, modern cottons, luxurious silk brocades, and breathable Solarveil mesh for warm weather. For true hands-free walkabouts, pouches come with a d-ring for keys or a toy, the ring slings with a zippered pocket on the tail (which also can serve as an impromptu burp cloth or breastfeeding cover).
We especially love the modern, coordinate-with-any-outfit Jetson fabric (shown, ring sling $89.99; pouch $53.99), which features yummy blue and cream dots on chocolate stretch cotton sateen. These slings are so breathtaking that passersby might actually overlook your cute bundle of joy for a split second.
Pursuant to my last post, Auntie Sha-Sha has renewed my faith in the fact that elegant, hand crafted ornaments can in fact be made quickly and glue-free.
Sharon made a fleet of amazing bell cranes (shown) for Laurel, and confirmed that they were simple to put together. Fold a paper crane using origami paper. Thread ribbon through the top of a bell (she used 1/2 inch bells and 1/8 inch satin ribbon, about 16 inches long). Hold the ribbon ends even and together and tie a knot about 3/4 of an inch up from the top of the bell. This knot will sit under the belly of the crane (to fix space between the crane belly and the bell). Thread the ribbon ends through a needle with a large eye and insert needle in existing hole in the bottom of the crane and poke a hole through the top point. Pull the ribbon all the way through and tie a knot at the end.
For non-denominational cranes, you could forego the bell (leave a longer ribbon end under the belly and snip to separate), or replace the bell with a different trinket (e.g., snowflake, dreidel, photo).
I know a lot of hip and stylish grandmas out there, but they get little focused due in the retail market (try Googling the topic and among your first hits will be medication pill boxes). An inquiry from a friend/reader from Los Angeles - whose mom is about to become a new grandma - inspired me to collect some gift ideas that have proven to be winners with grandparents.
Artwork, including anything from sticker collages to scribbles to paint, is at the top of my list; an inexpensive frame adds a professional finish. If you have an infant, however, other picks include photo gifts such as albums, calendars, or photo coasters (ordered easily through services such as Kodak EasyShare Gallery
As mad as I was about the wrench that Baby-O put in my schedule the other day, ruminations about getting a backup doll to leave in the car – plus an external request for information about Baby-O – prompted me to check out the latest in the ethnic baby doll market. If Laurel’s interest in dolls continues, I’m thinking her pals ought to reflect our diverse world.
Baby-O is the Corolle Calin Yang
doll ($26.95 at Amazon). Cuddly but somewhat alien looking. Assuming we get another Asian doll, I think we’d go for the cuter and more mature Corolle Choquette Kim (shown; ~$45 at Toys R Us
. We like the simplicity of these Corolle dolls; they don’t eat, sleep, or poop in the mechanical sense, but it means they’re battery-free, machine washable, and leave more to the imagination. (Choquette Kim also won the Oppenheim Best Toy Gold Seal Award.)
Check out Amazon Dolls
and Toys R Us Dolls
! It’s a good world to be living in these days.
Winter may have arrived, but your babe will go crazy about the Rainbow Color Cones
The complexity of vacation planning increases exponentially with little ones in tow. Luckily for you, WeJustGotBack.com is a travel site charged with the mission of easing planning woes so you actually can enjoy your vacation.
This just-for-families travel website offers detailed destination features, analyses of (allegedly) family friendly hotels and resorts, strategies for traveling with kids, and reader-generated tips. If you haven’t yet decided on your vacation spot, you can search featured destinations based on your child’s age. Now that’s forward thinking.
This summer WeJustGotBack.com launched an Insider Guide To Cape Cod and other content specific to the Cape. They are soon to unveil their Insider Guide to Boston, and welcome tips from Boston parents. Registration is required to access the in depth features, but it is well worth it. These vacation experts do their homework.