I didn’t manage to post about this before I headed out for vacation the other week, but I was honored to be interviewed recently about all things Boston Mamas and Posh Peacock by Heather Kempskie at Wicked Local Parents. In the interview post, you can also see one of my new headshots there, courtesy of the super talented Kristin Chalmers.I didn’t manage to post about this before I headed out for vacation the other week, but I was honored to be interviewed recently about all things Boston Mamas and Posh Peacock by Heather Kempskie at Wicked Local Parents. In the interview post, you can also see one of my new headshots there, courtesy of the super talented Kristin Chalmers.
Today, Sharon shares a fab recipe to treat your beets:
I discovered my love of beets last year, and was even more drawn to them when I learned that they are a great source of vitamins A and C, are high in folates and antioxidants, and are a great digestive. Here’s one of my favorite new ways to prepare them:
Welcome to the 7th installment of Boston Mamas Rock! – where we’re giving a voice to fabulous local mamas, whether they be entrepreneurs, avid volunteers, stay at home moms, moms who have closet talents, authors, media professionals, politicians, professors, etc. Read on for today’s interview with Karen Dillon, mother of two, arts advocate, and owner of the local art education studio ArtisTRY. Then go ahead and nominate yourself or a friend!
Dear Readers: In my quest for better balance, I have decided to take my first Internet vacation ever. My person, family, and sore eyeballs and forearms need the R & R, and I’ll be back posting lots of fabulous content next week. Meanwhile, if you need your Boston Mamas fix, scroll down to peruse our archived topics in the left column. There are almost 1200 back posts to amuse you. Have a great week!
Today, Michelle Stern of What’s Cooking offers healthy back to school lunch tips:
“During a family fishing expedition one summer, despite our best efforts, we were unable to catch anything, even though the boat next to us was reeling in fish every time we looked. Clearly, there was something we weren't doing right. As a man from the next boat yelled over to us, "What kind of bait are you using?" a crazy thought entered into my mind: Feeding children is a lot like fishing – you have to have the right lure, or they won't bite.
In my unofficial role as green parenting guru, I was pleased to provide a guest column on Teaching Green to Preschoolers, over at The Savvy Source, a site that focuses on raising preschoolers. Most of the ideas actually are applicable to kids of all ages. Enjoy!
I love body products - the delicious smells, the pretty packaging, the pampered feeling. And there’s a cool new collection on the block in Honeydew, a paraben, preservative, dye, and fragrance free line packed with natural goodness and formulated especially for expecting and new moms. Creamy in composition and yummy in natural scent, my top picks are the Balmy Mommy belly balm, which offers on the go itch relief via its glide on applicator, and the C-Scar Therapy cream, which helps reduce the appearance of surgical scars, partially thanks to - of all things - onion extract.
Today, Kate reports on the family friendly benefits of the minor league:
“My toddler daughter loves to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame, a favorite at her daycare center, and a good choice – slowed down and with a bluesy tone – for bedtime. I wanted to give her the real experience this summer, but she’s too young and too active for the claustrophobic intensity of Fenway Park. So, we tested out two minor league parks instead – LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Massachusetts (home of the Spinners) and Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine (home of the Sea Dogs) – and found that they’re great for both adults and kids, even really young ones.
This weekend I hosted my mom’s birthday party, and since Koreans tend to make a hearty meal spread then opt for fruit or lighter desserts following, I made this Strawberry Cake Roll for the birthday cake. I clipped this recipe from Real Simple several years ago and have made it many times since; it's Jon’s favorite cake, and everyone at the party went berserk over it.
Today, I’m thrilled to welcome new contributor Kristin Chalmers, a fabulously creative mama who will contribute content on everything from her gear obsessions to useful local finds and services. Today, Kristin reports on her favorite non-diaper diaper bag, the Patagonia's Lightweight Travel Tote:
Welcome to the 6th installment of Boston Mamas Rock! – where we’re giving a voice to fabulous local mamas, whether they be entrepreneurs, avid volunteers, stay at home moms, moms who have closet talents, authors, media professionals, politicians, professors, etc. Read on for today’s interview with Jill Notkin, owner of Alex Casey Baby, and busy blogger. Then go ahead and nominate yourself or a friend!
On a regular basis, I begrudge the absurd amount of time and energy we spend on grocery shopping. To get everything we need, we typically hit 3-4 stores, and I have talked to countless moms who share this inefficient routine. So when Stop & Shop invited me to learn more about their quantitative and qualitative overhaul, I was more than ready for a centralized shopping solution.
Today, my girlfriend Leslie makes a special guest contribution, detailing a fun and simple Explorer Party she just threw for her son:
“I have two boys, and my oldest son Liam just turned 5. After attending a seemingly endless number of big parties at group venues (e.g., clay painting, climbing gym) with pizza and cake that no one ate, we decided we'd rather have a smaller party at home with a craft, a game, and lunch. Nothing too long so younger sibs could go home and nap, but lots of fun with time to do something creative, run around, and then sit and eat.
Following PPLM Parent Education Program Manager Amy Cody’s post about engaging GLBTQ kids in conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity, we received a comment from reader Jen, asking about guidelines on having these conversations with straight kids. I am grateful to Amy for kindly providing follow up material on this topic:
Welcome to the 5th installment of Boston Mamas Rock! – where we’re giving a voice to fabulous local mamas, whether they be entrepreneurs, avid volunteers, stay at home moms, moms who have closet talents, authors, media professionals, politicians, professors, etc. Read on for today’s interview with Heather Kempskie, editor of P&K magazine and first time book author. Then go ahead and nominate yourself or a friend!
I feel blessed to know many artistic souls, and last week I had the fabulous opportunity to work with Kristin Chalmers on professional headshots. Kristin is a creative tour de force via her photography business, her role as the host, coordinator, and producer of Baby Loves Disco Boston, and, given her passion for helping new moms, I recently convinced her that she has time to write for this site (debut forthcoming). But let me get back to her photography prowess, because she rocked.
Today, Sara Cabot of Little Lettice provides zucchini inspired recipes for the whole family:
Everywhere you look at the farmer’s markets in July you see different forms of zucchini squash in different shapes and sizes. While zucchini squash is extremely palatable for babies, older kids can find it a bit boring. I am convinced that one of the reasons kids don’t like green veggies is that they are bored of the way they are cooked or presented. With a bit of variation, these sweet and tender greens can be delicious to young children.
We love local mamapreneurs, and thus were thrilled to receive this tip from Aimee of Arlington: “I just checked out the new Twinkle Star baby boutique in Ball Square, Somerville. It’s a cute shop and great play space for kids. I also met with Salina of Diaper Lab (she rents space at Twinkle Star) for cloth diaper ideas for my new little guy. She has a supply and sample of every cloth diaper available - what a great resource!”