Yesterday I was honored to speak about organic living alongside Stonyfield Farm CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg at a media event for YoBaby Meals at the Boston Children's Museum. And I couldn’t stop thinking about two things: 1) how small acts truly can lead to big changes; and 2) that grownups deserve good food too. I’ll address each of these issues in turn. And at the conclusion, you can learn how to win one of two Stonyfield Farm goodie bags to help you get your organic mojo running.Yesterday I was honored to speak about organic living alongside Stonyfield Farm CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg at a media event for YoBaby Meals at the Boston Children's Museum. And I couldn’t stop thinking about two things: 1) how small acts truly can lead to big changes; and 2) that grownups deserve good food too. I’ll address each of these issues in turn. And at the conclusion, you can learn how to win one of two Stonyfield Farm goodie bags to help you get your organic mojo running.
One of Laurel’s favorite birthday gifts is the Connectagons Under the Sea set gifted by her grandmother. Blissfully gender unspecific, this building set includes 10 base coral pieces and 234 interlocking wooden discs that are vividly patterned with fish, coral patterns, and other underwater critters. The pieces are pretty to look at (I couldn’t resist sorting by color/type) and irresistible to play with (for all ages, clearly), whether you’re building vertical sea sculptures or – like Laurel – creating little rooms for dolls to play in.
Today, Jules shares a sweet and spicy recipe for fish lovers:
“Regular readers may have gathered that I love fish. And when I think snapper, I think Caribbean flavors. This recipe came to me one night when I was looking for something with punch, but that wasn’t too hot to handle. The sweetness contrasts perfectly with the heat.
In light of September being National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, today, Sarah candidly shares her story, as well as important information for women to consider:
“I always assumed that by the time I reached the ripe old age of 35, I’d have a husband, two kids, a house in the ‘burbs, and a dog. What I didn’t expect was the minivan. Oh, and the cancer.
Today, Kate recommends a reliable (and resplendent) source as you gear up for fall baking:
“I used to love receiving catalogs, each so colorful and shiny and full of promise. And then the deluge began – so many catalogs, often multiple copies of the same one, and many for products that I would never dream of buying – and the fun turned into annoyance that my mailbox was stuffed and the forests being cut down.
All kids deserve to have music in their lives, and I love that there are ways to access music that don’t involve investing thousands of dollars in an instrument (as I did for my bow alone as an aspiring violinist). Among Laurel’s favorite birthday presents this year is the Schylling Blues Harmonica gifted to her by her musician uncle. Offering immediate melodic gratification, I can’t get enough of Laurel’s joyous expression as she blows and draws to make music. And in addition to the awesomely low price tag and easy music making, you can't beat the compactness and low maintenance of harmonicas.
The last week has been a tad crazy, what with family visits, Laurel’s 5th birthday, and yesterday’s (rocky) first day of kindergarten, but the generosity of Laurel’s loved ones has not escaped me. Over the next few days I’ll share some of her favorite birthday gifts; the first being If You See a Fairy Ring: A Rich Treasury of Classic Fairy Poems. Gifted by Jon’s aunt and uncle, this book includes an accessible collection of fairy inspired poetry, all set against lovely watercolor illustrations. And perfect for parents weary of pop-up books whose features easily tear, this book creates magical fairy scene changes seamlessly and rip-free via shuttered picture windows hinged to the turn of a page.
Laurel always has loved putting pen (or marker, crayon, or colored pencil) to paper, and these days, whenever presented with activity books that include word searches, mazes, scene analysis, etc., she immediately gravitates towards the mazes. In my subsequent hunt for maze books, I was thrilled to find Kumon’s Amazing Mazes (a sequel to My First Book Of Mazes and My Book of Easy Mazes). Part of Kumon’s educational workbook series for kids, these mazes are happily challenging for growing brains (mazes increase in complexity with page count) and are beautifully illustrated and cleverly constructed. Next on my list: the animal, things that go, and around the world maze books.
Today, Michelle Stern of What’s Cooking shares a parmesan popover recipe that’s perfect for picnics or playdates:
“When I was preparing lesson plans for my kids cooking camps this summer, I knew I had to include this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis in our Picnic Foods menu. These popovers are light and fluffy, and were a perfect vehicle for all of the fresh herbs that my students harvested from the garden.
When I was a kid, I so wanted my mom to be involved in school activities. Not surprisingly though, what with raising seven kids and running a business with my dad she didn’t have time. So this week I felt both happiness and more than a bit of nostalgia when my mom helped me teach Laurel’s pre-K class about Korea (the class is studying countries around the world and Laurel asked if I would come in and teach about Korea). The following are notes on what I put together; the general format would work well for any country.
During our recent vacation to Maine, my dear girlfriend Anne made a ridiculously yummy chocolate zucchini cake. She hadn’t made the recipe in about 10 years (it was a blue ribbon winning recipe from her childhood) and the source of the clipping was unknown. I replicated the recipe last week – doubling it, actually, to share with friends – and it was just as wonderful. The cake is light, fluffy, and moist and goes down dangerously easily. I delivered a half batch to our neighbors, and was told the next day that I had outdone my previous baked good gifts; the cake evaporated within about 5 minutes of delivery. Enjoy!
Despite my attempts to simplify and streamline life, I still have plenty of errands to run. And the other week, when I couldn’t rally Laurel to get excited about the pile of returns I needed to take back to Target (tantalizing, I know...), I queried on Twitter, “How can I get Laurel to think an errand to Target this morning will be fun and exciting (other than offering to buy her the entire store)?”
Today, Jennifer recommends a couple of spots in Acton to enjoy a girl’s morning out:
“I recently rediscovered one of my favorite little local spots for bargain shopping: Tables to Teapots in West Acton. It’s a well-organized home furnishings consignment shop with antiques, retro décor, some newer yet gently used items, and one-of-a-kind finds…including the great vintage cuff bracelet I just picked up for a mere $8.
Hello folks, apologies for being a couple of days late in posting this notice. In case you were wondering, I'm not trapped under something heavy; instead, similar to last summer, in my quest for better balance, I'm taking a short Internet vacation. My person, family, and sore eyeballs and forearms need the R & R, and I’ll be back posting lots of fabulous content and continuing the Boston Mamas 3rd birthday giveaway series on Wednesday. Meanwhile, if you need your Boston Mamas fix, scroll down to peruse over 1600 posts in the archived topics in the left column. Enjoy!
Back in May, Boston Mamas was nominated by Nickelodeon/Parents Connect as Best Local (Parenting) Blog in Boston. And while initially I thought this was pretty awesome, I soon had some misgivings: Did I have the stomach to pester people daily for the two-month daily voting window (no)? Did I want to be responsible for the social fallout/discomfort between other contenders and mutual friends (absolutely not)? Wouldn’t it be more valuable to the user if a top picks list was created editorially instead of by vote (in my opinion, yes; see for example, Jennifer James’s recent 25 influential moms in the Twitterverse post)?
Yesterday I had the pleasure and honor of being interviewed by NPR Tell Me More host Michel Martin -- alongside Kelly Wickham (Mocha Momma), Jamila Bey (Washington Examiner), and Catherine Sabonis-Bradley (What Matters) -- about the issue of commercial interests tainting the mommy blogosphere. Unfortunately, Tell Me More doesn’t broadcast in Massachusetts (check for other stations by state here), but the audio will be available online at approximately 12 pm.
Today Tracy shares a recommendation for a book that can help couples reconnect in times of discontent:
“In my practice as a clinical psychologist, my clients often asked for book recommendations. It’s a rare book that is accessible enough and/or leaves me comfortable enough with the message it sends that I’m happy to recommend it to clients. Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love is different, however.