I met Allison Czarnecki of Petit Elefant this past summer at the T.J. Maxx/Marshalls event; she’s one of these people who exudes a lot of wonderfully happy mojo, whether it’s in person, through her blog posts, or via Twitter and Facebook. As a blogger, I particularly love Allison’s keen eye for style and her desire to offer ideas for a range of budgets. I’m subsequently thrilled that today, for the sixth installment of my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, Allison shares simple guidelines and great ideas for easy accessorizing.I met Allison Czarnecki of Petit Elefant this past summer at the T.J. Maxx/Marshalls event; she’s one of these people who exudes a lot of wonderfully happy mojo, whether it’s in person, through her blog posts, or via Twitter and Facebook. As a blogger, I particularly love Allison’s keen eye for style and her desire to offer ideas for a range of budgets. I’m subsequently thrilled that today, for the sixth installment of my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, Allison shares simple guidelines and great ideas for easy accessorizing.
I first connected with Michelle Stern of What's Cooking two years ago, when she approached me about contributing to Boston Mamas. Though Michelle is based on the West Coast, I adore her hands on approach to cooking with kids and we walk the same green path; the geographical disparity quickly became an afterthought. It was such a pleasure to finally meet Michelle this summer, when we happened to film our segments for The Juice back to back. Just as lovely in person as she is over e-mail, though Michelle is a regular contributor to this site, given that she is one of my favorite eco-foodies, I wanted to feature her in my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series. Today, Michelle shares a few simple yet meaningful ideas for mindful holidays gifts.
Today, Carole Arsenault of Newborn Nurses shares some tips for staying healthy during the flu season:
“Expecting mothers or moms of young children have more than just themselves to worry about this flu season, particularly with the added threat of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. Pregnant women and young children are particularly susceptible to complications related to the flu.
I first met the lovely Isabel Kallman of Alpha Mom at the inaugural Pampers mom blogger meeting in Cincinnati and have since adored being in her company at every turn (most notably while interviewing Salma Hayek, talking all things blogging, and while wearing paper bags on our heads). Isabel is a smart entrepreneur, a kind friend, and always is thinking towards personal improvement, community building, and outreach to those in need. Fittingly, for the fourth in my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series – Isabel shares easy ideas for reconnecting with the spirit of the holidays through giving.
Today, Kristin shares a review of the M. Lekkakos Spa in Wenham:
“When I lived in LA, I found that what most people consider life’s little luxuries back East were a necessity out West. For example, I always managed to find time for mani/pedis, I bought expensive sunglasses because they were not just a fashion accessory but mandatory eye protection (that I wore every day without fail), and with all the smog, I always found the time and money for regular facials. Facials are my favorite thing, but as a working mother of two boys, I find it near impossible to get them done these days. Plus, finding a good aesthetician is no small task.
I admittedly have a bit of a weak spot for creative and colorful educational toys (especially those under $10), so this weekend when Laurel and I picked up sticky mosaics (my go-to gift for elementary school aged kids) for a birthday party, I couldn’t help but say yes when she asked if we could buy this Orb Factory Mosaica toy. Produced by the same folks who make the awesome sticky mosaics, this compact tin includes 64 two-tone magnetic squares and an insert with suggested patterns (build right inside the tin to keep the tiles in place). Awesome for travel and also for encouraging spatial skills and quiet time at home, Laurel spent hours with this toy this weekend (Jon and I also couldn’t resist building a few patterns...), which allowed me to get to some much needed cleaning and organization in advance of hosting Thanksgiving.
Audrey McClelland of Mom Generations is one of these women who is insanely busy and has a bajillion people in her life, but when you’re with her, you know you have her warm and loving undivided attention; she's a wonderful friend and I feel so fortunate that we overlap with some regularity at blogger events (I'm also sort of hoping Laurel marries one of her lovely sons someday...). Audrey’s charisma and keen eye for style have transformed her into a top fashion blogger, and I’m thrilled that today – for the third in my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series – Audrey shares ideas for getting the most mileage out of your favorite little black dress.
Though I’m not worried about aging per se, at some point during the last decade I started listening to my mother’s advice to stop sunning and start taking better care of my skin. I’ve heard a lot of people extol the virtues of Arbonne (including a few girlfriends with lovely, creamy skin...), but it wasn’t until late in the summer that I started using Arbonne FC5 products, thanks to Michelle Lenaghan. Read on for my thoughts about Arbonne’s FC5 facial care products, as well as for information on how to get free samples and a great shopping discount.
A few weeks ago I experienced a rather unusual night of party hopping that included seeing John Ondrasik (aka. Five for Fighting) live at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. In addition to being utterly moved by the musical experience itself, I also was touched by John’s clear love for his family (exemplified when he explained the inspiration for various songs). Thanks to the lovely Barbara Jones, I met John after the show, at which time he kindly offered to pen a guest blog post on Boston Mamas. In particular, I was curious about John’s best strategies for staying connected with his family while on the road; an issue I discuss with many parents who travel for work. Read on for John's advice on this topic:
Jennifer James is one of the first bloggers I met in real life, through the inaugural Disney mom bloggers mixer. She since has become a dear friend and a trusted professional confidante; someone I admire for her kindness, good karma, smart insights, and astute perspective as a long time blogger (among her many projects, she’s best known as the founder of the Mom Bloggers Club). The second in my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, today Jennifer shares a collection of wonderful ideas for everyday philanthropy where you can make a difference from the comfort of your home.
I adore Melissa Massello, not only because she’s super creative and fun (plus, we share bonds over figure skating, fashion, shredding, and all things writerly), but because I’ve seen her jump from traditional employment to fulfilling her dream of launching the online magazine Shoestring Magazine, which focuses on tips for achieving the good life for less. As the first in my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, today Melissa shares a strategy for prioritizing and planning holiday gifting that can result in major bargains, meaningful finds, and less stress.
Since launching Boston Mamas in 2006, I’ve made truly incredible friends in the blogging community; some who regrettably remain at laptop’s reach, and others who I’ve had the immense fun of meeting in person. And I’m especially lucky that a group of my talented friends have agreed to share their expertise on Boston Mamas in a guest blog series I’m calling Simplifying the Holidays; editorial focused on interesting, stylish, crafty, philanthropic, and/or time saving solutions to help your holidays be fun, meaningful, and less stressful. As the series progresses, I’ll link each guest blog to this post for easy referencing. Now, off to launch the first guest post in the series...
November is Prematurity Awareness Month and this year Bloggers Unite is partnering with the March of Dimes in support of the Fight for Preemies. The goal of the campaign is to have 500 bloggers post about a baby they love on or before Prematurity Awareness Day (November 17) to create awareness of the ongoing need for prematurity research funding. Today, in support of the campaign and in my role as a March of Dimes mom, I’m sharing the story of my niece Alyssa, with heartfelt gratitude to her parents for their candor and willingness to have me write this post.
Today, fashion addict Sarah shares the first post in a series focusing on denim. Perfect for those of us who love and live in jeans (um, that’s all of us, right?), Sarah offers tips on finding the right denim to fit your shape, as well as what to wear once you’ve found your perfect pair of jeans.
Davis Square’s bargain retail profile recently kicked it up a notch with the addition of Buffalo Exchange (on the same block as Poor Little Rich Girl and Good Will). Giving national chain a good name, Buffalo Exchange allows for direct sale or trade of used clothing and accessories, and carries both classic pieces (such as the J. Crew print dress I scored for $23.50...sweet!) and quirkier ones. The two-level store currently offers more goods for women (including rows upon rows of shoes downstairs), though there are some racks for men. Laurel loves treasure hunting with me in Davis; she only requests that this and other stores start carrying used kid’s clothing.
Buffalo Exchange, 238 Elm Street, Somerville; 617-629-5383
Today, parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth shares key lessons from motherhood:
“Could I write an essay -- under 1000 words -- about motherhood? What an absorbing assignment. In the recently released movie Motherhood -- which includes great actors, great Manhattan scenes, and too many New York tears shed over a life that looks terrific -- Uma Thurman attempts this very project for a magazine contest. Inspired by this task, here I share a few key lessons from the alphabet stew of motherhood, in less than 650 words.
Last month I guest posted about baby activities in Boston for the lovely ladies behind Rookie Moms. And today I’m thrilled to share some clever craft ideas from Rookie Moms co-founder Whitney Moss. Whitney offers three easy ideas to help you reinvent stained, outgrown, or simply worn out t-shirts. These solutions are perfect for breathing new life into old faves. Make it work.
Today, parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth shares advice on fighting well:
“Bob and I fought last week. Not a big one, but one that prevented us from playing our nightly gin game and one that led me to go to bed mad, something the experts and my parents (their only bit of marital advice) advise against. Fights are not something to avoid at all costs and the experts actually say that a noisy marriage might be better than a quiet one: at least you're talking to one another. Fights happen, yes, but how does it impact our kids? What is a good fight and how can we pull it off?