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.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.
Last week, I officially decided to shelve running until after I deliver the baby. And since yoga subsequently has been my main fitness practice, and since many of the sequences I typically enjoy aren't so great while carrying a giant pumpkin belly, I decided to buy a copy of Prenatal Yoga with Bec Conant following the rave recommendations for Bec (a local prenatal yoga teacher, doula, and hypnobirthing teacher) and her classes when I queried about favorite prenatal yoga classes in Boston.
Evadne was too polite to share this, but we were the guests at her brunch, and I ate three servings of this bread pudding, it was so good! See my additional comments at the end of the post:
My husband, the true chef in our family, loves this time of year because he enjoys making warm, hearty foods like stews, braises, and pies. And I love this season because I get to eat what he makes! Recently we had some friends over and he made bread pudding, taking the recipe from his favorite go-to cookbook, Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything.
One cool thing about raising a growing reader is that we're now hitting material that: a) I remember loving as a young girl; and b) still captivates after all these years. Before the holidays, Laurel decided that she wanted to read Little House On The Prairie (a hand me down from her cousin) together, and she loved the characters and story so much that she asked for more Little House books for Christmas (there are nine books in the series). We're currently reading On the Banks of Plum Creek and spent -- I kid you not -- almost two hours cuddled up reading yesterday (and Laurel spent much of dinner filling Jon in about Nellie Oleson).
Today, Heather shares a review of Pop & Lolli's fabric wall art. Read on for Heather's review, as well as to learn how to win a Pop & Lolli wall art kit of your own:
If my oldest daughter had her way, she would change her room décor almost as frequently as she changes her clothes...which is a lot! Since she's recently changed from favoring penguins to owls, it's tough to predict what 2011 will bring. Fortunately for her, I have long been a fan of removable, peel and stick wall art. Wall art is a terrific, fun, and easy way to transform a room without a big commitment. We now have removable wall art in the kids' bedrooms, play room, and finished basement. It's also fun that my four kids are able to decorate (almost) all by themselves!
One thing that I quickly learned with Laurel is that her level of content is completely different depending on whether I'm doing something not-so-present such as, say, checking my e-mail vs. crafting alongside her. Of course, her favorite kind of time is when we're working on the same project (e.g., we're finishing a really crazy quilt right now -- Laurel has become impressively facile with my sewing machine!), but when she's working on something like latch hook or pot holders, I'm kind of left hanging. So I've been thinking of -- and getting excited about -- revisiting knitting.
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, Carole Arsenault of Boston Baby Nurses shares recommendations for getting back into a food and fitness groove postpartum:
After a holiday season full of delicious and plentiful food, the task of working on getting back your pre-pregnancy body may seem daunting. But with the momentum of the new year, now is the best time to get yourself healthy and in shape. Since your metabolism slows down after pregnancy, a combination of some simple exercises (cardiovascular and muscle strengthening) along with smart food and portioning choices will help you can get fit and stay healthy. Below are simple changes you can make, and safe, easy ways to get your body moving.
Though I found myself a tad depleted at the end of the whirlwind of holiday gatherings and guests we hosted, one thing I love about entertaining is assembling menus and trying out new recipes. (Admittedly -- perhaps not surprisingly given yesterday's tooth fairy post -- I created an Excel based project plan to keep track of the various menus and prep schedules.) And of all the new recipes I tried this holiday season, there were three Martha Stewart recipes that were fantastic and easy. They're my new favorite appetizers and now get real estate in my recipe binders (yes, I have binders) and I wanted to be sure to share them with you.
A few years ago, Tracy wrote about her tooth fairy conundrum, but it wasn't until recently -- Laurel is 6 and eagerly awaiting the loss of her first tooth -- that I started suffering my own angst on the topic. Since most of Laurel's friends have already lost teeth, she keeps asking about the tooth fairy's going rate (and, um, she knows that we are the tooth fairy). And quite frankly, she keeps horrifying me, telling me what her friends are getting. So a couple of nights ago I turned to Twitter and Facebook, and decided to map out some hard data for my own, and your, purposes.
I love gifting photo calendars. Yes, it takes a bit of effort to collect the photos (and, if you're like me, neurotically arrange them so that the photos are seasonally in line with the months), but they're always a hit, particularly with Laurel's grandparents, who not only love the photos, but also favor paper date keeping. And last month I was thrilled to discover Minted's pretty photo calendars. Read on to learn more about them, as well as how to be one of three winners to receive a $200 gift certificate to Minted!
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 carry reusable totes everywhere; our car is loaded with them and I always have one scrunched up in my bag du jour. But my collection is getting rather tired so I was thrilled to learn about Bag the Habit -- makers of chic, lightweight, and roomy (apparently they'll bear up to 45 lbs) reusable bags made from 100% recycled fabric. I particularly love the luxe tote, which comes in pretty patterns and colors and is cleverly functional. The bag arrives as a compact little zippered pouch; when you're ready to use the tote, simply flip the bag inside out and your tote features a zippered pocket that's perfect for stowing keys, credit cards, or other small essentials. These totes even feature a small reinforced, padded area in the handles to ease the burden on shoulders. Pretty, functional, eco-friendly, and cleverly designed? I clearly need to order more.
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).
Today, Lindsey recommends a book that I have been meaning to purchase (given my love for Zen Shorts and Zen Ties):
Last night, in an unusual moment, both children sat with me on the couch for a book. Without interruption. They were rapt. That a single book could speak to them both, and so powerfully, is very rare. That it could also speak powerfully to me is almost unheard of.
I'm not sure whether it's due to our full docket of holiday entertaining over the next couple of weeks or pure maternal nesting mode, but I've been tackling a lot of home projects lately. And last weekend, I became obsessed with the need to repaint a console table that, ironically, I last painted when I was pregnant with Laurel. And given that I'm 27 weeks pregnant and Laurel wanted to help paint, finding an odorless, eco-friendly paint was important for this project. Here's how our project turned out:
Laurel recently has become obsessed with jumping rope, which has proven to be fantastic entertainment and exercise both on the playground at school and at home (often times indoors even, which I am OK with right now since it helps Laurel burn off energy). I bought her a lovely, eco-friendly Green Toys jump rope this past summer while we were in Maine and admittedly was a little disgruntled when she instead wanted a sparkly, pink, plastic jump rope that her friend had, even though the natural coils in the plastic made it harder to jump with.