I love necklaces. Except when they're clumped and tangled, as most of my collection has been for some time now. I was planning on buying a cork board to make sense of the mess, and then this past weekend, as I stared disdainfully at furniture packaging that needed to be broken down for recycling, I had a light bulb moment: turn the large Styrofoam sheets into jewelry boards! It would save the effort of breaking down the material to fit into our recycling bin, and save me the cost of cork boards! Here's the how-to for this ridiculously easy and awesome project:I love necklaces. Except when they're clumped and tangled, as most of my collection has been for some time now. I was planning on buying a cork board to make sense of the mess, and then this past weekend, as I stared disdainfully at furniture packaging that needed to be broken down for recycling, I had a light bulb moment: turn the large Styrofoam sheets into jewelry boards! It would save the effort of breaking down the material to fit into our recycling bin, and save me the cost of cork boards! Here's the how-to for this ridiculously easy and awesome project:
Because I'm still operating in daily scarf mode (and plan on being in this mode for a while), my daily earring of choice is studs, both to prevent snags on said scarves and also because Violet can't resist pawing at my ears when I wear dangling earrings. But studs need not be boring! For installment #2 of my spring style series (see #1 here), here are 6 striking studs that are practical (when worn with scarves and alongside toddlers...) but full of pop for every day.
Tomorrow is the first day of March, which to me means the countdown to spring is officially on! Yay, spring! In anticipation of the good weather, I thought it would be fun to share a little series on spring style...small tweaks for giving a spring lift to your wardrobe. Today, I'll feature scarves, which are an easy way to add a little punch to an outfit while also keeping you cozy during transition temperatures.
When ONE asked me to share a recipe in honor of Sweet Potato Day -- an effort to raise awareness about world hunger -- I immediately thought of a recipe I enjoyed one Thanksgiving in Maryland. Jon and I were away from our families and our dear friend Joe invited us to his mom Chris's house. It meant so much to me to be welcomed in for the holidays, and the food -- including Chris's sweet potato casserole with bourbon and marshmallows -- was insanely good.
In one month (minus a day) Minimalist Parenting will officially release and there's been so much great stuff happening! I'm mostly staying offline this week for the holiday break, but I have some timely news to share and figured I'd round up all the recent goodness in one post. Asha and I are so grateful for everything that's been happening and you all are a huge part of this. Thank you for being a part of the journey!
Friends, I'm so excited to share some fun Minimalist Parenting news today. Thanks to the generosity of Isis Parenting, there is going to be a totally awesome (and fabulously do-gooding) Minimalist Parenting launch party here in Boston! Please join us on Thursday, March 28 at 6:30pm at Prudential Center to enjoy an evening out, meet other awesome parents, celebrate the launch of the book (I'll give a short presentation and will be available for high fives, questions, and to sign books), and support an amazing charity all at the same time!
Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares a wonderful roundup of books for strong and smart girls:
My 10-year-old daughter Grace loves to read. I'm always looking for books with strong female protagonists, books that model bravery and smarts, books with characters who are worthy of admiration and emulation. It's been fun to watch Grace fall in love with some of my old favorites, and equally interesting to observe her discover new titles that I didn't know, from recommendations from friends, ideas suggested by teachers, or afternoons wandering in the library.
Not long after I returned from Ethiopia, Bridget of @BostonSkin asked me about fair trade shea butter suppliers based in Africa. I didn't have immediate recommendations top of mind and canvassed my fellow ONE Moms for ideas; they of course came up with great leads! I've been meaning to share these recommendations for a while (er, several months now!), particularly given that if your skin is anything like mine, it is suffering along through the winter in a dry, chapped state. Here's to happy skin and supporting global businesses!
Today, Debbie (also of Two Adopt Two) shares six ideas for outdoor fun:
Particularly now, as we're all buried under huge piles of snow, recovering from shoveling induced aches and pains, and the novelty of snow days has worn off, you're probably dreaming of beaches, sandals, and umbrella-laden drinks. Your kids are even tired of electronics and you've already built an army of snowmen. Now what? If lift tickets are beyond your budget, fear not. Here are six ideas for outdoor fun for next to nothing.
I love when I can be the chill mom who doesn't care about another snow day. But the reality is that that is not where I'm at right this second; my work load is very heavy and Violet hasn't been sleeping well (cue zombie mom music). Given that everything in Massachusetts seems turned upside down today, I'm skipping the Weekly Blueprint and instead present you with what offered a wonderful source of cabin fever relief this weekend: a recipe for ridiculously easy and yummy gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, 5 ingredients, 10 minutes of prep time, and 10 minutes of baking time is all that stands between you and a dose of happy.
Today, Jennifer shares six tips to help kids overcome fear of dogs:
My son Liam is intensely afraid of dogs, despite never having had a bad experience with a dog. And of course it seems as if dogs are everywhere we go! My husband believes that Liam will eventually outgrow this fear in time, and while I've been trying to patiently wait this out (we are going on six and a half years now!), I've been collecting ideas on what we can do to help him overcome his fear. Here are six strategies we've been working on:
I first heard about Zarbee's at Alt Summit, and then learned more about them this past summer when I attended an event hosted by my friend Liz Gumbinner. But it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago -- when I was wrestling with the dreaded winter sore throat and cough -- that I tried the product. My childhood experiences with (incredibly nasty tasting and only somewhat effective) cough syrup has resulted in me avoiding the stuff as a grownup, but given that I'm on the phone constantly for conference and media calls these days, and given that Zarbee's is all natural, I decided -- while in the throes of hacking up both lungs -- to give it a try.
Today, Carole Arsenault of Boston Baby Nurses shares six tips for keeping baby warm and safe during winter:
When the temperatures drop during winter, it's natural for parents to want to make baby as cozy and warm as can be. And of course layering up for time spent outdoors is important. But it's equally important to be aware of times when overheating and overdressing has the potential to cause harm. Here are six tips to help keep your baby safe and warm through winter:
Last Thursday I visited my friend Honey Jo for a long overdue haircut. I adore Honey Jo for many reasons, but on the professional side, I love how confident I feel in her talent. When she asks what I want to do with my hair, I always say, "I'm open -- what do you think would be fun?" And that the results are always fabulous. She's done brilliant color work, chopped my hair short, and last week gave me bangs for the first time since, well, a long time ago. I was thrilled with my hair, but it wasn't until the Instagram picture I posted on Facebook blew up that I thought more about bangs editorially. Here are six reasons why I think you should consider trying them:
Today, Jane (also of see jane blog) shares a great way to repurpose wine corks for craft:
Given that my four kids and I love crafting, I collect things that look like they might be useful later: jars, pine cones, cool sticks, wine corks, etc. I recently decided to be more proactive in my collection of wine corks by sourcing local. I printed my contact information on two reusable bags and took the bags to two local restaurants and explained to the bar managers that I wanted to collect wine corks for crafting with my kids -- both restaurants were happy to help! About six weeks later, the restaurants called to say the bags were full: presto, free recycled crafting supplies!
Today, Miriam (also of Other Pieces of Me) shares nine sensory processing disorder resources:
This past fall, our three-year-old son started at a local Montessori school. About a month ago, my husband and I nervously sat in a small chair in his classroom waiting for our very first parent-teacher meeting. It went very well, but his guide did have some concerns about his developmental progress and some of his behavior. It was a tough pill to swallow though not too surprising -- as you might recall, we were just down this road a little less than a year ago.
Today, Hillary of Mass Audubon shares seven favorite winter books for kids:
Getting outside sometimes can seem more of a chore than a fun activity, especially when -- after the endless battle of zipping jackets, strapping boots, and finding mittens -- your child inevitably needs to go potty. But even if you feel like hibernating indoors for the winter, that doesn't mean you can't appreciate and revel in the wonders of nature. To help get you in the spirit, here are seven of my favorite illustrated winter children's stories. And you never know. They might just inspire you to brave the bundling and head outdoors.