Are you looking to add a bit of flexible work to your life? I'm hiring! Right now I very much need to take a page out of my own work/life balance playbook and delegate. I'm looking for two awesome, motivated, and creative people to fill ad and editorial positions. In both cases, the work can take place from the comfort of your computer (anywhere in the US; applicants need not be in Boston) and would be 5-10 hours per week. Read on to learn more:
Need inspiration for Father's Day brunch (or really, any upcoming meal)? Today, Jules (also of In The Kitchen Catering & Food Delivery shares the next installment in our Meals Made Easy series (be sure to give these easy roasted shrimp with veggies and balsamic orange chicken dishes a try if you haven't already!). Enjoy this simple and delicious recipe for zucchini, tomato and ricotta frittata:
To complement last week's roundup of 8 cute tankinis for girls, today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares a roundup of 8 cute swim trunks for boys:
When it comes to choosing bathing suits for my son, I have one simple, but essential criterion: they stay on. After that, it's fun to consider solids, prints, and stripes. Some boys like board shorts, and others like elastic-waist trunks. Whit is now 8 years old, so we've been through a lot of bathing suits over the years. Here's a roundup of some of our favorite swim trunks for boys:
Today, Debbie (also of Two Adopt Two) shares tips for helping kids with the sadness of saying goodbye to a beloved teacher (also see this post on coping with end of year transitions):
Do you remember your favorite teachers from when you were a kid? Were you sad to leave them at the end of the school year? The close of school is a bittersweet time because of goodbyes, but it's especially hard for kids to leave teachers they've grown to love. Here are techniques my family has developed to help our kids take those first steps out of the classroom and into summer even if they're feeling sad.
Today is Jon and my wedding anniversary. Thirteen isn't a classic milestone; in fact, it's a number that gets a bad rap, but when I think about the number in terms of all of the things that Jon and I have experienced together (e.g., two children, six apartments, two countries, three graduate degrees, two major career leaps, and countless burritos and scoops of ice cream), the number simply feels major. I couldn't help but peek through our wedding album last night...
When it comes to bathing suits for girls, I'm all about the two-piece; diapering and bathroom visits are easier (and less, er, chilly). And for my girls, I favor tankinis over bikinis, probably due a bit to modesty, practically because it means less skin exposed to potential sunburn, and also because I have embarrassing memories of coming out of an ocean wave as a child with my bikini top floating around my neck. Good news is, there's no shortage of cute tankinis on the market. Since I was just shopping for tankinis for Laurel and Vi this past weekend, I thought I'd share 8 cute picks with you:
In a meal rut? Need some lightning fast inspiration? (I feel like I've been eating a lot of salads and quesadillas these days...) Today, Jules (also of In The Kitchen Catering & Food Delivery shares the next installment in our Meals Made Easy series (be sure to give this easy roasted shrimp with veggies dish a try if you haven't already!). Enjoy this simple and delicious recipe for balsamic orange chicken:
Friends, I have super fun news. Today Asha and I will be on NPR's Tell Me More with Michel Martin to talk about summer and scheduling (or overscheduling). This has certainly been a topic that's been top of mind for me personally, given that I work full time, need to lock in some summer scheduling, and have a kid who prefers a lot of downtime! Broadcast times vary depending on where you live, so check the Tell Me More site for your station details. I hope you'll tune in!
First, man do I need a nightstand (I'm coveting the one pictured here but it's a little spendy); right now I have a big stack of books sitting in a pile on the floor next to my bed. Second, one of my favorite ways to unwind and get my brain off the work/household minutia track at the end of the day is to curl up with a book in bed. Today I wanted to share three recent reads that I think deserve a place on your nightstand (or in your summer beach tote!):
Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares a roundup of great books for boys:
My 10-year-old daughter was an enthusiastic and avid reader from the day she figured out how to sound out words. She reads everything: novels, biographies, Ranger Rick, the side of the cereal box. In contrast, my son was much harder to interest in books. He was so disinterested, in fact, that I went into his 1st grade teacher conference convinced he needed outside help with reading. Imagine my surprise, then, when we learned he was one of only two boys in the top reading group, and that his aptitude was galloping ahead.
Today, Paige (also of Mudroom Boston) shares 4 quick steps to, and 5 examples of, easy flower arrangements:
One of my favorite forms of art is floral arranging. It need not be inexpensive and you end up with a beautiful end result really fast. Many people find flower arranging daunting, so they buy a pre-arranged bouquet, pull it out of its cellophane wrapping, and stick it in a vase (and then wonder why it doesn't look quite right!). Today I'm here to help with a super easy how-to prepping and arranging flowers, including five easy flower arrangements.
These days, I've been using the word epic with some regularity, there's just been so much good stuff going on! And today, I have something to share that is truly epic in the fun department. I'm teaming up with some wonderful bloggers to offer you an epic May giveaway including a Canon T4i DSLR + a gorgeous Epiphanie Charlotte chevron bag (I have been coveting this puppy), collectively worth ~$1055! Woo hoo!
Today, Priya shares seven fire safety tips for families:
Last month, not long after we had put our kids to bed, all of our fire alarms went off simultaneously without any obvious reason; no one was cooking and we didn't have a fire burning in the fireplace. I reflexively went looking for the trigger, and my husband immediately went upstairs to get the kids. When the episode was over, it occurred to me that Pete and I should devise a fire safety plan, particularly given that we know two families in our own town whose homes were destroyed by fires. Fortunately, our incident was merely a function of alarm malfunction, but it motivated us to get more prepared. I wanted to share our process with you:
Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares four lovely sources for book plates:
I love gifting personalized book plates. Book plates may seem, I realize, old-fashioned, but I adore them. They celebrate reading and speak to a child's deep desire to mark things as their own. My children loved choosing which of their books deserved book plates, and to this day, when I happen upon their book plated copies of Goodnight Moon or Make Way for Ducklings, tears spring to my eyes when I remember their chubby toddler hands smoothing the stickers into the books. The crooked angle at which some of these plates are adhered reminds me of their fierce determination to "do it my own self!"
Despite what the Wall Street Journal might think (or rather, portray for the sake of a traffic spike), mommy blogger conferences like Mom 2.0 are not about sleeping in and draining the minibar. In fact, I slept very little and I'm not even sure whether our room had a minibar. Why? Because instead of sleeping and/or draining the minibar, I spent my time soaking in the incredibly talented and brilliant people who attended this conference. I left with a notebook full of professional (yes, Wall Street Journal, professional) ideas, and five life lessons I wanted to share with all of you; they're relevant for everyone.