OK, friends, here's the last in my trio of birthday simplification blog posts! Today I want to address some new general thoughts I had on simplifying birthday parties, continuing the theme of last year's minimalist birthday parties post (where I address motivation, timing, gifts, decoration, and task management). Here are 7 ways to simplify birthday parties; even the small tweaks help enormously!OK, friends, here's the last in my trio of birthday simplification blog posts! Today I want to address some new general thoughts I had on simplifying birthday parties, continuing the theme of last year's minimalist birthday parties post (where I address motivation, timing, gifts, decoration, and task management). Here are 7 ways to simplify birthday parties; even the small tweaks help enormously!
I know party favor bags are well-intentioned but I will be plain and share that they make me crazy. The little plastic knick-knacks usually inspire fighting between the girls and then the items are quickly forgotten and become clutter. Which I throw away. And then feel guilty about throwing away (hello, landfill). Subsequently, I'm all about tchotchke-free party favors (if you want to do favors at all) to simplify birthday parties. Here are my five favorites:
As I mentioned yesterday, I have a few posts I want to share related to simplifying birthday parties for kids. If I can manage, I'll bust everything out this week while things are top of mind. First, I want to share the 3 easy (and delightfully rainbow-tastic!) party activities I planned for Laurel's party. You can do these any time, really, and I recommend doing the chalk paint ASAP while the weather is good. So easy and fun. Enjoy!
Books are a major source of entertainment in our household. Laurel and Violet both love cuddling and reading, and I know that it's a gift to have the time to read to them (my parents and I never were able to read together). Tomorrow is Read a Book Day -- yay for books (tomorrow or any day)! I wanted to share what we're reading around here and also some great curated lists if you need some reading inspiration. Head to your favorite library or bookstore and grab some titles. I'd love to hear what you're reading right now!
Today, Debbie (also of Two Adopt Two) shares tips for coping with movie-related stress and bad behavior:
Have you taken your kids to a summer blockbuster and later wished you hadn't? Welcome to the club. Movies are a fun treat, but they can cause stress--even those rated G and PG. I don't know about you, but I cringe when my kids see bad behavior on screen and cringe even more when they start acting out the bad behavior at home. Here are methods we've developed for coping with the aftermath of an otherwise fun family movie experience:
Ever since becoming a parent, summer is a completely different ballgame. And while I could do without the transition woes and calendar juggling, I do appreciate how Laurel and Vi's summer schedules force me to think about blocking out down time and trying new things (both good things!). So when Starwood Hotels & Resorts invited me to participate in their My Summer Story campaign -- in which they're encouraging people to reflect on their summer stories and make the summer worth talking about -- I was like, yes, I am on board with this!
One great thing about summer? Salad. And it doesn't need to be boring salad. Today, Jules (also of In The Kitchen Catering & Food Delivery) shares the next installment in our Meals Made Easy series. Enjoy this unique farm stand salad (and be sure to try these zucchini, ricotta & tomato frittata, roasted shrimp with veggies, balsamic orange chicken, and coconut lime cod recipes too!):
A couple of weeks ago (as I watched Laurel devour the last of The Sisters Grimm series), I queried on Facebook and Twitter about books your kids were devouring. I've rounded them up below (using approximate age brackets via Amazon) and hope this provides fun literary inspiration for your kids. Also, here are some other roundups of great books for girls and boys, and don't forget to enjoy some reading on your own! Here are two collections of crowd-sourced recommendations, plus three wonderful books I recently read. HAPPY READING!
Wrestling with the mysteries of Violet's allergies has helped me develop a whole new level of appreciation for label reading and anyone dealing with food restrictions in general. I was surprised when Violet tested negative for celiac at her two-year well-visit and while we're slowly testing food options for her, we're still largely operating gluten-free (especially when it comes to anything she might eat in considerable quantity, e.g., pasta). A visit from my sister Jenn last week (thanks, Jenn!) reminded me that I wanted to share a great gluten-free find with you.
Friends, I am so grateful for the enthusiastic response to my help wanted call last month. I was blown away by the volume of smart, accomplished, totally awesome people who applied. I wish I could work with you all! However, the reality is that I'm still shoestringing it indie style here at Boston Mamas and I could only make two hires. And now that the paperwork has been signed and I have responded personally to everyone who applied I wanted to share two happy welcomes with you:
As I mentioned last week, I've been reflecting a lot on goals lately. Many people ask me how I get things done. Part of it is purely tactical and related to my work style; I just happen to be good at mapping out a workflow and powering through the steps needed to get from point A to B. But there are a lot of other things I've learned along the way that help me tackle goals (like a boss, in fact...). I wanted to share them with you today.
Raise your hand if you want something that's easy and yummy to knock together for dinner tonight. Yeah, me too! Today, Jules (also of In The Kitchen Catering & Food Delivery shares the next installment in our Meals Made Easy series. Enjoy this simple and delicious recipe for coconut lime cod with sautéed spinach and oranges (and be sure to try these zucchini, ricotta & tomato frittata, roasted shrimp with veggies and balsamic orange chicken recipes too!):
Friends, I'm turning 40 this year and I'm totally good with it; I embrace natural aging! I also think about milestones a lot and have been reflecting on personal goals lately (I'll soon share a post about how to tackle goals like a boss!). There's one goal I've been daydreaming about; I wasn't sure I'd pull the trigger on it this year, but I did. And assuming all goes to plan, I'll be tackling it the day after I turn 40:
Today, Judy (also of Talking Thirty) shares ideas for awesome things to do on the Upper Cape:
I have such fond childhood memories of spending summers on Cape Cod. Even after 30-some years, I haven't tired of going there summer after summer. And now that I'm a mom, I'm eager to share the experience with my son and introduce him to all that the Upper Cape (Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich, and Barnstable) has to offer. I particularly love the Upper Cape because it's closer to Boston -- handy when traveling with kids who may not tolerate long car rides, and wonderful for day trips if overnight lodging is out of budget. Here are some suggestions for family-friendly activities in the area.
Last week when I was writing about birthday intentions for this website, it was interesting to go back and read about my eight intentions for 2013. And given that we're halfway through the year, I thought it would be good to check in, both to see what progress I've made and where I need to keep working. Do you do regular check-ins on your goals? I'd love to hear about what you're working on this year. (Feel free to share in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter.)
Friends, today marks the 7th birthday of Boston Mamas! I remember so well where I was 7 years ago: finishing my postdoctoral fellowship, feeling my way through new motherhood, and finding myself utterly amazed when I started blogging and discovered this incredible community; both via readers who started responding to my work and fellow bloggers. I never could have predicted the wonderful friendships and opportunities this blog would bring over the following years. I'm so grateful to all of you for being a part of it.
Today, Judy (also of Talking Thirty) shares ideas for fun activities grandparents and kids can enjoy together:
Many of us have plans to bring our kids to visit their grandparents sometime during the summer. Sometimes it can be challenging to bridge the generation gap and figure out what to do together, particularly if the two generations haven't had much face time, whether due to distance or other factors. Here are 10 activities to help break the ice and help grandparents and kids enjoy quality time together and develop strong intergenerational bonds.