Friends, from the response to the Medford feature, you're clearly digging the new Local Gems series! I'm so thrilled! This week I'm featuring the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. These 15 gems come courtesy of my lovely and finance-savvy friend Sandra Gilpatrick. Sandra has lived on Beacon Hill for over a decade, has an adorable son, and, as a certified financial planner, is professionally passionate about helping women find their financial confidence (AWESOME). Thanks for sharing these gems, Sandra!
I'm so excited to kick off the Local Gems series this morning and am doing so with nine local gems in Medford. This town is fast on the rise given its strong community, lightning fast access to Boston, and various amenities (including commuter rail access and visions of Green Line expansion). If you have other favorite Medford gems, feel free to share in the comments below!
I have several editorial series that I've been planning on launching for oh, say, the last year (seriously!) and other things just keep getting in the way. But today I'm finally kicking off Local Gems, through which I'll feature awesome and sometimes lesser known gems in different communities in and around Boston. Putting a spotlight on local businesses feels even more important to me right now given the recent closing of Isis Parenting.
Holidays (national or somewhat arbitrary) offer fun inspiration for projects and lessons for kids. Yesterday was Penguin Awareness Day (though I'm happy to celebrate penguins any day of the year!) and I wanted to take this opportunity to shine a light on this fine bird with project, book, and design inspiration. If you have other ideas to share, feel free to do so in the comments below!
Today, Jennifer shares a roundup of books to help teach kids (and adults!) about the civil rights movement:
Last year, a school lesson on the civil rights movement really resonated with my children. They never willingly offer up information on their school day, yet in this case they were fighting to be the first to tell me all they had learned about Ruby Bridges. (“She was six years old like us and she helped to change the laws!”) To their shock, I was unfamiliar with the story (and yes, I was embarrassed to be getting schooled by two six-year-olds!).
Does your fruit and veggie intake plummet during the cold months? Yeah, me too! And I find that this time of year I especially need veggies to counterbalance the uptick in comfort foods and sweet treats. After finding myself in a state of culinary sloth post-holiday, I was determined to up my veggie intake and have found bliss in warm winter salads. When I served this salad (which I now eat daily, sometimes twice daily!) during a recent design consult with Paige, she said, “YOU MUST POST THIS RECIPE!” So here goes.
I firmly believe that part of making your life more awesome involves self-care. I also believe in carving out small chunks of time for fitness and tweaking your nutrition gradually so you don’t set yourself up for failure with lofty goals that are, well, too lofty. So, following my post on intention setting for 2014, I wanted to share a roundup of links to help inspire your fitness and nutrition journeys.
Today, Kate recommends a great local spot to inspire budding thespians in community-oriented fashion:
As a child, I tended to shy away from the spotlight, but my young daughter loves an audience. Whether singing in the school concert or performing her own song-and-dance routines in our living room, she enjoys showing off in front of a crowd. As a result, we love the offerings of the Watertown Children's Theater.
Given the holiday break + snow days, I haven't had a chance to sit down and set intentions for 2014. So yesterday I put a meeting (with myself!) in my calendar for a paper and pencil creative visioning session later this week. Want to join me? To get my/your wheels churning, I've rounded up some lovely back posts about tackling goals and setting personal and professional intentions with work and parenting. Let's do this thing!
Though I certainly like my share of stuff (hello, shiny objects) I believe in acquisition as a mindful curator rather than simply a consumer. I also loathe holiday related excess and clutter. Subsequently, I routinely do two things this time of year: 1) collect and donate clothing and other goods to people in need (big load done last week and I want to do another round this weekend) and 2) keep my eye focused on clutter-free gifts. I wanted to share my 12 favorite clutter-free gift ideas with you today:
Today, Katy shares a tasty family-friendly recipe:
Last summer, two amazing, unusual things happened. First, while visiting my in-laws, I actually had time to relax and read a magazine. Second, I clipped a recipe out of said magazine. I typically don't like to follow recipes and find that many "quick" magazine recipes are heavy on overly processed ingredients. But the enchiladas verde recipe I clipped looked tasty, healthy, gluten-free, and also easy to make vegetarian. Here's my modification (read: simplification) of the recipe, morphed into our new family favorite: Magic Mexican Casserole.
Today, Paige shares 15 easy holiday decorating ideas (perfect for those who, like me, are a little last minute in this department!):
Holiday decorating can seem overwhelming, but you don't need to stock up on Christmas figurines and giant elves or spend hours and hours of precious time in order to make your house feel festive. Get holiday-ready by picking a few of the tips below!
Today, contributing writer (and fitness trainer) Jules shares 6 killer medicine ball exercises:
It can be daunting to try out new fitness equipment, but medicine balls are easy to use at home for a productive and time efficient workout. Medicine balls are basketball size and come in weights varying from 2 to 25 pounds. It’s helpful to have two different ball weights so you can use them for different exercises depending on your strength. Here are 6 exercises I frequently use with clients:
I firmly believe in the importance of everyday play for kids (and adults, for that matter!). Not only do kids have plenty of years of traditional classroom work ahead of them, but so much can be learned from everyday play and exploration. (Case in point: I’ve had Laurel experimenting in the kitchen since toddlerhood; at 9 years old she can make dinner and bake chocolate cake from scratch...WIN!) Today I’m thrilled to share about the importance of everyday play via a sponsored editorial collaboration with Bright Horizons.
Today, contributing writer Rene shares a roundup of 10 clever advent calendars:
It's the most wonderful time of year, once again. A great way to jump-start the holiday spirit is with an advent calendar. Here are some clever options you can DIY, or a couple you can buy (because let's face it, sometimes crafty aspirations have to fly out the window). Count down the days with tiny treats or activity ideas (see #5).
