Today, Lindsey shares some great book recommendations:
My daughter is 11, and in her independent reading has found a rich vein of chapter books with strong female protagonists (see my earlier post on books for strong and smart girls). Island of the Blue Dolphins, A Wrinkle in Time, Harriet the Spy, and even The Hunger Games series: all of these share gutsy, brave, intelligent girl narrators.
I'm thrilled to share another Local Gems post today (be sure to check out the Medford, Beacon Hill, and Lexington features)! Today's Back Bay recommendations come from my friend Laura Tomasetti of 360PR. Laura's is one of the first agencies I interfaced with when I started blogging and she is both a delightful person socially and a true visionary in her field. (I also completely credit Laura for getting me onto Twitter!) Laura has a delightful daughter and is a longtime Back Bay dweller; thanks for sharing these recs, Laura!
As much as I love being a resource provider, I’ve been wanting to integrate more personal voice into Boston Mamas for a while. I'll soon share how that will work in terms of community submissions (yay!); meanwhile, I wanted to share a personal post today. It's Violet's third birthday and though it has been a challenging and surprising three years in many ways, I have also learned so much. I'm sharing my thoughts in the form of a letter:
It's been a while since I've posted a Dear Boston Mamas query and I'm thrilled to do so today! Reader Debbie (mom of two, ages 4 and 6) wrote in to ask about chores; specifically, how to get her kids to do them, whether there should be allowance tied to chores, and what kinds of special privileges seem appropriate and will make doing chores feel like a positive milestone. Here are my thoughts; thanks for writing in Debbie!:
One of my least favorite things about home nail polish jobs is the stink. Also, the liquid accidents. So I was thrilled to discover LA Fresh Eco-Beauty nail polish remover pads (introduced to me by my friends at Tieks, actually). These nail polish remover pads are acetone-free (the fresh Tuscan orange smells delicious), 100% biodegradable, and one pad cleans and conditions all 10 nails. LA Fresh's makeup remover and face cleanser wipes work great too and the packets are super convenient for travel.
Following the fun features on Medford and Beacon Hill, today’s Local Gems spotlight is on Lexington, a pretty town 11 miles northwest of Boston. I’m grateful to my brilliant friend and colleague Morra Aarons-Mele (mom of two adorable sons and a digital tour de force via Women Online and The Mission List), who shares her Lexington faves today. Thanks, Morra!
For my trip to DC, Jon lent me the Travelpro luggage I bought him for Christmas (since my options were either too big or too small). And now I need to continue to borrow Jon's or buy my own! This luggage is compact (though it features expansion opportunity), awesomely lightweight, and features 360 degree wheels that make it easy to navigate through the airport and into those tight bathroom stalls. Travelpro makes bigger sizes too, but I recommend staying small; the less space you have, the less unnecessary stuff you'll pack!
I know it's tough to fathom since it's 12 degrees out right now, but remember how balmy it was last weekend? The rapidly melting snow banks coupled with the Marimekko event left me hungry for spring! If you're ever in a grouchy mood, just walk into Marimekko and your happy neurons will start firing; it's pure rainbow awesomeness. Don’t believe me? Check out the evidence below:
Friends, I'm completely bleary eyed after a whirlwind couple of days in Washington, D.C., followed by what very well may be the worst night of sleep in the history of my universe (Vi is sick and woke up every hour...aagggh). However, my (somewhat cloudy) mind is still spinning over the events of the last couple of days and I wanted to take a moment to share something with you.
Today's Friday Find is actually one of Jon's discoveries and it's a great find for any age and gender: parachute cord crafts. Jon bought Laurel a bracelet kit for Christmas and they had so much experimenting with knot and braid techniques that we've purchased separate cord + accessories (Laurel wears her bracelets constantly and has a whistle on one of them). You can make everything from compass bracelets to dog collars; I'm thinking about picking up this paracord project book for Laurel and Jon soon!
Today's Friday Find is perfect for book lovers! When I first opened T. T. Khing's Where Is the Cake? (a gift to Violet from my awesome brother-in-law) I was initially puzzled as there was nothing for me to read. But this look-and-find book has since proven incredibly captivating for kids and adults alike. The pages include numerous animal plot lines; even after a dozen "reads" I found myself discovering new story elements. We love this book and I'll be ordering Khing's follow up Where Is the Cake Now? soon!
Today, Judy shares 12 tips for encouraging healthy dental habits in kids (perfectly timed for National Children’s Dental Health month!):
Pediatric dentists recommend cleaning your children’s teeth as soon as the first baby teeth emerge. According to the CDC, nearly 20% of children 2 and 5 years old already have at least one untreated cavity. Yikes.
In honor of Black History Month I wanted to share some resources to help inspire conversations and learning with your kids. Below is a roundup of books, printables, crafts, and interactive tools; if you've come across other great resources, I'd love to hear about them in the comments! Also, my friend Kelly Wickham, an incredibly smart writer and educator, will be be posting regularly about Black History Month; check her first post on Langston Hughes.
Pursuant to my last post, I'm thrilled to kick off my first Friday Find! So, you know how every now and then you buy a piece of clothing that prompts people to ask, Where did you get those?? That would be my J. Crew Factory skinny utility pants. I scored a pair of the tuscan olive on super sale and love them so much I went back for the vintage pewter. They're comfortable, flattering, have awesome style lines and edgy little zipper pockets, and go with everything. I wear them constantly. And people keep asking me about them.
