We eat strawberries year round, but I'm always thrilled when strawberries come in season; the vibrant, juicy locally grown options are a totally different animal! This week's Eat Seasonal feature on strawberries comes just in time for upcoming strawberry festivals (keep an eye on upcoming Weekend Roundups!), though in Massachusetts, strawberries are in season both in June and also August to mid-October. Here are 8 easy ways you can enjoy them:
Every spring when I (somewhat begrudgingly) tackle the challenge of sorting out Laurel's summer schedule, I'm reminded of what a shock it was to go from the year-round reliable awesomeness of day care to an elementary school schedule, particularly since Laurel wasn't exactly receptive to frequent changes and transitions (e.g., different camps on different weeks) after said reliable awesomeness.
Today, Katy shares tips for gardening on a budget:
Flowers and plants offer a visual reward, and my best friend (an organic farmer) posits that there's an alchemy that occurs when your hands touch the soil. I couldn't agree more, whether you have a lush garden (as my mother did) or a tiny suburban handkerchief plot (as I do!). I also happen to have a postage size budget and wanted to share these 9 tips for gardening on a budget:
During my postdoctoral fellowship, I earned the nickname Kohcumber because I snacked on cucumbers every single day at the lab. For some reason, I fell out of that (excellent) habit, but this week's Eat Seasonal feature on cucumbers is inspiring me to load up my next grocery cart with cukes! Cucumbers are in season in Massachusetts from June through August; here are 9 (actually, 10) great ways you can enjoy them:
Today’s Dear Boston Mamas query comes from Kristen:
Hi Christine, I'm hoping you can help me. Our family will be visiting Boston this July (from Canada) with our 19 month old daughter. We are staying near the Boston Common and are looking for some things to do with her. From my research the aquarium looks great, but the Children's museum seems to be for older kids. Can you suggest some things we should check out with her? I'm looking for attractions (outside/inside, paid/free) and any good restaurants to check out with her.
After poring over this seasonal produce grid for the best way to order fruit and vegetable features, it's sort of awesome that it worked out to kick off the Eat Seasonal series with scallions. Also known as spring onions, this vegetable is a permanent fixture in my mom's kitchen. I can almost hear her chopping them as I type this! Scallions are in season in Massachusetts from May to September; stock up and try and or all of these six recipes:
After recently sharing about 5 ways to eat local on a budget, I started thinking a lot about tip #2: shopping seasonally. And it inspired me to start a new editorial series! Via Eat Seasonal I’ll share roundups of simple recipes to help you figure out what to do with seasonal produce. I know that every year that we’ve signed up for CSAs, I’ve scoured around for just this sort of thing -- I hope you love the series!
It was so fun to celebrate spring with Splendid on Saturday! I hadn't yet visited the Chestnut Hill store, and while I generally prefer to shop online (efficiency model!), there was definitely something to be said for being able to paw all of Splendid's ridiculously soft knits + get dressing room consults in person! I wanted to share some fun photos from the event, as well as my favorite picks for easy breezy spring/summer dressing.
Yesterday a friend asked me whether I had any advice to share as she tackles her first half marathon this weekend. I gave her my favorite tips and joked about turning them into a post. Then this morning I realized it was National Running Day (thank you, internet) and figured, hey, perfect time to share these tips! These tips are great for race newbies, or anyone really. I use them all the time.
Fourteen years ago today Jon and I got married. I have learned so much about myself and how to be in a partnership during these 14 years, but it wasn’t until last year that I learned about the power of compromise. I’m almost a little embarrassed to write that, but it’s true and I feel that the story of this revelation is worth sharing because compromise is a crucial part of making a marriage work. And I know lots of couples who struggle with it.
Today's Dear Boston Mamas query comes from reader Dina, who is looking for a convertible car seat that's easy to install in and out of rental cars. Though I became facile at installing Vi's infant car seat in and out of Zipcars, by the time she outgrew the seat we had acquired a regular car. So I turned to my friend Sheri Gurock, co-owner of toy and gear haven Magic Beans for a guest response.
Despite my training in statistics, I'm someone who likes data, but not too much data. Subsequently, I'm loving my Misfit Shine activity and sleep tracker (which I unexpectedly won at Mom 2.0!). It's minimalist in design (countless friends have noticed it on my wrist and asked me about it), operation (it measures distance traveled, calories burned, and sleep), and setup (just pop in the battery, download the app, lay the Shine on your phone to sync, and done). No daily data entry; no need to charge it up.
Today's Lessons Learned essay comes via Susan Petcher, a mom, music teacher, blogger (at Learned Happiness), and advocate for women's mental health:
My five-year-old daughter bounded into my bed this morning, dashing my hopes of a few more winks of sleep with her Tigger-like enthusiasm. And as I returned her hugs and kisses, I cherished the small moment of happiness between us. Because there was a time when I could not return her love, when the gift of bonding was stolen from us both.
I'm thrilled to share another Local Gems post today (be sure to check out the Arlington Center, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Lexington, Medford, and Watertown features)! Today's Jamaica Plain recommendations come from my rad friend Casey, who writes about her city adventures with her wife and daughter over at Life with Roozle. Thanks for sharing these 10 local gems in Jamaica Plain, Casey!
Today, Hillary from Mass Audubon shares a helpful baby bird season primer:
Now is the time of year that migratory breeding birds have returned from the south to nest, and each bird has a unique nesting technique. For example, robins fill their sometimes eye-level nests with bright blue eggs. Bluebirds prefer a “cavity” (i.e., a hole in a tree or box). Killdeer camouflage their nests on the ground in gravel areas near soccer fields (so keep an eye out!). Baltimore orioles create a delicate, hanging nest that somehow manages to support several eggs at a time.
OK friends, today is where I lay my dignity aside for the benefit of your gastrointestinal health. If you ever wrestle with problems with your, er, plumbing, try Smooth Move organic tea. I bought this (somewhat sheepishly) a few weeks ago at Whole Foods and without needing to go into the details, let me just say that this product is effective (typically within 12 hours). You're welcome.
I'm thrilled to share another Local Gems post today (be sure to check out the Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Lexington, Medford, and Watertown features)! Today's Arlington Center recommendations (East Arlington + Arlington Heights are forthcoming separately) come from reader Justine Uhlenbrock, a birth doula, minimalist mom of two girls, and writer who shares about motherhood, building a family legacy, and the intersection of food and family. Thanks for sharing these 11 local gems, Justine!
My friend Meagan Francis is a gifted writer and incredibly productive person. She is the mother of 5 children and has written 5 books, the latest being the e-book Beyond Baby. And what I love about this e-book is that it’s all about putting YOU back in focus following the baby years haze. Beyond Baby is divided into 40 weeks (get it?) of exercises that get you thinking and acting to better yourself, your shelter, your relationships, and your dreams.