Last year, when I first heard Jessica Shyba speak about how her Instagram pictures of Theo and Beau went viral, what struck me most was her grace, humility, and clear love for her family. That love is so beautifully pervasive in the incredible naptime images of her son Beau and rescued puppy Theo; some of these images now can be found in Jessica's new picture book, Naptime with Theo & Beau, which I'm sharing as this week's Friday Find.
For the first installment of Style on a Budget, I'm addressing one of the easiest fashion amp-ups known to woman: the necklace. Why start here? Because by virtue of geography, necklaces are a focal point. In fact, as much as I love shoes I usually prioritize my necklace choice over shoes due to said geography reality. Also, necklaces can be very affordable. Today, I want to share 10 beautiful options, all under $50.
Friends, I'm so excited! I’ve been wanting to write more fashion editorial and after pondering and consulting with Kris-Ann, today I'm launching a new editorial series called Style on a Budget. Why? Because while I do believe in investing in key pieces, there are definitely ways to amplify and improve your wardrobe without breaking the bank. I also share the frustration of many women when I see “bargain” fashion editorial that is far from affordable.
Today, Katy shares inspiration to get out and sled:
The string of recent storms inspired us to shake the cobwebs off of our snow tubes and toboggans for some great sledding. Below includes some of my favorite sledding spots in my old neighborhood around Watertown as well as other recommendations from the Boston Mamas community. Share your favorite sledding spots in the comments below!
Envision that you’ve been running around like a crazy person, tackling work, caregiving, and parenting demands. Your husband heads out of town for the weekend and you are sitting down by yourself for the first time (late in the day, around 3:30pm), excited to enjoy a cup of coffee while catching up on email. And then about two seconds after your rump hits the chair, you get a call from preschool to notify you that your kid has lice.
Money is a source of stress for so many people; not just how to earn it, but what to do with it. And the topic becomes more complex when you have kids and need to budget for their needs and teach them about money. I'm subsequently thrilled to welcome Sandra Gilpatrick as a new contributor! Sandra not only is a Beacon Hill expert and devoted mom; she also works to help women become financially confident and competent. SO AWESOME. Welcome to Sandra's first financial literacy post on teaching kids how to budget:
Today, Rene shares 5 HIIT workouts that have been kicking her rump -- in no time at all:
Looking to get in shape but have no time, no gym membership, and no idea where to start? Check out HIIT workouts to get the blood pumping and the sweat rolling. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training, where a series of exercises are performed at high speed with high intensity in a short amount of time, with short breaks between sets. (You might also see these called Tabata workouts. Same principle.)
Today's Lessons Learned essay (see submission guidelines here) on standing back comes via Kim Kalicky, author of Mothers Fulfilled and Away at a Camp in Maine. Thanks so much for sharing this essay, Kim!
The hardest thing we'll ever have to do as parents is stand back and let our children be who they are and who they are meant to be...especially if it happens not to be what we expected or hoped.
Perfectly timed for the frigid temperatures, today, Hillary of Mass Audubon shares 5 favorite books about winter trees:
I love trees, especially here in the Northeast where we experience such dramatic seasonal changes. Having grown up in Florida, I rarely witnessed the evolution of a tree from season to season: the buds about to burst, the flowers that precede the leaves, the vibrant fall foliage, and, not to be left out, the bare branches of winter.
Hello friends, there's been a lot of digital chatter about Facebook reachageddon (translation: you soon won't see Facebook updates for pages you have liked unless the page pays to promote updates). I understand why Facebook wants to further monetize their platform and this model is challenging for little indie operations like me, who don't have a giant (or remotely formal) marketing budget.
Hooray, it's Local Gems time! Today's Newton recommendations come from my friend Sharon Reilly, mom of three, blogger at ViolaCay, and cofounder of the Newton Kitchen Tour. Thanks for sharing these 11 local gems, Sharon! And be sure to check out the Arlington Center, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Coolidge Corner, Huron Village, Easton, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Medford, Natick, Watertown, and Wellesley features!
It's apparently Bake Cookies Day. For real. Get on it! Now, about the title of this post. During the holidays, for me cookie perfection isn't about fanciness or uniformity; instead, I want to make cookies that: 1) are delicious; 2) are easy to make; 3) yield generous batches (i.e., work well for gifting); 4) can be made in small bite-sized portions (i.e., make for happy sampling); and 5) freeze well (so you or your recipients can save leftovers for a less cookie-saturated time). Here are 10 cookies that fit that definition of perfection for me.
