When I first heard that my friend Gabrielle Blair landed a book deal, I was thrilled and filled with anticipation because, quite plainly, Gabby is one of the most delightful, gracious, and positive people I know, and everything she touches evokes quality, style, and beauty...but in a totally down-to-earth way that makes you feel like you're her best friend. And Gabby's new book Design Mom: How to Live With Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide does not disappoint.When I first heard that my friend Gabrielle Blair landed a book deal, I was thrilled and filled with anticipation because, quite plainly, Gabby is one of the most delightful, gracious, and positive people I know, and everything she touches evokes quality, style, and beauty...but in a totally down-to-earth way that makes you feel like you're her best friend. And Gabby's new book Design Mom: How to Live With Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide does not disappoint.
Every now and then I get into a horrible book rut. I’ll start several books and none of them grab me. I’ve now learned that all I need to do to get out of said book rut is pick up a title by Katherine Center. I was delighted to receive an advanced reading copy of Happiness for Beginners, and like Center’s other titles, I was immediately sucked in, admittedly to the point of shooing away my kids and reading by flashlight as I devoured the closing chapters.
Today is Violet’s 4th birthday and I’m finding myself rather emotional. Her pregnancy was unexpected, the 58 hour labor remains vivid in my mind, the ride over the last 4 years has been crazy, and each exasperating moment with Vivy inevitably is counterbalanced by a sweet or hilarious one. I’ve also learned some things the second time around, and I’m grateful for the lessons, which I want to share with you today as part of the Lessons Learned series.
One of my favorite things about working as a creative is the joy and pride I feel when fellow creatives come up with something super awesome. Such is the case with my designer friends Melanie Burk and Alma Loveland and their new baby, Woven Pear. When Woven Pear launched, I immediately ordered several pairs of narwahl socks (because, NARWAHLS!) and have since acquired several more pairs.
Today’s Lessons Learned essay comes from Brittni, a dancer and visual artist from Grafton, MA. Brittni also works with preschoolers and in this moving essay, she shares lessons she has learned both from working with preschoolers and self-identifying as a highly sensitive child. And goodness, this piece definitely resonates with me, given that parenting my fiery sensitive Violet has taught me so much.
Oh this weather has my brain geared towards GREEN! The temperature conjures images of new growth, just yesterday I saw fake grass peeking out from under a melting snow pile, and St. Patrick's Day (Vi's due date) is coming! For the next installment of Style on a Budget, I want to inspire you to infuse a little color into your wardrobe. Vibrant color can be daunting (it used to be for me!) but these picks allow for a range of experimentation.
Last summer I shared about the brilliant interior design work my friend Paige (of Tess & Ted) did on our home and I'm thrilled that she is going to do a recurring series on home decor and design for Boston Mamas. She is so clever! Paige believes that everyone deserves a cozy, pretty nest and for the first post in the series -- Make Your Home Awesome -- she shares recommendations for impacting, affordable stools and poufs.
Today, Rene shares a roundup of 11 easy craft projects for kids, perfect for National Crafts Month!
Whether you're stuck inside on a rainy or snowy day, or are just looking for a fun project at home, get little hands busy with cute and simple craft projects that will entertain and engage them. These 11 projects are easy for kids to tackle with minimal parental involvement, so enjoy another cup of coffee while your kids channel their inner mini Martha's!
Following my post on amping up your wardrobe with necklaces, for the next installment of Style on a Budget, I'm focusing on scarves. Like necklaces, scarves offer a lightning fast way add dimension to your outfit, and here in the tundra scarves also are functional for warmth! Added bonuses: you don’t need to go to a dressing room to try scarves on + per the recommendations in this post, scarves offer an affordable means to try a new style or fad.
When the last snowpocalypse hit, I will admit that one of my first concerns when potential electricity loss came up was WHAT WOULD I DO ABOUT MY COFFEE? Sad, I know! But, the experience reminded me of a conversation we had with friends about pour-over coffee and hand grinders + the fact that our electric coffee was dying, so I decided to order a manual coffee system. It has worked great so I wanted to share the solution with you!
Today, Lindsey shares a special local gems edition, focused on 3 fantastic maker sites:
Though my 10-year-old son likes hockey and baseball, his true passion seems to lie in science and engineering. He's a budding maker, wants to be a robot designer, is often found poring over a book about physics, has a periodic table poster on his wall, loves Minecraft, and delights in home science projects (cue baking soda and vinegar!).
Yesterday I did two interviews about the snowpocalypse. The first was a short Skype segment on The Weather Channel about parents' reactions to the snow days (note to self: replace ugly bookshelf in office!) and the second was a longer segment on WBUR's Radio Boston about ideas to curb cabin fever and cope with cranky employers. The Radio Boston segment was especially fun, and I loved chatting food with Gordon Hamersley! Hope the tips help!