When I was younger – like in high school younger – I regularly rearranged my room. There wasn’t much I could do in my 10X12 foot space, but moving the bed between the two walls on which it would fit and replacing the nicknacks from my dresser with ones from the shelf made it feel, … More heavy lifting
Apparently chalkboard paint is all the rage, at least among in circles, and ideas for using it have been featured in dozens of design blogs, websites, and magazines. And people are not just hiding it away in their kids’ rooms, either. Some sites suggest using it as a bold statement in the entry way or … More chalkboards
How long can I safely keep my kids living in a bubble? This was the cover the the College newspaper today: Speaking as an outsider, I realize you can’t keep them safe forever; at best you can hope to instill in them a sense of pride in their bodies, respect for themselves and others, and … More bubble
My parents got Eleanor this super cool bug poster for her birthday (she calls herself a grasshopper; Oliver is a ladybug, I’m a dragonfly, and Tim is a bat). It arrived a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been charged with getting it mounted or framed for the big reveal. But I haven’t done any … More Things I love: saving money
Topping the bedtime story charts at our house these days is the Frog and Toad series, by Arnold Lobel. Part of an early readers series, these books, in five short stories, document two unlikely companions, a cheerful green frog and a dour brown toad, who are bound by friendship and understanding. With kindness and sensitivity … More Books: Frog and Toad series
Amber Dusick is the creator of one of my favorite websites: Parenting Illustrated with Crappy Pictures. And I admire her. Specifically, I admire her sense of humor and the (apparent ease) with which she is able to communicate that humor through her writing and illustrations. Her posts usually have me laughing out loud. I like … More I admire: {Amber Dusick}
I wrote recently about setting up (or rather not setting up) a dedicated nursery. Like I said, it wasn’t so much as a lack of interest as a lack of space (and a real sense of need). Our condo is roughly 950-1000 ft2, split between two floors. We have two bedrooms and when Eleanor was … More Eleanor’s art gallery
Empowering vulnerable women in Uganda, Africa, to rise above poverty and generate and create sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families through design and sale of paper jewelry, 31 Bits offers a lot to love.
My mom, one of five sisters who grew up on a dairy farm in rural North Dakota, has one studio picture taken of her during childhood. She was three years old. The picture is in black and white, a little grainy in the charming way that old photos are, with my mom sitting in the … More grandma’s dress
I have never really been one to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In the past, I have tended to take a cynical view of the holiday – maintaining that it was created by the greeting card company as a way to make money – and argued that everyday should be a day that you tell the people … More I admire: {my husband}
our regularly scheduled program 