Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Melinda via e-mail:
Hi Boston Mamas! I'm thinking ahead for my boy/girl twins' birthday party in May. They'll be 3, and I'd love to take them and friends to a farm. I've been looking on the internet, and I'm having trouble sorting through the good, bad, and ugly. Drumlin Farms comes up, but it doesn't look like they do much. The place that looks terrific is Lil'Folk Farm in Holliston, but I've never heard of it before (I swear, this is not a plug). Have you heard of it? Do you have suggestions? I'd love a place that will allow the kids to actively engage with animals, better yet if they have someone on hand to do a little teaching/coordination.Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Melinda via e-mail:
Hi Boston Mamas! I'm thinking ahead for my boy/girl twins' birthday party in May. They'll be 3, and I'd love to take them and friends to a farm. I've been looking on the internet, and I'm having trouble sorting through the good, bad, and ugly. Drumlin Farms comes up, but it doesn't look like they do much. The place that looks terrific is Lil'Folk Farm in Holliston, but I've never heard of it before (I swear, this is not a plug). Have you heard of it? Do you have suggestions? I'd love a place that will allow the kids to actively engage with animals, better yet if they have someone on hand to do a little teaching/coordination.
As Laurel has come out of her shell in the past year, she has started to express an interest in theatre (recently going so far as to state that she's going to be an actress when she grows up). Subsequently, I've been interested in checking out Kidstock in Winchester. From what I have heard from various sources over the years, Kidstock's summer theatre camps are pretty fantastic. A couple of weeks ago, we had a chance to visit Kidstock for the birthday party of one of Laurel's friends, and I must say, I was impressed.
Yesterday on BabyCenter's Momformation blog I guest posted on seven ways to stay fit during pregnancy (or really, any time!). Whether you're pregnant or looking to get rolling with a fitness plan, I hope you'll check it out. Also, a note on running (per a discovery I made after submitting the article to BabyCenter). I wrote off regular runs a few weeks ago (~20 weeks) because longer runs weren't feeling comfortable anymore. However, I recently discovered that doing intervals feels fantastic. So, I'll alternate walking and running (e.g., 5 minutes walking/3 minutes running) for ~3 miles. It feels great to sweat and get the heart rate up and so far has felt completely comfortable. And it seems like a fitting nod to how I started running in the first place, via the Couch to 5K program.
Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Jenny via e-mail:
Dear Boston Mamas, I'm pregnant with my first child and would love to find a prenatal yoga class in Harvard Square or Watertown. Do you know of any good classes/instructors? Thanks!
As someone who practices yoga regularly at home, I am -- unfortunately -- frequently reminded of my negligence in the vacuuming and sweeping department. And realistically, I just don't imagine improving on either of these chores once our baby arrives in March. So that's why I dig Oshi Mat. Currently available in four super cute styles, these recyclable foam mats are cushy, eco-friendly, bacteria resistant, easy to clean, and simple to tote (lightweight tote bag included). Instead of fretting about the fuzzies on one's rug, the inevitable and unidentifiable floor bits at mommy and me classes, and/or the pet hair on the rug at the in-laws, you can simply enjoy rocking tummy time with your baby. And who knows -- maybe these chic mats will even lift your spirits during those frequent diaper changes; I'm certainly going to give it a try.
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from CM via e-mail:
Dear Boston Mamas, I'm about halfway through my pregnancy and am in desperate need of maternity clothes, but I hate the thought of spending tons of money on clothes I'll only wear for a few months. Any sources of reasonably priced maternity clothes in the area that you'd recommend? Thanks!
Welcome (or shall I say welcome back!) to Boston Mamas Rock! -- where I share the voices of fabulous local mamas from all walks of life. Read on for today's interview with Janet Lee Harrold, mother of one, artist, book author, and special needs advocate by way of her efforts to support her granddaughter Hailey, a 3-year-old with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy. Read on to learn about Janet's impassioned efforts on behalf of her granddaughter and the special needs community as a whole. Then go ahead and nominate a fabulous fellow mama!
Today, from Lindsey -- an utterly lovely idea for cultivating a family and community based love for reading:
One of my favorite things I do as a mother is participate in a book group with my 8-year-old daughter. We are six mother-daughter teams, and all of the girls are 7 or 8. Each visit we gather at someone's home, and the girl who lives there has picked the book that we discuss.
Today, Jennifer shares a couple of great resources for medical alert tracking and cool ID accessories for grownups and kids:
I love jewelry and accessories...I mean, I really, really love them. So when a recent medical issue resulted in my need for a medic ID bracelet (I have an adult onset seizure disorder controlled by meds -- or as I like to say, I'm just a little bit electric), the diagnosis left me with a serious accessory challenge: where do I get a cute medic alert bracelet? And also, how should I store my emergency medical information?
A few weeks ago I admittedly got pretty riled up when I heard about the Corn Refiners Association's (CRA) petition to change the name high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to corn sugar. The CRA claims that the goal is to eliminate confusion for consumers, but the US food system cynic in me immediately figured it was a ploy to change the now-well-publicized, mouthful-of-a-name HFCS to something easier to read. Because, you know, one thing pro natural food people like me will urge people to do is buy foods where you can actually read the ingredient label.
One thing that's clear about pregnancy is that bodies grow very differently (when in doubt, do not ask!). I "popped" late with Laurel, and it's been similar this go around. At almost 17 weeks, though I'm definitely feeling thicker around the middle, I'm still wearing my regular clothes; as of two weeks ago, I simply looked a little full of korma and last week I started sporting a little bump that's still not evident in regular clothes. Through the second trimester, transition pieces are key, and I'm all about mining one's existing wardrobe, particularly since in the second trimester you may not be ready for full blown maternity clothing. Here are my five favorite regular wardrobe pieces that are serving me immensely well in transition. I've put together a few cute looks based on these pieces and all of these looks are non-maternity wear, so even if you aren't pregnant you can enjoy them. Today I'm focusing on casual clothing and plan on doing a dressy/work roundup soon.
Today, Carole Arsenault of Boston Baby Nurses encourages you to recognize sources and signs of postpartum depression in moms and dads and get help if needed.
October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month -- an important time for new parents and parents-to-be to consider the signs and affects of postpartum depression (PPD) on both mom and dad.
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Precillia via e-mail:
Dear Christine, My good friend gave birth 3 weeks ago to her daughter - 12 weeks early. She lives in CA, and a number of her good friends are now on the East coast. She asked for a support group after delivery, and the doctors were not able to provide one locally. I'm wondering if you have any advice from your experience, and or from your readership on how we (her friends) can best support her from afar. We are beyond flowers, etc. We did send a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant so that they could enjoy a night out. We are all texting, calling, emailing etc. without expecting a response, but really to show our support and convey our thoughts and prayers. Their situation is so stressful and we all feel so helpless...not to mention, guilty, that many of us have had babies this year who are healthy.
Today, Lindsey recommends Verrill Farm for your next birthday party:
I've always gotten really excited about my kids' birthday parties. I think it might come from my own August birthday and consequent sense that I never had the parties I dreamed of as a kid. Whatever the reason, I really enjoy planning celebrations for my son and daughter, who are 5 and 7 respectively. We've had a lot of parties already, and far and away our favorite location -- one we've already done twice and plan to do again this October -- is Verrill Farm in Concord.
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Amy via the Boston Mamas Facebook community page:
Hi Boston Mamas! I am new to the Boston area and have a 21-month-old little girl. I need things to do with her this fall/winter and weekends/rainy days. Also, I need some ideas for her birthday this fall. I would LOVE some suggestions! (FYI, we've done Boston Children's Museum, Aquarium, etc... we're looking for something a bit more interactive and smaller scale). Also, we live in Watertown so closer to that side of town would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Last September, in honor of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, contributing writer Sarah candidly shared her story. This year, in another moving post, she makes the astute point that, "A cure for cancer is a tempting illusion, but the way to save more lives is to get this disease detected and treated while it's still small." Please read on and familiarize yourself with the symptoms, and share this post with the women in your lives.
As I mentioned last week week, Laurel wanted a unicorn party for her sixth birthday. It suits me perfectly that she prefers small gatherings at home; we hosted a super fun unicorn party that was pretty low maintenance while still being utterly unicorn-tastic. Below is the how-to for pulling the party together. And thematically, you could swap elements to tailor the party to your child's interests (e.g., horses, dinosaurs, fairies, etc.). Enjoy!
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Elizabeth via e-mail:
Hi Christine, I recently started looking for a babysitter for my 9-month-old daughter. I tried Craigslist with mixed results, and signed up for a free trial with Sittercity and Care.com. I have been SO disappointed! Sittercity never made it clear that while I could post a job, I would not be able to contact any of the applicants without paying a membership fee of $50-100. Care.com's free membership was slightly more clear, but I still did not understand that I would have to pay their monthly membership fee to contact any applicants as well. I understand that this is partly my fault for misreading; however, I can't help feeling that these websites are taking advantage of me. Now I either lose out on the 8 applications I already received, and go back to slogging through Craigslist, or I have to pay for a membership to a website that I have lost trust in. I'm wondering if this happens to a lot of moms, and if people in your community have suggestions for other ways to find a good sitter!