Found this amazing collection of cookie recipes on the NYT website. Merry Christmas/Winter Soltice/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah! If anyone needs me, I'll be in the kitchen whipping up rugelach & shortbread
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Ultimate Holiday Cookie Guide!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Why Big Box Stores Suck
Sears Saleslady (ringing up kids stuff from clearance racks): "Do you have a Sears Rewards card to save 10% off on purchases today?"
Me (trying to corral rampant 3YO): "No"
SS: "Would you care to sign up for one today in order to save the 10%?"
Me (glancing back at long line): "Uh-no"
SS: "That will be $14.99"
Me (taking out debit card): "OK"
SS: "Are you paying with your Sears Master Card today?"
Me: Um, no I've got this debit-"
SS: "Would you like to take 10 minutes to open a charge card with Sears today?"
Me (starting to sweat with effort of holding onto 3YO's hood and wallet): "No Thanks"
SS: "Are you paying with any Sears Gift Cards?"
Me (swiping DC through): "No"
SS: "Would you like to purchase one and receive $10 back on your purchase today?"
Me (thinking OH MY GOD, IT'S EASIER TO GET THROUGH CUSTOMS IN A COMMUNIST COUNTRY!!!! SWEET JESUS, JUST LET ME BUY MY KID HALF-PRICED "BRAND-NAME" MIX 'N MATCH SEPARATES WILL YOU????) "No. Thank you, not today."
(NOT EVER! UNLESS THERE IS SOMEONE THAT I DESPERATELY NEED TO GET REVENGE ON!)
Friday, December 11, 2009
Herb Garden in Winter?
I say why not? I've been looking for basil plants for a week now and guess who has a great selection of organic basil, chive and parsley plants? The fancy gardening store? Super Stop and Shop? Nope. Market Basket!!
I put the new plant in the window garden in the bedroom, but I think I'll have to move it because I woke up this morning craving spaghetti for breakfast.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Favorite Thing of the Week
Leave the kids with a trusted relative/friend/spouse in the Activity Room on the first floor and go check out the Iris Apfel show at the PEM before it disappears! Or, go in the morning before all the "art snobs" start mucking up the place and let the kids play with the addictive online paperdoll display while you marvel at the idea of making your own jewelry out of the barbie accessories currently living underneath your couch.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thanksgiving Countdown!
I found some good links for Turkey Day (or, T-Day, as it's known around here)
Need to get out of the mashed-potatoes-green been casserole-canned corn rut? The NYT on-line edition has some great ideas for sides.
Going to someone else's house and don't want to try and figure out what wine goes with stuffing? Turtle Alley, in Gloucester and Salem, sells a chocolate Turkey stuffed with nuts. How awesome is that?
And if the fam is coming over to your place, how to create the right atmosphere? (Unless, of course, your idea of ambiance is a few apple turkeys scattered about) Head on over to Design Lab, Lovejoy Design's new blog. Phoebe Lovejoy Russell has an amazing eye for color and texture and her ideas can easily be adapted to any budget.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Cheap Thrill of the Week: Magic Birthday Candle!
(please note-This is only a video simulation of the reaction at our house last night)
Great way to entertain a toddler for 6 bucks!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Second Life:Mesh Hamper
Giftwrap, ribbons, tissue paper, bows, gift bags, what I collectively refer to as "giftcrap" felt like a huge space-hog in our new place, which mysteriously lacked closets and a hanger-rod. In the process of whittling down items and containers in order to make everything fit, I started putting all the giftcrap into one pile on the floor and then it hit me-
Could it all fit into one container? 
Turns out, it can!
Tips:
Sort the giftbags however you like, but save a few you're not going to use for gifts to store small stuff like ribbons and tools.
Honestly ask yourself, how many baby showers/bat mitzvahs/quinceaneras do I really go to a year? Then save the appropriate ratio of themed gift bag. Try it, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Things I will miss about living here
1. The Ropes Mansion Gardens Like a desert oasis, this has always been a cool, peaceful pitstop on the way to the library.
2. Having an ice cream place every 50 yards. Sometimes this is kind of a pain, like when I realize that traveling in any direction with a toddler in a stroller requires going past an ice cream parlor, but at least at this age, she's satisfied with a few bites from the "kiddie cup".
3. Having almost as many playgrounds. We have one right next to our building and it's amazing to have so many places within walking distance where you can have a "pick-up playdate".
4. Random surrealism. There's something about walking to CVS to get milk and passing teenage puritans bumming cigarettes off mid-western wiccans that never gets old.
5. Halloween. Known to most towns simply as October, here it's a month-long party culminating in a 24 hour orgy of weirdness that brings out the SWAT team.
Monday, September 21, 2009
So close...
We were supposed to close on our new place today in Marblehead, but the Marblehead Fire Department didn't get their inspection done because (get this) they said they couldn't find the property. Considering the size of Marblehead, this isn't a very comforting idea...
Saturday, September 19, 2009
WE'RE MOVING!!!
-Just up the road to Marblehead...
So-I'll still be around Salem a lot since, in my opinion, it's got it going on in a way that Marblehead doesn't. We found a great place for a fairly decent price and I'm going to have my own office instead of a 2X3 foot space in a corner of the living room/den/playroom now! Part of the reason I've been so lax about keeping this blog up-to-date has been the fact that: A)The Chloe has discovered online games and it's hard to say no when I see how quickly she's learning to use the computer from them, and B) by the time she's safely out of the house, I've got so much work piled up that I can't justify the time it takes to crank out these finely handcrafted bon mots :^|
Anyway, here's some moving tips tailored for moving with a toddler:
1) Make Moving Day sound like a really awesome adventure.
Maybe tell them it's like going camping in the new house and pack their sleeping bag and a canteen and flashlight for the first night. Maybe tell them they are going to "discover and explore" a brand new neighborhood in their "explorer ship" (aka moving truck)
2) Get all their friends' contact info for future playdates.
Chloe is old enough to verbalize her fears fairly well and knowing that she will be able to stay in touch with her old buddies makes it easier for her and her friends to deal with separation anxiety.
3) Let them get involved with packing and purging.
Giving a kid a damp rag and letting them clean unbreakable stuff before it goes in the box makes them feel more in control about what's happening. Giving them a box to pack favorite toys in helps too.
4) Take everyone up on those offers to "help get them out of your hair".
Because there's times when you just need to focus on what you're doing and constant pleas to play "train" with 20 cardboard boxes is a bit too much at the moment.
5) Big liquor stores are the best source for grabbing carloads of free packing boxes.
6) Got old clothes, towels, bed linens? Use them for packing padding before you recycle them! Bubblewrap and peanuts don't bio-degrade too well. Also, before you toss some old stuff, think about making something else with it, like a stuffed animal, pillow case, or quilt.
7) (Local tip) Savers, in the Danvers Market Basket plaza, is the easiest way to get rid of kid's stuff. They take toys, books, games and clothes.
8) (Set Dresser's tip) Blue painters' tape is great for labelling everything since it stands out against boxes and bags really well and won't damage wooden surfaces. Make a "packing kit" by using a box or tub and keep your markers, blue tape and packing tape in there so you can easily go from room to room.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Fun at the Salem Farmers' Market
Yay! Finally got to go to the Salem Farmers' Market today (see right) un-emcumbered by a stroller full of screeching toddler. 2 fresh zucchini and a big yellow squash for $1.75. And, I'm not embarrassed to say that the only other thing I bought was a gigantic double-chocolate brownie for $3 from Nana's Kitchen. It was there OK?
Guess which food item the 3yo's going to eat?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Library Find: Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde
Found in the young readers section, The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde with illustrations by Michael Hague
Featuring Oscar Wilde classics such as "The Happy Prince" and "The Selfish Giant", this is a gorgeous book that seems to be out of print and therefore, even more of a great find. Good for lulling a restless toddler to sleep, or engaging an older child.
Note, the above illustration is from a completely awesome blog called simply The Dodo Blog
Yin Yu Tang with a Toddler?
It's possible! I have been blessed with the type of kid that retail clerks and gymnastics teachers euphemistically refer to as "exuberant". That said, I was hesitant to attempt the Peabody Essex Museum's Yin Yu Tang exhibit until a friend of mine with two toddler boys said that they were allowed to tour the house. So I decided to try my luck last week.
I knew better than to attempt the audio guided tour, but there was no avoiding the orientation speech before we were allowed in. After carefully explaining multiple times that the floors were uneven and to watch our step, (or, "if you trip, you can't sue us.")the velvet rope was lifted and the sprog and I were allowed in along with a small batch of tourists.
Chloe had a great time discovering that people who lived during the Qing dynasty used the potty too and I marveled at the wide variety of child-restraints crafted from bamboo. A big hit was the pair of cisterns in the courtyard with their population of koi and a couple of enormous carp. I don't think visitors are allowed to jump on the beds or try on the clothing laid out on the furniture, but Chloe managed to restrain herself somewhat and I thought the guards were pretty lenient about small children running around.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Get Lit in Salem!
Salem's 2009 Literature Festival is coming up fast! They have a website here and the schedule page looks really good. It all takes place the weekend of March 27-29 and there's events for authors, soon-to-be authors, kids and Scrabble fanatics. Pack your reading glasses and come on over!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
St. Patrick's Day Survival Tip:
Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's day right? Now there's finally a way to celebrate that doesn't involve green beer, shamrock shakes (which I thought was another name for a St. Pat's hangover, but whatever) and everyone's favorite; boiled cabbage and soda bread. Turtle Alley (in Salem and Gloucester) has created Irish Stout Truffles! Bring these to your Aunt Brigid's annual Boiled Banquet and you can use them as a smoke screen against being plied with whiskey and stout by your scary uncle all evening. "Oh, no more Car Bombs for me, I've still got a buzz from these truffles!"
Good luck
UPDATE: I went into Turtle Alley's Salem location today and got a 1/2 pound for $10. If anyone wants me, I'll be in a corner in a truffle coma...
They have great greeting cards and cool gee-gaws too!
Awesome Gift Idea!
Courtesy of Boing Boing.net, a mother created a stuffed toy out of her child's drawing and the result is achingly adorable. Now I am definitely going to go for that kids-quilt-from-old-baby-onesies idea I've been putting off for the past 5 months!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Getting Down at the Wenham Museum
Took Chloe to the Baby Boogie Oogie at the Wenham Museum yesterday. Of course, like any rational human being, she was terrified at the site of 18 month old's and their birkenstocked parents shuffling around to the strains of "Burn Baby Burn", so we ended up spending most of the time looking at the new Soul of the Shoe exhibit which is pretty amazing. We learned that Chinese foot-binding practices created a market for cruelly exquisite silk slippers the size of hummingbirds, the 1960's was the Golden Age of stiletto design, and former President Bill Clinton had some mighty big feet. Also, the fact that mothers in the last century needed to button about 10 buttons on each toddler's shoe completely explains the popularity of all those soothing syrups.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Second Life: An old floppy hat
My downstairs neighbor's incessant smoking finally drove us to switch our bedroom with our daughter's. (A 3 year-old with a smoker's cough tends to get strange looks at the library storytime) I kept procrastinating because part of the switch involved dismantling a large handmade futon frame that was a refugee from a loft we had built in Fort Point. Even though it was an awkward monstrosity of polyurethaned pine and metal reinforcing "bandaids", it was a reminder of days without kids and spontaneous night-life.
Finally, after transferring about 2 metric tons of stuffed animals acrosss the hall and dismantling and re-mantling the crib, I decided to just tackle the damn thing with a Mikita and, two afternoon sessions later, I was triumphant and the former slumber-barge lay in pieces next to our garbage bins.
One of the side effects of being somewhat of a compulsive clutter-buster is that there always seem to be a few random items that constantly turn up in storage bins and closet bags because I just can't bear to toss them for some reason. Take, for instance, a purple and gray nylon floppy hat. If I were to actually use it as a hat, it would only make me look like the nerd I really am. But, it's a hat that was purchased for me by a friend while in Vietnam in order to help me avoid paying the "roundeye-tax" and everytime I see it, I am reminded of: 1) My friend Phong, who was the coolest guide a girl could have, 2) Travelling throughout the Mekong Delta by motorbike with my husband and 3) Touring the Cu Chi tunnels whilst in the early stages of food poisoning.(not fun, but memorable)
Long story short, I can't toss the hat, but I really wanted to get rid of the old crap lumber and recycle the brass l-brackets, so I grabbed the hat by the brim, filled it with about 5 pounds of used woodscrews and l-brackets, added a manual screwdriver and ta-da! Instant toolbag!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Salem Trash Services Video
Interesting video of Salem's Trash Service in action. And yes, they do show them flinging a bin or two back in the general direction of the sidewalk, just like our trash guys do.
Just curious, has your trash pickup crew started acting like prima donnas about the new trash rules?
Things have gotten crazy on my street. Last week, someone put a box with an old toaster oven on top of the trash barrel and, instead of lifting the box off to get the barrel's trash, they simply left the entire barrel sitting there, box on top and all. So we were treated to another week with our household trash, left in the barrel. And, everyone's barrels are also completely battered and barely functional since the trash crew doesn't have the more precise aim of the guys in the video and they heave the barrels into the middle of the street half the time.
Does your trash crew leave trash all over the street? Are they being over-eager sticklers for the new trash rules? Vent here!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Kid's Room Needs a Lift?
Found via crossing paths on Boston Mamas' blog, Cheeky Monkey Murals will do custom murals for kids' bedrooms, playrooms or wherever you wish to put one of their unique works of art. (they also do murals for businesses)
I love the style these murals are done in and the artist, Holly Johnson also does portraits of "loveys" that are a wonderful way to capture your little ones' loved ones.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Should lollipops, m&m's and mini-cupcakes fail...
You could always try the potty-caddy.
I coulda been a contender. While still pregnant, I saw an article in People about mothers who trained their kids in infancy and avoided the whole diaper scene altogether. I was all fired up to try it out with my still-theoretical spawn until I got the book out of the library that showed happy earth mommies holding their infants over porch railings and park benches, beatifically letting nature take its course. I just didn't think that would go over too well at a neighborhood barbecue or on the playground. I don't have a dog, on principle, and I grudgingly change the cat litter, so I didn't want to find myself following my own kid around with a plastic bag.
And of course, it's come to get me in the end. After a great start with the potty chart/sticker technique, I could have sworn Chloe would be trained by Thanksgiving. Then, it became Christmas, and now it's before she goes off to college, hopefully.
Of course, friends all have similar war stories about stonewalling and regression battles. And of course both nanas have started their greek chorus of "Well my kids were all trained by 2 and a half." I'll just keep up the bribery. She's bound to crack soon.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Second Life: Turn a Picture Frame into a Remote Caddy
I didn't come up with this on my own, but I found it on Lifehacker and it bears repeating. This great if you have a fairly deep 8x10" photo frame lying around and the usual 3 or 4 entertainment center remotes.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Spring Cleaning! Book Swap
The Salem Recycling committee is hosting a book swap on Saturday,
Februrary 28th at nearby St. Peters Church from 9:00 am - noon. Folks can bring in any unwanted books, videos, CDs, DVDs etc and choose anything that they like. All leftover materials will be recycled through "Got Books".
Address: 24 Saint Peter St, Salem across the street from the Salem Cinema.
See you there! (I'll be the one trying to unload the interactive Princess Barbie books with the almost-dead batteries)
Also, the above image was found on a great site called Simple Productivity Blog. Check it out!
Friday, January 30, 2009
My New Form: 5 Mantis Pickup
1. Child pulls out the legos (butterfly horse stance)
2. Mom helps build a castle (kneeling horse stance)
3. Mom lunges to grab cell phone (side to side with mantis hook)
4. Mom cleans up the toys (duck walk back and forth 3 times)
5. Mom sweeps the floor (deep lady horse stance across the floor)
Second Life: Kids' Clay
An old bag of modeling clay resurfaced this morning and when I was picking up the remnants I realized that it makes a great stress-ball. Then, when I was trying to get a half-decent photo, some more clay did the trick! (right side blob)
Ok, I'm walking away from the computer right now...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Second Life: Old file crates
As any parent will tell you, having kids + a bathtub = A plethora of little cute plastic bath toys. After searching high and low for a good way to store everything, I had an epiphany when I was cleaning out some old files. I grabbed a terrycloth bathmat, folded it so it fit in the bottom of the crate-
Yay! Instant tub-toy caddy! 
The reason I was so picky is that so many of the "official" types of tub-toy caddies rely on suction cups, which any half-way intrepid toddler is just going to pull off, and/or contained little nooks and crannies which are a haven for mold.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
How to Cure Cabin Fever in a Blizzard
It's snowing/sleeting/raining today and I did manage to get out and clear my car off in time to move it so my space can get plowed out. So I feel like I got at least something constructive done today.
BTW, when I ventured out, I was the first one to do so, and the stairs needed cleaning off too. I was already carrying some laundry so I simply started moving the fast accumulating snow off the steps with my feet. It occured to me as I was doing so that it made a good kung fu exercise, kind of like a sweeping kick drill. I started trying to get as much snow off each one step as I could with one kick.
Then, moving on to the car, I kept it going as I used my snowscraper like a broadsword and tried to challenge myself with how much heavy wet snow I could push off the roof with each stroke. First with one hand, then both hands. 
You could probably practice some more form moves with other snow-removal implements, but it's a start.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
My Random John Updike Memory
So I finally poked my head out of my inbox and found out that John Updike has died. He was the same age my grandfather was when he died. It was strange growing up going to church with my dad and stepmom at the same church that Updike was (nominally) a member of. He manned the booksale table one year at the annual church fair. I bought a copy of "The Omen" from him for a quarter. I remember that he took a good skeptical look at the cheesy mid-eighties foil-embossed paperback cover and then looked at me and said "You sure you really want this one?". I was old enough to recognize him from some book jackets I had seen, but young enough to be saucy so I shrugged and said "Yeah, it looks really scary!" He took my quarter and sent me on my way.
Gung Hay Fat Choy at the PEM!
Buddha guides the lions to eat
The lion approaches an offering
Some businesses like to challenge the lion a little
After eating the lion dances to show their thanks
See some Lion Dancers in action!
The Peabody Essex Museum will be celebrating the Year Of The Ox in style with a martial arts demo on January 30th (Friday night) in the Atrium at 7:30. There will also be Lion Dancing and Kung Fu at 11:30am Saturday the 30th. Free to Salem residents! BYOFC
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Second Life: An old in-box
My daughter goes through a ton of different types of paint in the average week and she's also taken to painting wherever the "mood" strikes her. I finally got tired of constantly following her around like a human paint caddy, schlepping tiny bottles and brushes all over the place and then I realized that a recently retired plastic inbox could hold everything, water, paints and brushes. So, the inbox-paint caddy was born.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Buy Local! Salem's So Sweet
-But you already knew that right?
Salem Main Streets will be hosting a chocolate and ice sculpture festival February 6-14!
$20 gets you in the door of the kick-off event at Hamilton Hall on Friday, Feb. 6 at 6:30pm. The event features wine, chocolate and coffee samplings from Salem purveyors.
Lots of stores will be having special Valentine deals and sales as well. The SMS site has the full details.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Buy Local! Yarn Sale Kicks Off Thursday at Seed Stitch
From now until the end of January, Seed Stitch Fine Yarn at 21 Front Street in Salem is having a sale with 20-70% off yarns of all types. They will be open from 10am to 7pm and (I think) until 8pm on Thursdays. Support a local business (and your knitting habit) and check it out!
(they are very toddler-tolerant too!)
January 20th, 2009 12:01pm At last...
I don't think I've been this verklempt ever. What a great day. And props to the Marine band for their restraint shown by NOT playing "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead" as Dick Cheney was wheeled to his waiting limousine.
(rumor has it he pulled a muscle stretching the truth too far)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Found: Organic Coffee That Actually Tastes Good
One of the ways that my local Market Basket keeps me coming back for more punishment is the occasional awesome bargain find. Sometimes, it's Nutella at 2 for $4 when the Whole Paycheck price hovers around $5 a jar. This past week, it's the Good Earth coffee which I found for $4.99 for a 10 oz. bag.
And here's the kicker; it actually tastes like coffee, good coffee. Their website doesn't say anything about their labor situation, just stresses the fact that their coffee is raised in organic conditions. I have to confess that I've bought Fair Trade coffee in the past for a good price at BJ's and while it made for guilt-free caffeination, it tasted kind of sour. Still, you could always use it for recipes or composting.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
ReadyMade: Recycled Cookie Tins
For all of you that received homemade cookies in those ubiquitous tins for the holidays, ReadyMade has a great article about how you can use them to create tiered serving trays, ribbon dispensers and cookie cutters.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Man Eating Bugs at PEM
It's a cookbook! A COOKBOOK!
Trapped by snow and ice (plus my husband had to borrow my car), I couldn't watch any more "Blue's Clues" so I ventured out with Chloe in her stroller to the Art And Nature Room at the PEM. Chloe loved to empty the activity boxes, not necessarily playing with everything, just likes to do inventory, and while I waited for her to get bored, my eye happened across "Man Eating Bugs" on the bookshelf. Finally, a cookbook that will scare away any potential schnorrer who sees it on your recipe shelf.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Salem Library Hidden Gem
Found at the SPL this week, Roald Dahl's "The Mildenhall Treasure" illustrated by Ralph Steadman. (Which,BTW is listed on Roalddahl.com as an ADULT book so now I don't have to pretend I'm checking it out "for my kid").
At any rate, I love finds like this; half-remembered stories that trigger Proust-like reactions when I pull them off the shelf.
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