We spent a steamy day last week wandering through the art installations and smelling the roses at the New York Botanical Garden. For the next few months, you can see the Chiluly glass art installations in person, paired with poetry created by NYC students. The poetry was as amazing as the sculpture! The photos below […]
Spring Morning Sparkle
It seems like clouds and cold air have been hanging around Connecticut lately, with no signs of spring in sight. I didn’t realize that it was starting to get to me until this morning. When the sun finally came out, I remembered how much I’ve missed it. My oldest daughter and I took a early morning ride […]
Bessie’s Pillow {Book Review}
Over the past weeks, we’ve been reading Bessie’s Pillow A Young Immigrant’s Journey published by Strong Learning, Inc during. The book was written by Linda Bress Silbert, and is based on the true story of her grandmother, Bessie Driezen. The story follows the journey of Bessie, who left Lithuania for the U.S. in 1906, by herself, at the age […]
Remembering How I Became A New Englander
It’s been 15 years now, since I left New York behind, quietly slipped over the state line and became a Connecticut resident. It was something I said I would never do, back when I was 21 and knew everything. When we moved, I didn’t think it would be forever. In fact, I still don’t see […]
Week in Review {Photo Friday}
Have you ever felt like you’ve fallen into a place where time moves more quickly? As if some outside force hit the fast-forward button on your life? I’ve been there lately. So rather than go in deep, and tell you all about the changes (it’s all good), I’ve decided to share snaps of things going on […]
A Quick Intro to 3D Printing
We’ve been watching videos about 3D printing lately, and my girls couldn’t wait to try it out. The Butterfly (13) designed and printed a nameplate for her bedroom door. The Princess (10) created a unique artistic design using shapes. Following a quick lesson on how to set-up and use the 3D Printers, they used TinkerCad to create their designs. So what […]
Raising a Little Entrepreneur
If challenged to create a product to sell, what would your child create? They may surprise you… My youngest daughter (now 10) took a class at our homeschool co-op last semester called Little Entrepreneurs. Over the course of a couple of months, students developed their ideas for a product, created it at home, learned how to design a logo, […]
Plan Your Year, Reach Your Goals in 2017 {Review +Coupon}
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this planner in exchange for my honest review. It’s that time again. Time to look back at last year and determine what you want to change for the coming year. It’s time to reflect, set new goals and plan how you will achieve them. I’m giving a […]
A Post Election Gratitude List and the Things We Can’t Control
I haven’t slept well these past weeks. I toss and turn in the dark hours, waking with alarming images floating through my head: pervy old white men laughing, swastikas painted on playground equipment, fascism in neon lights on tall buildings. Every damn morning I rise up like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, wondering what the […]
Small Town Connecticut Chill {The Gilmore Girls are Back}
I type now with chilly fingers. They will stay this way until sometime in May, 2017. It’s the price I pay for taking up residence here, in addition to the high cost of living and Lyme disease. Am I counting? Apparently yes. Autumn is, as you probably know, spectacular here. Also, it’s short. One barely […]
If I Could Save Time In A Bento…
Let me start by saying that I hate being busy. I like to wake up slow and take my sweet time figuring out what to do with my day. I like to take a wait and see approach. I love cancelled plans and snow days, simply for that moment of revelation when I’m suddenly free […]
What We’re Reading {August}
Since I was a kid, summer has always been a time for binge reading. Unfortunately, adulting doesn’t leave as much time as I would like to sit around in the sun with a good book, so I sneak a little reading in here and there when I can manage. I had to start off August […]
Simplify Your Homeschool with NotebookingPages.com {Review}
Have you tried adding notebooking to your homeschool days? I was delighted to explore this approach with my kids by using the Lifetime Membership from NotebookingPages.com. This resource provides a great way to enhance learning and allow your kids to create a beautiful portfolio showcasing what they’ve learned. Since this approach is somewhat new to […]
Bring A Little Shinrin-Yoku Into Your Life
My grandmother knew this to be true: spending time in nature is essential for your well-being. In her late 80’s she came to live with us, and I saw how she incorporated this into her life. She required herself, as a rule, to spend an hour a day outside, connecting with nature. I could see […]
To Sakura Matsuri and Back Again
Last week, three teens, a tween and I piled into the car and headed for Brooklyn to attend Sakura Matsuri, the annual Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Driving from Connecticut to Brooklyn can take anywhere from 90 minutes to 17 hours, depending on traffic. Sometimes it’s worth the effort. The festival is […]
Curtain Call {Photo Friday}
Every actor dreams of that moment, that one moment when the audience erupts into cheers and you step forward, center stage to take the last bow of the night. My girl has waited for this, for her moment to play the lead, and to be the last actor to come forward at the end of […]
It’s Almost Showtime, Again
So. I haven’t mentioned lately that my stage mom days aren’t quite over. The Butterfly (12) took the fall semester off from performing, but she decided to return to acting and voice lessons in January. The time off showed her just how much she missed being on stage and she couldn’t wait to get back […]
Homeschool Middle School Science Resources from MIT
My middle school age daughter has a great love of science, but as she gets older, I realize that my knowledge in certain STEM topics that she would like to explore more deeply is, well, limited. I recently came across MIT+K12 Videos, which takes kids on a journey of sorts, into the world of science […]
A Hot Chocolate Break {Gratitude Friday}
Capturing a smile from my littlest woman isn’t easy. When she sees my phone lifted, she immediately changes her expression, rebelling against my photo taking craziness in her own special way. I caught her today. And we laughed together because I won, and because she’s “not smiling that much, mom, so don’t get excited.” It […]
Snow Day Reading with Dante {What Level of Hell is for Trump?}
I never talk politics here on the blog, but this election season is so ripe with material that I can’t hold myself back any longer. This beautiful, unexpected snow day has opened up a little free time for me to sneak in some light reading, and that reading has forced me to think about Heaven, […]
