Winter Decorating
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Homemaking on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
When I was a kid I dreaded the end of the Christmas season when Mom took the decorations down. The house looked bereft without them.
As an adult I have more control - this explains why our tree is still up even though it’s Ordinary Time now - but eventually the greenery and twinkle lights must go. On that January day, I’m inevitably left looking around my living room feeling sad at its bareness.
Only... READ MORE
Playmobile vs. Lego
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, November 17, 2011
In the comments section of our post on gift ideas for boys, there was a lot of talk of Lego’s and Playmobile. I’m curious: does every household with boys choose one or the other?
We have always been a Lego family but I’ve long been enamored by Playmobile. I recently picked up a sweet Christmas set at a yardsale and love it. I’m thinking about getting more but as we already own two tons of Lego’s I’m... READ MORE
Better Than a Glass of Water
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Health on Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Every night I take a backpack with me to bed.
It’s heavy and full… of water.
I used to think it would be silly to spend money on a water-holding backpack, but when my doctor restricted my activity during my last pregnancy, my husband convinced me otherwise. He was right. I used to keep a glass of water on my bedside table, but this is so much better.
Hydration packs (I have this one, but there are... READ MORE
Being Nice?
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Just me on Friday, September 16, 2011
While I’m not the biggest fan of the word “nice” - there’s so much more to real Christian charity than just niceness - I came across a website today that I thought was… well… nice.
Do One Nice Thing was started by a woman named Debbie Tenzer. According to her Wikipedia article, the movement is responsible for, among other things, donations of 75 TONS of school supplies to children in Iraq and Afghanistan... READ MORE
Mother's Little Helper
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Tuesday, May 17, 2011
I love hanging pictures. I love that feeling of pushing through the angst of putting a hole—a hole!—in my wall and then having something lovely and soothing and wonderful to look at. It can be scary, committing to hanging something. I went a lot of years not putting anything anywhere because, what if I didn’t like it? What if I messed up? What if I destroyed the entire house in my efforts to beautify?... READ MORE
Creative End-of-Year Gifts
Posted by Danielle Bean in Homemaking on Monday, May 09, 2011
As we near the end of the school year, parents everywhere are scrambling to find meaningful gifts to show their appreciation for their children’s teachers. And teachers everywhere are bracing themselves for an onslaught of baked goods and coffee mugs.
I think it’s important to recognize and show gratitude for hard-working teachers and coaches who make a difference in our children’s lives, but as the... READ MORE
Lenten Success
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Nigh over 40 days ago, a few of us discussed clever Lenten ideas, a topic prompted by my friend who had decided to send handwritten notes to loved ones during Lent.
I heard from a few of you who felt compelled to do the same, and also heard from other people doing unrelated, but equally inspiring acts of love.
If anyone wants to share about their Lent, please feel free! How do you feel now that your... READ MORE
Carseats: A History
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Yesterday’s carseat discussion reminded me of this talk, given a few years ago at TED: Ideas Worth Spreading. Now I’m not suggesting we all run out and get rid of our carseats (that would be against the law!), but the talk is quite insightful as to how carseat laws came about. At the very least, it’s a good reminder that there are many variables when it comes to the effectiveness of carseats and seatbelts... READ MORE
40 Ways for 40 Days
Posted by Danielle Bean in Faith on Tuesday, March 08, 2011
In case you and your family are still seeking inspiration for this year’s Lenten season, I thought I would share the 40 ideas I came up with for the Marriage & Parenting column I wrote for Parable, my diocesan magazine this year:
40 Ways for 40 Days: Give Your Family the Gift of a Meaningful Lent
Instead of ‘thinking big’ this year, maybe we could think small. The Church recommends traditional penitential practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for Lent. Why not pray, fast and give as a family this year? Here are 40 small but meaningful ways to try to accomplish this ...
Calling Grace Kelly
Posted by AGroup in Just me on Friday, March 04, 2011
More than once I’ve been asked if I have any tips for making shopping for clothes easier. Yesterday it dawned on me that there is one very helpful thing I do that saves me time, energy and money:
I have a style icon. Her name is Grace Kelly and I absolutely adore her look.
Why is having a style icon helpful? Ultimately, it helps me stay focused. When I go shopping, I always have Grace Kelly in mind.... READ MORE
