The Happy Monkey House
Blanket forts, tree houses, tucked away closets…it’s obvious that the kiddie crowd loves to have places and spaces to call their own. Claire is no exception. Santa dropped this cardboard house off at Christmas and for the following 4 weeks Claire meticulously colored and embellished it in her own style. Now if you’ve spent any time at all here at the blog, you know … Continue reading The Happy Monkey House
Greenhouse Gardening in Winter
We used an eye dropper to water at firstso the seedlings wouldn’t float away We’re so lucky to have two large hoop houses at our new house. Right now I’m mainly using them to over-winter some perennials that didn’t make it into the ground, but back in December I thought a little experimentation with growing vegetables in the winter would be fun. I was … Continue reading Greenhouse Gardening in Winter
Embracing Simplicity during Christmas
I think as you have children, everything becomes more magical — especially around the holidays. As Claire has gotten older (this will be Christmas # 5 for her, although I’m sure she’s forgotten the first few) I’ve gotten excited myself just watching her anticipation and excitement grow as we draw closer and closer to the 25th. In front of the BIG tree in Boston, MA … Continue reading Embracing Simplicity during Christmas
Why I should buy stock in scotch (tape that is)
There’s a great article on Wired.com by GeekDad Jonathan Liu about the 5 Best Toys of All Time. While I wholeheartedly agree about the joy of sticks, boxes, twine and above all dirt — there is a glaring omission from his most excellent article: Tape. And lots of it. Case in point: Claire’s version of London Bridge. Constructed completely on her own in a quiet … Continue reading Why I should buy stock in scotch (tape that is)
Creative Idea for an Art Inspired Present
I’m always on the lookout for unique gifts that encourage creativity and I just had to share this one — blank pop-up books. Paired with markers and a classic storybook it would make an awesome themed present. You might recall I blogged about our mutual obsession with pop up books and a few of our favorites a while back. Now that Claire his hit age … Continue reading Creative Idea for an Art Inspired Present
Setting Up Our Art Room and a Case of Blue Measles
I’ve unearthed a few great photos from my old computer: Modern Parents Messy Kids I took this shortly after our move to the new house when I let Claire loose with a bunch of paint and paper to keep her occupied while I neatly (ha!) unpacked our belongings. Unbeknownst to me she discovered spatter painting and seemed to have missed the paper but did a … Continue reading Setting Up Our Art Room and a Case of Blue Measles
The perfect pet for preschoolers…bring back the pet rock!
Knee deep in fall bulbs and covered (COVERED!) in dirt I was patting myself on the back this afternoon for cultivating Claire’s imagination with lots of fresh air and freedom and unstructured play. She was constructing this elaborate house for Rocky, her pretend friend. Daddy was busy fixing the greenhouse and donated lots of leftover 2×4 bits and a few soft bits of wild onion … Continue reading The perfect pet for preschoolers…bring back the pet rock!
Chalk In My Pocket 