Week in Review: Smurfs, Sports and More!

Summer. We've been enjoying ours, and I've been writing about it, too.

For Barista Kids I wrote about seeing Smurfs 2: A Great Summer Family Film and all about our Lake Placid Family Vacation.

For New Jersey Family magazine I wrote about Fun (and Free) Things to Do with Kids in Essex County. There's so much to do from movies to outdoor concerts.

For Wonders of Westfield, I covered Westfield's High School Sports Teams and Where to Get Ice Cream, Gelato and Frozen Yogurt in Westfield.

This week, I've promised to take the kids to the mall, the movies, to play tennis and to the playground.

In return, the kids have promised not to drive me crazy.

Next week we'll find out who told the truth! Predictions?

Have a great week, everyone!

Week in Review: New Jersey Farmers' Markets, A Fantastic Cookbook and A Boonton Book Signing

Much like last week, I don't have much to report.

For Wonders of Westfield I wrote about where to find Jersey Fresh produce, farmers' markets and CSA farm shares.

Pictured above: my kids enjoying a farm share hat, the healthiness which is clearly somewhat mitigated by the booze and ice cream cones in the background.

For New Jersey Family, I got the chance to interview Kelsey Banfield, who wrote The Naptime Chef, which is one of my most very favorite cookbooks. You can read the interview here, as well as her recipe for Sticky Orange Drumsticks.

So while I have not have written much, I have had lots of fun afternoons with friends and family.


Photo by American Vernacular Landscapes

Oh! And I almost forgot - for those of you near Boonton, NJ we're having a book signing and reading for I Just Want to Pee Alone, this Friday, from 5:00 to 8:00pm.

Thursday is also the opening of Boonton's outdoor arts installation, Dogs on Parade, so it should be a fun night. If your Jersey-local, please come!

 

 

What do you have going on this week?

 

My son has his last day of preschool, and my older ones are in the final countdown for summer to begin.

 

And me? I'm looking for the perfect Pinterest ways to celebrate the first day of summer (totally wish that I was kidding, but I'm not) and my efforts at being a grown-up are still going strong. I'll be back with a full report on that soon.

Week in Review: Gun Sense Advocacy and Nostalgia for the Nursery School Days

Last week I was a little lazy - both with writing here on my blog and with writing elsewhere. I think it's a trend that will carry from today - Memorial Day, and the unofficial start of summer - through Labor Day.

While I'm a pretty dedicated writer for nine months of the year, these three months of summer are oh-so-fleeting, and as much as I like the tappity-tapping of my fingers on the keyboard, I find it oh-so-easy to say goodbye when the weather turns nice. And of course, my three favorite little people are also underfoot, so even if the mood to tappity-tap did strike me, it's unlikely I could indulge it with mini-golf to be played, snacks to be fetched and books about pigeons to be read, only to be read again.

I've also started spending more of my time working as a volunteer for Moms Demand Action, a non-partisan group that demands action from legislators, companies, and educational institutions to establish common-sense gun reforms.

Last week I attended a forum to discuss gun safety and gun sense advocacy, and I urge others to learn more about what the gun laws are where you live. Is it legal to carry a concealed weapon? Do your neighbors who own guns, and purchase them from a licensed dealer, undergo background checks - and if so, what are the extent of these checks?

The speaker at the event I attended, Robert Tessaro, shared many eye-opening statistics and information, much of it which I did not know prior to hearing him talk. For example, did you know that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives hasn't had a permanent director since 2006 - the same time that due to NRA efforts it became necessary for a Senate confirmation of the director, one that in the seven years since has never been secured. You can read more about it on the Wikipedia page, but here's a short except:

“The bottom line is the gun lobby will oppose any nominee who promises to be a strong and effective director of the ATF,” said Dennis Henigan, vice president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Indeed, it was persistent lobbying by the NRA. that helped to get the confirmation requirement instated. In 2007, Bush nominated Mike Sullivan for the position, a U.S. Attorney from Boston with a good reputation, but Republican Sens. Larry Craig and Michael D. Crapo, both from Idaho, blocked his confirmation after complaints from an Idaho gun dealer."

I don't know about you, but when one in six of all accidental deaths of children is from guns, I think it's time for everyone to take action - not just me and other concerned parents, but legislators, responsible gun-owners, and anyone who thinks it's absolutely unacceptable that eight kids die from guns every single day.

I also urge anyone with children who are old enough to go unaccompanied to friends' homes to find out if there is a gun in the home, and if there is, if it is secured safely. Parents magazine has a very helpful article about how to ask about gun safety in the other homes, Guns Within Reach, as well as a Gun-Safety Pledge, which is also an important read.

The forum I attended also displayed an incredibly moving exhibit, Silent March, with shoes representing each person killed by gun violence in New Jersey since Newtown.

It's a lot of shoes.

____

I only wrote one piece last week, which was Nursery School Relics for The Huffington Post. It's a story from five years ago, about my oldest daughter's last day of nursery school. My littlest is going into his last year of nursery school next year, and then it's on to Kindergarten and bigger and better things for him. They really do grow-up so fast.

And while I may be sad and sappy about my children growing-up, the fact that they are growing-up is all that matters to me and my heart breaks each and every day for the mothers who are not given this joy because a gun shot and killed their child. And of course, my own heart worries each and every day that one day this sadness I feel for other mothers might not be so abstract.

So tomorrow I will call and write and email and read the nasty comments people leave on my Facebook and Instagram accounts and anywhere else I dare to express that I think gun regulation would mean good things for all of us, because it really does matter that much.

Week in Review: Sea Lion Exhibit at Turtle Back Zoo, A Book Signing in Princeton and A New Facebook Page!

This was a fun week.

For Barista Kids I covered Blueprint Studio, a new place for kids fashion design and photography classes, camps and parties in Millburn, as well as the new Sea Lion Sound Exhibit at Turtle Back Zoo:

For New Jersey Family, I covered clever temporary tattoos, a whimsical children's book, ideas for old-fashioned picnics, how to have a fancy day with your daughter, and more. You can read about it all here.

Thursday night I met up with two of my co-authors from I Just Want to Pee Alone to sign books and talk motherhood and mayhem as part of Girls Night Out in Princeton, NJ. The Farmhouse Store was gracious enough to host us, and we had a fantastic time.

 



I'm above in the middle, with Amy of Funny is Family on the left and Kim of The Fordeville Diaries on the right.

And last but not least, I've started a new Facebook page.

It's called Instructions for My Husband, and it's a place not only to lovingly mock our husbands, but to poke fun at children, pets and roommates of all kinds. Come say hi at facebook.com/InstructionsformyHusband and share your stories!

Week in Review - Gun Sense, Mother's Day and a Book Signing on Thursday

I'm not gonna lie, it was nice this week returning to my social social media using ways. If you want to hear about my week (semi) unplugged, I wrote about it for Barista Kids: Reflections on a Week Spent (Semi) Screen-Free.

On Saturday, I joined gun sense advocates for a march in Verona Park. (You can read more about it on the The Alternative Press - West Essex.) It was by far the most meaningful part of  my Mother's Day weekend. Participants carried eight flowers, representing the eight children who die every single day from guns and gun violence.

I urge anyone who believes in enacting common sense gun laws, to go from just thinking yes, I support that! to yes, I will volunteer, write letters to the local papers, and email my elected officials!

I do all of those things through the group Moms Demand Action, and I feel like my contribution is making a difference. But we could make a much bigger impact with your voice.

So please, if you have time, or can make time, join a group in your area or participate in the national campaigns sponsored by Moms Demand Action.

If you're here in New Jersey, consider following the Moms Demand Action -  New Jersey Facebook page to stay up to date with events, legislative updates and other campaigns for gun sense in New Jersey.

And last, I'll be at Princeton Girls Night Out with two of my co-authors from I Just Want To Pee Alone: Kim Forde of The Fordeville Diaries and Amy of Funny is Family. We'll be signing books and reading at The Farmhouse Store, as well as sharing laughs and exchanging our best tales of modern motherhood. Oh, and there will be wine.

Here are all the details:

Hope to see you there!

What are your plans this week?

Week In Review: Other Stuff I Wrote and Reflections on Being (Semi) Screen-Free for Seven Days

Last week I went (semi) screen-free as part of Screen-Free Week, presented by Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, which is one of my very most favorite organizations.

And while I didn't spend the week completely screen-free, it was 100% Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram free, which alone is a pretty big accomplishment for someone like me who (I now realize) spends a lot of time on social media.

I did keep-up with my writing day job, which was part of why I didn't go completely screen-free.

For New Jersey Family, I wrote Seven Cinco de Mayo Activities for Kids. I found a bunch of unique ideas, like build-your-on Mayan pyramids, so if you're looking for some inspiration check it out

For Barista Kids I shared Five Great Books for Mother's Day -- and we're giving away copies of all of them, so go enter!

For Wonders of Westfield, my son and I went on assignment and covered 6 Great Playgrounds in Westfield.

 

As for this week, I think I'm going to take what I learned from my (semi) screen-free week and remember the world really does keep going just fine even if I'm not photographing what I ate for lunch on Instagram or sharing my latest ridiculous story about my kids on Facebook. That being said, I'm also pretty excited to go back to my old ways this week. Get ready for a photo retrospective of my garden!.

Have a great week everyone! Who has good plans?

Week in Review: An Interview, A New Gig and What I'll (Not) Be Doing This Week

Last week was great. The Alternative Press of Westfield included our book signing for I Just Want to Pee Alone in their coverage of Girls' Night Out in Westfield, and....

The Alternative Press of Maplewood interviewed me for Local Mom-Blogger Joins Others to Climb the Best-Seller List. And I don't mind admitting not only that it was my first-ever interview, but also that I could totally get used to being "local-famous" as my friend Nicole so aptly puts it.

I also wrote Summertime in Westfield: Where to Go Swimming, which is my very first piece for The Mavins Group, an incredible full-service real estate and move management company based in New Jersey and serving the metropolitan New York City area.

If you live in or near Westfield, I highly recommend their Facebook page, Wonders of Westfield. It' an amazing resource for local information and is updated with community events and happenings daily.

And last, I'm taking the week off (mostly) from the screen and participating in Screen-Free Week.

I'm probably (and by probably I mean definitely) not going to be 100% offline, but I'm going to aim for being online a lot less than I usually am For those of you who join in on Finding the Funny, May's edition will be live here on Wednesday, but except for that I'll take the week off from the blog as well.

I'll be writing about my screen-free experiences for Barista Kids next week. Until then, enjoy your screen-filled or screen-free week!

See you all when I'm back among the online living next Sunday night!

What I wrote last week.... and a book signing. And meeting Project Runaway contestants. And Duck Tape.

Last week I pondered these topics on the interwebs:

- On In the Powder Room: I Love the Earth, but I Don't Love Earth Day

- On New Jersey Family: Would You Hire A Manny?

- On Barista Kids: A Review of Kinky Boots The Musical

With all the horrible world events going on last week it's sad and crazy that my life went on pretty much like normal here in suburban New Jersey.

On Tuesday, I took the train into New York City (and saw more police dogs in Penn Station then I ever had or probably ever will see in my life) to go to an amazing event put on by my favorite, The Duck Brand.

They have a pop-up shop in the Fashion District (1411 Broadway, between 39th and 40th Streets) through Sunday, April 28, and it's definitely worth a visit if you can manage it - there's one of every style of Duck Tape! It's amazing!

Of course I went for Duck Tape - because I would go anywhere for Duck Tape - but the big attraction was getting to meet contestants from Project Runway. At my table was Patricia Michaels

who made this amazing Duck Tape prom dress creation as one of the show's weekly challenges with designer Samantha Black (pictured on the left):

I loved meeting the Project Runway contestants, but I also really loved meeting the other Duck Tape enthusiasts, with whom I swapped ideas and tips, with such detail and interest that we may or may not have slightly frightened the Runway designers.

On Thursday, I had a book signing for I Just Want to Pee Alone in Westfield, as part of their annual Girls' Night Out event. It was so much fun - first, because I got to be with the three other Jersey contributors - Kim F. of The Fordeville Diaries, Kim B. of Let Me Start By Saying, and Amy of My Real Life AND an extra-special guest from up north, Bethany from Bad Parenting Moments.

Pictured left to right, we're Kim B., Bethany, Anna (me), Kim F. and Amy.

I also loved getting to meet all the women who came by to say hi, share their parenting tales, and to laugh about the craziness that is modern motherhood. There were so many hilarious stories exchanged that yes, I took notes, and I can't wait to put them all together in a post of their own.

The signing was at The Farmhouse Store, and if I ever wondered what I would do if I found a gigantic sack full of cash, I now know the answer: buy one of everything in this store. If you find yourself in the Westfield, NJ area it's definitely worth a visit.

I had a week of great personal experiences against the backdrop of such terrible events unfolding elsewhere, and now I'm just hoping for a quiet week on all fronts ahead, reading on the front steps and enjoying some spring sunshine sounds perfect.

Have a great week everyone!

Other stuff I wrote recently: Passover, April Fools' Day and more

It's Sunday night and that means I like to share what else I'm cluttering-up the Internets with lately:

• I'm at the awesome, irreverent, and awesomely irreverent site In the Powder Room for the first time making my case for why Passover is an Endurance Event.
• I'm also at New Jersey Family with 10 Fun Foods for April Fools' Day and 5 Memorable Big Apple Sleepovers for Kids.

I would also like to thank:

• Babble for including me in their review of the book I contributed to, I Just Want to Pee Alone.
• The Stir for sharing the craziest advice I got when I had my first baby.
• Barista Kids for including me in their favorite tweets of the week.
• The Huffington Post for including me in their best parenting tweets of the week.

And last, I'm also documenting my daughter Kay's love-hate relationship with matzoh has it evolves from Day 1 through Day 8 of Passover, so if you haven't liked Random Handprints on Facebook, now is the perfect time!

Tomorrow I plan on pulling a good prank on my kids, celebrating the penultimate day of Passover, and planning for pizza and cupcakes come 8:07 pm Tuesday night. And you?

What I Wrote Recently and... I'm in a Book!

I've written about a lot of fun stuff lately.

For New Jersey Family magazine I wrote about where to find Easter Bunnies all over New Jersey, Pi Day (it's March 14, get it?), and Leprechaun Tricks you can play on your kids for St. Patrick's Day.

And for Barista Kids, I checked out Grug, an amazing kids show in Manhattan, as well as two new exhibits at the Liberty Science Center.

I also survived four playdates, 3 half-days of school, and two school conferences. Oh, and a surprise snow storm.

And yet... I've saved the biggest news for last. I'm in a book! A best-selling book!

Here we are hanging out on iTunes right behind the lovely Tina Fey.

My essay is in an anthology of funny stories about motherhood, I Just Want to Pee Alone, put together by Jen of People I Want to Punch in the Throat.

You can read more about the book here, as well as how to order I Just Want to Pee Alone online.

 

Later this week I'll be having a book giveaway, too. Because you know you want to read this book.

This week, we've got the aftermath of the time change, but other than that I'm hoping for spring weather and good times ahead, even if I don't know where we're going.

Have a great week everyone!

Other stuff I wrote last week... Purim, Presidents' Day and an eBook Too!

Valentine's Day is this Thursday, and my kids are busy making epic Valentine's that in no way imply they like their classmates in any way whatsoever, and further, make no claims of being anyone's Valentine, now or forever in the future.

Which all just makes me all the more grateful my three-year-old goes to a Jewish preschool that doesn't have any of this Valentine's Day card nonsense.

But Valentine's Day is not the only holiday on the horizon! I wrote four ideas for Family Fun in NYC for Presidents' Day Weekend on NJFamily.com, and a Guide to Purim Fun for BaristaKids.com.

And last but not least, my huge thanks to the b Positive Project and Anna of My Life and Kids for including my ideas for being positive in their new eBook, 50 Ways to B Positive. It's free! Just click here to get a copy.

Lots of voices have joined to share their fun and funny advice, and there's a coupon code in the book for 10% off all purchases at b Positive, an apparel company and more - in fact, that same coupon code helps kids with cancer – for every purchase you make, the b Positive Project will send a b Positive t-shirt to a child with cancer.

So get reading, and b(e) inspired!

Have a great week everyone! Next up: can't wait to share all the cool stuff I saw at the Toy Fair!

Other stuff I wrote last week... and I'm (finally) on Instagram!

Last week I wrote a little of this and a little of that, most of it Jersey-centric.

For those of you in scenic New Jersey, I've got a review on Barista Kids of a new bakery in Maplewood, Gigi's Cupcakes. If you're at all in the area, it's definitely worth a visit.

On New Jersey Family I've got a huge list of indoor water parks and pools, most within an hour's drive of New York City.

I also covered the One Million Moms for Gun Control's rally in Jersey City. If you are interested in learning more about joining the New Jersey chapter of the One Million Moms for Gun Control, visit their Facebook page. They are doing incredible things to make sure legislators enact responsible gun control legislation, and every voice added to the cause helps.

And if you're looking for Valentine's Day ideas, I've found lots of fun stuff to do with and for the kids at Six Ways to Share the Love with Your Family on Valentine's Day.

I have also become a late adapter of Instagram, and I can't believe it's taken so long to discover what it sure to be both the best and worst thing to happen to me in terms of using my time wisely in 2013. Would love to connect there - you can find me at RandomHandprints.

As for the week ahead? I'm getting ready for Toy Fair on Sunday, one of my favorite events I get to attend under the dubious title "member of the press."

Have a great week everyone! And who are must-follows on Instagram?

Other Stuff I Wrote Last Week and a Spectacular Craft Fail, Too

I love all of the holidays of the winter season, which is why last week I wrote for BaristaKids.com not only a Hanukkah Guide but also 10 Amazing Advent Calendars.

And the result of Hanukkah + Advent Calendars at my house? Yeah, that's right, a punch board filled with Hanukkah gifts for my kids to enjoy during the middle five nights of the eight night holiday. If that's not winning, I don't know what is.

I've also got where to see holiday lights all over New Jersey in Garden State Glow, so if you're in Jersey you're all set for a Tacky Light Tour.

Also, in other holiday-rific news:
- MommyShorts.com has my favorite tall tale I tell the kids in her Handy Guide to Lying to the Kids.
- SparkNotes.com shared my wrap-up of ugly menorah hats in their post 8 Reasons Chanukah Rocks.

And last, but clearly not least, CraftFail featured my not-so-festive dreidel cookies.

Lying to my kids, ugly menorahs, kitchen disasters... yes, clearly I'm WINNING.

Have a great week everyone! We certainly will here at our house where it's Hanukkah tonight and every night for the next week. Chag Sameach!

Other Stuff I Wrote Recently: A Review of Hotel Transylvania, After-School Snacks and (Too Cool for) School Supplies

It's been a write-y, and fun, couple of weeks here at Random Handprints corporate.

The whole family went into Manhattan for a preview of Hotel Transylvania - which we loved. The full review is here at BaristaKids.com.

On Momtrends, I reviewed the All-in-One Toddler Sleep Mat from Woolly Boo - which just happens to be a Jersey Mom company.

Over at New Jersey Family magazine, I've got:

• Stylish School Supplies - with fun ideas like mini staplers and how to create glam lockers.
• National Geographic Photography Contest - young shutterbugs can enter through October 31, 2012.
• Delicious and Healthy After-School Snacks - fruit kabobs, popcorn balls, and more. Yum!

In other news, starting tomorrow I'm going to embrace my love-hate relationship with Halloween and post about the best and worst holiday of the year all month long. I can't wait.

What are you doing this week? And what are you, your kid, your dog and your house going as for Halloween?

Other Stuff I Wrote Last Week: Back to School Shoes, Books and a Last Hurrah of Summer

This week I'm shifting from summer to fall. The kids are back to school on Thursday, and while I'll miss the sun and the fun, I feel like it's time.

I wrote about our trip to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor for BaristaKids.com, and while it wasn't the best day out ever, it was pretty fun.

For back to school, I covered See Kai Run, maker of great kids shoes. Here's my son modeling his pair from (gasp!) last season:

And here are some of the hipster styles from See Kai Run for this fall:

I also shared three of my favorite books about the first day of school. 

Marco Goes to School, by the hilarious Roz Chas, has particularly grown on me over the last 1,816 times I've read it to my enthralled son:

Next up, getting my own three kids back to school.

What are you doing this week?

Other Stuff I Wrote Lately - The MoMA, Iced Coffee and Where to Pick Your Own Fruit in New Jersey

Summer's almost gone, but I'm gonna pack as much fun into these last few days of the season as I possibly can.

Here are some of the summer-themed posts I've written lately:

For BaristaKids.com I wrote about the MoMA exhibit Century of the Child. I totally recommend a trip there (without kids) to check out all the great objects of design. (Exhibit closes November 5.)

For New Jerseyans, over at NJFamily.com I have top picks in the Garden State for a nice cool iced coffee, and where to Pick Your Own Fruit - but hurry, the fruit-picking season - like summer - is almost over.

I also found a few fun ways to encourage your child's pre-writing skills, so many creative ideas! Now to see if my three-year-old feels the same way.

And last, over at Momtrends.com I wrote about Blume and their cute tees for kids. There's my son rockin' the tie-tee last summer:

What are you doing on these last few summer days?

Have a great week!

What I'm Thinking About Sunday Night: Ideas (and More Ideas) for Celebrating Valentine's Day with Kids

I went a little overboard this year making heart shaped foods and homemade Valentines in celebration of a holiday, that quite frankly, I don't care about at all. So why then all this Valentine's Day over-consumption?

I blame you, Pinterest. And I am staying far, far away from you, Pinterest for St. Patrick's Day, Cinco De Mayo, and April Fool's Day to make sure this doesn't happen again.

In the meantime, if you're looking for Valentine's Day ideas here are ideas, and more ideas, and then a few more...

5 Easy-to-Make Long-Distance Valentine's Day Cards - These are all easy (at least by Pinterest standards), and you don't need me to tell you how much the grandparents will like receiving them.

Valentine's Day Cards for the Classroom - These amazing homemade Valentine ideas are all easy enough you can make enough for the entire classroom, and I gotta hand it to the Pinterest crafters: you people really are so incredibly creative.

Perfect Printables for Valentine's Day - Ah, printables. The perfect compromise between store-bought and homemade, all you have to do is print these out to share the love with friends and family, or as is just as likely, all your children's classmates.

Glad I Made It: Homemade Valentine's Day Cards - These cards are the handiwork of my very own kids.

Valentine's Day Breakfasts You'll Heart - Easy recipes for making a fun, kid-friendly Valentine's Day breakfast.

How To Make Heart Fried Potatoes in 22 Minutes - These heart fried potatoes are sooo cute, and cutting hundreds of hearts out of raw potatoes is such a good use of time!

Glad I Made It: Strawberry Hearts for Valentine's Day - The heart shaped food obsession continues with heart strawberries.

4 Valentine's Day Books You're Sure to Adore - Picks range from a zombie love-story to the toddler favorite Snuggle Puppy, so really, there's something for everyone.

Fun-Loving Sing-Along Songs for Valentine's Day - Lots of fun tunes to enjoy with the kids on this silly, sappy holiday of hearts and love.

And if you want even more Valentine's Day fun, from last year I've got handprint crafts and a nice collection of vintage suffragette postcards celebrating St. Valentine's Day.

And last, I leave you with the outtakes of all the other foods I have hearted or tried to heart after a night of drinking too much Pinterest.

And last, Scary Mommy has some pretty great Valentines Day cards, too.

What I'm thinking about Sunday night: Not the Super Bowl

Oh, Sportsball. It means nothing to me. I feel a little sorry for my husband, because I can't even pretend to be a tiny bit interested. And he cares a lot. A lot as in he believes the Phillies winning the World Series in 2008 was a sign we should have another child (true story).


The littlest Sportsball fan.

So tonight my beloved is watching Sportsball at his brother's house and I'm home happy as can be watching last week's Downton Abbey and tonight's brand-new episode of Luck.

Besides watching non-Super Bowl TV, I've decided to start reading books again - something I pretty much gave-up cold turkey when my first baby came home from the hospital eight years ago.

I'm in the middle of the super-amusing Confessions of a Scary Mommy by Jill Smokler of ScaryMommy.com. And, my inability to put down the book may result in a few scary mommy confessions of my own by the time I'm done. 

I'm also reading Beautiful Swimmers, which is a history of blue crabs and the Chesapeake Bay crabbing industry - and it is utterly fascinating. I can't believe with my love of all things blue crab, I had never heard of this book (which was published 30 years ago) until my brother brought over a copy for me to read last week.

Now that I'm a born-again reader, please let me know any good book recommendations!

I am also still making lots of heart-shaped food, I've got directions for heart shaped strawberries and heart fried potatoes as well as over thirty more heart food ideas on Pinterest. Because what I lack in Sportsball interest I make-up for in my love of Kawaii-style food.

Note: None of these links lead to anything that might possibly lead to money for me, in case it seemed like they did.

What I'm Obsessing About on Sunday Night: Big Duckie and Pinterest

What have I done this week? I will be honest: I have done almost nothing besides obsessively pin photos of ducks to Pinterest.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me duck photos to add to the Big Duckie Board!

Meanwhile, Big Duckie has also been pretty busy. My brother, sister-in-law and itty niece came over and Big Duckie insisted on joining their family portrait:

Then Big Duckie tried to play basketball (total fail):

And finally, exhausted Big Duckie collapsed into the first Big Duckie size chair he could find:

After a week spent indulging Big Duckie and my Pinterest habit, I'm hoping next week I'll have something else to talk about. Like my efforts towards creating world peace. And also, what foods can most easily be cut into heart shapes for Valentine's Day.

And you?

What I'm Thinking About on Sunday Night: My First World Problems, Colossal Art and Dim Sum

What a couple of long weeks I've just had (admittedly in a first-world-problems sorta way).

It all began with my husband forgetting to leave out the water bottles on water delivery day.

Then, I dropped my computer and was forced to spend eleven days offline while it was repaired.

And as if all that was not already enough trauma to have to endure, my daughter Kay dropped a heavy piece of marble on her hand resulting in a nasty injury, but luckily no broken bones.

And yet, despite my smallness in complaining about all these things, I also got inspired by some big ideas on Colossal. I absolutely love this art installation made by kids and stickers.

I am so planning to do this at my house with my kids and a package of 300 circle labels.

Colossal also featured this amazing Toy Car Rainbow:

Which I am also so making with my son later this week, or at the latest the week after that.

We spent the better part of Saturday on Pinterest adding images to the board Car Stuff for My Kid. At age two, I might have created the youngest Pinterest addict. I'm not proud.

Magpie enjoying dim sum

I'm also trying to maximize eating my way through the Chinese New Year. If you'd like to do the same, here are six fantastic dim sum places in New Jersey, a review of Pacificana in Brooklyn, and five more to try in various cities. And of course, there's always Manhattan's Chinatown, where among the many great choices I maintain my loyalty to the Golden Unicorn. 

Actually, it's year 4709 - but whose counting?

And last, I leave you with a public service announcement: tomorrow is Blue Monday so don't feel bad if you're, uh, feeling bad.

Next week, I can tell you now, is going to be all about the Valentines. The Big V may still be three-and-a-half weeks away, but my kids are already working themselves into a frenzy of candy anticipation. Sweet.