It's time to explore the world again! Remember the fun posts offering inspiration to learn about Polish, Brazilian, and German culture? The fourth post in this editorial series with au pair agency Cultural Care Au Pair focuses on Sweden. Here are 13 ways to introduce your family to Swedish culture. And as with the other culture posts, for my readers outside of Massachusetts, there are a number of recommendations below that can be enjoyed from anywhere!

*** VISIT ***

1. The Scandinavian Cultural Center in West Newton is a hub for Nordic cultural activities. The center hosts notable Scandinavian speakers, shows cultural movies, and is home to the Kaffestugan coffee shop where you can enjoy Scandinavian treats. The Center is also home to The Scandinavian Library where you can take Swedish language classes.

*** SING & DANCE ***

2. Are you a pop music fan? I was totally intrigued by Nolan Feeney's article Why Is Sweden So Good at Pop Music? (written in honor of Ace of Bace's 20th anniversary of The Sign).

3. Love dancing? See if you can pull of the Polska, a traditional Swedish dance. 

*** CELEBRATE ***

4. Mark your calendar for the Swedish Yuletide celebration December 5, 2015!

5. Also handy for getting festive in Swedish style around the holidays is A Swedish Christmas: Simple Scandanavian Crafts, Recipes, and Decorations.

*** SHOP ***

6. Enjoy Swedish and Scandinavian food at A Swedish Shop in West Bridgewater. The shop includes jewelry and traditional crafts to look through while visiting this little store.

7. From Swedish tea biscuits to troll and Viking trinkets, The Gift Chalet offers a wide array of Scandanavian gifts.

*** EAT & CRAFT ***

8. Shake up your breakfast with these tasty Swedish pancakes.

9. Make a Viking out of a toilet paper roll!

10. Get the whole family to make Swedish flags by sponge painting.

*** READ ***

11. Learn more about Sweden, Greenland, and other Nordic countries through D is for Dala Horse: A Nordic Countries Alphabet.

12. Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, tells the story of Ronia, who lives with her father and a band of robbers in a castle in the woods. Follow her adventures as she befriends a rival robber’s son.

13. Another Astrid Lindgren classic is The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking, a great story about a spunky nine-year-old girl who lives alone (with a monkey) in a wacky house.

So fun, right? Enjoy exploring Sweden and I'm excited to share more cultural educational material over the coming months. Also, if you are interested in learning more about au pair childcare, you can check out the Cultural Care Au Pair tables at one of these upcoming family-friendly cultural events: the International Festival in Hingham (May 2) and IFED – International Family Day in Somerville (May 3).

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Disclosure: This post reflects a sponsored editorial partnership with Cultural Care Au Pair. Cultural Care Au Pair is a leading provider of intercultural childcare and educational exchange. Since 1989, Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 90,000 au pairs in American homes. Hosting an au pair offers many benefits, one of which includes the opportunity for your family to learn about another country's culture.

Image credits: 1) flag via Wikipedia; 2) compilation graphic by Christine Koh with images via linked sources above.

Perfectly timed for the frigid temperatures, today, Hillary of Mass Audubon shares 5 favorite books about winter trees:

I love trees, especially here in the Northeast where we experience such dramatic seasonal changes. Having grown up in Florida, I rarely witnessed the evolution of a tree from season to season: the buds about to burst, the flowers that precede the leaves, the vibrant fall foliage, and, not to be left out, the bare branches of winter.

Sure, winter trees may not look the “prettiest” compared to their spring, summer, and fall counterparts, but they are no less interesting. Now’s the time of year when you can explore a tree’s “skeleton,” so to speak, observing branches that bend in all different directions; holes (or cavities) where birds and little animals take shelter; abandoned nests; and bark that is smooth, rough, or shaggy.

And the best part about trees? You usually don’t have to go too far to get a closer look. Ready to learn more and share the wonders of trees with your kids? Check out these amazing children’s books, new and old. Several of these titles are available at the Audubon Shop at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln.

1. Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson. This lovingly illustrated book published in 2013 allows kids to help a tree transform from season to season with tapping, shaking, and rubbing.

2. A Tree is Nice by Janice Udry, illustrated by Marc Simont. Awarded the prestigious Caldecott Award in 1957, this book has been inspiring kids for generations. Its simple approach gets to the heart of why trees are, well, nice.

3. Winter Tree Finder: A Manual for Identifying Deciduous Trees in Winter by May Watts and Tom Watts. Small enough to fit in your back pocket, this handy guide will help kids and adults learn how to tell a maple from an oak by looking at its bark, branches, buds, and more.

4. Winter Trees by Carole Gerber. A boy and his dog explore a snow-covered forest and, in doing so, learn the differences between seven trees through sight and touch in this illustrated tale.

5. Trees, Leaves, and Bark by Diane Burns. This kid-friendly guide focuses on how to identify 15 trees by the leaves, bark, and seed. Also included: easy instructions on how to make a leaf mobile, a bark rubbing, and a pinecone snackbar plus blank scrapbook pages for your budding naturalist to jot down observations.

Image credit: book jackets via Amazon

I'm thrilled to share another Local Gems post today (be sure to check out the Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Lexington, Medford, and Watertown features)! Today's Arlington Center recommendations (East Arlington + Arlington Heights are forthcoming separately) come from reader Justine Uhlenbrock, a birth doula, minimalist mom of two girls, and writer who shares about motherhood, building a family legacy, and the intersection of food and family. Thanks for sharing these 11 local gems, Justine!

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Arlington is a delightfully walkable, bike-friendly town, home to lovely parks and thriving shops. Its central location, bordering no less than six towns, means you're always a quick ride to anywhere (on the roads or via the Minuteman Bike Path)! Here are my favorites in Arlington Center:

1. Blue Ribbon BBQ. As a southern girl, I can attest to the authentic taste of Blue Ribbon's delicious barbecue. Their trio platter is huge, enough for two adults to share. Our favorite meats are the pulled pork, beef brisket, and jerk chicken. All the sides are good, but I'd go for the collard greens to get the genuine Dixie experience. The restaurant also caters, and they encourage you to take free homemade pickles on your way out, y’all. Don’t mind if I do!

2. Toraya. What Toraya lacks in ambience, it makes up for with simple, well-crafted, top-notch sushi; it's some of the best north of the river.

3. Kickstand Cafe. This café spot has changed hands several times over the years and the new ownership has made great improvements to this coffee shop on the bike path. They offer a few lunch items, and I love that they use quality local ingredients when available. Their Aztec hot chocolate knocks my socks off; I mix it with coffee to tone it down and pair my concoction with a ginger-lemon or chocolate-coconut scone.

4. Derby Farm Flower & Garden. This eclectic shop creates beautiful flower arrangements and also offers a gorgeously curated collection of gifts and gardening accoutrements. When the winter doldrums strike, I pop in to imagine what could be in the spring.

5. Arlington Centered. AC is little sister to D2 in neighboring Somerville. I could wander lazily around this funky Etsy-like boutique all day, provided my kids aren't with me. It’s full of perfect, well-priced gifts for anyone on my list from babies to men.

6. Pink Dolly. This resale boutique offers clothes for kids and adults (including maternity!). They make excellent use of their limited space.

7. Wild Child. Offering an impressive and adorable range of gears, gifts, and clothing in a relatively small footprint, I love that Wild Child carries one of my much-loved brands, Tea Collection.

8. The Book Rack. Reviewed earlier on this site, The Book Rack is simply the best used bookstore around. New titles also are available, and the friendly, knowledgeable staff always can put a finger on what you’re looking for.

9. Playtime. Need craft supplies for a school project or a last minute birthday present for your kid’s friend? In operation for an astounding 70+ years, Playtime is stuffed to the gills with craft and art supplies, toys, and more.

10. Helena’s. Flummoxed about what to wear? Helena's prides itself on offering versatile separates and accessories that make it easy (and fun) to get dressed. Cheers to that!

11. Robbins Library. A brilliant historical gem, Robbins Library is the country's oldest free children's library. The reading room is also a great place to catch up on your favorite magazines!

Do you have other Arlington Center gems you love? Feel free to share in the comments below! And if you want to pen a Local Gems guest post, contact Christine at editor@bostonmamas.com to check on availability.

Image credits: all images via linked websites or associated Facebook pages

Happy Saturday, everyone, what a beautiful day! I'm currently recovering from the insanity that was waiting at the post office to process Laurel's passport (if you need to do this, do yourself a favor and go on a weekday if you can swing it) and happy to be sitting in a sunbeam with a cup of coffee! Anyway, kick back and enjoy this edition of Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome!

- I guest posted about 6 ways to make parenting easier over at the Care.com blog. Go on and make your life easier!

- 15 things to give up if you want to be happy.

- O.M.G. Minimalist Parenting is available as an audio book!

- Books about women who changed history.

- Crazy amazing interior design ideas.

- I am, admittedly, the least shocking part of this shocking show via Dadsaster.

- Healthy 5-ingredient granola bars.

- Journalists at Sochi are live tweeting their hilarious and gross hotel experiences.

- A conference call in real life.

- On the trouble with the “do what you love” mantra.

- The bread that will change your whole world.

- How to take better smartphone pictures.

- An open letter to my kids about their lunch.

Image credit: Pinterest

Today's Friday Find is perfect for book lovers! When I first opened T. T. Khing's Where Is the Cake? (a gift to Violet from my awesome brother-in-law) I was initially puzzled as there was nothing for me to read. But this look-and-find book has since proven incredibly captivating for kids and adults alike. The pages include numerous animal plot lines; even after a dozen "reads" I found myself discovering new story elements. We love this book and I'll be ordering Khing's follow up Where Is the Cake Now? soon!

Image credits: covers via Amazon

Holidays (national or somewhat arbitrary) offer fun inspiration for projects and lessons for kids. Yesterday was Penguin Awareness Day (though I'm happy to celebrate penguins any day of the year!) and I wanted to take this opportunity to shine a light on this fine bird with project, book, and design inspiration. If you have other ideas to share, feel free to do so in the comments below!

1. Adopt a penguin of your very own. My friend Sharon tells me that she and her husband have received several informative and fun letters from their adopted penguin, and that the adopt-a-penguin experience has provided a great learning opportunity for her grandkids.

2. If you’re looking for an adorable penguin-inspired picture book, try Penguin and Pinecone (one of Violet’s favorites).

3. This worldwide campaign to knit sweaters for penguins is old. But OMG.

4. Pudge Penguin. Adorable name. Also, Violet’s favorite little buddy right now.

5. Penguin duct tape. Great for DIY belts and other crafts.

6. Kitchen project alert: olive penguins.

7. Footprint penguins make for a messy but cute keepsake project.

8. I love the bright cheerfulness of this penguin scarf.

9. Pick up your needles for this knitted penguin.

10. And Purl Bee penguins for those who sew.

11. Felt penguin finger puppets make for an easy project with kids.

12. Make your own penguin family.

13. Get out the crayons for this plethora of penguin coloring pages.

14. Penguin activities for preschool parents and teachers.

Image credits: All images attributed to linked sources above.

There are many things I love about Tea Collection -- the quality, the colorways, the details, the fact that most items are offered all the way from baby to size 12 -- and as a designer I especially appreciate their use of global inspiration. I recently had the opportunity to preview some pieces from the new Bali collection and they are just delightful. You can read more about the happy inspiration (how fun does that trip sound?); meanwhile, I wanted to share my favorite picks from the girls and boys collections. Also awesome? The kind folks at Tea Collection are offering a $100 gift certificate to one of you lovely readers! Read on to check out my picks and learn how to win!

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GIRLS

Tea Collection is replete with lovely dresses, but I especially adore the non-girly girl colors and patterns of the (1) Indonesian batik dress and (2) Adat batik dress; keep the chill away with the super soft (3) radiant rice leggings layered underneath. Or if your girl doesn't dig dresses, pair this gorgeous (4) Celuk embroidered top with one of Laurel and my favorite pieces from the Mexico collection: the (5) skinny French terry cargos. Finally, we're always dressing our girls in layers -- the soft and snuggly (6) kimono robe is a divine pick.

BOYS

These (1) French terry cargos (yes, the boy counterpart to the above) will serve as the perfect base for pretty much anything on top. My favorite tops include the: (2) monkey king tee, (3) Barong batik layered tee, and (4) <a href="http://www.teacollection.com/product/2S22019/boys-shirts-pelaga-camp-shirt.html#carnelian
" target="blank">Pelaga camp shirt. Add cozy layers with either the (5) Desa stripe hoodie or, if your boy doesn't like things pulled over the head, the (6) growling naga zip hoodie.

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Trina!
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Aren't these clothes amazing? Now, on to the giveaway. The kind folks at Tea Collection are offering a $100 gift certificate to one of you lovely readers! Check out the rules below and enter to win!

Rules:

Hop on over to Tea Collection and leave a comment below, sharing one favorite item (or more if you like!) from their collection.

US entrants welcome to enter.

One comment per person (please do not leave comments from multiple e-mail addresses). Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be removed. Note that your e-mail address will not be published or shared! Leaving just your first name or first name + initial in the name field is perfectly fine.

Entry period closes at noon EST, Wednesday, February 22, 2012.

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*One lucky winner (selected using Random.org) will receive a $100 Tea gift certificate. The winner will be listed here, using first name only.

Per my previous post, welcome to this new series, in which I'll share everything from events to bargain alerts to other ideas and tips that spring to mind as useful and/or fun for the week. After considerable mulling, I decided to call the series Weekly Blueprint, because I think the name conveys a creative presentation of ideas and plans that are, ultimately, posed for your consideration (vs. including the term "to do," which suggests that I think you must do whatever it is I'm suggesting!). Enjoy, and please do drop me a line if you have suggestions for a future Weekly Blueprint!
October 31: Figure out how to sneak extra layers under your kids' Halloween costumes (long underwear! leggings!). Also, buy candy or other Halloween favors if you have procrastinated as I have.

November 1: Call someone you love and wish them a Happy November. Snap a photo of your kid(s).

By November 1: If this weekend's weather didn't already inspire you to action: procure winter gear. I ordered Laurel's snow bib, jacket, and boots from Lands' End last week and called in to get a priced adjustment when everything went on sale a couple of days ago. They're currently running a 30-50% off outerwear sale. Sweet!

November 1-6: Spread the Halloween wealth. Send candy to the troops (we've done this the past couple of years) or head to Magic Beans for their candy buy back (bring 1 pound+ of candy in exchange for 20% off one toy that day only...I highly recommend the Perplexus if they have it in stock!).

By November 3: Pick up easily lost items (I ordered gloves and hats yesterday) from Old Navy. They are running a 30% off sale until November 3 for cardholders.

November 4-6: Yowza, Christmas is on the horizon. The Christmas Festival at the Seaport World Trade Center runs Friday to Sunday and admittedly, mostly I want to see the gingerbread house creations!

November 4-6: Pottery Barn fans will swoon: the PBTeen pop up store arrives at the Natick Mall on Friday. Head over between November 4-6 for giveaways, design exploration, games, and a photo station.

By November 6: Buy one of these killer raffle tickets. Two dollars (or some multiple thereof) will do good + enter you to win a tote valued at $350.

By November 6: Remember that we fall back an hour on Sunday. Oh, darkness.

At your leisure: Browse the Mayor's Holiday Special website for discounted theatre tickets. I'm a big fan of experience-based, usable gifts at the holidays.

At your leisure: Score some off-season deals for yourself. I got some amazing deals at Anthropologie's sale section this weekend; not great for Boston right now, but perfect for my trip to Palm Springs next week.

At your leisure: If you haven't already, it's time to rotate your fast-growing children's clothing. If you have excess, swap with friends, or donate items to local charities such as Room to Grow or Cradles to Crayons. And/or list boxes online with thredUP (and score used gems for your kid).

At your leisure: If you're planning on getting flu shots for your family, book them now. (This reminder comes courtesy of the mom who forgot to take Violet to her flu shot appointment last week.)

Image credit: Lands' End

As the mom of a sock-resistant child in a “no shoes” house (a rule stemming from my Asian upbringing and immense distaste for increased need to vacuum), slippers are a must. And if you want cute slippers for kids and grownups, check out Kaya’s Kloset. Available for feet big and small (including organics), local mama Johanna Parker offers an amazing array of handcrafted baby shoes and kid/adult slippers featuring nonskid soles to prevent crash and burns and elasticized ankles so the slippers stay put. Though Laurel shuns socks, she loves her prettily patterned Kaya’s Kloset slippers; apparently part of their appeal is their lightweight-ness (“They’re so light it feels like I’m not wearing anything!”). Which means she keeps them on. Which makes me really happy.

Now, want to win a pair of Kaya’s Kloset shoes? Here’s how:

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Felicia!
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Visit the Kaya’s Kloset store locator page, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Kaya’s Kloset’ in the subject), and name a store where you can purchase Kaya’s Kloset shoes.

One entry permitted per person; residents around the globe welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Wednesday, January 13, 2010.

*One lucky winner (drawn using Random.org) will receive their choice of baby shoe or child's slipper, subject to stock availability ($15-21 value, depending on style).