Friends, how are you all doing? Staying healthy? Perhaps it's simply a function of having one more family member in the mix, but it feels as if this has been the season of plague, with one, more, or all of us sick at some point or another. I'm actually a little relieved that our plans to have company this weekend have fallen through so we can take it easy and get everyone healthy. I hope you all have a wonderful, plague-free weekend; here are 15 picks for your consideration!
1. Chinese New Year celebrations, among many other kid-friendly activities. (Boston)

2. I think this claymation workshop sounds so cool! (Boston)

3. An event for teens to connect with community service opportunities. (Chestnut Hill)

4. Enjoy a contemporary classical rendering of The Tortoise and the Hare and The Pied Piper at this family concert. (Boston)

5. A battle of the teen bands to benefit Children's Hospital. (Boston)

6. Bundle up for a winter family fun safari hike. (Milton)

7. Learn how to turn every movement into dance. (Boston)

8. Rock the lunar New Year in Quincy. (Quincy)

9. Celebrate the release of Bari Koral's new album. (Natick)

10. Chinese New Year in the Square. (Cambridge)

11. A family show by Laura Veirs & the Tumble Bees. (Cambridge)

12. Lowell Winterfest continues. (Lowell)

13. Get your sci-fi on. (Somerville)

14. A place to find travel inspiration. (Boston)

15. Yes to chocolate and ice sculptures. (Salem)

Image credit: HarvardSquare.com

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a great weekend (despite the, er, sporting events of yesterday) and are gearing up for an excellent week. I'm going to kick things off by getting back on the self care wagon via a 10 minute run after I hit publish on this post! Meanwhile, here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's Weekly Blueprint:
February 6: Drop in for a playdate at the MFA.

February 8: If you've ever thought about writing a children's book.

February 9: Carnevale! in New Bedford.

February 9: An event for parents who need guidance about colic, sleep, and feeding issues for baby.

February 9-11: Let's hope for some pretty snow for Lowell Winterfest.

February 10-12: A film festival perfect for sci-fi fans.

February 10-12: If you're looking for travel inspiration.

February 10-14: The Salem's So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival. Yummy. Pretty.

At your leisure: I have a couple of fantastic giveaways going if you'd like to enter to win: Boston Musica Viva (by noon Tuesday the 7th) and a Killington Resort lift ticket package (by noon Thursday the 9th).

At your leisure: Give this yummy white chili a go!

At your leisure: Do something nice for someone you love -- before they ask you to do it. Like this.

At your leisure: Experiment with a new look. This loose waves tutorial makes me want to grow my hair back out.

At your leisure: I received so much great feedback via Facebook and Twitter on this roundup of 10 awesome Valentine's Day craft and treat ideas. However, if you want a couple of super quick and easy Valentine's projects to do with your kids (no exacto knife needed), try these pop up cards or pipe cleaner heart goggles. Or how adorable are these homemade photo cards?

At your leisure: I started this post mentioning self-care and I highly encourage you to join me. I've been very bad about self-care lately and have decided to engage in a little 10 minute a day challenge for myself, whether that 10 minutes is spent running, walking, doing a few sun salutations, attempting ballet, or simply stretching and breathing. We all deserve at least 10 minutes a day!

Image credit: strawberry treats via Pinterest

Happy first weekend of February! Here's a roundup of 10 picks that caught my eye. I suspect we'll also engage in some of these Valentine's Day crafts and treats (#7 has my name all over it!). And if you're looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out Asha's archives).

1. What will no doubt be an artful celebration of the Lunar New Year. (Salem)

2. A celebration of diverse talents and minds. (Boston)
3. Adopt a tree and enjoy some maple syrup later. (Sharon)

4. Bank of America cardholders can enjoy free admission to museums across the country (including 7 in Massachusetts). (Various locations)

5. Mary Poppins on the big screen. (Brookline)

6. Root Calvin on as he overcomes his fears. (Boston)

7. Flat Stanley! (Natick)

8. Take your pick from three shows at this theatrical winter festival. (Stoneham)

9. Chili lovers unite! (Cambridge)

10. Open your eyes to creativity. (Lincoln)

Image credit: Peabody Essex Museum

As a former musician and music psychologist, it's not surprising that I'm all for tapping into what I believe is kids' innate appreciation for music (baby Violet rocking out to music is such a cheerful sight!). And on February 12 at the Tsai Performance Center in Boston, you can introduce your family to something different via Boston Musica Viva's family concert -- a contemporary classical rendering of The Tortoise and the Hare and The Pied Piper featuring narration and the Marimba Magic Ensemble. And how cool is this? The kind folks at Boston Musica Viva are offering a 4-pack of tickets to share with one of you awesome readers. Here's how to enter to win:

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Jessica!
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Rules*:

Simply e-mail contests@bostonmamas.com with "Boston Musica Viva" in the subject by noon EST, Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

Local entrants welcome.

One entry per person (please do not enter off multiple e-mail accounts).

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*One lucky winner (drawn randomly via Random.org) will receive four (4) tickets to the Boston Musica Viva family concert in Boston on February 12, 2012 at 3pm. The winner will be notified directly via e-mail, then listed back at this post using first name only.

Greetings, friends! I hope you had a great weekend -- we enjoyed a lovely one here, filled with nostalgic moments (I was honored to deliver a keynote and do some filming at my undergraduate alma mater. Also, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that the current students were born in the 90's...), friends, family visits, great food, and some very, very gooey brownies. I'm excited to tackle the week and hope you are as well; here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's Weekly Blueprint:
January 31: Hopefully the weather will cooperate for this charity competition at Frog Pond (which includes some free ticket giveaways to Disney on Ice).

February 1: Enjoy a Celtic spring celebration.

February 2: Celebrate groundhogs at Drumlin Farm and Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary.

February 2 (to 12): Support budding thespians in Stoneham.

February 3 (to 5): Enjoy Chelmsford Winterfest.

This week: Enter to win some awesome tickets! Specifically, Dan Zanes (entry closes January 31) and Disney on Ice (entry closes February 2). (Also, I'll have another fantastic ticket giveaway going live soon -- stay tuned!)

This week: If you like Ann Taylor, check out their sale section. As of this writing Ann Taylor is offering an extra 40% off sale styles (+ free shipping on orders of $150 or more). This weekend I ordered some fantastic looking items that will be perfect for upcoming work events...fingers crossed that returns will be minimal! **UPDATE: I just checked the site and today only (Monday, January 30) they've upped the sale section discount to 60%. Sweet!

At your leisure: Schedule lunch or coffee with someone who makes you happy. This month I've managed to get together with some of my dear girlfriends. It's so rejuvenating!

At your leisure: Consider exploring a dance class,

At your leisure: If you're running a business and (like me) have forgotten to do this until now, update your copyrights on your websites.

At your leisure: Think about joining Pinterest. I adore this platform as a way to visually catalog inspiration and resources.

Image credit: Mass Audubon

I sort of can't believe that I've been thinking about and planning for February vacation (I mean, really, it's almost February?), and one of the things I'm looking forward to is heading to Disney on Ice's February vacation show Dare to Dream with Laurel. (I've been contemplating bringing baby Violet, but I suspect she will be way too squirmy.) Running February 17-26, Dare to Dream will appeal to young princess fans (Cinderella, Tiana) as well as older kids -- like Laurel (and, er, me) -- who adore Rapunzel and Flynn of Tangled. And how cool is this? The kind folks at Feld Entertainment are offering a 4-pack of Disney on Ice tickets to share with one of you awesome readers. Here's how to enter to win:

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Andrea!
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Rules*:

Simply e-mail contests@bostonmamas.com with "Disney on Ice" in the subject by noon EST, Thursday, February 2, 2012.

Local entrants welcome.

One entry per person (please do not enter off multiple e-mail accounts).

+ + + + +

*One lucky winner (drawn randomly via Random.org) will receive four (4) tickets to the Disney on Ice Dare to Dream show in Boston on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 7pm. The winner will be notified directly via e-mail, then listed back at this post using first name only.

What a crazy week it's been -- I have some exciting news to share very, very soon! Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to a fun weekend and hope you are too. Here are 12 picks for your consideration:

1. This chocolate festival has my name all over it. (Cambridge)

2. What can I say -- I love a Chinese New Year parade. (Boston)

3. This artful snowshoe tour would probably still be beautiful, sans snow. (Lincoln)
4. Listen to music and meet some "animals" at this concert and instrument petting zoo. (Newton)

5. Enjoy family-friendly films and art at this children's film festival. (Boston)

6. A free evening for families with children on the autism spectrum. (Acton)

7. Celebrate groundhogs at this Groundhog Day extravaganza. (Ipswich)

8. The Native Voices exhibit opens this weekend. (Boston)

9. Om your way through this urban wellness retreat. (Boston)

10. If you love vintage, you should probably head to this flea market. (Somerville)

11. Hop in and join this kazoo flash mob, among other celebrations. (Boston)

12. Explore fire and ice. (Sturbridge)

Image credit: divine chocolate mice from L. A. Burdick

Dan Zanes is one of our favorite also-awesome-for-adults kid's musicians. Nueva York! definitely gets the most play in my house, but across his spectrum of albums, Zanes and his collaborators are consistent with their energetic, multidimensional style across a range of cultural inspirations. I'm thrilled that Dan Zanes is coming to the Somerville Theatre February 5th (11am/3pm shows) and it's also fantastic that the kind folks at World Music/CRASHarts have offered me a pair of tickets to give away to one of you awesome readers. The show is sure to be a rockin' party; here's how to enter to win tickets:

+ + + + +
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Lauren!
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Rules*:

Simply e-mail contests@bostonmamas.com with "Dan Zanes" in the subject by noon EST, Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

Local entrants welcome.

One entry per person (please do not enter off multiple e-mail accounts).

+ + + + +

* One winner will receive two (2) tickets to the February 5, 2012 show at 3pm. The winner will be notified directly via e-mail, then listed back at this post using first name only. Good luck!

Today, Jennifer (also of Hey Girl Momma Go) shares some local spots to get your groove on:

This week's warmer temperatures aside, we've had some really cold days. The winter blues are lurking in the corners of our house for sure, but thanks to my 6 1/2 year old daughter's new microphone and my husband's old amp, we are doing a lot of rockin' out these days. We dance, we sing, we whip our hair around, we even have a disco ball. So it got me thinking about cool options for dance classes. Things have certainly evolved from the traditional ballet, tap, and jazz of my youth. Here are a few local options to help kids and adults stave off the winter doldrums.
1. I've heard some serious buzz about House of Dance in Sudbury. This uber cool and funky studio offers the best of both worlds -- fun classes for moms and kids. For mom, they offer heart pumping classes such as cardio hip hop, hip hop yoga (now this I will need to see for myself), and Zumba. They have easy pricing for the busy moms too -- 10-pack pricing or a drop-in per class rate. Kids' classes include everything from jazz/funk to break dancing to modern/contemporary.

2. DanceFit Studio in Brookline offers a whole spectrum of cool stuff. For moms they offer BalletFit and Cardio KickFit and even Bollywood workshops (how fun is that?) and for brand new mommas, DanceFit babies -- a workout class specifically designed so that moms can bring baby along for the ride. That sounds way more fun and much less lonely than walks with the stroller around the neighborhood!

3. In Cambridge, check out Dance Complex. It has a totally fun roster of classes including Kids Flamenco, Duncan Dance -- this class is said to "emphasize the relationship to each other and nature, respect, honor and grace. There is a focus on solitude and affiliation balanced through choreographic etudes and classical music." There's also a kid's Hip Hop Empowerment and an African dance class for parents and kids on Friday night.

Do you have other spots that you and/or your kids love getting their groove on? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Image credit: digitalart via FreeDigitalPhotos.net