Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're having a great week! I'm not sure what's going on, but I've been vascillating between feeling totally awesome and totally crappy all week long -- and from what I hear from others I'm not alone! I'm hoping to recalibrate this weekend, and if you're looking for something to do, there are 31 events to consider in this weekend's roundup. Let's all make this weekend fantastic, shall we? Enjoy!

1. Magic show with Rupayan Neogy. (Acton)

2. Free family film festival presents The Smurfs 2. (Boston)

3. FAME JR. THE MUSICAL. (Boston)

4. Get your DIY on with Splendid. (Boston)

5. Make your own ice cream sandwiches and join the ice cream social. (Boston)

6. A special bike ride just for moms and kids. (Boston)

7. Kids cruise free on the Spirit of Boston. (Boston)

8. Interactive event featuring screenings of the new make-along, create-along Amazon Original Series, Creative Galaxy. (Boston)

9. Put your engineering skills to use and build your own boat. (Boston)

10. Family jam with Karen K and the Jitterbugs. (Boston)

11. Relax on the porch of Spectacle Island and listen to the jazz of Berklee College of Music. (Boston)

12. The Great Red Ball Rescue puppet show. (Brookline)

13. Enjoy some Sunday Parkland Games. (Cambridge)

14. Regattabar Kids’ Summer Music Series presents Alastair Moock. (Cambridge)

15. Calling all superheroes and princesses. (Carver)

16. Chatham mid-summer craft show. (Chatham)

17. Blueberry pancake breakfast and pie eating contest. (Concord)

18. Music at the Manse. (Concord)

19. Civil war themed Bryant Day celebration. (Cummington)

20. Visit the MAKEmobile traveling creative and tactile experience cart. (Lincoln)

21. Family canoe trips on the Charles. (Medfield/Dover)

22. Board the Captain’s Lady III for a family whale watch. (Newburyport)

23. Bust out your bagpipes and head over to the Scottish Festival. (Northampton)

24. A most beautiful pick your own opportunity. (North Andover)

25. Check out the creations at the National Sand Sculpting Festival. (Revere)

26. Get hands on in the art gallery. (Salem)

27. Read about, investigate real clouds and create fanciful fabric art of your own.  (Salem)

28. Enjoy the Handmade Arts Market. (Somerville)

29. Art in the Park: the art of pastels. (Somerville)

30. Family campout along the river. (Topsfield)

31. Learn all about birds of prey. (Worcester)

Image credit: Revere Beach

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! I enjoyed a wonderful one with Laurel and Vi (and, as it turned out, my sister Sharon's family and my friend Casey's family!) at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel -- I'll share more about the Sea Crest soon...my brain is definitely still with the sea and sand! But it's time to get back to things so here we go with an awesome roundup of weekday events via the Weekly Blueprint.

July 14: Two special donkeys have come to celebrate Bastille Day. (Boston)

July 14: Learn more about urban wildlife. (Boston)

July 15: Spend your lunch hour with Berklee College of Music. (Boston)

July 15: Downtown dancing with Greg Coles. (Ipswich)

July 15: Wade in and see if you can make the big catch. (South Wellfleet)

July 15 + 17: Performances by Berklee musicians. (Boston)

July 16: Landmarks Orchestra presents Carmina Burana. (Boston)

July 16: Family South Beach adventure. (Chatham)

July 16: Tractors and trucks at Smolak Farm. (North Andover)

July 16: Free concert - The Delta Generators & the Jim Libby Band. (Plymouth)

July 16 - 19: The Great Red Ball Rescue puppet show. (Brookline)

July 17: Wambura Mitaru performance on the waterfront. (Boston)

July 17: Water drumming,  ponchos provided. (Boston)

July 17: Talented musicians from Berklee’s Summer Day Musicians perform. (Boston)

July 17: Summer dock party on the Esplanade. (Boston)

July 17: Summer concert celebrating the anniversary of the moon landing. (Harvard)

July 17: Thursday night picnic concert with Digney Fignus. (Ipswich)

July 17: Nothing says summer like poets in the park. (Lincoln)

July 17: Fine art is going to extremes. (Salem)

July 17: A beautiful day to create some floral eco-art. (Topsfield)

July 17: Free Movies at the Mansion: The Goonies. (Waltham)

July 17 - 20: FAME JR. THE MUSICAL. (Boston)

July 18: Free Friday Flicks at the Hatch Shell: The Goonies. (Boston)

July 18: Free admission to the Discovery Museums. (Acton)

July 18: Free admission to Museum of Fine Arts. (Boston)

July 18: Free admission to Ocean Explorium. (New Bedford)

July 18: Free admission to The Eric Carle Museum. (Amherst)

July 18: Free admission to Larz Anderson Auto Museum. (Brookline)

July 18: Free admission to Springfield Museums. (Springfield)

July 18: Free admission to Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center. (Mattapan)

July 18: Free admission to Sandwich Glass Museum. (Sandwich)

July 18: Blankets and boxes become forts and rockets at FortNight. (Acton)

July 18: Stop by the pop up oyster bar. (Boston)

July 18: It’s a playspace pajama party. (Boston)

July 18: Summer concert with Autre Ne Veut. (Boston)

July 18: Buggy for bugs storytime. (Cambridge)

July 18 + 19: Circus Smirkus performs Anchors Away for Atlantis. (Great Barrington)

July 18 - 20: Chatham mid-summer craft show. (Chatham)

July 18 - 20: East End open studios art show. (Ipswich)

Image credit: Eric Carle Museum

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're having a great week! It's been a busy week here so I'm super excited for the weekend, and the forecast looks divine (perfect for a little camping adventure with your kids or a run by yourself, if you're looking to get your mojo back)! Meanwhile, if you're looking for something to do around town, enjoy this mega roundup of 34 events, lovingly curated for your consideration. Have a fantastic weekend!

1. Free museum evening for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. (Acton)

2. Rock out at the Summer Arts Block Party. (Arlington)

3. Another ultimate block party. (Beverly)

4. A day of ice cream and music at the WGBH FunFest. (Boston)

5. Craft brews and food trucks. (Boston)

6. Water drumming, ponchos provided. (Boston)

7. Juggling workshop for kids and adults. (Boston)

8. Get back to nature and participate in making a shower of flowers. (Boston)

9. Evening museum access for children with special needs. (Boston)

10. Free family film festival presents Monsters University. (Boston)

11. Harbor exploration family day. (Boston)

12. Berklee Music Fest. (Boston)

13. Pinocchio the puppet show. (Brookline)

14. Enjoy some Sunday Parkland Games. (Cambridge)

15. Finish up the World Cup, then celebrate Bastille Day. (Cambridge)

16. The Bastille Day celebration continues for the grown ups. (Cambridge)

17. Regattabar Kids’ Summer Music Series presents Elizabeth Mitchell. (Cambridge)

18. Take your pirates to walk the plank. (Carver)

19. Music at the Manse. (Concord)

20. It’s mollusk madness on the beach. (Duxbury)

21. Green River Music Festival. (Greenfield)

22. Basket bomb the museum. (Harvard)

23. Greek festival and clambake. (Ipswich)

24. Boston Landmarks Orchestra family concert. (Jamaica Plain)

25. Get moving as a family; yoga for kids. (Lincoln)

26. Touch a truck event. (Needham)

27. Firefighters Kids Day carnival. (North Attleboro)

28. Harbor Roots & Folk Festival. (Plymouth)

29. Last Blast Carnival. (Revere)

30. Enjoy the Handmade Arts Market. (Somerville)

31. Art in the Park: the art of pastels. (Somerville)

32. Animal enrichment day at the zoo. (Stoneham)

33. Help the zoo by recycling your bottles and cans. (Stoneham)

34. A family campout along the river. (Topsfield)

Image credit: Zoo New England

Happy Monday -- I hope you and your families enjoyed a wonderful holiday weekend! Ours was so delightful; lots of relaxed time with friends and family + puttering around the house and our little garden. Meanwhile, enjoy this awesome Weekly Blueprint, packed with event leads for the week. And did you know it's National Chocolate Day? I started a new chocolate delights Pinterest board if you're looking for some inspiration! Enjoy!

July 7: Learn to fish program begins. (Boston)

July 7: Try your hand at sea kayaking. (Boston)

July 8: Spend your lunch hour with Berklee College of Music. (Boston)

July 8 + July 10: Tom Zmuda from Berklee performs. (Boston)

July 8: Free concert- Orville Giddings Big Band. (Ipswich)

July 8 + 9: For all the Minecraft lovers. (Wenham)

July 9: Pretend to be a paleontologist at Dinosaur Discoveries. (Acton)

July 9: It’s time to play in the park. (Lincoln)

July 9: Wacky water fun at Smolak farm. (North Andover)

July 9 - 12: Pinocchio the puppet show. (Brookline)

July 9: Family beach adventure. (Chatham)

July 9: Boston Landmarks Orchestra family concert. (Charlestown)

July 9: Free concert - The Kennedy’s with Charlie Farren. (Plymouth)

July 10: Free concert - Grey Season. (Boston)

July 10: Sunset clambake. (Boston)

July 10 + 11: Summer drop-in days at the museum. (Easton)

July 10: From Broadway to Hollywood Summer concert and picnic contest. (Harvard)

July 10: Free concert - Orange Crush. (Ipswich)

July 10: Children’s tour of the farm. (Lexington)

July 10: Free outdoor movie - Frozen. (Waltham)

July 11: Free admission to the Discovery Museums. (Acton)

July 11: Dean Wareham in concert with pop up oyster bar. (Boston)

July 11: Create your own opera with KOEK. (Boston)

July 11: Beach BBQ and island games. (Boston)

July 11: Free outdoor movie - Despicable Me 2. (Boston)

July 11: Teddy bear picnic storytime. (Cambridge)

July 11: Evening hayride and campfire. (Lincoln)

July 11: Try out the North Shore’s top restaurants at this seafood festival. (Salem)

July 11: Free admission to John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. (Boston)

July 11: Free admission to New England Historic Genealogical Society. (Boston)

July 11: Free admission to Fruitlands Museum. (Harvard)

July 11: Free admission to Cape Cod Children’s Museum. (Mashpee)

July 11: Free admission to Pilgrim Hall Museum. (Plymouth)

July 11: Free admission to Peabody Essex Museum. (Salem)

July 11: Free admission to Worcester Historical Museum. (Worcester)

Image credit: Mass Audubon

I'm totally feeling the itch of the holiday weekend so I'm going to drop this 28-event mega Weekend Roundup early and close down shop and enjoy a few days off the grid! Have a fantastic weekend, and if you're looking to catch up on backreading, check out the Best of June + these posts on how to book a camping trip with kids and pea recipes! And if you're looking for events today and tomorrow, check out Monday's Weekly Blueprint. Happy 4th!

1. Experience a robot’s eye view. (Acton)

2. Amazing fireworks in a glass. (Boston)

3. Making lanterns for Ramadan. (Boston)

4. Revel in hues of Indian ethnic styles. (Boston)

5. Pretty Things beer tasting and music fest. (Boston)

6. Berklee Jazz on beautiful Spectacle Island. (Boston)

7. Be witness to the trial of the century. (Boston)

8. Free family film festival presents Frozen.  (Boston)

9. Boston Tea Party scavenger hunt. (Boston)

10. Final weekend of the Brockton Fair. (Brockton)

11. Enjoy some Sunday Parkland Games. (Cambridge)

12. Happy birthday Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Concord)

13. Music at the Manse. (Concord)

14. Berkshire Arts Festival. (Great Barrington)

15. Open barnyard at Weir River Farm. (Hingham)

16. Final day of the Lion’s Club carnival. (Lexington)

17. Visit the MAKEmobile traveling creative and tactile experience cart. (Lincoln)

18. Celebrate the artist of the month at deCordova. (Lincoln)

19. Marblehead Festival of the Arts. (Marblehead)

20. Learn to camp. (Medfield)

21. 19th annual New Bedford Folk Festival. (New Bedford)

22. A family cruise on Nauset Marsh. (Orleans)

23. Revolutionary celebration and concert. (Sheffield)

24. Family Sunday canoe trip. (Sheffield)

25. Peruse the Handmade Arts Market. (Somerville)

26. Art in the Park: the art of pastels. (Somerville)

27. Get up close with some birds of prey. (Worcester)

28. Bass River Arts and Craft Festival. (Yarmouth)

Image credit: www.rgbstock.com

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! I'm happy to report that we enjoyed a fun camping adventure with the girls, which I'll be sharing more about soon (particularly since many people have said either, "Really, you took a 3-year-old camping?!" or "I could never do that!"). It was shockingly doable! But before we get there, if you're off and looking for something to do this week, enjoy this roundup via the Weekly Blueprint:

July 1: Test your hockey skills with the Worcester Sharks. (Worcester)

July 2: Free concert - Soul City. (Plymouth)

July 2: Meet an astronaut. (Acton)

July 2 - 3: The Brewster annual oceanside summer arts and crafts festival. (Brewster)

July 2 - 6: Boston Harborfest. (Boston)

July 3: Children’s Discovery Day. (Stockbridge)

July 3 - 4: Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. (Boston)

July 4: A fireworks roundup by town. (Multiple locations)

July 4: Bridgewater Arts and Music Festival. (Bridgewater)

July 4: A children’s bike parade. (Needham)

July 4: Learn about Ramadan. (Boston)

July 4: Free admission to Heritage Museum and Garden. (Sandwich)

July 4: Free admission to Edward Gorey House. (Yarmouth Port)

July 4: Free admission to Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. (Becket)

July 4: Free admission to Amelia Park Children’s Museum. (Westfield)

July 4: Free admission to Falmouth Museums on the Green. (Falmouth, Woods Hole)

July 4 - 6: Berkshires Arts Festival. (Great Barrington)

Image credit: Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular

Happy Friday everyone, how are you all doing with summer vacation? Yesterday was our first official day off and by about 10am, Laurel clearly was missing her friends already (it was a good thing she happened to have a midday birthday party to attend)! So commences play date scheduling before her camps start... Meanwhile, if you're in town this weekend, here are 16 events, lovingly curated for your consideration. Enjoy!

1. Meet the New England Aquarium without going into the city. (Acton) 

2. Art in the Village. (Barnstable)

3. The Boston Common Frog Pond opens for the season! (Boston)

4. Spice, fun, and food at the Boston JerkFest. (Boston)

5. Family play date at the ICA. (Boston)

6. Get messy for International Mud Day. (Boston)

7. Enjoy some Sunday Parkland Games. (Cambridge)

8. Dinoland grand opening. (Carver)

9. A grand opening festival. (Easton)

10. Let’s go ponding. (Framingham)

11. Wilson Farm strawberry festival. (Lexington)

12. Rolie Polie Guacamole at the Healthy Families Festival. (Natick)

13. Learn about butterflying in the backyard. (Newburyport)

14. A family fun day. (Somerville)

15. Spread your wings for this faery festival. (Wenham)

16. Family canoeing on the French River. (Worcester)

Image credit: Art in the Village

I'm thrilled to share another Local Gems post today (be sure to check out the Arlington Center, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Medford, and Watertown features)! Today's Easton recommendations come from my delightful friend Christina, who writes at The Fairly Odd Mother and Cool Mom Picks. Thanks for sharing these 10 local gems in Easton, Christina! (And if you want to submit a Local Gems feature, see details here!)

+ + + + +

Right next to the busy city of Brockton, Easton is a pretty, historically rich, tree-filled town I've called home for the last 14 years. It's a wonderful spot for kids with lots of safe outdoor spaces in which to roam, great schools, and a not-too-long drive to either Boston, Providence, or Cape Cod. Here are some of my family's favorite spots:

1. The Village Toy Shop. This is my go-to stop for all those birthday gifts my kids need for their friends, and also for awesome holiday shopping too. With free gift wrapping, it's clear how much this store is loved by all the matching gift wrap piled up at any child's birthday party.

2. Hilliards House of Candy. There is no bigger treat than a stop at Hilliards House of Candy, where my kids can scoop out their own assortment of goodies into bags while I check out their delicious boxes of salted caramel chocolates, roasted-on-site nuts, or adorable holiday chocolate lollipops. It's a great spot to stop in summer for a scoop of their own yummy ice cream too.

3. The Children's Museum in Easton. Easton's old historic fire station makes a wonderfully playful spot in which kids can explore, climb, learn, and play. Getting to the top of the old fire pole is a challenge for little arms, and their outdoor play space, The Wild Place, let's kids explore nature and maybe even get a little messy.

4. The Farmer's Daughter. The "it" place for breakfast or lunch on Main Street, The Farmer's Daughter works with local growers to create delicious masterpieces that have people lining up to experience. I like that even their kids' menu takes into account their focus on fresh and local ingredients.

5. Borderland State Park. The former stopping grounds of the rich and famous (notably, the Ames Family who donated much to the town), Borderland is truly a gem for everyone in the state. The park offers great hiking and biking trails, a sprawling disc golf course that is open to everyone, huge lawns for tag, a fun sledding hill, and picnic tables for when it's time to refuel.

6. Natural Resources Trust of Easton. Otherwise known as Sheep Pasture, the NRT exists as an educational center for the town, with chickens, sheep, and other livestock on site for kids to see, as well as easy walking trails to explore. The NRT puts on Spring Family Night Hikes, summer camp for kids, and a huge Harvest Fair in October that seems to bring the entire town to their grounds.

7. Easton Town Pool. Opening this week, this town pool is the best spot on a hot summer's day with little kids. The pool is more like a small pond with filtered water, a sandy beach, and lots of lifeguards on hand to help keep an eye on beginning swimmers. 

8. Maguire's Bar and Grill. Massachusetts' oldest independently owned and continuously operated restaurant and bar, I don't think Maguire's ever closes -- we've made the short drive during a snowstorm! Maguire's is a great place to stop for a juicy burger, blackened shrimp pasta (my favorite!), or one of their special seasonal offerings. My kids love the lively, informal atmosphere as much as I do.

9. Ames Free Library. Check out one of the town's many historic buildings, this one designed by the famous American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. A spacious children's room and pretty outdoor gardens make the Ames Free Library a great stop for books, movies, and video games.

10. The Marketplace at Simpson Spring. Take a field trip to the oldest independent bottling plant in the US and try some of their delicious old-fashioned soda flavors like Cream Soda and White Birch. The Saturday marketplace also brings together local farms and food producers, crafters, and other locals businesses into a bustling year-round indoor market. If you can catch a tour, do it---totally fascinating for both kids and grown ups.

Do you have other Easton 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: thumbnail via Maguire's; all images via linked websites or associated Facebook pages with the exception of Borderland State Park, via Wikipedia.

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! We had a lovely one, enjoying lots of time outside, a solstice gathering with friends, World Cup, Maleficent (which I thought was quite good!) barcalounger style (!), and an incredible business launch party for a dear friend (which I will share more about soon!). Now, on to Monday! enjoy this roundup of fun for the week!

June 23 - 26: Learn to take smart photos. (Natick)

June 24: Explore Boston’s islands on free ferry day. (Boston)

June 24 + 26: Josu Ortiz Trio. (Boston)

June 25: Tree huggers at the Esplanade Playspace. (Boston)

June 25: It’s time to play in the park. (Lincoln)

June 25: A historical tea time. (Hanover)

June 25: Green art and earth tales. (Concord)

June 25: A lantern walk and lantern making workshop. (Easton)

June 25: Learn about the birds and the bees. (Lincoln)

June 25: Explore fireflies. (Belmont)

June 26: Fruitlands centennial celebration. (Harvard)

June 27: Space storytime. (Cambridge)

June 27: Learn about Ramadan. (Boston)

June 27: Free Friday night fun featuring the Maynard Community Band. (Acton)

June 27: Free admission to Franklin Park Zoo. (Dorchester)

June 27: Free admission to Worcester Art Museum. (Worcester)

June 27: Free admission to The Sports Museum. (Boston)

June 27: Free admission to MIT Museum. (Cambridge)

June 27: Free admission to Cape Cod Maritime Museum. (Hyannis Port)

June 27: Free admission to Tanglewood. (Lenox)

June 27: Free admission to Mass MOCA. (North Adams)

Image credit: Children's Museum, Easton