Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend and a delightful Mother's Day. It was so fantastic to soak in the beautiful weather, putter around our little yard (we bought peonies to plant...yay!), and browse open studios, among other things. I'm looking forward to a productive and fun week, and hope you are as well. Let's kick it off with the Weekly Blueprint!

May 12: Bullying and cyberbullying parent presentation. (Needham)

May 13: We’re going to see the goats! (Belmont)

May 13: Parent lunch and learn with Dr. Howard Gardner. (Boston)

May 13: Afternoon chores and ice cream. What a treat! (Lincoln)

May 14: Let’s go fly a kite. (Westport)

May 15: Ooey, gooey story fun. (Concord)

May 15: Introductory lecture for families with a special needs child. (Needham)

May 15 - 18: Father Goose’s Tales puppet show. (Brookline)

May 16: Music and movement with Ms. Bernadette (Acton)

May 16: Interactive musical program by cellist Lev Mamuya (Boston)

May 16: Cello story time. (Boston)

May 16: Friday night pajama party. (Boston)

May 16: Duckling month story time. (Cambridge)

May 16: Dirt don’t hurt, right? (Easton)   

May 16: Friday evening hay ride and campfire. (Lincoln)

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Happy Saturday everyone, I hope you're enjoying a wonderful weekend! We kicked things off with a neighborhood cleanup this morning (I've truly never been so excited to pick up trash!) and will be cheering on the Bruins later today, among other things. Meanwhile, if you're looking for some good reads/visuals, here's what caught my eye this week. Have a great rest of the weekend!

- Humans of New York captures the Met Gala.

- On kids and privacy (and how it could impact your relationship).

- Rob Lowe is unprepared (and amazing).

- How parents are ruining youth sports.

- Congrats to the incredible winners of the Iris Awards.

- A beautiful bangle to benefit the incredible organization ONE.

- And speaking of ONE, remember how I went to lobby in February? The Electrify Africa Act passed! Simply AMAZING.

- Could the internet have saved my mother?

- Things to do in Boston with kids (my guest post at my friend Jo-Lynne’s site!).

- Have an artist at home? Their work could appear in a book!

Image credit: a trio of mosquito repelling plants via Pinterest

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you've had a wonderful week and are looking forward to a great weekend (hey, including Mother's Day!). I'm excited to relax and finally shake this post-conference plague. Enjoy this roundup of 20 event picks for the weekend, and also, there are a few hours left to enter to win 1 of 5 copies of Minimalist Parenting. Go on and win a copy for yourself or a friend!

1. Free evening at the museum for families with children on the spectrum. (Acton)

2. Beauty and the Beast on the puppet show stage. (Brookline)

3. Footprint art on the boardwalk. (Boston)

4. It’s Lilac Sunday at the Arboretum. (Boston)

5. Create your own superhero. (Boston)

6. Visit the music studio and record your own song for mom. (Boston)

7. Buy a bulb for Mother’s Day. (Boston)

8. The wonderful Wizard of Oz made even better with the Boston Pops. (Boston)

9. Duckling Day is back! (Boston)

10. A Mother's Day walk for peace. (Boston)

11. Moms get free admission to the zoo. (Boston, Stoneham)

12. Fitness for a cause. (Canton)

13. Turn your toddler into a farmer. (Ipswich)

14. Community Nursery School’s Yellow Balloon Fair (Lexington)

15. West Medford Open Studios. (Medford)

16. Mother’s Day brunch and stroll. (Milton)

17. 37th annual Birds and Breakfast event. (Natick)

18. Kids FunFEST. (Newton)

19. Take mom on a hike. (Princeton)

20. Mother’s Day brunch at the Peabody Essex Museum. (Salem)

Image credit: Arnold Arboretum

Happy Monday everyone! What an incredible weekend it was at Mom 2.0 Summit -- so inspiring and amazing to connect with my digital tribe. I'm definitely in recovery mode today; after I finished all of my professional responsibilities I immediately got sick! Anyway, I'm looking forward to a good week and wanted to kick it off with this roundup of things to do via the Weekly Blueprint. Enjoy!

May 5: The last  in a series of French films at the Belmont World Film Festival. (Belmont)

May 5: Free access to the farm for families with special needs. (Lincoln)

May 6: ASD friendly afternoon at the museum. (Acton)

May 6: Guided toddler hikes begin. (Hingham, Norwell)

May 6: The opportunity to create some sunflower magic. (Lincoln)

May 7: Everything you need for baby at the Drool Baby Expo. (Boston)

May 7: Get cooking with Chop Chop Magazine. (Wellesley)

May 8 - 11: Beauty and the Beast on the puppet show stage. (Brookline)

May 9: DIY Mother’s Day card and papermaking. (Acton)

May 9 - 25: Boston International Children’s Film Festival. (Boston)

May 9: Cinco de Mayo fiesta and fundraiser. (Brookline)

May 9: Mother’s Day story time. (Cambridge)

Image credit: Brookline Arts Center

Happy Friday everyone! I'm posting from Mom 2.0 Summit this morning, where I'm wearing my hats as a consultant (helping a client with their conference presence), blogger (I'll be speaking on the state of the blogging union), and author (Asha and my work was nominated for two Iris Awards!). Life truly is a gift! Meanwhile, I wanted to share 20 event picks for your weekend; have a happy one!

1. Find out what it’s like to be a real scientist. (Acton)

2. Show everyone what family means to you. (Boston)

3. Celebrate May. (Boston)

4. The fourth is strong at the zoo. (Boston)

5. Support the zoo Zootopia event. (Boston)

6. The Yankee Peddler takes the puppet stage. (Brookline)

7. 31st annual May Fair in Harvard Square. (Cambridge)

8. May the fourth be with you this Star Wars Day. (Easton)

9. Half price admission to deCordova Sculpture Park. (Lincoln)

10. The Alphabet Rockers in the house. (Natick)

11. Parent Talk Used Clothing, Toy & Equipment sale. (Needham)

12. Family day at the Bird Banding Station. (Newburyport)

13. MA Poetry Festival at PEM. (Salem)

14. Ben Rudnick show to benefit Pan Mass Challenge. (Salem)

15. Somerville Open Studios. (Somerville)

16. Masters of Flight, Birds of Prey show opens. (Stoneham)

17. Picnic on Perkins Island. (Topsfield) 

18. Family nature puppet show. (Topsfield)

19. A celebration of preemies and their amazing families. (Waltham)

20. Saturday nature play. (Worcester)

Image credit: Puppet Showplace Theater

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend and April vacation (for those who were off). We played Laurel's April break fast and loose and it worked out shockingly well! I am, however, looking forward to getting back into a rhythm this week, starting with this roundup of fun events via the Weekly Blueprint (which reminds me, can you believe it's May this week?):

April 28: The fourth in a series of French films at the Belmont World Film Festival. (Belmont)

April 29: It’s nature’s own slime time. (Belmont)

April 29: Help with goat chores on the farm...we’re not kidding. (Lincoln)

April 30: Fill your day with art and play. (Lincoln)

May 1: Celebrate May Day merriness. (Lincoln)

May 1: Sensational outdoor yoga. (New Bedford)

May 1: Learn to play hockey like a Bruin. (West Roxbury)

May 1 - 4: The Yankee Peddler takes the puppet stage. (Brookline)

May 2: Fun and games with fruit and veggies. (Acton)

May 2: It’s music time with Duncan. (Boston)

May 2: Cinco de Mayo storytime. (Cambridge)

May 2: Late night at the museum. (Easton)

May 2: MA Poetry Festival at PEM begins. (Salem)

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have an event you'd like to submit for editorial consideration? Please e-mail the event description + URL to Christine at editor{@}bostonmamas.com. For guaranteed event exposure, place an advertisement.

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're enjoying a wonderful April vacation! As you may have noticed, I'm posting light this week since Laurel is off from school (man, does she love the relaxed schedule this week!) but I wanted to be sure to hook you up with a great roundup of event options for the weekend. Here are 24 picks, lovingly curated for your consideration:

1. The science of FROZEN. (Acton)

2. Daffodil day and open house. (Beverly)

3. Party for the planet. (Boston)

4. You should always Listen to Your Mother. (Boston)

5. Find out what’s new at the zoo. (Boston)

6. Celebrate a week without home at The Homework Machine. (Boston)

7. A playdate with the arts. (Boston)

8. Art in Bloom family day at the MFA. (Boston)

9. It’s Junior Ranger Day. (Boston)

10. Magic shows and carousel rides. (Boston)

11. Put a message in the milk bottle and brighten the day of a child. (Boston)

12. Mass motion dance project. (Boston)

13. Earth day clean up of the Charles River. (Boston)

14. Story walk, fairy houses and spring fling scavenger hunts. (Boylston)

15. Celebrate the grand opening of Bright Horizons at Brookline. (Brookline)

16. Final weekend of the Cambridge Science Festival. (Cambridge)

17. It’s time to say happy anniversary with Curious George. (Cambridge)

18. Family time pottery painting. (Concord)

19. Get your groove on in the sculpture park. (Lincoln)

20. Family Quest Fest. (Manchester)

21. Celebrate the arrival of spring at the Daffodil Festival. (Nantucket)

22. Ten stories of reproduction in five minutes or less. (Somerville)

23. Statewide volunteer day for MA Audubon Society. (Various locations)

24. 27th year for the Gore Estate Sheep Shearing Festival (Waltham)

Image credit: Gore Place

Have an event you'd like to submit for editorial consideration? Please e-mail the event description + URL to Christine at editor{@}bostonmamas.com. For guaranteed event exposure, place an advertisement.

Around this time last week I was saying, no way I can't believe April vacation is next week. Well, it's here and if you're looking for activities for your kids, enjoy this mega-roundup of events and programs in and out of the city. And wherever you land tomorrow, be sure to issue good wishes to all those running in and working the Boston Marathon. I'm so proud of this beautiful city!

BOSTON: Boston Strong at the 118th Boston Marathon.

BOSTON: Inspire hope and healing for Boston with free admission on April 21.

BOSTON: Perfect vacation week adventures for your budding artists.

BOSTON: Find out what’s new at the zoo.

BOSTON: Lots going on at the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway.

BOSTON: Growing our community.

BOSTON: Celebrate a week of no homework at The Homework Machine.

BOSTON: Contemporary art treks.

BOYLSTON: Spend your vacation amongst the trees and flowers.

CAMBRIDGE: The Cambridge Science Festival continues.

CONCORD: Earth Day seed planting.

CONCORD: Historic Patriot’s Day celebrations.

EASTON: It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s super hero week.

IPSWICH: Scavenger hunt for nature’s treasures.

LEXINGTON: It’s Patriot’s Day all week.

LINCOLN: Art for April vacation.

NANTUCKET: The Daffodil Festival begins.

NEEDHAM: Super fun camp at The Kid’s Place 4 Fun.

NEW BEDFORD: Not only is it vacation week, but it’s Earth Week.

SALEM: Lots of drop-in art activities.

STONEHAM: Carnivore explore.

STURBRIDGE: Celebrate school vacation the old fashioned way.

TAUNTON: Learn how to play like a Boston Bruin.

WORCESTER: A fabulous Earth Day celebration.

WORCESTER: Things are getting wild at the EcoTarium.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS: So much for little naturalists to do with Mass Audubon.

Image credit: Tower Hill Botanical Garden

Have an event you'd like to submit for editorial consideration? Please e-mail the event description + URL to Christine at editor{@}bostonmamas.com. For guaranteed event exposure, place an advertisement.

Happy Friday everyone and for some of you, welcome to the first of 10 days off from school. I'll be sharing an April vacation mega-roundup this weekend, but meanwhile, enjoy the below roundup of 17 things to do this weekend. Also, if you're decorating eggs, be sure to check out these 10 easy Easter egg ideas (right now I'm trying to decide between #5, #7, #8, and #10!). And here are two guides for mixing vibrant dye colors. Enjoy!

1. A fun twist on an egg hunt. (Attleboro)

2. Opening weekend of The Homework Machine. (Boston)

3. Sense of smell day is scent-sational. (Boston)

4. Egg decorating at the museum. (Boston)

5. Opening weekend for the Swan Boats. (Boston)

6. Wonder how hard it is to be The Carrot Salesman. (Brookline)

7. The Cambridge Science Festival continues. (Cambridge)

8. An Easter egg hunt for the special needs community. (Chestnut Hill)

9. Kids concert with The Nields. (Chestnut Hill)

10. Get out your petticoats and search for Easter eggs Victorian style. (Hanover)

11. Walk where the dinosaurs roamed. (Holyoke)

12. On the hunt for Easter eggs. (Martha’s Vineyard)

13. Latin American Grammy Award winners Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. (Natick)

14. Easter EggZOOberance. (New Bedford)

15. This is how these Easter eggs roll. (Stockbridge)

16. Hop on down the bunny trail to the Bunny Bonanzoo. (Stoneham)

17. National parks opening weekend with free admission. (Various locations)

Image credit: 10 easy Easter egg ideas

Have an event you'd like to submit for editorial consideration? Please e-mail the event description + URL to Christine at editor{@}bostonmamas.com. For guaranteed event exposure, place an advertisement.