We have a 40-foot evergreen tree (probably) (I didn't measure it) in our yard. My husband has been dying to light that baby up since we moved here four years ago. The problem? LED lights. A tish expensive. 

I hope you kids see what a waste of resources this has been.

He worked really hard on it, Grandma.

BUT! This weekend when we unpacked the Christmas decorations, lo, we discovered we had cleaned Target out of LED lights at the end-of-season sale last year and forgot all about it. It was like sleep-light-buying. Also, inexplicably, we bought four large outdoor Christmas balls the size of my head.

It was a holiday miracle!

Cut to Sunday. Beloved had been outside for hours. Finally he knocked on the door and asked me to help him. I only wish I had video or even a photo of this process, but I was helping. So was the neighbor.

My husband had duct-taped together five mop/broom/whatever poles and fashioned a hook on the very end with wire. The contraption was tall enough to reach the roof of our two-story house.

He had also electrical taped every strand of lights together and looped them into a cooler on wheels so he could feed them out as he went. And he checked every bulb to make sure it worked first.

I just don't understand what happened.

Did you check every bulb?

Every one.

As my neighbor and I stared open-mouthed, he proceeded to hang the lights on this enormous tree in less than an hour while we followed him, feeding him lights.

SLACK, RITA, I NEED SLACK.

There were just enough lights. I handed him these basketball-like Christmas ornaments, and he had to adapt his hanging device to open the loops on the ornaments to better hang them on the limbs by adding another prong. 

Last night he told me he wants to take a picture of the little angel in front of that tree at just the right moment of dusk to use for our Christmas cards. I told him I thought such a picture would suck because I am such a horrible photographer and it would have to be me because these days he's usually not home before sunset. I am about as good at capturing the moment between dusk and night as I am at long division. But then I saw the look on his face and immediately felt like the world's biggest asshole, because hello, he taped together every cleaning device we have in our house for this*.

So I'm going to attempt it. 

Lord help me.

*Next year he says he's going to make a better hanging device out of PVC pipe. I'm hoping he can patent it and sell it worldwide so we can quit our jobs and watch John Hughes movies all day. Stay tuned.

I've been immersed in change and exploration ever since career pivoting five years ago, so I'm really looking forward to attending the Mass Conference for Women -- which encourages attendees to live fearlessly and pursue their path. In addition to undoubtedly drawing inspiration from speakers and attendees, next week I'll provide social media consulting sessions for those looking for guidance in developing their brand. My consult sessions apparently are already full (sorry about that -- I should have posted sooner!) but I did want to pass along a discount code in case you want to attend. Use code MAWD29 for a rate of $125 per individual ($30 off) and $1,250 for a table of 10 ($200 off). Hope to see you there!

Last night my husband decided to clean out our kitchen junk drawer. It's that weird long, skinny drawer that was created specifically for housing your shish kebob skewers. You know, the important drawer. Ours was crammed with all  manner of things. 

As he got deeper into the drawer, he decided to pull it all the way out of the cabinet. There were ... things ... stuck in the back.

Things that were not ours.

Such as Mary's teeth.

I just threw up in my mouth. 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday long weekend! As I mentioned last week, we're in the midst of a lot of transition in my house right now so I decided to take time off and focus on the family. It was really lovely and I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things this week! I hope your re-entry back into the real world is smooth; meanwhile, here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's Weekly Blueprint:
November 28: If you're a classical music lover and can swing a sitter (or mama sitting exchange!) last minute, enjoy tonight's free performance by the Borromeo String Quartet.

November 29 (also December 1 & 7): The Boston JCC is offering programming for interfaith couples and parents to explore how to honor Chanukah and Christmas.

November 30 (through January 1): Take in the pretty at Winter Lights IV in Lowell.

December 1: Celebrate local at Holiday in the Square in Lynn.

December 1-4: Or do the same via the Marblehead Christmas Walk.

December 1: Join the masses for Boston's Official Holiday Lighting.

December 2: Love performance spectacle? The Radio City Chistmas Spectacular kicks off in Boston. (And stay tuned, I'll be giving away tickets to this show soon!)

December 2: Learn how to give baby a rub down at this free infant massage class.

December 2: I love that the Lexington Symphony is offering two Pops shows; a Kids' Pops at 4pm and Holidays Pops at 8pm.

December 2-4: The unique and festive Holly Folly Weekend kicks off in Provincetown.

Now through January 1: This visual celebration of children's literature sounds so lovely.

At your leisure: Put aside some toys to donate to your school or community toy drive.

At your leisure: Check through your kids' outgrown winter gear; donate cold weather items to kids in need.

At your leisure: If you're interested, this is why I've been especially busy the last few months. I'm growing this wonderful company and just redesigned the website. I'm thrilled with how pretty it looks!

At your leisure: I wrote a guest post sharing 8 tips to healthier holidays if you need some ideas.

At your leisure: Schedule coffee or a night out with a girlfriend. (I am long overdue on this and am trying to get something in the books this week.)

At your leisure: Think of how to help out a mom friend with one small act. My act for the week will be delivering dinner to my friend who just had a baby.

At your leisure: Do something kind for yourself. Personally, I'm thinking it's time to book body work with Heather.

Image credit: Borromeo String Quartet via NEC

Though I do enjoy shopping, I've admittedly been turning a blind eye to the onslaught of big box Black Friday pitches I've been receiving -- partially because this marketing approach seems awfully tiresome, and partially because I'm a big fan of supporting local indie businesses. As in past years, we plan on adhering to a pretty minimal approach to holiday shopping, but when I do get around to it, I'll start by turning to what's immediately around us. I wanted to share some great ways to shop local -- there's so much talent that warrants your attention!
1. MassArt Made recently opened at Huntington and Longwood. This store features handmade products by MassArt alums, students, faculty, and staff. I haven't had a chance to stop by yet but I hope to soon -- I adore the concept!

2. I have featured Boston Handmade before; this juried group of professional local artists and craftspeople are prominent on the local craft fair circuit. Check their calendar for updates; they are participating in Holly Days in Princeton, the Mudflat Holiday Sale, the Jamaica Plain Holiday Fair, and the Bazaar Bizarre, among other events.

3. I started the Boston Mamas mamapreneur business network as a way to feature listings for local, mom-driven talent. If you need a professional photographer, look no further! There are also lots of great listings for products, indoor activities, and more.

4. Whenever someone asks me about Etsy, I describe it as a beautiful, beautiful rabbit hole. Simply set your location, search for the item you are looking for (otherwise, general browsing could send you down the rabbit hole for hours!), then click on "Local Items" in the left sidebar to shop local artists. Totally awesome.

5. And of course, look around your neighborhood! I'm particularly keen on supporting local brick and mortars because I admire their bravery in taking the plunge in paying rent (one day I dream of being similarly brave and renting studio space). In past years, it's been fun to take Laurel to local stores so she can help pick presents for her grandparents. (I recommend telling the child what the spending limit is in advance!)

Finally, through Weekly Blueprint and my Fun Weekend Picks, I will do my best to call attention to upcoming local craft shows as I hear about them. Please always feel free to comment in if I'm missing something, or drop me a line to let me know about an upcoming event!

Image credit: delicious looking natural soaps by S.S. Soap in Boston via Etsy

I went today to attend a program at my daughter's school. The theme was patriotism, after the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. It's scheduled this week so family members in town for Thanksgiving can attend. 

It was cute and all until they sang about being the generation of the future. And then they sang, "We have the chance to do it right."

And I got all gooey watching these kids -- who clearly believed so totally in what they were singing -- dance and sing about America being the land of opportunity, so open to immigrants, the poor, the huddling masses.

It was hard not to think about how we're fighting about immigration and occupying Wall Street and all. It was hard not to realize as they sang about remembering that most of them hadn't been born yet in 2001.

I hope they have the chance to do it right. I hope we educate them well enough. I hope we teach them history -- real history -- so they don't repeat the mistakes of the past. I hope this generation puts the emphasis on compassion more than greed. I hope they don't have to occupy anything but their space in the world. I hope they leave that world better than they found it. 

I hope there's still time for my generation to do the same thing.

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is this week. I'm both looking forward to the connection and reflection that happens around this time of year, and admittedly am also a little overwhelmed by the details of life right this second, given that there's a lot of transition going on in our household (plus, poor Violet is suffering from a bizarre full body rash right now). Anyway, I hope you all enjoy lots of relaxing time this week; here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's Weekly Blueprint:
November 21: Start the week out getting up close and personal with cows.

November 21-22: Get what you need at the grocery store before the pre-Thanksgiving freak out on Wednesday.

November 21-22: As you go through your pantry checking off supplies for Thanksgiving, pull out extras and donate to a food bank.

November 21-22: If you're traveling: squirrel away some travel surprises via books from the library, "what's old is new" toys from your own playroom/storage, toys swapped with friends, or items procured from a local toy or craft store.

November 22: If you're traveling: start setting aside a packing pile, or keep a piece of pen and paper handy to jot down items as you remember them. I pretty much always walk around with a piece of paper in my pocket to jot down to-do's since I can't seem to remember anything these days!

November 22: Plan your holiday tabletop; procure any last minute supplies.

November 23 (through December 10): Celebrate the festival of trees in Wellesley.

November 23: Need to occupy your kids while you prep pies? Have them help make place settings or other Thanksgiving inspired décor (think turkeys made from toilet paper rolls!). Or print up and have the kids color some of these free Thanksgiving coloring pages.

November 24: Reflect and be grateful.

November 24 (through January 1, 2012): Enjoy the kick off of ZooLights at the Stone Zoo.

November 25: Go for a run, brisk walk, or hike through the woods with your family.

November 25: The Nutcracker kicks off in Boston! (You can get half price tickets here.)

November 25 & 26: Celebrate native arts and culture in Cambridge.

November 26: Check out the Macy's Christmas Tree Lighting. **see comment from Sara below re: timing

Some time this week: Destress via acupuncture. My friend Roxanna swears by this place.

At your leisure: Tackle a small decluttering project. (I'm thinking about doing a year-long weekly decluttering project!)

Image credit: Appleton Farms

Today, Kate shares a great find for relocating your outgrown kid's clothing and gear:

If you're like me, you occasionally find yourself looking for good ways to pass along the clothes, toys, and gear that your kids have outgrown. Due to generous grandmothers, my daughter's dresser is often overflowing, and I search out ways to share the bounty. Two Little Monkeys, a new children's resale shop in the Union Square neighborhood of Somerville, is a great resource for anyone looking to either unload or pick up clothing, books, toys, and gear (including high-end strollers at terrific prices) for babies and children.
The owner of the store, a mother herself, offers either cash or store credit for items brought in, and purchases based on her existing inventory and the needs and tastes of her customers. All seasons are bought and sold, as are both genders and all sizes through 5T (the owner is looking to expand into larger sizes). The store is roomy and comfortable -- unlike some resale shops, which can feel musty and cramped -- and I noticed MacLaren strollers and a Stokke crib on a recent visit, as well as clothes and shoes in good condition and holiday and seasonal items. Whether you're buying or selling, definitely check out Two Little Monkeys.

Two Little Monkeys, 77 Bow Street, Somerville; 617-222-0043

My work Outlook has been a little paranoid lately. It's suddenly begun blocking my co-workers, insisting they have malicious intent when they're really just trying to tell me which posts are most popular. I sat it down, tried to reason with it.

"There's nothing wrong with Denise Tanton," I said. "She's a really, really nice person."

My Outlook shook its head and stalked away, muttering something about a Denise it knew in high school.

Then, yesterday morning, I emailed something from my gmail to my Outlook. Something work-related. Something from me.

Outlook gasped and sat up in bed, eyes wild, hair flying -- and blocked it.

"What are you doing?" I shouted, fed up.

"I'm protecting you from yourself," it said, then collapsed.

I had to reboot. It knows not what it does.