Subscriber Perk Alert: Uncommon Goods!
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Hi folks, I have a great newsletter subscriber giveaway this month! You know about Uncommon Goods, yes? This charitably minded, indie company offers all sorts of quirky finds for humans, pets, and home (remember we obsessed about their cardboard animal heads?)...right this second I'm especially loving  these globally minded continent pillows. ANYWAY, thanks to my friends at Uncommon Goods, one lucky newsletter subscriber will win a $100 gift certificate to UG. To be eligible for the giveaway, subscribe below by March 10!

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Note: the Boston Mamas newsletter drops 1-2 times per month and offers the best from this site (and elsewhere on the internet), as well as periodic exclusive goodies. Yay, for periodic exclusive goodies!

Web (Admin)Comment
Weekly Blueprint
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Good morning everyone, are you bleary eyed from watching the Oscars? I instead obsessed over paint swatches last night and caught the award highlights on YouTube this morning (thank you, internet). I hope you have a great Monday; enjoy this roundup of events for the week! Also, I still have a handful of slots left for this (free) spa party I'm hosting if you want to join in!

March 3: Especially for me morning for children with hearing loss. (Acton)

March 4: Make a MESS: Mardi Gras in a box. (Acton)

March 4: ASD friendly afternoon at the museum. (Acton)

March 5: Parent education session on families and the digital age. (Boston)

March 5: DeCordova Museum tours are free today. (Lincoln)

March 6: Celebrate Women’s History Month with these SMART gals. (Acton)

March 6: The final stretch to Spring and marathon season in Boston. (Boston)

March 6: Give your budding scientist the chance to explore wheels and ramps. (Worcester)

March 7: Celebrate Carnaval with free museum admission. (Acton)

March 7: Chinese New Year banquet. (Boston)

March 7: Dr. Seuss storytime. (Cambridge)

March 7: Late night at the museum. (Easton)

March 7: Farm connections: where does our food come from? (Lincoln)

March 7: A year in the life of a honeybee. (Marshfield)

March 7: World premiere concert by Matthew Aucoin. (Salem)

Image credit: Mass Audubon

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.

Rest in Peace, Robert Joseph Arens
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The funeral is today. I don't know what to say, so I'm just going to quote my sister-in-law, Lynn.

I am ONE LUCKY GIRL to have had the best father-in-law in the world. This evening, Leon's dad Bob passed away peacefully after a long, brave battle against COPD. Bob never missed a chance to give his advice or share his outlook on life, make us laugh with his awesomely smart ass comments and fatten us up with his homemade chili, caramels and shakes. He was a great husband, dad and grandpa. I am so fortunate to have known him.

Bob leaves behind eight kids and sixteen grandkids, as well as a faithful and amazing wife. We'll miss the old man. 

Aging, Marriage Comment
Best of February 2014
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Happy Sunday, I hope you're having a great weekend! This one's been the best in recent memory; Laurel and Violet's squabbling (OMG the squabbling!) has suddenly taken a major turn for the better and we've enjoyed such a nice mix of nature and craft adventures, household tasks, and family time. Also, we've been hosting Clifford from Vi's school this weekend...so cute.

Anyway, I wanted to share the Best of February if you're looking for some fun reading this afternoon. Also I'm honored to featured in Boston Globe Magazine today, sharing about family friendly meal planning resources -- thanks, BGM! And finally, if you need even more entertainment, check yesterday's Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome. Have a great afternoon!

Advocacy

- Never underestimate the power of your voice.

Books & Crafts

- Super awesome parachute cord crafts.

- Test your finding power with this great book for kids and grownups alike.

- Bookmark these 14 Valentine's printables for next year (we used the woodland critters this year and they were adorable).

Food

- These 3 easy Valentine's inspired treats would be awesome any day.

Gear

- My new favorite luggage.

Play & Learning & Behavior

- 9 cool science experiments using everyday household ingredients.

- Black History Month may be over but these learning resources are worth accessing year round.

- 12 ways to get kids to brush their teeth.

Style

- Look no further for rainbow awesomeness than Marimekko.

Image credit: Pinterest

Web (Admin) Comment
Join Me For A Delightful Spa Party!
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Hi everyone, I've got something so fun to share with you today! I'm hosting a delightful spa party with the lovely folks from Dr. Smith's Tuesday, March 11 @ 11:30am in Boston and I would love for you to come enjoy refreshments, mini spa treatments, and the company of other rad moms (it will be awesome for all moms, and especially those with little ones in diapers!). I have a limited number of spaces so please e-mail me at editor@bostonmamas.com ASAP so I can give you the secret squirrel RSVP code. :-)

I'll distribute (free!) tickets on a first come, first served basis. If you want to request tickets in a pair (so you can bring a mama friend) go ahead and do so and I'll do my best to accommodate! I can't wait to meet you!

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Web (Admin)Comment
Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome
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Happy Saturday and happy March everyone! Between travel, school break, and then some more travel, it feels like a million years since I last posted a Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome. But it certainly isn't because it hasn't been awesome. I'm glad to get back this week; here are some great reads, visuals, and resources that I found particularly awesome this week. Enjoy!

- My friend C. C. Chapman is awesome; here’s what he’s doing for Mercy.

- As if I needed another reason to eat Ben & Jerry’s.

- As if I needed another reason to love Paul Rudd.

- Different teas and what they help with.

- Incredible paper versions of famous dresses.

- Incredible photos of abandoned places.

- Stunning portraits of the world’s remotest tribes before they pass away.

- Online resources for affordable curtains.

- America’s best cities for hipsters (#14 represent).

- Eight ways to use your smartphone to make your life easier.

- Use old dried out markers to make watercolor paint.

Image credit: homemade watercolor paint

Friday Find: Travelpro Luggage
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For my trip to DC, Jon lent me the Travelpro luggage I bought him for Christmas (since my options were either too big or too small). And now I need to continue to borrow Jon's or buy my own! This luggage is compact (though it features expansion opportunity), awesomely lightweight, and features 360 degree wheels that make it easy to navigate through the airport and into those tight bathroom stalls. Travelpro makes bigger sizes too, but I recommend staying small; the less space you have, the less unnecessary stuff you'll pack!

Want more Friday Finds? Check out: ridiculously awesome pants, parachute cord crafts, and Where Is The Cake?

TravelComment
Weekend Roundup
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Happy Friday everyone, I hope you've enjoyed a great week! I've felt a little scattered since it's been a short one for me. I'm looking forward to recalibrating this weekend with Jon and the girls (and perhaps putting the final decorative layer on this unicorn!). If you're looking for something fun to do over the weekend, here are 14 options for you via the Weekend Roundup. Enjoy!

1. It’s never too early for good fitness. (Boston)

2. Celebrate Purim! (Boston)

3. Get behind the camera and learn the basics of filmmaking. (Boston)

4. BSO family concert. (Boston)

5. A puppet presentation of Aesop’s Fables. (Brookline)

6. Put a Little Groove in your Saturday morning. (Brookline)

7. Ever wonder what it would be like to walk with dinosaurs? (Cambridge)

8. Spend your Saturday at the sugar shack. (Ipswich)

9. Sculpture park snowshoe tour. (Lincoln)

10. Baby it’s cold outside, but not too cold to learn about summer camp! (Sharon)

11. Maple days. (Sturbridge)

12. Musical postcards, around the world with music. (Westborough)

13. Build a feathered friend a bluebird house. (Worcester)

14. Nature play and free admission to Ecotarium. (Worcester)

Image credit: Boston Children’s Museum

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.

Marimekko = Rainbow Awesomeness
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I know it's tough to fathom since it's 12 degrees out right now, but remember how balmy it was last weekend? The rapidly melting snow banks coupled with the Marimekko event left me hungry for spring! If you're ever in a grouchy mood, just walk into Marimekko and your happy neurons will start firing; it's pure rainbow awesomeness. Don’t believe me? Check out the evidence below:

The spring/summer runway show was awesome thanks to my blogging friends and their adorable kids. Audrey showed how well Marimekko dresses go with leggings and flats. Her son Henry looked adorable in stripes + critters (and dragon face paint).

Casey shared that this was her first time in a dress since prom! She looked amazing and I love that she integrated her style with black sneakers. Her daughter Riley (with an awesome unicorn on her face...girl after my own heart) was simply adorable in Marimekko leggings, long sleeved tee, and tank dress.

Sharon looked awesomely elegant in this dot dress. Her son Bennett (he was such an adorable ham!) rocked the layers, with a striped collared shirt topped with a gorilla tee.

I love how chic and modern Sharon's geometric print is; she dressed this look up with peep toe pumps. Her daughter Sienna looked so cute in leggings, a tee, and my favorite of Marimekko's raincoats for kids. Also, Sienna's red glitter shoes were to die for!

Here's a shot of the moms, which I insisted on because usually we're busy taking pictures of our kids and aren't in the photos. These ladies make the internet such a good place!

Also, I love this photo with Audrey. Audrey is one of the first people I met after I started blogging; she's pure generosity and kindness. Her family is amazing and I often joke that I'm totally crashing their next family gathering.

Thank you Zac of Zac Wolf Photography for these amazing photos! And also, have you heard of The Danger Booth? Zac and Becca are the brains behind this operation and their booth set up at the event was the funnest. thing. ever. I want to hire them for all my parties! These photo booth shots are hilarious; the booth was touch screen so the kids were able to operate it themself and go nuts.

And finally, as someone who has an awful lot of black, white, and cream in her wardrobe (I tend to infuse color via accessories), wearing that insanely awesome Tasma dress was a fun way to step out of my comfort zone and wear the rainbow. Subsequently, I thought it would be fun to close by sharing a rainbow assortment of Marimekko offerings. So cute! And I love that their wares span clothing, accessories, household, and tech! (Names of items are underneath the image.)

Murina t-shirt | Converse Mustakottarainen | Media makeup bag | Sukellus bathing suit | Pitkähiha long sleeved t-shirt | Päärynä coffee cup | Kurjenpolvi pillow sham | Sääpäiväkirja plate | Ärrän raincoat | Hennika sham| Räsymatto apron | Telmiä pajamas | Kaivo phone case | Kaivo scarf

Image credits: product shots via Marimekko; all other photos courtesy of Zac Wolf Photography