Hooray, it's Local Gems time! Today's Natick recommendations come from my friend Jodi Grundig, mom of two and editor of Mom's Favorite Stuff and Family Travel Magazine. Thanks for sharing these 10 local gems in Natick, Jodi! And be sure to check out the Arlington Center, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Coolidge Corner, Huron Village, Easton, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Medford, Watertown, and Wellesley features!

From Jodi:

Although it’s commonly referenced as the home of the largest mall in New England, this town 15 miles west of Boston is home to a thriving community as well as many hidden gems. From locally owned shops and restaurants to several outdoor attractions, Natick has so much to offer. Here are 10 of my favorite local gems:

1. Tilly and Salvy’s Bacon Street Farm. This small grocery shop maintains an old-fashioned, small-town vibe while offering local produce, meats, baked goods, and traditional grocery items. Seasonal offerings include Christmas trees, pumpkins, and outdoor plants.

2. Casey’s Diner. This 10-stool diner located on the fringes of downtown Natick is on the National Register of Historic Places. It still offers the same delicious steamed hot dogs that made it a Natick institution.

3. Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary. Broadmoor, one of the Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries, is a great place for a family hike. Marked trails are easy to follow. The sanctuary also offers educational programs and workshops.

4. The Natick Community Organic Farm. The Natick Community Organic Farm is truly one of the hidden gems in Natick. This nonprofit, certified organic farm is home to many farm animals and offers complimentary admission during daylight hours.

5. The Center for Arts in Natick. Housed in a former firehouse, this nonprofit arts organization presents kid-friendly and adult shows throughout the year.

6. Oga’s Japanese Cuisine. Don’t let the strip-mall location fool you. This Japanese restaurant is easily one of the best in the state.

7. Five Crows. Located in Natick Center, Five Crows offers a selection of handmade gifts from a variety of artists in the area.

8. Uni-T. Local artist Eujin Kim Neilan owns this independent shop, one of the few located in the Natick Mall. Along with Eujin’s work, the shop also features products from about 50 local artists.

9. Lola's Italian Groceria. This locally owned shop offers delicious pasta and sandwiches as well as Italian grocery items and an impressive gluten-free selection.

10. Park Street Ice Cream. Tucked away alongside Natick Common is the Park Street Ice Cream Shoppe, a shop that’s been in business for more than 30 years

Thanks for sharing, Jodi! If you have other Natick favorites, feel free to share in the comments below. If you'd like to pen a Local Gems guest post, contact Christine at editor@bostonmamas.com to check on availability.

Image credits: all images via linked websites or associated Facebook pages.

Well, Southwest Airlines has sent me three very nice emails telling me they are thurching and thurching for my writing notebook, but alas, I fear it's gone. Gone, gone, gone, along with all those lovely ideas for chapter beginnings for my new novel. I remember what the device was, just not the embodiments of the device. Going to have to go eavesdrop again.

Twenty years ago, this would've been my worst nightmare.

Twenty years ago. Before I'd lost entire computers and phones full of information. Before I'd lost jobs. Before I'd lost people.

Man, twenty years ago I didn't know shit.

Now I'm a little sad but mostly annoyed because there were some good chapter heading ideas in there that took a good three hours to conjure in the car on the way home from Thanksgiving in Iowa.

When I got home, I went to my stash of hard-covered, spiral-bound, lined notebooks and picked another one. Then I printed out the brain dump I'd vomited into a Word document in the hotel the night I realized the notebook was gone. Then I pulled out the last notebook from THE BIRTHRIGHT OF PARKER CLEAVES, because there were some notes on the new idea in there, too. I'm still new enough to this novel-writing gig that I don't have a real set process yet. It does seem to be one notebook per book, though. Even if it's not, I may make it so, because it seems clean, and everything else about writing is messy.

But I still couldn't start again. I decided I needed a different music line-up, so I made one, and in doing so I realized we've only downloaded about 1/6 of our music collection onto the Mac. It's so tedious, the downloading. Beloved used to be a DJ and has like 600 CDs, and I brought a significant amount of chic-rocker singer/songwriters into the marriage, and also the two-disc set of Piano By Candlelight (purchased off late-night television, natch). There wasn't nearly enough to make the perfect new-novel playlist, but there was enough of the soul-searchy and NIN teeth-grindy to get me in the proper mood to remember the first twenty years of my life. 

I'd like to make a playlist to go with this new project when it's done. I didn't do that for PARKER CLEAVES. I missed it. Maybe that is part of my process. Who knows?

So the working title for this new book is THE NIGHTMARE DRESS. It's going to be young adult. I'm going back to high school, yearning and reconsidered relationships. This is the sentence I wrote down to set the stage for myself:

"Don't you know," she said, her pupils dilated in the falling light, "hell is other people not caring."

ONWARD.

As I mentioned yesterday, this weekend we got into the holiday spirit by getting our tree and working on some holiday projects. And while I do like making things festive, I also want (and need!) it to be relatively quick and not break the bank! I still love and think about the post my friend Gabrielle Blair shared about creating instant holiday mojo via smell, sound, and light and wanted to share my favorite ideas for easy and affordable holiday decor today.

1. Evaluate (and rearrange) what you have. It's easy to fall into a pattern with how you decorate. And sometimes, all you need to do to freshen up decor is to rearrange your existing holiday decor items. For example, instead of decorating by category (e.g., Nutcrackers, birds), try grouping items by color.

2. Incorporate items from nature. Sometimes the best decor elements are right in your backyard. Send your kids foraging for fallen branches! Branches in a vase cost zero dollars and can look amazing.

3. Incorporate inexpensive grocery store items. Our backyard is tiny and rather bare (so, not much in the way of foraging opportunity per #2)) so over the weekend, I bought a bundle of greenery and berries at Whole Foods for $12 and arranged them in three vases of different heights (see image at bottom of post). Another awesome grocery-store idea? For a lightning fast, affordable centerpiece, toss clementines and pinecones in a bowl and DONE.

4. Keep to a simple color palette. Decorating is way easier -- and more harmonious -- when you limit the color palette. Other than the ornaments on the Christmas tree, I'm keeping things simple with green and white, nature-inspired. I haven't purchased holiday decor in ages, and over the weekend bought gorgeous white LED branches (both garland and standing branches) + white pierced candle holders (that I can use year round) from West Elm. They were on sale and look amazing.

5. Leverage the sense of smell. As Gabby shared, the sense of smell is powerful! In my Eat Seasonal feature on cranberries, I included this cranberry infused simmering stove top potpourri. Add these items to your grocery list (#2 above)!

Our home redesign included a built-in bookcase near the entryway to better define the space in our open concept first floor. I arranged greens and berries in vases, along with the LED standing branches and pierced vases. So easy and pretty!

Image credits: all images via linked sites above, with the exception of the final image by Christine Koh

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! We enjoyed an incredibly (and awesomely!) domestic weekend, which included getting our tree, making cookie cutter bird feeders, decorating the house, potting plants, and making homemade bread for the first time in ages. So, so delightful! But now it's back to work! If you're looking for something to fun to do this week, there's no shortage of ideas in this week's Weekly Blueprint:

December 8 - 15: Greenovate Boston’s used toy collection. (Boston)

December 8 - 21: Boston Children’s Theater presents The Velveteen Rabbit. (Boston)

December 8 - 23: Holiday lights trolley tour and sing along. (Boston)

December 8 - 14: Reagle Music Theatre’s ChristmasTime. (Waltham)

December 8 - January 1: Nantucket Noel, the quintessential yuletide experience. (Nantucket)

December 8 - January 1: The Whaling Museum turns into a festive winter wonderland. (Nantucket)

December 8 - January 4: The zoo becomes magical with thousands of twinkling lights. (Stoneham)

December 8 - January 10: Downtown Boston’s holiday market. (Boston)

December 9 + 12: Cookie decorating and holiday crafts. (North Andover)

December 11: Holiday story time sing along. (Boston)

December 11: Wander through Roslindale this holiday season. (Roslindale)

December 11: The Chandler Travis Philharmonic Christmas Cavalcade benefit. (Somerville)

December 11: An exquisite evening of music and fine dining featuring the Worcester Chamber Music Society. (Sturbridge)

December 11 - 14: The Velveteen Rabbit puppet show. (Brookline)

December 12: Rock N’ Soul holiday concert. (Arlington)

December 12: Color chromatography; unmix colors and explore ink. (Boston)

December 12: The Elf on the Shelf has a friend, the Farm Nisse at Appleton Farms. (Ipswich)

December 12 + 13: A festival of trees. (Marlborough)

December 12 - 14: Festival of native arts and culture. (Cambridge)

December 12 - 14: Escape the frenzy of a modern Christmas and celebrate by candlelight. (Sturbridge)

December 12 - 28: The Christmas Revels; celebrating the Winter Solstice. (Cambridge)

Image credit: Old Sturbridge Village

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're having a great week! If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, fear not, I have a massive 43-event roundup for you in today's Weekend Roundup! Also, don't forget to enter to win the Disney on Ice ticket giveaway, this weekend will be the perfect time to set your kids up with these 10 clutter-free gifts that kids can make, and keep thinking about how you can DO LESS via your minimalist holiday manifesto.

1. Magic show with Rupayan Neogy. (Acton)

2. See what happens when Badger Meets the Fairies. (Arlington)

3. The Legacy Dancers present Holiday Traditions. (Arlington)

4. First lights in East Arlington. (Arlington)

5. Breakfast with Santa! (Boston)

6. Stories Alive! interactive reading of Rudolph. (Boston)

7. Boston Modern Orchestra Project presents The Fantastic Mr. Fox. (Boston)

8. Boston gets crafty, holiday style. (Boston)

8. Holiday lights trolley tour and sing along. (Boston)

10. Boston Children’s Theater presents The Velveteen Rabbit. (Boston)

11. Holiday story hours, musical performances and a FREE kids concert. (Boston)

12. Greenovate Boston’s used toy collection. (Boston)

13. Chanukah in the city. (Boston)

14. Free holiday celebrations with Stacey Peasley. (Boston, Haverhill)

15. Spend the morning with Karen K and the Jitterbugs. (Brookline)

16. Your opportunity to buy handmade at this artist marketplace. (Brookline)

17. King Midas puppet show. (Brookline)

18. Curious Creatures, music, crafts and more at Jewish Family Fun Day. (Cambridge)

19. Hop aboard the Polar Express. (Carver)

20. Live holiday music and a visit with Santa. (Concord)

21. Farm fun, potato latke, and lantern making. (Dover)

22. Kids’ holiday shop and elves workshop. (Easton)

23. Have cocoa with Santa! (Haverhill)

24. Holiday open house and activities. (Marshfield)

25. Take a stroll along the streets of Nantucket. (Nantucket)

26. The Whaling Museum turns into a festive winter wonderland. (Nantucket)

27. Needham lights luminary nights. (Needham)

28. New Philharmonia Orchestra celebrates the season of peace, joy and creativity. (Newton)

29. Santa’s workshop is open for business. (North Andover)

30. Ben Rudnick and Karen K of Jitterbugs fame. (Reading)

31. Legoland Discovery Center’s Holiday Bricktacular. (Somerville)

32. FREE showing of The Polar Express. (Somerville)

33. Santa paws, pet photos with Santa. (Somerville)

34. A Norman Rockwell painting comes to life. (Stockbridge)

35. Photos with Santa. (Stoneham)

36. Holiday hot chocolate with the reindeer (and early entry to ZooLights). (Stoneham)

37. A good old-fashioned brunch with Santa. (Sturbridge)

38. Escape the frenzy of a modern Christmas and celebrate by candlelight. (Sturbridge)

39. Reagle Music Theatre’s ChristmasTime. (Waltham)

40. Festival of native arts and culture. (Watertown)

41. Storytime with Zoë and R. W. Alley - Enzo Races in the Rain! (Wellesley)

42. A special performance of The Squirrel Stole My Underpants. (Westford)

43. Northeast Comic Con and Pop Culture Expo. (Wilmington)

Image credit: Wilson Farm

My sweet Laurel is a maker and around the holidays, she's always asking me about projects ideas. The Minimalist Parenting community loved this post on 14 kid-crafted gifts, so I figured -- what with the weekend coming up -- it would be fun to share 10 more ideas. And given my deep passion for clutter-free gifts, I've rounded up a collection of ideas that are CLUTTER-FREE. YAY! These items would be adorable for family, friend, and teacher gifts.

Click on the links below for the full tutorials, more images, and further creative content. And props to these amazing bloggers for sharing their DIY brilliance!

1. I've been obsessed with plants lately (and finding ways to bring more into our home). These DIY paperwhites would be such a lovely gift.

2. Homemade bath bombs in cute shapes = adorable. Extra awesome add-on: a coupon for solo tubby time to the recipient.

3. Kids can help mix ingredients and fill jars for this honey brown sugar scrub. Perfectly timed for desperately-need-to-exfoliate season.

4. Help your kids practice their knot tying skills with these ribbon tree ornaments. I'm a huge fan of the "use all the scraps" mentality!

5. I love clipboards for simple command centers and had never thought of how awesome it would be to give your kid creative freedom to create decoupage clipboards as gifts. So awesome.

6. Laurel became obsessed this year with homemade lip gloss. And why not? Just two ingredients and you're ready to roll. (Little baby food jars would find a great new life for this project.)

7. These cookie cutter bird feeders give your holiday cookie cutters another purpose while making for cute, clutter-free gifts for loved ones (and their backyard birds).

8. Attention partners of moms, print this World's Best Mom newspaper sheet and have your kid decorate it. Perhaps also enclose tissues. This will be a flat keepsake for your archives. Or you might want to frame it.

9. I love the mess-free nature of duct tape crafting! Have your kid give old frames a new life by duct taping them! You could also apply the decoupage approach of #5 to frames.

10. These citrus stamped tea towels are so cheerful, and totally doable for the younger crafting crowd.

So fantastic, right? Which project would your kids love? I'm thinking that the cookie cutter bird feeders are where we'll start this weekend.

Image credits: all images via linked websites above.

I was driving to meet a friend for dinner when I heard a Robert Plant interview on the radio. I've searched in vain to find a transcript; I think it's lost to the winds of change.

---

I grew up on Led Zeppelin, as classic rock lives on in southwest Iowa today as it did in its heydey. Middle America is where time stands still for old-school rock and roll, as it does for mall hair and some forms of acid-wash jeans. There are places deep in the heart of Nebraska where I assume people are still pegging their jeans, similar to the Space Odyssey: a land where time stood still and perhaps the universe ceased to rotate for several decades. That, my friends, is western Nebraska.

Anyway, Robert Plant was talking about his creative process. He said if he listened to what people wanted him to be at this point in his career it would all be awful, that he had to create what he is now for himself. As I was driving deeper into Kansas and reflecting on my own tiny writing career, I thought to myself, wow, if Robert Plant has deep existential questions, then I am totally fucked.

But that's it, isn't it? This is all there is, for all of us, what we have in this moment. Lay down your swords, boys, this is who you are.

---

Today I worked with Laura Fraser on a session at BlogHer PRO all about putting together a book proposal, which I did for SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK in 2006 or 2007. The book came out in 2008. If I did today what I did in 2008 for SIFTW, I doubt it would have been published. If I did twenty years ago what I did for THE OBVIOUS GAME in 2011, I think it would've sold better. The fact is, the world turns, and the publishing world turns with it, and none of us really knows what's going to happen next. What worked yesterday won't work today, and works today won't work tomorrow. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Being a writer is more about the career than the book. Save yourself the pain and absorb that truth.

(I really wish there was a typed transcript of this Robert Plant interview. You're going to have to trust the paraphrase here.)

So the host was asking Robert Plant about his career (and what a career!) and Robert Plant was basically saying at this point he just does what he likes and who cares what the bastards think? (Again, I paraphrase.) That at some point, people have an expectation of you, and you have to decide whether or not to fulfill it.

I have no idea if there is an expectation of me other than what I set for myself. I'm guessing probably not.

---

Yesterday, I lost a notebook with all my ideas for my next novel on Southwest flight 699 from Kansas City to Phoenix. I've filed a claim in the hopes that my little notebook with owls on the cover has been found. The first thing I did when I got to my room was open a Word document and word vomit everything I could remember from the five-hour drive home from Thanksgiving into it. The idea is so weird anyone who finds the notebook and reads it might think I am crazy.

I'm a little crushed that I lost that notebook. I may have cried in the Phoenix airport.

And as I dried my tears, I thought of Robert Plant.

And I thought about what expectations I have set for myself.

---

Today in the BlogHer PRO session I admitted, once again, all my writerly failures. How many times I have been rejected. My ongoing search for a career agent. My many projects in all their various stages. Laura actually called me out and insisted I would do better to work my network, and I admitted to myself and to her that maybe I haven't asked more people that I know in the field to introduce me to their agents because

I

am

scared.

Even after two books, I am scared.

I want to be Robert Plant.

I want to get to the point where I make my own art, and I do not worry about where the cards may fall.

I went into the session with the hope that people would hear my part of the story and understand that the artistic gig, the publishing gig, is fraught with rejection. I would have nothing, absolutely nothing, published without the sheer force of my will. Nobody else has ever cared about it like I have.

You get up, you send more queries, you get critiques, you revise, you query again. And so on.

Thank you, Robert Plant, for reminding me that in the end, nobody cares about my art like I do.

Friends, I have another wonderful giveaway for you! Disney on Ice will show at the Agganis Arena at Boston University December 19-29. I've attended several times in past years with Laurel and it's always such fun spectacle! And thanks to my friends at Feld Entertainment, I have two 4-packs of tickets to give away for opening night (December 19, 7pm)! The Disney on Ice Worlds of Fantasy show includes character faves such as Lightning McQueen, The Little Mermaid, Tinker Bell, and Buzz Lightyear.

TO ENTER TO WIN: leave a comment below by midnight EST, Sunday, December 7. Make sure you include your e-mail address in the e-mail field so I can contact you if you win (your e-mail will not show up publicly with the comment)! Good luck!

DETAILS: Two (2) winners will each receive four (4) tickets to the December 19, 2014, 7pm show. Winners will pick up tickets at will call.

Goodness, it's been too long since I've shared a Local Gems feature! Today's Coolidge Corner recommendations come from my friend Sheri Gurock, mom of 3, co-founder of the award-winning toy/gear store Magic Beans, food blogger at Unbageled, and longtime Coolidge Corner dweller. Thanks for sharing these 12 local gems, Sheri! And be sure to check out the Arlington Center, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Huron Village (Cambridge), Easton, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Medford, Watertown, and Wellesley features!

1. Pear Tree. This lovely beading shop offers a huge variety of beads and tons of gorgeous example pieces to inspire you. It's a great place to visit on a rainy day with the kids, because everyone gets to be creative. One of my favorite necklaces is one my 6-year-old made for me here!

2. Eureka! It's impossible not to love this quirky game and puzzle shop, filled with all kinds of interesting products and staffed by people who love their goods and can make spot-on recommendations.

3. Knight Moves. Former Eureka! employee Devon Trevylan opened this board game cafe nearly a year ago. Gather with friends at his cozy space and choose from over 300 different board games. The cafe serves drinks and pastries, including some gluten-free options!

4. Tiny Hanger. Tiny Hanger owner Lucia has such fabulous taste and it shows in her appealing selection of clothing and gifts for babies and kids.

5. The Coolidge Theater. The Coolidge is widely accepted to be a great date-night venue, but did you know they also do a family-friendly show each weekend on either Saturday or Sunday morning? The programs are always low-key and high quality -- a great combination.

6. Brookline Booksmith. This charming locally owned bookstore is everything you'd hope for it to be and more. The selection is extensive, the staff is wonderful, and there is always an amazing schedule of authors coming to speak and sign. In the basement you'll find great deals on used books (you can also sell your used books to them), and they have a wonderful, quirky gift department, too.

7. Regal Beagle. It's always been tough to get a table at this tiny, delightful bistro, but now that executive chef Stacy Cogswell is a contestant on this season's Top Chef, it's a good idea to plan in advance if you want to come for dinner. The lunch menu is also wonderful, and they are kid-friendly.

8. Zaftig's. This iconic Coolidge Corner delicatessen is always swamped on weekends for brunch, but you can eat breakfast all day long at this very family-friendly establishment. The menu is wide-ranging and everything is tasty.

9. Rani Bistro. This Indian restaurant is really something special. The atmosphere is serene, and the menu is full of flavorful dishes with a wide range of choices for vegetarians and carnivores alike. The lunch buffet is a great deal, and before I went Paleo I loved their Dosa.

10. Paris Creperie. This hole-in-the-wall offers a dizzying array of delicious choices, from crepes to soups to smoothies. Need a meal? Grab a hearty savory crepe. Looking for a snack? Don't miss the strawberry Nutella crepe or the Nutella hot chocolate. They are set up to accommodate a range of dietary restrictions, too.

11. Party Favors. Since going GF/Paleo over a year ago, there are few things I miss as much as Party Favors cupcakes. They look as pretty as they taste, and they are always topped with a very generous amount of sweet buttercream. You can also find a wide range of party goods and even cake decorating supplies. They also offer occasional classes and birthday parties.

12. Rami's. This is an authentic Israeli dining experience. Come when it's busy and the line is likely to be disorganized, but that's part of the charm. The falafel is outstanding, crispy and bursting with flavor, served in a soft, warm pita nestled in homemade hummus. It's street food at its absolute best. Another food I miss terribly!

So awesome, right? Thanks again Sheri, for sharing your favorite picks. If you have other favorite Coolidge Corner gems, feel free to share in the comments below. And of course don't forget to pop in to Magic Beans if you're in Coolidge Corner! If you'd like to pen a Local Gems guest post, contact Christine at editor@bostonmamas.com to check on availability.

Image credits: all images via linked websites or associated Facebook pages.