Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a lovely weekend! It was insanely wonderful to spend so much time outdoors this weekend -- going for a long run without 20 layers on, buying flowers and mulch at the garden store, helping with our school's spring spruce up, and enjoying our first grilling and outdoor dinner of the season. Yay for simple pleasures! Meanwhile, it's time to kick off the week. Enjoy this roundup of events via the Weekly Blueprint:

April 13: Navigate your way from diapers to diploma. (Acton)

April 13 - 17: It’s the Week of the Young Child so brain building is in progress. (Boston)

April 13 - 18: Take an interactive journey around the globe using stories, music, dance and poetry. (Boston)

April 15: Toddler story time on the farm. (Waltham)

April 15: Even adults love to play with Legos. (Somerville)

April 16: Get outdoors with baby on board. (Natick)

April 16: Get your your bangles and legwarmers, it’s art and the 80’s. (Salem)

April 17: Special night at the museum for families with children on the Autism spectrum. (Easton)

April 17: The Art of Baseball exhibit opens. (Concord)

Image credit: Gore Place

Happy Saturday everyone, I hope you're having a great week! I have some great reads and visuals to share for this week's edition of Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome. Also, on this site, be sure to check out how the Red Sox are working to make Fenway more family-friendly, my thoughts on alcohol consumption, social media, and kids, a roundup of rad, neutral shoes, great stuff to do this weekend, and the ride that made me cry! See you back here on Monday!

- Michelle Obama's got the moves.

- The real roots of midlife crisis.

- Stupid things people ask you when you are pregnant over 40.

- Nothing beats that new baby jaguar smell.

- Transgender kids: 'Everyone was calling me Sebastian, but I knew I was a girl.'

- What happens when students boycott a standardized test?

- The double-standard of making the poor prove they're worthy of government benefits.

- Why I wear the exact same thing to work every day.

- Raising your successful 35-year-old.

- Sign this petition to ask President Obama to commit to giving 50% of global poverty-fighting aid to the world’s least developed countries.

Image credit: creamy mushroom tart via Pinterest

I have only owned two bicycles in my life, and I owned them 20 years apart. No joke. I bought my first bike when I was in college, enjoyed one glorious ride, and then it was stolen two days later (CUE SAD TROMBONE). Over the last decade, despite Jon's repeated encouragement, I have since (rather stubbornly) resisted owning another bike, both due to my bike theft trauma and also because of cost. And then I learned about Priority Bicycles.

Priority Bicycles reached out to me late last fall about trying out their bike, and I know it sounds crazy, but I was still somewhat resistant because I didn’t want to own another bike and have it get stolen two days later (ridiculous, I know, but still!). However, after some contemplation -- and a really lovely exchange with founder David Weiner, who personally helped with product recommendations -- I decided to get over myself and try their (super adorable) ladies’ step-through bike.

And I’m not exaggerating when I say this bike is a total game changer. Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Empowerment. I will admit that I’ve fallen into a pattern of having Jon handle anything requiring fixing and assembling. My brain typically isn’t suited to processing instructions. But when the bike arrived, I decided I wanted to try putting it together. And while the instructions do advise you to have a professional review your bike assembly, I found the instructions to be straightforward and simple, and I'm not sure I can begin to convey how empowering it was to assemble the bike then take it for a ride. The bike rides well and comfortably and it was easy to get used to the internal (reverse pedal) braking system.

2. Active togetherness time. My bike arrived about a week before the onslaught of snow, and during that week I went bike riding with Laurel twice. Biking has been her and Jon’s activity and to be able to do something new and physical with Laurel was amazing. I actually had tears in my eyes as I rode behind her that first time, with Laurel leading the way and showing me the loop she usually does with Jon. I'm the kind of person who needs some kind of physical activity every day (or else I go crazy and cranky) and I love that biking now offers a way Laurel and I can do something active together.

3. Less car time. Now that the weather is finally warming up, I am seriously excited about being able to bike to do errands when I don’t want to use the car, but don’t quite have the time to walk.

4. Easy add-ons. Priority’s bicycles are pre-drilled to accommodate a bunch of different accessories. After enjoying my pre-snowpocalypse rides, I ordered their U-lock, back rack, and cargo net. I am ready to do all the errands! Also cool for parents who want to ride with little ones, they have a Peg Perego rear mounted seat.

5. Price. As I mentioned earlier, in addition to my bike theft trauma, a related bike barrier for me was cost. On the couple of occasions I have visited bike stores (to get gear for Laurel), I’ve looked at the price tags and been completely overwhelmed by the idea of spending close to $1,000 (or way more!) on a bicycle that, well, might get stolen in my urban neighborhood. Priority Bicycles run just under $400, which I didn’t even know was possible for an adult bike. So, basically, though I will do all I can to protect my ride, even if it got stolen tomorrow, I know I could order a new one at a reasonable price.

So, if you’re looking for a bicycle, definitely check out Priority! Given that the forecast is calling for a string of 60+ degree days starting Sunday, my bicycle is coming out of hibernation this weekend. And you can be sure I’ll be locking it up at every turn.

Image credits: 1) Christine Koh; 2) Priority Bicycles

Disclosure: Priority Bicycles kindly sent me a bicycle to test out for editorial consideration. All thoughts and opinions are, of course, my own.

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're having a great week! It's been a busy one here and we've been wrestling with more plague but I'm hoping that the forthcoming warm up (according to the forecast, 60+ degrees several days in a row!) will signal the turning of a corner and the last of the winter plague. And on that, let's turn the corner towards the weekend and enjoy this roundup of 22 weekend events, lovingly curated for your consideration!

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

2. Magic show with Rupayan Neogy. (Acton)

3. Step into spring with a family hike. (Belmont)

4. An interactive journey around the globe using stories, music, dance and poetry. (Boston)

5. Learn about architecture, design and construction and build a city from the ground up. (Boston)

6. Check out a collection of over 2000 dolls from around the world. (Boston)

7. Amazing showcase of musical talent and performances. (Boston)

8. A performance by the Boston Children’s Chorus. (Boston)

9. Week of the Young Child kicks off. (Boston)

10. Meet the woodwinds of the New England Philharmonic. (Boston)

11. An engaging day focusing on research and conservation. (Boston)

12. It’s Alex the Jester. (Brookline)

13. The Magic Soup and Other Stories puppet show. (Brookline)

14. Rock out with Karen K and the Jitterbugs. (Cambridge)

15. Daytime bedtime stories and hands on history. (Concord)

16. Let’s go fly a kite. (Essex)

17. Engage deeply with some art. (Lincoln)

18. Create sculptures fit for adventure. (Lincoln)

19. Ben Rudnick show and bake sale. (Littleton) 

20. Get down and dirty cleaning up the trail. (Medfield)

21. What goes on with amphibians after dark? (Norfolk)

22. Slow down and take a look at some art. (Salem)

Image credit: Mass Audubon 

One of my favorite things about spring is shedding the cold weather layers -- and that goes for feet too. Over the last few weeks, while the weather has toyed with all of our emotions (what was up with the hail yesterday?!), I've been chomping at the bit to wear my spring shoes daily. So, for the next edition of Style on a Budget, I'm sharing a roundup of 8 neutral spring/summer shoes that will give you plenty of bang for your buck, both in and out of the office.

You might ask, Hey, it's spring! Why are you focusing on neutrals? Well, for one, most of us are, in fact, on a budget, and can't afford to have a closet full of colorful shoes that only go with a limited number of outfits. Second, as I shared in my green fashion picks post, I will never recommend you buy cheap (like, under $20) dress shoes...I've just had too many foot problems due to wearing cheaply constructed shoes! So, I encourage you to spend a bit more on a pair of shoes (though the picks in this roundup still range a pretty reasonable $35-$138) that will give you plenty of wears. Save your color pops and trends for inexpensive pieces such as scarves! Finally, as I was scouting these picks, I wanted to share options that would work both in and out of the office, so you can up those dollars per use. Do you sense a theme here? Here goes, in order of ascending heel height:

1. These two-toned d’Orsay flats are a steal, currently on sale for $35 at LOFT.

2. For a classic, ladylike look, try these Brin metallic captoe leather flats ($88, Ann Taylor).

3. Loafers are a great pick to pair with everything from suitwear to jeans. These Carole leather loafers ($88, Ann Taylor) have an awesome, subtle metallic heel to give you a little edge.

4. If you'd like a little elevation without the teeter totter factor, these Romy pumps ($64.99, Lands’ End) will give you a 1.25 inch lift.

5. Wedges are my absolute favorite these days when it comes to elevated comfort. And I just ordered these gold crackle demi-wedges (currently on sale for $68, J. Crew Factory). I bought these in suede last year and wore them all the time so I wanted to get another pair in gold.

6. OK, I know this is another pair of demi-wedges, but these cut-out wedge sandals ($79.50, LOFT) add a level of visual interest that I really love. I recently ordered these in black and they're perfect for riding clear of my bunions.

7. If you're in a less conservative office, height makes these espadrille wedges (currently on sale for $84.50, J. Crew Factory) office appropriate. And yes, they are wedges. And yes, I own these!

8. If you're good with true heels, I am completely and utterly swooning over these Leandra sandals ($138, Banana Republic). The styling is just so gorgeous.

Image credit: all images via linked sources above

"Do you want the children's menu?" the hostess asked, flicking her eyes over my girl on her eleventh birthday. It seemed awfully small for The Cheesecake Factory, a place with a menu that sells advertising. We took it, anyway.

When we got to the booth, the little angel informed us she is no longer allowed to eat from that menu, as it is for children ten and under. We told her she probably wouldn't get arrested or anything, but she seemed proud of the fact that it was LEGALLY AGAINST THE LAW for her to order off that menu.

I sat there scarfing down the tiny bread that comes in the little basket and is just enough to kick your blood sugar into high gear but not enough to take the edge off your hunger if you ate a really little lunch because hello, you were going to The Cheesecake Factory, her birthday favorite and grandfather of America's portion-size issues, for dinner, and while I tried to make myself chew instead of just swallowing the doughy goodness whole, a sea of children's menus flashed before my eyes.

Hot dogs

Chicken fingers

Cheeseburger sliders

Cheese pizza

Macaroni & cheese

Applesauce

Fruit cup

French fries

Scoop of vanilla ice cream

It's not that I'm nostalgic for the children's menu. It's full of food that we all pretend is disgusting and then lick off our kids' plates after we finish our salad and they leave half a perfectly good chicken finger for which we paid hard-earned money, dammit. I don't miss the little kid days, actually. She was adorable, to be sure, but when I look back at the pictures we took of that time, I can see the exhaustion in my face and remember the feeling of OH MY GOD I CAN'T PLAY POLLY POCKETS ONE MORE TIME OR I WILL SCREAM AND I'M NOT SURE I WILL BE ABLE TO STOP SCREAMING PLEASE GOD SOMEONE PASS THE ATLANTIC.

It's just ... that at some places, at least, it's no longer an option. Another milestone, so to say. You hear everyone say it and you can't believe it's possible at the start of the journey, but eighteen years really isn't that long. I was a senior in high school more than eighteen years ago. I've been married for almost fourteen.

My marriage can't even eat off the kids' menu.

As my daughter would say, *poof*. Mind blown.

I look forward to the next chapter of her life, even though I'm a little afraid of the teen years that linger not that far on the horizon, and OMG, middle school even closer. Thank God she still can't finish a cheeseburger. Pass that plate, sweetheart. I got your back.

During the past year, two things have shifted my approach to -- and consumption of -- alcohol: 1) learning about (and later becoming part of) Responsibility.org’s #TalkEarly program (which educates about responsible consumption + sending positive messages to kids); and 2) the strange reality that some of Laurel’s friends have started following me on social media. April is Alcohol Responsibility Month and I want to share some thoughts about alcohol + social media as it relates to kids. I'd also love to hear your perspective on this topic.

At the #TalkEarly summit in January, Gabrielle Glaser spoke about her research on women and alcohol. Glaser, author of Her Best Kept Secret: Why Women Drink & How They Can Regain Control, is smart, passionate, and totally NOT against enjoying a glass of wine with dinner. She is, however, concerned by her findings that: 1) American women are drinking more often and in greater quantity than ever before; 2) moms are very much part of this equation (i.e., it’s not just the single, clubbing ladies); and 3) the way parents refer to alcohol as a stress release valve sends troubling messages to kids.

To Glaser's third point, I didn’t used to pay much attention to the wine/mom memes floating around; it’s just not where my humor tends to play out. But as I’ve been thinking about Responsibilty.org’s work, and now that I’m in the zone where it’s not uncommon for Laurel to notice what I’m viewing on social or for her friends to see what I’m posting, I now cringe when I see graphics like these being shared around:

I'm not humorless; I get the angle! But why do these make me cringe? Because I grew up in a home that was regularly in a state of crisis due to alcoholism -- where seeing another glass filled and raised filled me with anxiety (and invariably led to something bad happening). And because I can imagine how hurt my sweet, sensitive Laurel would be if she saw that last graphic especially. Thinking about that actually makes me want to cry right now. I mean, yes, parenting is crazy hard sometimes, but that last graphic stings, right? Stand in your kids shoes and imagine someone you love and trust saying that the only way they can stand being around you is when they've got a couple of drinks in them. Ouch.

I’m curious about how you respond to these kinds of graphics, and also how you reference alcohol around your kids -- please feel free to share in the comments below. The main ways my behavior has changed since I started thinking about this stuff last year is: 1) I’ve become more mindful about consumption. If I’ve had a stressful day, instead of reflexively turning towards a glass of wine, I think about whether that is actually what I want or whether there’s something that would feel better. 2) I don’t talk about alcohol in front of Laurel and Violet in stress-release terms. 3) When I share on social media (Instagram is where Laurel’s friends are following in particular), I’m mindful about what and how I’m sharing, alcohol-related or otherwise.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned for sure during this wild parenting ride, it’s that kids see and hear EVERYTHING. And during the formative years, they take your words at face value.

Image credits: 1) Responsibility.org; 2-4) someecards.com via linked sources above

Disclosure: This post was inpsired by my work as part of Responsibility.org's #TalkEarly program. All thoughts and opinions are, of course, my own.

Can you believe the Red Sox open at home next week? It’s hard for me to wrap my head around this fact given that we still have a snow pile on our tiny front yard! But yes, it’s true, and, as a Boston lifer + Red Sox fan, I’m looking forward to working with the Red Sox this year as part of their Red Sox Moms program. A few weeks ago I met with the team that is working hard to make Fenway family-friendly, and I wanted to share 6 ways they're upping their game in that department.

1. FREE TICKETS! With the support of Hood, the Red Sox have a new program called Calling All Kids, in which kids can join Red Sox Kid Nation for free. The first 25,000 kids registered for Red Sox Kid Nation will receive a free ticket to a 2015 game. And yes, you can of course make sure they line up with tickets you are purchasing. So go sign up!

2. A DEDICATED GATE. There’s a special new Fenway entrance just for families. Gate K is adjacent to Gate B, near the corner of Van Ness and Ipswich Streets.

3. A DEDICATED CREW. The Red Sox Kids Crew is a new dedicated staff for families; they'll greet kids as they enter Gate K, lead kids in games, and be on hand to help families at the park.  

4. KID NATION CONCOURSE. Gate K leads families into the new Kid Nation Concourse, with activities (games, balloon artist, face painter, etc.), kid-themed concessions, and more.

5. WALLY’S CLUBHOUSE. After you've enjoyed a couple of innings with your kids, you can hop over to Wally’s Clubhouse. Open from the 3rd to 7th innings, your kids can enjoy clubhouse offerings and take a selfie with Wally the Green Monster. (And yes, there's a TV there so you can follow the game.)

6. STUDENT TICKETS. Got older kids? As a longtime poor graduate student, I love that the Red Sox are making $9 home game tickets available for students 15 and older. 

So great, right? First and foremost, go grab your kids a Red Sox Kid Nation membership before they run out. And if you have Red Sox/family related questions, please drop me a line at editor@bostonmamas.com. I will patch your queries through to headquarters!

Image credits: Red Sox

Disclosure: The Red Sox Moms program is an experiential blogger program. I'm not paid to share information; I'm just sharing what I think is cool and useful for you all!

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! Ours included lovely things like flowers, a long run (albeit a tough one!), an egg hunt with friends, a gorgeous family hike, and a visit to see my mom, in addition to getting our house back in order (oh the endless piles of laundry!) after last week's plague. I'm looking forward to this week, and am kicking it off with the Weekly Blueprint. Enjoy, and have a great week!

April 7: Autism-friendly afternoon at The Discovery Museums. (Acton)

April 8: Celebrate Sakura, the season for cherry blossoms. (Boston)

April 8: Sprout your very own garden. (Lincoln)

April 8:  All about sheep storytime. (Waltham)

April 9: Making silly circuits. (Easton)

April 9: Looking for somewhere to volunteer? Here’s the place. (Boston)

April 9 - 12: The Magic Soup and Other Stories puppet show. (Brookline)

April 10: The Concord Band Spring Pops Concert. (Concord)

April 10: Sing along with Ed Morgan. (Needham)

April 10: The magic of the beautiful vernal pool migration. (Topsfield)

Image credit: Boston Children’s Museum