Somehow my life has become reduced to a rectangle of plastic and glass that I hold in my palm.

When I first got it, I both mourned the actual clickable buttons of the obsolete Blackberry and longed to stroke the smooth glass screen of my brand new iPhone 4.

Now there are days when I want to use the piece of glass to tell the world something, but I tap and I tap and nothing happens. It can reduce an adult human to tears. It's now a 5S. I guess this matters.

Why? When the glass is unresponsive, I feel like a chimpanzee.

Because there is a social expectation now that we will respond, to anyone's request, no matter when it was made.

I take back my boundaries.

I love you, my friends, but the 24/7 nature of communication is more than I can bear, so as not to be rude, I take my leave. I just can't. Keep. Up.

I typed this all out on a little glass box. How odd.

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful vacation week! We didn't travel but the week has completely zipped by; if you're looking for things to do today, refer to the April vacation mega-roundup! And there's plenty on tap for this weekend. Enjoy this roundup of 26 events, lovingly curated for your consideration! And please be sure to check out this simple (and laugh inducing!) way to help lift kids out of poverty, here at home and abroad.

1. Meet Kodiak the Bernese Mountain Dog and his therapy dog friends. (Acton)

2. JCA Orchestra with special guests Strings Theory Trio. (Allston)

3. Birth stories take center stage at this slam. (Allston)

4. Spring art is in bloom at the MFA. (Boston)

5. Children’s adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank. (Boston)

6. Boston’s Urbanity Dance showcase. (Boston)

7. Get out the hammer and nails for Construction Workshop. (Boston)

8. Especially for Me FREE evening at the museum for families with children on the autism spectrum. (Boston)

9. Planting trees in the unique urban wild. (Boston)

10. A free Fenway open house. (Boston) 

11. Everybody Love Pirates! (Brookline)

12. Family day at Holly Hill Farm. (Cohasset)

13. Framingham Earth Day Festival. (Framingham)

14. Vernal pools are totally cool. (Framingham)

15. Earth Day coastal clean up. (Manchester)

16. Get outside and stare at the stars. (Marshfield)

17. The Nantucket Daffodil Festival is in full bloom. (Nantucket)

18. A children’s opera version of Hansel and Gretel. (Newton)

19. What could a tree tell us if it could talk? (Salem)

20. It’s princess and frog day at the museum. (Stoneham)

21. Kayaks and canoes have the run of the Charles. (Various locations)

22. Work for wildlife at this statewide volunteer day. (Various locations)

23. It’s healthy kids day at the YMCA. (Various locations)

24. The 28th annual Gore Place sheepshearing festival. (Waltham)

25. This family day will teach you how text and image interact. (Wellesley)

26. Vegetarians unite at the New England Veg Fest. (Worcester)

Image credit: Daffodil Festival

I have seen time and again how small actions can contribute to big change, so when I was invited to cover (in a sponsored capacity) the Red Nose Day launch event at Walgreen’s in Chicago last week, I was thrilled! A U.K. tradition for over 25 years, Red Nose Day is a comedy fundraising event coming to the U.S. for the first time via a live show May 21 on NBC. The event benefits 12 U.S. and international charities that work to help lift kids out of poverty.

And the super awesome thing? It's ridiculously easy to help the effort! Simply buy a Red Nose for $1 at Walgreens (the exclusive retail partner for the event) and proceeds will go to the Red Nose Day Fund. EASY PEASY!

Last week, our team witnessed the sale of the first Red Nose at the flagship Walgreens in Chicago (which, by the way, was crazy amazing – smoothies! sushi! wine!). I wore my nose as we jaunted around downtown Chicago, and I’ve gotta say, it was incredible how the simple act of wearing a nose made me laugh and made others laugh too. Here's a shot of our media team stopping traffic in Chicago!

So, you guys! Go buy a Red Nose (or 10!) at Walgreens (or Duane Reade, if you have one of those near you). It’s such an easy way to make a difference and also empower your kids to engage in a charitable act (by donating $1 from their piggy bank). And because I love tangibles, here are some examples of what your $1 Red Nose purchase can provide:

• 10 meals secured on behalf of local food banks via Feeding America (CRAZY, right? 10!)
• Two bars of emergency soap through Oxfam America
• One child’s polio vaccine through Save the Children
• One water safety test for a student in Cambodia through charity:water
• A box of pencils for a school in Nepal

Finally, there’s another cool thing that Walgreens is offering. Share your red nose photos using the hashtags #Walgreens, #RedNose, and #promo, and you’ll have a chance to win a trip to New York City to attend the Red Nose Day star-studded event on May 21. So go on and share -- I can’t wait to see your pictures!

Sorry, one more thing! This video offers a quick introduction to our media team and why we're passionate about Red Nose Day. Enjoy!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ENRQzaGpU&w=560&h=315]

Image credits: 1) Walgreen’s; 2) SparkFete; 3) Leticia Barr; video by SparkFete

Disclosure: This post reflects a compensated editorial partnership sponsored by Red Nose Day at Walgreens. All opinions are, of course, my own!

In honor of Earth Day today, and via my role in the Office Champions program, I wanted to share a couple of resources re: decluttering tech responsibly. Because if you’re like me, you have some gear that sorely needs to be scrubbed and disposed of (such as the computer I used to collect data on my dissertation experiments 15 years ago...doh!). This spring I am committing to decluttering my tech, and I wanted to share these helpful tips and resources:

1. SCRUB. One thing that definitely has hindered my recycling of old tech gear is the fear that I won't properly scrub my hardware and then face security problems later on. Here's a guide for how to back up and remove data from devices.

2. DONATE. What would feel better than giving your old hardware a new life? You can donate equipment to people in need via the Microsoft Refurbisher program. So cool!

3. RECYCLE. In many instances, you need to pay to recycle your hardware. Microsoft offers sponsored recycling opportunities in your area that will enable you to recycle your hardware for free.

And if you're looking to further green your everyday life via technology, definitely check out OneNote. It's a great digital note-taking app that allows you to go paperless via photos and notes. Yay for less scraps of paper floating around!

Disclosure: This post was inspired by my role as a compensated Office Champions ambassador; ideas and opinions are, of course, my own! For more in this series, check out my 9 tips for digital decluttering and 6 financial things to do to make being a small business owner less painful!

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last week, BlogHer Co-founder Lisa Stone talked to President Obama about women, wages & the future. Here are the highlights, along with commentary from members of the blogging community. Pretty cool, eh?

Hello folks, I hope you're enjoying the gorgeous weather! It's been the perfect weekend for soccer games, yard work, outdoor adventures, and of course welcoming so many athletes and spectators to this beautiful city for the Boston Marathon. I'm sending so many good wishes for this city tomorrow! Meanwhile, enjoy this April vacation mega-roundup, and please come meet me and Gabrielle Blair at Trident Booksellers on Tuesday!

ACTON: An Earth Day celebration.

ARLINGTON: Spectacular art activities this vacation week.

BOSTON: Color in motion at Isabella Gardner Museum.

BOSTON: The 119th Boston Marathon.

BOSTON: School vacation is revolutionary at the Old State House.

BOSTON: Recognizing the 240th anniversary of Paul Revere’s midnight ride all week.

BOSTON: Goodwill projects and crafts, inspired by the early life of Mary Baker Eddy.

BOSTON: The kids get their very own marathon at the museum.

BOSTON: It’s Earth Day at the museum.

BOSTON: The Ecology of Sound live performance by Ricardo Frota.

BOSTON: Music and movement in English and Spanish with Mariana Iranzi.

BOSTON: A wild school vacation week at the zoo.

BOSTON: An Earth Day party for the planet.

BOSTON: Artistic adventures at the MFA.

BOSTON: Come meet me and Design Mom at Trident!

CAMBRIDGE: The 2015 Cambridge Science Festival.

CONCORD: Patriot’s Day reenactments.

CONCORD: FREE drop in family art days.

CONCORD: Special events at Orchard House for Little Women fans.

EASTON: Get your mini makers over to the children’s museum.

GLOUCESTER: A Cape Ann staycation of outdoor adventures.

GROTON:  Learn to bike camp for children with special needs.

IPSWICH: Become a farmer for the week.

LEOMINSTER: Celebrate Earth Day and receive your very own tree sapling to plant.

LEXINGTON: Craft workshops and cooking classes.

LEXINGTON: Patriot’s Day reenactments.

LINCOLN: Vacation activities at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.

NANTUCKET: The Nantucket Daffodil Festival kicks off.

NEWTON: Weaving workshops at the Jackson Homestead and Museum.

PLYMOUTH: Make your own history at Plimoth Plantation.

SALEM: Spread your branches and celebrate the return of spring.

SOMERVILLE: Independent Film Festival Boston.

STONEHAM: Stone Zoo gets wild this week.

STURBRIDGE: School vacation the old fashioned way.

WORCESTER: Build It! For a Greener Tomorrow.

Image credit: Peabody Essex Museum

Happy Saturday everyone, I hope you're enjoying a wonderful weekend! Once again, we've got a rather crazy full Satuday and a very relaxed Sunday on tap, though it's definitely all good and fun things for today! If you're looking for some interesting content and visuals to absorb during downtime, here's what caught my eye around the web this week, via Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome. Enjoy and I'll be sharing the April vacation mega-roundup soon!

- The secret language of girls on Instagram.

- After 49 years, mother reunites with the daughter she thought died at birth.

- The moral bucket list.

- The fight of angels.

- A map of restaurants based on MBTA stops.

- The 10 most beautiful neighborhoods in America (Woo hoo #1! And here are 15 awesome local gems in that neighborhood.)

- 40 kids who got ridiculous detention slips and don't regret a thing.

- Girls with nagging moms grow up to be more successful. (I'm not wild about the link bait title, and keeping up with your kids isn't the same as being a Tiger mom, but still, an interesting research snippet!)

- Colorado teacher shares heartbreaking notes from third graders.

- Report debunks "earlier is better" academic instruction for young children.

Image credit: 15 sparkling drink recipes for spring via Pinterest

Happy Friday everyone! I apologize for being light on posting this week. I was in Chicago for a couple of days to serve as part of the media team to kick off a really wonderful charity initiative and my editorial planning went a little off the rails since I wanted to make up time away from the girls when I returned. Anyway, enjoy these 21 weekend events, lovingly curated for your consideration. And be sure to check back for the April vacation mega-roundup!

1. A swashbuckling adventure and pirate mystery. (Amherst)

2. Spring food festival on the Greenway. (Boston)

3. Become a junior ranger. (Boston)

4. Book reading with illustrator Renee Kurilla. (Boston)

5. Children’s performance of The Diary of Anne Frank. (Boston)

6. Nothing stinks about the sense of smell day. (Boston)

7. Meet the string section of the New England Philharmonic. (Boston)

8. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about composting. (Boston)

9. Marathon weekend kicks off. (Boston)

10. A Saturday jam with Ethan and the Jamberries. (Brookline)

11. Harvard celebrates the Boston Marathon. (Cambridge)

12. All about vernal pools. (Gloucester)

13. An Earth Day family festival and FREE admission. (Harvard)

14. A day of outdoor scientific discovery. (Lincoln)

15. An open house and sheep shearing. (Princeton)

16. The Revere Spring Carnival. (Revere)

17. Hammer, clamp, saw and paint your own wooden creations. (Salem)

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

19. Celebrate spring and prep the fields the old fashioned way. (Sturbridge)

20. So much to do outdoors this weekend. (Various locations)

21. Contemporary artists explore samurai in popular culture. (Worcester)

Image credit: Old Sturbridge Village

I recently shared about Gabrielle Blair's brilliant new book Design Mom: How to Live With Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide (which, by the way, is the #1 best seller in Home Design & Construction on Amazon!). And now I'm cordially inviting you to Gabby's Boston book tour stop at Trident Booksellers & Cafe Tuesday, April 21, 7pm. I'll be leading a Q&A with Gabby and there will be goody bags, treats, mingling, and you can get your book signed by (and no doubt snap a selfie with!) Gabby. Come join us for a fun evening!

Image credit: Seth & Kendra Smoot