Last week I traveled to Seattle for the Office Champions Summit. And though I'm a devoted PC/Office user, I was blown away by all that I learned. I'll be sharing more in depth information on specific tools and programs that I think you'll love soon; meanwhile, I decided to experiment and recap the event via my very first Sway. Oh my goodness, this tool is SO FUN! You can see the embedded Sway below, or the full screen version at this link.  

https://sway.com/s/FWFuEgqZEcrQRbSn/embed

Disclosure: This post was inspired by my role as a compensated Office Champions ambassador; ideas and opinions are, of course, my own!

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you're enjoying a lovely holiday weekend! I am over the moon this afternoon after a gorgeous and inspiring morning running Boston's Run to Remember. It was so moving to see tributes being paid, and personally, this was a bit of a redemption event for me and everything went so beautifully. I'm about to head off for weekend fun so I wanted to drop the Weekly Blueprint early, for your planning enjoyment.

May 25: Complimentary lunch or dinner at McCormick & Schmick's for active members of the US Military and National Guard. (Boston)

May 25: Special access to the Children’s Museum for children with special needs. (Boston)

May 25: FREE admission for all to the MFA. (Boston)

May 25: Hilarious puppet performance featuring elaborate medieval costumes, and creative ways to hide a pet dragon. (Brookline)

May 25: The Toe Jam Puppet Band performs at the zoo. (New Bedford)

May 25: Enjoy great live music, art, fine crafts, and food. (Newburyport)

May 25: See the fledgling herons emerge. (Sudbury)

May 27: Fill your day with art and play. (Lincoln)

May 28: The food and flavors that make Boston awesome. (Boston)

May 28: Learn more about cultural au pairs and child care for your family. (Boston)

May 28: A little dirt never hurts. (Easton)

May 28 - 31: A spectacular mind bending world of massive inflatables. (Boston)

May 29: KidsJam dance party. (Boston)

Image credit: Lawn on D

I love yoga, but my need for yoga increases considerably when I’m traveling and/or training for a long race. When I was in Chicago last month, my friend Nicole introduced me to the concept of yoga gloves and I recently bought this Yoga[Addict] glove + sock set. And this week when I was in Seattle, the yoga gloves/socks were a lifesaver given that my back and neck were a wreck from my flight and my legs were tight from a 12-mile training run.

Yes, I feel slightly goofy wearing them, but they’re perfect for travel! Obviously, the gloves/socks take up very little space in luggage, and they work great (no slipping!). I was so grateful to be able to do a couple of yoga sessions during my trip to help work out my kinks!

Image credits: Amazon

I love yoga, but my need for yoga increases considerably when I’m traveling and/or training for a long race. When I was in Chicago last month, my friend Nicole introduced me to the concept of yoga gloves and I recently bought this Yoga[Addict] glove + sock set. And this week when I was in Seattle, the yoga gloves/socks were a lifesaver given that my back and neck were a wreck from my flight and my legs were tight from a 12-mile training run.

Yes, I feel slightly goofy wearing them, but they’re perfect for travel! Obviously, the gloves/socks take up very little space in luggage, and they work great (no slipping!). I was so grateful to be able to do a couple of yoga sessions during my trip to help work out my kinks!

Image credits: Amazon

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you had a great week! I spent most of the week in Seattle for work with Microsoft (you can see some images here). The experience was rather mindblowing and I can't wait to share some of the crazy awesome things I learned to amp up my nerd ninja skills to help you ninja up as well! Meanwhile, I hope you're gearing up for a lovely holiday weekend -- enjoy this roundup of 15 events, and tune in later for a great Friday Find!

1. Celebration national scavenger hunt day. (Acton)

2. Berkshire Theatre Group presents Atlantis, Lost! And Other Legends of the Strange Waves (Amherst)

3. The Redcoats are coming! The Redcoats are coming! (Boston)

4. The Boston International Children’s Film Festival wraps up. (Boston)

5. The Boston Calling concert in City Hall Plaza is back. (Boston)

6. It’s Arthur’s 8th birthday! (Boston)

7. The beautiful sounds of the Marywood University Chamber Singers. (Boston)

8. Trash or tackle? Making beautiful sculptures from discarded materials that might otherwise pollute the sea. (Boston)

9. Develop positive social-emotional skills and coping skills through movement, music, arts. (Boston)

10. Hilarious puppet performance featuring elaborate medieval costumes, and creative ways to hide a pet dragon. (Brookline)

11. Lexington’s greatest street fair is on. (Lexington)

12. Enjoy great live music, art, fine crafts, and food. (Newburyport)

13. Ropes Mansion reopens. (Salem)

14. Time for the sheep to get their annual haircut. (Sturbridge)

15. Spreading wings over Wellfleet. (Wellfleet)

Image credit: Boston Children’s Museum

Over Mother's Day weekend I had the delightful opportunity to visit Newport, Rhode Island thanks to a kind media invite from The Hotel Viking. I haven’t been to Newport in 20 years (!) and after our visit, I was left wondering why on earth it's taken me so long to return! Today I'm sharing 10 things about our experience with The Hotel Viking as our launch point. I highly recommend you book a trip soon – it’s a truly wonderful family-friendly destination!

1. The benefit of big (but not crazy big). Over the years, we've stayed in a variety of accommodations with our kids, and one thing that struck us on this journey was how well suited The Hotel Viking's size is for families. Offering 208 well-appointed rooms + the space to accommodate events, the hotel has all the amenities (pool, restaurant, etc.) that make for an easy stay + plenty of corridors and spaces to explore while not being too massive and overwhelming. For example, one of Laurel and Violet’s games was figuring out the spatial map from the hotel entrance to our room. And we sent Laurel on a few short missions around the hotel, which she found very, very exciting!

2. The power of a good pool. The pool at The Hotel Viking is clean, well-stocked with towels, and bathrooms are in close proximity and you can even order food poolside. It was the perfect size for Laurel to do some laps and for Violet to splash around (the stair entry into the pool is good for small people). There’s also a hot tub if you want to get in a soak.

3. Everyone say ahhhh for spa. Though Jon made a generous offer for me to go get a spa treatment while we were there, I decided to opt for a run for my Mother’s Day self-care, mostly because I’m training for a half marathon this coming weekend and needed to stick to my plan! But next time, trust me, I will be heading in for a facial or massage. They have a full suite of services.

4. Excellent service. Service at The Hotel Viking is excellent from top to bottom. The hotel's central location means that you either need to find a nearby street spot or opt for valet (we used valet and only needed to access our car once during the weekend). At any rate, the valet/bell hop service team is who you likely will interact with most given that they are right at the entry and they were friendly and cheerful to our family at every turn.

5. The simple beauty of beverages. In the words of my beloved brother-in-law, I am very, very beverage oriented! So imagine my delight when I discovered that the hotel has a round the clock beverage station in their lobby. In the morning you can get coffee and tea (not sure what coffee brand they use but it was delicious!) and during the rest of the day they offer pretty infused waters. (Getting water was one of Laurel’s aforementioned solo hotel missions!)

6. Package deals. We enjoyed the We Are Family Package during our stay and the girls loved the complimentary treats and game (Connect 4 = nostalgia!), and the coloring book/crayons were perfect to stash in my bag since I forgot to bring activity books (for restaurant waits). The package also includes a disposable camera, 10% spa discount, and breakfast for kids.

7. Tasty food options. The Hotel Viking has a full service restaurant; we enjoyed breakfast there on our last morning (lobster omelette FTW!) and it was delicious and the pricing was reasonable. Otherwise, some of our favorite independent finds included Le Petit Gourmet (right across the street), Megs’ Aussie Milk Bar (a 5 or so minute walk down the street), and Perro Salado, which was a crazy accidental find right after I said, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we stumbled upon a Mexican restaurant?”

8. Walkable adventures. I prefer to drive as little as possible when we’re on vacation, so the hotel’s central location was HUGE for us. We walked all over the downtown area, which offers a wide array of independent and national brand shops. 

9. Access to water. The water is my happy place so it's no wonder Newport was a great fit! At the Newport Harbor waterfront, Violet really wanted to ride the ferry; it was the perfect bite-sized adventure (about 20 minutes roundtrip) since we were sure if the kids would actually like it! Added bonus = it was awesome to see the Volvo Ocean Race boats docked at Fort Adams. We also did the Scenic Ocean Drive, which was gorgeous, and the farm landscapes were surprising and breathtaking. It was fun to hop out and scrabble around the rocks along this drive, and also play out at beach near the end of the Cliff Walk.

10. A learning adventure. Over 375 years old, Newport is positively steeped in history. From the historical properties around the downtown area to the Newport mansions to the oldest lending library in the U.S., there is no shortage of history to take in. It was especially fun for us to read plaques and put things into context given that Laurel recently finished a school unit on colonial times.

In a nutshell, it was a wonderful trip! I know there's so much more for us to see so I can’t wait to return -- and at 1.5 hours from Boston, it makes for a totally doable destination. Comically and fittingly, after all of our adventures, when I asked Violet what her favorite thing about the vacation weekend was, she said, “the pool and elevator in our hotel!” So there you have it, according to my 4-year-old, The Hotel Viking’s pool and elevator is THE BUSINESS.

+ + + + +

Disclosure: The Hotel Viking provided me with accommodations for two nights per my media visit; all opinions on the awesomeness of the property are, of course, my own!

Image credits: Christine Koh

Today, Amy Lage shares wisdom on how to handle Jack-in-the-Box syndrome:

The kids are in bed and you have just settled on the couch to relax when you hear the pitter patter of little feet. No! What is your little one doing out of bed? You give him a glass of water and tuck him back in. Phew. Oh wait, he’s back. Let’s try this again. Or perhaps your child goes to bed just fine, but then you wake up to warm breath on your cheek or her tiny feet jabbing into your back. Your child just won’t stay in his bed.

Does this sound familiar? If so, your child has “Jack-in-the-Box syndrome” -- defined as a child who repeatedly comes out of bed at bedtime or during the middle of the night. Sounds serious right? But fear not, there is a cure! Today I'm going to share a little context, then give you 3 steps to get past this common sleep issue.

A Big Kid Bed is a Big Kid Responsibility

Your child's ability to stay in bed is hinged to the reality of whether they're actually ready to be in a big kid bed. Being in a big kid bed is a big kid responsibility and it's important not to transition from crib to bed before they're truly ready for this new independence. For most kids, this transition is around age 3 because they need to be at a developmental point where they can understand rules and follow them, and also handle having the security and safety of their crib removed. So, to avoid frustration all sides, wait until your child is ready for this new milestone before making the big move.

Step #1: Call a Family Meeting

Little kids are egocentric (this is developmentally appropriate!) and love to be the star of the show. This is part of why they come out of their bed in the first place – for your attention! Use this trait to your advantage. At a non-sleep time, call a family meeting where your child and his/her sleep is the agenda item. Explain why sleep is important and that when he does not stay in his bed, no one is the family is getting the sleep they need. Also explain that there will be some new “Sleep Rules” to help everyone, and that if he does not follow the rules, then you will walk him back to his bed each time he comes out without any talking.

Step #2: Set the Sleep Rules

Toddlers and preschoolers often fight against rules, but actually crave them as a sign of safety. Many parents share that their kids always follow the rules about naptime at school or daycare; this is because their teachers enforce the rules consistently. Create "Sleep Rules" together on a piece of poster board, detailing bedtime routine and overnight behavior. For example: “I will brush my teeth, read one book, have two sips of water, go to the potty, get into bed, and stay there until mom or dad (or My Tot Clock if you choose to use one) tells me it is OK to be awake and out of bed. If I get out of my bed before it is time to be awake, mom or dad will quietly walk me back to my bed with no talking.” Be realistic with your rules and only include rules that you will 100% enforce. Also be specific and quantify things so there is no question about your expectations. Let your child decorate the posterboard if they wish.

Step #3: Putting it All Into Play

Every night before bed, read the "Sleep Rules" together to remind your child of your expectations for both bedtime and overnight.  If/when he comes of his bed take him by the hand with absolutely no talking or eye contact (remember he is coming out of his bed for attention and if you give any at all negative or positive – it will give him a reason to come out again) and walk him back to bed. You can assist him into his bed and replace the covers if needed, but no snuggles, hugs, kisses, etc. Once he is in bed, leave the room right away. This trip should be all business. Do this each and every time he comes out of his bed. The first night, you may have to bring him back to his room 30 times but if you stay 100% consistent and do this without giving any attention at all during the returns, after just a few days your child will be a Jack-in-the-bed!

Amy Lage is a contributing writer at Boston Mamas, a certified pediatric sleep consultant, and founder of Well Rested Baby. If you have questions you'd like to have Amy address in a future column, e-mail editor@bostonmamas.com with your question!

Here are three seemingly unrelated personal things that are bizarrely converging on the blog today! 1) After a 4-year hiatus, Laurel returned to soccer this spring and is loving it. 2) Through the soccer program, a Boston Breakers player joins Laurel's practice each week. 3) Laurel adores mangos (like, gobbles them with abandon!). Bizarre convergence = thanks to the National Mango Board, I’ve got Boston Breakers tickets to give away to one lucky reader!

OK, what gives with the mangos you ask? Mangos apparently are the official fruit of the National Women’s Soccer League. They're loaded with over 20 vitamins and minerals and I particularly love that their sweetness deems them dessert-worthy but without all the junk. We load up on fresh mangos in season, and in the winter, buy them frozen, which Laurel often eats straight out of the freezer or in smoothies.

So this brings me back to the Breakers! I think it’s especially important for girls to see female athletes in action (especially since broadcast sports focus so heavily on male athletes) so how awesome is it that the Breakers are right here in our backyard? If you’d like to win this 4-pack of tickets (~$100 value) to the Friday, May 22, 2015 match between the Boston Breakers and Sky Blue FC, simply post a comment below by noon Wednesday May 20, 2015 to enter to win! Good luck!