Happy last day of January everyone! I will admit that this month has been extremely challenging for me on a number of levels (and strangely, I've heard the same from others) so I'm totally ready to put this month to rest! Please be awesome February, OK? And to kick that off, would you like to join me for a little fun with this daily photo challenge in February? I've always wanted to do a daily photo challenge and am diving in tomorrow! Come play!

Books:

• 5 books about winter trees

Consumer Issues:

• Financial literacy series: How to teach kids to budget
• 5 smart car shopping tips (that extend Way Beyond Car Shopping):

Fitness:

• 5 (totally doable) HIIT workouts

Food:

• 10 tasty pies to try
• Friday find: meal kit service Just Add Cooking

Parenting:

• Lesson learned: On standing back as a parent
• 7 important things to do when you find out your kids have lice
• 8 ways to donate (or procure) winter gear for kids in need

Travel:

• 14 ways to learn about Brazilian culture
• Local gems: Rockport (winter edition!)

Image credit: warm lemon pudding cake via Pinterest

I love cooking, but these days especially I’ve been hampered by lack of time and inspiration. So when local “meal kit” service Just Add Cooking asked whether I’d like to test their service for editorial consideration, I was -- to say the least -- enthusiastic! And I've been really happy with the service for a number of reasons -- so much so that I booked and enjoyed another delivery last week! Allow me to enumerate the reasons (12 of them).

Quick note to start: roughly speaking, Just Add Cooking serves the 495 belt inwards; pop your zip code into their service area finder to check if they deliver to your town! Now, on to why I think you should give it a try -- and if you'd like, use code REFGVJE to get $20 off your first order.

1. Pricing. The price is very competitive with -- and in some cases less expensive than -- other meal kit services. Pricing for 3 meals for a family of 4 = $109 (4 meals = $129, 5 meals = $139). You can also opt for 2 servings per meal.

2. Flexible commitment. I will admit, I'm a commitment phobe about some things. I don’t like getting locked in to contracts! I like that you can opt in or out of meals each week. You need to decide and select meals by Wednesday to get the Sunday delivery; if you don’t want service that week, just select to skip.

3. Ordering. The layout of the site makes it easy to look at recipes, see how much time each meal requires for prep, make selections, or skip a week altogether. Yay for easy web interface!

4. Shipment arrival. Just Add Cooking texts you when your package has been dropped; which was handy when we got our first shipment since we were home but just cruising around in our jammies. Who knows when we otherwise would have stepped outside!

5. Packaging. Meal kits include pre-measured ingredients. The shopping and measurement has been done for you; all you need to do (in some cases) is chop and cook.

6. Local love. I love that Just Add Cooking sources local! For example, our shipments have included salmon from Captain Marden’s, Greek yogurt from Green Mountain Creamery in VT, bread from Nashoba Brook Bakery in Concord, cream from Mapleline Farms in Hadley, MA, and steak from Creekstone Farms.

7. Clear instructions. Recipe instructions are clear and in your welcome letter, they provide a recommended cooking order for your dishes.

8. Taste. Overall, the dishes have been tasty! The salmon toast with horseradish and slaw was excellent and easy and the chicken gruyere was delicious and decidedly fancy feeling. The beef stir fry was more of a B+ in my book, but that may be because I’m used to stronger Asian flavors (being Asian and all…). This week we enjoyed the tarragon crusted salmon and Shepard's pie and I'll make the last meal this evening when I return from D.C.

9. Leftovers. All of our meals have rendered leftovers. Thumbs up for leftovers!

10. Rut busting capacity. It has been SO AWESOME to bust out of our food rut with this service. Not only in the immediate sense, of having the meal prepped for us, but also in the longer term sense of being reminded to use different ingredients and preparation methods.

11. Engages little helpers. I’ll have to see if this effect lasts, but there is something about the neatly packaged box with all of the adorably packaged items that makes Violet want to help prepare meals. Longtime readers know that I’m a huge fan of getting kids in the kitchen!

12. More time for fun. One clear benefit of paying for a meal kit service is that it frees up TIME. So precious, right? I love spending less time attempting to meal plan and shop and more time playing with my family.

I think my only critical recommendation would be to select your meals with balance in mind. So, for example, the first week, 2 of our 3 meals came with cabbage as a side. Cabbage and potatoes seem to be a common side (makes sense, given that they are sturdy vegetables) but we tend to want more green vegetables so I need to keep an eye out for that.

In short, this is an awesome solution! We’re thinking we’ll use it 1-2 times a month, depending on our schedules and bandwidth (or lack thereof!). If you’re interested in trying Just Add Cooking and want to get $20 off your first order, you can use my referral code REFGVJE when you sign up. Happy cooking!

Disclosure: Just Add Cooking provided me with 3 complimentary meals to try out; all opinions expressed here are, of course, my own. And I loved the service so much I laid down my credit card and ordered a box last week and can't wait to order another!

Image credits: logo by Just Add Cooking; photos by Christine Koh

Happy Friday everyone and greetings from Washington, D.C. I'm here for a short work visit and per usual, wish I had more time to wander around the city and meet up with people. But alas, another time and I'm off to meetings and hope you have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy this roundup of 17 events, lovingly curated for your consideration! Also, please take a moment to check out this post on lice (I'm on a mission to put the stigma to rest!).

1. Inspire your heart with art. (Acton)

2. Tanglewood Marionettes presents Sleeping Beauty. (Arlington)

3. Magic & Beyond One-Man Illusion Show. (Arlington)

4. Create a winter wonderland in a jar. (Boston)

5. Sing-along with Matt Heaton. (Boston)

6. Children’s performance of Stuart Little - The Musical. (Boston)

7. 6th Annual ICA International Children’s Film Festival. (Boston)

8. International phenomenon Gustafer Yellowgold. (Brookline)

9. The world premier of Lollipops for Breakfast. (Brookline)

10. The Big Family Quiz Thing live game show spectacular. (Cambridge)

11. Bug out with Karen K and the Jitterbugs. (Cambridge)

12. Get out and stretch your legs on a long walk before the big game. (Dartmouth)

13. The perfect weekend for a WinterFest. (Harvard)

14. Thoreau’s Desk (requires some assembly); a musical composition inspired in part by the "Sounds" chapter in Walden. (Lincoln)

15. Fun-filled day celebrating the cultures of South America. (Somerville)

16. An early Groundhog Day extravaganza. (Topsfield)

17. STEM Discovery Day at the Ecotarium. (Worcester)

Image Credit: Mass Audubon Society

Envision that you’ve been running around like a crazy person, tackling work, caregiving, and parenting demands. Your husband heads out of town for the weekend and you are sitting down by yourself for the first time (late in the day, around 3:30pm), excited to enjoy a cup of coffee while catching up on email. And then about two seconds after your rump hits the chair, you get a call from preschool to notify you that your kid has lice.

UGH! This happened to me last Friday and as I scurried into go-mode and benefited from the cool, calm, and collected response of various people -- and the nervous OMG YOU ARE DISEASE RIDDEN energy of others -- I realized that there is way more to dealing with lice than nit picking (as important as that task is). My friends at Alpha Mom have a great article on lice facts and fiction and the CDC FAQ on lice is very helpful (included are pictures of the three forms of lice -- nit, nymph, adult -- so you know what to look for), but today I wanted to focus on 7 important things to do when you discover lice, most of which go beyond actual treatment advice (of which there is plenty).

1. Remain calm. I know it’s hard not to freak out about lice, but freaking out will not help you. Lice happens. It can happen to anyone and is a result of head to head contact (read: snuggly kids are more susceptible). I’m a little shocked that we made it through 10 years of parenting (including day care from babyhood) before dealing with lice!

2. Let go of the stigma. Clearly, people have a thing about bugs and it has led to major stigma when it comes to lice. But being ashamed about it isn’t going to help it go away, and in fact, may perpetuate the problem (see below).

3. Go public. Related to #2, after discussing with Laurel, I made an explicit decision to be public about the lice on social channels, both as a means to debunk stigma and also as a first pass, blanket way to let my school parent friends know. I received plenty of public support, and also private messages from parents who said that my sharing inspired them to check their kids and, well, one of them also found lice and was commencing treatment. So, think of your public statement as a form of lice control!

4. Do direct follow up. I also directly followed up with the parents of anyone my kids had had playdates with recently. Luckily, no lice findings, but I felt better knowing that the kids were checked over to control spread.

5. Know your limits. I decided to tackle the lice myself, mostly because it would have cost a TON of money to get Laurel, Violet, and my long hair treated. Also, I knew I had the patience and meticulous nature to tackle it. However, if you feel this process will drive you insane and you have the financial resources, get professional help! Nitwits is a well-known option ($130/hour) and friends also have recommended the AirAllé heat treatment ($200/treatment) and Lice Aunties.

6. If you’re treating at home, keep it simple. For treatment recommendations (both for the person and home), see the CDC guide for head lice treatment. There are lots of product options out there (I regret buying the kit that came with gel and spray, both of which are not useful) but at the end of the day, the most important tools are a lice comb, bright light (a headlamp has been so, so helpful!), and your own fingers and perseverance. For the final stretch, we also started using a hairdryer and Jon picked up some non-toxic egg killing spray at Walgreen's (verdict is still out on whether this is useful). We have been checking repeatedly through the day and found that after the first few days, the comb wasn’t catching everything (at a point where we were just finding a handful at each check). So we have going through the hair in tiny sections, pulling off remaining nits by hand. They really stick to the hair so we have needed to slide them off the hair with our fingernail.

7. Take care of yourself. At the end of the day, lice is a major pain in the rump. The first day I was physically exhausted from poring over my kids’ heads for so many hours. It’s important to take care of yourself; I did that in the form of a colossal brunch after day 2 (where we had removed almost everything). I also plan on going on a J. Crew bender, given that I saved so much money on nit picking services! :-)

Have you dealt with lice? Was it embarrassing or difficult to communicate with other parents about it? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments below.

Image credit: Wikipedia

Respite.

I stepped outside tonight to feel the wind upon my feet. Today, January 28, it was 73 degrees in Kansas City. Winter will return in a few days, with cold and snow, but tonight, tonight! I heard a barn owl amidst the wind rustling through the branches in my backyard. Something small and furry lives under my deck. I heard it turning in its bed.

I remember sitting on my best friend's graduate school balcony in February 1997. It was a miraculous 70 degrees. I was living in Chicago at the time. I thought Kansas City must surely be a magic place, so close to my parents but yet so mysteriously warm.

I moved here in 1998.

I'm not sure I could live somewhere completely without seasons. I'm not sure I could appreciate the wonder of a 70-degree January day if my skin weren't acclimated to zero degrees.

Everywhere I went today, I saw people baring winter skin in shorts: jogging, popping into the grocery store, playing in yards. We all smiled at each other, because we know what is coming. That this is a respite from a normal Midwestern January. We got a gift we weren't supposed to have.

Fifteen minutes ago, I cradled my daughter's head in my arms as she drifted off to sleep.

"Never leave," she said.

"No," I said. I didn't promise, because I can't promise. The only thing assured of all of us is that we will eventually leave.

"Not yet," I thought, instead, to myself.

I thought about the pictures I saw online recently of children climbing across broken bridges and up precarious ladders to get to school. I thought about the conversation I had with the woman who cuts my hair about how when I was a girl they didn't even have seat belts in the back of cars, let alone five-point harnesses and rules about snowsuits and car seats. And yet, even then, parents were promising their children they would never leave.

That we persist, that we survive, is a gift of chance and in my mind, God.

As I felt my daughter's head grow heavier, I said thank you.

As I felt the wind on my feet to the background of the owl's rough song, I said thank you.

Heart beats fast, colors and promises.

How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid
To fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow.

"Never leave," she said.

And from the scary parts of life, from the boring parts, from the hard parts ...

being her mother is a reprieve. She is a 70-degree January day. She is my heart on the outside of my body.

She is my life's work.

We haven't yet traveled internationally as a family, and though I definitely plan on it once Violet is a little older, meanwhile, I'm always keen on finding ways to expose my kids to different cultures. And luckily, living in a city like Boston, it's not that hard a task! I'm subsequently thrilled to partner with au pair agency Cultural Care Au Pair to bring you a fun new editorial series to help you explore the world from the comfort of home.

The first post in this series is about Brazil. Here are 14 ways to introduce your family to Brazilian culture; for my non-local readers, the recommendations in the second half of the post are for you!

*** VISIT ***

1. Mark your calendar for Boston’s 20th Brazilian Independence Day Festival on September 13, 2015. At the festival, you can soak in cultural activities, food, live performances, and more!

2. Learn a variety of Brazilian dance styles at Moves & Vibes Dance Co. in Cambridge. Let go of inhibition and give forro or samba a try!

3. Experience capoeira -- a Brazilian martial art performed through dance -- at Capoeira Angola Quintal Boston in Somerville.

*** EAT ***

4. For vibrant, authentic Brazilian fare, try Muqueca in Cambridge. The menu offers lots of options but I've totally got my eye on the signature Brazilian seafood stews. #nomnom

5. Love meat on giant skewers? Midwest Grill has locations in Cambridge and Saugus and specializes in traditional Brazilian BBQ, and also offers seafood and vegetarian dishes.

6. When it’s time for something sweet (um, when is it not?), head to Padaria Brasil Bakery where cakes, breads, and snacks await. You can find Padaria at two Framingham locations, as well as Allston and Milford.

*** SHOP LOCAL ***

7. For many, Brazil is synonymous with soccer. If you've got soccer fans in the house, head to the Brazilian Soccer House in East Boston to gear up.

8. Casa de Carne Solucao in Somerville is a butcher shop that offers fresh cut meat and traditional Brazilian dishes.

*** PLAY ***

9. I love using crafts as a lever for cultural teaching. Try these Brazilian craft activities to create maracas, tambourines, and more.

10. As a former music and brain scientist, not surprisingly, I believe that music has lots of power! Learn more about -- and jam out to -- choro instrumental music, which was born out of Rio de Janeiro in the 1800s.

*** READ ***

11. Brazil ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Brazil dives into Brazilian culture, geography, and history in an easy for kids A-B-C format.

12. The best way to build bridges across cultures? Pick up some of the language! Get started with My First Book of Portugese Words.

13. For a 3D learning experience, check out Rio de Janeiro: A 3D Keepsake Cityscape for a foldout tour of Brazil's landmarks in Rio de Janeiro. So pretty!

14. Looking to learn alongside your kids? The Brazil Reader: History, Culture, Politics offers a comprehensive look at Brazil's historical, cultural, and political development.

So awesome, right? Enjoy exploring Brazil and I'm excited to share more cultural educational material over the coming months. Also, totally related: Cultural Care Au Pair is hosting the Somerville 2015 World Fair at The Armory this Sunday, February 1. RSVP today for this free, fun-filled event celebrating South American, European, and Asian cultures.

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Disclosure: This post reflects an editorial partnership with Cultural Care Au Pair. Cultural Care Au Pair is a leading provider of intercultural childcare and educational exchange. Since 1989, Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 90,000 au pairs in American homes. Hosting an au pair offers many benefits, one of which includes the opportunity for your family to learn about another country's culture.

Image credits: 1) flag via Wikipedia; 2) compilation graphic by Christine Koh with images via linked sources above.

Money is a source of stress for so many people; not just how to earn it, but what to do with it. And the topic becomes more complex when you have kids and need to budget for their needs and teach them about money. I'm subsequently thrilled to welcome Sandra Gilpatrick as a new contributor! Sandra not only is a Beacon Hill expert and devoted mom; she also works to help women become financially confident and competent. SO AWESOME. Welcome to Sandra's first financial literacy post on teaching kids how to budget:

+ + + + +

From Sandra:

My inspiration to write a series on financial literacy came to me when I realized my son was the only 4-year-old I knew who was already saving for a house. I did the obligatory Google search and had a difficult time finding any articles written by financial advisors who were mothers themselves, writing about actual lessons they were teaching their children. Through my work as a financial planning professional, I’m passionate about helping women find their confidence with finances; through this new series on Boston Mamas I’ll share doable tips on how to become -- and teach your kids to become -- financially savvy. Today I want to share 5 tips to teach kids to budget:

1. Make financial “fitness” a part of your regular routine. Having a basic handle on how much money comes in, knowing what is spent, and understanding your required debt payments is a basic financial exercise. Like most important parts of life, the first few steps always seem the most daunting. As you are reading this, you may be listing one or two reasons why this has caused hesitation. Here is a sample budget worksheet and a cash flow worksheet to help you get started. Becoming financially “fit” will help equip you with the skills to pass along to your kids.

2. Choose a budget threshold. Kids aren’t born with a sense of money and value; you’ll need to give them context. I chose $5 as the budget threshold to acclimate my son about value. For example, if he saw something for $10, he would think it was expensive given that $10 was twice his $5 threshold.

3. Teach financial value through chores. One simple way to teach kids about financial value is through chores. For example, my son wanted a $20 toy desperately, which was well over his $5 budget. He did extra chores around the house to earn the money. The most I gave him was $1 for a major effort; smaller tasks ranged from 5 to 25 cents. Eventually he saved up $20 and he still wanted the same toy. It can be easy as a parent to spend $10 here and $25 there at the whims of your pleading child. Before you realize it, you can cumulatively spend hundreds and be outside of your own budget.

4. Have your kid become a savvy consumer. When my son likes something in a store I have him read the price tag. He will know if it is within his budget or decide if it is something worth saving for. More than once, he has dealt with the disappointment of a newly purchased toy not living up to his expectations, or experiencing hopeless buyer’s remorse when the toy breaks instantly. Over time, he has learned to evaluate items and he often discusses their worth with me. Our conversations also have led to discussing -- and viewing documentary clips of -- toy factories in other parts of the world that permit deplorable work conditions. I gave him a lesson in labor economics! Not only is he used to working in a budget, but he is also becoming a savvy consumer.

5. Keep at it! Instilling sound financial habits early in children increases the likelihood that they will retain these habits into and throughout adulthood. Be consistent with the above, simple practices and you’ll be on your way. And don’t be hampered by feeling behind if finances have scared you; it’s never too late to get started!

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Are there specific financial topics you’d love to see Sandra address? Drop me a line at christine@bostonmamas.com to let me know!

To learn more about Sandra, visit SandraGilpatrick.com. Third party posts on this profile do not reflect the views of LPL Financial and have not been reviewed by LPL Financial as to accuracy or completeness. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC.

Image credit: piggy bank via FreeDigitalPhotos.net; large graphic by Christine Koh

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend. This weekend was somewhat comical and chaotic; Jon was out of town and of course we got hit by lice for the first time ever! So, my weekend was filled with nit picking and olive oil treatments and just total craziness, but weirdly, the girls and I remained in great spirits! And now, let's get on to the week. There's a blizzard in the forecast, and also these events via the Weekly Blueprint:

January 28: A spanish story time. (Boston)

January 28: Who has the best chowder on The Row? (Somerville)

January 29: Celebrate National Puzzle Day! (Acton) *Also, check out this roundup of 14 awesome puzzles for babies, kids, and grownups!

January 29: A romantic cooking class just in time for Valentine’s Day. (Lexington)

January 29: What’s happening with snowy winter owls? (Milton)

January 29 - 31: Kerplop! The Tale of the Frog Prince. (Boston)

January 30: A Dream Concert creating sounds using just your voice and body. (Boston)

January 30: KidsJam family dance party. (Boston)

January 30: Weekly storytime with Curious George. (Cambridge)

Image credit: Etsy

I found myself crying today for no good reason. Or maybe it was, in the interest of time. I'd been reading Neil Gaiman short stories on a five-hour drive through ice with ten-year-old feet in my face and sports on the radio so loud I couldn't hear myself think. I had one of those moments where you just want everyone to go away so you can remember what you were trying to do in the first place.

I couldn't remember. So I cried. It was awful and embarrassing, and my daughter reminded me of the time I cried in We Bought a Zoo, and I realized I've become that mother whom you can't bring anywhere.

Fuck it.

I cried because sometimes in the midst of it I forget what I was starting to do snd how important it seemed at one time to get the stories out. And even if, over time, they start to seem more silly, I should remember that since the dawn of time stories are important.

My husband, dear man, told me to carve out time instead of crying, and that does seem more useful (smart bastard) so tonight I scheduled appointments with myself on Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons. I will work on my stories when I am not exhausted because they and I deserve that. And, if I am honest with myself, because my husband snd daughter encouraged it and said they would occupy themselves elsewhere while I did.

It is hard to be a mother and pursue a dream at the same time. I realize what a huge gift I've been given to be encouraged to grow by my family.

So I pick up my book and my notebook and schedule meetings with myself in off hours, because I promised myself years ago I would keep reaching, no matter what.

*reaches*