Friends, I’m thrilled to partner with delightful children’s retailer Hanna Andersson today! Hanna Andersson pieces have always been among my favorites; they're adorable and colorful and also well made (read: they survive many, many launderings across multiple kids)! Hanna Andersson just opened a new store at MarketStreet Lynnfield (just 20 minutes north of Boston!) and today I’m sharing some of my favorite picks from their spring baby, boy, and girl collections.

FOR BABY:

1) These unisex little tankers are perfect for easy, breezy spring/summer dressing. 2) It really doesn’t get cuter than this smocked sundress. 3) Protect baby’s precious noggin with this swimmy sunhat. 4) I've always been a fan of two-piece tankinis for girls to make diaper change/bathroom visits easier. 5) Protect your little one’s skin in patriotic style with this rash guard top + star shorts combination. 6) These whale jammies are adorable and snuggly. 7) I always dress my girls in layers; this soft terry hoodie will be great for cool spring/summer evenings. 8) Reduce slips and slides with these adorable unisex slipper moccassins. 9) Have your little one wear her heart on her coverup.

FOR BOYS:

Boy clothing used to be boring, but no more! 1) Your little Star Wars fan will love these Chewbacca jammies. 2) These colorblock board shorts are so preppily awesome! 3) A cheerful jersey polo works well for school or nicer occasions. 4) Perfect for the fair haired, this ballcap is UPF 50+! 5) Avoid the burn with this cute rash guard top. 6) It’s easy to load up on cute tees such as this modern metallic dinosaur tee. 7) I love these all out cargos; the color hints of denim but is more interesting + includes a subtle geometric pattern. 8) This star hoodie is perfection.

FOR GIRLS:

Girls clothing is so chic these days! 1) Dresses are my absolute favorite for no-brainer dressing and this swiss dot dress would do well at school or special occasions. 2) I love the chic color and style of this ruffle tankini top + bottom. 3) Tame sweaty flyaways with this adorable reversible headband. 4). These striped espadrilles are so cheerful! 5 + 6) Tees and shorts rule when it comes to scaling playground structures; you can’t go wrong with this ice cream glitter art tee + these adorable dotted paper bag waist shorts. 7) This wavelets sundress is so simple and easy; your girl could wear it on its own or over a swimsuit. 8) I became obsessed with rompers (for myself!) last spring, and I’d totally take this summer-soft jersey romper in grownup size.

So adorable right? Welcome to Lynnfield, Hanna Andersson!

Image credits: product shots by Hanna Andersson; compilation images by Christine Koh

Disclosure: This post reflects a sponsored editorial partnership with Hanna Andersson. All opinions about product picks are, of course, my own!

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! Ours was a good mix of social time (including a loooong overdue date night...hooyay!), domestic errands, and relaxing at home. So nice! And now it's time to kick off the week. Enjoy this roundup of weekday events via the Weekly Blueprint -- and on that, I would love to meet you in Somerville on Thursday evening if you're looking for a fun evening out with other mamas!

March 24: Toddler Tuesday at Legoland Discovery Center. (Somerville)

March 25: Fill your day with art and play. (Lincoln)

March 25: Tots @ 10 celebrate spring with Stacey Peasley. (Somerville)

March 25 + 27: Exciting activities featuring science, art, creativity, exploration and sharing of ideas. (Easton)

March 26: Cosmic Loops: music beneath the stars. (Boston)

March 26: Join me for the ultimate mom’s night out! (Somerville)

March 26 - 28: Learn the ancient art of Pysanky, just in time for Easter. (Arlington)

March 26 - 29: The tale of a wise old rabbit and a no-so-smart tiger. (Brookline)

March 27: Godspell! (Arlington)

March 27: KidsJam dance party. (Boston)

March 27: Meet bestselling author Graeme Simsion. (Wellesley)

Image credit: Puppet Showplace Theater

After our family visited Grant's Farm last summer, we fell in love with the Budweiser Clydesdales. My husband tried to surprise us with a stop at Warm Springs Ranch one weekend as we puttered east back to Kansas City after a writing conference in St. Louis, but alas, it was a no-go.

Warm Springs Ranch is where the magic begins: Clydesdale foals. Unfortunately for us that day, the gates were locked. You have to make an appointment to get a tour, which we didn't know. But now we do, and so do you. And we got invited to go! So here are all my pictures.

Sorry, folks, park's closed. Moose out in front should've told you.

This time, the park was not closed. BABY CLYDESDALES FOR EVERYONE!

I learned some things about Clydesdale birth. Mares are pregnant for eleven months and give birth in 5-25 minutes.

(!)

Because the labor happens so fast, the man in charge (John Soto) has an alarm that goes off when the foal's hooves break open a special device installed in the mare's birth canal. Once it starts, it goes fast because the foals weigh about 150 pounds and gravity exists.

Look closely. There's 150 pounds of foal in there that will be born within six days.

Once the mares get within thirty days of their due dates, they get beautiful, huge stalls in the special foaling area and are only taken outside to the exercise paddocks instead of the full pastures. Everything from breeding to foaling happens in this big, red barn in Boonville, Missouri.

I don't know how much time you've spent in barns, but most of them do not look like this.

One of the foals we saw was less than twelve hours old. When they are first born, the staff shave part of their bodies because the foals can't regulate their own body temperature very well at first.

This little guy is brand-new. I stared at his hooves, which have never touched dirt. Wow.

The mares kept trying to give us the 2,000-pound paparazzi block, but this little one wanted to play kissy-face with the little angel.

I'm a sucker for all horses, but the sheer size of these beauties is really something to behold up close.

SWOON.

The end.

Happy Saturday everyone, I hope you’re having a great weekend. Today we’re finishing up celebrating Violet’s fourth birthday with a playdate with a couple of her friends from school. Man, I wish I had realized earlier on with Laurel how awesome small friend birthday gatherings are! Anyway, better late than never! Meanwhile, lots of interesting content around the web...enjoy this week’s edition of Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome:

- Why I’m a public-school teacher but a private-school parent.

- The ghost children in the wake of China’s one-child law.

- Why are white people expats when the rest of us are immigrants?

- Gender equality bake sale causes stir at Utah high school.

- A doctor discovers an important question patients should be asked.

- Why children need chores.

- And also, the four-part chore solution.

- My talented friend Gabrielle is coming to Boston as part of her book tour!

- Why the 9 to 5 life is hard for creative people.

- I couldn’t afford to lean in.

- Social media’s small, positive role in human relationships.

- How much (or little) the middle class makes in 30 U.S. cities.

Image credit: triple layer hot chocolate cake via Pinterest

Every now and then I get into a horrible book rut. I’ll start several books and none of them grab me. I’ve now learned that all I need to do to get out of said book rut is pick up a title by Katherine Center. I was delighted to receive an advanced reading copy of Happiness for Beginners, and like Center’s other titles, I was immediately sucked in, admittedly to the point of shooing away my kids and reading by flashlight as I devoured the closing chapters.

Releasing March 24 (but available for pre-order now, which is really, really good for authors, so go pre-order!), Happiness for Beginners shares the story of Helen Carpenter, a divorced woman who hopes to find her mojo in the wilderness and faces challenges beyond those of the nature variety. Katherine Center has a true gift for creating a story arc that includes personal evolution, romance, challenges, disappointments, and joy in a way that avoids cliche and creates enough ebbing tension and resolution that the reader is left hungering for more. That certainly was the case for me as I finished the final page and snapped off my flashlight. I desperately want to know what happens in Helen's next chapter!

Image credits: Amazon

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're having a great week, despite this crazy return to winter temperatures (cue sad tromobone)! I'll be doing a warm weather spring equinox dance today and to kick off the weekend, here's a roundup of 27 weekend events, lovingly curated for your consideration. Enjoy perusing the options, think warm thoughts, and check in later today for a delightful Friday Find!

1. Spend Saturday morning with Debbie and Friends. (Arlington)

2. Art discovery classes for children. (Boston)

3. The Golden Dragon Acrobats will entertain, delight, and keep you on the edge of your seat. (Boston)

4. Discover animals large and small; ASL interpreted. (Boston)

5. Set sail and look for signs of spring. (Boston)

6. A special Persian story time. (Boston)

7. A day to focus on water conservation. (Boston, Stoneham)

8. FREE My Gym open house events. (Boston, Newton)

9. Travel the world with shadows, stories and songs. (Brookline)

10. An adults only puppet show. (Brookline)

11. Rock and roll with Josh and the Jamtones. (Brookline)

12. Observe and draw the shapes, colors, and patterns of insects. (Cambridge)

13. Seed sowing and making compost. (Cohasset)

14. Bedtime stories in the morning. (Concord)

15. Tea for two. (Concord)

16. Think with your hands and make some jewelry. (Easton)

17. Kids learn to letterbox. (Framingham)

18. Creature Features live amphibian presentation. (Gloucester)

19. A day of fun and learning all about sustainable sealife. (Newburyport)

20. Wellness and fitness activities for the whole family. (Newton)

21. Curious George the musical. (Newton)

22. Grab a box, create a vehicle and hit the slopes. (Princeton)

23. Design, construct and explore at the intersection of art and architecture. (Salem)

24. Maple sugaring festival at Moose Hill. (Sharon)

25. Maple days the old fashioned way. (Sturbridge)

26. Flapjack fling and sugaring tours. (Topsfield)

27. Celebrate the start of spring with The Revels. (Watertown)

Image credit: World Music

Is it just me or does it totally feel like coming-out-of-hibernation time? And on that note, I’d love to meet you in Somerville next week (March 26, 6:30pm) at Mommybites Boston’s Ultimate Moms’ Night Out at Arts at the Armory in Somerville. I’m delighted and honored to be delivering a short keynote at the event (I'll also be signing copies of Minimalist Parenting) and then it will be time to relax and mingle and enjoy some hang out time with other rad mamas!

Are you in? Register now and use discount code BOSTONMAMAS to receive 50% off your ticket price! Sweet!

Today is Violet’s 4th birthday and I’m finding myself rather emotional. Her pregnancy was unexpected, the 58 hour labor remains vivid in my mind, the ride over the last 4 years has been crazy, and each exasperating moment with Vivy inevitably is counterbalanced by a sweet or hilarious one. I’ve also learned some things the second time around, and I’m grateful for the lessons, which I want to share with you today as part of the Lessons Learned series.

1. Don’t let pride get in the way of accepting (or asking for) help. Why was it so hard for us to accept or ask for help? While I’m certainly mindful not to take advantage, I’ve let go of any deferential pride issues in this department!

2. Individual differences are just as they should be. Parenting Violet has been a completely different ballgame than parenting Laurel. At first, it freaked me out, but I now know that their differences are just as they should be.

3. Having another kid helps your older kid(s) spread their wings. By necessity, we have needed to encourage Laurel towards more independence. It was a tough shift; after all, she was the focus of our attention for 6.5 years, but I know it has helped her grow immensely. She is so confident and capable now; it’s a joy to watch her tackle new challenges and help around the house.

4. Every decision impacts the family system. Whether it’s decisions about my travel, Jon’s client load, Laurel’s extracurriculars, or Vi’s playdates, every decision impacts the family system and we need to make choices accordingly. It’s really helped me evaluate my choices in a less (admittedly) self-centered way.

5. No is more important than ever. If you’ve read Minimalist Parenting you know I’m a big fan of people learning to say no. And it’s more important than ever as your family grows. There will always be more opportunities; don’t fear no!

6. Store-bought is totally fine. I do love baking from scratch, but, well, TIME. I’ve realized store-bought is totally fine, and in fact, when Vi asked for munchkins for her school birthday treat, I was relieved, given my workload this week. Best $7.99 I ever spent.

7. Letting your kids work it out is a gift. I have a low patience threshold when it comes to sibling squabbling. I quickly realized that whenever I tell Laurel and Violet to go work it out, I’m gifting them with practice in conflict resolution.

8. Reading together is still really, really important. Both of my girls love books and come to think of it, it’s really one of the few quiet, totally focused things we do together. I read a lot with Vi (she’s very forthright and will dump a pile of books in my lap) and I’ve also started reading with Laurel again. It does wonders for both of their moods.

9. Relationships matter more than ever. Whether it’s your spouse, immediate family, or friends, nurture your relationships. Go on a date. Go out for a meal (you do, after all, need to eat). Call someone on the phone. Nurturing your relationships will make you a happier parent. Trust me.

10. Your kids want you to do less. Ultimately, your kids want you and your undivided attention, not all the fancy trappings you’re trying to create for them (well intentioned as they are). It’s a win-win for everyone. JUST DO LESS. Vi and Laurel both are happier when we’re just hanging out together, and my phone has been stored accordingly.

Image credits: Christine Koh

The little angel is on spring break this week. Yesterday, we packed up our laptops and headed over to the library for a change of scenery. She had to make an ABC book, which is a document with a fact about the American Revolution for every letter of the alphabet and an accompanying picture.

There was a lot of typing and formatting and then I crashed her buzz by explaining image copyright as she pulled willy-nilly from Google Images. This led to some frustration and a discussion of Wikimedia Commons and then she started down the tedious path of formatting everything again.

After about two hours, she looked over at me. "This is boring," she said. "I think I'm getting a taste of what it's like to have a job."

WELCOME TO THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, GRASSHOPPER.

I've been writing a bit on BlogHer when I haven't been here:

• When Should You Let a Girl Start Shaving Her Legs?

• How to Fight Your Running Jealousy

• Have You Had These Running Injuries?

• When the Holidays Are Over and He Didn't Propose

• 3 Approaches for Organizing Your Closet