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Monday, Monday

Another Monday, another reason to spend time clicking on random links that I thought you might be interested in…

Saw the latest Star Trek movie this weekend. It wasn’t profound, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it. Trailer above.

Can a person disappear in plain sight? Check out Chinese artist Liu Bolin’s TED talk. Turns out, Ralph Ellison is not the only Invisible Man.

Where there is a life-sized Barbie Dreamhouse, there is an Occupy Barbie Dreamhouse protest movement.

Cassy Coyne and Krrb show you how to upholster your own dining room chairs. Finally!

A selection of nicely designed board books for little kids that aren’t embarrassing to be seen on your coffee table. [If you get a prompt to download the "latest Flash Player" when you open this page, don't do it. It's a scam.]

Saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs play in Prospect Park this past weekend. They brought the choir with them to make Sacrilege a truly transcendent experience. (You’ll need Spotify to listen to this one…)

Read Angelina’s OP-Ed piece in the NY Times about her double mastectomy (because who ever actually reads the primary source material?) and then one woman’s opinion about why it matters.

I took my 5 year old to see Matilda

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Matilda, The Musical

… and she LOVED it.

One of my closest friends in the world lives in Mexico City and comes to NY a few times a year for a taste of her old hometown. During this most recent visit, we took our children (my kindergartener and her 7th grade son) to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s brilliant musical production of the dark and slightly twisted Roald Dahl’s Matilda.

It was over two hours long, the actors spoke and sang in heavy British accents that even I had trouble following at times, and yet my daughter was riveted. And so was I.

The set (designed by Rob Howell) was a movable feast of letters and desktops and books and bedrooms that truly captured the spirit of the story without being at all distracting. The performances were all mesmerizing and fully deserving of all of the Tony nominations they have received. (for once!)

I could go on and on, but there’s no real point. The New York Times review says it all.

An inspired artist rendering of the evil Miss Trunchbull, with “I hate kids” in kids spelling scrawled across the top.

What I would like to do is to share one piece of advice with anyone who is considering taking a small kid to a Broadway show that starts right about bath time and ends long after the lights usually are turned out.

Read the book with your kids. At least once if not twice. Talk about it constantly. Draw the characters. (see above photo of the evil Miss Trunchbull) If there’s a soundtrack available, buy it and listen to it. Don’t worry about ruining the story. The more they know, the more they will love it. Oh and bring lots of snacks.

Click below for a few more photos and a link to buy tickets… — Read more

Monday, Monday

links

This photo might seem banal, but to me it represents a huge weight off. I give you my car, filled to the brim with boxes that are themselves filled to the brim with other boxes or old papers that I have finally admitted I NO LONGER NEED TO HOLD ON TO. As my sister would say, this is major. Major. I will be celebrating all week.

School fundraiser? Check.

Mother’s Day? Check.

21 boxes of useless junk cleared out of the basement, contents recycled or donated (see above photo)? Check.

Finally time to share a few links. Lest you think I’d let a week go by without them…

A hilarious online show about the world of marijuana dealers in Brooklyn called High Maintenance. This is an 8 minute video commitment, but well worth it. I laughed so hard I was worried I’d wake up the finally sleeping child…

The tzar of data visualization, Jer Thorpe, turns data into visual images we can all understand.

This is the perfect tiny garden for a tiny space.

Check out this awesome tree house outside of San Fransisco.

Watch this time lapse video of the solar eclipse last week as seen over the Australian sky. Feel free to mute the music, which I don’t think really adds much to the experience…

Spruce up an empty space with this geometric party installation you can make yourself.

A cute new (to me, anyway) Danish furniture and toy design company for kids.

The Tree Book

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The Tree Book will help you feel like less of an idiot when your kids ask you what kind of tree is out front. Or down the street.

Now that the weather has finally gotten lovely, we are walking a bit more slowly and paying more attention to the world around us. Which leads to the inevitable conversations about the various trees that grow on our block and in the playground and at my parents house, etc etc.

I have been coming up way short, in my role as mother/tree expert. I know cherry trees when they blossom, and I’m sure I can tell a pine from a maple, but that’s about all. I’d like to say it’s because I grew up in the city, but we have plenty of trees here, so maybe I should just say that I grew up with my eyes closed.

But they are open now, and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Tree Book For Kids And Their Grown-ups is exactly what I need to help “teach” (aka learn at the same time but I am a faster reader and as such get to be the expert) my daughter all about the trees that are all around us, providing us with air and shade.

Get to know each tree through these lovely drawings.

The drawings are beautiful and comprehensive, so that we can really begin to be familiar with the leaves, seeds, flowers and even bark (see below) of various trees. I am looking forward to the day when I can walk around all knowingly pointing out various trees to groups of adoring children who have gathered round to soak up my wisdom.

At least now I have a place to start.

Learn to tell the difference between a Saucer Magnolia and a Weeping Willow just from the trunk!

You can buy the Tree Book on the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens website.

And you should.

Tiny steps part 1.5

decor - home

When my daughter was tiny, I used to blame this mess on her love of opening cabinets and “rearranging” them. She is not tiny anymore, however…

Here’s a slightly embarrassing fact about me: I subscribe to a few self-help e-newsletters. And while, more often than not, I delete them without even opening the messages, I do succumb every once in awhile. Maybe they’ll have something helpful to say, I tell myself hopefully.

About a week ago, I opened an e mail from Flylady.net (a cheerleader-y daily get-your-house-clean-and-organized site that I like because it’s all about not being too hard on yourself) and read that my daily task should be to “declutter our leftover food storage containers!” How did she know about my cabinet-from-hell (see above photo)? I did what I usually do, which is to put that task on my imaginary 500 page to-do list and went on with my day. And I haven’t opened another e mail from them since.

This morning, however, I thought about that message again as I dug through the aforementioned cabinet, desperately trying to find a top for the container that housed the cookies my daughter and I had made for teacher appreciation day. (We should probably have given the teachers a bottle of Scotch, but I digress.)

And so this morning, after walking to school in the pouring rain and delivering our cookies to much acclaim, I sat down in front of that cabinet and straightened it the f*^k out.

Here’s that same cabinet, after a mere 45 minutes of loving attention during which time I also learned about cooking on the Gaza Strip by listening to NPR.

It took less than an hour. Here’s what I got out of it:

A much nicer visual experience when I open up the cabinet.

A huge bag of #5 plastic to recycle at Whole Foods.

A huge bag of various containers to give to Ada’s school art department.

Only glass or BPA free containers to store our food in.

2 muffin tins, a cake pan and a pan to make Madeleine cookies I didn’t know I had

A glorious and almost overwhelming feeling of victory.

Fly Lady also suggested putting all the tops into a large zip lock bag – a great idea which I didn’t end up using but thought I’d pass along to you guys.

After all that, I am now sitting down to my desk to begin the slightly less housewife-y part of my day. But I do it happy in the knowledge that there is just a tiny bit more order in my life. Next time the org bug hits me, I’ll get back to working on my office, I promise…

Monday, Monday

links

Nothing puts a smile on a mother’s face like a self portrait by her kid. At least when said kid is still little…

A few links to help you be less productive (but perhaps more web savvy?) on this hazy Monday:

Feeling ambitious? Try making these spring vegetable dumplings from the ever amazing Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen.

Gotta love a village that gets pissed when a magazine names it one of America’s “happiest seaside towns.”

See why Rita Pierson brought tears to my eyes during her TED talk imploring fellow educators to be the champion kids really need.

If The New York Times piece on guerrilla gardener Ron Finley doesn’t get you all inspired to plant a curbside vegetable garden, I don’t know what will.

Learn how to top off your Mother’s Day gift with a ribbon rosette by watching this video from One Kings Lane. It’ll look so nice, she won’t care what’s inside!

And if she has everything she needs, why not honor your mom by helping someone else’s?

Don’t want to be a downer here, but lately, I have had a lot of illness in my family. I found this essay on how to talk to a sick friend to be really really spot on. The book’s probably worth reading too.

And in conclusion, I would just like to say that this is, without a doubt, the perfect summer dress for a little girl.

My own Mother’s Day gift guide

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There’s me, back in the day, with my mother and grandmother.

Mother’s Day is around the corner (10 days away, to be exact) so if you haven’t started making a plan for how to honor the most overworked and generally under-appreciated person in your household (sorry dads…) you’d better hop to it.

But lets be honest, we are all stretched too thin in this all-work-all-the-time world. And figuring out a mother’s day gift is probably not the number one item on your to-do list. (nor should reading this blog either, but I digress…)

So here are a few ideas to get you guys going. If I were your mother, I would be thrilled to get any one of these gifts.

I’ve separated them into categories, to make it easier…

HELP HER STAY IN SHAPE

The main studio at Kula Yoga Project’s Brooklyn location.

Call up the studio where your mother practices yoga and hook her up with a five class card (or a 10 class or, what the hell, a monthly unlimited) There’s no way she won’t be thrilled. If I am your mother, you will go straight to Kula. But I understand if she’s into some other spot.

While we’re on the topic, any exercise is good, so, for example, if she spins at SoulCycle, hook her up there.

HELP HER STAY PRETTY

Your mom can take a little vacation to Japan via her bathroom with this set of products.

Your mom probably has a favorite line of beauty products, but it really should be Red Flower, which is my favorite. I go on and on about them in an earlier post. Feel free to read, become obsessed, and then order up lots of stuff for your mother and yourself.

Jill Platner makes smaller pieces as well, but isn’t this necklace amazing?

Or maybe she just wants a little bling. In that case, head over to Jill Platner (in SoHo or online) and get her what will most certainly become her favorite piece of jewelry ever.

Carry a sense of humor in your clutch. Or purse. Or whatever.

Then again, sometimes a new bag is all a girl needs. This pretend designer bag by Slow And Steady Wins The Race is cute (duh), lightweight (made of canvas), ironic without being snotty (a witty knock off of a super traditional Chanel bag) and hip (for all of the above reasons) while still being age appropriate for, well, anybody.

HELP HER RELAX

Herbal tea in the evening helps wipe away the stresses of the day.

How about a membership in Teavana’s tea of the month club? Every month, you get a sample of some new delicious herbal tea that your mother is sure to become addicted to. I speak from personal experience, as this is one of the best gifts I have gotten in the past decade (hint, hint).

SOMETHING HANDMADE BY OTHERS

Textile collage art by Caracarmina on Etsy.

Etsy is always good for finding one of a kind and truly personal gifts. How about getting a family portrait in felt to remind mom just who it is, exactly, she is taking care of all the time? As this requires some custom work, it might be too late for mother’s day 2013, but there’s always father’s day…)

GIVE HER SOMETHING HANDMADE BY YOU

Nothing says Happy Mother’s Day like a heart sandwich cookie.

Nothing beats something you made yourself. Be it a drawing from your daughter’s kindergarten art class, or something sweet and delicious to eat, like these treats. To be honest, you could go buy any issue of Martha Stewart (which is where I found this recipe) and find something lovely to make, but I’ve got a thing for cookies. Plus they are great to make with kids. Not that I’m doing any making this mother’s day, mind you…

GIVE HER SOMETHING TO READ

Cook Fight. By Julia Moskin (who I’ve known all of my adult life) and Kim Severson (who I’m sure is lovely also.)

This cookbook is fabulous because it is not only chock full of delicious and completely approachable recipes, it is also a hilarious read. This contest for kitchen dominance between NY Times food writers Julia Moskin and Kim Severson is full of personal stories, pitfalls and a genuine love of cooking at home. In my opinion, everybody wins.

Amaze your friends! Make your own beauty products!

Or, just get her this book by Stephanie Tourles and we can make all sorts of great stuff together. Nothing like creating your own line of skin care and body products, right?

Have anything to add to the list? Any great ideas for what I should give my mother-in-law, for example? Feel free to let me know in the comments. I’m happy for any and all suggestions.

Monday monday

links

You just know this is going to be a great song. Just look at this cover!

Why be productive when you can check out these links instead?

A day at the zoo with The Exciters singing their 1962 hit “Tell Him” to some unsavory looking characters.

I just spent way too much time watching the President of the United States tear it up at the White House Correspondents dinner. You should too.

Kim Gordon is my hero. Check out this interview if you’re wondering why.

A beautiful post by Joanna Goddard on being the safe haven for your kids.

Wanna be a superhero? Find everything you need right here.

The new Flaming Lips record is out! Immerse yourself in the latest version of their world via this video right now.

Stripped down cell phone

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A little guy putting a SIM card into the lowest of fi mobile phones out there. Photo courtesy of johnsphone.org.

My friend Bibb has decided that she paid far too much attention to her phone… texting, taking pictures, going online… all at the expense of being present with her family, herself and life in general.

And unlike most of us, who just shake our heads and mutter things like “well, that’s just the way the world is now” and other nonsense, she decided to actually do something about it. She is my hero.

She got rid of her old smart phone, and bought a John’s phone, a totally bare bones cell phone (from Holland of course.) Now her only method of communicating (when she’s out of the house) is actually calling somebody and… gasp… talking to them. Directly. — Read more

An indoor herb garden

decor - food - home

Now even I, whose Native American name should be plant-killer, can keep my thyme alive.

I don’t know about you guys, but it drives me crazy to have to buy a big bunch of, fresh thyme lets just say, only to use a sprig or two before the rest of it dries up and shrivels away. Such a waste of thyme and money. Plus there’s all that packaging that ends up primarily in the landfill.

This year, I resolved to do something about this horrendous problem. Blissfully on my way (in my mind) to becoming an indoor year-round herb farmer, sprinkling good taste wherever I go, I bought a thyme plant, potted it, and killed it within two weeks.

Typical.

But then, enter my husband, with the most perfect birthday gift ever (also typical). The idiot-proof-and-also-attractive square planter from the Swedish company Cult. Here’s how it works:

The top part is made of unfinished terra cotta, natural, absorbent, historic (in constant use for 5000 years!). The plant lives in there. The bottom part is glazed, and the water lives in there. Once a week or so, you fill the bottom with water, and these canvas straps soak it up and transfer it to the hungry roots living in the top part. The plant drinks what it wants, when it wants, and you barely have to pay any attention to it at all.

Except for when that recipe calls for a sprig of thyme.

(Continue on if you want to get one of these things RIGHT NOW! Like for mother’s day… hint hint?) — Read more