northern life
I didn’t realize the depth of my unmet need for outdoor adventure until I hastily concocted a winter tent camping trip over lunch one day with a co-worker. While I love exploring with my family, I read Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail thru-hiking memoirs all winter, and I am consumed by a longing to hike to […]
When Beatrice was little, people said to us all of the time, “She’ll sleep well tonight!” And we always laughed, but inside we thought, “Nope, she’s going to sleep the same as she does every night, because she’s always this active.” Since then I love to ask other parents what comment they hear most […]
Like we often do, because great minds think alike, Jen and I decided independently to get standing desks this year. If you’ve read any of the research, they are calling sitting the new smoking, and saying that even if you exercise regularly you cannot overcome the adverse affects of sitting at your work all day. I’ve […]
Forget filling your car with hand warmers and signal flares, true winter survival is about keeping your spirits up and your eyes on the prize (i.e. spring). Here’s a foolproof recipe to help you survive winter a.k.a. enjoy our fourth season. First, get comfortable. Head to your favorite pharmacy/co-op/Amazon and fill your cart with Vitamin D, a […]
So much for plans. A few weeks ago I posted that I had grand plans for vegetable gardening this year. I had researched container and small-space gardening and pinned a bunch of cool-looking ideas. I meant to research what the perfect (probably heirloom) varietals of beans or peas or kale that would look awesome among […]
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When I go on vacation I typically read one or more books per day. I ignore my family and stay up all night and just consume them — some literature, some Oprah picks, some beach fluff — but always all fiction. It’s really out of hand. So this year I decided to actually interact with […]
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Yesterday I spent eight hours cleaning my house and I didn’t even get to the third floor (the finished attic of a 125-year-old foursquare). It’s just as well, though, that’s my older son’s room and at the moment it is carpeted with Legos. I don’t really want to follow through on my threat to vacuum […]
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So if Jen’s pooh-poohed her Anna Maria Island trip as unadventurous, wait until you hear about my spring trip. On the one hand, yes: we traveled with a one-year-old on four, two-hour flights (two each way). We subjected her to nightly two-hour dinners at fancy restaurants. We let her run around in the pool (and […]
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A gracious friend who received some devastating news recently did me the favor of accepting my help. When I am the one having a hard time, I forget that allowing someone to help is a great gift to them. I also forget that a sincere, simple thank you is all the repayment the giver needs. […]
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Work has been a bit more intense the last couple of months, and only now looking back can I see that the way I dealt with it was cutting out the extras — the extra projects, adventures, outside interests. I don’t feel bad about that — I think it was really effective at keeping me […]
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There’s nothing so tiny as your baby in his big-boy bed for the first time. (Well, maybe your newborn in his crib for the first time.) It’s hard on a mama, but it must be done. Last year, Noah was ready to graduate from the crib, as evidenced by his ability to escape from it. […]
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My littlest sprite and his fairy, um, I mean sprite, garden. My house sits on a lot-and-a-half and for an urban home that means a huge yard. But since I have two boys, a play structure, a sandbox and must preserve enough space to play baseball, I don’t have a lot of space for a […]
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