For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a box (or drawer) where I stashed special things – mementos, awards, cherished letters, souvenirs. I remember my mother storing some of her treasured objects in her piano bench; programs from plays we were in or ticket stubs from a[Read more]
I know I’ve shared before about my annual guilt-fest, also known as our-youngest-son’s-birthday. Born just 12 days after Christmas, it’s hella-hard to make his special day feel all that special to him. He’s usually partied-out, fighting the post-holiday crankies, occasionally snowed-in, and indecisive about what we can do to make[Read more]
My youngest son and I were walking through an elementary school yesterday, after hours, and passed a small pile of trash that was obviously the result of the custodian sweeping a classroom. I thought I saw a couple of pencils in the pile, but kept walking . . . until[Read more]
Nothing like the last minute to inspire creativity! Our younger son is in fourth grade – young enough his class still exchanges valentines, but too old to put much thought into it (until the night before). Our schools no longer allow food in the classroom, but our son still wanted[Read more]
Time and time again, I’m reminded that my children are my first and biggest inspiration for upcycling and recycling. There’s the obvious parental urge to leave them a more sustainable world, which prompts frequent conversations about the footprint we create with the energy we consume, the trash we make, and[Read more]
One of the best parts about being pregnant with each of our sons was watching my husband’s enthusiasm grow as we prepared for each of their arrivals. My husband has very few, if any, good memories from his own childhood, so he reveled in the opportunity to plan and prepare[Read more]