The Stroller Ballet

I started this gallery wall close to five years (and four homes!) ago. Since then it’s expanded to include photos of children, departed pets, life events, and friends (I just completed a mini-update to incorporate pictures of Cleo). I think of it as a chronicle of our lives as a family, and love that people are able to get a glimpse into who we are when they visit our home. I’ll often often catch Gemma lingering over the images, touching them gently and talking about what each one means. Just last week I heard her explain to a friend, visiting for a play-date, “this one is Daddy when he was little, this is mommy when I was in her tummy.” To her, it’s a story. An incredibly meaningful story.

 Given our moves, I’ve hung, removed, and re-hung this wall several times (several!). That being said, I have a pretty good idea of how to create something similar in your space.

1. Decide on your decor scheme: I’ve seen this type of wall done in a number of different ways: with entirely black and white photos, with all black or white frames, with a mixture of pictures and meaningful art. I like things eclectic, so my frames are a mixture of black, white, silver and gold (mostly from Ikea!); my photos are black and white and color, professional interspersed with candid. Think about what you want; it will inform your purchasing.

2. Pick the right location: I like the way a gallery wall looks going up a staircase or down a hallway (however short that hallway may be). That’s my personal preference; I think it’s a nice way to transition from one space to another. Take a look around your home and think about where it will fit for you.

3. Buy your frames BEFORE printing your pictures: This may sound counterintuitive, but I’ve found it’s easier to purchase (and hang) the frames and THEN find pictures to fit.

4. Start hanging from the center: The large “C” in the center is what anchors the wall; it’s where I started. If you’re interested in something like this, you can find different options at flea markets and vintage stores. I took the mass produced route and went with Pottery Barn (bonus: it’s not all that heavy). If you don’t want to use a letter (or something similar) think about using a large frame.

5. Be prepared to modify and move: This isn’t an exact science. You’re probably going to make mistakes and need to move things around. The best advice I can give is use tiny nails. They leave smaller holes (*wink*).

I used to believe it was nearly impossible to cook with one child in the house. Now I see how utterly off base I was; it’s only moderately difficult to cook with one child, and nearly impossible with two. 5pm rolls around and I’m walking a fine line between balance and complete chaos. If I’m lucky things remain an organized disaster through the dinner hour, until bedtime. I do cook for my family nightly, but anything I make needs to be ready in 20 minutes (or less!), and have around 5 ingredients. That’s where we are, right now, and I’m learning to modify and adjust.

I put this dish together on the fly Tuesday evening, because it had something Gemma would eat (pasta), and something she may be willing to try (if hidden properly) – kale and white beans. Related: isn’t pasta a great disguise for most things? I’m a pasta purist – I can’t do whole wheat (it just doesn’t taste right to me). That being said, I think most things are o.k. in moderation (and if they’re balanced out with enough of “the healthy stuff”). I chose orecchiette because the white beans kind of stick in the little ears (better for hiding “the healthy stuff”). This shape can be a little tough to prepare (the pieces tend to stick together), but Rao’s brand is perfect – hearty and cooks up perfectly al dente.

Start to finish this took around 15 minutes, and my toughest critic also agreed – it was great. She even indulged in leftovers the next day.

Here’s what you need:
1/2 cup of good olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (I use the Trader Joe’s frozen cubes)
4 cups (give or take) kale, washed and chopped
1 can white beans (I used cannellini)
grated parmesan cheese
3/4 pound orecchiette
1 lemon

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.

While the water is boiling, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan (or pot – I used my Le Creuset) over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the kale and saute until slightly wilted.

While the kale is cooking, add the orecchiette to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve about a half cup of the pasta water.

Add the white beans to the kale mixture and toss.

Drain the pasta and dump it in with the kale and white beans (this is why I use the Le Creuset – it’s large enough that this becomes a two pot meal). If it seems a little dry add a bit of the pasta water.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon and parmesan cheese.

Reading is an incredibly important component of my relationship with Gemma and Cleo. I read to Gemma every single night before bed, at least two or three books. Cleo often joins our evening routine, or, alternately, gets her own stories. I’d like to think that my children will develop a appreciation of literature similar to my own; I simply love getting lost in a good book. And although I’m incredibly busy these days, I always have something on the go and try to indulge in at least a few pages before bed.

I can’t imagine what it must be like for children and their families who don’t have access to affordable and appropriate literature. How it impacts their learning, world view, and creativity. Yet this is a reality for so many children around the globe. A new organization, Library for All, is aiming to change that.
Library for All’s mission is to build a digital library providing ebook content to those living in impoverished communities with low bandwidth. This library will be accessible via mobile phones, e-readers or even low-cost tablets. Entry will be provided through partnerships with government services, NGOs, charities, and other agencies. It’s an innovative tech solution to a worldwide problem. Extraordinary, right?

Library for All just launched a Kickstarter Campaign, and has raised over $56,000 at the time of this post going live. They will pilot at the Respire School in Haiti, located about 2 hours outside of Port-au-Prince, beginning in October 2013. As a former teacher, mother, and blogger, I can’t help but be drawn to this cause, and hope you will all take a moment to learn about it.

To find out more, visit the Library for All Kickstarter page.

We’ve had major clothing issues here, pretty much since September. Gemma is incredibly choosy about what she wears. Incredibly. It’s not entirely surprising; both her Dad and I are pretty particular. Still. Tuesday she went through multiple outfit rotations before deciding on a pair of blue shorts (with a sparkly happy face on one leg), white tank top, and gold cape. It’s not so much the combinations I dislike, but the indecisiveness. I’ve taken to sending her upstairs with five minutes to dress in SOMETHING, while I breathe deeply and look for serenity. It’s moments like this that I need to summon every ounce of parental patience in my being.

Needless to say, I’ve given up on purchasing clothing without the “a-ok” from her. And, over the last couple of months, I’ve started to get the hang of what she may like. (May being the operative word here.) Gemma loves anything animal. Animal face, animal print; animal anything goes, really. I could cover a garbage bag with cheetah duct tape and she’d happily wrap herself in it and skip to school. She’d probably even thank me for the beautiful dress.

That being said, I’ve been searching out clothing that’s safari-themed. I’d like for Gemma to expand her options beyond the two outfits I currently launder nightly (one dress and one shorts set). And the internet being what it is, I’ve managed to find a few perfect options (all Gemma approved).

{Clockwise from top left: flamingo dress: mini rodini/skirt: juicy couture/elephant shirt: peek kids/red jaguar shorts: mini rodini/bubble safari shorts: monikako/animal print t-shirt: zara}

4 hours before these images were taken I was stranded in a downpour after pre-school dropoff. Without appropriate rain gear and with an infant. 20 minutes after these images were taken I was trapped in a subway with a screaming baby, a singing four year old, and a very helpful friend. (Thank God. For the friend – not the noise). 40 minutes after these images were taken I was drooled on, chewed, and grabbed. Then, I took a ten minute walk home in high humidity, pushing a stroller. Half-way there I helped Gemma change from rain boots to regular shoes, because SHE WAS SO HOT!!!

6 hours and 10 minutes after I put the whole thing together, it still looked ok. Until I fed Cleo carrots. And even then, it may have still been presentable.

I like to call this look “it survived”.

Highly recommended if you have children.

 {shirt: madewell/skirt: jcrew (old)/boots: hunter/necklace: stella and dot}

We’re experiencing a major heat wave here in New York, the culmination of truly bizarre weather this week. Saturday afternoon I spotted people wearing down jackets; today I’m running the air conditioning.

Gemma spent a good hour running around the park after school yesterday morning, before declaring “I’d like to leave, I’m too hot”. We walked the near half mile home, cheeks rosy, hair plastered to the back of her neck. My kids sweat in the dead of winter. 90+ degrees and they’re just pouring. Considering how difficult the heat is on Gemma (HER MOUTH GETS SO HOT SHE NEEDS AN ICE CREAM TO COOL IT DOWN!!!), the timing seemed perfect to try out some kefir berry creamsicles. I love making my own popsicles; the idea of avoiding all that processed junk is appealing. And Gemma enjoys getting involved in the prep; there’s something magical about a liquid freezing (science is pretty damned cool).

Twenty minutes later, we had ten kefir berry creamsicles (raspberry and blackberry), ready for the freezer. Purple and pink and perfect on sight; the exact colors of Rapunzel’s dress.

After a night of chilling, the verdict was in (yes, she had one this morning). Delicious. Creamy yet fruity. And absolutely mouth-cooling.

Kefir Berry Creamsicles

2 cups kefir
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons honey
2 6oz containers of blackberries or raspberries

Puree the berries in a food processor until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve (to get rid of all the seeds). Whisk the honey, vanilla extract, and kefir together. Combine it with the puree and pour into the molds. This will make 5-6 creamsicles. We repeated the process twice; once with blackberries, once with raspberries.

For a creamier popsicle, double the kefir, the vanilla, and the honey.

Sidenote: I love this mold – the Progressive International PLP-1 Freezer Pop Maker. It has this amazing metal lid (not shown in this image) that keeps the popsicle sticks in place. I also love the retro shape it give the popsicles.