I’ve become a little obsessed with making a Pujaki. The word Pujaki is polish and translated it means “spiders of straw”. There is a strong folk arts & crafts tradition in Poland. In the winter, when much of the outdoor activities were suspended, Polish peasant families would spend their time preparing for on of their…
Operation Alphabet
Note: Since first writing this post in 2012, the Ministry of Letters is no longer around. But I just loved the clever concept of a singing alphabet, so I left this post up as creative inspiration. You can still buy their book! Have you discovered the Ministry of Letters yet? There is a secret world that not…
A Kids Art Room
I love this art room for kids. It’s so simple, but has everything you need. A quiet and clean space, a chalkboard wall, neat and organized supplies, and a place to display art. The chandelier is actually a laundry drying rack from Ikea…so clever. What a great place to let your imagination run amuck!
Recycled Postcard Banner
My sweet neighbor, Georgy, turned 103 last week. Yep! She was born in 1909. We visited her in her house that she built with her husband in 1939. She lives alone, but is loved and taken care of by many. She still cleans her own house and takes walks up the street on nice days….
Happy Mother’s Day!
My mom in Holland, 1971. My kids call her Oma. She is an incredible human being, remarkable in every way. She has taught me to stay strong, rise above it, keep trying, be grateful, smile at everyone, give generously, laugh at myself, cross at the light, stop complaining, eat my protein, cherish my marriage and,…
Maurice Sendak
Today we lost beloved children’s book author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak. He was a man who accepted and embraced vulnerability. He understood the fear of the unknown and saw the complexities of mankind, both good and bad. By penning one of the most influential children’s books of the 20th Century, Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak encouraged…
An ECHOage Birthday
To continue with my birthday theme this past week (streamers are still up), I wanted to share with you our secret to a happy birthday party. For the past three years, we have celebrated the kids’ birthdays with ECHOage, an online birthday party service whereby your child choses a charity to donate to in lieu…
Flubber: A Toy for All Ages
I left some of our homemade flubber at my kids’ performing arts studio. Turns out, flubber is not just for kids! Lorah Haskins of The Studio made this movie. Make some flubber for yourself with our recipe. xo, Bar
Balloon Surprise
Pinterest had an idea that I wanted to copy. There was a photo of a little girl looking all adorable up on her bed, and beneath her on the floor were big, colorful balloons. The post said, “On their birthday, cover the floor with balloons while they sleep.” Brilliant idea! I went to Party City….
Best Flubber Recipe
This past weekend was my son’s birthday. He turned six! We broke our own rules of 1) having birthday parties at home and 2) inviting no more than 10 guests. This year he wanted to invite all of the kids in Kindergarten (oy!), no one was to be left out. With so many invitees, we…
