• Last updated 2/10/11 by Laura E Taylor

All these years, I haven’t forgotten snow globes we made out of baby food jars when I was in kindergarten. I loved those things! So when—as the snow was yet again coming down outside our office windows—Mel and I started putting together our list of things to make for Valentine’s Day, I saw my chance to create these again. Back in the day, we used some pretty awful plastic flowers (I think we were making our snow globes as Mother’s Day presents), but I thought it might be fun to try making some using old castoff toys and gumball machine trinkets. Here’s how it works. .... read more

• Last updated 2/8/11 by Laura E Taylor

Nothing says LOVE like, um . . . romantic poetry on your refrigerator? Well, sure! And that’s our offering today: a do-it-yourself Valentine-themed magnet poetry kit. (To download a printable PDF of these instructions and two pages of poetic words, click here.) What you’ll need • magnet paper (these are magnetic sheets of “paper” with a printable white surface) • your inkjet printer  (Note: do NOT use magnet paper with a laser printer!) • scissors What to do 1.Download and print out the PDF included here. Check to make sure pages 2 and 3 fit on the page properly. (They... read more

• Last updated 2/11/11 by Laura E Taylor

Next up in Mel and Laura’s Several Fabulous Things You Can Make for V-Day Project: paper dolls! But not just any paper dolls. These paper people have long lovely locks like Rapunzel—or any number of pro football players these days—to help your favorite reader mark his or her place. (To download a printable PDF of these instructions and templates, click here.) What you’ll need scissors colored paper (card stock is preferable, needs to be sturdy enough to handle being handled a lot) hole-puncher (to make small round holes for yarn hair to go through) needlepoint needle... read more

• Last updated 2/3/11 by Laura E Taylor

And. . . we’re off! On the Mel and Laura’s Several Fabulous Things You Can Make for V-Day Project, that is. First up: Truffles. And not just any truffles. These are dairy-free and nut-free, sure, but they don’t taste like they’re lacking a thing. Heavenly stuff. We made them recently for our March-April Peggy’s Kitchen article (which features special treats for kids with food sensitivities) and we could not believe how good these were. Don’t be daunted by the photo. We’re here to tell you these are not hard to make. And once you’ve mixed up the ingredients and let them... read more

• Last updated 2/27/13 by AdinaL

The Procrastination Spitball Dartpad Mel (staffer Melyssa Holik) gave me for Christmas. Way yonder more excuses and distractions (suggestions run the gamut from “go for a coffee run” to “walk in circles”) than Mel and Melissa (Managing Editor Melissa Chianta) and I need in the office. But, boy, it’s brought us a lot of laughs. And direction, of sorts. # # Tags: dart pad, distraction, gift, melissa chianta, melyssa holik, office, procrastination, spitball This entry was posted on Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 at... read more

• Last updated 3/2/13 by Cynthia Mosher

# Be a better blogger. (Starting yesterday.) Photo taken yesterday during the stunning commute I get daily with my man Tim. (I walk with him across some gorgeous country, en route to his workplace, before heading in to the Mothering office.) # # Tags: commute, february, hipstamatic, iPhone, new month, resolution, snow This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 at 4:43 pm and is filed under creativity, living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by AdinaL

(Haikus created by Melissa, Mel and me, with help from of the very fun Haikube set Peggy gave us) A Vision for My Future hero inside I travel after grand fortune happy wind woman * * * dreaming glorious a gorgeous light on my eyes touches lofty ground * * * #@&*#!! hellbent moonlight it’s clamor which shines our heart the riches bust wild * * * As you might guess, some days in our office are more technically productive. Others are merely... read more

• Last updated 3/1/13 by mamazee

I do not advocate celebrating half birthdays. That I made my daughter a half birthday cake, as I mentioned in this post, is a testament to said daughter’s dogged persistence. Several readers asked for the recipe for the flourless chocolate cake with lemon curd frosting. This recipe is only slightly modified from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts (which is hands down the best dessert cookbook I’ve ever had. I actually won this book from Words to Eat By. Thank you again Debbie!). This cake is almost like chocolate mousse. It’s gluten-free and... read more

• Last updated 3/2/13 by Cynthia Mosher

Mothering contributor Jeremy Adam Smith speaks to the fluidity and diversity of today’s family unit  in YES! Magazine’s Winter 2011 issue, “What Happy Families Know.” From Yes! Magazine: Marriage and family values are among America’s most polarizing political issues. But when we get down to the personal, we find that real family is mostly about taking care of each other, despite our differences. This issue of YES! Magazine takes an honest look at family and celebrates the values and choices that help us support and look after each... read more

• Last updated 3/5/13 by Momsteader

“What’s the date today?” I ask to no one in particular. “Mo-om!” my 11-year-old rolls her eyes in my direction. “It’s the 13th of January. It’s my half birthday. You didn’t remember.” Half birthday? We barely celebrated poor Baby Leone’s first whole birthday. We just couldn’t decide whom to invite or when to have a party. So we ended up celebrating quietly, just us. In contrast, we had an over-the-top birthday party for the very same 11-year-old when she turned one: presents galore (she liked the ribbons on the boxes and the wrapping paper better than... read more