With the exception of some killer plastic race tracks, mass-merchandise toys have little to offer. Plastic is full of scary stuff, and the plastic toy will have no life beyond this one to reach to the next generation. One of my sons has this thing, not just for soap, but for elephants. We made some [...]
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We use it to make some of our favorite holiday cookies, yummy drinks, and we add it to soups and teas. Ginger is precisely the herb our bodies need during the colder months. According to herbalist Dian Dincin, “Ginger contains a broad-spectrum antibiotic active against bacteria and fungi. Eating ginger-laced cookies at the onset of [...]
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I can’t find the Elf, and the kids are starting to ask questions. We’re already at Day 5 of Advent, and he has yet to make an appearance. The problem is, I don’t know where the Elf is. It all started when, as usual, the kids spotted him as I was pulling out all of [...]
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My 12-year-old had a choice: he could sell pies for $10, putting $5 toward his upcoming orchestra trip to Chicago, the remaining $5 going to the school/pie company; or skip the pies and give people something they really want: rake their leaves, and keeping the $10 for himself. He decided to rake leaves. Here’s how [...]
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Words are missing from the Nutcracker Ballet. Or are they? That silence, little kiddies, is precisely where the enchantment begins. Even though he can tell you the entire plot in 20 minutes or more, I prepare my 6-year-old for his premiere night at BalletMet’s, The Nutcracker, by explaining the absence of words. This puzzles him, [...]
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