Cocoa-flavored lip balm makes a sweet Valentine's Day gift
Chocolaty treats and kisses are everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Why not combine the two? Whip up these three varieties of cocoa-flavored lip balm — held in adorable heart-shaped containers — for the sweethearts in your life. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get a thank-you smooch.
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: An hour
Adult help: No
Makes: 6 cocoa-flavored lip balm hearts
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Feb. 6, 2019)
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: An hour
Adult help: No
Makes: 6 cocoa-flavored lip balm hearts
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Feb. 6, 2019)
How to protect your newborn from a sibling’s affection
After learning I was pregnant with my second daughter last year, I did my best to prepare my two-and-a-half-year-old, Juniper, about our forthcoming family member.
She talked to her sister – whom she’d nicknamed “Kiki” – in my expanding belly. We sorted baby clothes and read books with plots about a new sibling’s arrival. She weighed in on the rug I chose for the nursery. I bought her a “big sister” T-shirt.
The last months of my pregnancy were filled with gleeful anticipation. So when the baby came in November, Juniper was thrilled. A little too thrilled.
Juniper was so psyched, my husband, Sean, and I worried she’d hurt our newborn, Cora, by accident. Her hugs approached strangulation. I turned away for a moment, only to find Juniper trying to soothe her crying sister by nearly launching Cora out of a bouncing chair.
Uh-oh.
How was I going to do this?
Read more (Washington Post On Parenting, Jan. 31, 2019)
She talked to her sister – whom she’d nicknamed “Kiki” – in my expanding belly. We sorted baby clothes and read books with plots about a new sibling’s arrival. She weighed in on the rug I chose for the nursery. I bought her a “big sister” T-shirt.
The last months of my pregnancy were filled with gleeful anticipation. So when the baby came in November, Juniper was thrilled. A little too thrilled.
Juniper was so psyched, my husband, Sean, and I worried she’d hurt our newborn, Cora, by accident. Her hugs approached strangulation. I turned away for a moment, only to find Juniper trying to soothe her crying sister by nearly launching Cora out of a bouncing chair.
Uh-oh.
How was I going to do this?
Read more (Washington Post On Parenting, Jan. 31, 2019)
These easy cocoa-peppermint cookies are as cute as a button
Now that the festive winter days have arrived as fast as a belly-whopping Frosty the Snowman, nothing tastes merrier than a homemade holiday cookie. These Cocoa-Peppermint Buttons — a recipe adapted from “Good Housekeeping Kids Bake!” — are jolly good. Just don’t eat them all at once . . . or your belly may resemble that of a certain white-bearded fella.
Adult’s help: Some
Hands-on time: An hour
Total time: 2 hours
Makes: About 25-30 cookies
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Dec. 4, 2018)
Adult’s help: Some
Hands-on time: An hour
Total time: 2 hours
Makes: About 25-30 cookies
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Dec. 4, 2018)
This ghostly decoration will come in handy for Halloween
With Halloween fast approaching, take some ghoulish delight into your own hands. Seriously, here’s how to create a free-standing ghost from your handprints. This crafty trick is a boo-tiful decorative treat you can proudly display for many Octobers to come.
Adult’s help: Some
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1½ hours
SUPPLIES: One 14-by-22-inch white poster board (bigger is okay), pencil, scissors, 2-ounce bottle neon green acrylic paint, medium sponge paintbrush, three large paper plates, clear washable glue, two 7-millimeter wiggle eyes, black marker
STEPS
1. Lay poster widthwise on a table and place your nonwriting hand on one side, leaving at least a half-inch space from your middle finger at the poster’s top edge and another half inch from your pinkie on the poster’s side. Trace your hand with a pencil. Move the hand you’re tracing to another part of the poster and repeat.
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Oct., 2, 2018)
Adult’s help: Some
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1½ hours
SUPPLIES: One 14-by-22-inch white poster board (bigger is okay), pencil, scissors, 2-ounce bottle neon green acrylic paint, medium sponge paintbrush, three large paper plates, clear washable glue, two 7-millimeter wiggle eyes, black marker
STEPS
1. Lay poster widthwise on a table and place your nonwriting hand on one side, leaving at least a half-inch space from your middle finger at the poster’s top edge and another half inch from your pinkie on the poster’s side. Trace your hand with a pencil. Move the hand you’re tracing to another part of the poster and repeat.
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Oct., 2, 2018)
Where to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in Richmond
As a child of the Richmond suburbs, I boomeranged back to the city after 12 years. And while the Richmond of my youth is recognizable, something happened while I was away: It has become downright cool . . . and delicious. Yes, its charm, friendliness and easy parking remain. It has experienced a rapid proliferation of craft breweries, especially in the increasingly hip Scott’s Addition. Longtime dining and shopping districts such as Carytown and Shockoe Bottom can’t rest on decades-old laurels, as other neighborhoods (Church Hill, Jackson Ward) are being reinvigorated by talented chefs and creative innovators. It’s a renaissance I’m savoring one bite at a time — whether I’m devouring a steak gyro from a food truck (Dank Eats) or a Wiener schnitzel at a restaurant (Metzger Bar & Butchery) co-owned by an “Iron Chef” competitor — and a bonanza for visitors.
Read more (Washington Post Travel, Sept. 6, 2018)
Read more (Washington Post Travel, Sept. 6, 2018)
Make the best of burst bubbles: DIY foam bubble stickers
Blowing bubbles is a blast. Too bad they pop. But you can help them make a lasting mark by creating stickers from their bubbly bursts. Be warned: This gets messy: Wear clothes that can get stained, or your parents might burst your bubble-making enthusiasm.
Adult's help: No
Hands-on time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Total time: A day and a half
Makes: About 70 stickers
SUPPLIES: 4 pipe cleaners, ruler, 2 cups distilled water, microwave-safe measuring cup, large bowl, ¼ cup light corn syrup, ⅓ cup light-color dish soap (not ultra-concentrated), wooden spoon, 4 4-ounce glass jars with latching lids, liquid food coloring (red, green, yellow, blue), table knife, white foam sheet with adhesive back, pen, scissors
STEPS
1. Measure 2½ inches of a pipe cleaner. Form that part into a loop, securing it to the longer part of the pipe cleaner (this will be the wand handle) by crossing it under and folding over. Shape loop into a circle. Repeat with remaining three pipe cleaners.
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, July 24, 2018)
Adult's help: No
Hands-on time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Total time: A day and a half
Makes: About 70 stickers
SUPPLIES: 4 pipe cleaners, ruler, 2 cups distilled water, microwave-safe measuring cup, large bowl, ¼ cup light corn syrup, ⅓ cup light-color dish soap (not ultra-concentrated), wooden spoon, 4 4-ounce glass jars with latching lids, liquid food coloring (red, green, yellow, blue), table knife, white foam sheet with adhesive back, pen, scissors
STEPS
1. Measure 2½ inches of a pipe cleaner. Form that part into a loop, securing it to the longer part of the pipe cleaner (this will be the wand handle) by crossing it under and folding over. Shape loop into a circle. Repeat with remaining three pipe cleaners.
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, July 24, 2018)
Make a wind chime and listen to the sounds of summer
Celebrate summer by making your own wind chime. With only three items — a stick, ribbons and bells — this outdoor instrument will easily bring music to your ears the entire season.
Adult's help: Some
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
SUPPLIES: A sturdy, foot-long stick that’s at least a ¼-inch thick, scissors, tape measure, 3 spools of ribbon ⅜ inches wide and 5 yards long (one orange, turquoise and yellow), 11 1-inch bells
STEPS
1. Find a sturdy stick outside that’s about a foot long and straight.
2. Measure 22 inches of orange ribbon, then cut with scissors. Tie one end of the ribbon to the middle of the stick with a tight double knot.
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, July 3, 2018)
Adult's help: Some
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
SUPPLIES: A sturdy, foot-long stick that’s at least a ¼-inch thick, scissors, tape measure, 3 spools of ribbon ⅜ inches wide and 5 yards long (one orange, turquoise and yellow), 11 1-inch bells
STEPS
1. Find a sturdy stick outside that’s about a foot long and straight.
2. Measure 22 inches of orange ribbon, then cut with scissors. Tie one end of the ribbon to the middle of the stick with a tight double knot.
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, July 3, 2018)
You can call this dish Jefferson's macaroni
Celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s April 13 birthday by making this take on his macaroni recipe tweaked for today’s young chefs.
This isn’t everyday mac and cheese: The noodles aren’t hollow, and the Founding Father’s handwritten recipe doesn’t call for cheese. Still, we added Parmesan, a cheese he enjoyed.
Adult's help: Yes
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Makes: Nearly 1 pound of pasta
Kitchen gear: Measuring spoons, measuring cup, large and small mixing bowls, whisk, wooden spoon, slotted spoon, table knife, large cutting board, rolling pin, medium saucepan, colander, three bowls, gallon storage bag, dish towel, three forks
Ingredients: 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus more for counter and pin), 2 large eggs, ¼ cup whole milk (or more as necessary), 1½ teaspoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan, salt and pepper
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, April, 11 2018)
This isn’t everyday mac and cheese: The noodles aren’t hollow, and the Founding Father’s handwritten recipe doesn’t call for cheese. Still, we added Parmesan, a cheese he enjoyed.
Adult's help: Yes
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Makes: Nearly 1 pound of pasta
Kitchen gear: Measuring spoons, measuring cup, large and small mixing bowls, whisk, wooden spoon, slotted spoon, table knife, large cutting board, rolling pin, medium saucepan, colander, three bowls, gallon storage bag, dish towel, three forks
Ingredients: 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus more for counter and pin), 2 large eggs, ¼ cup whole milk (or more as necessary), 1½ teaspoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan, salt and pepper
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, April, 11 2018)
As a mother, I feel like I need to march this time
At 37, I’ve been a journalist more than half my life.
While my work has followed a wide array of topics — from flying cars to a Ginger Baker documentary — I typically shy away from the controversial, instead writing pieces that focus on life’s upbeat or atypical aspects.
Since I had my daughter, Juniper, nearly 2½ years ago, my tendency to “play it safe” grew.
There was always a reason.
During the Women’s March in January 2017, I was frantically weaning Juniper two months later than expected — while moving for the second time in less than two years. When debate raged last summer over Confederate monuments, I opted not to pitch a story idea — in which I’d photograph daily happenings at Confederate statues along Richmond’s Monument Avenue — thinking I’d put myself, now a mom, at unnecessary risk.
Read more (Washington Post On Parenting, March 7, 2018)
While my work has followed a wide array of topics — from flying cars to a Ginger Baker documentary — I typically shy away from the controversial, instead writing pieces that focus on life’s upbeat or atypical aspects.
Since I had my daughter, Juniper, nearly 2½ years ago, my tendency to “play it safe” grew.
There was always a reason.
During the Women’s March in January 2017, I was frantically weaning Juniper two months later than expected — while moving for the second time in less than two years. When debate raged last summer over Confederate monuments, I opted not to pitch a story idea — in which I’d photograph daily happenings at Confederate statues along Richmond’s Monument Avenue — thinking I’d put myself, now a mom, at unnecessary risk.
Read more (Washington Post On Parenting, March 7, 2018)
For Valentine’s Day, make your own colorful chocolates
Rather than snatching chocolates off a shelf for Valentine’s Day, make loved ones a more heartfelt version by molding your own. The ingredients can be found in your grocery store’s baking section, while the equipment — such as an ice cube tray — is probably already in your kitchen waiting to reveal its chocolate-making potential.
Adult’s help: A little
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1½ hours
Makes: 16 chocolate pieces
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Feb. 6, 2018)
Adult’s help: A little
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1½ hours
Makes: 16 chocolate pieces
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Feb. 6, 2018)
Are flying cars for real? After nearly a century of trying, inventors have the right materials and technology
Imagine a flying car. Does it look like a fancy sports car with foldable wings? Or a Jet Ski-like craft that seems to float above water?
These aren’t make-believe.
That sports car/plane combo is called the AeroMobil Flying Car. The latest model — which can be ready to fly in less than three minutes — was previewed recently with a promised arrival of 2020. The vehicle zooming above water has a name, too: the Kitty Hawk Flyer, an all-electric creation expected by year’s end.
These are two of more than a dozen present-day plans.
What’s driving this sky-high frenzy?
“Technology has changed,” says Dorothy Cochrane, a general-aviation curator at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. “The ultimate design of a flying car is going to be so much different than what people were trying to do for years.”
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, May 16, 2017)
These aren’t make-believe.
That sports car/plane combo is called the AeroMobil Flying Car. The latest model — which can be ready to fly in less than three minutes — was previewed recently with a promised arrival of 2020. The vehicle zooming above water has a name, too: the Kitty Hawk Flyer, an all-electric creation expected by year’s end.
These are two of more than a dozen present-day plans.
What’s driving this sky-high frenzy?
“Technology has changed,” says Dorothy Cochrane, a general-aviation curator at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. “The ultimate design of a flying car is going to be so much different than what people were trying to do for years.”
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, May 16, 2017)
The rise of the consignment parent
Clutching a snowsuit, I faced a marital dilemma.
Before I left to buy winter attire for our daughter, my husband, Sean, had one request in anticipation of my anti-pink penchant when it came to Juniper’s clothing: “Don’t buy something too boyish.”
This snowsuit was blue. With a football helmet on it.
It was also $7.
There was another option in the 12-month size at my local Kid to Kid children’s resale store — a more attractive plaid for $15 — but to pay twice as much seemed silly, even downright wrong. Chuckling, I wondered if other parents were increasingly following variations of what I’ve dubbed my “consignment mama” mindset – i.e., a preference for buying youth clothing and toys secondhand.
Are we in the midst of a children’s resale renaissance? Or is this something I’m only aware of as a new parent? After all, eBay is well beyond its adolescence and Goodwill is a household name. So I did what any curious, stay-at-home mommy/reporter would do: I set up nap chats (i.e., interviews during Juniper’s afternoon snooze) to dive into the bargain bin of buying for kids.
Read more (Washington Post On Parenting, April 25, 2017)
Before I left to buy winter attire for our daughter, my husband, Sean, had one request in anticipation of my anti-pink penchant when it came to Juniper’s clothing: “Don’t buy something too boyish.”
This snowsuit was blue. With a football helmet on it.
It was also $7.
There was another option in the 12-month size at my local Kid to Kid children’s resale store — a more attractive plaid for $15 — but to pay twice as much seemed silly, even downright wrong. Chuckling, I wondered if other parents were increasingly following variations of what I’ve dubbed my “consignment mama” mindset – i.e., a preference for buying youth clothing and toys secondhand.
Are we in the midst of a children’s resale renaissance? Or is this something I’m only aware of as a new parent? After all, eBay is well beyond its adolescence and Goodwill is a household name. So I did what any curious, stay-at-home mommy/reporter would do: I set up nap chats (i.e., interviews during Juniper’s afternoon snooze) to dive into the bargain bin of buying for kids.
Read more (Washington Post On Parenting, April 25, 2017)
Punxsutawney Phil isn’t your everyday — or even your one-day — groundhog
Punxsutawney Phil is legendary. After all, the 20-pound groundhog has made famous forecasts on February 2, Groundhog Day, for decades.
That morning, the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, resident is lifted from a stump at Gobbler’s Knob, the ceremony site two miles from town. If he sees his shadow during the annual folkloric tradition, it is believed that six more winter weeks are coming. If not, expect early spring.
There’s a live broadcast. Thousands of spectators. Then it’s soon over.
What’s Phil doing the rest of the year? Probably munching a favorite vegetable.
“We tried corn on the cob, and he fell in love,” says 56-year-old John Griffiths, one of two volunteer handlers who cares for Phil year-round. In addition to carrots, celery, lettuce and kale, Phil eats granola bars. They’re treats with a purpose: Groundhogs have two teeth that never stop growing, so the bars help Phil wear them down.
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Feb. 1, 2017)
That morning, the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, resident is lifted from a stump at Gobbler’s Knob, the ceremony site two miles from town. If he sees his shadow during the annual folkloric tradition, it is believed that six more winter weeks are coming. If not, expect early spring.
There’s a live broadcast. Thousands of spectators. Then it’s soon over.
What’s Phil doing the rest of the year? Probably munching a favorite vegetable.
“We tried corn on the cob, and he fell in love,” says 56-year-old John Griffiths, one of two volunteer handlers who cares for Phil year-round. In addition to carrots, celery, lettuce and kale, Phil eats granola bars. They’re treats with a purpose: Groundhogs have two teeth that never stop growing, so the bars help Phil wear them down.
Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Feb. 1, 2017)
Thanks for getting me through the early days of being a mom, NPR
Having a baby gives a person perspective on their life relationships … for better and worse. There are people who show up empty-handed during the delirious early days and drink most of your diminished beer supply. Others arrive unannounced, leaving an aromatic bowl of beef stew on the front stoop.
Yet it’s the increasing essentialness of one particular acquaintance that’s surprised me most.
The NPR News app on my iPhone.
While I’ve listened to NPR for years — usually when driving or doing housework — I’ve recently noticed that the app I’ve often taken for granted (like a faucet I could turn on and off when needed) is gaining appreciated prominence in my daily life.
Why? It likely has something to do with the fact that the two beings I spend the most time with — a fearful dog and a feisty 1-year-old — communicate mostly through barks, babbles, whines and cries. As a fledgling stay-at-home mom, sporadically listening to public radio throughout the day has been a sanity-saver as I adjust to a life that’s dictated by nap and meal schedules.
Read more (Washington Post On Parenting, Jan. 12, 2017)
Yet it’s the increasing essentialness of one particular acquaintance that’s surprised me most.
The NPR News app on my iPhone.
While I’ve listened to NPR for years — usually when driving or doing housework — I’ve recently noticed that the app I’ve often taken for granted (like a faucet I could turn on and off when needed) is gaining appreciated prominence in my daily life.
Why? It likely has something to do with the fact that the two beings I spend the most time with — a fearful dog and a feisty 1-year-old — communicate mostly through barks, babbles, whines and cries. As a fledgling stay-at-home mom, sporadically listening to public radio throughout the day has been a sanity-saver as I adjust to a life that’s dictated by nap and meal schedules.
Read more (Washington Post On Parenting, Jan. 12, 2017)
Six-year-old shares his love of science through a podcast
Nate Butkus isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions.
“Have you ever met a space shark or space dolphin?”
“What type of heat does Rudolph’s nose give out?”
“When do ants start to hibernate?”
These are just a few the 6-year-old has asked on “The Show About Science,” a podcast he’s hosted since July 2015.
The recorded audio show — which can be listened to on a computer, cellphone or other streaming devices — features the Wilmette, Illinois, first-grader talking with experts in the subject he’s loved for half his life.
“Back when I was 3, I mixed water, salt and food coloring, and I made red salt water,” he says. “I’ve been interested in science ever since.” Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Dec. 12, 2016)
“Have you ever met a space shark or space dolphin?”
“What type of heat does Rudolph’s nose give out?”
“When do ants start to hibernate?”
These are just a few the 6-year-old has asked on “The Show About Science,” a podcast he’s hosted since July 2015.
The recorded audio show — which can be listened to on a computer, cellphone or other streaming devices — features the Wilmette, Illinois, first-grader talking with experts in the subject he’s loved for half his life.
“Back when I was 3, I mixed water, salt and food coloring, and I made red salt water,” he says. “I’ve been interested in science ever since.” Read more (Washington Post KidsPost, Dec. 12, 2016)
New parents take baby steps toward family travel with a three-day getaway to Annapolis
"Hold that boat!”
One thing I’ve learned as a new stay-at-home mom is to make the most of life between my baby’s naps and mealtimes. That’s why I ran past the yachts and sailboats anchored along “Ego Alley” in Annapolis, Md., to flag down the Harbor Queen before its last daily departure at 4 p.m.
Moments later, my husband, Sean, and our 10-month-old daughter, Juniper, basked in the early fall sunshine atop the double-decker boat as we took a 40-minute tour along Annapolis Harbor, taking in sights that included a sailboat race, a Naval Academy football team practice and a cameo by Woodwind II, the schooner that Christopher Walken pretends to sail in “Wedding Crashers.”
The outing came at the tail end of our three-day getaway, our first solo vacation as a young family. We had settled on this early fall trip to the small, coastal city after booking — and then canceling — a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, after realizing that the prospect of flying and sharing a hotel room with a baby, while doable, didn’t sound all that relaxing.
Read more (Washington Post Travel, Dec. 6, 2016)
One thing I’ve learned as a new stay-at-home mom is to make the most of life between my baby’s naps and mealtimes. That’s why I ran past the yachts and sailboats anchored along “Ego Alley” in Annapolis, Md., to flag down the Harbor Queen before its last daily departure at 4 p.m.
Moments later, my husband, Sean, and our 10-month-old daughter, Juniper, basked in the early fall sunshine atop the double-decker boat as we took a 40-minute tour along Annapolis Harbor, taking in sights that included a sailboat race, a Naval Academy football team practice and a cameo by Woodwind II, the schooner that Christopher Walken pretends to sail in “Wedding Crashers.”
The outing came at the tail end of our three-day getaway, our first solo vacation as a young family. We had settled on this early fall trip to the small, coastal city after booking — and then canceling — a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, after realizing that the prospect of flying and sharing a hotel room with a baby, while doable, didn’t sound all that relaxing.
Read more (Washington Post Travel, Dec. 6, 2016)
At This Artist Retreat in Lexington, Va., You Paint Your Own Vacation
Rembrandt I am not. Nevertheless, I’m residing in a room named for the Dutch artist. The well-appointed space — outfitted with a queen bed and private balcony— is one of eightbedrooms named after creative masters (Dalí, Vermeer) at the Shenandoah Art Destination, a few miles from Lexington, Va. I’ve come to unwind, work on my oil-painting technique and, as it turns out, paint a manure spreader.
Husband-and-wife owners Jan-Willem and Nancy Boer opened the bed-and-breakfast in fall 2012. The next spring, they launched the business component for which they had intended the 10-acre, two-home property: an artistic getaway where guests arrive toting paintbrushes, sketch pads and imaginative aspirations. It’s a retreat where visitors experience “a relaxed, productive feeling,” Nancy says. “Like they’ve accomplished something with their art, but at the same time they’ve been pampered.”
Read more (Washington Post Magazine, Sept. 13, 2015)
Husband-and-wife owners Jan-Willem and Nancy Boer opened the bed-and-breakfast in fall 2012. The next spring, they launched the business component for which they had intended the 10-acre, two-home property: an artistic getaway where guests arrive toting paintbrushes, sketch pads and imaginative aspirations. It’s a retreat where visitors experience “a relaxed, productive feeling,” Nancy says. “Like they’ve accomplished something with their art, but at the same time they’ve been pampered.”
Read more (Washington Post Magazine, Sept. 13, 2015)
