As I stared at the sink, a smile bloomed on my face. There, next to a mostly empty tube of toothpaste sat a brand new tube.  My husband must have busted it out that very morning.  He has learned over the years — we’ve been married for 13, together for 15 — not to throw away the all-but-empty tubes of toothpaste.  He knows I like to “finish” them — squeezing out every drop — before moving on to a new tube.  He likes the swollen, shiny promise of a brand new tube, preferring not to bother with the depleted, crimped and twisted mess that belongs solely to me from here on out. No struggle, no …

  Recently my friend Karen posted photos of an icy New Year's Day plunge she took with her friend Christina and the L Street Brownies. I was impressed. And curious.  I asked Karen why she did such a crazy, courageous and COLD thing. She told me she had a list of things she wanted to do before turning 40 and doing a Polar Plunge was on it. She mentioned that lots of people have “Bucket Lists,” and her list was made in the spirit of Bucket Lists everywhere. I was inspired. According to Wiki Answers, a bucket list is a list of things people want to do before they die. Here is the full Wiki …

  My daughter, Emily, and I share many loves. We both adore sweets, reality TV shows, baking, spin classes, and socializing. We also share an unfortunate trait of sometimes not knowing exactly what we want. Restaurant menus occasionally stump us — too many choices — and when people ask us what we’d like for gifts? Forget about it. So when the calendar page flipped to November a few weeks ago and I asked both kids what they would like for their holiday gifts, I knew my son would have a response but my daughter might be more challenging to get an answer from. We usually give our kids one big …

  Growing up I loved and looked forward to the eight nights each December when my family celebrated Chanukah. We'd light our menorah, fry up latkes, sing songs, play driedle and exchange small gifts.   Sometimes on those same wintry evenings, I'd peek out my bedroom window late at night (or what seemed late at the time) and look out at all the blinking happy lights in the neighborhood. I loved how they looked. Although I grew up in an area with many Jewish families, we lived in a part of town where few others celebrated Chanukah.  By the age of seven or so, I began to feel a little sad about …

When my kids were little, each became attached to a special item, something they slept with every night, cried into when they were upset and shared happy thoughts with.   For Emily, my first born, it was a green teddy bear she named Greenie Bear (naturally). To this day, Greenie goes wherever Em goes, including on overnights, road trips with the family, and even to Children’s Hospital when she had her tonsils out a few years back.   Emily is now 12-years-old and I suspect Greenie may eventually accompany her to college, if he has any stuffing left in him at that time. Zach’s buddy is a floppy…

  Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday of the year. I love the focus of the holiday -- gratitude, family, and food. I also love that Thanksgiving is a celebration unique to the United States and one all of us celebrate, regardless of religion or race. “Happy Thanksgiving” is a phrase that will not insult, offend or leave people out.  In the early 1990s I spent a little over a year living on a kibbutz in Israel. In the fall of 1992 as Thanksgiving approached, I had a job as a prep cook in the industrial kitchen. I helped prepare food for the communal meals served in the kibbutz’s large …

As I mentioned in “don’t forget to put your oxygen mask on first,” I find exercise provides a real boost for my overall sense of well-being. Exercise is also something I rely upon to help me cope with the stress that accompanies being a parent.  Before I settled into my current routine of classes at the West Roxbury YMCA (boot camp, weight training, spinning and interval training), I was a walker.  I’d head out the door for a walk whenever I could — evenings, weekends, and sometimes even early mornings (and I’m no morning person).  I loved being outside and noticing subtle changes in the …

It was a long time ago that my oldest child, Emily, lost her first tooth. I’ll never forget what a pivotal moment it felt like at the time. It signaled something big — a new stage in life. My child was getting older and growing up. Her “adult” teeth were on their way. That first tooth loss also sprung me into a panic about how to respond.  Suddenly, my husband and I had to become a tooth fairy.  Being Jewish, Santa had never visited our home, nor had the Easter Bunny, so we had absolutely no experience acting as a beloved and much anticipated fantasy figure.  All we knew was one of us needed …

When my children were younger, we often visited the West Roxbury and Roslindale branches of the Boston Public Library and the Putterham branch of the Brookline Public Library. We are fortunate to live within walking distance of all three (Putterham is the farthest, 1.5-mile each way). We’d go for weekly story hour, the occasional holiday craft project, and for special activities like sing-a-longs and movies. As a parent of young children, I found visiting the library a great way to meet other families in the area. By attending story hour week after week, you are bound to get to know some of …

Instead of the food pyramid, the USDA recently released the new plate diagram which suggests we fill half our plate with vegetables and fruit, and half with whole grains and meat. Next to the colorful plate is a small side of dairy. This is all well and good, and certainly seems a sensible way to get us to eat healthier, but what if one or more of your kids (or your spouse or partner) refuses to eat vegetables and fruit of any kind, much less half a plate full? My suggestion?  Try, try again. Try vegetables prepared in different ways and at different meals.  Maybe broccoli quiche at brunch is…

The beginning of the school year is a tricky time. It is tough on parents and kids alike. Everyone must readjust to earlier bedtimes, to the squawk of multiple morning alarm clocks and to homework’s reappearance. Throw in back-to-school picnics, parents’ night at school, a few social events - and parents are stretched to the max. One major hassle we all face is mealtime. Already there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. How are we to put a nutritious dinner the together every evening, particularly one the whole family will eat? My husband and I’ve come up with a few …

9/11.  Most of us lived through it.  Some of us lost loved ones to it.  We’ve all experienced the aftermath, including the need to explain 9/11 to our children.  Young or old, our children may have questions we need to answer, and we owe even the youngest of our kids some information about 9/11, the day the country fell apart and then came back together stronger than ever.  For a while at least. Some of our kids are old enough to read headlines and maybe even watch documentaries about 9/11.  Even those too young to read will hear the term “9/11” thrown around, and may see of feel the sadness …

Labor Day originated over a hundred years ago as a “national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country,” according to the US Department of Labor. These days, Labor Day weekend typically brings cookouts, family gatherings, visits to the seashores and last pilgrimages to seasonal ice cream spots (Five Seas or Sundae School anyone?).  Generally, more attention is paid to the food and fun than the contributions of workers to the well-being of our country.  But I digress. For parents, Labor Day is a time of transition. It is a clear …

The airlines have it right. In the pre-flight safety message they tell us: Should a loss of cabin pressure occur, oxygen masks will automatically drop from the panel above your head. Pull the mask towards you, and place the mask over your nose and mouth and breathe normally. Place the mask on your self first before assisting others Well, today’s topic is essentially the same message: Parents must remember to take care of themselves before taking care of others. Often, we take on too much. We try to be supermoms and superdads.  After all, there is a lot to do to keep a household and family …

When it is hot out, one of the best things in the world is a nice, easy, mostly stove-free meal you can feel good about eating with your family.  Well, here is one the whole gang can get involved in preparing and enjoying together. It is colorful, loaded with fresh vegetables and flavors, and is healthy, too! We’ve made Vietnamese Fresh Rolls several times at our house. The kids first fell in love with them as a “make at your table” dish at Pho Lemongrass in Coolidge Corner, Brookline. I’ve taken the liberty of including some shortcuts here, which may make the dish less authentic but serve to…

The other day I was hanging out at cafe enjoying a fabulous sandwich.  I had a newspaper with me, but I took far more sideways glances at the stretching, sleepy, yawning, five-week-old baby sitting on his mother’s lap next to me than I did of the news in front of me.  I think I could have watched his little hands and feet forever. I loved the way they seemed to move on their own, waving through the air as if conducting some invisible orchestra.  Before I knew it, though, the baby was gently set into his stroller seat and off he went. In his absence, I took a little trip down memory lane.  …

As parents, we buy lots of stuff. Everything from basic necessities (food, clothing, bedding, household appliances and such) to gifts for our kids and for others (birthday parties, anyone?), sports equipment, gardening supplies and much more. We are the ultimate consumers. Think back to the last time you went to the store. As you unpacked and planned out your meals, was anything amiss? For me it was the admittedly so-so looking tomatoes I paid $3.99 a pound for, two of which were rotting when I went to use them the next day in a salad.  And the bread I picked up at a different store, which …

What do you do when faced with delicious looking and oh-so-sweet smelling strawberries, finally selling at lower, peak season prices?  Why, you make strawberry pie!  Never had strawberry pie? Perhaps you’ve tried strawberry-rhubarb pie. Well, think of strawberry pie as its simpler, less tart and completely delicious cousin, with no stringy rhubarb strands to floss from your teeth after eating. Delicious on its own, warm strawberry pie is a true delight with a vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream topper. I grew up with a fantastically wonderful pie-making grandma and she made all kinds of pies. …

Recently, I attended a party with my husband, Elon, a teacher, and our two kids, ages 9 and 12. The event was an end-of-the-school-year barbeque hosted by Elon’s department chair.  It was a lovely evening, filled with good food, spectacular weather, friendship and lots and lots of kids running around a beautiful, grassy backyard. Although I enjoyed talking with Elon’s colleagues, some of whom I’ve known for more than a decade, what I enjoyed most, aside from the dessert table, was watching the children play. There were a dozen or so kids present, ranging in age from two to about 13. As a …

Summer has officially started.  School is out for many (sorry Boston Public, I know you have one more day) but camp may not be in session yet.  For some of us, there are a handful of days with nothing on the schedule.  While many adults I know welcome that feeling, for some kids there is nothing worse than a day without a plan. If you are looking for something to do, check out these local options.  1.  The Waterworks Museum This newly opened museum is a short distance away, just outside Cleveland Circle on the Brighton/Chestnut Hill line, and is a great destination for budding architects or …