By Carter. I know it’s not quite the end of the year yet, but I’m already eager to share some of my 2012 favorites. This bunch runs the gamut from sweet and spare to all out wacky, and isn’t that the beauty of the picture book? 1) Odd Dog by Claudia Boldt Not all dogs love bones. This odd (and adorable) dog loves apples. And he hates the idea of sharing. Stylish pictures and a quirky tale. 2) Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri Everyone knows that dragons love tacos. But if you’re having a party, be very, very careful when adding the spicy salsa! 3) More by I.C. Springman and Brian Lies A parable about materialism, this beautiful book exercises its own restraint. Sparse words and gorgeous illustrations create a quiet wonder. A magpie, some mice, and a lesson in when enough is enough. 4) The Obstinate Pen by Frank W. Dormer Hey, who’s in charge of this story? The characters? Or a stubborn pen with a mind of its own? A clever cautionary tale with a hefty dose of artistic inspiration. 5)  Looking At Lincoln by Maira Kalman Koseli just shared a dear story about hearing Maira Kalman speak, and oh, how much I wish I had been with her!  This book is a history of America’s 16th president, but the vibrant pink color palette weaved in with lesser known facts make it a fresh perspective. Did you know he loved apples and Mozart? …

10 Great Picture Books from 2012Read More »

Kate sent me the sweetest, most English note of introduction, offering us all a virtual cup of tea while she takes us on a tour of her 18th Century home in England. Actually, she used the word whilst. Which is exactly when I smiled and knew she would be an enjoyable tea date. And then I saw her kitchen, where I expect we would all be enjoying said delicious tea, and that is exactly when I really smiled and thought to myself, “Oh, everyone is going to have a lovely time on this tour!” It’s true, I hope. Grab your tea and enjoy! Q: Tell us all about the family who lives here! A: Where to begin? There’s my husband Al, who by day is a doctor but in his spare time clocks up marathons. A little known fact about Al is that he and his identical twin hold the World Record for the fastest three-legged marathon. Yes, that’s right; they were actually tied together! Their mum even made them a pair of three-legged shorts for it. You can only imagine how interesting a pick-up line that was when we met! Then there’s me, a working mum and twilight blogger, juggling those roles somewhat precariously. Finally, and most importantly, there is Harry; a two year old bundle of fizzing enthusiasm and joie de vivre whose current ambition is to grow up to be a fireman-builder-Spiderman-truckdriver. Harry’s also convinced that a family of owls live inside our chimney, so we should count them in, too. And because Harry began secretly leaving out little bowls of Cheerios to feed the owl babies, we now have mice, as well. So quite a houseful! …

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By Gabrielle. Okay. I have a silly question for you today. I’d love to hear your thoughts on babies plus bows. I’m talking about new babies. New baby girls. Baby girls with little or no hair. Tell me: Have you ever stuck on a little bow? I used to love doing this with Baby Maude and Baby Olive. I would tie a tiny bow with a bit of satin ribbon and “glue” it on their head with a drop of corn syrup. It wouldn’t last very long, but I thought it looked sweet! And since I enjoyed dressing my babies in blue, it would prevent strangers from assuming my girls were boys. Which was a particular pet peeve of mine at the time. …

Bows & BabiesRead More »

By Gabrielle. This week’s episode is a special Halloween edition of Olive Us. Featuring a visit to a spooo-oo-ooky Ghost Town! Fun fact: it was filmed in the real-life ghost town of Grafton, Utah. Which is near the entrance to Zion National Park. Have you ever been? Enjoy the episode. And Happy Halloween from all of us at Olive us! P.S. — If you’re an Olive Us fan, I recommend subscribing to the Olive Us newsletter. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes, behind the scenes commentary, and trivia about the show!

By Gabrielle. I read this interview of my friend, Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook, and I was shocked. Jenny, a crazy-talented interior designer and someone with impeccable taste, mentioned that she doesn’t like hydrangeas. Whaaa??? Shock, I tell you. : ) Hydrangeas might be my all-time favorite flower. They change color with the soil. They last for ages. And they’re so generous with their blooms! When I first learned about them as a teenager, I remember aching that they didn’t grow in the hot deserts of my hometown. I would daydream of living somewhere lush and green where huge bushes of hydrangeas, in every shade of blue and the palest of pink, would thrive. Reading Jenny’s interview got me thinking: Is there a flower that I don’t like? …

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By Gabrielle. There are so many moments in Lacey‘s interview that caused me to stop and marvel at the pure joy she clearly feels being Callie’s mom. I’m probably still a little tender after traveling to Ethiopia a few weeks ago, and still freshly aware that not every child has a cheering section. It’s such a gift, don’t you agree? Enjoy this special tour, Friends! Q: Tell us about your sweet family! A: Hi! I’m Lacey, but you can call me Callie’s mom. Callie is five and a half — you must include the half or she will correct you on it every time! — and as sweet as can be. She always has a smile on her face! She is definitely a girly girl who loves Taylor Swift, swinging, and horses. She recently started riding lessons and is doing so well. A couple other things about her:  she is very funny, she loves beets and licorice, and she is slowly but surely trying to master jump roping. She is also probably the only child in the world who won’t touch chocolate, ice cream, cookies, cake, or pie. I honestly don’t even think she has ever tried chocolate, but she has it in her mind that she doesn’t like it and she’s sticking to it! My husband, Caleb, is a director at a production (commercials, films, documentaries, etc.) company. He works a lot of hours and travels quite often, but still makes time to read to Callie before bed and take her on nature walks during the weekend. Callie adores him and wants to be a movie maker like Daddy when she grows up. He has a huge TV for screening at his office and she thinks he sits and watches movies all day — so of course she wants that job! Wouldn’t you?! I’m an accountant at an engineering firm, otherwise known as an office girl to Callie. Last year, I was able to move from full-time to part-time and it has been wonderful! I know I’m not alone, but the guilt that comes from not being home with your child is overwhelming. It was always weighing on me and I feel that has been lifted off my shoulders. I love being able to spend more time together. It also makes it easier for Caleb and I to go on date nights without feeling guilty about that either. Other than being a mom, I really enjoy cooking! I would love to go to culinary school, but sometimes I think it would be scary to start a whole new career. I’m only 31, though, so who knows! We have a garden for the first time this year and it has been amazing to cook dinner with ingredients from our back yard. Callie is a somewhat picky eater, but she is willing to try anything that we grow; she’s discovered she loves spaghetti squash and rainbow chard, but we’re still working on tomatoes. …

Living With Kids: Lacey YoungRead More »

Has the weather turned cold where you live? In my neighborhood, temperatures have dropped and my instincts are to spend the day cozied up with a favorite book and favorite mug full of hot cocoa. Are you the same? I’m sure you have many fellow book worms in your neighborhood, so I thought it would be fun to create a charming little yarn ball pom pom bookmark that would make a great anytime gift for anyone that needs a little fall comfort. It was actually my daughter’s clever idea to make a yarn ball pom pom bookmark. This is the perfect anytime gift because it’s affordable, easy to make, and turns out a fluffy pom pom of cuteness. It’s sure to improve the look of any book! …

The Perfect Gift: Yarn Ball Pom Pom BookmarkRead More »

By Gabrielle. Images by Sarah of Modern Kids. They were born 16 months apart, but for most of their lives, strangers have assumed Oscar and Betty are twins. Oscar is a 7 and he’s a little guy. He hits the 5th percentile on the height charts. Betty is 6, but she’s average size — around 50th percentile for height. As you might be able to guess based on those numbers, Betty is now taller than Oscar! Oscar hasn’t seemed to be too bothered by this fact. He understands that he’s still older, even though she’s taller. (That idea sunk in for him when I showed him pictures of my brothers and he could see that the tallest one is actually the youngest.) But this morning, I noticed the pair of pants he pulled on for school were getting to the flood stage and I said,”Wow, Oscar, you’re really growing! It’s time for new pants.” And he said, “Yep! I think I’m probably taller than Betty now.” Clearly it’s on his mind. (And no, he’s not taller than Betty now.) Luckily, he seems to have a solid sense of confidence, so hopefully it won’t phase him too much. Have you ever had a little sister pass up a big brother in size? Did it stress either of them out? Any wise words for Oscar? Would love your thoughts! P.S. — Oscar weightlifting. Oscar’s horses. Also, remember the book Amy featured: Big Little Brother?

By Amy Hackworth. In honor of Gabrielle’s quick trip, I thought it would be fun to do an NYC roundup. I’ve always loved New York City for its countless wonders: art, culture, design, shopping, people — even the traffic fascinates me. These picture books are a great place to share the magic of the city with the little ones in your life, whether you’re just beginning a love affair with New York or keeping your enchantment alive. 1) In Abuela, Rosalba imagines what it would be like if she and her grandmother could fly high above New York City. Featuring famous landmarks, a beautiful relationship between grandmother and granddaughter, some Spanish vocabulary and bright folk art style illustrations, this book is a treat. 2) Matteo Pericoli’s See the City: The Journey of Manhattan Unfurled is an inspiring exercise in really seeing what’s around you. Pericoli draws both the east and west sides of Manhattan with impressive accuracy and a simple, architectural sketch style. It’s one of the coolest books I’ve ever seen. Among my favorite things: his straightforward, inspiring narrative that explains his process and approach (“Drawing is learning. Try and you’ll find out.”), the form of the book that flips over to show east side and west side, and his interesting handwritten labels of landmarks and non-landmarks. A great choice for thoughtful artists. 3) Madlenka pays tribute to the diversity of New York City, and the comfort of community, as little Madlenka experiences the world’s cultures by walking around her block to share the news of her loose tooth. Engaging cut-outs and incredible illustrations, many with unique perspectives, make this a book you can savor. 4) For a more literal — and equally fun — version of city letters, look at ABC NYC: A Book About Seeing New York City full of fun, uniquely New York vocabulary and photographs. 5) When You Meet a Bear on Broadway is a sweet story about a little girl whose kindness and ingenuity help a lost bear find his mama. The soft watercolor illustrations are a perfect complement to the tone of the story, which earned a starred Booklist review. 6) The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, a Caldecott book, documents the incredible story of Philippe Petit, who walks on a tightrope between the two buildings. Even in picture book form, his dizzying feat makes my stomach drop, but the book captures Petit’s honest wonder and passion for tightrope walking in a beautifully told story. It gently acknowledges that the towers are gone now, but they live in our memory. Like the endless wonders of the city, this list could be a mile long. Please share your favorites in the comments!

Oh man! I’m so excited for you to see this video because we had such an amazing time filming it. We started by borrowing this insanely charming, perfectly restored VW Bus from friends in St. George, Utah. Growing up, my family always drove Volkswagen vans and as an adult, they’ve been my car of choice as well. (Here’s the VW Transporter we drive now.) So you can imagine I was feeling nostalgic that day! Want more behind the scenes? Here you go: Once we had the van, we scouted a location. We knew the gorgeous VW would look great against the local red rocks. So we drove around until we found a potential spot, then we’d knock on the door of the house and inquire about shooting a video in their backyard. Hah! We ended up shooting at Cottam Farm (fun fact: my family used to buy milk from the some of Cottam cousins). …

Olive Us: CarwashRead More »

By Gabrielle. Ben Blair sent me this video today and it had me in tears. It’s a perfect example of the topic that’s been on my mind: the impact of one. The video is part of the I’m a Mormon series, and frankly, I think it’s the very best one. Have you ever seen these videos? I haven’t seen all of them (there’s a lot!), but when I receive a link to an especially good one, I’m always glad to watch. The one Ben Blair sent today features a French woman named Cécile Pelous. She’s an incredibly successful fashion designer by trade. But felt there was more to life than her work. You’ve got to watch this. Fair warning: it will make you want to sell everything you own. “Come. All hands are needed.” I think it’s my new favorite quote. I want to put it on the wall of our family room. P.S. Did you know I’m a Mormon? Fun fact: Our family was asked to make an I’m a Mormon video twice, but both times we had schedule conflicts. Do you think it’s a sign? : ) After seeing Cécile’s, I’m quite sure we’re not interesting enough!

By Gabrielle. Yesterday, I mentioned a little story involving the f-word and my daughter Olive. When we first moved to France and the kids started school, they didn’t speak a word of French. Olive told me that on one of her first days of school, there was a classmate trying to show off his English. So he approached her and in a thick French accent, with a happy, welcoming grin on his face, said, “You speak English? F— you!” I know it’s hard to imagine, but his intention was completely friendly! And he stood there happy to make her acquaintance. 9-year-old Olive was shocked, but thankfully, mature enough to know he didn’t intend any offense and was able to laugh about it. Growing up, swearing was a BIG no-no at my house. Saying bad words, or talking back, meant getting my mouth washed out with a bar of soap! (And it wasn’t at all as charming as the photo at top.) I did some swearing in middle school when I was feeling feisty, but mostly, I haven’t been a swearer. Moving to New York changed my whole view of swearing. I would hear the f-word many, many times a day on the street, on the train, and in the office. In New York, it’s kind of like saying shoot, or crap. Unless you’re saying it in an angry voice, or accompanying it with hand gestures, it doesn’t always carry a lot of weight like it might in my hometown, or in Colorado, or other places I’ve lived. And I can tell you, that even though I wasn’t swearing myself, my ears eventually adjusted and it truly didn’t bother me when I would hear the commonly used bad words. Moving to France has made swear words even less toxic. I think because I was reminded that it’s such a cultural thing. In fact, I can hear a string of British swears or French swears and they don’t make me even slightly uncomfortable. Because they are absolutely meaningless to my ears! Tell me, friends. What are the swearing rules at your house? Did you swear before you had kids? Do you swear around them still? Did your parents ever wash your mouth out with soap? P.S. — Oddly, after not swearing for most of my adult life, I found myself letting curse words slip now and again over the last couple of years. Except the f-word. It still makes me blush!

By Gabrielle. To me, the only show better than House Hunters is House Hunters International! It’s just like moving to a faraway city and experiencing a fascinating culture, but without all the packing and unpacking and homesickness. So when Alexandra wrote to me and sweetly suggested a future post about Living With Kids…In An Apartment…In Jerusalem, I happily agreed. Enjoy the tour! Q: Tell us all about the family who lives here. A: I moved to Israel ten years ago from New Jersey. Five years after I arrived here, I met my superhero husband Binny who was born in Israel. He agreed to marry me after I relentlessly pursued him. We live in Jerusalem with our fearless and sweet daughter, Eden, who is 20 months old. She looks very angelic with her blonde hair and blue eyes, but is a ball of energy with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and keeps us on our toes! I am pursusing a Masters in International Relations at Hebrew University, work part-time from home, and am a hands-on mom, so life can get pretty hectic at times. We love to hike, bike, travel and spend time together as a family. I love colors, pretty things, and snuggling up in bed with a good book. …

Living With Kids: Alexandra LauferRead More »

By Amy Christie. Gabrielle has mentioned that in France, her kids are required to carry pencil bags at school. So I thought it would be fun to create a DIY for a simple and easy zipper pouch in fun fabrics that could work for boys or girls. It would make a fun fall gift for your child. But then I made some, and I’ve been using them for all sorts of tasks! Who doesn’t love a little pouch to zip up things in? I’m going to tell you right now: Sewing is not my forté. Add zippers to the mix and I start sweating. But this little easy zipper pouch only requires five lines of stitching. Five! That’s it! And two of them are for looks so if you nix those, you are down to three. If I can do it, so can you.

Try this easy zipper pouch tutorial, and I’m betting you’ll be adding pouches to purses, suitcases, and yes, backpacks too!

Lets get started. …

The Perfect Gift: Easy Zipper Pouch TutorialRead More »

By Gabrielle. Christine‘s main goal when decorating her home was that it would feel like a breath of fresh air every time she walked through the door. She nailed it. She’s a mom after our own hearts, learning to enjoy those early stay-at-home days with a toddler and new little one with overlapping nap times, while also yearning to find time to work again, too. Plus maybe a little DIY! It’s always a strange balance, savoring the baby years yet wondering if you’ll ever find the old you again, isn’t it? For now, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh air in as we enjoy this lovely home tour. Q: Tell us all about the family who makes this house a home! A: I’m Christine, a writer, wife, and mom to two little boys living in Providence, Rhode Island. My husband, Vijay, and I met when he came to Chicago (where I was living at the time) to visit his best childhood friend who just happened to be my boss. Six months later, we were married! To say we had a whirlwind relationship would be an understatement…but when you know, you know! We recently celebrated our five-year anniversary, and we both feel that our biggest accomplishment, besides having a loving marriage, is being the proud parents of Vijay, almost two years old, and Vikram, just two months old. Q: How did this home become yours? A: We moved to Providence about four and a half years ago when my husband received a wonderful job opportunity with his Alma mater, Brown University. I had never been to Providence — the first time I visited was to find a rental apartment. It was a hard transition, leaving behind good friends and my beloved city of Chicago, but I quickly grew to love Providence; it is a quirky college town situated in the tiny, but beautiful, state of Rhode Island. After six months of renting, we began looking for a home. …

Living With Kids: Christine ChitnisRead More »

By Gabrielle. Inspiration often hits when we least expect it, and that’s always a welcome event. But what about more intentional motivation? Are there words or advice you’d like to keep close? I’m curious: If you could graffiti any quote or word across your living room wall — or maybe just have it hanging where you could see it daily as you needed it! — what would it say? Four new friends kindly agreed to scrawl their own ideas on the pages of Design Mom. Please enjoy their answers. Jennifer Cooper of Classic Play: I freely admit that I am a quote junkie. I collect them like people collect…well…whatever it is that people collect! If I could, I’d totally wallpaper my house in quotes. Those from Dorothy Parker always make me laugh, and I have a print of one of my favorites by Ralph Waldo Emerson at my desk: Be Honest, Be Silly, Be Kind. But I think this quote from Kurt Vonnegut deserves a special space on my wall: “I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.'” …

Design Mom Asks: Inspirational QuotesRead More »

By Amy Hackworth. Maybe your child’s school has been in session for several weeks or just a few days. Either way, I’m sure you’ll agree that school provides ample material for great stories. I hope you’ll enjoy six of my favorites! 1) My Kindergarten by Rosemary Wells takes a cute little animal class through the entire kindergarten year. This is a thoughtful, well-planned book to savor with your little one. It’s full of inspiring examples of great teaching, with story-based lessons on music, friendship, seasons, and science. It’s beautifully written, with an overall gentle tone that makes you appreciate the wonder of learning. If you like Rosemary Wells, try Yoko Learns to Read as well. 2) Italian immigrant Josephine practices a new language in class in Josephine Nobisso’s In English, Of Course. The book highlights the challenges of unfamiliar languages in a positive way, and also models great teaching and learning. Josephine is confident and brave, and tone of the book is upbeat. Plus it features a really cool style of illustration. …

6 Great Books About SchoolRead More »

By Gabrielle. I know. I know. S’mores are for camping. And summertime! But I crave them in the fall when I’m feeling cozy. (Am I the only one?) I was craving them yesterday, so we bought supplies to make a Euro version. Of course, they aren’t exactly the combination of flavors from my childhood. But they are super yummy. For any of you who are curious, here’s how we do away-from-home s’mores. …

Euro S’moresRead More »

By Gabrielle. The first time I saw photos of Tracey‘s home, I thought that there is no way this is a house that holds four boys and all of the dirt and noise they carry with them. It’s far too beautiful, far too white, and with such healthy doses of femininity! But then I read her story. And with every answer to my every question, I learned that this gorgeously decorated house has nothing on the beauty that’s happening inside this family’s hearts. There’s no way this house can’t hold those four boys and all of the dirt and noise and goodness they carry with them! Sheer loveliness and a pretty unbelievable story of how this family came to be, straight ahead. Please enjoy it! Q: Please tell us about the family who makes this house a home! A: Within these four walls resides a family of six. Two amazing, doting, giving, selfless, magnificent, parents (wink wink) and four adorable, energized boys. Josh, the hubs, is an amazing father and supportive husband. Our boys idolize him and I adore him. He built the chickens a dollhouse-styled coop, all because he knew I would love it. He’s a keeper. Shy, our oldest Thing, is eight. He came to us when he was just three, an absolutely adorable terror. Now, he’s still adorable and has outgrown most of the terror! He is my mama’s boy, already planning out how he’s going to take care of me when I’m old. Ari, Thing 2, was 15 months old when he came home. He is our sweetheart who just wants to love and be loved. He is also our muscle man, and conquered the monkey bars at two years of age. If you are wondering, Shy and Ari are biological siblings. Bryce, Thing 3, is four. He showed up to the party nine months after we brought our oldest two home. OOPS! He is the family cuddle bug, social butterfly, girl crazy, knight/superhero/tiger, resident expert on everything. Last but not least is Cooper, Thing 4, who just turned two this summer. The boy is always on the move, determined to keep up with his brothers. If he’s not scaling a wall, tackling the pup, or chasing the chickens, chances are he is reading a book or cuddling on someone’s ear. And then there’s me, Tracey Lynne: wife, mama, blogger, amateur photographer, beachaholic, party thrower, DIY enthusiast, reception coordinator/designer, and boogey monster chaser. I wear dresses as often as possible and love pink, bows, and ruffles. Cupcakes are my favorite. …

Living With Kids: Tracey WilleyRead More »

By Gabrielle. Question: Hi Gabrielle! I have a little girl who is 2 and twin boys who are 1. Last year they dressed up as Little Bo Peep and her sheep.  This year I am having a bit of trouble trying to coordinate their costumes. Any ideas? Thanks, Brandy Tucker Answer: Hi Brandy! I’m with you. I think coordinated costumes are so much fun! And we’re not alone, because I receive similar questions every year. : ) Little Bo Peep + sheep sounds like it was adorable! Maybe this year it would be fun if your daughter was Wendy, and the twins were Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Or how about Bella, Edward and Jacob? (Kidding!) Smurfette and any two other Smurfs? Fun fact: the mime photo above wasn’t actually from Halloween. Maude and Olive were just goofing around. Which is awesome. But, Ralph was a mime for Halloween once! What do you think, Dear Readers? Have any great suggestions for Brandy? And how do you feel about coordinated costumes? Do you commit to them every year? Or just when a brilliant idea comes to you? P.S. — Photos from some of our earliest Halloweens here. Plus, a glimpse of me with super short hair. As in, so short that Ben Blair would cut it at home with our electric clippers!