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Women November 13, 2020

Meet Jennifer Nolley, Creator of Tiny Easel

Jennifer Nolley is no stranger to the multi-kid juggle. She also knows the joy that art brings to kids. The challenge: to make art-making accessible to own three kids while making it stress-free for parents. Her solution? Tiny Easel. An all-in-one kit filled with everything families need to create — with easy clean-up in mind! The Baltimore mom of three drinks her coffee black — unless she’s out, and then she splashes in a little cream. She can’t live without a paint set (she says watercolor travels the best) and her Nutribullet smoothie maker. “The name Tiny Easel has so much meaning behind it,” said Jennifer. “Nine years ago, I hand-painted 250 tiny easels for all of my wedding guests to be decorative centerpieces and for gifts, inspired by my love for painting and inspired by one of my favorite artist, Monet. I have since loved making tiny easels as gifts…

Lifestyle November 12, 2020

The Art and Science of Bullet Journaling

“I was overwhelmed,” said Hannah Rodewald, owner of The Pleasure of Your Company and co-founder of Women’s Daily Post. “Trying to keep the businesses, and Writes for Women, and my work with United Way, and life, … trying to keep it all straight was daunting.” Overwhelmed and daunted are two self-descriptors I frequently hear when talking to moms. Realities of modern day #momlife. It’s how we handle those feelings that matter. Hannah handled it by starting a bullet journal. What is bullet journaling? A customizable — and forgiving — organizational system. For some of us, it might be the holy grail of goal management. Notice I said goal management, not time management. If you have a lot of daily appointments that you need to keep straight, it probably won’t take the place of your planner or calendar. It could be a to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary. Or all of those things. “I…

Lifestyle November 11, 2020

Our Favorite Things: Creativity Unleashed Edition

We are fresh off a week of beautiful fall weather. It could not have been more perfect for enjoying hiking and sports, and playing with the dogs and kids outdoors – or just visiting and reading in the warm sunshine. But the rain has come and it won’t be long before we move mostly indoors. Some of the things that we are used to enjoying in colder weather will not be available to us in this COVID year. So it’s important to have lots of good books and activities on hand to fight off the blues. The theme of this week’s edition of Our Favorite Things, developed in partnership with (cool) progeny, is creativity unleashed! Time to unplug and release your inner creative. Turn off the computers, put down the phones, and get making! All of these are hands on – just add imagination. No computers (mostly… one exception), no…

Lifestyle November 2, 2020

Our Favorite Things: Comfort Food 101 Edition

Comfort Food. Even just the words are calming and welcome. No matter what the outcome of the election is, this week will be a stressful one, full of ups and downs – a perfect one to pull out the recipes for our most soothing comfort food. But what exactly does it mean to be a “comfort food”? Is it familiar and welcoming – the right combination of salty and sweet, smooth and creamy? Does it feel like a good ending to a happy day… like burgers, potato salad and baked beans after a day at the beach? Or does it warm your soul … like a warm slice of Chicken Pot Pie after a brisk afternoon raking leaves? Does it make you feel better after a difficult day… like a warm cup of tea? Does it evoke memories of childhood and home? It’s hard to define what is and what…

Lifestyle November 2, 2020

The Connection Project: Family Grilled Cheese Cook-Off!

The American Grilled Cheese sandwich is thought to have shown up in the 1920’s, when sliced white bread and sliced American cheese became available in grocery stores. It quickly became popular for Sunday night suppers. One hundred years later, Grilled Cheese is still ranked near the top of comfort foods and go-to in many homes for a quick, satisfying meal. There is nothing wrong with the basic recipe: two slices of country white bread with a couple slices of American or cheddar cheese in between, buttered on the outside and cooked in a non-stick skillet until the bread is golden brown and the cheese deliciously oozes. But what fun you can have experimenting and adding ingredients for new flavors! Try different breads – sourdough, rye, baguettes, potato bread, crusty Italian, ciabatta, Challah, Hawaiian – and combinations of cheese – Cheddar, brie, gorgonzola, Monterey Jack, Italian Fontina, Mozzarella, Bleu cheese, Gruyère,…

Food November 2, 2020

Sweet or Savory? Two Versions of Butternut Squash Soup & Salad

As the trees turn glorious colors and the air is crisp and earthy, we begin to long for the deep, rich flavors of fall cooking. Few dishes say “fall” more than a pot of butternut squash soup simmering on the stove. Most butternut squash soup recipes have butternut squash, apples, onion and stock (chicken or vegetable) in common. But then they diverge into either a sweeter soup or a savory soup. Which is your favorite? For those who love to bring out the sweetness in the apples… APPLE CINNAMON BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP Serves 8. Pictured above. Ingredients 8 C Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (about 2 medium squash, or about 2 ½ lbs. of pre-prepped squash)1 large apple (or 2 small, you can’t go wrong), peeled and cubed1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces2 T brown sugar¾ t salt¾ t ground cinnamonDash black pepper3 C chicken broth (you can…

Lifestyle October 26, 2020

Our Favorite Things: Who Inspires You? Edition

Welcome to the first edition of “Our Favorite Things.” We’re collaborating with the team at (cool) progeny to share a new list each week — products, gift ideas, and more — to help you (re)connect with the important people in your life. COVID-19 has been the worst of times, but occasionally the best of times. From grandparents to front-line workers, people have stepped up to inspire us to make the best of it. That’s why we’re celebrating the best of the best this week! Some of this week’s favorite things encourage conversation about one of our inspirational heroes. If we didn’t pick your favorites to feature, most of the shops and stores that we linked to have other selections. This Week’s Favorite Things: Who Inspires You? Edition Mr. Boddington’s Activist in Training Kit Gift BoxBy Mr. Boddington’s Studio All the bits a clever youth needs to write the White House,…

Lifestyle October 26, 2020

The Connection Project: Who Inspires You?

In 2019 (which feels like once upon a time, oh, so long ago), if someone asked us who inspires us, the likely answers would have been chosen from a list of well-known people. The current leaders in government and politics are on the list, along with men and women who have made their mark in business, fashion, literature, entertainment and sports. This year is different. In a world that has been turned upside down by a pandemic, the most inspiring people are the ones who have just plain shown up and kept going and figured out things and taken care of us. The doctors and nurses and hospital administrators who have had to totally reconfigure hospitals – internally and how they work with each other – and navigate a crisis that they have never seen the likes of before. The first responders, and the staffs of government agencies who have…

Food May 26, 2020

Citrusy Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is My Favorite New Dinner Staple Quinoa, a pseudo-grain, is a super-food – high in protein, fiber, B-vitamins, magnesium, calcium and vitamin E, and naturally gluten-free. I’ve fallen in love with it lately and started incorporating it into salads for meatless meals. The citrusy quinoa salad below is the first recipe I tried and still my favorite. But it’s good with other fruits and vegetables and different kinds of beans. Another combination is a tossup for our favorite version: orange sections, corn cut off the cob, diced red onion, diced cucumber, dill, garbanzo beans. Cherry tomatoes, black beans, sliced scallions, and cliantro, ready for quinoa and dressing Do you have other suggestions for combinations? Citrusy Quinoa Salad Yields about 6 C salad 1 C Traditional white whole grain quinoa 2 C waterBring water and quinoa to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed…

Lifestyle May 26, 2020

Helping Children Survive Abuse

The “She Inspires” campaign, launched this spring at Green Spring Station, is helping to raise awareness and much-needed funding for some of the stores’ favorite causes and charities. Bridget Stickline, owner of Wee Chic, has long supported the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, and proposed them. The mission statement of Baltimore Child Abuse Center, a non-profit subsidiary of LifeBridge Health, is to provide victims of child sexual abuse, trauma, and other Adverse Childhood Experiences in Baltimore and their non-offending caretakers with comprehensive forensic interviews, medical treatment, and mental health treatment with a goal of preventing future trauma. “It is important for people to understand that child abuse impacts everyone, in all demographics. One in four girls and one in six boys experience sexual abuse, often by someone they already know,” says LaDonna Morgan, Director of Strategy and Operations at Baltimore Child Abuse Center. Children who have suffered child abuse can be…