Progressive Pioneer

Quinoa Holiday Salad

Quinoa is an ancient grain. It's nutty, earthy, and delicious. It's also full of protein, iron, calcium, potassium, and zinc and it's as versatile as rice or barley. Here's a new way to dress it up for the holiday table.

Learning Math and History From Picture Books

It is amazing the things you can learn from a picture book.  I must confess to learning nearly as much as the kids.  Lately we've been getting a lot of math and history picture books out.  Here are the ones that have passed the "Read it again!" test.

Dinner With a New York Times Best-Selling Author

This was such a treat for me!  Somehow I got invited to have dinner with a New York Times best selling author.  My idea of heaven is being at a table full of lovers of the written word with plates piled high with indulgent, over-the-top delicious food.  I just lived my dream, people!

How We Homeschool

Okay, my kids are two and four, it's not exactly "school," but we do lots of learning!  And here's how we do it (PS Scroll to the end for a somewhat shocking revelation:)

Becoming a Superhuman One Goal at a Time

I used to write long lists of goals, get all ambitious all at once.  And inevitably crash and burn and return to a life of just slouching along.  But, I've started looking at goals from a whole new angle!

Taking Toddlers to the Theater, 5 Tips

"Only a crazy person would take their toddler to the theater!"  I know you're thinking it, you can say it.  But honestly, with a little preparation, your kids might surprise you.

New Knitting Faves (Two Super Easy Projects)

After a full season of no knitting, I all of a sudden can't get enough of it!  And I can't get enough of my kids in these little pointy hats!  Two different patterns, one for Sam and one for Viv, both equally cute.  And they were super fast to knit up.

Preparing for Cold Season

We make a batch of these every year.

Letting Your Kids Do Scary Things

I have a feeling this is only the beginning...

6 Ways to Stay Close to Long-Distance Grandparents

Nope, don't mail 'em to your folks!  We just spent a great weekend with Clay's parents up in Idaho.  We love that we can scoot up there to visit them at the last minute, but it's never often enough or long enough!  My parents, on the other hand, live in Maine.  So visits with Grammy and Papa are much farther between, though generally we visit for at least a week.  In between visits though, I try to keep Sam and Vivi's relationship with them strong.  We've come up with a few tricks that make the distance seem just a tiny bit smaller.

How to Get Ready for Birth

Okay, this post is totally not because I'm anywhere near getting ready for birth!  I haven't had that urge (yet?).  But I imagine this advice is plenty pertinent for quite a few of you, or someone you know.  There are so many things I wish I had known before getting pregnant and giving birth, things I wish I had prepared for.  If there is a third baby in our future, I'll definitely being trying a few of these tricks!

Frog Egg Pudding

Remember that popsicle article I did for Edible Wasatch?  Well, it turns out the Frog Egg Popsicle recipe makes a darn good Frog Egg Pudding too!

Giving Me Butterflies

Our first week of official homeschooling is going great; we all love it!  I'll probably share more details next week, but in the meantime, check out these gorgeous art projects the kids did!

The Garden's Last Hurrah

I love this time of year.  The garden seems to be putting its all into the final celebration of the season.  Everything's coming in abundance.  There's something tender about it; the plant sacrificing for its posterity, feeding us, bringing a certain grace and serenity to the changing of seasons.  Here's what our garden is looking like as we pass through summer into fall.

Show Me a Story

I've been really excited to share this book with you.  The first night we had it I sat up reading through all the projects.  We're definitely incorporating it into this year's homeschooling routine.

The Happiness Mantra

I was flipping through a magazine at my mother-in-law's house and came across a "happiness quiz."  I used to love those seventeen magazine quizzes!  The quiz was a series of twentyfive statements that you were supposed to rank from zero to four (never feel this way to always feel this way) and then tally up your score.  Skimming through the statements, I thought, If I ever get around to meditating daily (it's one of those things I really want to do, but it keeps not happening...) this list would be the perfect to think about!  Doesn't it make you feel great just reading it?

Five Tips for Perfect Crispy Kale Chips

Kale chips are super easy, but there are a few things that can ruin a perfectly good chip.  Here's how we make them, and my five no-fail tips for perfectly delish, crispy kale chips!

Rapunzel's Tower

Sometimes I strike thrift store gold.  Such was the case with this amazing, gorgeous, handmade Rapunzel tower. You won't believe how much I paid for it.

Listen to My Dad

I (almost) always listen to my dad; he's full of sage, fatherly wisdom.  But tomorrow I'm especially excited to listen to him as he reads his in-progress novel on Maine's community radio station!  The novel is based on a real life art fraud (he writes for the Maine Antique Digest, so this is kind of his thing.)  He and I trade manuscripts and editorial advice so I've seen several versions of the story, but I'm excited to hear the polished piece he's reading tomorrow.  A long time ago he was also a radio DJ for a folk music show; he has a great dramatic voice:)  You can listen in here Thursday at 10AM eastern time (the three writers are being interviewed after the local and national specials). 

Jumping into Cheesemaking

Here's a post I did for Plan to Eat with links to a few delicious recipes using homemade soft cheese (or just regular mascarpone, or goat cheese, or something similar).  Our homemade cheese rarely lasts long enough for me to turn it into anything else, but I'm really liking the sound of the honey and vanilla flavored spread for fruit...

Two Years

Sam said to me today, while we were talking about how Vivi was born two years ago today, "Isn't it amazing how she's grown?"  Ha, I love it when little kids say grown up things.  We celebrated at home, just the four of us.  I have to say, I think it was one of our most perfect birthdays yet.

Rabbit

So, despite my inability to sew buttons onto a few dresses (still not done...), Sam somehow caught me at a good moment and convinced me to help him sew a rabbit for Viv.

Turning Oppression into Opportunity

There are certain things about life here on earth that are sometimes just too awful, too gut-wrenching, too unbearably sad for me to even think about.  Too many of these things have to do with women.  And although it's hard for me to think about all the suffering that is happening, right now, at this very moment as you are reading this, I want to do something. 

Music Help, Please (and a confession)

I used to be really into music.  Then somehow, after I had kids, I just lost it.  I don't think I've listened to anything but NPR on the radio since I've been married!  And now, all of a sudden, I'm reconnecting with my music-loving self.  Only, I have no idea what to listen to!

Summer Vacation

I'm taking a little summer vacation.  Well, not really, life still continues as normal, I just won't be visiting this space quite as often.  I sure wish I was off to fritter away hours and days just reading on the beach!  Someday though, someday I will spend an entire summer at the ocean, with a sandy stack of books.