Happy Birthday Paige!! Little sister, musician and merrymaker! My little sister Paige is my favorite person to laugh with. Earlier this year I called her laughing so hysterically that I couldn’t even speak. She patiently waited (while laughing with me) until stopped giggling hard enough to share with her what was so funny. If I …
New Year’s Eve Lobster fête…avec les enfants
My friend Jen and I have spent many New Year’s Eve nights together…starting in the early 90’s. It’s changed a bit since we’ve had children, but we have double the fun with NYE energy times four! Jen lived several years after college in Boston where she met her husband. My husband grew up in …
TRÈS ASHLEY GIFT GUIDE 2012
We are only weeks away from Christmas day! Here are some ideas to help you check off everyone on your list. Think personalized and thoughtful gifts that make your loved ones feel extra special. Chop! Chop! Time is almost up. Need more ideas? Check gift guides from 2011. Happy Shopping!! Gifts for the Kids Geomag Young builders will …
The Sweetest Dreams Come to Life through the Nutcracker
GROWING up, I remember my mom dressing me up in a navy velvet Christmas dress to see the Nutcracker ballet. She even let me wear my tiara. I had no idea the effect the ballet would have on me. Sitting in the audience, I was overwhelmed by a dreamy feeling of Tchaikovsky’s music, the winter …
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O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree, How lovely are your branches!
SUNDAY is family day…the day before going back to work/school…the day we do everything together. This Sunday, it included picking out our Christmas tree. This annual holiday tradition conjures up many happy memories of picking out a real Christmas tree in years past. My children (six and four) are in the back seat singing the Vince …
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Top Ten Musically Inspired Ways to find your Zen during the holidays
You know that scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when the doorbell rings as the in-laws arrive…the ding dong gets louder and the tone becomes more dramatic by the minute? That’s the feeling the holidays bring…you hold your breath and hope for the best. Most people have high stress during the holidays due to family …
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‘Tis the Season for Stuffing Mailboxes
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is checking the mailbox to see if we’ve received greeting cards! It’s better than opening a present! The hard part is deciding which card to choose. I find myself agonizing over the card selection because there are simply too many beautiful options. With so many to pick from, deciding can be more …
Let It Out…Dance All Day!
Dancers are a different breed. They dance ALL the time in regular everyday settings. A dancer doesn’t just bend over to pick something up, they ponche, plié, cambre…I think most everyone has an urge to break out and dance. We are ALL dancers! There is great joy found in movement; if we celebrate that happiness and dance …
Holiday Fête …Disco Style!
I have holiday “disco” fever. I’m ready to don my sequins and eat, drink and boogie during holiday season. Bring on the glitter…it’s time to celebrate and have some fun!Shine: The holiday season is filled with fête after fête which require us to fill our closet with glittery frocks. My motto is that you …
Pinkalicious the Musical is Pinkeriffic!
Pretty in pink, tickled pink, pinktastic, pinkeriffic are just a few words that come to mind when describing Pinkalicious. Pink is the color of happiness and Pinkalicious is just that…a colorful explosion of pink sparkly fun. How many times as parents have we heard, “Just one more?” It’s a phrase Pinkalicious Pinkerton says when she …
A Taste of Vienna
Austria is beyond rich in history. This little landlocked country has gone from being the grand Habsburg Empire to being nonaligned. Vienna was left with little to rule as the Great Depression swept the Nazis to power. Austria’s neutrality in 1955 led to better days but the past is still hauntingly present. Our book …
I’m Eloise, I’m Six
“Hi, I am Eloise. I am six. I am a city child. I live at the Plaza,” said my daughter Zooey twirling around the room. Zooey recently told her grandmother that she’s changing her name to Eloise. When I asked her why, she said it’s because she rawther likes the sort of fun that Eloise …