Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 322
August 4, 2011
What Are Your Kids Reading This Summer?
We're halfway through summer break here in New York and it's time to fess up: my boys are not breaking any records for number of books read. Sure, they'll pick up a book every [...]
How to Clean Your Ceiling Fan
We love this trick for dusting off the blades of a grimy ceiling fan without getting a face full of dust. Simply slide each blade, one at a time, into a pillowcase and wipe [...]
A Reader Asks: If Mother-in-Law Chain Smokes, Will Exposure Harm My Baby?
"My mother-in-law is a chain smoker. My husband and I have always put up with it. But now we have a baby." This week's etiquette question comes from Quidditchgirl, who writes: "My in-laws live [...]
Is Shampoo Bad For Your Hair?
One of the biggest trends in hair care these days is the whole "No 'Poo" movement. Wait, that sounds sort of…scatological. What I'm actually referring to is the trend in hair care circles advocating [...]
The Perfect Nude Polish
Finding a neutral polish shade that works every time can be a process. I know that for me, with all the choices at the salon, I often grab the wrong one just by the [...]
August 3, 2011
Why Comfort Foods Boost Your Mood
We don't know about you, but this new study certainly brightened our mood. It turns out that there is science behind why comfort foods (like ice cream or mac and cheese) put you in [...]
Michigans (Hot Dogs) in New York
I've been spending a lot of time this summer at my fiance's father's house in far-upstate New York, in the small, quiet, mostly farming community called Chazy. Chazy hugs the western edge of Lake [...]
August 2, 2011
How Much Computer/Video Game/Wii/Whatever Time Do You Allow Your Kids?
Well, now we're in the thick of summer, which means that all over America, parents are breathing down their kids' necks about how much time they spend playing Xbox 360. Or is that just [...]
Summer Hair Trend: Ombré
Summer always seems like the right time to take a beauty risk. From feathers to bold red lips, we have an endless number of ways to play around with our looks. So, in an [...]
The Fool-Proof Method of Decluttering
When taking on a decluttering project, I approach each project in almost the exact same way every time. I call it the tabula rasa method of decluttering because you always start with a blank [...]
