Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 372
February 2, 2011
The 11-year-old Design Blogger
Want to follow a smart and stylish 11-year-old blogger in Uganda? I do! Her name is Clea and her brand new blog is called Peeking at Pearls. It's the sweetest little space and I enjoy reading her thoughts on home interiors and fashion. I'm glad that Joyce Reingold, Editor and Publisher at Palm Beach Daily News, wrote in to tell me about Clea's blog. So, why am I reading a blog written by a preteen girl?
I don't have children yet, but I'm in the my thirties and it seems that once you cross over the line from twentysomething to thirtysomething you really start to lose touch with the younger generation unless you have children or are around them regularly. I often worry about losing touch with kids, as they are the future and I never want to be one of those women who cannot understand "young people" anymore. That's not cool to me. I always want to remain open-minded and a blog like Peeking at Pearls helps me to do just that. I also like her lighthearted opinions and how she is so tuned in the world around her. I find this very encouraging to see, and also a good example to parents out there who may not think their kids really care about home design or fashion -- they start paying attention quite early. In fact, I remember being very interested in these things when I was as young as 5 years old.
The images shown are examples of what you can find on Clea's blog. I hope that you are inspired by this young lady and her opinions and that you will visit her blog, comment, and be supportive. It must be so exciting for her to be a blogger at 11-years-old! Wow!
...And because I know some of you will express concern over a child blogging, please know that her British-Canadian mother Samantha Chesler-Leiman is an educator who also authors the 3Limes blog and she pays careful attention to Clea's activity online and has her best interests in mind. If you have a child who has an interest in blogging, I suggest reading through these tips on blogging safety for kids from Microsoft.
What do you think about preteens with blogs anyway? If monitored by parents, I'm all for it!
February 1, 2011
Use a Canning Jar to Bring Soup for Lunch via TheKitchn
Last month, TheKitchn instituted Soup Week, and one of their readers sent in a great tip about how to bring for lunch.
It's a great idea. Not only can you be sure it won't spill as you commute to the office. You can also pop the jar directly in the microwave once you remove the metal lid.
Check out the full post on TheKitchn. Reader Tip: Take Soup to Work in a Glass Canning Jar
Do you ever bring soup to work? What kind of container do you use?
(photo by Faith Durand for TheKitchn)
Makeover a Closet While Elfa Shelving Is on 30 Percent Discount
My house has three closets -- one in each bedroom and an itty, bitty, tiny one under the stairs on our first floor. Obviously, we use the one in our bedroom for clothes storage. My husband, my 19-month-old son, and I share this closet. The closet under the stairs holds digital media that needs to be climate controlled for my husband's business. This leaves our second bedroom closet as the primary storage for our entire house.
Since both my husband and I work from home, our second bedroom is our current office. Without any other built-in storage in the house, we had to find a way to make it meet our needs -- and Elfa came to our rescue:
We call it our "Mary Poppins" closet, seeing as so much stuff fits into the space. This picture is a little old (I've since destashed my entire yarn collection and replaced it with toy storage for my son), but for the most part it's a current representation of how we utilize the storage. I'm impressed by how much we can fit into it, and how organized all of it can be.
I'm a huge fan of the Elfa shelving systems -- my desk setup is also Elfa -- and always recommend them. That is why I want to let you know that between now and Tuesday, February 15, the Container Store is having its annual Elfa sale.
All Elfa shelving is 30 percent off, and installation is also at a 30 percent discount. Now is a great time to redo a closet in your home to increase and/or improve its storage while prices on Elfa are low and temperatures outside are frightful.
My Brilliant Invention!
While I realize that this blog is meant to be all about health, wellness, fitness and nutrition, I cant help but want to use this particular platform today for a bit of personal bragging. You see, I've invented something that has changed my life. No, it's nothing huge, and it's most certainly not much to look at, but it makes me happy and, I could argue, healthier—in a sanitary-is-healthy way. I'll break it down in a typical Real Simple set-up:
The problem: Toilet paper is tempting to a toddler. Curious toddlers love nothing more than to yank on toilet paper roll, insert sheets into mouth, and drag streams of paper all over house. Such a curious toddler lives in our home, so this had become quite a problem. Our previous "solution" was to simply remove the roll from the holder and place it on a shelf high above the toilet, or to rest it on top of a towel rod located a few feet from the commode. That, unfortunately, led to some particularly awkward stretches and acrobatics on my part, all whilst attempting to use the loo. I will spare you the details.
A potential solution: Sure, there are a few products on the market that claim to adequately "baby-proof" your toilet paper roll. (Or pet-proof, since cats and dogs also love to mess with the two-ply!!) But my experience with these sorts of contraptions in other areas of the house has been altogether frustrating and disappointing. The drawer locks that don't work, the doorstoppers that pop off...that sort of thing. And given that our little recessed toilet paper holder seems oddly-shaped, and that our building is old, I had a feeling that whatever was on the market just wouldn't do the trick.
The ACTUAL solution, courtesy of some of my inspired DIY: (see pic below)
It's ugly, it's kind of rickety, and it's totally making my husband crazy, but this fabulous, hanging toilet paper holder, crafted from a wire hanger is my pride and joy. It dangles from a small hand-towel bar above the toilet. Yes, it looks like something tired backpackers may have rigged up along the Appalachian Trail or in an outhouse somewhere. Sure, it isn't doing anything for our otherwise blah bathroom decor. But I don't care. No longer is the toilet paper out of reach, or in danger of tumbling into the tub (it happened one too many times), or slipping out of my grasp OR left neglected on the floor where aforementioned toddler could happen upon it with glee and grimy hands. Success! I'm not lining up for a patent just yet, though, since I think it could use some work.
My question to all you crafty, stylish, and sanitary readers: Is there a better, less unattractive but still home-grown solution?? Other ideas for DIY toilet paper holders that keep the precious paper away from kids and pets?
The Most Addictive Computer Game Ever, and It's Not Even Fun
Last Thursday my husband and I accompanied Eldest on what was meant to
be an innocent trip to his guidance counselor to discuss which classes
he should take next year. Eldest is now a sophomore in high school and
since—to quote my wise friend Chrissie—"high school is no longer about
just being in high school but is all about getting into college," naturally the conversation turned to college. Even though Eldest is 15. And hated sleepaway camp. And still wears braces. And can't even drive.
The meeting was quite pleasant and fairly unsurprising, until the lovely guidance counselor—who will henceforth be known as AoD, or Agent of Doom—introduced us to Naviance.
Ah, Naviance. Doesn't it sound like the name of a sleep aid? I imagine Naviance should be a lovely robin's egg–colored pill that I could take at 10 p.m. and that would allow me to wake up happy and refreshed at 7 a.m. sharp.
Not so much.
For the uninitiated, Naviance is a Web tool that allows you to compare your poor, unsuspecting high school student to other kids who have graduated from his high
school. Specifically, although without naming names (now that would be fun), Naviance shows you the grades and test scores of the other kids who have applied to a
given school, and whether they were accepted, rejected, and so on. And how your kid stacks up against these other kids, on a nifty little graph.
Q: Am I a Tiger Mom?
A: No.
Q: Am I in a Race to Nowhere?
A: Perhaps.
I'd like to tell you that we did not spend the weekend on Naviance, obsessively comparing Eldest (who hasn't even taken the SATs yet, for God's sake) to every other overachiever who has recently graduated from his high school. I would like to tell you that, but I can't. Because Naviance is not a lovely robin's-egg blue pill, but is in fact like crack cocaine: briefly exhilarating, incredibly addictive, and really, really bad for you. I've got two and a half years till Eldest goes to college, and it just may kill us all.
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January 31, 2011
Kick-Start Your New Year: Stay Motivated
If you've already made it this far with your new year's resolutions, you've held out a lot longer than most people. To keep your good habits going strong in February and the following months, try these strategies to keep you motivated.
1. Anticipate bumps and challenges in your plan. Don't let the unexpected derail your goals. Make back up plans so you won't get off track.
2. Channel the little engine that could. You'll be surprised how far belief in yourself can take you.
3. Set realistic goals, and work on them everyday. Don't set yourself up to fail by setting goals that are too high. Instead, set smaller goals on your way to one larger achievement and focus on how you can reach those goals each day.
4. Make your goals public. That way you're not the only one holding yourself accountable. If you tell your friends and family, they'll help keep you on track, too.
Learn five more ways to keep yourself motivated.
What's Your Most Pressing Question for a Dermatologist?
If you had five minutes with a dermatolgist, what would be your first question?
Later this week, I am meeting with Omaha based dermatologist, Dr. Schlessinger. I want to ask him about your most important beauty problems. Tell me what you want to know and I will come back with answers.
Share your questions below!
(Remember, keep the questions simple. Dr. Schlessinger's responses aren't diagnoses. For complete treament plans, schedule an appointment with a dermatologist in your area.)
January 28, 2011
Kick-Start Your New Year: Start Gathering Your Tax Documents
It's nearing the end of January, and tax season is starting to loom. By next Monday you should have received any tax documents from your employer. So why not take a few moments this weekend to figure out what other tax documents you need in order to file.
While you're gathering your papers, check over our list of commonly overlooked deductions to see if you might be eligible for a little extra money this year.
Here are some that you might be missing:
- Hearing aids, eyeglasses, or contact lenses
- Education expenses to maintain or improve job skills
- Cell phones required for business
- Moving expenses
- Mileage incurred while performing charitable activities
See the complete list of commonly missed tax deductions here.
Hi, Bookies! Let's Start Reading
Hello, everyone! I'm Maggie Shi, a deputy editor for RealSimple.com, where I work with content across several different areas—food, money, family, work, and life lessons. My job involves everything from overseeing photo shoots for the website to collaborating with the magazine editors to writing our daily recipe newsletter. I also blog regularly about food here on Simply Stated and am attempting to cook my way through the Real Simple recipe repertoire this year.
I'm an avid reader, so I'm incredibly excited to be leading the February book club. I read Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle, about a year ago and absolutely fell in love with it, so I've been eagerly anticipating this follow-up. The title of the book, Half Broke Horses, also intrigued me; I was maybe just a *little* bit obsessed with horses when I was a kid (come on—how many of us weren't?), so anything even remotely about horses is going to catch my eye. Which makes me wonder—what book topics are you constantly drawn to? Personally, I'm a sucker for pretty much anything about food (no surprise there), plus non-fiction about people who move to foreign countries and settle into new cultures, women who run off in search of adventure/fulfillment, and almost any collection of short stories.
This winter has been extra snowy and cold in most of the country, so it's perfect weather for snuggling up with a cozy blanket, a good book, and a cup of tea or glass of wine. Since Half Broke Horses has nine chapters, let's read three at a time. Here's the schedule:
Chapters 1 through 3 by Wednesday, February 9
Chapters 4 through 6 by Wednesday, February 16
Chapters 7 through 9 (including the tiny epilogue, naturally) by Wednesday, February 23
Really looking forward to this—stay warm, and happy reading!
January 27, 2011
Kick-Start Your New Year: Celebrate National Chocolate Cake Day
Every once in awhile a made up holiday comes along that is worth celebrating. Today is one of those days. So the tip today is to treat yourself and celebrate "National Chocolate Cake Day." Luckily we have plenty of recipes to help you pay tribute to that classic dessert.
Here's a quick guide to all of our chocolate cake recipes:
Classic Chocolate Layer Cake (shown above)
Individual Chocolate Melting Cakes
What's your variation of chocolate cake?
