Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 419

Birthday Cake for Big Kids

When is the last time someone really went all out for your birthday? Childhood parties were full of balloons, silly hats, streamers (and the occasional scary clown). But the best part was always the cake. All eyes on you, people singing, yummy frosting, candles and a wish! Well, I say even big kids deserve a great birthday cake. In fact, it's a surefire way to remind that special birthday someone to stay young at heart. 

We recently celebrated my fiance's birthday...three times in one week...

Parenthood and the Work-Spend Treadmill

Over pancakes on Sunday morning, I read my husband a portion of a story in The New York Times called "But Will It Make You Happy?" The piece begins with the tale of Tammy Strobel, an unhappy California project manager earning $40,000 a year, who felt stuck on the "work-spend treadmill." She and her husband, both 31, began giving away what they own, and moved to Portland, Oregon. They shed their cars and $30,000 in debt, and now live in a 400-square-foot apartment; he is finishing his Ph.D....

Make Lunch-Packing Easier

I know the benefits of bringing your own lunch to work every day (saving money, eating healthier), but most days I simply lack the motivation. Here are some tricks I'm going to try to make it more enticing.

1. Update your bag. Carrying lunch in a fun food tote (like the ones from builtny.com) will make you feel like you're part of the cool, eco-minded crew.

2. Try a bento box. Break the boredom by filling a Japanese-inspired lunch box in visually creative ways. Check out the site

The Homemade Home by Sania Pell

Do you like to make things for the home? Are you crafty? Are you dying to try to make things but unsure as to where to get started? I think The Homemade Home, a book by London-based stylist and author Sania Pell, would be a great book for the experienced crafter and the newbie alike.

I recently reviewed it in detail on decor8 with photos, but Sania has placed a lovely video on YouTube showing her flipping through a copy so you can see just how great The Homemade Home really is.

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What to Do If You Are a Super-Sweater

Considering how crazy-hot and holy-cow-humid it has been this summer, when I first started researching the topic of excessive sweating (known as hyperhidrosis in medical circles) I was sure I'd qualify!

However, it turns out that most people who have this condition aren't just dabbing at their foreheads in the middle of July or August, but they are breaking out in droplets and staining shirts year-round, and at the most inopportune times. (They also sweat four or five times more than the aver...

A Simple and Fast Way for Debtors to Improve Their Finances

If you carry a balance on your credit card from month to month, one of the simplest ways to boost your financial picture is to negotiate a lower interest rate with the card issuer. But only about one-third of consumers try, according to the Web site DebtGoal. They might be encouraged to give it a try if they knew what to say -- and that others have successfully cut their rates. If you fall into this category, check out a new free online tool from DebtGoal called NegotiateMyRate.

NegotiateMyRat...

Jennifer Causey Photography

I've been a long time fan of Brooklyn-based photographer Jennifer Causey and enjoy watching her portfolio expand as her work evolves. The artful styling that she does to capture a moment so beautifully is impressive but then the way she uses her camera to embrace that mood and pass it on to others is pure poetry in motion.

These arrangements of everyday things, from breakfast to a cone of ice cream, are captured in a way that give one an emotional response don't you think? They also...

If you see something, say something?

 

New Yorkers are used to seeing this slogan plastered all over the subways, but when it comes to noticing things that could be hazardous to our friends or their children, is it always acceptable to say something? I've found the answer, all too often, is no. Which raises the question: When should etiquette take a back seat to safety concerns?       

     

Last week, I was getting a tour of a friend's new house, oohing and ahhing as we moved from one beautifully appointed room to the next. But...

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: Part One

Hello, Bookies!

 

Hope you are enjoying The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.

 

I'm finding it to be a quick read filled with pleasant prose.

 

My immediate impression of our 9-year-old heroine is that she's lonely. She's starved (how apropos) for people's attention, especially her brother's. She is very accommodating and willing to compromise, as is seen in her holding on to her brother's sleeve vs. his arm, having imaginary vs. real conversations with him ("I glanced at the back of Joseph's...

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: Part One

Hello, Bookies!

 

Hope you are enjoying The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.

 

I'm finding it to be a quick read filled with pleasant prose.

 

My immediate impression of our 9-year-old heroine is that she's lonely. She's starved (how apropos) for people's attention, especially her brother's.  She is very accommodating and willing to compromise, as is seen in her holding onto her brother's sleeve vs. his arm, having imaginary vs. real conversations with him ("I glanced at the back of Joseph's...