Bloggers, Business and Boston: My First Paint Night

Disclosure: I was invited a guest of NEXT On Scene Magazine; all opinions expressed are my own. 

I still feel like I'm getting re-acclimated to living in Boston and one of the best ways to do that has been getting acquainted with the Boston blogging community. When I last lived in Boston (all the way back in 2007!), I hadn't started my blog yet and thankfully there are so many amazing Facebook groups that have been so welcoming including a wonderful group brought together by NEXT On Scene Magazine founded by Jackie Zuk.

Grayson and His superMOPI

Disclosure: I received a complimentary superMOPI for review purposes; all opinions expressed are my own.

If you've followed me on social media for some time there's probably something you've noticed about my 3 year old son, Grayson: he stays living his best life. From his Michael Jackson re-enactments to being his big sister Virginia's best dancing partner ever (remember this?), he is one of the happiest kids I've ever met. 

When superMOPI reached out to us during our recent cold snap here in Boston to see if Grayson would be interested in giving the bike a try, I gave a resounding yes! We get a bit stir crazy inside the house and one quick glance at the awesomeness of superMopi, and I knew Grayson would love it. 

I was right!

Parkland, Florida

There was another post that was supposed to go live today, but I decided not to post it. 

In the wake of what happened today in Florida with 17 young lives lost in yet another school shooting, it's easy to do a quick search and see all the times I've posted about events like this over and over. 

As I recently shared in my "Quiana in Action" post, I no longer could sit idly by crying while sending more "thoughts and prayers." Instead, I've joined Moms Demand Action and tomorrow just so happens to be Lobby Day. While Massachusetts is the leader in smart guns laws in the U.S., there is still work to do and I'm looking forward to showing up tomorrow at the Statehouse. 

Interested in learning more about Moms Demand Action? Check out their website here.

And if you're local, please join me at the New Members Meeting coming up on March 8:

Click here to RSVP.

 

Celebrating Chinese New Year with Ling Ling Asian Kitchen

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Ling Ling, all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Since moving to Boston there's something my family has been in search of, mostly motivated by the New York City upbringing of Mr. Lovebird: delicious Chinese food. When I was invited by Ling Ling to cook alongside Chef Katie Chin, author of Katie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook, I knew it might help with my family's search. Perhaps I could pick up some techniques so that I could create the meals my family misses from our time in NYC. 

How to Decrease Screen Time with a Reading Nook

The month of January flew by and one of the things we've been committed to as a family now more than ever is reading more books. With the recent data about kids and screen time plus as someone who works in a world of screens, it's important for me to have time that we all pull away from our devices. 

My kids have a strict screen time rule: we are screen free on school nights. Their schools have some screen time, which is fine, but otherwise from TVs to tablets, the children don't use them during the week. It's been a struggle at times and my 7 year old being older is good at reinforcing it with her 3 year old brother, but this holiday when we took down our Christmas tree and were left with a gaping space I decided it would be perfect for a cozy reading nook as an alternative to screen time.

My Top Five Tech Car Features for Parents

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Cars.com. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sadly, this was not my high school car

During my recent visit to the New England Auto Show I was reminded of my very first car: a used Ford Festiva. I named her Frieda and although she was tiny, she was mine. 

Now as mom, there are certain things I've found are so important in selecting a vehicle having now driven two crossovers with two children. My recent car is a 2016 Mazda CX-9 and having driven a 2009 model prior to this, it really has improved its features. My current CX-9 is my first new car, and I was stunned at how far technology has come since my Festiva.

Quiana in Action

Shirt via Myrtle & Flossie

"What exactly do you do?"

It's a question I often get asked directly and sometimes it's implied so I thought it would be helpful to share the projects I'm currently working on especially if there are followers whose work might align with what I'm doing and which might lead to future partnerships. 

Here we go...