September 2015 archive
Open Streets Minneapolis
Open Streets Minneapolis street fair
Last weekend I volunteered at the University of Minnesota’s Open Streets Minneapolis. Sponsored by the Minneapolis Bike Coalition, the free festival has a route that’s closed to all motorized traffic. Only bicycle, skateboard and pedestrian traffic is allowed, giving visitors a chance to leisurely stroll the streets and explore. This was one of many Open Streets festivals that happen around the city.
Local businesses and outside vendors offer food, entertainment and information. Some, but not all, is bicycle-related. One nice perk for cyclists is a booth offering free bike repairs!
Perry and I found some mini street signs. Luckily he wasn’t interested in the fire hydrant.
He also made friends with a Jimmy John’s delivery guy, who sadly did not have any doggy sandwiches in his backpack.
A juggler entertained crowds both with his ability to juggle four balls and his floral shirt style sense.
Cheerful volunteers were ready to point people in the right directions, whether on bicycle or foot.
If you want to play tourist in your own city or are coming from out of town to explore new neighborhoods, Open Streets Minneapolis offers a fresh way to see the city.
The very last Open Streets Minneapolis of the season is taking place September 26th, 2015. Find out more information at http://www.openstreetsmpls.org.
Be a Birthday Rememberer!
Easy ways to remember birthdays
Facebook really eliminated the need to remember birthdays and send personal snail mail cards. But that doesn’t mean it’s not still something fun to do! I was thinking the other day about the amount of cards I send (few) and the number of birthday calls I make (fewer still). Some people are really good at remembering birthdays and doing something about it. I’m not one of those people, but I think it’s a skill that can be learned and it’s one of my goals for this year. Here are some easy ways to remember birthdays and send original, heartfelt cards.
Record Birthdays in a Calendar
When I find out someone’s birthday, I make a note in my phone’s calendar and set it to repeat every year. That way, I have a record stored for the future. If you use a paper calendar like I do, I find it’s helpful to record it there too.
Keep Cards on Hand
Ideally, of course, you picture yourself standing in the card aisle and browsing until you can pick out the perfect card with the message that really sums up your relationship with the recipient, but busy lives don’t always allow that luxury. I’m starting a collection of beautiful multipurpose cards and birthday cards that I can turn to when time is tight. My favorite place for cards is actually Trader Joe’s. All the cards are .99 cents, and the selection is refreshed every couple weeks so you can always find something new. The designs are creative too. I’ve gotten several gems here, including the birthday card I sent to my brother and sister-in-law (their birthdays are super close together so I get away with sending one card). The only thing missing from the picture was my niece, so I printed out a photo of her in the pool and pasted her in. For more ideas on how to make creative collage cards, check out my DIY post.
Record Addresses
Whether it’s an old fashioned paper address book or on your phone, keep a record of people’s addresses so when a birthday comes up, you’ll be prepared to address that note and send it off!
Keep Stationary Accessories on Hand
You don’t need address labels, but they’re fun (and sometimes free, if you’re on a lot of mailing lists). I like to keep these by my desk for quick letter writing. And stamps are a must-you don’t want to be searching for a stamp at the last minute, then have someone’s birthday card bumping around in your purse for days getting bent until you get a chance to buy stamps (known from experience).
No excuses!
A former co-worker once had a sign on his computer that said “Do stuff. Then it’s done.” That mantra totally applies to birthday card writing. Don’t let excuses stand in your way of honoring the special people in your life!
Are these tips helpful to you? If you have any more card writing advice, be sure to let me know in the comments.
How to Shop for Baby Clothes: The 4 Stages of Baby Shower Shopping
How to shop for baby clothes…it shouldn’t be so difficult, should it? My friends and family keep procreating, which means trips to the baby section to pick out impossibly tiny doll clothes baby outfits. There, it’s common to feel an overwhelming number of emotions. The emotional roller coaster will typically unfold in this order.
The Four Stages of Baby Clothes Shopping
1. Glee Oh the possibilities! Look at all the tiny things. This is going to be fun. And easy.
2. Shock Oh God, that is the cutest dress I have ever seen. Does it come in adult sizes? Are those little limes appliqued on it? Why, why would they make something this cute? Why don’t I have a baby? Maybe I’ll have a girl someday. Should I buy it just in case? Probably. It’s like, an investment in my future. Wait, this is 39.95?! I could practically buy myself an outfit for that price. This is robbery! The pattern was cut from a piece of fabric the size of a bandanna.
3. Confusion Your shopping destiny is heavily determined by if the baby-to-be is a boy, a girl or a surprise. If surprise, good luck finding the oasis of non-existent gender neutral clothing in this pink and blue desert. Give up and buy a bib or bath towel. Just kidding, those are gendered too. And what about the size and season? Pretty soon you’re doing advanced Trigonometry, logic and probability in the store. Average the size of both parents to predict the baby’s birth weight, cross reference with the weather forecast in their part of the country to determine if you should buy short or long sleeve, and triangulate the hypotenuse for good measure. IS THERE A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA FOR THIS? If so, why was I not taught it in school because that would have actually been helpful. Thanks for nothing, Mr. Nelson.
4. Despair What if Jennie only wants to dress her baby in Fair Trade, undyed organic cotton free of both child labor and contrived gender roles? And then this ridiculously expensive tutu onesie ends up in the trash under a pile of dirty diapers? I might as well give up and buy a gift card. Or just cut off all ties with friends of childbearing age and flee the country.
How to Shop for Baby Clothes
Okay so there is a sort of formula for how to shop for baby clothes, but it doesn’t involve triangulating anything. Just take the due date, add the months on the size tag, and then determine if the item will be appropriate in that season.
Example: Due date October 1st + sundress sized 9 months = June. Ca-ching! That’s perfect. The baby will likely grow into this outfit when it’s just getting warm outside.
This is still just an estimate of course, because babies don’t always wear 9 month sized clothes at 9 months old. They could start fitting into them at 6 months, 9 months or 12 months. You just never know! But we just do our best and know that the parents can always re-gift unworn clothing or save it for another child.
What are your best tips for baby shower shopping and how to shop for baby clothes?
