New England Mamas

What's happening this weekend - Massachusetts

Our regular feature, What's Happening this Weekend, is highlighting Massachusetts events this week.  Enjoy!

Central Mass:
Whether you’re a full-fledged farmer, a wanna-be hobbyist organic gardener or somewhere in between you’ll want to check out NOFA*/Mass annual winter conference “Food from Farms to Families” at Worcester Technical High School in Worcester, MA this Saturday, January 16, from 9 am to 5:30 pm.   

Over 40 workshops (including ones specifically for teens) on organic farming, gardening, landscaping, and sustainable living, as well as exhibits to check out, and even a children’s program (for kids 3 and up) that runs during workshops times.  You won’t have to worry if there’s something for you at the NOFA/Mass annual winter conference, you’ll have to worry about narrowing down your choices!  A must attend for anyone interested in healthy eating, an organic lifestyle and supporting local farms.

Western Mass:
For fans of art and fans of children's book illustrations - The 20th Annual Children's Illustration Show at R. Michelson Galleries in Northhampton, MA (ongoing until Jan. 31, 2010).  Featuring the work of acclaimed artists such as Dr. Seuss, Mo Willems, Maurice Sendak, Eric Carle, and Tomie DePaola.  Open Monday through Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 12-5pm. And the best part about it is, it's free! 

Eastern Mass:
For the little ones who love to dance and sing and let's face it, the adults too - Ben Rudnick and Friends at the Center for Arts in Natick on Saturday, January 16 at 11am.  Adults are $9 and kids are $6.  Love to jam?  You'll love iParenting and Parent's Choice award-winner Ben Rudnick.  He's groovy.

[image credit - BenRudnick.com]

*Northeast Organic Farming Association

Winter Crafts that are for the birds

Winter can be a great time for bird watching. One way to entice them into your yard it to provide food. There is something beautiful about seeing a bright red cardinal against the snowy white ground.

The easiest way to draw birds into your yard is to provide plants that they can eat and hide in as well as fresh water to drink. Last year, I posted this craft I did with the kids.

Here are a few more that you can do.

Crafting with your kids - DIY Christmas wrapping paper

I know you don't need anything else to do two days before Christmas, but if you're like me and you've been driving back and forth to stores for weeks now, you really don't want to make another trip if you don't need to.  So what do you do if you've found out half way through wrapping all your holiday gifts that you've run out of wrapping paper?

Improvise.

My daughter and I made wrapping paper this year.  We were going the DIY/green route; I just couldn't bring myself to go and buy wrapping paper, especially when it's going to be half off in just a couple of days, but mostly because all the dyes they use in most wrapping paper kind of squicks me out.  This was a super easy afternoon craft idea and I had pretty much everything on hand.  You probably do too.