Katie Biddle
Holidays and Food Allergies :: Boston’s 6 Best Allergy-Friendly Bakeries
There is something truly magical about gathering around the table with family and friends to share a meal. Of course, these holiday meals can also be a source of stress, especially if you are the one hosting. If you are welcoming holiday guests into your home this year, chances are at least one of your friends or family members will have some food allergies. How can you make sure everyone feels welcome at your table... without also stressing yourself out?
Take the Spook Out of Trick-or-Treating :: Tips for an Allergy-Safe Halloween
Halloween will soon be upon us, and even if you're not a teacher or a parent of a child with food allergies, chances are there is someone in your neighborhood who will appear at your door with an allergy. So what can you do to make sure all kids can enjoy the holiday AND stay safe?
Dear Boston (the Love Letter I Never Thought I’d Write)
Dear Boston,
I'll be honest. When I arrived here four years ago, I was pretty certain I wouldn't love you. My husband's job was bringing us here for three years, maybe four, and then it...
An Ode to the College Friend Tribe
If you look at most mom blogs or social media feeds, you are bound to find posts praising the "mom tribe." The "mom tribe" is portrayed as essential to surviving motherhood with your sanity...
Sharing the Love :: Valentines for Those in Need
My husband and I like to think of Valentine's Day as a chance to share love with people in our community who may need to be reminded that they are loved and cared about.
A New England Transplant’s Guide to Boston Winter
Prior to moving to Boston, I spent eight years living in the D.C./Baltimore area, which does not have a stellar record when it comes to dealing with snow. When we told people we were...
When Thanksgiving Is Hard :: Gratitude in a Difficult Season
Halloween has come and gone, and that means we're moving right into what many consider to be the happiest (and often busiest) time of year — the holidays. Thanksgiving is right around the corner,...
Saturday Morning Doughnut Dates
Contrary to what Instagram would have you believe, you don't have to plan elaborate family outings to create cherished memories. Sometimes it's as simple as a doughnut and a hot cup of coffee with the people you love most.
Live Life Like a Toddler
Toddlers could teach us all a thing or two about forgiveness. You bump your squirming toddler's head as you're trying to wrestle him/her into the car seat. You inadvertently knock over the leaning tower of DVD boxes he/she has decided is a construction project. You eat the last of the Goldfish during naptime. Whatever the offense may be, you are quickly forgiven (after about 40 seconds of crying, of course). It's as if toddlers have a wisdom beyond their years — they realize that whatever you did to upset them can't come close to how much they love you. So they just move on.
Fun in the Sun :: Tips for Summer Safety
When I think back on summers as a kid, I remember lazy days by the pool, concerts in the park behind my grandparents' house, jars of fireflies with carefully punctured lids. Time was unstructured and seemed to move slower than the rush of the school year. As a mom, this is how I want my son to experience summer. And yet, lately it seems like every news story or social media post about summer is filled with terrifying warnings about ticks, sun poisoning, dehydration, drowning... the list goes on and on. It is almost enough to make me want to hunker down in our apartment all summer (with the air conditioner on, of course).
What Food Allergy Moms Want You to Know
You know one of your son's friends can't eat gluten, dairy, or peanuts, so you buy a box of gluten-free brownie mix. You prepare it according to the 'dairy alternative' recipe. But there's a problem. That sponge you used to wash the mixing bowl? It cleaned peanut butter off a breakfast plate this morning. That wooden spoon you used to mix the batter? It mixed wheat flour last night and might have small traces of gluten (even after washing). Yes, some kids are that sensitive.
Traveling with Toddlers :: Can We Talk About the Good Stuff Too?
I know our son won't remember our travels from these early days of his life. I do hope that maybe these experiences in some way help him internalize that the world is so much more than our street here in Boston. Even if it doesn't do that for him quite yet, it is good for me to remember that there is life outside nap schedules and 'Daniel Tiger.'