How to host an outdoor movie party — treat the neighborhood to a showing of The Brave Little Toaster
What could be better on a summer night than your yard, some friends, and a good movie? Here’s how to plan an outdoor film screening of your very own; it’s easier than you might think. This could also be a fun and low-cost kids’ birthday party or family event.
Welcome to Fluffytown: how we threw a surprise blanket fort birthday party
Recently my friend Jewels threw her husband a birthday party inside a gigantic blanket fort. Yes! We made Fluffytown in an apartment!
My neighbors had a fight and I called 911 — was that the right move?
My apartment neighbors had a fight, complete with thuds, pained screams, and the woman screaming, “Let go of me! Stop!”
I called 911 since it seemed to be more than a lovers quarrel. But since telling friends, some say I overstepped my boundaries and should have minded my own business. What would you do in this situation?
Guerrilla art: neighborhood beautification without the blech
Have you thought about yarn bombing your neighborhood playground? Is there a building on your street that needs aesthetic help? Use this street art inspiration to plan a happening.
I didn’t know if I wanted to be “Mama”
I just held out the test going, “OhmygodLOOKohmygodLOOK” at which point we both burst into tears. He hugged me tightly and said, “Congratulations, Mama!” Mama? No. Call me anything, I thought, but not mama.
Writing a book helped me grow
I found myself in a post-baby slump and realized exactly what activity I needed to do: NaNoWriMo. The month of November is National Novel Writing Month. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) book in 30 days. This comes out to 1667 words a day. The novel can be on anything you want. No one needs to read it. It’s a writing exercise. I have participated in NaNoWriMo a total of five times.
The lie sold to young wanna-be urbanites
I was 21 years old when I moved to San Francisco. I was a glamorous big-city girl and I was ready to LIVE THE DREAM!
…oh, except for the fact that my $11/hr file clerk job barely paid me enough to cover rent and food.
Leaving motherhood out of conversations
Why do I hurl myself into a defensive monologue about why I don’t want to work with kids? Why does the defensive part of my brain override every other avenue the conversation might have taken? Why don’t I focus on what I DO want to do instead of focusing on what I don’t want?