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Back Porch – Drowning in MasterpiecesMay 2012
My dining room table is about to become a massive pile of construction paper and paint. School’s almost out for the summer, and a year’s worth of children’s writing and artwork is about to descend. Soon we’ll all be drowning in masterpieces. Once upon a time, impressed with myself, I bought under-bed boxes and started collecting pieces in them. Each … Mom Always Said…May 2012
In the spirit of Mother’s Day, we’re paying tribute to the sage advice our moms always seem to have at the ready. Because for all the advice we didn’t want to hear (“Brush your hair!”), the years of making sure we did our homework and cleaned our rooms (before we did anything else), and the words of wisdom we could … Back Porch – Vacation MayhemApril 2012
Pre-children, our friends who have a farm not far from Houston often invited us up for the weekend. I remember one particular spring weekend – gorgeous weather, wildflowers blooming, blue sky. Perfect. Our friends made sure everyone felt comfortable in their rooms. They put us up in the back house, just a little away from the main house and private, … Back Porch – Getting Kids to TalkMarch 2012
Children. From the moment they’re conceived, and often long before that, they’re the focus of our worlds. Every stage brings something new, something better than the last, even when we thought they couldn’t get any better. Then they turn 8 or 10 or 12, and something happens. They’re still the focus of our worlds, but somehow we’ve become targets of … From Crawfish to CowboysFebruary 2012
Celebrating February in HoustonAlthough it’s the shortest month of the year, February is one long celebration. From the all-American Valentine’s Day to Chinese New Year, there’s something happening all month. But in Houston, two events – Mardi Gras and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – dominate. Emily and Andrew Webster, who retreated here from New Orleans after Hurricane … Back Porch – Real Love, Every DayFebruary 2012
This column was in the back of my mind as I sat through the funeral for the mother of one of my dearest friends. I had been trying to think about love – the theme of this month’s Buzz. And while a funeral is the last place I expected to find inspiration for a light story on Valentine love, … Back Porch – Cultivating HappyJanuary 2012
Every January, I just know I’m going to become a better person. I’ll be more organized, more intellectual, more productive, more focused. I’ll live more in the moment, appreciate more, sweat not the small things. I’ll set lots of goals, which, ultimately, if I accomplished them all, would culminate in one end result: a big boost of happy. I’m not … It’s On The ListJanuary 2012
People are passionate about their lists. Ask them to describe the ways they organize their lives, and they’ll detail the intricacies – or lack thereof – of personal systems built through the years to safeguard against tasks falling through the proverbial cracks. One West University woman in her early 40s who works full-time as a doctor while managing two elementary … Unique Holiday CardsDecember 2011
Seven years ago, when Peta Rubenstein was wrangling a 3 year old and 18-month-old twins, she took on one of the least predictable and most frustrating tasks of young parenthood: taking a holiday card photo. Anyone who’s tried capturing the perfect holiday card image knows it’s no easy task. Especially with several children. Especially with twin babies. But Peta doesn’t … The Joy of Gift GivingDecember 2011
Giving a gift that makes someone smile is one of life’s greatest joys. I love giving a great gift. One small problem: I dread the shopping part. So when the Wii craze hit several years ago (in December, of course), I left it to the grandparents to scour Houston for one of the new video-game consoles. Much hunting and many … Family’s Favorite Thanksgiving RecipesNovember 2011
There are a few things that make every family’s Thanksgiving their own. The people around the table. Small traditions like using the children’s turkey-shaped place cards every year, or sharing what each person is most thankful for. Invariably, every family has a special recipe – or two or three – that says Thanksgiving. Something that, no matter where they spend … Top Songs for Playing on ThanksgivingNovember 2011
There’s not a lot I love more than pre-Thanksgiving chaos. The house smells great, family’s in town, kids and dogs are running in and out. Surely there are more civilized family gatherings, but I’ll take the mess. Even so, there’s got to be a little stress relief. And what better way is there to set a mood than with music? … Halloween Costumes and TraditionsOctober 2011
Long before Pottery Barn Kids and all things Martha Stewart, before store shelves got washed with orange by the end of summer, I loved Halloween. It’s a no-obligation holiday, pure fun with so many ways to celebrate. You get to pick; nothing’s pre-ordained – no Thanksgiving turkey, no church service, no one way fits all. We’re left to our own … Loving and Hating the NeighborsOctober 2011
Neighbors. Growing up, our perceptions of them are pretty well shaped by Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Theme songs spout happy lyrics – “It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood …” and “Come and play, everything’s A-OK, friendly neighbors there, that’s where we’ll meet…” Then Sesame Street became Avenue Q, and pop-culture portrayals of neighbors morphed into … Edible LandscapesSeptember 2011
Melissa Grobmyer is not the type to pull out a pellet gun at first provocation. The art consultant and founder of MKG Art Management is much too sophisticated for that. But after spending an afternoon witnessing a squirrel ravage the unripe, first-ever crop of persimmons on her backyard tree, she got the gun. Lucky for the squirrel, her husband, Al, … |
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