Cubby Archive: 2021

Cubby Archive - 2021

Page 12

orzo sits in a pot next to spices and a plate

Easy One-Pot Mac and Cheese (with an Upgrade Parents Will Love Too!)

When I was growing up, eating out usually meant going to an Asian restaurant or an American fast food joint. Our very rare visits to sit-down, non-Asian restaurant were big deals, and we mostly went to chain restaurants. One favorite was the Macaroni Grill, and I always ordered the exact same dish: salmon with a side of sun-dried tomato orzo pasta. I ordered it not because I loved the salmon, but because that orzo was just so delicious.

Christine Gallary

Apr 5, 2021

This Airy Country Coach House Has Stunning Windows and a Gorgeous $5 Decorative Centerpiece

Name: Jean Ross, husband, Craig, two boys, Bowie and Rhys, and a Frenchie, Hawkins (aka Toots)Location: Cobourg, OntarioType of home: Coach houseSize: 3,000 square feetYears lived in: 1 month, ownedTell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We just moved to a small town in Southern Ontario from Toronto a month ago! We had been looking for houses outside the city for years and couldn’t find the right one. We wanted something different and unique.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Apr 5, 2021

13 Products Parents Wish They’d Bought Sooner

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. It’s no big secret that parenthood is full of many surprises, and the products that end up being lifesavers is definitely one of them. If we were talking about movies here, we’d call these products the sleeper hits.

Liz Callahan Schnabolk

Mar 31, 2021

My Daughter and I Tested the Top Face Masks for Kids — Here’s the Best One

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. The face mask market is a booming industry that will not likely be slowing down any time soon. What seemed like such an odd thing to put on a year ago is now as routine as putting on our shoes.

Ashley Poskin

Mar 31, 2021

My Must-Haves from Target’s Spring Collection

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. Spring was heralded by the first few 60-degree days in a row and we were ready. For many, the new season began with the refrain, “Mom, can we open the bubbles and sidewalk chalk, pleaseeee?” For my part, I knew spring had finally arrived when I saw the new Target collection.

Danielle Halibey

Mar 31, 2021

10 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes for Busy Weeknights

Busy weeknights seem like the norm these days, which means fast and easy dinners are more important than ever. Pasta is always a good option since it boils up quickly, but not all pasta recipes fit the bill (we’re looking at you, seven-layer lasagna). These 10 recipes are as speedy as it gets. Keep them handy and you’ll have something delicious to turn to no matter how busy your night is.

Sheela Prakash

Mar 29, 2021

This Kitchen Went from Basic to Beautiful After This Family Gave It A Pink Makeover

Name: Vanessa Béland, husband Félix & baby daughterLocation: Saint-Hubert, QuébecSize: 1100 square feet + basementYears lived in: 4 yearsVanessa and Félix have been cultivating their first home together over the past four years. Taking the renovation process room by room, they have transformed the space into a warm — and very pink! — home that reflects their bright and fun-loving personalities.

Lauren Kolyn

Mar 29, 2021

9 Weird Yet Clever Cleaning Tools We Found on Amazon

Cleaning isn’t typically thought of as “fun” or “interesting” (or if it is, I applaud you). While the chore itself can be boring, there are plenty of clever, fun, and just plain weird cleaning tools out there that can jazz things up. We’re talking about products that are for those small annoying tasks that aren’t completely terrible, but could be made better — you just don’t think about them as much.

Nicole Lund

Mar 29, 2021

One Mom Shows You How to Prep for a Week of Freezer Meals

One of the smartest strategies for serving homemade meals all week long is already in your kitchen: It’s using your freezer. The trick is to stock your freezer with make-ahead meals that taste just as good upon reheating as they did the day they were made. The meals all freeze wonderfully, so take your pick between eating them all this week or popping one (or all of them) into the freezer for future dinners.

Patty Catalano

Mar 25, 2021

Two Words I Use to Teach My Child Self-Awareness

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. Our family is obsessed with thanking one another. We exchange gratitude for the practical acts (picking up the groceries; sharing the last slice of pizza; tidying up the toys) as well as the big moments (for being brave at school; for forgiving me when I snapped at you).

Thao Thai

Mar 24, 2021

TikTok Gave My Daughter a New Passion During Quarantine

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. A year ago this month, our life turned upside down, and among other losses, my elementary-aged daughter’s beloved bharatanatyam classes pivoted online.

Pooja Makhijani

Mar 24, 2021

Ask Maxwell: Great, Lighthearted April Fools Pranks for Kids?

COVID has gotten us all beaten down, so I’m eager to lighten the mood. April Fool’s Day is coming up. What are some funny ideas for enjoying the day with my twin boys? SharleneDear Sharlene,There is nothing more delightful than watching a child’s face light up when they come across a really funny — and harmless — prank, especially when played upon an adult.

Maxwell Ryan

Mar 17, 2021

Before and After: This Itty-Bitty Kids’ Closet Feels Like a Magical Space

Closet space is premium in many homes, which means that the space has to work hard to meet everyone’s needs. Great closets can fit everything in that needs to be stashed, but also are easy to rifle through and pleasant to look at. It’s a tall order.Morgan Gomez knew that this closet in her home — used for her young daughter’s clothes and toys — was not cutting it. “The setup left a lot of unused space,” Morgan says.

Megan Baker Detloff

Mar 17, 2021

Whatever Happened to Chores?

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. One night before the pandemic, I picked up my middle-schooler at a friend’s house and saw an amazing sight: the friend’s brother was folding napkins and setting the table.Kids can do things! I thought. It was a moment of revelation.

Lisa Lombardi

Mar 17, 2021

The Three-Ingredient Meal My Kids Beg For

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. Whenever I ask my kids if they have any dinner requests before I make our weekly menu, at least one of them will shout for “pesto pasta!” It’s one of those family recipes that has become a household staple, the kind of dish that I imagine they’ll always remember from their childhood.

Shifrah Combiths

Mar 17, 2021

I Had to Quarantine from My Kids Many Times. Here’s How My Partner and I Make It Work.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. I believe it is very important to begin this story by stating that while emotionally difficult, being able to isolate safely from one’s family is an enormous privilege. I am exiting my third extensive quarantine from my children and husband following medical procedures that put me at risk of exposure.

Jessica Goldman Foung

Mar 17, 2021

How This Illustrator Achieves a Colorful, Maximalist Home Without Looking Cluttered

Name: Hannah Broadway and Felix HayesLocation: Eastville, BristolSize: 1600-ish square feetYears Lived In: Owned for 10 years (ish)“We are lucky that we share a similar aesthetic. I guess having been together for over 20 years can do that,” says illustrator and designer Hannah Broadway. She and her actor husband Felix live in this colorful home in Bristol with their daughter Ursula and cats Ron and Kitsune.

Viv Yapp

Mar 16, 2021

5 Lazy Family Dinners that Come Together Incredibly Quickly

There have been many points when I felt totally tired of cooking this year. But now, with the weather warming up and plenty of outdoor memories to make, I’m feeling the cooking fatigue more than ever. And since I can’t totally quit cooking for the week, I’m opting for the next best thing: stacking my meal plan with the easiest and most comforting recipes I know.This week’s dinners require minimal effort (and minimal cleanup!

Kelli Foster

Mar 16, 2021

The Unbelievably Delicious Pizza Roll Upgrade for Kids and Kids-at-Heart

Have you ever had a pizza roll? It’s everything you love about a piping-hot slice, rolled up into a pinwheel and devoured in one or two bites. They’re often made for kids or as a snack, but we love them so much we wanted a dinner-worthy version — which is where these warm and gooey caprese rolls come into play.

Sheela Prakash

Mar 16, 2021

10 Little Ways to Use Up Leftover Easter Eggs

Leftovers are the best part of any holiday celebration. For Easter, that means lots and lots of hard-boiled eggs (and ham or lamb). Coming up with easy, delicious ways to eat leftover hard-boiled eggs feels as much a part of the tradition as dyeing the eggs beforehand — or, at least, that’s how it goes most years. This year, for some, eggs are in short supply.

Kelli Foster

Mar 16, 2021

Clever Tips for Celebrating Passover at Home This Year

Holidays are defined by their foods. When someone says they’re roasting a turkey, you’ll think instantly of Thanksgiving. Similarly, candy follows Halloween, and chocolate goes with Valentine’s Day. For those of us who were born into the traditions of Jewish holidays, knowing when we eat fried potato latkes and when we eat apples with honey and when we eat matzo comes just as naturally.

Jess Thomson

Mar 11, 2021

This Family of 5 Maximizes Genius Storage Solutions in Their 200-Square-Foot Airstream

Name: Melanie and David Raver, three young girls ages 10, 6, and 5. And one furry black German Shepherd! Location: We live everywhere! Size: 200 square feetType of Home: 1973 Airstream ArgosyYears lived in: 3.5 months, ownedCurrently traveling from the California coast to the East Coast, Melanie and David and their three daughters have been a lot of places in their 200-square-foot 1973 Airstream Argosy. Exclaims Melanie, “We are having a BLAST making each new place we stop at our home!

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Mar 11, 2021

Ask Maxwell: What’s Your Biggest Parenting Tip?

I don’t really have a question. Just curious, what are you reading lately ? 🙂MyselfOkay, this week I didn’t get a question in my email. So I’ve been wracking my head what to write about — (send me a hard question!) — when I began to think about two books I’ve just finished and how they deeply resonated with me as a parent. They also made me think back to what it was like to be a child of ten with my own parents.

Maxwell Ryan

Mar 10, 2021

One Simple Hack to Gamify Kids’ Chores

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. One of the most utterly soul-sucking requirements of being a parent for me is having to repeat myself over and over and over again.

Shifrah Combiths

Mar 10, 2021

Monica Chavez’s Family Home Has the Most Spectacular Bookshelves (and a Surprise Under the Stairs)

Name: Monica Chavez; partner, Ruben; and children, Esperanza (7 months), Mauricio (3 years), Abel (passed away in 2010)Location: Bay Area, CaliforniaMonica Chavez is a mother, blogger, and DIY expert whose Instagram account offers a steady, stunning stream of creative projects and inspiration. She lives in the Bay Area with her family, including a new baby who arrived during this strange year. “I’ve got a COVID baby!” she laughs. “She’s 7 months old.

Faith Durand

Mar 10, 2021

We Found an Indoor Trampoline Our Whole Family Can’t Get Enough Of (and It’s Under $100!)

At the start of winter, things at our house were getting a little dire on the physical activity front.Our preschooler had a lot of energy to burn through and nowhere warm to do it. On the other end of the spectrum, our middle schooler would rarely leave her room on virtual school days, and my husband and I couldn’t break away from the kids or working from home in blocks long enough to fit in a workout. By the end of the day we were too exhausted to do anything but collapse on the couch.

Shelley Mann Hite

Mar 10, 2021

The 20-Minute Instant Pot Chili Mac Recipe that Will Get You Through These Last Weeks of Winter

Chili mac is everything I want in a dinner bowl: creamy, cheesy, and infinitely cozy. Unfortunately, making it from scratch typically involves dirtying multiple pots and a decent amount of time — which is what makes this Instant Pot version so brilliant. With just eight ingredients and a 20-minute cook time, you can pull off this easy and delicious dinner anytime you’re craving comfort.

Meghan Splawn

Mar 9, 2021

Light Up Your Kids’ Workspaces with These Desk Lamps

What’s a work space without proper lighting? While you may have your desk tricked out with a sleek modern lamp, it’s worth considering the light your kids are working with, too, when it comes to their crafts and homework. Lighting can make a huge difference — not just with visibility — but in setting the proper atmosphere, whether you’d like it to be relaxing or studious.

Melissa Epifano

Mar 9, 2021

10 Easy St. Paddy’s Day Treats for Kids

St Patrick’s Day is a holiday that I tend to avoid celebrating with my family. I’m half Irish, but this minor holiday feels frivolous for my young kids who already have visits from the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa — do they really need to set leprechaun traps and search for gold coins?

Meghan Splawn

Mar 9, 2021

Four Kids, 675 Square Feet, and 18 Years in One Apartment

Jawaria Ansari has lived in this 675-square-foot Pittsburgh apartment for 18 years—a long time for any renter, but even more impressive when you consider how she’s been able to adapt the small space as her life has evolved. “I had just graduated from university, and moved from Florida to Pittsburgh for my post graduate studies.

Adrienne Breaux

Mar 3, 2021

Cubby’s Essential Guide to Art Supplies: What to Buy and How to Organize an Art Station for Kids

Kids are creators — messy, wild, and sometimes destructive little creators who need a few basic art supplies to get their juices flowing. Setting up and stocking an art station for kids can be a bit overwhelming — especially if you yourself aren’t naturally drawn (pun intended!) to the joy of discovering the latest and greatest in art supplies.

Ashley Poskin

Mar 3, 2021

Packing Lunches Is The One Ritual I’ll Never Get Rid of — No Matter Where School Is

At the beginning of the pandemic, my children’s spring break turned into a two-week hiatus and then an experiment in distance learning with a timeline that kept getting extended. I found comfort in the extra time with my children and doing things together like puzzles and making pasta from scratch. Enjoying these moments anchored me in a sea of uncertainty. I also found relief in not having to do certain things anymore, like the morning stress shuffle.

Shifrah Combiths

Mar 3, 2021

The 10 Best Kid-Friendly Instant Pot Dinners, According to Parents

Feeding kids can be tricky. It’s tough to find the time, and can be even tougher to figure out what your kids will actually eat. Not to mention, every kid is different — some will happily eat bowls of broccoli, while others won’t go near a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs if there’s a single “chunk” in the sauce. We asked readers on Facebook to share their favorite kid-friendly Instant Pot meals with us.

Christine Byrne

Mar 2, 2021

How Do I Build an Indoor Swing?

I want to build an easy indoor swing to occupy my two boys while we’re all cooped up inside. Got any advice? GeneDear Gene, You’ve come to the right place! A dad after my own heart. I did this exact project back when my daughter was almost 3 and it worked like a charm. Below are all my instructions.This past Saturday I woke up and was suddenly seized with the notion of making a swing to hang in our apartment for Ursula. It’s January. It’s cold.

Maxwell Ryan

Feb 25, 2021

An Ingenious Idea for Socially-Distanced Play Dates

As a parent considered very high-risk, in this past year we could not take shortcuts when it came to safety. That meant, all social gatherings for my kids always included being outdoors, wearing masks, and keeping at least six feet apart (if not much farther). And I found myself wondering: How do I enforce the rules while still encouraging effortless fun?At first, it was a challenge.

Jessica Goldman Foung

Feb 24, 2021

This One Tiny Change Made My Daughter’s Pandemic Birthday Extra-Fun

Staring down a pandemic summer without a single playdate or vacation, our youngest started clinging to the one thing she could look forward to — her August birthday. She was so excited to turn 4, we had to start a countdown calendar a month and a half out, marking off each of the 48 days until the big day. So the pressure was on to think of a safe celebration that would live up to all that pent-up anticipation. Our parameters: no guests from outside the household, and no leaving home.

Shelley Mann Hite

Feb 24, 2021

I Bought a Flock of Chickens During the Pandemic — and It’s Been Amazing for My Kids

Shortly after shelter-in-place began last year, so did the wild pandemic shopping. (Remember that phase?) Everything from used bicycles and basketball hoops were swooped up from second-hand neighborhood sites and new recreational equipment was back ordered for weeks and months. Meanwhile, people were adopting cats and dogs in record numbers. A video went viral of shelter volunteers in Florida celebrating the first time they’d adopted out every single pet.

Chantal Lamers

Feb 24, 2021

This Family of Four Shares an Incredibly Organized 170-Square-Foot Pink Converted School Bus

“There are seven days in a week, and someday isn’t one of them” once read the letter board hanging in the kitchen of “Someday” the bus, which is home to Jennifer Bateman, her wife, Kaitlin Porter, and their two kids, Canyon (age 14) and Oakland (age 4).After downsizing from a 4,000-square-foot home, they now share a 170-square-foot school bus conversion (or “skoolie”).

Adrienne Breaux

Feb 24, 2021

This Simple Trick Keeps Apple Slices from Browning (It’s Magic)

One of the biggest challenges of packing my kids’ school lunches was seeing — and cleaning up — the food that came back home. Not only was it a major bummer to see food go to waste, but it also left me wondering if my kids spent the afternoon hungry. Sliced apples — beloved by my kids at home — used to always come back in their lunch boxes uneaten.

Meghan Splawn

Feb 24, 2021

The Top 10 Places to Shop for Stylish, Kid-Friendly Rugs

When considering a rug for a kids’ room, style should not have to take second place to durability. Thankfully, many modern furniture stores carry lines of rugs and floor coverings that look great in a child’s room and are built to last.

Mat Sanders

Feb 23, 2021

10 Delicious Kids Books for Read Across America Week

As a mom of two, a book- and food-lover, finding dynamic and delicious books to read with my kids is one of my favorite tasks. It doesn’t hurt if those books also include new foods, deal with picky eating, or teach my kids about making room at the table for new friends. Along with classics like Eating the Alphabet and Pancake, Pancake, this year I’m looking for a broader palette of characters, stories, and cuisines to celebrate Read Across America Week, which kicks off March 1.

Meghan Splawn

Feb 23, 2021

Chasing Paper’s Co-Founder Lives in a Gorgeous, Colorful, Patterned 1870s House in Milwaukee

Name: Elizabeth Rees, co-founder of Chasing Paper, husband Brian Leadley, Uma (19-month-old daughter), Marlow (5-month-old daughter), and Lucy (15-year-old Goldendoodle)Location: Walker’s Point — Milwaukee, Wisconsin Size: 1900 square feetType of home: House Years lived in: 3 years, owned Elizabeth Rees is the co-founder of Chasing Paper, a popular removable (and traditional) wallpaper you should absolutely know about if you rent and love pattern (or own and love pattern!).

Adrienne Breaux

Feb 17, 2021

What’s the Best Way to Set Up a (Very!) Small Nursery?

We’ve got a very small extra room that we’re turning into a nursery. What’s a good small space solution? JoeDear Joe,Good for you, and I know you’ll do well! You’re also in luck, because one of the greatest things about babies is how few things they need to be happy as opposed to how much friends and family may give you that you often feel like you have to find room for. You really don’t need much room at all.

Maxwell Ryan

Feb 17, 2021

We Finally Found a LEGO Storage Solution that Works

Ours is a LEGO-loving family. My wife and I both collected them as kids. I took fastidious care of my LEGO sets, and still have all of my models and their instructions, plus a small (very small!) list of pieces that have been lost over the years. As with many families, LEGOs make for easy gifts, especially with the advent of licensed sets like Star Wars and Marvel; they make regular appearances at Christmas and birthdays in our house.

Nicholas Dekker

Feb 17, 2021

20 Things Families Can’t Live Without in the Kitchen

When it comes to cooking with kids, there’s the vision (little hands rolling perfect little balls of cookie dough!) and the reality (flour on the counter, on the floor, in their hair — everywhere). “There are so many reasons to get kids into the kitchen, but I do think they can develop a real pride in their self-sufficiency,” says cookbook author Jenna Helwig.

Ayn-Monique Klahre

Feb 17, 2021

Ooey Gooey Indoor S’mores

Nothing screams outdoor magic the way making s’mores does. For me, s’mores evoke memories of camping and beach bonfires, where we’d stick marshmallows onto unwound wire hangers and thrust them into the flames. I’m known to burn mine until it looks like a little lump of coal, then quickly add the chocolate and graham crackers to hold the ooey gooey mess together. The hardest part is waiting patiently for it to cool, so as not to blister your mouth with the molten mallow.

Amelia Rampe

Feb 16, 2021

The Best $8 Hack for Easier Kid Laundry

When doing laundry, it’s all but guaranteed that at least one sock is going to go missing. You probably know the feeling of getting to the end of a folding session and finding a lone sock (if not more) without its partner, even though you’re certain you put complete pairs into the washing machine. You might even have a collection of singular socks drifting aimlessly at the bottom of a drawer somewhere, waiting for their other halves to return from the dryer in the great beyond.

De Elizabeth

Feb 11, 2021

The Best Way to Get Crayon off the Walls Is in Your Fridge

If you’re a parent, you’re surely more than used to your little ones making messes anywhere they can in your home. But cleaning up crayon stains on your walls is a different beast entirely—and we don’t blame you for wondering how the heck to safely remove your mini Picasso’s brand new work of art. One Oregon mom did a bit of Googling and found the answer right in her refrigerator.

Arielle Tschinkel

Feb 11, 2021