They say buying/selling a home is one of the most stressful milestones in one's life. And for me, decorating said home is second.

We're *finally* feeling settled in our new house after 8 months. The kitchen is running like a well-oiled machine now. And all the rooms are furnished and mostly decorated. Except for our oldest son's room. We've struggled with where to put the furniture, window treatments and how to adorn the walls for a tween boy. When you walk into his room, you definitely get the feeling it's very much a work in progress. So when I was contacted by ModernMapArt about getting a sample print of Boston, that's when it dawned on me exactly how we can decorate our son's room that would be absolutely perfect.

You see, our oldest is obsessed with maps. Ever since he was a toddler, he would study the Boston subway map. As he got older, he would study road atlases. And most recently, exploring Google Earth is his favorite past-time. So the idea of map art for his room was a home run.

ModernMapArt has created over 500 city maps, country maps, ski maps and water skyline prints. The city map is printed on museum quality matte paper with Ultrachrome ink. You can choose from different sized prints and color combinations. So what did our map connoisseur think?


He loved it. He loved how accurate it is (he would know) and was immediately able to find our street on the map. And he is so drawn to it -- he often has to take it down from him wall when he's doing his homework so he's not distracted by it ;-)


Definitely check out ModernMapArt if you know someone who loves maps, or looking for a unique and artful way to remember a favorite city. It can also be a lifesaver for anyone looking for an affordable and sophisticated way to decorate a space.

Disclosure: Thank you ModernMapArt for sending me a city map print. As always, all opinions are my own.

As a mom with two young kids, I'm always on the search for a good sitter. We've been fortunate to have had a handful of amazing sitters we can reliably call on. But I seem to have forgotten that they move on to college (gasp) or full-time careers (sigh). And now that we've moved into a new 'hood, I feel like the new mom all over again, desperate to find new sitters to add to my contacts.

Enter Chime, the Uber of babysitting booking apps. Okay. I know everyone uses that analogy whenever they describe a new startup. But Chime is legitimately a game-changer. And here are 6 reasons why:

1. Chime is brought to you by SitterCity: SitterCity pioneered the category of online childcare with over 15 years experience connecting families and caregivers. SitterCity boasts 7 million members with more than 2,000 new sitters joining every day.

2. MVPs of babysitters: SitterCity hand-picks sitters from the top 1% of SitterCity's national database. Chime only works with sitters who are highly rated and get glowing reviews from local families.

3. Sitters are seriously vetted: Chime conducts an extensive reference and background check, along with child safety and social media screens. Plus they interview every candidate in person, to identify people who genuinely are interested in childcare.

4. Easy-to-use app: Just enter your location and you will see pre-screened Chime sitters near you. You can watch video profiles and read parent reviews. Pick a date and time and book your sitter (or schedule an interview). Done. Go to hellochime.com to see more.




5. No more awkward payments by the door: Once your sitting is complete, payment is automagically processed by credit card. Sitters charge a flat hourly rate. It's $16/hour (+$1 for each additional child) here in Boston.

6. No hidden fees: Chime is subscription free!

We recently had the opportunity to give Chime a try. It really was so easy to find and book a sitter. And more importantly, the boys LOVED Ashley (our sitter that came on a few days notice). With the start of school approaching, we will be in need of some extra hands (and an occasional date night), so we're pretty pumped to have discovered Chime.

Disclosure: Thank you Chime for giving me the opportunity to try the Chime app and a night out. As always, all opinions are my own.

I'm taking a quick break from the kitchen to share a really great event that's happening TOMORROW at the Pru (or Shops at the Prudential for non-Bostonians):

In the past few years, our collective strength has been put to a test due to some tragic events, both natural and man-made. Whenever these things happen and I struggle with how to explain these events to my kids, I always remember Mister Rogers and his "look for the helpers" message. I don't even want to imagine what our world would be like without these helpers.

So here's our chance to make a difference and be a helper. The Volunteer Expo is an informal event featuring over 50 local organizations. The event will give Bostonians an opportunity to learn more about the diverse range of organziations in the community and ways to give back. Consider volunteering as a family as a way to spend time together and connect with your community. And if you forget where the Volunteer Expo is taking place, just look for blue and orange in the Boston skyline - The Pru will be lit in those colors to celebrate volunteerism and the volunteer expo.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the second annual Cupcake Camp Boston as a member of the "cupcake crew" to help Kelly of Mix Bakery. I'm *still* coming down from the sugar rush.

First, what is Cupcake Camp? According to the website, Cupcake Camp "is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and eat cupcakes in an open environment." Basically, bakeries and amateur bakers gather to show off their baking chops by handing out free cupcakes. This year it was held at The Center for Arts at the Armory in Somerville. Organizer Elizabeth Ginsberg of Free Food Boston did an amazing job of corralling dozens bakeries and amateur bakers, including securing King Arthur Flour as sponsor.

Even though the event is free (thus drawing hundreds of people just within the first hour), a suggested $5 donation to Lovin' Spoonfuls was collected at the door to sweeten the already sweet event. Over $2300 was raised for Lovin' Spoonfuls, a Brookline based non-profit organization that recovers otherwise wasted food and delivers it to local soup kitchens and crisis centers.

If anyone thinks cupcakes are just a trend, then I think they would feel differently after attending Cupcake Camp. The smell of sugar was just as overwhelming as the enthusiasm that night.

Okay, enough preamble. Here are some photos from Cupcake Camp 2011.

Mad rush as the doors open at 7pm.

I was part of the Cupcake Crew with Mix Bakery. All 16 dozen minis were gone in an hour!

One of my favs - Party Favors. Red Velvet was very good.

Treat make-your-own cupcake bar

mixing in chocolate frosting with m&ms, toffee and peanut butter cups

I found some hair in the frosting, so was not able to enjoy this stone-cold creamery like cupcake.

 

cocktail inspired cupcakes by Cupcake MoJo

Frosting Vegan Cupcakes at Biba's Baked Goods

Red Velvet from Sweet

My favorite cupcakes were the salted caramel cupcakes from Mix Bakery (and not because I was part of the cupcake crew!). Whole Foods' Two-Bite cupcakes make a great everyday cupcake treat for a household of hungry kids. I was disappointed in Treat having found hair in the frosting (blech). Party Favors of Brookline consistently delivers moist cupcakes with sublime butter cream frosting.

Off to work out for the next three months to burn off all the calories I consumed!

There's a good chance you'll find these in many homes of Asian families - hot water pots. A hot water pot boils and stores hot water. Instead of filling a tea kettle and waiting around for it to whistle, with a hot water pot, you push a button and out comes hot water instantly. Okay, why would anyone want hot water at all times? Well, if you're a tea drinker, its a godsend. It's also great for instant noodles, reconstituting dried mushrooms or noodles, or heating baby bottles. Feeling it yet?

Okay, well if you're living in a community affected by the boil water order, then you just might see the beauty of this appliance. For those not from the greater Boston area, thanks to a 'catasrophic' break in the underground pipe that carries clean water to 2 million people in the Boston area, a boil water order has been issued until the damage is repaired. Officials are advising people to boil water before using it for drinking, cooking, washing dishes and hand washing. This event has made many people realize how we take drinkable water for granted.

Residents are either loading up on bottled water or boiling water on their stove tops. It was only this afternoon I remembered we needed to replace our old hot water pot and timing couldn't have been better. So now we have sanitized water by our kitchen sink at all times.

Hot water pots can be purchased at Asian grocery stores or online. Zojirushi (with the elephant) has been the brand of choice for my family for ages. They are a little pricey for a kitchen appliance ($99 for 3 liter pot), but I think it's worth it - especially during times like these!

H Mart

3 Old Concord Road
Burlington, MA 01803-5168
(781) 221-4570

ps: Our model does boil the water for 1 minute. There is a re-boil button if you want to be extra sure!

There's summer camp, sports camp, band camp. When I heard about Cupcake Camp - hello muddah!

Started in San Fran in 2008, Cupcake Camp is an informal gathering of amateur and professional bakers who bring cupcakes to share with attendees. The Boston chapter was held last night at PA's Lounge in Somerville. The event was *free*, so it was no wonder the line snaked around the block before the doors even opened.

Because it started at 7pm, and took place in a bar, this was not a family outing. So I generously volunteered to represent the family at this event. Bakers had set up their wares around the perimeter and attendees feasted as they shuffled past tables. I tried Frosted Donut, Boston Creme, Apple Spice, Whoopie Pie, S'mores, Red Velvet and a chocolate/peanut butter cupcake on a stick. I was tempted to try the choc with chocolate covered bacon, but started to feel a little ill from the sugar intake at the moment.

My favorite was S'mores from Mix Bakery. The cake was moist and rich with a graham cracker crust bottom and topped with a marshmallow topping. It was so good. I did sneak a couple home for the boys too of course.

What are some winning flavors? Lots of frosting? Cupcakes v. cookies? Why are cupcakes so hot in Boston?