April Showers Bring May Flowers

I know that the saying goes "April Showers Bring May Flowers"... but why does it feel like it's raining more in this month than it did last month?

Springtime always makes me want to surround myself with fresh flowers. I wish I could go into the park by me and just pick every single tulip and daffodil that I can get my hands on and put them in vases all around my home. Wouldn't that be beautiful?

Tomorrow I'm going on a field trip with my son to Central Park. It's supposed to be sunny and warm - and I'm so excited! The class is going bird watching. We're going to be on the lookout for robins, sparrows, cardinals, swallows and blue jays. We might even get a glimpse of a peregrine falcon! It's going to be fun because the only birds that we see on a regular basis are pigeons.

It's funny, I feel like I've been stuck indoors all winter, and now I seem to be going to Central Park every few days. I love it!

Sunday in the Park

Life doesn't get any better than a perfect Spring Day in Central Park.

My mom was in town and after a whirlwind weekend of seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway, a birthday party celebration, back-to-back baseball games, etc...we were finally able to kick back and relax!

Once in the park, we tossed baseballs, chased birds, floated in a row boat and my favorite... took a nap in the sun! Central Park is an oasis for city dwellers. I leave after most visits with a renewed sense of being.

We all tumbled home on the subway...all happy, hungry and EXHAUSTED!

Art, Culture (and Children?)

My oldest son recently used his birthday money to buy a new video game. And now...both Fischer and Henry are obsessed with playing every waking moment. Sunday morning, they bound out of bed, raced to our rooms, whispered "I love you!" immediately hopping on the computer! (I couldn't help thinking, hmm, were their sweet words used to lessen the likelihood of my setting computer limits?)

However, this Saturday, I has another agenda. I wanted to take the boys to the Guggenheim Museum to see a massive art installation by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang. I needed an angle...how could I entice them to give up their "earned" computer time for an ART MUSEUM? It seemed to be an uphill (and almost fruitless) battle.

So I told them the truth.

The exhibit was a once in a life time opportunity, having travveled across oceans to set up. And never again would they be able to see exploding cars danging from the ceiling of the Guggenheim or a pack of wolfs running accross the walls overhead or paintings made using dynomite!

In the end, curiousity got the cat. All three boys joined me. Once there, they chatted enthusiastically about how "Cool the cars were" dangling above us and they each had a theory about how the artist did it. They even waited in line to take a boat ride in a boat made of yak skin through Cai Guo-Quiang's art pieces.

The best of all, they didn't miss their computer at ALL!

Springtime is in the Air!

I love this time of year because it always makes me feel like I'm a kid again.

Each spring when I was younger, my family would always devote an entire weekend to planting new flowers and getting our gardens ready for spring and summer. It was so much fun because we got to put on old clothing and play in the dirt! My dad would walk around with his wheelbarrow full of fresh, new dirt, and my mom would carry around trays of seed packets and flower pots, but I had the most important job.

I was in charge of digging rows of holes for each flower, and then gently dropping them in. I knew that my job was vital to the appearance of the garden because if I dug the hole too deep, the flower would disappear into it, and if I dug it too shallow, the flower wouldn't be able to take root and grow. I took my job very seriously, and carefully dug rows of identical holes with my own blue-handled shovel.

I can still remember how great it felt to dig in the dirt and be in charge of the flowers. I remember laying in the sun after we had finished planting, laughing with my family and drinking lemonade. I also remember the pride I felt as the season went on, knowing that our garden was so beautiful and colorful because of me.

Hmm. Now it's less of a question of how to dig in the dirt with my boys but where? New Yorkers have precious little space to devote to making mud pies!

When I'm Overtaken by my Superior Motherhood Gene!

On an impulse, I bought 3 tickets to see Madame Butterfly at the Met with my 2 boys. I was convinced that this would be GOOD for their soul, transform them into cultured, more well rounded beings. Or to borrow my husbands analysis…I was over taken by my “Superior Motherhood” gene!

A week before I started to prep them--or better yet, manage expectations. I said:
• You won’t understand a WORD they are singing
• It could be boring
• There won’t be many kids (if any!)
• Everyone dresses up
• It’ll be a late night

Yuk…even I began to question my reasoning. Then, I had to remind myself that when my mom took my brother and me to see Beverly Sills in Madame Butterfly as kids,we LOVED it.

So I marched ahead, well dressed boys in tow. I took them to dinner beforehand and plied them with Cokes and a huge slice of Chocolate Cake!

We entered Lincoln Center with all its glitter and glamour. They were in awe of the theater and immediately stood taller among all the adults. Some of the older, more seasoned folks looked apprehensive (Their body language screamed “Please don’t sit next to us!”). While the younger people smiled encouragingly…seaming to say, ”Good luck, with that!”

The first act opened and my boys were on the edge of their seats. Thanks to modern technology, they followed the story line on the big Jumbotron above the stage.

Ha! There were only a few yawns and many tears shed by both me and my youngest. The boys LOVED it, yelled BRAVO! and asked when we could see another one! I was both pleasantly surprised and delighted. Whew! I could now check that box off in their Must Experience Before Leave Home box…


And, I guess there is a good reason that Opera still manages to fill theaters. It reaches around us and touches our soul.

April's Fool

My kids love to pull the wool over our eyes, so SUPER LOVE any excuse to play a joke...

So better on Dad than than Mom, in my opinion!

So, we are putting prune juice in the coffee maker, shorting the bed sheets, and replacing Tuesdays newspaper with LAST weeks news. (Ha! Ha! this is my personal favorite!)

Have fun!

Going to Grandma's

I love the idea of Spring Break (and secretly wish I could have one!).

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE KIDS? (Meanwhile, didn't they just have a Winter Break? And prior to that Christmas Break?) Ok, Ok...I do realize being a teacher is exhausting (I could NEVER hold up!), yet we simply do not have that much vacation time.

Neither Brad nor my family rarely volunteer to take the 3 boys! So we coyly broach the subject and then POUNCE on any offer! This year, the boys are off Grandma's house.

Suitcases in tow, new pajamas and favorite blankets packed...and the boys will have the time of their life (and hopefully, grandma will, too!)

Is living a simpler life possible?

Every newspaper headline for the last month has been predicting an economic recession, a market downturn, loss of jobs, downturn of the housing market, increased debt...

It's enough send any parent (or business owner!) into a tailspin.

I for one, try and focus on simplifying our kids life. I said this to my best friend who laughed and said, "Vicki, how much simpler can your life get?! You have no cell phone, no television, no Wii, no digital games...you can't go back to living the life of Little House on the Prairie!"

Of course, I know this. Yet, it feels that we live in constant need of more, new and improved. So maybe a recession could help us refocus on things of real value and cost nothing.

Like spending more time with our kids and having family dinners instead of going out to dinner, signing up for fewer after school activities, buying fewer and classic toys etc. For some reason this appeals to me.

What about you?

What's your defination of a "Good Mom"?

I came across a very thought provoking article in one of favorite reads, New York Magazine.

In it, the writer did a random survey among friends asking them their definition of a "Good Mom" and "Good Dad". So before you read any further, pause and do your own definitions.

So, not too surprising, it is far easier for dads to stand up on the winners podium. All they need to do:
- show up for most of the kids important events (1st day of school, concerts, etc)
- change a handful of diapers
- be good providers
- be supportive to mom

Now for us...it's a lot more difficult to even qualify as pretty good moms. We think in order to be considered a good mom we need to be a modern day version of June Clever! We should:
- have our kids eat fruit for breakfast
- volunteer frequently at their schools
- schedule interesting after school activities
- have an organized scrapbook chronicling every moment
- be infinitely patient
- make a healthy (i.e.homemade) family dinners
- play educational games regularly with them
- make homemade cookies to put in their lunches
- AND SO ON
WOW. What does this tell us?

Mom are SO hard on themselves and wracked with guilt! I, for one, think I am a good mom. I rarely volunteer at school, have been known to forget their after school events and snack days, have my kids on the school lunch plan, started a scrapbook for each of my kids when they were born and then now throw everything else in a shoe box to sort out later.

My kids seem to be turning out fairly normal. They tell me they love me and seem relatively happy eating what ever dinner I can manage to throw together.

Of course, only their therapist will really know the truth!

Food for thought!

Every mom in America struggles with getting their kids to eat healthy. We go to great lengths to sneak vegetables into their tummies. (Hence the success of Jessica Seinfield's new book, Deceptively Delicious!) So here's a quick tip...relax, let other kids teach them!

My oldest Fischer is not an experimental eater. However, he is MORE willing to try things if his friends eat something. We signed him up for an after school cooking program that not only taught them how to cook ethnic cuisine but about the history of food.

Suddenly, my pickiest eater was coming home bragging about how yummy scallion pancakes were and how easy it was to make homemade pesto! So cook away, my son, Dad and I will happily stay out of the kitchen and join you at the dinner table.

Crafting a Business doing what you love!

Last week, I had my first book signing!

Kathie Fitzgerald wrote beautiful book, Crafting a Business, using entrepreneurs showcased in Country Living magazine. For those of you interested in starting your own business, race out to Barnes & Noble and pick up a copy! Loads of great ideas, tips and tricks and funny stories.

Not knowing what to expect for a Friday night gathering, I was overwhelmed with how TALENTED my co-panelists were...both Cozbi Cabrera and Elisa Strauss have not only written books (and featured cover models at right) but also were so inspiring to listen to, I was thrown into a creative tizzy.

The audience was filled with smart, creative women who had started their business or looking to take the plunge. All in all it was a very energizing and supportive venue and once again reminded me (in the middle of January duldrums!) why I started the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co.

Because I LOVE fabrics, bedding, creating, crafting and creative moms!

Crazy Quilt

Here's some fun facts for you...

Quilting is a HUGE business. In fact, between books, TV and the internet it is a $3.3 billion dollar a year venture! There are some 27 million quilters in the US...mostly women (many of them young). Quilting bees of old are come alive today, as women come together once a month to sew, chat. Quilts are become works of art, worthy of collecting.

I love this! Nothing makes me happier then creating something from fabric. My mom is a quilting fanatic, my grandmother sewed with a purpose. With three boys, I think this skill will stop with me.

However, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co has many beautiful fabrics to motivate the next generations. And, it is no wonder sewing is the new knitting! Check out some of our newest finds.

Remembering the Race

My husband told me about a kid's city wide open track meet this weekend. I ran track competitively in Junior High and was excited to see the boys on the field.

So on Sunday, our entire family woke up before the sun was up, cooked a big breakfast, laced up shoes and took the train up town. This was our boys first official race and they were practicing their starts along the side walks, slapping hands, shouting "On your mark, get set...GO!"

Their antics quickly became silent as we entered the arena. WOW...The meet was held in a cavernous space complete with a state of the art track, sound system and JUMBOTRON! Kids of all ages were dressed in official looking track uniforms and spikes. Our family looked at each other with a brief moment of self doubt.

Then.. we got pumped. I started remembering all my old track days and my competitive spirit started to stream through me. I loved running and more importantly RACING. My boys suddenly were asking me questions and were eager to run.

My eldest placed third in one heat and stood proudly on the podium while we all shouted with joy. Our good friends daughter even qualified to compete in the Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden! Our boys all agreed that in order to win, we needed to practice...A LOT!

Hmm, even old mom was motivated enough to contemplate training!

Things I am thankful for...

I woke up this morning (exhausted) and needed to remind myself of things I was thankful for:
1) That it is November and Thanksgiving is an EASY holiday!
2) My kids are old enough to get themselves dressed
3) That I can finish a cup of coffee if I drink fast and on the go
4) My husband and I both think it's funny that one of the boys ends up in our bed at 5 in the morning
5) That I have such great friends to share my trials and tribulations with and who help keep things in perspective
6) The Warm Biscuit Bedding Co continues to inspire and motivate

Happy November 1st!

Dinner with Mom

I’ve been having weekly breakfasts with two girlfriends for over 4 years now. We share mom advice, swap stories about our kids, careers, husbands, analyze life and basically support one another.

A few weeks ago, my friend Alison was enthusiastically recommended a new book, Dinner with Dad. In a nutshell, it’s about how a workaholic dad made a life altering decision to join his family for nightly dinners. Because of these dinners-- his perspective on life changed, it reconfirmed his belief in family and he altered his work habits.

For years, I’ve thought it would be next to IMPOSSIBLE for our family to have nightly dinners. As my husband travels 3 out of the 5 nights and while I’m in town, I work long days. In fact, I can barely make a grocery list, needless to say a meal made!

But this struck home, if this dad could do it, so could we!

So for the last two weeks, we’ve managed to sit around our family dining table a few times and share more than a simple meal. Our boys are learning how to put dishes on the table, pass the bread, and use a napkin! We’ve had a few false starts (whoops, no vegetables!), however all of us are committed to slowing down and taking time to listen to one another.

And now, I have another important meal to look forward to sharing! My kids have been helping me cook...and I've seen a big trend with kid's cooking--we've seen bigger interest with our kids aprons, cookbooks, stoves, and kitchen sets this year. I am super excited about our new custom stove and would love to know what you think.

Hooray for Halloween

Every Halloween, my mom would make my brother and me costumes. Eliot and I would spend weeks deliberating over the various design elements. My favorite was Pippi Longstocking.

Mom engineered my pigtails using bright red yarn and a coat hanger. She sewed a patchwork pinafore and dress to go with my mismatched socks. Ta Da! I was successfully transformed to another time and place.

Walking down the street, no one recognized me as the girl next door. And I beamed underneath my newly painted freckles. I was so proud of my mom’s creativity and loved my one-of-a-kind costume.

Today, Halloween continues to be an important holiday in our household. My boys look forward to dressing up and I try to live up to the tradition of home made costumes. We host an annual party for neighborhood friends—bobbing for apples and pitching pennies in a pumpkin.

Everyone at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. is thrilled with our Halloween finds this year and hopes our vintage Halloween Treat Totes take you back to your childhood.

Life Lessons and Porch Talk

A book title caught my attention the other day.

Porch Talk

It’s one author’s stories of life in his small town and the sense of community that came from conversations on his front porch. It’s true for me…important life lessons were learned through “visiting”. (In the South, people always referred to catching up with friends as “visiting”).

My family had a big side porch in Texas. We’d sit in our porch swing and wave to friends as they went on their evening walks; shouting, “Hey! How are ya’ll?” Often, it was just enough to entice neighbors to stop for iced tea and to visit a little.

We’d learn about what the families were up to, exchange recipes, get household tips, etc. For my brother and me, we’d share how school was or talk about how our baseball games went. Of course, we took this all for granted. But we were learning how to listen, tell stories and share in each others lives.

I miss the casual interaction. New York, obviously, has no front porches. In Brooklyn, they have front “stoops”. However, even there, I have noticed that people don’t shout out to one another and ask people in for tea. It is rare to initiate a casual pause in our very busy lives.

I would love to one day to have a house with a front porch with a swing. Maybe we could invite our neighbors over to play cards, chess or checkers. Then again, maybe we'd just visit a little, listen to one another and care a bit more.

Retro Play

A newspaper headline recently caught my attention. It was underneath a photograph of a boy jumping across two logs. The headline read:

"Retro Play!"

At first I laughed. Then I was immediately bothered by the concept. What is old fashioned about Jumping, Running, Hopping or Skipping?

In the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. catalog, we often use similar words: retro, old-fashioned, classic to describe our products. However, I inherently believe that most of childhood play is timeless and not a thing of the past.

Kids will always love to hop across logs, splash in puddles, skip rocks. Just as they will always have fun with spirographs, blocks and memory games.

2nd Prize!

We live in a day and age where family vacations often include trips to Europe, week long trips to Disney and if you’re are truly lucky, a month in Cape Cod!


Maybe one day our boys will be able to go abroad, however, for now our family vacations remain simple and in the neighborhood! Our trip to the beach this weekend was to Coney Island—one of the last truly kitchy amusement parks from the 50’s! It was Henry’s 7th birthday so two of his best buddies joined us.

We ate our salt water taffy as we strolled along the wooden boardwalk past juggling clowns and sparkly mermaids. We paused only to enter a sand castle contest. Excited to start digging the boys faced their only conflict -- to build a pirate ship or a castle. Hmm. They compromised and did both.

All 5 boys worked hard for an hour and we were all amazed at out perfect it turned out. The competition was stiff yet the boys were confident in their efforts. In fact, they won 2nd prize and $100. Each got $20 to pocket.


They were so proud, happy and rich beyond belief!

Keep in mind, if your child is a pirate aficionado...our pirate bedding is perfect for boys!

Happy and Camping

Our family piled in our car and headed to the hills of New York. Everyone was so excited for our 1st camping trip.

Before we were married, Brad and I spent many weekends hiking and camping. Self processed wilderness snobs, car camping had zero appeal to us. We thought the ONLY way to camp was to hike for hours and set up camp far away from the modern world.

Fast forward 8 years and 3 boys later, car camping was enormously appealing. To prepare for our debut, the boys spent weeks planning out what to pack in their backpacks. They practiced pitching our brand new 5 person, gigantic tent in our living room. And even slept in it—flashlights, sleeping bags and all.

Once we unloaded our mega coolers, oversized duffles, bags of food and bottles of wine, the kids took off! All day long the boys climbed hills, explored in the woods and made friends with every child in the campsite. They set up a huge soccer game making the goals out of random coolers and chairs. Our campsite became the hub for the neighboring campers to gather. We shared blueberry pancakes, hamburgers and a camp favorite, s’mores!

A highlight for me is how much they LOVED their sleeping bags! I was proud because so much of product development at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. comes from my life. I remember how much I loved my sleeping bag as a little girl and used it for years. From my family camping trips to sleepovers, my pink flannel bag was an important part of my life it seemed!

So here’s to our first of many family camping adventures.