With smart phones, iPads, and laptops, it's easy to be always on and always partially in the moment. It takes courage and commitment to unplug, to attempt a work/life balance.     Yesterday a group of bloggers got together for Blog Brunch , a monthly meet up group on Twitter where bloggers share their experiences around a topic of interest. April's topic was Work/Life Balance .   Balance is especially important to bloggers as many of us blog in addition to full-time jobs and in addition to being parents. We're constantly spinning multiple plates and attempting to keep them all from crashing to the ground. Work/Life balance requires letting go and moving forward when less important plates fall.   My blog, The Road to The Good Life, is a lifestyle blog focused on Home, Family , Food , and Fashion . I blog about my life and the components that for me make it a good life. I try to live first, blog second. Identifying what I'll share (and what is fair game for me to ...

When it comes to getting ready in the morning I've recently found myself going through and pulling out multiple drawers in search of shirts or a onesie for Gates. In my wake, piles of clothes and messed up organization. Putting things away has also been a chore, trying to figure out where everything goes. My recent solution? Labels.     I started organizing in Gates' nursery. The reason? Multiple people regularly need to find items. Now all one has to do is quickly scan the labels. The other benefit of this system is that anyone can put clean laundry away.     You'd think that I'd know where everything I own is stored. Nope. I managed to displace my sweaters for a couple of months. (I wasn't sure if I'd packed them away with other clothes I couldn't wear during my pregnancy.) Because my vintage luggage does double duty, as storage and as props for Gates' monthly portrait, I needed to make sure the labels could be easily removed so I used left over ri...

A few years ago, before I had my daughter Gates and before cubes and I started trying to have children, I shared a Michelin star dining experience with a four year old.   So what better way to celebrate our one year old's birthday? She loves food. Relatives were staying near by, so it was the perfect opportunity. For Gates' first birthday, we took her to dinner at a Michelin star restaurant: Luce .     Now, don't roll your eyes. We didn't decide on a whim to simply take her to a Michelin star restaurant. We started preparing Gates for the experience months prior.   How are you introducing your child to different cuisines and elevated dining experiences? What are your tips and tricks?  

Growing up one of my favorite meals my mom used to make was meatloaf. We'd have it warm with potatoes the first night and then cold in sandwiches later in the week. Turns out it's also one of my dad's favorite meals so it only makes sense that I'd want this (or a version of this) for Gates' first birthday celebration meal. Before we could have it though I needed to modify it to meet Passover restrictions.     Here's how this meal does with my three criteria: budget friendly, super easy to make, and flavorful. 3 out of 3. Effort: Medium. Because you need to make your own Matzoh crumbs, preparation takes a little longer than a regular meatloaf but not much. It's also important that you turn the meatloaf partway through cooking to account for any hotspots your oven might have and that you cover the meatloaf two-thirds of the way through baking to ensure you don't dry out your meatloaf. Cost: $21.43 for 8 servings, or $2.68 a person. (When not serving a...

Throwing a party and want an effortless (or almost effortless), unforgettable spread of food? Visit your local farmer's market.     For me, my market is the Mission Community Market (MCM), just a few blocks away every Thursday from 4 to 8pm. And, with the exception of our main course, all of the food from Gates' birthday party came from MCM vendors.     With Gates' birthday falling during Passover, our spread needed to be Passover friendly. If you're not familiar with Passover foods, the biggest thing to know is that flour is out, and for Ashkenazi Jews, beans and anything made with them. As soy is in almost everything, for example soy lecithin is in most chocolate, it means you need to get creative. My solution was to head to the Mission Community Market and pull a spread together from the vendor's offerings. While we didn't have a cake for the celebration no one left the table hungry.     Here's what we ate: Feta cheese from Achadinha Cheese Compa...

Family and friends gathered at our place Saturday to celebrate Gates' first birthday. It was a low key affair with the focus on people and on food.     When I started thinking about a theme for her party, I flipped through photos to find when she was the happiest. A trip to the zoo in February inspired Zoo Animals. For graphics, I had to look no further than one of her favorite toys, a Tuppertoy elephant .     Early in the party, Gates was interested in her gifts. We wanted her to wait until more friends had arrived, so she sat down with cubes to read one of her new books.     After her story, she actively worked the room, spending time with all of her guests. She exhausted herself socializing and had to take a brief nap. When she woke up and returned to her guests, she was more interested in them than her toys (which she wouldn't play with until the next day).     Her fascination with technology continues. She especially loved Heather's...

In a couple of days, Gates turns one. Yesterday with family and friends we celebrated Gates' birthday. (Some photos and more details here tomorrow and throughout the week.) It got me thinking of my hopes and dreams for Gates.     Unlike many when I was pregnant I didn't write notes or letters to Gates. It wasn't because I didn't (and don't) have hope and dreams for her. It was because I didn't (and don't) want to choose her path for her.     As parents we only want the best for our children. We want to protect them from every harm, and rush to their sides if they do get hurt. But, as parents, it's our job not to shield our children, to put aside our natural instincts and let them explore on their own. It's our job to help them develop skills for coping with the outside world.   This means our children won't always be our friends. They may or may not inherit our strengths and dreams, our fears and phobias. It is certain that they won't be...