Tag Archives: bed
Bedtime Stories: Crazy new adventures by Neil Gaiman
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman.
Neil Gaiman is one of the most diverse and prolific writers I know of. From eerie to fantastic (and often a bit of both), from picture books to long novels for adults, Gaiman covers the gamut. Best known, perhaps, for his super scary young adult book Coraline which was made into a movie, he has taken a turn with his newest book, a short picture-filled story called Fortunately, the Milk. The story begins with a family that is fresh out of milk. The father steps out to the corner store to pick some up. When he doesn’t return for a long time, his two girls begin to worry. Finally, after a very long time (far longer than it should take to get some milk from the corner store) he returns. When asked what took him so long, he relates the long and inexplicable tale of what befell him when he left the market.
The rest of the book is the story of what took him so long, with occasional interjections by his daughters. It’s way more incredible than you’d dare think. Burbling green aliens hell-bent on redecorating Earth in a most tasteless manner is only the beginning. A stegosaurus in a time-travelling hot-air balloon named Professor Steg is to be his companion through time and space for a large portion of his journey. The father is hilariously focused on making sure the bottle of milk is safe throughout the entire ordeal. Hence the title, Fortunately, the Milk. “Fortunately, the milk was safely tucked away when the volcano erupted” for example.
My son and I both had a great time reading this book. I was worried it might be too random and nonsensical but it manages to retain a fairly cohesive, if totally weird, narrative thread. The only difficulty is that there are no chapter breaks, so reading at bedtime is a challenge. You have to choose an arbitrary stopping point which is easier to argue over than a chapter’s end. Super fun and imaginative book for kids 6-10.
Movies in Bed: Curious George Halloween Boo Fest
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Well, today’s the big day! Happy Halloween, everyone! From the moment school begins, the witches and ghosts and skeletons come out. The black-dyed cheesecloth gets wrapped around old bones and bags of candy appear across from rows and rows of scythes. And many people enjoy watching scary, scary movies after darkness falls. I like watching scary, scary movies. They don’t tend to really scare me for the most part. I suppose I could still watch these movies, but now I’m a parent I have to wait until the kid is in bed and the likelihood of having enough energy to watch a whole movie on a weeknight is very, very slim. And my little boy is not a fan of scary movies. Not even kind of scary movies. The Dreamworks Halloween special “Night of the Living Carrots”, which is about carrots possessed by weird alien glowing stuff, was way too scary to watch. Mostly I think it’s because they turn people into zombie-like things. Zombies scare the bejeezus out of him.
So now for most of my Halloween fix has to come from such decidedly un-scary programming as Curious George’s Halloween Boo Fest! The SCARY bit is about a scarecrow named No Noggin who KICKS PEOPLES’ HATS OFF THEIR HEADS There is also a pumpkin contest. By the way, in case you are worried, No Noggin is not real. There is something else behind the hats going missing. Hint: it’s not scary and it’s totally implausible. So if you have a little kid, you can give this hour-long Curious George special a try. It’s probably available streaming via PBS for a couple more days.
Bedroom Design: 5 Colorful Kids’ Rooms
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Kids like color too. Did you know that a bedroom with bright hues could affect your child’s happiness, health and behavior? Color plays a significant role in our lives, no matter our age. I adore these five colorful kids’ rooms and I think you will too.
Horizontal stripes with varying widths and bunk beds with mixed prints keep this room youthful yet stylish. The yellow, navy, orange and white color scheme is unisex –– which means both boys and girls will feel at ease in this cheerful space.
A clever design in a city apartment, this modern room for two children boasts a park theme. The column turned tree, tulip bedding, and birds-in-tree area rug are important components in the bohemian bedroom’s décor. Rubber resilient flooring and an integrated ladder to a bunk contribute to the clean feel of the space.
This Lego-inspired playroom also happens to have a mattress for sleeping. At first glance, however, the whimsical space feels nothing like a bedroom, which I assume is what the designer intended. Regardless, most children would love coming in to a room like this to sleep, play, or even do their homework.
A San Francisco children’s room combines traditional beds and a contemporary geometrical backdrop. Elephant bedding, the Eames-inspired sky blue “Eiffel” chairs, lamp, and stuffed animals keep the space youthful. But with a few minor edits, this room could transition into a sanctuary for a young adult.
Most likely a young girl’s bedroom (or a room for two sisters), the pretty lavender wall paint and hot pink bolsters give the space a feeling of sweetness and elegance. The black lampshade is a sophisticated touch for a child’s room, but it works, nonetheless. This is another example of a space with a youthful vibe that can adapt into an adult’s bedroom with a few minor changes. The personalized bedding is a lovely detail.
Bedroom Design: Introducing Pumpkin into the Bedroom
Post by Tracy Kaler.
With autumn in full swing and leaves embellishing parks, backyards, and tree-lined streets, there’s no better time to introduce fall tones into our schemes in the bedroom. Pumpkin accents can brighten a bleak room, and give a temporary facelift that could even become permanent. While seasonal décor isn’t for every couturier, some look forward to bringing the outside in –– tweaking, shifting, enhancing, and coloring four times per year.
A bright orange blanket tucked underneath your bed covering adds a splash of color. Every bedroom needs a fresh floral arrangement, and even though this is for photo styling purposes only, add orange alstroemeria, roses, or calla lilies by your bedside, or on a dresser or desk.
Orange accessories like bookends are an inexpensive yet practical way to introduce color seasonally. Other great options include boxes, vases, and even prints. You can easily pack small accents away each year, and these won’t take up too much space in storage.
If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in the bedroom, try mini pumpkins, branches, and larger pumpkins, whole or carved, and bring the best of autumn inside. Decorate your mantle or the corners of your hearth, and light a pumpkin-scented candle to bring the fragrance of autumn to your space.
Throw pillows, lampshades and a cashmere throw are the perfect accoutrements for this almost neutral bedroom. Aim for a rich almost burnt orange –– the colors works so perfectly, why not keep this space as it is, all year long?
Breakfast in Bed – Grilled Flatbread Breakfast Pizza
by Alison Hein.
This past summer, I learned the neat trick of placing homemade pizza directly on the grill from Matty Matarazzo of Four Sisters Winery in Belvidere, New Jersey. Thanks to Matty, my husband and I have been impressing friends and family with delicious variations of bubbling hot, crispy pizza. (Read more about Matty’s Grilled Flatbread Pizza and Four Sisters Winery.)
Because the cooking time is super fast, Kevin and I work as a team – I shape the pizza and brush the surface with olive oil. While he is grilling the first side, I am preparing whatever toppings are needed for the final product. Meats and vegetables need to be sautéed in advance. Kevin brings the half-cooked pizza back to me, and I place the ingredients on the grill-marked surface. He oils up the grill again, and cooks the pizza to a crisp, melted finish. When you swap out some of the more traditional choices with bacon and eggs – voila! You’ve got an impressive pizza breakfast in bed.
Ingredients
½ pound pizza dough
Flour, for shaping dough
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
3 eggs, scrambled
½ cup grated cheddar (or other) cheese
2 slices bacon, cooked and broken into small pieces
Fresh herbs (parsley, basil, or oregano) for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Preheat the grill to high. Shape the pizza dough by flattening with your hands on a lightly floured surface. Use your fingers to stretch the dough out, or hold up the edges of the dough, letting the dough hang and stretch, while working around the edges of the dough. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then push out the edges with your fingers again, until you have a nice round shape, about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Keep the dough flat (no raised rim) for easy grilling.
When the grill is hot (you can hold your hands an inch over the grates for no more than 2 seconds), dip a tightly folded up paper towel in olive oil and use tongs to wipe the grill grates. Place shaped dough on a lightly floured (or use cornmeal) rimless cookie sheet or pizza peel. Gently let the dough slide onto the hot grill grates. Close the lid and cook for 2 minutes. Open the grill and check the bottom of the dough to see if it is getting browned. If it is evenly browned, let it cook for another minute. If not, rotate the dough so it gets an even browning for the last minute. If it is not beginning to brown, cover the grill and continue to cook a minute at a time until the bottom has begun to brown. Your dough is ready when the top of the pizza begins to bubble. Do not overcook as this will be the pizza top.
Remove the pizza from the grill using your cookie sheet or pizza peel. Use a spatula to flip the dough over onto a work surface so that the grilled side is now up. Keep the grill covered so it retains heat. Paint the grilled surface of the pizza with a little olive oil, then cover with sauce. Arrange scrambled eggs evenly on surface. Cover with cheese and bacon pieces.
Slide the pizza back onto the grill. If you’re using a gas grill, reduce the heat. If working with a charcoal grill, close the vents on the cover almost all the way. Close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the bottom begins to char and the cheese is bubbly. Remove with a spatula onto a cutting board or other flat surface. Top with fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Let rest for a couple of minutes before slicing.
Makes 1 6-inch pizza, or 2 servings.
NOTE: Double the recipe for a larger, 12-inch pizza.
