Throw Me a Throw!

Here in New England, we’ve been pretty lucky so far with winter this year.  Aside from the freak storm in October, the weather’s been relatively mild, and we’re below the normal level for snow.  (Last year at this time, we had almost 39 inches of snow)!    We’re already dreaming of spring, (got my seed catalogs handy), but it seems so far away.    We’re always running, but when it’s time to take a breather, nothing‘s better than to snuggle with a pretty throw or blanket.  Grab a cup of tea and come take a pause with me!


Read all of Throw Me a Throw!

Look at Me! I'm Chemical Free!

We spent New Year’s Day in Manhattan, figuring it’d be a good day to go, since most everyone from the night before would be asleep or already left, and, my daughter had never seen the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.  Getting up early and driving in, we headed to Times Square.  Hours before, there’d been millions of New Year’s Eve revelers, and several tons of paper confetti had dropped on the crowd.  When we arrived at 10:00 AM, there was not a scrap of trash to be seen!  The only shred of evidence of the celebration were a few sanitation trucks parked at the end of the street, and the  lit “2012” lights where the Ball had been dropped at midnight.  Talk about efficient post-holiday cleaning!  While many do “Spring Cleaning”, the weeks after New Year’s are a good time to clean and organize.  Packing away holiday decorations leaves open table tops and spaces, and it’s too cold to do much outside.  With indoor pets and a busy family, I have a lot to keep up with.  We’ve already “gone organic,” getting chemicals out of our foods, now my New Years’ resolution is to “cleanse” us of the rest of the chemicals in our lives! 


Read all of Look at Me! I'm Chemical Free!

Blended Holidays

At my house, holidays are a time for us to be home together, have fun, eat great food, and remember times gone by. Being a native-born Texan, married to a Dane, living in New England, our holidays are like a quilt of different cultures! Come do a bit of celebratin’ at the Christensen household!


Got your holiday best on?

Read all of Blended Holidays

Farmgirl Roadtrip - Get Your Spirit With a Visit to The Gingerbread Village!

This past week, my family and I visited one of our favorite places to go during the holidays.  St. Georges Episcopal Church in Middlebury, Connecticut hosted its Annual Gingerbread Village.  Want to feel like a little kid again?  Come with me and marvel at these amazing works of food art!


 

Read all of Farmgirl Roadtrip - Get Your Spirit With a Visit to The Gingerbread Village!

The Suburban Farmgirl and A Suburban Farmer

Close to New York City, our suburban town is sandwiched between two other big cities, yet also surrounded by very rural areas.  Driving on our highways, you might not think “farms”, nor on our Main Street with the bustle of traffic.   Yet, nestled on a little back road IS a farm, with some of the friendliest and most interesting livestock imaginable.   Come visit with me, the “Suburban Farmgirl” and meet my friend, A.J., a “Suburban Farmer”.


Read all of The Suburban Farmgirl and A Suburban Farmer

Cold Foe and Warm Friends

Winter Storm Alfred reared its ugly head on October 29th, hitting Connecticut with one of the earliest snow storms anyone‘s ever seen.  Nobody believed the forecast, and were we sorry! No one was prepared for what happened next.  Have you ever been caught off guard by extreme weather? 

Winter Storm Alfred dropped a blanket of snow within minutes of starting...

Read all of Cold Foe and Warm Friends

Paper Books - A Thing of the Past?

I’m off to our library today. My daughter’s key chain collection was featured in the glass showcases for October. Our library’s a treasured place, and for a small town, it’s a great meeting place full of books, activities, and museum-worthy treasures in cases illustrating the town's history. Our townspeople are very proud of it. Stepping inside, I’m reminded of how reading has shaped who I am and where I’ve been.

Read all of Paper Books - A Thing of the Past?

Little Fish, Big Impact

We lost a member of the household today – the pet fish.   Dealing with the loss of a pet is a rite of passage for a parent, unfortunately.  It’s when your heart tugs at you, but you realize, “Yikes! I’m the adult here… I have to keep it together.”  What do you do when your child’s heart is breaking?


Read all of Little Fish, Big Impact

Time for Pie!

 Have you ever entered a baking contest?  I hadn't, until recently.  Grab some coffee (and maybe a slice of pie…you’ll crave it soon, for sure), and I’ll tell you about my recent pie-baking adventure.


Read all of Time for Pie!

Goodbye, Summer...Hello Fall, Entertaining Fry So Small

As a mom, my year isn't a calendar year, but one that ends when lazy days of summer bid farewell. A new year starts with the return of fall. Even when my daughter grows up, I bet I'll still feel that way. I still love the smell of new pencils, a fresh box of crayons, and the scent of new leather shoes! Back-to-school means a fresh start, more hectic schedules, and saying goodbye to long summer days of fun. Having grown up in a climate that is hot most of the time, I really appreciate the four seasons we have in Connecticut, savoring every minute of our short but beautiful summers. My daughter doesn't attend camp, but has plenty to write about when her teacher asks "What did you do all summer?" Come sit a spell with me while I reminisce about what we did and share some fun ideas for entertaining young'uns.
 

Read all of Goodbye, Summer...Hello Fall, Entertaining Fry So Small

Nicole Christensen

Nicole Christensen,
our current Suburban Farmgirl, calls herself a “knitter, jam-maker, and mom extraordinaire.” Born and raised in the great state of Texas, she now resides in suburban New England in picturesque Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York state.

Married for 18 years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields and has been a world-traveler, entrepreneur, knitting teacher, and homemaker, but considers being a mom her greatest job of all. Loving all things creative and domestic, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted.”

Column contents copyright © 2010– Nicole Christensen. All rights reserved.

The Suburban Farmgirl

Farmgirl spirit can take root anywhere—dirt or no dirt.

Paula Spencer
Previous Suburban Farmgirl,
October 2009–October 2010
Paula is a mom of four and a journalist who’s partial to writing about common sense and women’s interests. She’s lived in five great farm states (Michigan, Iowa, New York, Tennessee, and now North Carolina), though never on a farm. She’s nevertheless inordinately fond of heirloom tomatoes, fine stitching, early mornings, and making pies. And sock monkeys.