Friday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from By Boe, a handmade jewelry line based in New York City. I love their beautiful pieces, which have such delicate lines and shapes. Today one lucky winner will get to choose her favorite piece of jewelry. (I'd go for these heart earrings or these triangle hoops.) Which would you choose? Also, how cute is the model's star ring, above?

For a chance to win, please visit By Boe (and feel free to check them out on Facebook) and leave a comment below telling us your favorite piece. A winner will be chosen at random on Monday. Good luck! xo Update: Our lucky winner has been emailed. Thanks for playing.

Our bathroom makeover

Thank you so much for helping us choose a paint color for our bathroom! Here are the before-and-after photos, if you'd like to see...
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Friendship tip: 5-minute phone calls

Do you have any long-distance friends? My friends Clare and Brooke live in California, and I find that we never talk on the phone anymore because, as much as we want to, we just can't find time to sit down for those long and involved catch-up conversations.

Well, my friend Kendra told me a genius idea that other day. She and her best friend live far apart, so they made a rule that they will talk for five minutes at a time. If the call goes longer, fine; but if they have to hang up (to go to work, comfort a baby, eat dinner), then it's totally cool. Not every call has to be a deep conversation. They can just ring and say, "I'm getting my haircut today, any advice?" or "What cute things is your baby doing?" and chat quickly and hang up. Now they enjoy these little calls all the time and are in close touch.

Brilliant! Do you still talk to your friends on the phone? Or just text?
P.S. Making friends as an adult.

(Top photo from I Love Lucy)

Blogging as a career

Over the years, many readers have asked about my career and blogging. So, I figured I'd write a post answering the most frequently asked questions (including moving to New York, boyfriends and break-ups)...
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The Best Avocado Salad You'll Ever Have

Avocados are one of those foods that seem to be universally loved. Whether they're smashed on toast, stuffed into tacos or chopped into a salad, they make everything taste richer and creamier. Happily for us, Pilar from Momfilter came up with this delicious salad that puts avocados front and center, and Rebecca took photos...
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