School is almost out and summer is on the way.  I’m so looking forward to slowing down our family’s pace a little bit.  The kids are growing up so fast, and I just want to savor this time in my life, a hard thing to do when the every day hustle and bustle overwhelms me […]

As I’ve written about before, if Mack isn’t busy Mack is causing trouble.  In the afternoons while Evie is at school and Vivian naps, he and I are buddies. We have lunch together, clean up the house, play outside, read books and watch a cartoon or two.  And, we almost always do some sort of […]

As I’ve written about countless times before, I really really REALLY hate plastic.  One of the sneakiest plastic offenders, in my opinion, are the flimsy plastic produce bags from the grocery store.  While they can certainly be reused (or recycled, in a pinch), I have a sneaky suspicion that most of them end up in […]

Am I the only one who thinks American kids are a wee bit oversnacked? It seems like every kid we see at the playground has a Ziploc bag of Goldfish crackers in one hand and a juice box in the other.  Can’t kids go a few hours between meals without mindlessly snacking?? Call me a […]

For the most part, the only thing our family drinks is the delicious Lake Michigan water piped into our kitchen sink.  But, sometimes it’s fun to treat ourselves to something a little fancier.  With summer in the air, I no longer crave the occasional cup of homemade chai tea; it’s too spicy and warming for […]

I’m so happy! The farmers markets are back in Chicago! This weekend, Chris took Vivian and Mack while I enjoyed some much needed quiet time at home with Evie.  The three of them brought home a bounty of fresh romaine lettuce, asparagus and a good bundle of rhubarb.  I used three rhubarb stalks to bake […]

Mack is an enigma to me. He is a newly 3 rambunctious and energetic boy, and he functions at top speed ALL THE TIME.  At his age, I was happy to spend every afternoon playing My Little Ponies with my three sisters, so having a young fella of my own is still new to me.  […]

I recently outlined some of my tips for traveling with little ones.  One of my favorite products for eating well on the road are the Happy Tot Greek Yogurt Smoothie pouches.  They are a neat and easy way to include fruits, veggies and healthy dairy in our travels. Happy Family Brands asked me to host […]

Now that summer is presumably here to stay, Chris has been mixing up summery cocktails. While I am partial to his excellent mojitos, he really enjoys a homemade margarita.  Freshly squeezed limes paired with Mexican tequila remind so many people of warm breezes and carefree afternoons. Unfortunately, I most definitely cannot drink margaritas.  Thanks to […]

I don’t want to jinx it, but it seems like summer has (finally) settled upon our fair city. Sun shining, farmers’ markets open, sidewalk seating at every cafe. If only it was like this year ’round…! Even though we live in a big city, I still want my kids to feel a strong connection to […]