Posts by Maureen

About Maureen


Family Time on the 11th

I still remember the panicked phone call from my mom: “Maureen, are you up??  Are you watching the TV???” As a senior in college on September 11, 2001, I was still very much asleep when the first plane slammed into the World Trade Center. My mom’s phone call jolted me from slumber and slammed me […]


Bumper Ban in the Big City

Last Thursday, the Chicago city council voted unanimously to ban the sale of crib bumpers within the city limits.  The new law makes Chicago the first – but hopefully not the last! – municipality to outlaw the sale of padded crib guards.  While the law doesn’t ban use of the bumpers (only the sale of […]


Little TOMS for Little Feet

Poor little Mack!  Two months ago we bought him two pairs of size 5 shoes.  I thought they fit him fine until the other day when I noticed a ragged toe nail.  I brought him to the Nordstrom’s kids shoe department, and it turns out that he’s now a size 6.  He never complained about […]


Safe Nail Polish for Fancy Little Girls

For the most part, I’m a fairly no-frills kind of girl.  Yes, I wear make-up every day and I like nice clothes, but my hair is always up in a ponytail and I don’t take the time to accessorize. I’m certainly not as glamorous as my sister Colleen – her outfits are always so chic […]


Some Thoughts on Hanging Laundry Out to Dry

One of the biggest bummers about living in a big city is that I don’t always get to satisfy my quaint domestic desires.  Sure, I’ve become quite adept at preserving fresh foods, making homemade cleaning products and keeping my life sweet and simple, but there are days I long for a little dirt under my […]


A Summer Night in the City

Tonight after dinner the kids and I were a little bored.  So, I packed Mack into the stroller – barefoot and wearing just a t-shirt and a BumGenius – and helped Evie put her shoes on so the three of us could go for a nice walk. It was an unseasonably warm September evening – […]


Cloth Diapering on the Go

Anyone who reads this blog even semi-regularly probably knows I am a big believer in cloth diapers.  Not only are they better for the planet and healthier for my babies, but choosing cloth saves us THOUSANDS of dollars.  We are living on a pretty strict budget, and I can’t imagine where the money for disposable […]


Pam’s Garden

My mom’s friend and neighbor Pam recently invited me to take a tour of her garden.  She lives in a rural part of Illinois, so for a city girl like me spending a day surrounded by tangled vines, busy bumble bees and heirloom produce was a real treat. The garden was full of earthy carrots, […]


Healthy Strawberry Dessert Shake

We returned late last night from a trip out east visiting my husband’s family.  After we put the kids to bed, Chris and I both wanted a little late night snack.  Unfortunately, because we had been out-of-town for the better part of a week we didn’t have much in the kitchen.  Time to improvise! Chris […]


Making Memories in Wisconsin

We just returned from a wonderfully relaxing long weekend in Wisconsin.  My great aunt and uncle invited us to stay at their peaceful country house, so of course my little family took them up on such a generous offer.  When I was growing up, my grandparents had a weekend house on tiny Rice Lake, near […]