My sister Colleen got married on Friday.  I can’t believe how fast the day came and went. She was such a beautiful bride, and I know she and her husband will have a happy life together. As a fun fall favor for guests to take home after the reception, my mom, sisters and I made […]

My 18 month old son is officially no longer a baby. He had his first haircut the other day. Sniff, sniff. Prior to the cut, he had long, wispy, baby curls circling the base of his head. In the sun, his hair – so blond its practically white – glowed like a holy halo. The […]

Like much of the country, Chicago has enjoyed several days of unseasonably warm weather.  We flirted with the 80s all weekend and for much of this week, and I couldn’t be happier about it.  After a rainy and chilly September, this mid-fall respite reminds me that spring will indeed come again. My husband works six […]

One of Evie’s favorite things to do when her little brother naps is play with Play-Doh.  “Mom, can I play play dough?” she asks so sweetly, not knowing that I cringe a little bit on the inside whenever she asks because A) it makes a huge mess and B) I get a little anxious about […]

We live in the center of a huge city, but I still want to expose my kids to nature and the country. I grew up on a small farm in a rural part of Illinois surrounded by horses, dogs, cats, sheep, geese and chickens – not to mention a dairy farm across the street! – […]

We took a family trip to County Line Orchard in northwestern Indiana last weekend.  It was such a nice way to spend our Sunday.  Even though the orchard was a bit crowded, we managed to carve out our own pocket of space in the vast property, and for a long while it felt like we […]

While reading a recent issue of Green Child Magazine I found an article about an interesting and inspiring woman named Nancy Traversy.  When her first child was born, she was looking for books with beautiful artwork that explored different cultures and didn’t talk down to children.  At a loss to find a collection of books […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 – […]