It happened seemingly overnight.  Under cover of darkness while we innocently slept, it crept into my home, took hold and hasn’t left. It follows us everywhere and rears its doe-eyed head at all hours of the day. This sneaky problem I speak of? Princesses. Like most little girls, Evie is absolutely head-over-heals in love with [...]

Evie and I reached a new milestone in our relationship yesterday. She lied to me. For the first time. It all started innocently enough.  I made a batch of cupcakes to serve for dessert, and after she repeatedly picked at them while they cooled on the counter I moved them to an out-of-reach spot on [...]

The other night while channel surfing we landed on The Grammy Awards.  During Chris Brown’s “comeback” performance. Ugh. I don’t follow much celebrity gossip, but I know enough to know that he was arrested for beating up his girlfriend.  I saw the terrible pictures of her abused face, and like most people I was deeply [...]

I don’t watch a lot of movies.  My husband could watch one every night of the week, but we only have one TV so we have to compromise on just about everything we watch.  When I do watch a movie I usually like something light-hearted that won’t stress me out or scare me.  And, sometimes [...]

Chris and I just returned from a week long vacation – without the kids.  It was the most uninterrupted time we’ve had together since our honeymoon, and I treasured every second.  The simple joy of sitting at a cafe and staring out the window for an hour can not be understated. It was nice to [...]

I am so fortunate to have a vast network of people I love spread throughout the world.  Friends in our neighborhood, family across the states and loved ones on different continents – sometimes I wish I could throw a huge party and invite everyone!  Since that isn’t feasible, our humble annual Christmas card will just [...]

With the Thanksgiving weekend coming to a close, now seems like a good time to post about some feelings of gratitude I feel year ’round.  Although its nice to have nice things, I believe that the best gifts in life are people and experiences. As I write about often, I am exceedingly grateful for my [...]

One of the best things about living in a big city is encountering diversity on a daily basis.  People from all walks of life and all corners of the globe call Chicago home, and I consider their presence in my hometown to be a true asset and gift. Aren’t I lucky to have the world [...]

  I can say with near certainty that March 24, 2004 was perhaps the best day of my life. Its the day when my husband came home from Iraq. After nearly a year fighting a war on the other side of the globe, Chris returned home healthy and in good spirits (and much thinner!).  Although [...]

With the announcement yesterday that reality TV family the Duggars are now expecting their 20th child, it seems like the Internet is ready to erupt: how could they be so irresponsible?, so many kids is a drag on the planet!, the oldest children are raising the little ones!, how can Michelle’s body endure yet another [...]