For the past 48 hours, the entire city of Chicago has laughed together on one big inside joke.  In anticipation of the biggest winter storm to hit our area in more than 40 years, everyone was coming up with pun-intended nicknames for the blizzard that just blew through town.  Foreboding monikers like Snowmageddon, Snowverload, Snowtorious, [...]

This has been a long week. Oh, so long! It started out rotten. Sunday night we all got sick, and only now are we starting to feel normal again. And, for whatever reason Evelyn’s terrible twos have been exceptionally terrible. And, little Mack is shifting his nap schedule and its not coordinating very well with [...]

My grandma recently forwarded an email to the ladies of my family reminding us to be grateful for the opportunity to vote. I hadn’t realized that American women were granted the right to vote just 90 years ago. After more than 70 years of struggle, and despite vehement opposition by President Woodrow Wilson, American women [...]

While waiting in line at the grocery store the other day a tabloid forced Evelyn and me to contemplate Hollywood’s “best and worst beach bodies” – all of whom were female. These movie stars seemed to be enjoying some relaxation in the sun…until images of their slightly sagging breasts and dimpled backsides graced the cover [...]

Sometimes being a mom can be lonely. While I am perfectly content to be home with my little ones, sometimes I miss the camaraderie that comes along with a group of people working towards a shared goal. Fortunately, I have wonderful “co-workers” who are always available for toddler crisis-intervention, comedic relief and a shoulder to [...]

Today is my mom’s 50th birthday. By the time she was 26 she had five little ones running around the house, and she managed all the craziness with grace and calm. She is my greatest homemade mother inspiration! My mom taught me a lot about homemade mothering. I grew up in a quaint and rural [...]

I recently found http://www.vintagerecipes.net, a website devoted to vintage cookbooks, recipes, and cooking techniques. Some of the cookbooks posted here date to the 16oo’s, and as I read through the recipes I feel like I’m taking a step back in time. These books are a really cool glimpse into what life was like for homemade [...]

My friend Kendee shared this quote with me just before Christmas . Several of us were discussing over email about how busy moms can be during the holiday season (and all year ’round, actually!). This saying hangs in her mother-in-law’s home, and it is recited all the time by her family. Cleaning and scrubbing can [...]

My wonderful friend and fellow blogger Sarah at PersonalFaves.com asked me to participate in this blog-chain-mail thing called “10 Things That Make Me Happy.” It is a really fun exercise, and I think if everyone did this (either in the privacy of their own home or on a blog) we’d all quickly realize just how [...]

My dear friend Kevin recently forwarded a quote on frugality that has really stuck with me: “Common strategies of frugality include the reduction of waste, curbing costly habits, suppressing instant gratification by means of fiscal self-restraint, seeking efficiency, avoiding traps, defying expensive social norms, embracing cost-free options, using barter, and staying well-informed about local circumstances [...]