Posts by Maureen

About Maureen


Homemade Coconut-Almond Sugar Scrub

We made a batch of this sweet-smelling homemade sugar scrub last weekend to give as Mother’s Day gifts to my mom and Aunt Sheila. The kids loved it so much that we made another batch today. We joke that the scrub makes our hands as soft as a baby’s butt – the kids laugh every […]


Homemade Heating Pad

Now at 23 weeks along in my pregnancy with twins, I’m feeling the aches and pains I felt when I was 33 weeks with the first four babies. Perhaps the most nagging is the round ligament pain, a burning, searing, jabbing sensation on the left side of my lower belly. At times it is almost […]


My Favorite Kitchen Tool

In many ways, I fancy myself a minimalist. We might have four kids – and all the stuff that comes along with them – but personally I strive to keep the stuff to a minimum. The items I choose to keep in our home must serve a purpose. One such item is my most favorite […]


The Paper Towel Blues

I recently had to purchase two rolls of paper towels for my daughter’s PK-3 classroom. As it has literally been years since I’ve bought paper towels, I was shocked – SHOCKED, I tell you! – by how expensive a roll is! I could not believe the grocery store charges $2-$3 dollars for a roll of […]


Just One? Not Quite.

I KNEW it. I knew all along it was twins. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew it. Just ask Chris if you don’t believe me! This pregnancy felt different from day one – I found out I was pregnant weeks earlier than I did with the other four, I’m more […]


In Defense of Large Families, Part II

Last week I announced on Homemade Mothering’s Facebook page the impending arrival of our fifth (yes, fifth) bundle of joy. I want my small corner of the internet to be a place of encouragement and kindness, so reading everyone’s lovely words of congratulations really made my heart swell. It feels good to be surrounded by […]


Jabari Dreams of Freedom

Evie’s class celebrated Black History Month throughout February, and even though we are well into April the lessons keep coming. She worked on a big project about Rosa Parks for weeks, and the other day she presented it to her class. She was so PROUD to tell me that it went great! I’m glad her […]


I Won’t Call the Police if I See Your Kids Alone in a Car

Recently, the state of New York passed a bill that will outlaw letting kids under age 8 wait in the car without a guardian of at least age 12. After reading this opinion piece in the New York Post, I am more convinced than ever that this should not be a criminal act. I believe dragging […]


Making Faces

The kids had last Friday off from school. The weather on Friday morning was kinda crummy, and I was still getting over a sickness from the day before. I can’t stand the thought of the kids staring at a screen for an entire day, so it was time to get creative in the house! After […]


Maple Syrup in March

Today we took a long drive out to the country to learn about how to make maple syrup with my sisters, their kids, and our dad. It was a crisp spring day – cool, but the smell of life floated in the air. The soil is softening and the buds are bursting and the birds […]