Posts by Maureen

About Maureen


A Chat with DCFS

After I posted yesterday about my internal debate over when to allow my kids to walk the 0.4 miles from school to home without an adult, I decided to go straight to the source for some answers. So, I called the the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’s child and family policy office in […]


Walking Home

Yesterday I read an article about a couple being investigated for child neglect for allowing their 10 and 6 year olds to walk home together from a neighborhood park. The couple defends their decision, saying they’re responsible parents who are teaching their children self-reliance and responsibility. For so many reasons, I side with the parents on […]


I Choo Choose Trust

Today I took the three littles to lunch at a somewhat iconic Chicago suburban diner. The Choo Choo has been serving families for 64 years. While the food is typical diner fare, the real draw is the little electric train that delivers food from the kitchen to the table. What fun for kids! I don’t […]


empowerHER Giveaway!

Last week I had to travel out of town for a couple days (just one night). I really don’t like leaving my family on the ground while I sail 30,000 feet above, but I know they were in good hands with Chris, our sweet babysitter Nataliya and my wonderfully generous mom.  I am so lucky […]


Homemade Pizza for the New Year

I am so happy a new year is upon us. 2014 was long and hard and exhausting, and I feel like the symbolic new chapter has begun! To start the new year off the homemade way, the kids and I spent January 1st making pizza for dinner. My little family is still young, so I […]


Roasted Vegetable Sauce

Brrrrr…it is FREEZING here in Chicago. Like, bitter, bitter, BITTER cold. We’re doing our best to keep busy (and sane!) indoors, and I’ve found that a little creativity goes a long way. Mack wants to be a chef when he grows up, so I try my best to foster his interest in cooking. Quite often […]


Sweet Potato and Kale Breakfast Bowl

It might be the dead of winter, but I’m still determined to use as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible in our meals. Sometimes I have to remind myself just how lucky I am to live in a time and place where weather does not have to dictate what and how I eat. There […]


So Long, 2014!

In just about two hours, 2014 will come to an end. To that I say, good riddance! This was, by far, the most demanding year of my life. We had a fourth kid. We had to scramble (big time!) to buy our home when the landlord gave us short notice that she needed to sell. […]


QuestionAIR

Last Monday we flew home from a whirlwind weekend visiting Chris’s family. The flight out there was great – even though I flew alone with all four kids (Chris had work in New York that brought him out east a day earlier). So, I was glad to have Chris with me on the return trip […]


My Grandma

My grandma died 48 hours ago. I am still processing the loss. I have never before had to say goodbye to someone so close to me. She was such a vital part of my childhood and always a familiar and comforting voice. To think that I won’t speak to her ever again…I can’t help but […]