For Evie’s birthday this year, my parents gave her a Micro scooter.  Hot pink, of course.  As soon as Mack saw it, a not-so-tiny spark of jealousy ignited.  All the kids in our neighborhood have one, and now his sister did, too.  He wanted one!!! Mack’s birthday passed a few months ago, but I wanted […]

I haven’t slept well for a week and a half.  Ever since Trayvon Martin’s murderer was set free, I’ve been haunted. The verdict was alarming and disheartening for me, and it makes me anxious to live in a country where this sort of crime can go unpunished. Through some strange loophole in a faulty law, […]

My dad recently celebrated his birthday, so the kids and I went out to my parents’ house for a casual celebration. He’s an easy going guy who doesn’t ask for much fuss, but when the kids insisted on “surprising” him he was kind enough to play along. My dad’s birthday dinner request was simple and […]

  Sweet little Evie celebrated her birthday a couple weeks ago. Summer birthdays are the best – warm sunshine, windows open, cute little dresses.  I was born in January…in Chicago…and 30+ years later I still hate the winter! So, I love celebrating Evie’s special day during the warmer season. My parents came over for a […]

As I’ve mentioned here before, I am not a particularly crafty person.  While I enjoy doing most things on my own, projects with the kids are usually quite simple but satisfying.  On grey afternoons we keep busy with tools from our craft tower and whatever can be re-purposed from around the house. So, when I […]

One of the best parts about living in Chicago is access to beautiful Lake Michigan. There are days when its color matches the Caribbean, and the lake is so vast that one could easily mistake it for an ocean.  Plus, I think the world’s best tasting drinking water comes from the Lake via our kitchen […]

Last weekend my little girl turned 5. FIVE. She has grown into such a thoughtful and sensitive and smart young lady, and I could not possibly be more proud. Chris and I took her out to a special lunch at Birchwood Kitchen, where she felt like a grown up as she sipped fresh lemonade and […]

My baby sister Colleen is almost a mother!  She is due with her first little man in a few weeks, and we are all so excited for his arrival.  He will be my parents’ EIGHTH grandchild in five years – my sisters and I have been busy – ha! Colleen is an ambitious city girl […]

As I’ve written about before, I work-out a lot. At least five mornings a week I’m at my fitness studio for an intense 60 minute class with cardio and weight-lifting intervals.  I love the natural high that follows a hard-core work-out! Chris is borderline obsessed with his Cross-Fit work-outs.  He also goes at least five […]

Lately we’ve been enjoying bacon and eggs for breakfast.  It is such a hearty way to start the day, and the eggs from our co-op are delicious in an addicting sort of way.  But, with summer here I am now in the mood for a lighter start to the day, so I’ve brought back our […]