We are leaving tomorrow for a much needed – and, might I say, much deserved! – vacation.  Ever since my husband quit his corporate job 2 1/2 years ago to build his own businesses we’ve been working non-stop.  We’re lucky if we have one day a week to spend as a family. Whenever we leave […]

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 […]

Some people in my life always make me smile.  My Aunt Sheila is one of those people.  She is so optimistic and enthusiastic and energetic.  I really appreciate her zest for life and sunshiny attitude.  Seriously, she’s always laughing or smiling or listening. Because Sheila is only a year younger than my mom, she was […]

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. – Phyllis Diller We live in a spacious but snug downtown Chicago apartment.  With two bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms and space for a proper dining table and home office I know we should feel lucky.  But, with […]

I was recently asked to try out Salba, a form of the ancient whole grain chia.  It might have the same name as the ch-ch-ch-chia that I spread on terra cotta animals as a kid, but this time around my family and I consumed the chia, and much to my surprise I believe we are […]

The trouble with winter afternoons in Chicago is two-fold: not only are they cold, but they tend to get dark pretty early.  As a mother, this leaves me in a quandry: how do I fill the time between nap and bed?? Lately, I’ve been keeping the kids busy with simple crafts that require little more […]

I am such a sucker for the Christmas season.  I often say that I wish this holiday fell later in winter just so I could have something to look forward to during these dreary and chilly months.  The house feels so much warmer with the Christmas decorations up, and the kids love the change in […]

One of my absolute favorite ingredients to cook with is fresh ginger.  It is so warm and comforting and soothing.  The gnarled knobs might not look very appealing, but so much happiness is lurking inside!  Whether it be a Mango Lassi with Ginger and Cardamom or Homemade Green Chai Tea or Ginger Pumpkin Bread, I […]

Little Evelyn has been very interested in money lately.  I’m not exactly sure what sparked this interest – perhaps its because her Dad works so hard and she sees me doing so much work from my home office.  I explain to her that we work so we can earn money to provide for her and […]

I love how wide the eco-mama network reaches.  My best friend Laura recently moved to Kentucky (sniff, sniff), and even though she is far away now we still encourage and support each other.  While she was working on an article about cloth diapering she met Mika Pryor, a fellow mother who recently started up her […]