My parents recently called my siblings and me to their house for help with a rather daunting task: pick up all our crap.  Bins full of grade school art projects and high school year books. File folders with report cards and college acceptance letters.  Tiny shoes and faded photos and personal journals filled with the […]

During our recent trip to Mexico, I pretty much ate my way around the little island we called home for 8 days.  Sweet Mexican grandmothers prepared tortas and sopes for breakfast at the local mercado. Homemade coconut paletas (popsicles) were our favorite afternoon treat on the beach. Fresh fish for lunch and dinner (with generous […]

Living in such a large city affords us the opportunity to walk just about everywhere, so we don’t drive many miles.  But when General Motors recently recognized me and this site as a “local influencer”, I was very honored.   GMC offered me a week in any vehicle – how could I turn that down?! I […]

I recently discovered Peeled, a juice shop here in Chicago.  Whenever I feel sick or tired, I stop in and after the first sip I start feeling better.  For a few years now I have been curious about trying a juice cleanse. I’ve heard promises that consuming only freshly squeezed organic fruit and vegetable juice […]

With the exception of dishwasher soap and dish soap, I haven’t bought conventional cleaning products in years. I make homemade laundry detergent, and I rely on vinegar and elbow grease to clean just about everything else.  Choosing the homemade route saves us (lots of) money and reduces the amount of toxins washed down the drain.  […]

Evie recently started going to school full day a few days a week. She loves the extra time with her wonderful teachers and nice friends. I am now faced with one more nightly task to complete before bed: making Evie’s lunch for the next day. As a homemade mother, I strive to pack a zero […]

I recently posted a few reasons why I enjoy using coconut oil.  Now you have a chance to win a quart from Tropical Traditions! Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil! Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family […]

I have a confession to make: I like fat. Let me qualify that statement: I like healthy fats. I’ll happily consume bacon and whole milk and butter from pasture-raised cows (balanced out, of course, with lots of vegetables).  As far as I’m concerned, traditional foods in their natural state are far, far better for me […]

Nearly 5 years after bringing our first baby home, we recently got around to one of the more important things on our baby-proofing check-list: secure furniture to the wall.  We had many excuses for the delay: we weren’t sure when/if we were moving, we didn’t have the time, we didn’t have the right equipment. But, […]

We recently returned from a very last minute trip to Jamaica.  The airfare was reasonable and my mom was there to help with the kids and the temperature in Chicago was 7 degrees…so it just seemed like the perfect time to go. One day Chris, Mack, my dad and I took a long walk to […]