Ever since Mack’s ear infection nearly a month ago, we’ve all taken turns fighting off cold symptoms. Runny noses, coughs, slight fevers.  Evie was up all last night coughing, and sweet little Vivian woke up at 4:30 this morning so sad and swiping at her ears.  I brought the kids to the pediatrician, and both […]

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 […]

Here in the city, when the wind blows in just the right direction at just the right speed, the scent of melting chocolate fills the air.  The Blommer Chocolate Factory sits in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, but just about every part of town has been touched by its aroma.  Its sweet! Whenever I catch a […]

Spring may have sprung nearly a week ago, but here in Chicago it feels like winter.  I am seriously on the verge of a nervous breakdown – I want to take the kids to the park without spending 15 minutes bundling them up! The cold weather means cold weather meals.  The other night I made […]

We hosted a birthday party for Mack and Vivian the other night.  It was a large crowd, so I wasn’t able to serve an entirely homemade meal. But, I supplemented pizza delivery with a homemade chopped salad and some simple appetizers.  Perhaps the most popular dish was homemade beer cheese. The men in the family […]

Vivian and Mack celebrated birthdays this weekend, so last night we hosted what will hopefully be the first of many joint birthday parties for the two. Both are still too young to really care about sharing their special day with a sibling, but like all siblings there is a fair amount of rivalry in our […]

Evie didn’t have school yesterday, so I scheduled a playdate at our house. Her friend has a brother Mack’s age who came over, too, and all four kids had a blast all afternoon.  The mom and I actually had a real conversation (a rarity!) because the kids were so busy playing.  Seemed like the perfect […]

The kids and I took a little trip to Indianapolis earlier this week to meet up with our best friends.  It was a last-minute trip, and I’m so glad we decided to go.  However, the trip was an unexpected expense, so when we returned home I had to balance the family budget. The first step […]

I am so excited! Tomorrow the kids and I are driving to Indianapolis to meet my best friend and her daughters.  She lives in Kentucky now, and Indy is the perfect halfway point for us.  We’re staying at a hotel with a pool, so the kids will be in heaven.  Its the perfect way to […]

Whenever Mack and I have some time alone, the first thing he asks to do is make cookies.  We have a steady supply of homemade chocolate chip cookies thanks to his enthusiasm, so when he asked to bake on Friday I thought it would be fun to try something different.  A sneaky jar of homemade […]