Chris and I just returned from a week long vacation – without the kids.  It was the most uninterrupted time we’ve had together since our honeymoon, and I treasured every second.  The simple joy of sitting at a cafe and staring out the window for an hour can not be understated. It was nice to […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

We recently had the 20-week ultrasound for Baby #3.  Even though this is the third time around for us, the whole process still amazes me. I get so excited with every little kick, and the doctor’s appointments can be reassuring and interesting. With each pregnancy, I find myself following my baby’s development (the weekly emails […]

By no means am I a crafty girl.  Sure, I can hold my own in the kitchen, and when it comes to whipping up homemade household cleaners I’ve become quite a champ.  But, crafting requires patience and skill and creativity, characteristics I’d rather devote towards other endeavors. However, now that the sun sets by 5 […]

With the Thanksgiving weekend coming to a close, now seems like a good time to post about some feelings of gratitude I feel year ’round.  Although its nice to have nice things, I believe that the best gifts in life are people and experiences. As I write about often, I am exceedingly grateful for my […]

My husband recently sent me some information about pending legislation that would allow diapers and related supplies to be bought with grant money provided to states.  The federal program, called the Child Care and Development Fund, received $5 billion in fiscal 2011, which it distributed to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and scores […]