Little did I realize when I wrote the column about my pantry a few weeks ago that I would begin to drive myself crazy about what other areas and spaces in my life were overcrowded. Maybe I’ve seen one too many commercials for “Hoarders” or, more likely, it is the pending reality that we will be remodeling our kitchen in the upcoming weeks and all of this stuff has to go somewhere. Every cabinet is filled to the top with plates, pitchers, wine glass, ice cream bowls, dessert plates, chip and dip platters and an obscene amount of coffee mugs for someone who doesn’t drink coffee. But I can’t …
Halloween is not my favorite holiday. Probably not even in the top three. It’s nothing new. As a kid, I was the one too scared to open the coffin in front of the neighbor’s house to get the candy. My costumes were never scary. I chose to be a cheerleader, a Charlie’s Angel, a roller skater or a clown rather than a devil, a witch or the grim reaper. And to be honest, in doing my research for this article, I was scared even looking at some of the websites. So if it weren’t for those mini Kit-Kats, Halloween would be a complete lost cause to me. My kids are a little different. They like the …
Growing up in the south, I never had much of an autumn. Our seasons were hot, hotter, warm and cool. I don’t think I went to a pumpkin patch once as a kid, and now I’ve been just about every year for the past eight years. I don’t mean to sound like a party pooper, but they are pretty much all the same – hayrides, petting zoo, corn maze, pumpkin picking, inflatables, gift shop – but they're a great way to spend some time outdoors together as a family. Many of the farms open over the next couple of weekends, so here’s a quick little guide to some that are closest to Downers Grove. I definitely …
I think I’ve hit the limit. My pantry is completely full. How it got that way, I have no idea. I blame it partially on the farmer’s market and all of those cute tents and logos and smooth salespeople who can convince me that there really is so much I can do with spicy olive salad or berry chipotle barbecue sauce. I partially blame it on the buy-one-get-one-free sales at Jewel. I’ll find one sauce that I like, but I have to buy another one simply because it is on sale. I also blame it on my own tasty thoughts and culinary aspirations that I will see some fabulous recipe on the food network …
Once upon a time I used to be a night person. I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but somewhere over the years I converted to a morning person. Sometimes I appreciate it – like those mornings where I get up and go walking or go to the gym, or those mornings where I get a little bit of work done before everyone else in the house wakes up. Most mornings I’m disgruntled, harping back to those mornings where “ten more minutes” actually meant, “I have nowhere to go, no one to feed and I’ll face the world when I’m good and ready.” Growing up we cooked big breakfasts on Saturdays and Sundays. …
The past few weeks have been scorchers. The late night storms have done little to keep us cool during the day. Even a girl from New Orleans can forget how much the heat and humidity can wear you out. This is my first summer working (almost) full time while the kids are home for the summer. It’s been pretty rough juggling workshops, sports lessons, pick-ups and drop-offs. I wouldn’t say we’re overcommitted, just busy. Our weekends have been filled with family time – bike rides to the car show and farmer’s market, swimming, washing the cars, grilling out. But it’s those afternoons after summer…
Everyone celebrates Independence Day in their own way. Some go to the pool, some spend the day grilling, and some just wait the whole day for the fireworks show. Last year, I did all three. And I always thought it must be pretty fun for those kids whose birthdays were on July 4th—pretending all the parades and fireworks were happening just for them. This year, I thought I would try something a little different. While I very much appreciate the sacrifices our forefathers made to create this great country and ensure that we all have the freedom to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of …
As the self-proclaimed “non-stop mom,” did you really think I would stay at home during the first week my kids are out of school? Actually I would have loved to. Sleep late, have leisurely lunches in the park, walk to Every Day’s a Sundae and generally slow down for a few days. But no such luck. I wanted to get down to New Orleans to see my family, so I once again packed up the minivan, the kids, the bikes and the hamsters and made the 14-plus-hour drive down south. We had all the usual experiences—potty stops, gas stops, fast food drive-through. But it never fails that each trip is its own …
This is the time of year when invitations start flying—graduation parties, family reunions, picnics, cookouts, pool parties. Many of those invitations come with a request to “bring a dish to share.” I’ll take any excuse to bake. Luckily my kids love to bake with me. With just a little organization on my part, they can pretty much make everything on their own. The hardest part is getting them to not lick their fingers. One of our favorite things to bake is cupcakes. And for me, as the mom, I like it because there are lots of little things kids can do to help make the cupcakes without ever …
Since my column is called Non-Stop Mom and it is just a couple of days after Mother’s Day, I still feel it is still completely appropriate to wish all of you moms, moms-to-be, aunts, godmothers, grandmothers and other mother figures a very happy Mother’s Day. I hope your day with was filled with homemade cards, wonderful memories and maybe even a little relaxation. Being far away from my mom, I started thinking of my favorite memories and all of those things she used to say, like, “If all of the other kids were jumping off of the Mississippi River bridge, would you?” “One day you’ll love …
This past week I attended my first Seder, the Jewish Passover meal. For those you who have not experienced one, families and friends gather to read from the Haggadah and enjoy a traditional meal. While the Haggadah, the symbolic foods of the meal and seder plate remain fairly consistent (and have for hundreds of years), the main course and side dishes are based on family traditions and preferences. Take, for example, one side dish that we ate—charoses. It symbolically represents the mortar the Israelites used to bond bricks when they were slaves. But that’s where the symbolism ends and …
About once every other month or so, I receive an invitation to a party. I’m not talking about a birthday party or a housewarming party. I’m talking about the kind of party where you’re expected to buy stuff. Clothes, food, home décor, jewelry, candles, purses, makeup. I used to regret these parties. To me, they were just one more thing to spend money on that I really didn’t need. I changed my mind a while back, after I became a representative for a direct sales company. I worked with two brand new direct sales companies–one selling home décor and the other selling gourmet food mixes and …
If you’ve tried to take a family vacation lately, you’ve certainly noticed the high cost of airfare. And if you’re trying to fly more than one person—which is likely on your “family” vacation—even with the high price of gas, driving can be the best alternative. Our regular vacation spot is about 14 hours south of Chicago (you’ve heard me talk about it before here and here). My girls have been taking this road trip since they were each only a couple of months old. When they were younger, they would sleep a good bit of the time, my husband and I would take turns driving, and we might stop for…
This is a rough time of year. One week you have (relatively) beautiful weather and the next, it’s a mess. Just when you get the kids to go outside, you have to pull them back in. So was the case on a recent Saturday. We had a couple of afternoons of decent weather, and even though it was still pretty cold, my kids wanted to ride their bikes. I hadn’t heard the word “bikes” since October. Well, of course, Saturday comes and it is rainy and cold and no one feels like going outside. And then I get the question. “Mom, what are we going to do today that’s fun?” My typical reply of “How about we…
With the influx of Christmas presents around our house, we could stand to clear out some of the “gently used” items in our house. Clothes, toys, tables—everything’s fair game. Each kid has to help, too. We tried to spend some time over winter break cleaning up and getting organized. There are lots of options for disposing of your old stuff—and then, of course, getting some more new stuff. Isn’t that the way it always works? I used the local options below to clear out some of the clutter, but somehow always seem to end up with more stuff than I started with. Plato’s Closet1324 Butterfield …
For Christmas I gave my girls something I never owned. You might think I'd be talking about the latest video game, an iPod or some other hi-tech device. Actually, I never owned a pair of ice skates. That's what happens when you grow up in New Orleans. We did have an ice skating rink in my New Orleans suburb, believe it or not, but I only ever went there for birthday parties, and I'm pretty sure it was only open a few years. My husband on the other hand, grew up playing hockey in upstate New York. So it was only a matter of time before my kids would ask me to take them ice skating. The ice …
Warning! This is an adults' only column. I'm not talking about THAT type of adult column, just a column that's not meant for young eyes. Top secret info. I just wanted to give you fair warning because I'm having trouble these days hiding things from my snooping elves, and sometimes wish that I, too, had a cozy little spot at the North Pole to keep some things tucked away. My daughters are ages seven and nine, the ages where persistent inquisition starts and gets increasingly more difficult. Where do babies come from? Why is the sky blue? Why did our dog die? Why do I need math? Why does dad …
My husband and I each have a box that stays packed away all year long—except for about a month. I'll bet lots of people have a box just like we do. A little tattered, maybe some tape around the corners. Although it may not look like much on the outside, it may be the most beautiful box I own. Inside, underneath a layer of crumbled newspaper, is my Christmas ornament collection. I don't mean my Hallmark or Spode collection. I mean my childhood, hand-decorated, lovingly selected, 1970s "vintage," cardboard and foam Christmas ornament collection. Some of them are store bought. I was one of …
My birthday was a couple of weeks ago. (Thank you.) While it wasn't a milestone birthday, I think this was one of my most acknowledged birthdays ever—thanks to the internet. It used to be that I considered it to be a really great birthday if I received a phone call from my sisters, a handmade card from my kids and a nice present from my husband. Thanks to Facebook, I received birthday greetings from 150 of my closest friends. Friends from grammar school, high school and my first job. Friends from Louisiana, South Carolina, California and other distant places. Friends whom I haven't seen in …
I wish I were a coupon clipper. Let me re-phrase. I wish I were a coupon user. Almost every Sunday, I get the newspaper, quickly flip to the advertising section and cut out all of those appealing discounts and bargains. Then the neat little stack of carefully clipped coupons sits on the table next to the sofa. All week. Until it's time to clip next week's steals and deals. I know coupons are like free money (and who doesn't like free money?), but I think it's all the "50 cents here, 25 cents there" that bugs me. Even if I take the coupons to the grocery, I forget them in my pocket half of …
