Non-Stop Mom

Halloween Hauntings

Give me candy or scare the heck out of me.

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 spookiness of ghouls and zombies. They’re not quite old enough to experience chainsaw-wielding, hockey mask-wearing, kid-chasing villains, but they …

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MaryJo Campbell

11:18 am on Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Great round-up of haunted houses both for younger and older kids. Now I don't have to do the research myself! :) And @ Susan: LOL - the kardashians!   more ›

Non-Stop Mom

The Great Pantry Clean Up

Where the heck did I get all of this stuff, anyway?

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 and I’ll have all of the ingredients in my pantry and my family will exclaim, “Mom! This is the best thing ever and you really should have your own …

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Kristin McCann

1:23 pm on Wednesday, August 31, 2011

I think you were at that party last year. :)   more ›

Non-Stop Mom

Road Trip Redux

Despite the long hours, driving is still the only way to go.

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 unique experience. And (in my best Oprah farewell voice) if even one person learns from my experiences, I will have done my job. Things I Learned on …

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Non-Stop Mom

Hitting The Open Road

Sure, I saved money on gas, but was the trip really priceless?

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 an hour at a rest stop or McDonald’s Playland to let them run off some steam.  Now our road trips have become one big “let’s-hurry-up-and-get-back-in…

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Non-Stop Mom

Indoor Excitement for Interminable Winter Weather

New video game center is fun for kids of all ages.

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 clean the basement,” is met with rolling eyes, little-girl giggles and a “M-aahhhhh-m, quit joking!” So I turned to the internet, Patch specifically…

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Kristin McCann

9:05 pm on Thursday, March 3, 2011

Elizabeth - It's definitely worth a try. My oldest is in 4th and really wants to go back.   more ›

Non-Stop Mom

What Comes Around, Goes Around

Give a little—get a little—at local resale shops.

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 Closet 1324 Butterfield Rd, Downers Grove, 60515 630-792-0082 If you have a teenager and you haven’t been to Plato’s Closet, you are missing out.  I went in initially to look…

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Elizabeth Major

2:11 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011

I've saved my items in past for resales within the School District - a percentage goes to the school's PTA and a portion comes back to you Kingsley has an annual toy resale (this year in March) and Lester has a clothing resale sometime durign the school year too.   more ›

Creating Sweet Gifts for the Holidays

Here are two recipes for simple candies even kids can make.

Christmas is the time for giving.  I'm so grateful to have so many wonderful family and friends, and I hate for the season to go by without saying thank you for a year's worth of smile, good wishes and favors.  Our recent cold snap made for perfect days to stay inside with my daughters and make some gifts. I'm so glad my girls have begun to love baking and candy making.  It gives us some time together and stresses the importance of saying thank you. I inherited my love of holiday candy and cookie making from my mom. Especially anything with chocolate.  She always made amaretto cookies and something called "heavenly hash."  My chocolate peppermint recipe below is similar to it, except that hers had nuts mixed into the chocolate rather than …

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Non-Stop Mom

Santa and the Cheapskate

How to keep them believing—at any age.

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 still wear that shirt from college? So, it is inevitable that I've started hearing, "Is there really a Santa Claus?" When I was a kid I thought I was …

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Kristin McCann

1:48 pm on Friday, December 3, 2010

Bob - I love the idea of the gifts appearing during midnight mass. If only I could stay awake that late! David - See and Santa there!   more ›