Things you probably don’t know about me: Summer ’15 edition.

Things you may not know about me at this moment in time: I watch Daredevil, the Netflix series. (And no, this is not a sponsored post. Since I work with Netflix, I just find myself suuuuper aware of their programming and it becomes my go-to for unwinding in short bursts. Another thing you might not know about me: I believe it’s possible to “unwind” in “short bursts.” That right there might speak more about my psyche than anything else on {Read More}

A Winner for Expecting: A Year Of Fixing Up And Breaking Down, And A Farewell To Fall.

First things first… I’m thrilled to announce the winner of last week’s giveaway for Expecting: A Year of Fixing Up and Breaking Down, now available on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and in that fancy ol’ paperback form. Drumroll…(pencil tap)… Kerry C! Congrats, enjoy, and may it act as a talisman against future homeownerly problems. *** Now. Fall schmall. Here’s proof that the fam is hanging onto the last of summer with their fingernails and teeth and sandy little toes. P.J. grew {Read More}

RoundUp: Friends, The Arts, & Listen To Your Mother Vids!

This past week has been pretty darned fun. We made the most of the long weekend by puttering around the house for even longer periods of time, and even shoved studio headphones on our kids so they could properly enjoy up close n’ personal fireworks without that pesky hearing loss thing. And last night P.J. and I met up with one of my longtime pals and all-around favorite people- my pen pal Armando from way back in the day. God bless {Read More}

RoundUp: Some Really Good Reading. Including My E-Book!

I am already so in love with July, you guys. Here’s why: Say- just say- I was gonna leave Chicago for five weeks this summer. This is what our breakup/get-back-together would look like. For research (and for Chicago Parent), I stayed in the nicest place ever, ever, ever. You are welcome, locals. My darling friend Alison featured Nora & Zu in her article on summer fun for Everyday Family! (And they’re supra-cute, too. Yeah, I’m biased.) Blogging ruins your children. Here {Read More}

RoundUp: Eat, Play, Create (And Read).

Oh, Wednesday. Today’s round-up is devoted to stuff you should be reading (especially if you’re my Dad and have a holymolylong wait during chemo), and doing (especially if you’re a Chicagoan who likes stuff). Things I Failed To Promote While Pimping My Book (Go Buy It) Father’s Day was epic. Because these two guys are epic. June’s Netflix roundup super gets me. I interviewed Goodman Theatre star Jennie Sophia and got the Brigadoon dish. Here’s the Throwback Monday post where {Read More}

Things You Need To Know: Food & Face Edition.

Local lovelies, I have a new favorite diner. It’s the HashBrowns Cafe in Old Town (1155 N. Wells, Chi) and it’s the yummiest of the yums. Also- I cannot stress this enough- I was not paid to say this. Nope. They invited me in to check out the digs and have my littles do some serious damage to a stack or two of pancakes with zero obligation to write or post or tweet or otherwise media blitz. But I’d be {Read More}

Healthier Party Food, Especially for the Kiddos

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Marks & Spencer. Thanks for these great party-planning ideas!  *** Finding the perfect balance between giving our kids what they want, and keeping things healthy Doesn’t it feel like parents don’t know when to quit sometimes? The simplest of birthday parties are becoming more extravagant, with studies by GigMasters.com showing that 14% of parents will spend over $1,000 on their kids’ parties. 25% of parents believe that “the more extravagant, the better” is the way to {Read More}

My New, Brilliant Diet.

On Monday, I decided to embark on a brand new diet. Ever since Jasper was born three months ago, I’ve felt a little…not great. First there were all the Christmas goodies…then New Year’s goodies…then yeah, it’s the middle of January goodies…then that whole sale on chocolate hearts as big as your face (yes, I held one up to my face before consuming it)…then, before I knew it, the first vestiges of spring and warmth came around. And that’s when I realized {Read More}