Our Living, Breathing House: A Guest Post by Heather Klaus

I can get a bit manic about my house. There may be half-completed home improvement projects around every corner, but I'm still somehow compulsive about keeping it tidy. When you're a stay-at-home mom, your house is your construction site, relaxation zone and office cubical, all rolled into one. Keeping it clear provides a portal to sanity.

Yes, a floor plan free of debris is my current aesthetic ambition. But there was a time when HGTV was my favorite station and my Pinterest decor boards were meticulously curated. The dreams are still alive, but for the time being, I simply have to divert my eyes... from gorgeous and impractical dining rooms, restaurant-grade chef kitchens, and perfectly adorned bookshelves. I simply don't have the time or money to pull it off. 

But do I want all that? Truly? If I could trade in my 1976 colonial for a slice of Room & Board heaven, would I? The temptation would be great, but I don't think I could pull the trigger.

My dear, dear (did I say dear?) friend Heather Klaus and I are much the same in this regard. We can commiserate 'til the cows come home about our home crisis du jour, but when push comes to shove, we aren't budging an inch from our already green pasture. Here's Heather's crew - my girls' playground playmates, Dan's mountain bike buddy, my wine time and crit group companion... 

You may recall Heather's hilarious post last summer, Ode to My Minivan. If so, you know you're in for a treat. Enjoy this slice-of-mom-life post...

In Heather's words...

Welcome to our house! Our living, breathing house.

Watch your step as you come on in. Clearly a centipede lives here! Shoes in every size and shape are strewn about our entryway. Go ahead, step on over that rug with bits of grass and sidewalk chalk caked right in.

In our living room you'll find a comfy couch with a sag to one side where we do our best snuggling. The throw pillows are always, well... thrown. Today you'll see they've become tuffets for our tea party. And over there is the art table, littered with a variety of mixed media. (A shout out to the small tree who gave her life to be this stack of printer paper. If she's amused by kiddo “masterpieces,” her life was not in vain.)

Come on around the corner. There's the bathroom on the left (which might need a wipe down… my 4-year-old human sprinkler just exited stage right). Down the hall is the art wall, layered with colorful giraffes and beach landscapes, abstract self-portraits, and abstract... abstracts. And scribbles that my son calls race-tracks.

And… here's our kitchen. Didn't I just vacuum this floor? Those crumbs, they seem to multiply, don't they? The kitchen counter holds a trough of fresh fruit, which we seem to go through at the speed of light. The panty is filled with healthy things... and plenty of snacks that I swore up and down I would never buy. There on the corner is the stack of papers that need my attention... right next to the coffee maker. Fitting. Please take no notice of the stained ring in the butcher block, brought to you by the can of Resolve that sat there overnight after the episode of Pukesville, car seat edition.

Our Family Room is here in the back, with a fireplace, trampoline (er, couch), and stash of stuffies and toys that I keep trying to weed down. If I squint a bit I can still see this room transformed one rainy April week into an entire city - constructed of blue painters-tape roads, a wooden train monorail, and match box cars. Kids love a solid parking lot.

Up the stairs are three open doors leading to what used to be empty rooms when we first moved in. They now lead to Sweet Baby Nursery (that possibly smells like a barnyard), Princess Polar Bear Cave and Super Cat's Lair. The other door has a king-sized bed where kittens and midnight-zombie-strolling children think the proper position for sleeping is catty-wompus.

Someday the basement will probably need a ping-pong or pool table and a TV for R-Rated movies snuck in under our noses. But not today. Today its décor includes a giant fort using every single clean sheet and blanket in the house, a rack of old Halloween and dance recital costumes and super hero capes in every color of the rainbow. And Every. Lego. On. Planet. Earth.

Some days our house feels overwhelmingly claustrophobic with stuff and chaos and noise. The chorus of “MOM!” sung incessantly, demanding immediate attention. The tears, ears and rears that need constant wiping. The turning up of noses when you've spent a good amount energy on a new recipe. The battles waged into baths and beds. The sheer amount of crap that you amass when it's a cold Chicago winter and you can't play outside for way too long, or when it’s a warm spring day and the only way to make it to dinner includes a trip into the sand pit.

But not today. As I pour myself a glass of wine while those little cherubs are snug in their beds, my heart is full to the brim with gratefulness for our space where we LIVE. Our living, breathing, growing-with-us home.

So funny, so warm, so true. Sounds like someone I know... Thank you for sharing this perspective-shifting post, Heather!

Summer Bucket List 2018

School's almost out, and I'm already doing a happy dance. That's because this marks the first summer in six years of NO NAPS... which means we can be gone from home for longer than three or four hours at a time - woooohooo! 

In the coming days, we'll fall into the rhythm of chores and activities that we established last summer, featured in my post Mapping Out Summer. I'm pretty type-A (shocking, I know) so naturally I like some summer structure. We use a daily chore chart that looks a little something like this...

And a weekly activity chart that looks a little something like this...

For our field trip days, I'm looking forward to some longer outings. I recently got tons of great ideas from friends at Masterpiece Moms, a Chapelstreet Church group I'm blessed to co-facilitiate with dear friend Hillary Jarvis. So without further delay, here are three things on our 2018 Summer Bucket List:

MAGIC WATERS WATERPARK

Until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of Magic Waters Waterpark, 7820 Cherryvale N. Blvd., in Cherry Valley, Ill. I'm glad it's finally on my radar! Magic Waters has made serving guests with disabilities a central part of its experience. We will most certainly be making our way northwest this summer to check it out.

We took our family to the Wisconsin Dells this past winter and found the water park we visited a bit lacking in accessibility. Not so with Magic Waters. This water park has zero-depth entry to both its wave pool (Tsunami Bay) and lazy river (Splash Magic River). I can't tell you how incredibly hard it is to safely negotiate wet staircases when carrying a slippery 40 pound girl!

Magic Waters also has water wheelchairs available at Guest Services (how cool is this?!), and guests with disabilities can request a Quick Pass enabling the individual and his/her companion to move to the front of the line of an attraction. Can't wait to visit!

DEICKE PARK

Like Magic Waters Waterpark, Deicke Park (11419 IL-47, Huntley, Ill.) also came highly recommended by a Masterpiece Mom friend. While the park has lots of great amenities, it's most well known for its Deicke Discovery Zone. 

The Discovery Zone's greatest claim to fame? It's completely fenced in, with two gates. (I can think of a certain someone with twins who will be excited to hear about this...) Fencing is such a huge help for families with multiple children, or children prone to wander, or both! Knowing that my two younger girls will be contained, while I help Elsa access all that the park has to offer, is priceless.

Elsa, my eldest, uses a wheelchair and is able to take facilitated steps. Deicke Park's smooth rubber surface is great for both wheeling and walking. Plus, the layout is open and the design is cheery with lots of features at Elsa's height for exploration. Folks planning a trip: Park visitors recommend bringing along chalk for the park's "painted chalk wall" and sand toys for the sand pit.

DOWNTOWN NAPERVILLE

Last year we made a trip to nearby Naperville, Ill., and this year we're sure to be back once or twice. There is just so much to explore in the downtown area, which is super accessible and family friendly. Our 2017 trip included a stop at Anderson's Bookshop (123 W. Jefferson Ave.), and we'll be sure to do that again this year. We're eyeing the June 10 event with picture book authors Kathleen Doherty (DON'T FEED THE BEAR) and Jacob Grant (BEAR'S SCARE).

A new stop this year will be Centennial Beach (500 W. Jackson Ave.), which hosts Special Needs Nights throughout the summer. For $3/person, the beach is made available to special needs families from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the following Sundays: June 24, July 1, 15 and 29. Thanks for the head's up on these evenings, Masterpiece Moms! 

On days when the weather is rainy or too hot to be bearable, the DuPage Children's Museum will also be a stop. Accessibility is a commitment of this venue, too. Their offerings in this regard can be found HERE. A highlight is their Third Thursday series for special needs families, which features comfort dogs and sensory art projects. This summer's Third Thursday dates: June 20 and July 19.

We'll be sure to share photos and tales from our adventures. All of these activities are family friendly, regardless of your child's abilities. (Chicagoland friends, if you'd like to meet up at one of these places, let's coordinate!!)

The Creativity of Kids

After an eight-hour drive home from Nebraska, our youngest girls dug into their blocks and started building. The resulting world completely blew us away...

The dimension. The texture. The flow. Isn't it crazy awesome?

Though they designed the scene on a flat surface, their sprawling city moved. It was easy to visualize a central lake... or imagine rolling terrain beneath the sprawling structures. My husband's assessment pretty much nailed it: It's organic.

We are often tickled by the funny things that kids say and do. But not nearly often enough do we revel in the genius of their thinking. Their creative contributions are so raw and remarkable. My daughter's line work in this drawing, for example...

It resembles nothing I've ever seen. And the color combination is really unique. Ugh, I just LOVE it. I imagine it will be on our fridge for a long time. 

For more than a year, I've been writing picture books for kids. Why write for children age 4 to 8? The unencumbered exploration that comes naturally to kids in this age group inspires me so much.

A charge for grown-ups out there, myself included: Tune in to the vision of the littles around you. Learning is a two-way street, and the kids in our lives have so much to teach us. 

The Ultimate Busy Bag: A Guest Post by Lisa Barr

When it comes to family life, I do plan. But... I also leave a lot up in the air until the last minute. Things would certainly go more smoothly if I made planning a higher priority.

I love chatting with other moms and swapping tips and tricks. Sometimes seemingly insignificant tweaks in your routine can save massive headaches, avoid meltdowns and add hours of sleep to your entire household's day. Priceless stuff.

When my friend Lisa Barr starts sharing ideas, I listen. Here's Lisa and her crew...

Lisa has an endless supply of hacks and shortcuts. This spring break - whether you ascend 30,000 feet, or pile in the van for a long haul - grab a trick or two out of Lisa's ultimate travel bag.

In Lisa's words...

Stressing about upcoming travel with kids and what to pack? Traveling is hard, especially with children. Kids get bored, tired and restless in any circumstance, and especially if they sit in one spot for awhile.

Take a look inside what I call the Ultimate Busy Bag - designed to keep your child occupied on long trips, no matter where you're going.

Here are 20 things to keep in mind when packing your personal busy bag to ease the strain of traveling with kids this Spring Break:

The Ultimate Busy Bag

Tip #1: Only allow the kids to do one activity at a time. It prevents them from getting everything out at once and allows you to pace the timing of activities. I pack my bag with little surprises so that it's fun for them to see what comes next.

Tip #2: Store items in plastic bags so the contents stay organized and are easy to grab when needed. Plus, gallon bags are clear and you can easily see what's inside. 

Tip #3: Pack books. Reading books keeps the kids engaged and quiet. Plus, whenever you get where you are going, you will have some books to read throughout the day and before bed. 

Tip #4: What little kid doesn’t love a variety of stickers? My girls love to draw scenes then decorate with them. We keep a variety bag of stickers handy when we travel. I find the books at the Dollar Tree and in the dollar bin at Target.

Tip #5: Keep markers, pencils and crayons in a zip top bag or pouch that's easily accessible, so the kids can help themselves. 

Tip #6: My older girls are girly-girls. So when I see princess items in the dollar section of a store, I pick them up. I recently picked up a fun bag full of pencils, erasers, a notebook and highlighters. 

Tip #7: New coloring books are always fun and an activity that can be repeated throughout the trip.

Tip #8: Reusable sticker pads have been a favorite of ours since the kids were around age 2. The Melissa and Doug stickers are easy to peel off and can be repositioned over and over again to create different scenes. We take the pages out of the book so that it is easier to decorate a page one at a time. 

Tip #9: These little felt activity books I found in the dollar bin at Target have matching, counting, colors, and tic tac toe. They even have a little pocket inside to store all the loose felt pieces. 

Tip #10: I love activities that can engage the kids and help them learn at the same time. The Doodle Tin by Usborne (below) contains 80 wipe-clean doodling cards with a dry-erase marker that allows kids to create and draw. 

Tip #11: Water Wow On the Go pads are an absolute must-have. They allow kids to draw and color without the mess of paint... just water. They dry quickly so that kids can paint again and again.

Tip #12: We love these alphabet cards that help kids trace letters and write their letters on their own with a dry-erase marker that is included.

Tip #13: Puzzles! We love puzzles and bring a few that are smaller and easy to put on our laps. The puzzles with the built in wood boards on the back are the best for travel. I store the pieces in a plastic bag so that they don’t get lost in transit. 

Tip #14: Small play-doh containers are the best for travel. They are the perfect amount to play with and don’t take up a lot of room. You can find these at Five Below.

Tip #15: All of my children love lace-up cards. My 14-month-old son loves to undo them, and my girls love to lace them up. It is a great hand-eye coordination activity that also works on fine motor skills. 

Tip #16: Don’t forget to include your kids favorite games, like Bingo. Card games also are easy to include in your bag and keep their attention for awhile.

Tip #17: Traveling with children age 9 months to 2 years is H A R D. Keeping their attention is nearly impossible, and they want to either crawl or walk the enter time. I keep a bag or two of small tinker toys for the younger kids. These are hand-size toys that they can grasp and put in there mouth, which make noises, light up or move.

Tip #18: I also keep a bag full of bite-sized candies as rewards for patient and good behavior. It helps to encourage the kids to behave while stuck in a confined place - which isn't easy. 

Tip #19: To keep things interesting, I try to change the scene about every 20 minutes. Whether that is a new activity, a snack, a surprise, a trip to the bathroom to stretch the legs, or just a little treat.

Tip #20: Perhaps most importantly... store your busy bag in a closet when you get home, so these activities are saved for traveling. Then they’ll be new, fun and exciting for the next trip, too!

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Awesome tips, Lisa - and just in time for a lot of Spring Break travelers. For more of Lisa's ideas, follow her on Instagram at @lifewith_raisingthebarrs

Safe travels this Spring Break and Happy Easter!

World Read Aloud Day 2018

Happy World Read Aloud Day!

If you're unfamiliar with this annual event, the organization LitWorld created #WorldReadAloudDay to encourage people around the globe to read aloud together, as a form of advocacy of literacy as a human right that belongs to all people. Who can't get behind that?

The read aloud experience is such a special thing. Books come alive anytime they're read, but when someone reads aloud, it creates bonds - to the words, and to those in the room. 

I read to the girls throughout the day, and quite often at meal times. In our house, we have eager readers, but reluctant eaters. A spoonful of literary theater helps the applesauce go down!

Bedtime books, however, are my husband's territory. Dan loves this time with the girls. His favorite book to read aloud? Sesame Street classic The Monster at the End of This Book. Its binding is loose and shifty, and bites have been taken out of the corners. A well-loved book is such a beautiful thing.

This World Read Aloud Day 2018 (#WRAD2018 on Twitter), I wanted to shine a spotlight on the magic that takes place when dads read aloud to their kids. So I asked seven fathers from across the country to share which books they treasure reading to those they treasure most.

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A Lion in Paris by Beatrice Alemagna

Andy Alexander (Texas)

"I like this book because it’s about discovery - discovering a new place and finding confidence in yourself on an adventure. The artwork and maps are also excellent."

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

Chris Lang (Nebraska)

"The book is great for a bit older kids and adults - the magic and mystery make the reading fun and get the kids really excited about what’s next."

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The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak

Steve Chung (Missouri)

"The kids make reading this book so much fun. It is all about making us adults say funny sounds and silly things, and they just love hearing us say crazy stuff." 

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Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Jerry Nwosuocha (Illinois)

"I always appreciated the art work and even as an adult it reminds me of our wonderful human imagination."

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Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney

Nick Kinney (Michigan)

“The boys love anything with big engines - especially construction related - so this book is perfect. It’s fun to read, the pictures are great and the boys can make the noises as we read along.”

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Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Robby Boroff (Ohio)

"This is my go-to because it's such a classic and I love how my daughter remembers the words so easily and can now read along."

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Doggies by Sandra Boynton

Andrew Heck (New York)

"I love to read it loud because it usually makes them giggle."

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Thank you, fine fellows, for sharing these precious moments! 

This World Read Aloud Day, make time read to someone you love and share the gift of literacy. Ah, what a gift it is!

How to Organize in Style: A Guest Post by Johanna Patterson

We love our home, but man - some things about it have really stumped us. Why is there no logical place for a TV in the family room? Why is the dining room so impossibly small? And the most vexing question of all: Where does that fridge ultimately need to land?

For FOUR YEARS, Dan and I have walked around in circles on the first floor, trying to determine the best possible use of the space. Finally, we lost our minds. We needed a fresh set of eyes on it. We needed a plan.

Enter Johanna Patterson, one of my sister Betsy's dear friends, pictured here with her beautiful family of five.

Johanna is a fantastic interior stylist and blogger. Her online magazine 5th and James is filled with relatable, approachable tips: Home styling with a side of life. You will be blown away by her personal fixer upper, featured HERE. The lady has vision.

Johanna - who helps people create beautiful spaces through her freelance styling business- worked up a new layout and flow for our home, and WHEW! It feels so good to have a plan. She also gave us a beautiful mood/inspo board, which completely nailed my favorite colors, textiles and finishes.

Now that school is back in session, a lot of us are in need of another kind of plan. One for family life organization. Oh no worries, Johanna's got that too! Here's a guest post from this savvy, stylish momma.

In Johanna's words...   

In my mind, when my husband and I decided to have children, I had visions of peace and harmony and skipping through life hand in hand. I thought immediately about all of the memories we’d make together as “a family." I imagined snuggling them as infants, swinging them at the park as toddlers and being their most trusted confidant as they neared adulthood. But I never considered the logistics it would take to actually get there. I never pictured myself yelling from the back door, “PLEASE. put. on. your. shoes.” 

Now: I am no parenting expert. I’m sure there are plenty of people who could weigh in on advice for what we all should do so that we don’t have to tell our darling children more than once to put on their shoes. I’m not that person. My children are 8, 6 and 4. They are the loves on my life. I adore every single part of them. But when they play house, they play “we’re late." My bad. 

To combat this type of insanity (make no mistake, telling a tiny human 78 times to put protection on their feet before stepping out into the frigid snow is nothing less than pure insanity), I started doing a few small things every day to help us all stay sane. As I alluded, in our house the things that trip us up the most are getting dressed and out the door. And the key to it all: organization. I know, nothing ground breaking, but none the less the magic ingredient to a Nice Mommy. And, because I like things to look pretty, and function easily, for me the key was to organize in style. And you can too. I promise. 

1. Schedule

Like many people, I keep our life organized in my phone. I love the google calendar that allows us to share and update our activities on the go. If I schedule an appointment that is divergent from our regular weekly schedule, such as a doctor’s appointment, I always select an alert to go off on my phone so that I can be reminded mid Costco run that I have a half hour to get out of there and into the waiting room.

But what I think is the key to keeping our schedule organized is breaking it down week by week at home, in real ink, the old fashioned way. We have come a long way in attractive planning systems. My favorite is this one from Pottery Barn. It allows you to view your whole month at a glance. You can color code different family members activities and keep important paperwork close by with the coordinating letter bins and pin-boards or whatever your space allows. 

Another idea is to just have an old fashioned planner. I have a planner always out on my counter. Every Sunday night, I flip to the next week ahead and fill in all of our activities from my master calendar on my phone. It not only serves as a reminder for me of what is coming up, but very often there is something that I need to do to prepare for an activity, and I then write that on the adjacent to-do list page. This way, as I head into the week, I feel organized and on top of things. Even when I have a hectic week and a packed to-do list.

I like to keep a running weekly to-do list and nothing satisfies me more than crossing things off that list. At the end of the week if items remain on that to-do list, I move it to the top of the list for the next week. This system makes me feel organized headed into each week, and doesn’t stress me out too badly over the things coming up in the following weeks. They aren’t bulky or a big jumbled mess on the refrigerator; they keep your life organized and your home polished. 

2. Plan Outfits Ahead of Time

I have two girls in my mix who are particular about what they wear right down to the coordinating accessories. In my experience, that isn’t something we can just throw together at the last minute. For us, the key to happiness here is setting out outfits the night before. That way it gives us plenty of time to set out the shoes and the tights and the hair accessories and all the fun that comes with getting a little girl dressed. (I do this for my son, as well. It just isn’t as involved.) 

An organized closet is the ticket to making this process painless. Invest in a closet organization system or have a local carpenter make one custom for you. Before you do so, think about the way you’ll use the closet. Gage for the amount of hanging clothes you have, the things that you want to be tucked away in drawers, and the things you’ll need shelf space for. We have an historic home, and even in our small closets, we were able to carve out space for organization.  When you can see everything you have, you are more inclined to wear it and the easier it is for little hands to reach, the more inclined our kids are to put their stuff away on their own. Can I get an AMEN?!

3. Double Up Downstairs

One day I was at my friend's house sitting in her kitchen when she opened a drawer at her island and pulled out a hairbrush. Eureka! Pure brilliance. She has four children; this was not her first rodeo.

In our house, we now keep toothpaste and a toothbrush for each child tucked away in the powder room drawer as well as a brush, rubber bands and detangling spray. After my kids get dressed each morning they come downstairs to eat breakfast. After breakfast we brush teeth and hair right there downstairs, grab our backpacks and go. Everything gets tucked away nicely in the drawer, and the next guest to use our powder room is none the wiser. 

4. A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

I completely missed the memo on how much stuff we would accrue as a family. Backpacks, bags, shoes, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, boots, umbrellas, unicorns…. you know the drill. I needed a place for it all right when we came in the door to avoid the Hansel and Gretel style trail of personal items dropped throughout the house. For us, this came in the form of built in cubbies. Everyone has their own space, and there is a place for everything. Double hooks for backpacks and bags and coats; space for shoes, baskets for sunglasses, hats and mittens.  Basically, everything you need to get out the door. If you don’t have a spot for cubbies, there are really stylish wall systems now such as this one that make organizing a breeze. Or, even a set of hooks and baskets at child height in a front hall closet helps. The goal is really just to avoid the most annoying maternal question of all, 14 seconds before you’re supposed to be in the car, “Mom, where is my ______.”

5. A Dump Basket

Even the most organized of us all will still find their kids carrying around things (and leaving them around the house) and ask themselves, “where DOES that go?” Fidget spinners, mashems, lego creations, stuffed animals. For these such items, I keep a basket on the stairs.  When I come across an abandoned toy, it goes in the basket. At the end of the day, the kids are responsible for emptying the basket and putting its contents away. It usually takes them about five minutes, and it allows them to decide where that particular invaluable piece of plastic will live. Often times people will pop in my house and say, “I can’t believe three kids live here.  Where is all of their stuff?” My secret is: it’s in the basket. It’s out of my sight, and off my couch and they are in charge. I’m all about the win/win. 

Beautiful function is the key to this mama's happiness. It leaves time to have fun together and enjoy the millions of little things my kids do that I don’t want to miss. It frees up headspace otherwise occupied with anxiety about what lies ahead, and it’s nice to look at, too. Kids do not have to equal clutter. You just have to organize in style. 

Johanna is available for limited consultation services. For more, visit her blog 5th and James. You also can follow Johanna on Instagram at @5th_and_james.

Summer Bucket List: Anderson's Bookshop Naperville

Summer is winding down, and it's now or never for bucket list items. One at the top of my list for this season was a trip to nearby independent bookseller Anderson's Bookshop Naperville.

As a picture book writer and blogger, and a resident of Chicago's western burbs, I've been dreaming about getting over there since moving out of the city (and quite near Naperville). But life has been, shall we say, busy? Now that my three girls are a little older (the eldest is just starting kindergarten), we aren't so married to the sleep-eat-sleep merry-go-round and can get out of the house for four hours at a time. Baby steps.

So this summer, off we went to Anderson's!

Our crew met for the morning with the fam of fellow Chicagoland picture book writer Lisa Katzenberger. Lisa read our kids HERE COMES DESTRUCTO-SAURUS! by Aaron Reynolds, an author who recently visited Anderson's for a book signing. Super fun book with fantastic illustrations.

While I was doing my best to have a coherent chat with Lisa, my girls kept bringing me book after book after book. Future publicists? It is the family biz! I gave each title a good look before trying to find its native real estate. It was a battle I was never intended to win.

One book they proudly shared: WHEN PENNY MET POTUS. I'm Twitter pals with the book's lovely author, Rachel Ruiz, and knew her paperback edition was out. It was so exciting to get to see it firsthand and share it with my girls. Fabulous, fabulous book, Rachel!

At every turn in Anderson's, I was struck by the heart that went into the details. Just look at this hand-written color-coded schedule of events... 

I especially adored their themed displays, including a section devoted to "books to bring to a baby shower," which prominently featured Kelly DiPucchio's LITTLES: AND HOW THEY GROW (Here's my Author Spotlight with Kelly). The browsing experience was top notch.

Anderson's also prominently displays the work of local and visiting writers. I smiled when I spotted Renee Rosen's WINDY CITY BLUES (I met Renee at a recent writing conference, where she dropped a crazy amount of knowledge about book marketing). 

Our primary objectives for the visit were to explore the store, connect with Lisa and her kids, and leave with a very specific set of monsters. We did all three. Here's us test driving WHAT MAKES A MONSTER? by Jess Keating. As predicted, we determined it was an excellent fit for my non-fiction loving nephew. 

After a morning of great fun (despite my young tornados - my sincere apologies Anderson's staff!), we spent a good long while in downtown Naperville. It was lovely. The last time I had been in the city's center it was winter. What a difference a change of the seasons can make.

We lunched and made wishes at the fountain... (I countered the girls' wish for a baby brother with a wish for NO baby brother...)

Meandered down the river path...

And at long last said goodbye...

All three girls were asleep before we hit Mill Street on the short drive home. Thank you Anderson's for the gem that you are to locals and visitors alike, and for all that you do to support writers and the import of the physical book.

Adventures in Meal Making: A Guest Post by Madelyn Dow

Adventure means something different in every decade of life. For instance, my 20s were all about relationships, career, travel and food. My 30s have been an adventure in marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship and writing. And food. Still food. Always food. 

It's a love I share with one of my very best friends, Madelyn Dow. While we both still relish going out to eat and commandeering the kitchen, we do far less of these things these days in Chicagoland, since our littles have entered the equation. So now we cook when we can, but not quite as we once did.

Backing up a bit, Madelyn and I met as flatmates in London a lifetime ago. Well, 16 years to be exact. I couldn't seem to find a picture of us from 2001, but I did find this one from eight years ago, when I had the time and energy to be both tan and blonde... Madelyn hasn't changed one single bit.

Madelyn is extremely modest, so let me just brag on her for a quick second. This is one amazing cook. She has made some legendary meals for her friends and family. Her menus are adventurous but not fussy. Her dishes are inspired but not over the top. She is faithful to seasonal ingredients and everything is always delicious. 

Because she is a natural entertainer, Madelyn makes it all look so very easy. You feel her joy for it in her preparations and presentations. It's a blessing being on the receiving end of her warmth, generosity and love - in the kitchen and in every facet of life. 

Madelyn has shared a post with us about what cooking looks like for her these days, and she keeps it real! Through the hustle and bustle of parenthood, she makes time to create special foods for and with her kids. You'll love these recipes! And these kids, too. I mean...

In Madelyn's words...

Before having kids, eating was basically my primary hobby. I would scour every “Best of Chicago” list and plan my nights and weekends around the food I could try. I made elaborate meals on the reg and tried to go to every farmers market in Chicago one summer (see Madelyn Goes to Market #failedblog).

To no one's surprise, very little of this was possible the moment our daughter Ima arrived. My husband and I would still try to go out to eat from time to time and would even drag our little along, sometimes in the hopes she would learn to appreciate food as much as we do by osmosis. But with the post-work, pre-bedtime weeknight rush, meals at home were typically more boxed mac and cheese and frozen burritos and less multi-step homemade dinners whipped up from my farmers markets finds.

When our son Elliott came along, the conundrum was compounded even further. Simplicity and convenience were of utmost importance. If I couldn't order it online or make it in 15 minutes, it wasn't happening. On weekends though I tried to find ways to make food in whatever time I had.

When Ima started on solids, I made homemade purées with combos like pear and cardamom, in an attempt to make her a more adventurous eater (let me be real though... while my daughter was amenable to this, Elliott won't touch anything green and would eat pizza for every meal if we let him). Or, when Elliott was sleeping a ton during the day at first and Ima and I had some alone time, we started to bake and make things together. She loved measuring ingredients and pouring (what 2-year-old doesn't?), so we made something every Friday on my day off.

Now that I stay home with my kids full time, we try to make something outside of our regular meals at least once a week. I still keep it simple and only make things with them that can be done in 15 minutes or so in the event of a meltdown, blowout or my son trying to eat my dog's food, which happens on a daily basis (side note: why, oh why is he okay with dog food but not black bean quesadillas or sesame green beans or most things we make for dinner?? I'll never understand). 

Here are a few warm weather recipes that fit all of my criteria and also make great after school snacks:

• Kids love to eat them
• Kids can get involved in making them
• They can be made in short windows (before something goes awry)
• They are sort of healthy, or at least not terrible for the kids

The first are homemade watermelon popsicles. Since setting out to make popsicles, I've found so many recipes out there that have little to no added sugar and that the kids still think are a treat. This recipe from The Kitchn is one of those.

I bought a giant watermelon recently and despite eating it every day, we still had tons left. So my daughter helped me combine all the ingredients in the blender and pour them into the molds to make these popsicles - just three ingredients. (Note: you'll need some sort of popsicle mold. I bought this set on Amazon, and it's stood the test of many popsicle making sessions.) 

The other food that we've made and my kids can't get enough of are these super easy refrigerator pickles from Smitten Kitchen.

It's like a pickle eating contest between my son and daughter when we make them... amazing given Elliott's opposition to anything green.

The recipe calls for specific kinds of cucumbers, but I've made them with whatever I have on hand or could find at the grocery and they've always been sooooo good. We decided to grow dill in our backyard this year, which was the best decision ever given my little pickle lovers, plus they love to pick the dill before we make these. Ima also loves combining the ingredients and both kids get in on the shaking action. 

While this may be a far cry from fine dining, I like to think of it as fun way of getting the kids involved in making some good homemade food with delicious summer ingredients. Hope you and your families enjoy too!

Thank you Madelyn! I hope this post has provided a few ideas on how to involve the littles in your meal making and introduce them to new flavors and textures, without stress and crazy expectations. The popsicles will definitely be getting a go at our house...

The Joy of Dad Fun

Now that August is here, it sure seems like our carefree summer days are numbered. So the other evening, our family of five did something we don't often do: We headed to the park for some post-dinner play.

When we arrived, I assumed my natural position - sitting on a swing with Elsa, my eldest - while our younger daughters ran all over the park. Swinging is my fave, plus I love giving Elsa (who is 5 years old and not yet walking) a big dose of sensory input.

After about 20 minutes of swinging with Elsa on my lap, I shouted to my husband: "Hey Dan, can you do something fun with Els for a bit?"

Here's a video of what they did...

"Something fun" comes so easily to Dan. What he dreams up to do with her is never something I would think to do. I'm so oriented to schedule and consistency. Dan honors all of those routines, but he also knows how to shake things up and maximize fun. I'm so thankful that she has this balance in her life!

Watching Dan give Elsa such exciting experiences fills up my heart to the very top. There is "mom fun," and there is "dad fun." Cheers to dads everywhere - especially to the man who leads our home - for the spontaneity and joy you bring to your family.

Tips from a Fitness Queen: 3 Ways to Save Your Back

Our daughter Elsa is nearing 40 pounds, and she isn't quite walking yet. That means my husband and I carry her more or less everywhere. 

Up and down the stairs... 

In and out of the car... 

Into and out of adaptive equipment... 

The maneuvering is often tricky, requiring small twists and jerks. Not so good for our backs. (Here's a video of me helping Elsa around the playground, a good example of how we often hunch over to support her.)

A few months ago, I started experiencing extreme back pain. To work out the kinks, I would spend 20 minutes of my one-hour workout time simply stretching and massaging my back on a foam roller. At night I would crawl into bed aching, only to be greeted by the same stiffness all over again the next morning, except slightly worse. 

Lucky for me, I have a dear friend in Hillary Jarvis.

Hillary and I co-facilitate Masterpiece Moms, a Chapelstreet Church program that supports moms of kids with special needs. (Hillary recently led our group in a talk on self-care.)

God saw to it that Hillary and I connected about three years ago, when Hillary and her family left the South and returned to Chicagoland. Hillary's daughter Olivia also has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, and when she started researching doctors, she specifically sought out an experienced pediatrician who may have treated at least ONE other child with WHS. She found just that. Our mutual pediatrician and our daughter Elsa.

Today Hillary is one of my dearest friends. We have so much in common, besides our daughters' diagnoses. One of those things is having a serious side hustle. For me, it's writing. For Hillary, it's fitness. (Check out her incredible free workouts on the HillaryJ YouTube Channel.)

Which brings us back to why I came to Hillary with my back pain. I knew she'd understand, and I knew she'd have ideas for helping. She gave me three easy exercises to do. And THEY WORK. I seldom complain about my back anymore, and that's not because Elsa's getting lighter! 

Here's a video of the exercises that have helped me so much:

We all can make excuses for not exercising or stretching, but don't try your excuses on Hillary! Her advice: Make your excuse your reason. She works out because Olivia can't - which always shuts me right up! 

Thank you Hillary for sharing your talents and gifts, and your fierce friendship and support, E V E R Y single day.