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This post is sponsored by Tempur-Pedic, the brand millions of owners trust to deliver their best night’s sleep every night. Enjoy our Buy 2, get 1 free pillow offer now and give the gift of custom comfort to someone you love. Thanksgiving comes this week and with it the official start of the winter holiday season. [...] Rock star-themed paper goods helped complete the look. One of the most viewed West of the Loop posts ever is this one about Zuzu’s 7th birthday party which was a DIY American Girl Doll party. Remember? That was the party where I made tiny doll-sized food. I’ll admit that that was a little hard-core. The [...] Zuzu demos how to drink hot chocolate with wet nails. Raise your hand if you are a mom who has ever hired a babysitter so that you could get a mani-pedi or a bikini wax or, dear Lord, just get your highlights done. I seriously don’t know any mom who hasn’t done this at some [...] My beloved father in happier times As some of you know, my beloved father passed away last month. He had courageously battled an extremely aggressive malignant brain tumor for 18 months before finally succumbing. Since my father’s death, heartfelt notes and tributes have poured in from all corners. Here is a link to my father’s [...] This girl is ready for third grade…and maybe a poetry slam. I'm not sure. Zuzu started third grade a few weeks ago and she is feeling very grown-up indeed. Elementary schools all have their cherished hierarchies and rituals and kids take pride in reaching new milestones. This year, for the first time, Zuzu’s classroom is on [...] Stylish organization from Blue Sky My children both head back to school in a few weeks. This fall is shaping up to be our busiest one ever. Now that Zuzu is in third grade, her schedule is jam-packed with activities. I don’t think of myself as one of those parents who overschedules her child, but [...] Watching the surfers from Ocean Beach Pier Part 1: San Diego With Kids This post originally appeared earlier this week on my new blogging community, The Chicago Moms. I hope that you will swing by and check out some of great voices being featured there. One of my favorite parts of being a parent is introducing my children to the books and movies that I loved as a kid. Now that Zuzu is [...] So, Zuzu is my mini-me, even more so from the back! For the past few months, it has felt like interactions with my daughter are limited to: “Zuzu, do your homework.” “Zuzu, practice piano!” “Zuzu, your room is a mess.” “No Zuzu, you can’t watch the episode of ’Sonny with a Chance” where Sonny discovers there are two Chads [...] This post originally appeared earlier this week on my new blogging community, The Chicago Moms. I hope that you will swing by and check out some of great voices being featured there. Outdoor concerts are great for all ages. Not so much the Symphony. I have written before about my love for the CSO’s Kraft Family Matinee series. This series [...] Lately, J.R. has been our own Boy Wonder. When my husband was in college, he and his best friend had a theory that things could only be going well for one of them at a time. If one was up, the other was inevitably down. Who knew that was also true with children? Since turning four at [...] "Ooh! I just hate those green pigs!" Saturday was a big day for seven-year-old Zuzu. After months of saving all of her allowance, birthday money, Hanukkah gelt and Tooth Fairy loot, she finally had enough to buy her heart’s desire: an iPod Touch. I escorted the future tycoon to the Apple store where a nice, tattooed twenty-something named [...] This post originally appeared earlier this week on my new blogging community, The Chicago Moms. I hope that you will swing by and check out some of great voices being featured there. My daughter was ushered into a sorority yesterday: the sisterhood of the pierced ear. As I explained in a post written last September, I had originally told Zuzu [...] Our temple has a book fair in the fall featuring “Jewish” books for adults and kids. I use what my mother calls “cutesy quotes” around the word “Jewish” because the definition of a Jewish book in this context is fairly broad, ranging from books about Jewish religious practice and the latest Holocaust novel to anything by [...] Symphony Center decorated for the Hallowed Haunts concert This post originally appeared earlier this week on my new blogging community, The Chicago Moms. I hope that you will swing by and check out some of great voices being featured there. Doesn’t it feel like Halloween has gone from being a one-day holiday to a month-long death march of costumes, parties [...] Sunday dinner: flank steak, potato-celery root puree and creamed kale. We have come so far with Zuzu’s food allergies that I am in danger of becoming complacent about them. In the past six months, she has been cleared to eat wheat, eggs that are baked in a batter and now milk that is baked in [...] I am absolutely swamped this week grading briefs for the legal writing class that I teach at a local law school and working on an exciting new blogging assignment for a local media outlet. So, sadly, I am temporarily neglecting both my children and my blog. Just so no one has to keep looking at that [...] This post originally appeared earlier this week on my new blogging community, The Chicago Moms. I hope that you will swing by and check out some of great voices being featured there. When your child is a baby, your pediatrician, your mom, your friends and all the books will tell you at what age your baby should sit up, wave, [...] Blueberry muffins with a crunchy, lemony streusel top Now that Zuzu has been cleared to eat wheat and baked eggs, my assistant pastry chef, J.R., and I have been baking up a storm. The only ingredient that I now have to avoid is dairy — other than nuts and peanuts of course – and it is quite easy [...] |
 
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