For me, the Holidays are all about spending that extra time with loved ones. Unfortunately, the holidays is also the busiest season of the year for me and admittedly, it is not always the easiest to find balance. Trying to figure out how to juggle all the mom stuff and figuring out how to take full advantage of the holiday season with my blog is a lot to handle. Since Elia has started to become more interested in food and cooking, I decided I would combine my two worlds together and let her ... [ Read More ]
NYC Kids Club is Coming to Chicago!
If you've been following along, you know Elia and I made a trip to New York City in September to check out NY Kids Club. They are heading to Chicago early next year and I wanted to see what they were all about! Simply put, we had the absolute BEST time while we were there and it didn't take long for me to realize that this is where Elia needs to go to Preschool. Look how much fun this little nugget had! What I loved most about our visit, was seeing how the arts are such an integral part of ... [ Read More ]
5 Tips To Planning the Perfect Childs Playdate
I swear, everyday I’m learning something new as I navigate this whole, "new mom" thing. Elia is almost a year and a half and she's finally starting to get to an age where her little personality is blossoming. As most of you know, I elected not to put Elia in daycare, so she spent much of her first year hanging out with me, my husband and our nanny Chi Chi. When Elia turned one, I began to feel like I really need to get her interacting with more kids. I talked to my mom squad (every girl needs ... [ Read More ]
An Afternoon with Elia and Me
If you ask any Mom, most of them will tell you that having a routine for your baby or toddler is a key factor for success. Not only does the predictability make them a happier baby, but it helps you figure out which chunks of time you will have available to do other things (like shower). The mornings are usually a breeze for us since she wakes up at 7:30 and goes back to sleep from 9:30am-11am. The afternoons, however, are a bit more difficult to navigate since I have about 4 hours before she ... [ Read More ]
Why I Choose the Table almost Every Night!
Life is hectic. I get it more than anyone. There is always a work e-mail to be answered, a text to reply to or mess to clean up. It's just so easy to get disconnected from the ones you love and frankly, it's not ok. Call me judgmental, but I think it's SO important to put the phone down and take a few minutes to really be in the moment with your family every single day. For me, I choose the kitchen table as the place to reconnect with my daughter and husband almost every single night. It's ... [ Read More ]
Baby’s First Year of Doctor’s Appointments: What to Expect
Believe it or not, I have a one-year old! People always tell me to cherish every moment because it will fly by. In this case, boy, were they right. As a first time Mom, I had NO idea what to expect with regards to anything. Having survived my first year of motherhood, my goal now is to decode and demystify this world so that other new Moms can have a little easier time navigating it. Basically, I want to cut through the fluff, get straight to the point and give you all the facts with no sugar ... [ Read More ]
Elia’s First Birthday Party – A Unicorn Wonderland
I seriously cannot believe I am the mother of a 1-year old. This year flew by so quickly. Planning your child's first birthday is hard for a few reasons: 1. You have no idea what they would like for a theme. Or, if you miraculously figure out how to decode your baby, you probably won't be able to do much with what they like. If I had to guess, Elia would probably have picked "cheese" as her theme, since it's the only thing she will eat or say. 2. Your child probably doesn't have a ton ... [ Read More ]
Why I chose Baby’s Only Organic Formula by Nature’s One!
I've partnered up with Nature's One, maker of Baby's Only Organic Formula to tell you how their formula literally changed my daughter's life. If you've been following me for a while, it should come as no surprise that Elia has been formula-fed exclusively since she was about one month old. My decision to formula feed was one of the hardest choices I've ever had to make. I struggled internally and found myself slipping into a depression over it. When I came out the other side, I actually wrote ... [ Read More ]
A Travel Agency For Kids is Opening in Chicago!
What if I told you that on March 18th, your kids could get a round-trip ticket to Planet of Evil Unicorns, Stinky Broccoli Forest or Cotton Candy Swamp? Well, get their bags packed, because it's happening! Let's face it, now more than ever, kids aren't being given the opportunity to stretch their imagination. With all the screen-time distractions and video games, it's just going to keep getting more difficult. Well, Radio Flyer is set-out to change all that by opening up the first ever travel ... [ Read More ]
Elia’s First Family Day Trip: Apple Holler
For the last 3 years, Dan and I have made an annual trip out to Apple Holler to go apple picking, stock up on apple cider donuts and just get out of downtown Chicago for the day. In fact, I distinctly remember on our trip last year, I had a conversation with Dan about how this may be the last time we here as the two of us. Well, I was right!This year we had our permanent plus one and it was a totally different experience than it has been in the past (and we loved every second of it). I had so ... [ Read More ]