Friday Round Up 3/4/19 - Technically a Monday Mash Up

Things have been kind of wild & crazy around our house during the month of February. And unfortunately, not in the most fun ways :( Some snow, then rain, then freezing temps, then ice, then do it all over again has left us feeling a bit, shall we say, under the weather. Like the February weather was a horribly wet, icy blanket we all wore around endlessly! I am pleased that this longest shortest month has come to a close & am doing this one mash up to account for the whole month!! Here we go!

1. Article to read/podcasts to check out

5 Ways Lawnmower Parents Hurt More Than They Help

Some takeaways I had from this article - none are rocket science or really even new to me - maybe I appreciated this article because it reaffirmed the way I try to parent?? Struggle is good. Dealing with life's little difficulties & discomforts prepares kids to be high functioning adults. Natural consequences are some of life's best teachers. 

NPR's new series of podcasts called LifeKit

So far they've produced episodes on Health, Money & Parenting  - I listened to all 3 in their "Eat Your Way to a Healthier Life" series in one nap time & loved them. Admittedly, I could think/talk/hear about food all day long - so its not too much of a stretch for me. But it was a lot of good reminder type information. A good reminder that white/refined carbs are processed by our body in the same way as refined/white sugar. A good reminder that 1/2 of my plate should be filled with fruits & veggies every meal (man I have a long way to go on this one :( A good reminder that not every diet is created equal & not everyone should try to follow the same diet. I look very forward to listening to more of what they have to offer!

2. Visiting an old friend

Man, there's nothing like visiting an old college roommate to make you miss your college days. The days that were almost wholly unplanned/unstructured, the days that left hours for chatting over coffees, meals, drinks. The days that melted into late nights without anyone seeming to notice. I miss most of all that time to just "be" with my close friends. Not a girls night out, not a book club, not a coffee date, but just time to be. Literally just hanging out. 

The closest I can come to recreating that feeling is a weekend away visiting my friend Lauren (& her lovely husband - also a Chris & their beautiful daughter Kate - who is near in age to the Bug) on my own. I had a 5.5ish hour drive with nothing to do but listen to music and catch up on podcasts. And eat all the snacks. Whats a long drive without all the snacks??

We enjoyed a lazy weekend together of just hanging out. Lauren & I had the luxury of time alone together (eating out, shopping, getting coffees) to really talk. And, in my case anyway, not have to spell out the bevvy of swear words I use. It was a delightful weekend & I am quite thankful Lauren & Chris did not balk at my inviting myself :) Thanks guys!!

3. Skating on the golf course

Despite the fact that Chris ended up mildly concussed on this adventure (see above re: my overall happiness at February's conclusion!) Lulu & I had fun skating on the glassy ice that covered the public golf course near our house.

See above re: how over this strange weather I am...... but in this case -the cold snap came without any wind & the puddles froze over as smoothly as a freshly Zamboni-ed rink!! 

Our neighborhood has many perks - one of our most favorite is the golf course. I must admit I didn't expect it to ever offer us a nearby place to ice skate!!

4. Bobo & Lulu laughing

This happened the night Lulu & I arrived home from our week in Colorado. Chris got stuck on a delayed train, so wasn't able to come & pick us up from O'Hare at the time we'd planned on. Thank goodness my parents were willing to come for us.........and then let us stay for dinner with them :) Lulu now asks to watch this video by saying "BoBo DuDu ha ha ha" yes, you read that right - Lulu doesn't have her "L" sound nailed down quite yet :)

How was your longest shortest month? Were you hoping it was over as quickly as I was?? Or did you & your family have a better month??

Friday Round Up 10/5/18 - Don't Pave 10 Campaign, Simple Ways to Encourage Brain Development in Babies, Bike the Ridge

Happy Friday all! Hope you enjoyed Wednesday's blast of summer weather! 

1. Don't Pave 10 Campaign
We are so lucky to live on a community resource such as Canal Shores Golf Course. I am not a huge golfer by any stretch of the imagination - but I use Canal Shores for its beautiful green space almost daily. Lulu & I walk Owenn, we walk just the 2 of us, Chris will run the course in the early morning, we play in the snow & cross country ski there during the winter, its a fantastic, giant park open to all. Seasonally you must be willing to yield to the golfers........but that is what it is I suppose. 

Unfortunately there is a request for an easement to allow a private entity to pave much of hole #10 on the course. Once this happens, there will be no going back to the green space that was once there. I oppose the paving over of a beautiful natural community resource - I hope you do to. Click the link above to find out ways to speak out and speak up about this issue. I sent an email to all the people listed including this photo  - I hope it helps.

2. Simple Parenting Advice
I read this article on NPR.com "5 Simple Ways to Encourage Brain Development In Your Little One"   - it really resonated with me. What delightfully simple things we can all do to foster healthy brain development in babies, our own & those around us. I figure the more eyeballs that see this piece- the better off our babies are. Win, win, win all the way around.

3. Bike the Ridge

I'm a sucker for community events. I love seeing people come together, often outdoors, to enjoy simple stuff that makes up the fabric of our community. People, food, music, it doesn't take much for folks to have an awesome time! This event, Bike the Ridge (which I assume is modeled after the City of Chicago's Bike the Drive event), happened last Sunday & was our first time participating. 

Lots of people turned out to ride bikes up and down Ridge, which is, on a normal day, off limits to bikes because it is so godforsakenly narrow for the 4 lanes of car traffic. So for one Sunday a year- the road is closed to cars & bikes get to have their run of it! The novelty is really the thing! We biked up & down in the chilly, drizzly weather & stopped to enjoy the students from the School of Rock perform some songs. Grabbed delectable tacos from Amanecer who was out with their food car.....its a tiny little car they peddle tacos from the hatchback :) Looking very forward to next year's event & hope for some sunshine!

I hope you all have a great weekend, despite the rainy/dreary weather forecast :(

Friday Recap 8/17/18 - Sunday Funday, early morning runs, garden love, only in Evanston,

We've had a bit of travel (to MD & WI) the past couple of weekends - so it was nice to be home for this past one. We are loving all that our neighborhood & city have to offer this time of year- we are trying to get out & enjoy it as often as possible!!

1. Sunday Funday
Sometimes on a Sunday you need to go to the beach, swim, play in the sand & frolic with the dog before 9am.

A perfect beach morning!

You need to ride bikes & eat ice cream for lunch.

The Bug is still a bit so so on ice cream.....maybe a cold headache??

Get this helmet OFF OF ME!!!!

You need to naked bike ride in the back yard.

Lettin' loose in the backyard

You need to load up picnic supplies to bike to the train to go on a date night with friends.

Chair, table, cooler, check check check!

Chair & picnic basket, check check!

We made it!

You need to pack it all in so as to maximize summer enjoyment! Summer Sunday funday at its finest!

2. Early morning runs

Owenn wasn't too impressed by the sun....

For whatever reason I've not been as committed to running (specifically) or exercise (generally) this summer. Silly, I know, given the perfection of the weather to be outdoors to work out! I am newly committed to getting some miles in each week & was rewarded with a cool, foggy, misty morning run. The sun had risen before I made it to the lake front, but it was lovely all the same.

3. Garden Love from the Bug

I love to grow the tiny bits of food in our few garden pots on the patio. 

It makes me quite happy. My heart becomes pretty much full to bursting when Lulu shows her obsession with eating the fruit we grow! She's been plucking & eating (!) the under ripe tiny little green strawberries.....which I can't imagine is healthful....it also means there are fewer fully ripened strawberries for her to eat :) 

We pulled the step stool out today so she could pick the tomatoes herself  - after we found 1 fully ripe strawberry - she was ready to eat all the green ones.........needed a distraction!!

4. Only in Evanston

Have no idea how the piano got onto the sand. Did this guy & his buddy drag it out there? Where did the piano come from? How does it stay in tune in the heat & humidity? 

So many questions - no answers. But we did really enjoy the show on our Tuesday evening walk!

Friday Round Up 7/13/18 - 1st Strawberry, Edible Gardens Bounty, Cousin Pool Time, WOW Walk, Bestie's New Home, Outdoor Concert, Blueberries, Old Friends

Happy Summery Friday everyone! The summer goodness just keeps on coming!

1. Our 1st Garden Strawberry

Yippee!! Our one little strawberry plant finally gave us our first strawberry! 

Lulu wore her strawberry outfit in honor of our first strawberry!

 I say "finallly"....this gives you some indication of my inexperience with gardening in general & strawberries specifically....I am so impatient! Reason #654 that gardening is a good hobby for me - there is no such thing as instant gratification in a garden! Slow, steady, lots of waiting & work before the rewards come. 

The only bummer about letting Lulu eat the 1st strawberry?

As most people likely are, I am a work in progress - this is an area that I constantly work on - slowing down to appreciate what's right in front of me, rather than worrying about & rushing toward the next thing, whatever that may be.

I'm not sure how it tasted!

2. Bounty & Beauty in the Edible Gardens

The sunflowers are getting so darn big!

My 2 times per month volunteering in the Edible Gardens at the Lincoln Park Zoo is, in many ways, self serving. 

One of our garden managers, David, shows off a freshly harvested head of garlic

I get to work alongside professional gardeners, master gardeners & home gardeners too. There is so much for a garden newbie like me to learn - the Edible Gardens are a great place for me to do it!

The flowers are nearly as exciting as the edible plants

The combination of time outside with time to myself is a good one. Obviously I'm surrounded by other volunteers, staff & zoo guests, but to exist as just me & not exclusively as Lulu's Mom, is necessary for me to feel like me. Almost essential really.

Yellow squash is almost ready to harvest

Again with the flowers!!!

Purple peppers never cease to amaze me

3. Cousin Pool Time

Anne keeping Lulu in line during a safety break

 For all the same reasons that Chris & I don't see our friends enough, I feel like we don't see our family enough either! Life gets in the way, schedules are hectic, summer is busy, etc, etc. Which is why having some serious cousin pool time for Lulu on Monday was such a treat! My sister in law invited Lulu & me to join her & her 4 kiddos for a late afternoon dip. It was delightful & a welcome relief from the heat of the day! My nephews & niece love being with Lulu, I love being with my sister in law & our tiniest little niece who is only 7 weeks old. What a great afternoon we had!

Kane's face in this photo is simply amazing.
The rest of the kiddos are adorable too :)
Baby Mary was getting changed, so didn't make this photo op!

4. WOW Walk

I host a weekly walk as part of Evanston's WOW program. I had no idea what to expect - I figured maybe I would meet some new people and at the very least, get outside with Lulu for an hour each week throughout the summer. As it turns out, the weekly walk has turned into a standing date with one of my friends from the Mom's Group I started! Emily is the only person who ever turned up for the walk (with her sweet daughter) and we have a lovey time enjoying the lakefront and catching up each week that we are in town. 

Stuck in the "fish bowl"

There was some police activity on the route we usually take (turned out to be a misunderstanding where someone mistook theater props as actual weapons in a parking garage) so we headed a different way. I love when lemons turn into lemonade - we stopped at a playground I'd never gone to before & the girls got to play a bit. We also carried Emily's stroller over a sandy hill in the hopes of continuing our walk - only to get caught in a fishbowl of boulders & more sand. Adventures 

abounded! 

At least we were stuck in a pretty place :)

5. Bestie's New Home

So Chris & I have been in our home for over 2 years, but I continue to be delighted by the place we live. That said, I can remember the excitement of those first few days & weeks - so much positive energy & planning alongside the dreaded unpacking! It was perfectly wonderful to get a tour of my best friend's new condo that she & her boyfriend recently bought together. It is ridiculously beautiful. The building is immaculately maintained. The unit is GINORMOUS. So many interesting details and features that make it unique. I was incredibly impressed by how moved in they were after living in their home for only 1 week. I obsessed over their awesome private patio. I had so much fun talking through some ideas for re-purposing some of their furniture for their new space. Oh man. Just perfect. What a wonderful Sunday morning it was to see my best friend so truly happy. 

Happiest best friend around!

 And then brunch. The new place is quite near this delightful neighborhood spot. It is tiny, it feels like you are being hosted in someone's home (a feeling fostered by its garden level location in an apartment/condo building combined with the cozy decor and tiny size). You are greeted by a florist shop type display of fresh flowers and the fun continues. The menu warns patrons to be patient as there is only one cook. The food was worth the wait FOR SURE. Delicious French press coffee, awesome iced coffee, baked goods looked great, though we forgot to get one to try! Can't wait to go back again soon. 

Seriously. The flowers!!!

6. Outdoor Concert in our Neighborhood

Fun to watch so many people dance!

 Summer is meant for outdoor music. It is just the best when the outdoor music is offered steps from our house!

Peekaboo!

Lounging

Several friends & neighbors also came to check out the free salsa concert - it was just great. Lulu made a giant mess of our picnic.........toddlers & picnics are a tough combo......her little feet just have a way of finding themselves into all of the food!! That being said, the night was pretty near perfect & I can't wait for the next Starlight Concert next week.

Pretty thrilled that it is summertime

7. Blueberry Explosion

I may have purchased a 10 pound box  of blueberries from a stranger on Facebook. She's in a mom's group I'm in.......she lives in my town...........what could go wrong? Nothing as it turns out. Everything could go right though!!

blueberry jam + 1st batch of blueberry muffins

Emily (pictured above) was nice enough to pick up my box since I was too busy at cousin pool time to get them!

10 pounds of beautiful blueberries!

Lulu & I biked down to Emily's to pick them up & I've been eating them like crazy & cooking with them too! Yippee for a HUGE box of blueberries - like a fun game of choose your own adventure :)

Lulu wasn't so much into waiting to sample them :)

8. Old Friends + Our Babies

Samson chillaxing in the pool with Lulu

It is such a huge delight to introduce Lulu to my old friends and see her get to know them & their babies. We had Dasi (one of my college friends) & her little man, Samson, over for a pool party Friday morning. The two of them crack me up - Lulu was rocking some hilarious swimsuit issue style poses in the pool - the likes of which I had not seen before, nor have I seen since!

Look Tim! A choo choo train!! ~Lulu

Then on Sunday evening we grilled out with high school friends Tim & Terry (& their beautiful brides Katie & Libby). Terry & Libby's Desmond is a "big kid" in Lulu's eyes and she really enjoyed watching the Metra trains roll by with him! It also made me happy that Lulu allowed Tim to pick her up to watch the trains for a minute. We continue to be in the thick of separation anxiety - so every time another adult can successfully hold Lulu, even if for a minute or two, it feels like a major win!

Granted you can't see her face - but she's NOT screaming or crying!
Whoop! Major win!

March for Gun Reform

Lizzard Loves standing up for what she believes in.

I also love bringing Lulu to her first march! And marching with friends.

I, like so many others, am appalled/saddened/enraged by the events that took place in Florida last week. So, we joined the March for Gun Reform in Chicago. It was a good event put on by Mom's Demand Action Illinois, Women's March Chicago, Women's March Illinois, Indivisible Chicago, & Indivisible Illinois.

We all need to work together to change our gun laws. There is no need for any private citizen to own an assault weapon, full stop. No need unless you want to assault people, which, last time I checked is illegal in the great US of A. Its literally in the name......think about it.

I don't want to abolish the 2nd Amendment, but I do want thoughtful and common sense gun legislation to help keep my daughter & everyone else's children safe. Frankly, I'd like to also feel safe myself.

So, do what you can do. Call your representative, call your senator, write letters, walk in marches, donate to causes that support common sense gun laws. If we don't do something, we are standing idly by while children are being murdered. I, for one, don't want that on my head.