I am constantly buying and losing hair bows, so the money might as well be going to a good cause. Danielle Bean pointed out this website, I have not ordered yet, but it looks like a great idea. I do plan to order from them and I will let you know how it goes! www.hairbows4life.com Read more

The classic family vacation. Ours was a vision of minivan madness: the car packed to the hilt; cartop carrier overloaded with goods; kids sprawled throughout the vehicle sleeping, eating, listening to headphones, annoying one another with some antic; parents in front arguing over directions or listening (loudly) to talk radio; frequent stops for cooler-packed lunches or potty breaks or ice cream; countless rounds of “Are we there yet?”, name-the-next-dog games, state license plate sightings, and Ad Libs, of course. They... Read more

Today was the first day of warm weather in the Northeast and so my mind has turned to the topic of appropriate swimwear. Let me start by saying that I don’t dress like an Amish-Catholic. I wear non-tapered pants, and somewhat stylish tops. I wear make-up, and regularly shower before leaving the house. While I am not the most trendy dresser in the room, I will never be caught dead in the one-size-fits-all denim jumper or floral print prairie dress.... Read more

FRUIT FLIES The best thing about the early summer (other than long afternoons at the swimming pool and early bedtimes) is the challenge of eating mounds of inexpensive farmer’s market fruit before it becomes overripe in the fruit bowl. Then baking with it. The worst thing is the fruit flies. How do you control them? Vengeance comes when my kids get old enough for home science experiments. What ninth grade biology student doesn’t enjoy anesthetizing and gene-crossing colonies of fruit... Read more

If you live in Texas, apparently you’ve chosen well in this uncertain economic climate. According to a recent Brookings Institute study, Texas has 6 of the top 15 recession-resistant cities, including 4 of the top 5! San Antonio was rated #1. In the study researchers examined economic criteria such as changes in employment and home values for the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the country. Texas clearly came out on top. Kat and Texas Mommy, hats off to you!! Read more

I just wanted to share that our robins continue to grow and thrive. The children have been amazed and remember to check on them everyday through the dining room window. They have feathers now and their eyes are open. It has just been beautiful and amazing to watch them. I am so thankful for the gift of having them in a place where we can really observe. It is funny, we had been planning to take out that bush because... Read more

We just returned from the Blueberry Capital of the World, and an amazing organic blueberry farm. The berries are just 60 cents a pint or only $3.00 for a huge can (about 10 pints!) The farm is a very small family owned operation. In lieu of a cash register, the farmer places a small box on a table listing the prices of the berries. You pick up your cans, pick, and then pay on an honor system. The farmer greeted... Read more

The Annunciation, according to my kids: “Mary, you are going to have a baby, and you better be nice to him, becuase he is the Son of God.” Read more

Bella often plays while singing sweet songs to herself. Here’s my recent favorite, inspired by and sung to the tune of Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You” (I’ve already confessed on this blog to loving Kelly Clarkson): Because of you, I will never stray too far from the sidewalk.Because of you, I learned to stay where my mommy can see me. Thank you, Kelly Clarkson, for bringing cool music into our home and for helping me teach child safety lessons to... Read more

I just want to share an idea I will be debuting around our house this week…. the “refrigerator leftover tracker!” That’s right, I am sick of finding small tupperwares of uneaten who-knows-what at the back of our fridge. I have devised a three column Excel spreadsheet that will now hang on the side of our refrigerator and help us keep tabs on what lurks inside. The columns are: Food Item/ Container Type/ Date Placed in Fridge. The rules are that... Read more