The Question I Have Been Waiting For

Eleanor: "Mama, how is the baby going to get out of your tummy? Is your tummy going to explode open and let him out and then go back together?"

Me (feeling totally unprepared despite having anticipated this very question): "Ummm, sort of."

So hard to know how detailed to get on this one . . . .

Hey Chicago Mamas, I Have A Favor To Ask of You

Do you live in the Chicago area? Are you the parent of a preschool-aged child? Okay good, I am talking to you (the rest of you please feel free to move on).

As some of you might know, I write for Being Savvy: Chicago about local educational and enrichment opportunities for little ones. Being Savvy: Chicago is part of a national site called Savvy Source that is dedicated to offering parents of preschoolers information about local preschools, plus tons of other information about age-appropriate activities and child development (it is great -- you should check it out). One of my favorite features of the site is the preschool reviews from real parents (wouldn't you have loved to have had an insider's view before you applied to your child's preschool?).

This is where you come in. Please take a minute to check out the Chicago-area preschool page and find you child's school. See what other parents had to say and then click "Review" to share your thoughts. The information you share is anonymous. The whole process will take you about six minutes (I timed myself). Thanks so much for being a pal. I owe you one.

Kids and Kites

Over the weekend, David and I were delighted to discover that we are the parents of two very adept kite flyers.

We went to Mayor Daley's Kids and Kites Festival at Montrose Harbor on Saturday. I can't say enough good things about this (free! free!) event. The kids got to assemble and decorate their own kites before they took off running down a hill like crazed monkeys trying to get their contraptions to take to the sky. When the thrill of kite flying wore off, we headed over to the craft tent where the kiddos painted little kite magnets to take home. We stopped by the Whole Foods tent for a free apple and picked up another free kite to take home. I couldn't have asked for a better family activity on a beautiful fall day.

This event takes place in the fall and again in the spring. We are totally going to go again in the spring (and you should too).

Musings on My Messy House

If you ever feel like your house is a constant mess despite the fact that you devote much of your time to cleaning, straightening up, organizing, etc, head over to the Chicago Moms Blog to hear me whine about my dirty house in my latest post.

Oh, Hello There October

Fall is decidedly HERE (brrrr).

We are starting to get into an autumn mood around here and we have lots of "fallish" activities on the agenda for next week:

(1) Soup -- tons and tons of soup (potato leek last night, lentil and vegetable next Monday)

(2) Planting daffodil bulbs for the spring

(3) Picking up some funky gourds from the farmer's market to go with the pumpkin collection on the front porch

(4) Fall baking with my little helpers (pumpkin cookies and an apple crostada)

(5) Knitting, knitting, knitting because I know two heads that are going to be in need of hats very soon

(6) Drinking warm apple cider at every opportunity

Method Goodie Bag Giveaway!

The folks at Method were kind enough to give me an extra goodie bag after the fab cocktail party yesterday. In addition to the reusable tote (which I have already gotten compliments on at the farmer's market), you get a hand soap, toilet bowl cleaner, dish soap, and all-purpose cleaner, plus coupons for $1 off future Method purchases. Forgive the lame picture above, but it helps you get the idea.

Want this goodie bag to be yours? Leave a comment (be sure that your Blogger profile includes your email address or leave your email in your comment so I can contact you if you win!). All entries must be received by Sunday, October 5th at midnight CST. I will contact the winner on Monday, October 6th. Good luck!

Why Method and I Are Now BEST Friends

So it turns out that being one of Chicago's Method Mavens is a completely fabulous experience. Last night, Method hosted a cocktail party for about twenty-two of my girlfriends at their pop-up retail shop at 2034 N. Halsted. And we had so much fun -- serious fun -- more fun that I have had on a Monday night in a long time.

I could go on and on about the evening but for the sake of clarity and brevity, I have forced myself to limit my thoughts to my eight favorite aspects of the whole delightful experience. Read on . . . . (and be warned that you may experience some feelings of jealousy).

(1) The Venue. The Method pop-up shop, located at 2034 N. Halsted is pretty darn cute all by itself (they even have a photo booth for taking goofy pictures). It is the kind of bright, welcoming space that draws you inside. The front of the store is retail and the back is reserved for parties (so you get to feel a wee bit special when you get to step behind the curtain). The party space is decorated like your most fashionable friend's living room -- it is a chic, relaxed place to hang out. It felt like we were just a bunch of girls drinking wine at some one's house (except for the lovely servers who kindly came around conscientiously keeping our wine and champagne glasses filled at all times).

(2) The Delicious Food. We munched on hummus, pita, olives, stuffed grape leaves, marinated feta, roasted red peppers, veggies and dip, assorted canapes, chicken skewers, and roll-up sandwiches. And then we came back for cookies and decadent brownies. Yum. Yum. Yum. All of this was thanks to Whole Foods catering, which I am definitely going to keep in mind for future events (so good!).

(3) The Cute Celebrity Guest. After gorging ourselves on canapes, we gathered around a table with Sophie Uliano, author of Gorgeously Green, to learn more about making our own beauty products at home. In addition to being cute as a button, Sophie is also totally approachable and knowledgeable. Sophie explained that there is no reason to go to Barneys or Saks to buy expensive beauty products when you can make your own superior stuff at home for a fraction of the cost (isn't that great news?). She answered all of our questions about skin care routines, which chemicals to avoid, and the best way to treat cradle cap. And she totally convinced all of us to drink aloe vera juice every morning (I am trying it tomorrow). Sophie blogged about her meet up with us over at her website today and answered some questions we had about facial moisturizers with SPF. We loved her.

(4) Our Natural Beauty Products. Sophie led the group in making our own facial oils and body scrubs using all-natural, organic ingredients. Each of us got to create our own products to use at home. I slathered my new face oil all over before going to bed and I think I look better already. :) Tomorrow morning, I intend to put my scrub to good use in the shower.

(5) The Girls. I wanted to invite people from all different areas of my life to this little soiree and I only had one qualification in mind -- I wanted fun people only. We ended up with a group of people who were open-minded, curious, and most importantly -- tons of fun. I wish we could get together every week as an alternative to Monday night football (with Sophie included to teach us something new each week, of course).

(6) The Goodie Bag. After the instructional component of the night, the Method girls handed out cute t-shirts and goodie bags - and not just any old goodie bag. Each guest got a cute reusable tote filled with a Method hand soap, all-purpose cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, and dish soap, plus tons of coupons for $1 off future Method purchases. Good deal, right?

(7) The Method Philosophy. In addition to being spectacular party hosts, the Method people have a very common sense message about cleaning. At a time when we are all trying to live healthier, greener lives, choosing Method cleaning products over the stinky, toxic stuff is just an easy decision to make. The Method products are as effective as the toxic concoctions, plus they are comparable in cost. Why not make a choice that is better for the health of your family and the planet? Is it just plain sensible, right? They certainly have me convinced.

(8) The Giveaway. The (very, very) generous folks at Method were kind enough to give my an extra goodie bag . . . and it could be yours. Check back here tomorrow to enter to win your own cute reusable tote filled with Method cleaning products. If you are local, stop by the Method pop-up shop before October 12th to check it out. Bring in a toxic household cleaner to be safely disposed of and Method will give you a brand new hand soap for free.

So as you can see, I can't rave enough about the night. Here are a few of my pictures of the event just to further taunt you.

The Method pop-up shop at 2034 N. Halsted

The delicious spread (of course I had to photograph the food like a hungry pregnant lady).

Sophie Uliano (the cute blond in the white shirt) showing us how to make our own natural, organic beauty products.

The girls taking copious notes on the process (ten drops of lavender essential oil, five drops of geranium oil . . . must remember this for making homemade Christmas gifts.).

Me, hard at work creating the "luxurious facial oil" that I so badly need.

The girls admiring their creations.

The retail section of the store (so bright and shiny and . . . clean).

If you want to see more pictures of women totally enthralled with their homemade beauty products, check out these great pictures of the event on Flickr. Don't forget to come back tomorrow to enter the Method Goodie Bag giveaway!