First we tackled our homes, reading and discussing Marie Kondo’s bestseller, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” We embarked on a purging frenzy, donating books, clothes and housewares at breakneck speed. Many of us are still at it and have seen some changes in our lives. This time the Cynic’s Self-Help Book Club turned our collective […]
Feel the wind whipping across your face as you glide gracefully across the ice at one of the many great outdoor ice skating rinks in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Bonus: You can burn off some of those holiday cookies while having your fun on the ice. An hour of skating blasts a whopping 490 calories per hour! For […]
A new baby brings So. Much. Stuff. into your house. A lot of it is impractical (infants do not wear shoes!) or inconvenient to use, and so it ends up collecting dust in the nursery closet. But, there are those few fabulous items that busy parents rely on day in, day out — the ones […]
There are many conversations that parents are uncomfortable having with their kids, but talking about suicide is particularly challenging. The topic is an important one, though, given that suicide is the second leading cause of death among those ages 15-24, and the third leading cause of death among children ages 10-14 year old, according to […]
After their respective first marriages ended, Andrea and Daniel joined a dating site. After a few tentative online interactions, they decided to meet for dinner — and the rest is history. “When we met, I realized we had so much in common,” Andrea says. “We talked for hours and didn’t even realize anyone else was […]
Have you ever overheard someone shopping for a kid’s item say, “I wish they had that in my size?” These youth clothing and accessories lines are so fantastic you’ll wish they made “grown-up” versions. Here are some of our favorite products for the fashionable kiddo. ChildHOODS is a handmade line of adorable baby and toddler clothing […]
Dressing up in your festive best for elegant holiday soirees is something most of us look forward to every season. But the holidays are also about slowing down and spending time with family and friends, so don’t feel pressured to make every gathering a formal affair. Here are three holiday party ideas for those times when you just want to keep it […]
Why not take a minute on #TreatYourselfTuesday to gift yourself during the season thats all about giving and giving back. These items from Shop For Good, our e-commerce site that gives back 10 percent of the proceeds to a carefully vetted nonprofit, are the perfect way to treat yourself but not feel too guilty. 1. […]
While smartphones have made capturing our favorite moments a breeze, easy phone photography can also enable the hoarding of thousands of digital memories. Sure, you may share them online, but wouldn’t it be great to bring those memories back into the real world? Check out the following apps and services that transform your pixels into […]
“He’s concussed … again.” I remember my mom, scared and in disbelief, uttering those sobering words to me my junior year in college. A helmet-to-helmet hit resulted in my brother Christian’s third concussion, ending his high school football career at the ripe old age of 15. The following year, a fourth concussion from a rowing […]
