Category Archives: Appetizer for Life

Life in Suburbia: Competing With the Joneses

Posted on by July 5, 2010

Manicured lawns. McMansions. Drive-thru Starbucks and Target. Aaaaah the suburbs.

I live in surburbia and as much as I mock it, we’ve carved out a cozy place. It’s convenient and my favorite part is the quirky charm. Take the July 4th weekend.

My suburb for some reason has THE most popular July 4th parade in the Chicagoland area. So popular that people started saving spots days in advance, putting their blankets and chairs on the front lawns of folks who live along the parade … Read more ...

When It Comes To Our Kids, How Much Is Too Much?

Posted on by June 25, 2010

We went last night for our parent-teacher conferences for our toddler. Yes, our toddler. We met with the teacher that we’ve been underwhelmed with and we were again, underwhelmed. (First of all, why can’t adults sit at big people tables, do we really need to sit where our kids do?)

We got a little report card-like sheet that had a million checkoff items and came in quadruplicate. (Triplicate wasn’t enough.) We talked about Logan’s strengths: he talks a lot, plays well with others, knows his … Read more ...

What Makes Me a Better Mom? No Kids and No Hubby

Posted on by June 21, 2010

After my whirlwind weekend away with the girls, I noticed I was basquing in an afterglow of sorts. When my toddler dove into shrill screams of protest, I shrugged it off and kept going. When hubby forgot to take out the trash, again, I sighed. Well, he’ll just have to do it later.

Wait. Who is this patient person?

I noticed she shows up like clockwork right after I get a break from my husband and my kid and get to be me, not the … Read more ...

Finding Your Comfortable, 30-year-old Suit

Posted on by June 7, 2010

As you know, I went to a WordPress conference this past weekend and had a blast. I love meeting new people and being inspired to grow. One of the commonalities among many of the women is that they had discovered the comfortability of the 30-year-old suit.

Turning 30 for some, including me, can be a quite a big deal. I had to try it on a few times before I could wrap my mind around it. “Ttthhhhhiiiiirrrrttttyyyy years old.” Me. 30. Wow. Then I asked … Read more ...

Where’d My Effervescent Hope Go?

Posted on by May 27, 2010

This past weekend I went home to Kansas for my niece’s high school graduation. It was a lot of fun to watch her and her friends bubbling with excitement about their big day and what lies ahead. Most of her friends are going to college, some big and some small, but in talking with them, it struck me how they excitedly hopeful they all were.

Do you remember feeling like anything was possible? If you dream it you could achieve it? Opportunity knocks. If you … Read more ...