Jasper got the memo. You know, the Terrible Two’s memo? I always thought that was a joke, an urban legend designed to encourage new parents to cuddle their babies tighter/inspire parents to think sending their kids off to school wouldn’t be all that bad. A handful? Sure! But really, what age isn’t a handful? Susannah hit the “terrible twos” at about 14 months, but hers was characterized by a marked desire to DOITMYSELF. (Which…is still going on, now that I {Read More}
Parenting role models with the #StreamTeam.
January 22, 2016 By Leave a Comment
As part of Netflix’s Stream Team, I get to bring you the scoop each month on the newest, brightest, biggest, and late-nightest of their exceptional programming. Stay tuned for next week’s recap of my recent trip to Los Angeles…because I’ve got deets about Fuller House, Degrassi, Daredevil, and that time I ate a weirdly big sandwich in front of Ashton Kutcher. *** It’s a new year, people. (It’s actually almost a new month, people, but 2016 is gonna be all {Read More}
Back in the (germy) saddle!
January 21, 2016 By 2 Comments
Happy 2016, friends! (…almost a full month in.) Not to lean too heavily on a Sherlock cliffhanger ending or anything, but- MISS ME? Thus far, I’ve spent the entirety of 2016 thinking up content schedules and bloggy redesign (and have yet to make any hard n’ fast decisions, ha HA)! Here’s what I do know, however; I’m going back to posting the blahbedity blah stuff (what we in the business call my free-associating, through line-free, loosely held grasp on the {Read More}
See you in shiny, sparkly 2016!
December 21, 2015 By 1 Comment
Oh, friends. It’s been a year. A loud year, a quietly sad year, a tense/angry/anxious year, and a year full of such profoundly beautiful moments that they took my breath away in gratitude. Back in the day (like, as recently as 2014), my biggest New Year’s resolution was to drink more water. Because, like, I had everything else completely figured out. Hahahahahaha, 2014-and-earlier-Keely. You optimistic, dehydrated fool. This year, I’m wishing for the ability to set boundaries when I need them, {Read More}
9 performances left of Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker- ever!
December 20, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Certain Chicago holiday traditions are sacrosanct in this household: Buying a fluffy tree at Home Depot (don’t judge), collecting miniature glass animals at the Christkindlmarket, drinking out of boots at samesuch market during daylight hours (don’t judge), dashing between the gorgeous international Christmas trees at the MSI, and absolutely- absolutely– sighing our way through the Joffrey Ballet’s magical The Nutcracker. It’s also one of the few family traditions which is Gals Only. (For reasons that have nothing to do with gender, {Read More}
Birthday boy.
December 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment
My dearest, darling-est, only Man Cub: Happy Birthday Eve, Jasper. You are so incredibly close to two years old. You are also- at once- a squishy little baby-cheeked toddler and a decidedly stubborn male of the impatient persuasion. You ricochet between neediness (“Mama, Mama come, help you? UP. Mama“) and hittin’ the road, Jack. Fun fact: Did you know that Jack Daniels’ first name is actually Jasper? You’re clearly destined for greatness, distillery or otherwise. You are also destined for {Read More}
Savers and #Thriftmas and the best present ever.
December 16, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Disclosure: This is a post sponsored by Savers thrift stores, but all thoughts, opinions, and giddy reactions to forest creatures are entirely my own. *** Every so often, my writing gigs make me downright euphoric. Case in point- I love telling people about Savers (and Value Village) thrift stores. I love it. Not only are the wares caaarefully checked over to make sure they’re not a) ripped, b) dirty, or c) ripped and dirty, but the Savers teams also work with local nonprofits. {Read More}
See Forks & Hope’s Robin Hood and Maid Marian right now.
December 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Fans of the Robin Hood saga really love the Robin Hood saga, from cartoon fox to Americanized accent with many BBC forays in between. Forks & Hope and Strawdog Theatre Company have a new Robin Hood that is none of those things- in the most incredible way possible. Adapted from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s The Foresters, the snappy production of Robin Hood and Maid Marian has something for all age ranges and theatrical preferences; lyrical prose for the word nerds among us, a {Read More}
