If you’re lucky enough to have an expansive backyard, live down the road from a nature preserve, or spend your summers at a beach house, then this advice is not for you. In fact, the only words of wisdom I have for you are to enjoy every bit of our short summer in your heavenly outdoors space (slathered in SPF, of course).

But if you are like many Chicagoans who have to squeeze one metal folder chair on a postage-stamp balcony to get some air or if your modest yard is covered in concrete or organic veggie beds, then this is your post and I am your people.

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If you’re one of the million or so parents in the Chicago area like myself, you’ve been so busy shuttling kids to camps and activities that you can barely comprehend we are already halfway through the school break and great weather. Rest easy! There’s still plenty of time and many places to take your children to make the most of the warm-weather months.

Why not start by swinging by a few neighborhood festivals, where bouncy houses, salty corn on the cob, face painting and maybe a beer tent will keep everyone in the family happy for a few hours? Here are a few family-friendly fests you can’t miss in the last half of summer.

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Want to have a good laugh that quickly turns to a look of horror? Play a little game of Worst Neighbor Story Ever with a few fellow Chicagoans. That one time the guy downstairs faked a robbery and then had a four-hour fest smashing the remaining furniture in the middle of the night (yeah, that really happened) will look like absolutely nothing, I promise. But be prepared, because the look of horror might come when you realize that you yourself have committed some of the Worst Neighbor crimes, without even meaning to.

On the slight chance you’re looking to get back in the good graces of those living around you, or if you’re looking to start off on the right foot after moving into a new home, give one of these ideas a go.

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Your dresser is jam-packed with college sweatshirts, your car still sports the sticker of your favorite 2008 presidential candidate and three days a week, you pull out reusable totes your mom brought back from a random charity golf outing. Now it is time to display your love for the place you love most. Here are 12 ways to show your affection for Sweet Home Chicago with these essential Chicago decor pieces.

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You’ve heard it on the playground, on your super-secret Facebook mom’s group and at every kid’s birthday party you’ve attended so far – applying to public schools in Chicago is more rigorous than completing college applications (and, yes, that includes Kindergarten). While you might find your child is 8459403th on the waiting list for your top-choice school, or that your Excel spreadsheet is packed full of great options, many parents who’ve been there will tell you that the best information you will get happens on a tour through the hallways, gymnasiums, cafeteria, and classrooms.

“Chicago has so many amazing public schools to offer that are sure to fit the specific needs of each child. Take tours and see for yourself,” advises CPS parent and Ravenswood Elementary tour guide Stephanie Mandrell. “Don’t just rely on what you hear or read on the internet. Not every school is the right fit for every child so do your research, tour the school, and find the one that best fits the needs of your students and family.”

We checked in with parents, teachers and school tour guides and reviewed this great guide by Raise Your Hand and consulted with CUE resources for questions parents might ask to make the med school…erm, preschool…selection process a bit smoother, and to help you get all the information you need to make the right choice for your child. There’s a lot here and it is certainly not comprehensive. Of course, you will choose the right questions to ask (or email as a follow-up to the tour) based on your student’s needs.

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Self-taught gourmets and master microwavers alike probably have packed-full pantries and cabinets stuffed with kitchen gear and gadgets that they never use, don’t really need or can’t even explain how they work. We asked local Chicagoland chefs to help us narrow down the kitchen essentials and what we can finally declutter from the back of our houses.

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My kids outgrow toys almost as quickly as they blow through light-up gym shoes and blow out the knees of athletic pants. In the back corners of our closets of shame are stacks of unopened holiday presents, complicated Lego sets, and board books I’m holding on to for the third child I will never have.

While I’m doing a far better job deactivating the birthday gift-splosion, we still have too many corners and bins and storage space filled with itty-bitty baby onesies, once-loved-now-forgotten dolls, strollers no one will sit in and too many toys. It’s time to release the guilt and over-gifting and pass on our bounty to neighbors who are truly in need.

I polled moms on the places in the city and suburbs where they love to donate their children’s toys, clothes, and gear. Here are eight organizations that get their highest marks. Continue reading

Whether you’re preparing to make a move to accommodate your growing family or you’re settled into your forever home with a baby on the way, your new addition is going to need space of their own.

When you’re expecting or adopting, books and baby stores and websites and well-meaning people will tell you that you need everything on a giant registry checklist.

Before you buy all the things, listen to an experienced mama who has overdone and underdone it with the baby gear plenty of times.

Let’s start in the nursery, with this manageable list of must-haves for you and your new babe. Continue reading

2018 is the Year of the Dog and that means it is time for action, lifestyle change and prosperity.

There’s no better beneficiary of all this zodiac goodness than your beloved pup.

Chicago is an extremely pet-friendly city and the surrounding suburbs are equally hospitable to our four-legged friends.

If you feel like spoiling your dog, try one of these nine pup-friendly pampering spots in the city and suburbs. Continue reading

During a Midwestern winter, it’s easy to hunker down and hibernate, but some occasions call for a good old fashioned ladies night.

Whether it is a much-needed mom’s night out, a college roommate reunion, girlfriend getaway or a big bachelorette bash, your girls night game needs to be en pointe.

We’ve scoured the city and suburbs for the very best places to gather your ladies — no snoozer small-plate restaurants or same-old canvas painting parties included.

From wild night to wine-ding down, here are our picks for your next (and best) girlfriend gathering.

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