Love your life
While we may associate fame, fortune or physical beauty with personal contentment, you needn’t be a gorgeous blonde

Really doing it all
The ticking of Judy Hsu’s clock is relentless.

From BFF to frenemy
Since fifth grade Carey, Grace and Allison were a trio of traveling plaid pinafores at their private school in Chicago’s

Encouraging empathy
When Susan Bearman of Evanston asked her kids to choose old toys to send with a friend visiting Ecuador with the charity

Overnight camps don’t have to break the bank
With the economy in the gutter, unemployment at record heights and your 401k reading more a like horror novel, the kids’ summer camp might seem in jeopardy this year. But with proper planning and prudence, you can preserve this childhood experience.

Put love on the table
Kids love all holidays, no matter how big or small—and Valentine’s Day is no exception.

When the crush is crushed
It’s a safe wager that in the world of love and infatuation, most people have been on one side

Indoor fun for everyone
Sleigh bells are no longer ringing, snow is well past glistening and the mere suggestion of walking through a winter

Families in sync
As a family grows, the need to coordinate calendars becomes a big priority.

Confident parenting: a new book
Speaking to parents across the country for more than two decades, one of the nation’s most sought-after child experts

Romance boosters to last all year
Anyone can do romance on Valentine’s Day, but here are a few low-cost ideas for fueling your fire all year long and taking

Embrace the differences and similarities
The only thing that surprises 10-year-old Jeremy Mankins about inaugurating an African-American president is that

High-tech parenting
Back in the day, if you were curious about where your tween or teen was, you had to wait until they showed up.

Simple and sweet valentine treats
Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show your family how much you care.

Can-do kid
Young and old alike are feeling a little warmer this winter thanks to the efforts of 10-year-old Destinee Evans,

What's in your neighborhood
South suburban resource guide

Find joy in your life
I’ve respected Oprah for a long time. Beyond the more obvious reasons,

One deep breath can change an outcome
She wants two books, not just one. I tell her that it is late and we have time for one book, but she insists on another.

A 'real' mom on celebrities and losing baby weight
It started about two weeks after giving birth to my third daughter.

Someone you should know
Her friends call her the Swami Mommy. But a lifetime ago, that moniker wouldn’t have fit. In those days,

Moms share their kids' favorite car tunes
"My kids love to rock out to Journey in the car. I put in the greatest hits CD,

Go Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Diet is more than just huge bowls of pasta or bread dipped in olive oil.

Fab mama
Your poor eyes are puffy, red and just plain tired these days. Relax, take five and give your eyes some well deserved time

A cautionary tail
Considering adding a dog to your family? Go for it, but be warned: A dog will steal your heart, your shoes and

The scoop on your child’s poop
When it comes to poop, what’s normal? Should a child poop every day or just a few times a week?

Happy birthday, President Lincoln
In celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday Feb. 12, here are a few of many new, interesting and fun books

The best books for winter reading
In winter, Harvest Cove, Canada, is a ghost town. But Danny is staying because his dad has taken the caretaker’s job

Amphibians exhibit designed to amaze
A new exhibit at the Notebaert Nature Museum will let kids zip through a make-shift rainforest

A weekend of Snow Days
Pass by Grant Park this Feb. 12-16 and you may spot a raging dragon, Albert Einstein and Mrs. O’Leary’s infamous cow

From homeless to homeowner
Unemployed and in the midst of a divorce, Megan DeAngelis found herself and her two young children bouncing between

Celebrities lend voices to children’s classics
For a new take on old classics, log onto www.speakaboos.com to hear today’s celebrities read time-honored children’s

Little chefs can teach others
Junior chefs can enter a video of themselves cooking for a chance to win prizes and a spot on the Junior Chefs of America

Phthalates, lead targeted in new law
Thrift store owners can breathe a little more easily. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has clarified

Crib recalled after slats break
Jardine cribs are being recalled because the crib slats can break, creating a gap and causing an entrapment

FDA issues black box warning on two asthma drugs
The FDA has ruled that two asthma medications, Serevent and Foradil, have risks that far outweigh their benefits

Study recommends against Vicks VapoRub
Even though most of this generation’s parents were raised on Vicks VapoRub, a new study recommends against

New bandage stops bleeding fast
A new kind of bandage can help kids who suffer from chronic nosebleeds. BloodSTOP looks like a gauze bandage

More parents delaying kids' dental visits
One in three children have not seen a dentist in more than a year and about 52 million hours of school are missed each

School choice: What to look for
It's never an easy choice. This is a partnership you'll be stuck in for years so it's natural to feel nerve-wracked.

Feb. 5, 2009
Get out there and play. Your little leapers love jumping and hopping all over the house. Hone in on their frog-like play by making a visit to Amazing Amphibians, the new exhibit at the Notebaert Nature Museum, opening this Saturday. Not only will they learn about frogs, they’ll discover a world of salamanders, toads and other amphibians.

Feb. 12, 2009
Get out there and play. Even though most of the snow has melted, your family can still play in the cold white stuff this weekend. The city of Chicago and the Mayor’s Office of Special Events hosts the Inaugural Snow Days Chicago through Monday with plenty of man-made mountains of snow for snow sculpting, snowboarding demonstrations and dog sled racing.

Feb. 19, 2009
Get out there and play. Walk like an Egyptian down to the Oriental Institute Museum Sunday from 1-4 p.m. for the Mysteries and Mummies event. Use your super sleuth skills and check out ancient Egypt with films—including “Mummies Made in Egypt”—tour the ancient Egyptian Gallery and take a self-guided treasure hunt. Learn to write your name in hieroglyphs and make a souvenir that looks like it’s straight from ancient Egypt.