How to Organize in Style: A Guest Post by Johanna Patterson

We love our home, but man - some things about it have really stumped us. Why is there no logical place for a TV in the family room? Why is the dining room so impossibly small? And the most vexing question of all: Where does that fridge ultimately need to land?

For FOUR YEARS, Dan and I have walked around in circles on the first floor, trying to determine the best possible use of the space. Finally, we lost our minds. We needed a fresh set of eyes on it. We needed a plan.

Enter Johanna Patterson, one of my sister Betsy's dear friends, pictured here with her beautiful family of five.

Johanna is a fantastic interior stylist and blogger. Her online magazine 5th and James is filled with relatable, approachable tips: Home styling with a side of life. You will be blown away by her personal fixer upper, featured HERE. The lady has vision.

Johanna - who helps people create beautiful spaces through her freelance styling business- worked up a new layout and flow for our home, and WHEW! It feels so good to have a plan. She also gave us a beautiful mood/inspo board, which completely nailed my favorite colors, textiles and finishes.

Now that school is back in session, a lot of us are in need of another kind of plan. One for family life organization. Oh no worries, Johanna's got that too! Here's a guest post from this savvy, stylish momma.

In Johanna's words...   

In my mind, when my husband and I decided to have children, I had visions of peace and harmony and skipping through life hand in hand. I thought immediately about all of the memories we’d make together as “a family." I imagined snuggling them as infants, swinging them at the park as toddlers and being their most trusted confidant as they neared adulthood. But I never considered the logistics it would take to actually get there. I never pictured myself yelling from the back door, “PLEASE. put. on. your. shoes.” 

Now: I am no parenting expert. I’m sure there are plenty of people who could weigh in on advice for what we all should do so that we don’t have to tell our darling children more than once to put on their shoes. I’m not that person. My children are 8, 6 and 4. They are the loves on my life. I adore every single part of them. But when they play house, they play “we’re late." My bad. 

To combat this type of insanity (make no mistake, telling a tiny human 78 times to put protection on their feet before stepping out into the frigid snow is nothing less than pure insanity), I started doing a few small things every day to help us all stay sane. As I alluded, in our house the things that trip us up the most are getting dressed and out the door. And the key to it all: organization. I know, nothing ground breaking, but none the less the magic ingredient to a Nice Mommy. And, because I like things to look pretty, and function easily, for me the key was to organize in style. And you can too. I promise. 

1. Schedule

Like many people, I keep our life organized in my phone. I love the google calendar that allows us to share and update our activities on the go. If I schedule an appointment that is divergent from our regular weekly schedule, such as a doctor’s appointment, I always select an alert to go off on my phone so that I can be reminded mid Costco run that I have a half hour to get out of there and into the waiting room.

But what I think is the key to keeping our schedule organized is breaking it down week by week at home, in real ink, the old fashioned way. We have come a long way in attractive planning systems. My favorite is this one from Pottery Barn. It allows you to view your whole month at a glance. You can color code different family members activities and keep important paperwork close by with the coordinating letter bins and pin-boards or whatever your space allows. 

Another idea is to just have an old fashioned planner. I have a planner always out on my counter. Every Sunday night, I flip to the next week ahead and fill in all of our activities from my master calendar on my phone. It not only serves as a reminder for me of what is coming up, but very often there is something that I need to do to prepare for an activity, and I then write that on the adjacent to-do list page. This way, as I head into the week, I feel organized and on top of things. Even when I have a hectic week and a packed to-do list.

I like to keep a running weekly to-do list and nothing satisfies me more than crossing things off that list. At the end of the week if items remain on that to-do list, I move it to the top of the list for the next week. This system makes me feel organized headed into each week, and doesn’t stress me out too badly over the things coming up in the following weeks. They aren’t bulky or a big jumbled mess on the refrigerator; they keep your life organized and your home polished. 

2. Plan Outfits Ahead of Time

I have two girls in my mix who are particular about what they wear right down to the coordinating accessories. In my experience, that isn’t something we can just throw together at the last minute. For us, the key to happiness here is setting out outfits the night before. That way it gives us plenty of time to set out the shoes and the tights and the hair accessories and all the fun that comes with getting a little girl dressed. (I do this for my son, as well. It just isn’t as involved.) 

An organized closet is the ticket to making this process painless. Invest in a closet organization system or have a local carpenter make one custom for you. Before you do so, think about the way you’ll use the closet. Gage for the amount of hanging clothes you have, the things that you want to be tucked away in drawers, and the things you’ll need shelf space for. We have an historic home, and even in our small closets, we were able to carve out space for organization.  When you can see everything you have, you are more inclined to wear it and the easier it is for little hands to reach, the more inclined our kids are to put their stuff away on their own. Can I get an AMEN?!

3. Double Up Downstairs

One day I was at my friend's house sitting in her kitchen when she opened a drawer at her island and pulled out a hairbrush. Eureka! Pure brilliance. She has four children; this was not her first rodeo.

In our house, we now keep toothpaste and a toothbrush for each child tucked away in the powder room drawer as well as a brush, rubber bands and detangling spray. After my kids get dressed each morning they come downstairs to eat breakfast. After breakfast we brush teeth and hair right there downstairs, grab our backpacks and go. Everything gets tucked away nicely in the drawer, and the next guest to use our powder room is none the wiser. 

4. A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

I completely missed the memo on how much stuff we would accrue as a family. Backpacks, bags, shoes, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, boots, umbrellas, unicorns…. you know the drill. I needed a place for it all right when we came in the door to avoid the Hansel and Gretel style trail of personal items dropped throughout the house. For us, this came in the form of built in cubbies. Everyone has their own space, and there is a place for everything. Double hooks for backpacks and bags and coats; space for shoes, baskets for sunglasses, hats and mittens.  Basically, everything you need to get out the door. If you don’t have a spot for cubbies, there are really stylish wall systems now such as this one that make organizing a breeze. Or, even a set of hooks and baskets at child height in a front hall closet helps. The goal is really just to avoid the most annoying maternal question of all, 14 seconds before you’re supposed to be in the car, “Mom, where is my ______.”

5. A Dump Basket

Even the most organized of us all will still find their kids carrying around things (and leaving them around the house) and ask themselves, “where DOES that go?” Fidget spinners, mashems, lego creations, stuffed animals. For these such items, I keep a basket on the stairs.  When I come across an abandoned toy, it goes in the basket. At the end of the day, the kids are responsible for emptying the basket and putting its contents away. It usually takes them about five minutes, and it allows them to decide where that particular invaluable piece of plastic will live. Often times people will pop in my house and say, “I can’t believe three kids live here.  Where is all of their stuff?” My secret is: it’s in the basket. It’s out of my sight, and off my couch and they are in charge. I’m all about the win/win. 

Beautiful function is the key to this mama's happiness. It leaves time to have fun together and enjoy the millions of little things my kids do that I don’t want to miss. It frees up headspace otherwise occupied with anxiety about what lies ahead, and it’s nice to look at, too. Kids do not have to equal clutter. You just have to organize in style. 

Johanna is available for limited consultation services. For more, visit her blog 5th and James. You also can follow Johanna on Instagram at @5th_and_james.

Summer Bucket List: Anderson's Bookshop Naperville

Summer is winding down, and it's now or never for bucket list items. One at the top of my list for this season was a trip to nearby independent bookseller Anderson's Bookshop Naperville.

As a picture book writer and blogger, and a resident of Chicago's western burbs, I've been dreaming about getting over there since moving out of the city (and quite near Naperville). But life has been, shall we say, busy? Now that my three girls are a little older (the eldest is just starting kindergarten), we aren't so married to the sleep-eat-sleep merry-go-round and can get out of the house for four hours at a time. Baby steps.

So this summer, off we went to Anderson's!

Our crew met for the morning with the fam of fellow Chicagoland picture book writer Lisa Katzenberger. Lisa read our kids HERE COMES DESTRUCTO-SAURUS! by Aaron Reynolds, an author who recently visited Anderson's for a book signing. Super fun book with fantastic illustrations.

While I was doing my best to have a coherent chat with Lisa, my girls kept bringing me book after book after book. Future publicists? It is the family biz! I gave each title a good look before trying to find its native real estate. It was a battle I was never intended to win.

One book they proudly shared: WHEN PENNY MET POTUS. I'm Twitter pals with the book's lovely author, Rachel Ruiz, and knew her paperback edition was out. It was so exciting to get to see it firsthand and share it with my girls. Fabulous, fabulous book, Rachel!

At every turn in Anderson's, I was struck by the heart that went into the details. Just look at this hand-written color-coded schedule of events... 

I especially adored their themed displays, including a section devoted to "books to bring to a baby shower," which prominently featured Kelly DiPucchio's LITTLES: AND HOW THEY GROW (Here's my Author Spotlight with Kelly). The browsing experience was top notch.

Anderson's also prominently displays the work of local and visiting writers. I smiled when I spotted Renee Rosen's WINDY CITY BLUES (I met Renee at a recent writing conference, where she dropped a crazy amount of knowledge about book marketing). 

Our primary objectives for the visit were to explore the store, connect with Lisa and her kids, and leave with a very specific set of monsters. We did all three. Here's us test driving WHAT MAKES A MONSTER? by Jess Keating. As predicted, we determined it was an excellent fit for my non-fiction loving nephew. 

After a morning of great fun (despite my young tornados - my sincere apologies Anderson's staff!), we spent a good long while in downtown Naperville. It was lovely. The last time I had been in the city's center it was winter. What a difference a change of the seasons can make.

We lunched and made wishes at the fountain... (I countered the girls' wish for a baby brother with a wish for NO baby brother...)

Meandered down the river path...

And at long last said goodbye...

All three girls were asleep before we hit Mill Street on the short drive home. Thank you Anderson's for the gem that you are to locals and visitors alike, and for all that you do to support writers and the import of the physical book.

Adventures in Meal Making: A Guest Post by Madelyn Dow

Adventure means something different in every decade of life. For instance, my 20s were all about relationships, career, travel and food. My 30s have been an adventure in marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship and writing. And food. Still food. Always food. 

It's a love I share with one of my very best friends, Madelyn Dow. While we both still relish going out to eat and commandeering the kitchen, we do far less of these things these days in Chicagoland, since our littles have entered the equation. So now we cook when we can, but not quite as we once did.

Backing up a bit, Madelyn and I met as flatmates in London a lifetime ago. Well, 16 years to be exact. I couldn't seem to find a picture of us from 2001, but I did find this one from eight years ago, when I had the time and energy to be both tan and blonde... Madelyn hasn't changed one single bit.

Madelyn is extremely modest, so let me just brag on her for a quick second. This is one amazing cook. She has made some legendary meals for her friends and family. Her menus are adventurous but not fussy. Her dishes are inspired but not over the top. She is faithful to seasonal ingredients and everything is always delicious. 

Because she is a natural entertainer, Madelyn makes it all look so very easy. You feel her joy for it in her preparations and presentations. It's a blessing being on the receiving end of her warmth, generosity and love - in the kitchen and in every facet of life. 

Madelyn has shared a post with us about what cooking looks like for her these days, and she keeps it real! Through the hustle and bustle of parenthood, she makes time to create special foods for and with her kids. You'll love these recipes! And these kids, too. I mean...

In Madelyn's words...

Before having kids, eating was basically my primary hobby. I would scour every “Best of Chicago” list and plan my nights and weekends around the food I could try. I made elaborate meals on the reg and tried to go to every farmers market in Chicago one summer (see Madelyn Goes to Market #failedblog).

To no one's surprise, very little of this was possible the moment our daughter Ima arrived. My husband and I would still try to go out to eat from time to time and would even drag our little along, sometimes in the hopes she would learn to appreciate food as much as we do by osmosis. But with the post-work, pre-bedtime weeknight rush, meals at home were typically more boxed mac and cheese and frozen burritos and less multi-step homemade dinners whipped up from my farmers markets finds.

When our son Elliott came along, the conundrum was compounded even further. Simplicity and convenience were of utmost importance. If I couldn't order it online or make it in 15 minutes, it wasn't happening. On weekends though I tried to find ways to make food in whatever time I had.

When Ima started on solids, I made homemade purées with combos like pear and cardamom, in an attempt to make her a more adventurous eater (let me be real though... while my daughter was amenable to this, Elliott won't touch anything green and would eat pizza for every meal if we let him). Or, when Elliott was sleeping a ton during the day at first and Ima and I had some alone time, we started to bake and make things together. She loved measuring ingredients and pouring (what 2-year-old doesn't?), so we made something every Friday on my day off.

Now that I stay home with my kids full time, we try to make something outside of our regular meals at least once a week. I still keep it simple and only make things with them that can be done in 15 minutes or so in the event of a meltdown, blowout or my son trying to eat my dog's food, which happens on a daily basis (side note: why, oh why is he okay with dog food but not black bean quesadillas or sesame green beans or most things we make for dinner?? I'll never understand). 

Here are a few warm weather recipes that fit all of my criteria and also make great after school snacks:

• Kids love to eat them
• Kids can get involved in making them
• They can be made in short windows (before something goes awry)
• They are sort of healthy, or at least not terrible for the kids

The first are homemade watermelon popsicles. Since setting out to make popsicles, I've found so many recipes out there that have little to no added sugar and that the kids still think are a treat. This recipe from The Kitchn is one of those.

I bought a giant watermelon recently and despite eating it every day, we still had tons left. So my daughter helped me combine all the ingredients in the blender and pour them into the molds to make these popsicles - just three ingredients. (Note: you'll need some sort of popsicle mold. I bought this set on Amazon, and it's stood the test of many popsicle making sessions.) 

The other food that we've made and my kids can't get enough of are these super easy refrigerator pickles from Smitten Kitchen.

It's like a pickle eating contest between my son and daughter when we make them... amazing given Elliott's opposition to anything green.

The recipe calls for specific kinds of cucumbers, but I've made them with whatever I have on hand or could find at the grocery and they've always been sooooo good. We decided to grow dill in our backyard this year, which was the best decision ever given my little pickle lovers, plus they love to pick the dill before we make these. Ima also loves combining the ingredients and both kids get in on the shaking action. 

While this may be a far cry from fine dining, I like to think of it as fun way of getting the kids involved in making some good homemade food with delicious summer ingredients. Hope you and your families enjoy too!

Thank you Madelyn! I hope this post has provided a few ideas on how to involve the littles in your meal making and introduce them to new flavors and textures, without stress and crazy expectations. The popsicles will definitely be getting a go at our house...

The Joy of Dad Fun

Now that August is here, it sure seems like our carefree summer days are numbered. So the other evening, our family of five did something we don't often do: We headed to the park for some post-dinner play.

When we arrived, I assumed my natural position - sitting on a swing with Elsa, my eldest - while our younger daughters ran all over the park. Swinging is my fave, plus I love giving Elsa (who is 5 years old and not yet walking) a big dose of sensory input.

After about 20 minutes of swinging with Elsa on my lap, I shouted to my husband: "Hey Dan, can you do something fun with Els for a bit?"

Here's a video of what they did...

"Something fun" comes so easily to Dan. What he dreams up to do with her is never something I would think to do. I'm so oriented to schedule and consistency. Dan honors all of those routines, but he also knows how to shake things up and maximize fun. I'm so thankful that she has this balance in her life!

Watching Dan give Elsa such exciting experiences fills up my heart to the very top. There is "mom fun," and there is "dad fun." Cheers to dads everywhere - especially to the man who leads our home - for the spontaneity and joy you bring to your family.

Tips from a Fitness Queen: 3 Ways to Save Your Back

Our daughter Elsa is nearing 40 pounds, and she isn't quite walking yet. That means my husband and I carry her more or less everywhere. 

Up and down the stairs... 

In and out of the car... 

Into and out of adaptive equipment... 

The maneuvering is often tricky, requiring small twists and jerks. Not so good for our backs. (Here's a video of me helping Elsa around the playground, a good example of how we often hunch over to support her.)

A few months ago, I started experiencing extreme back pain. To work out the kinks, I would spend 20 minutes of my one-hour workout time simply stretching and massaging my back on a foam roller. At night I would crawl into bed aching, only to be greeted by the same stiffness all over again the next morning, except slightly worse. 

Lucky for me, I have a dear friend in Hillary Jarvis.

Hillary and I co-facilitate Masterpiece Moms, a Chapelstreet Church program that supports moms of kids with special needs. (Hillary recently led our group in a talk on self-care.)

God saw to it that Hillary and I connected about three years ago, when Hillary and her family left the South and returned to Chicagoland. Hillary's daughter Olivia also has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, and when she started researching doctors, she specifically sought out an experienced pediatrician who may have treated at least ONE other child with WHS. She found just that. Our mutual pediatrician and our daughter Elsa.

Today Hillary is one of my dearest friends. We have so much in common, besides our daughters' diagnoses. One of those things is having a serious side hustle. For me, it's writing. For Hillary, it's fitness. (Check out her incredible free workouts on the HillaryJ YouTube Channel.)

Which brings us back to why I came to Hillary with my back pain. I knew she'd understand, and I knew she'd have ideas for helping. She gave me three easy exercises to do. And THEY WORK. I seldom complain about my back anymore, and that's not because Elsa's getting lighter! 

Here's a video of the exercises that have helped me so much:

We all can make excuses for not exercising or stretching, but don't try your excuses on Hillary! Her advice: Make your excuse your reason. She works out because Olivia can't - which always shuts me right up! 

Thank you Hillary for sharing your talents and gifts, and your fierce friendship and support, E V E R Y single day.

Summer Bucket List: The Morton Arboretum

Since the school year ended, we've been meaning to get to The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill., a 1,700-acre living museum that champions trees throughout the world via scientific study, conservation and advocacy.

We made it! This beautiful oasis, situated almost exactly in between our western suburb and the bustling city of Chicago, is a perfect summer day-trip. And it's location also made it the perfect half-way point for a meet up with our city-dwelling besties the Dows.

Here are 7 things that made our trip so fantastic (other than spending the day with such lovely company):

1. Shade: The arboretum, as you might imagine, is covered in shade. Trees and structures throughout made it comfortable all morning, despite the 80+ degree temperatures.

2. Accessibility: The pathways are wide and smooth, making it easy for our big crew to get around and access the attractions.

3. Colors: The entire arboretum was bursting with color. The flowers definitely drew the girls' attention. (Sorry for the picked blossoms!)

4. Nooks and Crannies: While the grounds are pristine, they aren't precious. There are lots of wild bushes and brush areas for the kids to explore.

5. Active Features: The trees are the main attraction, but strategically placed playground structures delivered a nice dose of cardio for the kids.

6. Outdoor Adventure: In one portion of the arboretum, a stream trickles through. The girls whipped off their shoes and jumped right in. The feature was something fun that Elsa could easily access, too.

7. Sensory Experiences: One of my favorite focal points was a large, interactive stone globe sculpture, that seemed to levitate and spin in water. I loved that it gave Elsa a place to stand and touch something tactically interesting, while also directly interacting with her peers. 

Simply showing up and paying your admission will secure a day of fun, but if you'd like to plan your trip around an event, the arboretum has a robust calendar of activities. Here's the link! If there's a feature of Morton Arboretum that you love, that wasn't noted in this post, please share in the comments below.

5 Great Apps for Kids 5 & Under: A Guest Post by Leslie Schulte

Travel season is upon us.

You know what that means: It's time to load up the ole minivan (or chariot of choice) for a big adventure. Are you excited? Scared? Maybe a little of both?

Road trips bring hours of fun and bonding for the fam... as well as periods of pain (let's be real) in the form of violent eruptions from back row. Fighting, screaming, tears and sometimes worse. Far worse.

Looking for a few magic tricks to stick in your car activity bag, for when the going gets tough? My fabulous sister-in-law Leslie Schulte (who lives in Gretna, Neb., with her beautiful family) has an excellent round-up of mom-approved apps that are definitely worth the download.

NOTE: Leslie's post is the first in a two-part series. My next post will be 5 Excellent Touch Training Apps - a companion to Leslie's wonderful piece. Check back for that one soon!

In Leslie's words...

Did you hear? The American Academy of Pediatrics in October 2016 lifted its "no screens under age 2" rule. The AAP now says that parents and guardians should "avoid solo media use" in the under 2 age group. (Here's how NPR covered the story.)

Parents who were more-or-less ignoring "the rules" can let out a collective sigh. Yet, we all can agree that we want our children to consume media in a thoughtful way.

When screen time happens at our house, we do our best to ensure that the boys (and one day, our daughter) get the very best that the online world has to offer. That's why when DoSpace - a digital work and play space - opened in Omaha, I jumped on board and signed up for a free membership.

To say our family has benefited from DoSpace, and its highly sought after Littles Lab seats, is an understatement.

Through this Silicon Prairie gem, our family has stayed up-to-date on great STEM books, toys and apps for kids. We have the opportunity to try out all of the aforementioned, discovering what we enjoy most and then choosing which to invest in and which to continue borrowing.

Here's my list of 5 Great Apps for Kids 5 and Under:

1. Endless Alphabet (Originator Inc.)

When silly monsters mess up the words, children are tasked with restoration and then rewarded with a silly monster sketch that teaches new vocabulary. As the letter is dragged, the letter sound is played, when the word is completed, it is said aloud. The definition sketch follows, giving children multiple learning opportunities within a brief minute or so. 

Others Originator Inc. apps: Endless Numbers, Endless Reader and Endless Wordplay (there are bundles available).

2. Lightbot Jr: Coding (LightBot Inc.)

Lightbot is a little on-screen robot that follows the child’s directions, moving around to light up blue tiles. This cute game teaches preschool age kiddos the beginning concepts of coding: humans give directions to the robot, and it follows the inputed directions, exactly as given.

Other coding apps: Lightbot has additional apps for older ages; Bee-Bot, by TTS Group, is another fun, intro-to-coding app.

3. BabyLit Series - Jungle Book Hide & Seek, and Frankenstein Build and Play (Night & Day Studios)

These adorable apps introduce children to the classic tales, then allows them to interact with the story through iPad manipulation—tilt the iPad to play hide-n-seek with the famous Jungle Book animals, drag and drop body parts to build a monster of their own, etc. Simple, sweet and fun.

Also by Night & Day Studios: Peekaboo Barn, another family favorite, introduces the youngest of technology users to animal noises while teaching cause and effect.

4. Learn to Write with Mr. Pencil (LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.)

The child helps Dash and Dot prepare for Art Day by exploring the town and completing tasks. This app can be used with or without the LeapFrog “Mr. Pencil” stylus and through repetition helps the child practice writing letters and drawing shapes. Penciltastic!

Have an Elmo fan at your house? Elmo Loves ABCs, by Sesame Street, is another app that helps children practice their letters and is also packed full of Sesame Street clips and games.

5. Osmo Game System (Osmo)

Bring your child’s digital and physical worlds together with the amazing Osmo Game System. This is a pricier app/technology combo kit - one that at this time we’ve chosen to just play with while at DoSpace - but it is amazing! Although it is geared more to the 5+ age group, my 4 year old really enjoys doing some of the more simplistic tangram puzzles and beginning levels of the coding games.

Learn more about all of the Osmo apps and kits on the PlayOsmo website.

What are your family’s favorite apps for kids? Which apps will my family grow into as we enter the new world of school-aged kids? Post your comments below!

Safety Tip: Ever wondering about the validity/safety of an app? Common Sense Media has a great app that helps parents by providing information and rating numerous apps, games, shows and movies. They also have “Best Lists” including a whole section on Best Apps. Enjoy!

5 Ways to Approach Summer Reading

If you want your kids' summer reading to be a bit more productive than a mash up of The Wall Street Journal, old Christmas cards and winter stocking caps...

... Not that this isn't adorable and perfectly good fun...

Then hop on over to my friend Jaclyn Kruzie's blog. This week, I did a guest post for her on 5 Ways to Approach Summer Reading. You'll find fun tips for following your child's natural curiosities to keep a love of learning growing all summer long.

Click HERE to read the post. Thanks for taking the "hop"!

Lemonade Stand for Good

Nothing says summer like a lemonade stand. 

Messy handmade promo posters. Refreshing tartness in clear plastic cups. Sweet little people overseeing quiet card tables.

If you have kids, chances are good that you'll host a lemonade stand (or two) this summer. But what if your stand was more than a low-stakes exercise in entrepreneurship? What if your stand STOOD for something? What if it made a difference in another child’s life?

This summer, the Schulte girls will be hosting a lemonade stand for the Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation - the St. Charles, Ill.-based nonprofit that honors the life of young Benjamin Gerlach.

Sweet Ben passed away exactly one year ago. He was a triplet and a Chapelstreet Church Masterpiece kid, who attended Buddy Break with our Elsa. (Masterpiece and Buddy Break are incredible ministries serving children with special needs, and their families.) Here is Ben with his sister and brother.

God placed Ben's mom, Elizabeth, at my table for the 2016-17 session of Moms Together (another amazing Chapelstreet Church program). I've so enjoyed getting to know her! Elizabeth and her husband, Rob, launched a foundation in Ben's name this spring.

Ben was a beautiful light in his family and community. Here's a little bit about Ben, in his momma's words:

Benjamin, his brother Colin and sister Ava were born prematurely at 25 weeks. They spent their first months of life in the NICU at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Born on June 30, 2012, Ben finally came home almost five months later. He had an extremely tough time while in the NICU. A loss of oxygen to his brain at one point during a serious infection resulted in his primary diagnosis of Cystic Encephalomalacia. We knew this would impact his development but not to what extent. At 10 months, he was diagnosed as Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. In addition, he had a feeding tube, vision impairment, epilepsy, was nonverbal and had severe gross and fine motor deficiencies.

The last year and a half of his life, Ben struggled with respiratory viruses/illnesses and was on oxygen support full time. Where a sniffle or runny nose might not be a ‘big deal’ for a typical kid, for Ben, it most likely would mean hospitalization. After numerous viruses and hospital stays, he caught Adenovirus and passed away from respiratory failure on May 2, 2016, in the PICU at Lurie Children’s. Despite his daily struggles, Ben was a happy kid, who loved being around his brother and sister. He was in a blended preschool class for almost a full year and loved it. He had many friends who cared about him, and he laughed and smiled a lot. I miss his smile every day.

I cannot imagine Elizabeth and Rob's heartbreak. Within a year of Ben's passing, they started Ben Smiles, which donates adapted toys, communication tools and other devices to children with developmental delays, who would benefit tremendously from such technology. The foundation works with Chapelstreet Church, Easter Seals and District 303’s Early Childhood Program to get equipment in the hands of kids who need it most.

Ben's siblings recently ran a lemonade stand fundraiser for Ben Smiles, and the family would love it if their community continued the momentum in Summer 2017.

What do you say?

You too, Grandparents - what a fun and meaningful activity to do with the grandkids when they're on your home turf! Beyond the obvious lemonade stand goodness, a Ben Smiles lemonade stand helps to teach the little ones in your world that:

• Some kids are on a different journey,
• And sometimes their medical and physical needs can be involved,
• But they still love to learn and play,
• And God gave YOU the ability to help them get toys that meet their needs.

Here are 5 simple steps to running a stand for Ben Smiles in Summer 2017. Get the kids involved in every step!

1. Set up your stand with all the fixins.
2. Decorate a sign that says "Lemonade for Ben Smiles."
3. Work your magic, and sell that lemonade!
4. Share your stand pics on Facebook and Instagram, and tag Ben Smiles in your posts. (#bensmiles)
5. Pass along your donation to Ben Smiles HERE.

Elizabeth and Rob would love to see 50 lemonade stands hosted across the Midwest (and beyond?) this summer. Visit Ben Smiles on Facebook to notify Elizabeth of your stand and share your pics, to keep the fun and inspiration running all summer long!

Mapping Out Summer

Schools are closing for summer across the U.S., and parents far-and-wide are fretting about what exactly they are going to do with their kids for the next three months.

Three months.

Oh boy, are we in trouble. But perhaps, this is better reframed as a question:

Are we in trouble?

Let's all take a deep breath and remember our own childhoods. Long days at the pool. T-ball games. Snow cones. Bike rides. Family vacations. Fireworks. Fireflies. Picnics with books.

These weren't fussy times. We didn't need screens of any kind. Nor did we need a full-time activity director. We explored. We relaxed. We bonded with our parents and siblings and neighbors.

Summer should be all of these things. It is a beautiful change of pace: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

But we also cannot ignore the fact that the long days of summer are indeed often looooooooong. So, how can we make the most of this precious time without jamming in too much activity and zapping the spontiety?

Enter Nadia Swearingen-Friesen - author, speaker and intentional parenting advocate. (Her book Sticks! presents a creative motivational/discipline system for kids. Check it out!)

Nadia spoke to a room full of moms last week through Moms Together, a wonderful ministry offered at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva (formerly FBCG). I was fortunate to sit with these lovely ladies this session. Thanks for being such a great table leader, Courtney!

In her presentation, Nadia said there are 4 Keys Planning an Amazing Summer:

1. Allow for downtime and rest
2. Organize activities
3. Do things you can't do in other seasons
4. Make goals for (and with) your kids

Dan and I chatted through goals for the girls and landed on these:

• Miss E: Increase mobility, work on therapy objectives, expand communication
• Miss C: Support her hunger for academics/learning, increase personal responsibility 
• Miss L: Work on gross and fine motor through play, make progress in potty training

To meet these goals, this is how we plan to approach each week. (For us, it works best to have at least have one focal activity per day.):

And these are the things we will require the girls to do each day before screens are allowed:

Bible verse memorization was a great suggestion from Nadia. We practiced this tonight, and the girls loved it. Each week we'll choose a verse to learn - building their understanding that God's word is part of our every day and can be leaned on and called upon at any time. 

We will keep you posted on how it all goes. Congrats to your kiddos (and you) for a great school year - you made it!