In many ways, raising children is a roller coaster ride. We hop on (at pregnancy or adoption) in anticipation of the thrills, fastening our restraints and holding our breath for what’s to come. And then the dips and loop-de-loops of late night feeding, tantrum calming, homework helping and all the rest of what it takes to raise…
Donut Challenge Day 7: Sylvia’s Bakery & The End
Spring break is over and we’re back in the flow of the school year. But I realized being swept up in weekend activities and preparing for break to end, I missed posting about Day 7 of our Donut Challenge. Of course, that might be due in equal part to the letdown we experienced as our…
Donut Challenge Day 6: Dimples Donuts & Expectations
We’re nearing the end of this week-long challenge and closing in on selecting the winner. It’s fun hearing that friends are joining in and trying some of these donut shops (and others) this week themselves. Too bad we didn’t bump into any of them while we were out! Day 6’s visit to Dimples Donuts in…
Donut Challenge Day 5: Glaze Donuts & Repeating a Bucket List Conquest
The donut challenge continues and I’m thinking of renaming my car The Donut Mobile. Not that we’re trekking far for our donuts, but we are criss-crossing the Western Suburbs in search of donut perfection. The hardest part has been riding home hungry with those donuts calling out to us to be eaten immediately. However, we’ve resisted mightily…
Donut Challenge Day 4: Ingram’s Busy Bee – Look to the Locals
We’re on Day 4 now of our Challenge and friends have been asking if we’re getting sick of donuts yet. The answer? Of course not! Our secret? We’re eating only about one donut-worth apiece (give or take) each day. For Day 4 we tried donuts from a true old-fashioned bakery. Ingram’s Busy Bee has been selling…
Donut Challenge Day 3: Honey Fluff Donuts & Sensory Reset
Our donut tour of the Western Suburbs of Chicagoland continues today with a stop at Honey Fluff Donuts in Countryside. As I’ve done the past two days, I want to point out a broader concept I learned from this visit before giving you our review of the shop. What I realized from visiting Honey Fluff…
Donut Challenge Day 2: Stan’s Donuts & Why You Should Seek Recommendations
Our week of trying new donut shops continues with a visit to the brand new Stan’s Donuts & Coffee at OakBrook Center. But before I give a rundown on our Stan’s experience, I want to share with you something that I learned as we started this challenge: getting recommendations when planning an adventure can make a…
Donut Challenge Day 1: DeEtta’s Bakery
If you’re following along, you know that my daughter Katherine and I have embarked on a seven-day tour of seven donut shops/bakeries in the Western Suburbs of Chicago in search of our favorite. Before I give you the Day 1 results, I want to point out something about this challenge: it’s interesting because it has…
Spring Break Adventure: The Donut Challenge
It’s Spring Break here. While many families have left town to head South (for the warmth), North (for skiing), or just about anywhere else to simply get away and explore somewhere new, most of my family is home. Our youngest needed to have her tonsils removed and Spring Break allows just enough time for her…
Road Trip Planning Help
Planning to head out on a road trip with your family soon? If you’re like me, the days leading up to your departure will be filled with trying to remember everything that needs to be done – stop the mail and newspaper, arrange for pet sitters or house sitters, double-check hotel reservations, check that the…