I’ve been busy, busy, busy this month, how about you? As autumn rolls in (love this season!), I’ve been working on some new assignments for Redbook, Marie Claire Australia, The Nest, and Kiwi (I feel like I’m forgetting something, but my brain is fried), along with my regular work for American Baby, Glamour.com and WomansDay.com. Oh, be sure to check out my newest article in Real Simple this month (the November issue)–the Winter Washing Guide (when and how to wash your fave winter clothing staples). In addition, my second novel is moving along beautifully–nearing the finish and so thrilled with this story (if I do say so myself!). More on that as soon as I can share!

Whew–I think I need a nap.

But, I’ve found time for fun, too. For example, my boys and I made these cookies this week. And, let me start by saying this post should come with a disclaimer: Do not make this recipe unless you are fully aware that by doing so, you will not be able to stop yourself from nibbling. Now that you’ve been warned …  I’ve been on the search for the perfect maple cookies for years, and finally, last week, made these. Amazing. Delicious. Satisfying. There are no limit to the adjectives I’d use to describe these beauties. And, my kids think they’re pretty swell too. Want the recipe?



We’ve had an awesome summer so far, how about you? Granted, I’ve been really busy, but that’s OK. I like busy. And, I’m blessed to be doing the work I love. It’s been the busiest summer yet with a ton of magazine work–currently juggling some terrific articles for Redbook, Real Simple, Woman’s Day and Glamour (stay tuned for future issues!), writing for Glamour.com (just agreed to do year #3!), finishing the edit process of my novel, and writing my second. Oh, did I mention we’re having another baby? I’ll be sharing boy/girl news here in a few weeks when we hear! For now, here’s a quick glimpse of summer in my casa–the slower moments with the kids. I want to remember all the silliness and beauty of these months, so here they are …



This is a question I get asked a lot, so I thought I’d try to sum up an answer. It’s a topic that many writer-mothers talk about. My writer friend Allison Winn Scotch wrote about it here recently. And Christina Katz wrote a whole book on the topic. It’s called Writer Mama, and you should check it out if you’re a mom and at all interested in writing.

But here’s the thing for me: I started my writing career before kids and just didn’t want to set it on the back shelf when the kids arrived. I wanted to both a.) continue writing, and b.) be a full time mom who was there for her kids as much as possible. So far, I’m making it work. Am I tired? All the time. Do I complain? Yes. Do I secretly long for the days of grade school? I’m not going to lie, yes, sometimes. My boys are 1 and 3 and I have a full writing career. I blog for Glamour.com daily (5-7 posts per day), write one to two magazine articles a week, a monthly column, and am now halfway through my second novel. Here’s how I fit this all in with the kids: