About

Hi!  I’m Amanda, a suburban Chicago mom to two kids – a teenager and a preschooler.  I can tell you with absolute certainty that there’s never a dull moment in my house.  Like, ever. To further add to the chaos that is my life, I'm expecting TWINS very soon and will be adding them to the blog when they arrive. I'm not too fond of pregnancy photos, so no belly shots here!

It has taken me forever to update this page because, well, it’s just awkward.  I feel like I’m writing a personal ad and I’m supposed to tell you all the things that will make you fall in love with me.  Do I like walks on the beach? Yep.  Picnics in the park? Check. An evening curled up on the couch? Sure.  But none of those things are relevant to my blog…at least I don’t think so!

So, as hard as this might be, here goes:

I'm originally from the northwest side of Chicago. I lived there almost my whole life, but wanted to raise my kids in the 'burbs. We moved to the northwest suburbs five years ago and I really love it, but I still miss so many things about the city. The biggest thing I miss...THE FOOD!

I love food (and I have the waistline to prove it!). I’m not great at cooking the food, but boy do I love to eat it!  I love visiting great restaurants - so plentiful in Chicago - and can appreciate a well-cooked meal.  I am ½ Puerto Rican and ½ German/Polish, so I’m no stranger to a great ethnic meal.  Give me some arroz con gandules with a side of tostones any day and I’m a happy gal!

I am very Type A.  In every sense of the definition.  Quite possibly borderline OCD.  I like things organized and done in a certain way…always.  I’m highly competitive, impatient, and have no tolerance for things done the “wrong” way.  Despite all this, I am married and people do like me.  Go figure!

I love to travel.  Anywhere, really.  It could be thousands of miles away, or just the town over, and I’m happy.  I love to experience new things, taste new foods, and explore new places probably more than anything in the world.  I’m trying to instill that love of adventure and learning in my kids too…seems to be working!  I’m still trying to ditch the itinerary travel and learn to adopt a more “winging it” sense of travel, but I’m not quite there yet. {The whole Type A thing, remember?}

I seriously love country music.  Like, really love.  Some of my favorite summertime memories revolve around listening to some of my favorite bands playing on stage and an ice-cold beer in my hands. “Two bare feet on the dashboard, Young love in an old Ford, Cheap shades and a tattoo and a Yoo-Hoo bottle on the floorboard.  Perfect song on the radio, Sing along ’cause it’s one we know, It’s a smile, It’s a kiss, It’s a sip of wine, It’s summertime!”  That song is almost permanently stuck in my head.

My kids are two of the best things I’ve ever done.  The road here hasn’t been easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing.  My daughter, Jazz, (16) is growing up fast, but I loved the time we got to share together when it was just the two of us.  Some of the best days of my life I credit to that little girl and I will have her back…always.  My son, Brady, (5) is the most precocious little man I have ever known.  He’s never met a letter of the alphabet he didn’t like and is already homeschooling at the 1st grade level. No joke…this kid’s amazing.

So that's me in a nutshell. I've been blogging since 2011, but found that my other blog just wasn't "me" anymore. I monetized too much and started to feel forced to write a new post. I hope to keep this blog more of a personal journal, sharing my new life with FOUR kids!

Want to send me a question or two? Please email me at suburbanishmama (at) gmail (dot) com.