Balancing ambition with the rest of my life is new for me. I have sneak in time for writing or let other things go — the latter being my true modus operandi.

Balancing life is a struggle for most of us — too much work, too little play, too much play, too little work, too much for others, not enough for self, too much for self, not enough for others, too many carbs, not enough protein. You see where I’m going.

So what happens when something or someone comes along and — BAM — your life is off-balance? Even if it’s a welcome change or diversion — or even, let’s say, a new baby — it can really rock the boat!

Find out how I was thrown for a loop and how I regrouped — when my daughter was born. Read Mothering from Scratch at WashingtonPost dot com.

Leave a comment too — they’re a feisty bunch over there!

Thanksgiving ended and my adventure began! I spent the weekend in Chicago without my kids (woo hoo!) or my dogs (triple woo hoo!) celebrating a long-awaited wedding of very good friends. My lavish accommodations were only surpassed by the gastronomic extravanza that awaited me. I have to admit that completely put my dreams of turkey leftovers to shame.

Friday night we were treated to a big, fat, Greek post-Thanksgiving meal in honor of my very Jewish friends’ wedding. Makes sense to me as overeating amazing food transcends the boundaries of culture and religion. My friends around me were surprised to learn I’d never had our pre-ordered first course, saganaki. If you’ve never indulged it’s basically flaming cheese, if you have imbibed you know that description doesn’t do it justice…and I bet your mouth is watering. This was accompanied by bread, of course, a Greek salad, eggplant spread and then gyros with tzatziki sauce. Then, the waiters announced that they were on their way with the main course. Oh, that would be two main courses. And then dessert. OPA!

Saturday night was the next part of my gastronomic weekend which started after the intimate wedding ceremony attended only by family and a few friends. At a renown Chicago restaurant we 52 people celebrated, ate gourmet food, drank top-shelf alcohol and danced the night away. You know you’ve arrived when you eat appetizers served on silver spoons and then do the Electric Slide. Actually besides the tuna tartar course, the highlight of the evening was glancing around the room and noticing a woman in her very expensive condo across the street from our window-walled private dining room — getting undressed. In her kitchen. She put on pajamas, got a drink from the fridge and then shut off the light. I picked up my chin off the floor but not before telling my friends. We didn’t know we were being treated to dinner and a show.

And of course because the sun rises and we need to eat again, about 20 family members went to an exclusive brunch where we indulged in everything from sushi to fancy cheeses, crab claws to champagne. And if you were wondering if there is a way to improve upon Eggs Benedict, the answer is yes. Just add lobster.

But now I’m back home in the land of kids, Cheerios, turkey dogs and low-fat ice-cream from the carton. Don’t get me wrong, the appeal is greater than even the finest caviar or a Bliss giftset on sale (oops, I didn’t mention the shopping part, did I?) And although there is no room service in these here parts, unless you consider delivering mac and cheese to kids on a leather sectional in the family room, room service — every time I do pick up the phone to order some food, although it is without variety and the 18% service fee, it does have a certain, shall we say, international flair reminiscent in some way of my luxurious long weekend away.

The guy who answers the phone is always the irrefutable and reliable — Domino.

This is the third year in a row my kids and I will spend Thanksgiving at the home of some very special family friends. They’re native to the Chicago suburbs that we’ve adopted as our home, and they’ve adopted us as part of their family. Lucky us! One of the most special things about this collaborative family we’ve formed is that our family is Jewish and theirs is not. That means that we now share holidays of all sorts and on the secular American holidays my family gets to partake of a meal that includes ham and hearty midwestern fare you’d never find on a Jewish East-Coast table.

And we love it.

But I have to laugh when my friend and I sit at our almost weekly Friday night dinners at a local restaurant and she describes the upcoming feast to me. Turkey, of course, and dressing (which I’d call stuffing even if it’s not inside the bird). Then there is sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, a special rice dish and rolls. A vegetable you ask? Sure, her cousin’s famous string bean casserole made with bacon and cheese whiz. Fruit? Absolutely! Her aunt’s fruity jello mold.

I sat at the table, arteries clogging - mouth watering.

And asked if I could bring a veggie tray.

Learn more about my effort to balance our Thanksgiving meal at GNMParents!

*Update — No one ate the veggies and dip although I did have a compulsory snap pea. There were home-made cheese sticks, shrimp and other savory appetizers. It was completely beyond my control.

One of the basic principles of Taoism is the Uncarved Block. The essence of the Uncarved Block is that things in their original simplicity contain their own natural power, power that is easily spoiled and lost when that simplicity is changed. This principle applies not only to things, but to people as well.

Kudos to Lisa Sabin-Wilson of E.Webscapes for being my fairy blog-mother and making this simpler, gentler blog exactly what I need it to be for this next phase of my blogging and writing life.

I am officially a Nablopomo drop-out. I wrote a post-a-day for a week and then found myself without inspiration or motivation. Add to that two writing classes and a prevalent procrastination problem and I just stopped blogging.

But one of my classes has ended, and amidst the sadness of missing my classmates, I’m a bit relieved. We have decided to keep in touch via email as a group - until we reconvene in January for another course.

I’m thankful for the extra time this will provide me - to blog, to do laundry, to watch soaps - but I’m still in another class (with the same amazing instructor) and I’m thankful for that as well.

And as an appetizer for your upcoming Thanksgiving feast, I’ll say that Kvetch Blog is heading for lots of changes. In appearance and in content. I’m in the throes of a redesign and want to write more about writing because, well, there isn’t a hell of a lot of other things going on that I want to write about!

And on a final note…thanks for always giving me another chance at this blogging gig…and for not calling me a turkey when I go on hiatus.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am desperately infatuated. I stare. I fondle. I adore.

It’s a problem but I can’t help it.

I just LOVE those fancy printed paper towels.

I spend way too much time in the paper goods aisle of the grocery store digging through the stacks on the shelf looking for something new. Seasonal? Spiritual? Whimsical? Kitschy?

I don’t care what brand I buy. I don’t look at the price. And the idea of buying white paper towels, even if they tear off in multiple sized pieces, makes me shudder.

Do you know that now they (the paper towel powers that be) have both horizontal and vertical designs? Yep, no more cricks in your neck trying to discern the daisies from the tulips, folks, and the printed words of wisdom can always be right-side-up!

I use these paper towels like any other. I don’t hoard them. I don’t save them for a rainy day or a special spill. I just like them more.

And for that special Nascar-loving guy in your life, there are even paper towels designed just for him. Perhaps that’s the key to getting more help around the kitchen!?

Every Thursday night I scrub the stove until it shines and I hang clean kitchen towels, the ones with my favorite coffee cup design, on the double oven handles. No one doing any heavy duty or messy cooking until Sunday night, so it’s the way I set myself up for the weekend. I definitely use the microwave, and on occasion I’ll use the toaster. But for the most part weekend meals are thrown together with what’s left in the fridge, take-out or in a restaurant.

Which leaves us with the question…are you a weekend warrior when it comes to food, or are you a washout? Do your eating habits and food choices change with the days of the week? Do you disregard your good sense or hang onto it through your days off?

Read more about being a Weekend Food Warrior or - GASP - a Washout — at GNMParents!

When I received this book in the mail from the publisher, as my first MotherTalk review book, I knew right away that blue is not just for boys! The cover alone — blue, glittery and with big swirly letters — just screams GIRL!

And blue and glittery and swirly is just the beginning!

Like a guidebook or encyclopedia, The Daring Book for Girls, written by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz, takes girls on journeys from knot-tying to thank-you note writing, from softball glove care to dealing with boys. It’s adorned with minimal but adorable retro illustrations that provide step-by-step instructions on how to do everything from cover a book in fabric to sewing a sit-upon to building and running a lemonade stand. The book also explains the ins and outs of being a spy — as well as the ever-important hand/clapping games. And what girl would be girly without those?

But it’s not all fun and games. There are pages and pages filled with vocabulary words, history, states, flowers, trees and a list of modern women leaders.

I found this book to be delightful — and open-it-anywhere, read-forward-or-backward type of book good for short stints in reading or a long and lazy afternoon. It felt nostalgic — and the information was interesting and intriguing to me.

But, my 12-year-old daughter rolled her eyes, as only a 12-year-old can. I think the target age for this book is a little younger than 7th grade. I think that it’s perfect for the 8 to 10 year old crowd!

All in all, there’s a well-written and easy-to-digest haven within those pages — I wish I’d had one when I was a little girl. It would have been right up my alley.

It still is!

You can buy The Daring Book for Girls, here.

If you’d like to WIN my copy of the book, just leave a comment and one will be chosen at random on Friday and the winner will be announced Saturday morning!

Ever wonder if there’s a way to avoid pre-teen daughter wardrobe angst? I did too, and then I had an idea!

Check out my essay in this month’s Chicago Parent!

My 15-year-old son likes to cook but he is unimpressed with my assortment of spices. At the moment the spice drawer, adorned with this nifty little shelf gadget I installed myself, includes onion powder, lemon pepper, popcorn salt, three jars of paprika, super-size parsley and a variety of Italian seasoning blends ranging from the Dollar-Store variety to Emeril’s.

What’s the problem?

“Why not just get a spice rack?” he asked.

“I don’t know why,” I answered. “I guess I could.”

But do I want one of those pre-filled jobs with spices I’ll never use (unlike the popcorn salt and lemon pepper) or do I want a customized spice rack. And if so, where to begin?

I’m thinking this is really a gift for me, not for him, although he likes to cook I do most of the cooking…but being almost 16 he does most of the eating, so I suppose it’s a wash.