As a mother of five kids, I’m in the trenches day to day: kissing boo-boos (both literal and figurative), working to keep my patience when everybody’s melting down, balancing everybody’s needs…including my own. Whether I’m hanging around the house or heading for the zoo or library with the kids–or going out to a yoga class or restaurant on my own–life is an adventure.

I’m the author of two books: Table for Eight: raising a large family in a small-family world, (Alpha/Penguin, 2007) a practical hands-on guide to raising “larger than average” families featuring tips and advice from a large panel of large-family parents; and The Everything Health Guide to Postpartum Care: A complete guide to looking and feeling your best after delivery and beyond (Adams Media), a comprehensive handbook to the physical and emotional changes, challenges and joys new moms face. I contribute frequently to magazines and websites like Parenting, Parents, Fit Pregnancy, American Baby, Disney’s Family.com, and Pregnancy, and write a pregnancy blog for WEtv.com.

I also write regularly about travel and lifestyle (focusing on the Midwest), health, and mind-body wellness for magazines like Natural Health, Yoga Journal, AAA Living, and.Michigan BLUE.

Mothering my five kids lends inspiration and experience for my articles and essays on parenting and family; and my natural curiosity and “try (almost) anything once” approach to life means I’m always exploring my backyard and beyond–and writing about what I find. Through writing, speaking, and sharing what I’ve learned, I’m always working to help other women–particularly mothers–lead happy, creative, and fulfilled lives.