For the fourth year we've made it on the CTA Holiday Train in Chicago. It's becoming one of my favorite holiday traditions now that we have young girls, because their faces light up when they wave to Santa and ride the festive L train. This year we waited until Santa's Express was on the Purple Line in Evanston because that's near our home and not too crowded. We boarded at Central Station ... Read more
2019 Flora Family Cookie Day
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is getting together with family for a marathon baking day with our Louisville family. At our annual Cookie Day, we bake dozens of cookies using recipes from my husband's grandmother. This year we borrowed the binder of recipes to copy so that we can have them, too. Each person/couple/family picks their recipes and then bakes them and we place them on a table ... Read more
Holiday Magic Experience 2019 at Brookfield Zoo
I want to make the Christmas season as magical as possible for our girls, so the Holiday Magic Experience at Brookfield Zoo was on my bucket list. We had skipped last year because A was only 8 months old, making this was our first time with our two girls. We had a blast, but I'll admit it's a workout to go anywhere with two kids. It's totally worth the 45-minute drive to Brookfield, ... Read more
Eco-Friendly Holiday Tips
Something that's been weighing on my mind is how much waste is created each holiday. I feel torn between wanting my children to have the toys they want for Christmas and buying all the things, but worrying about the environmental impact of shopping/consuming. Beyond that, the season has a lot of celebrations, and with those come gift wrap, travel, single-use plastics and more. I've been thinking ... Read more
My Christmas Wish List | Mom of Two
** This Christmas wish list post contains affiliate links to similar products. I am compensated for purchases made after clicking these links at no additional cost to you. My Christmas wish list for 2019 highlights my priority in this phase of life, which is self-care. I am a tired working mom of two who loves self-care, and the things on my wish list reflect that. I hope this gives some ideas ... Read more
2019 Holiday Events in the Chicago Area
There's so much to do in Chicagoland this holiday season! We have already checked out Lightscape and can't wait to experience more festive fun. I'm sharing some of the best holiday events in the Chicago area and will be adding to this list periodically, so check back! CTA Holiday Train and Bus: One of our favorite family traditions is riding the CTA Holiday Train. You also have the option of ... Read more
Affordable Christmas Decor Home Tour 2019
** This Christmas decor post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made after clicking these links at no additional cost to you. As I mentioned last week, the Christmas decor is out at the Flora house. It took me almost a week to put the tree up because I realized I wanted a new tree skirt and bows this year and because it's more challenging to put up a tree when you ... Read more
Affordable Winter Wonderland Holiday Tablescape
** This post about our winter wonderland holiday decor contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made after clicking these links. Thanks for supporting Floradise! The Christmas decorations have made their way out of storage at my house. I started by setting up our dining table, because I wanted to have it decorated for Thanksgiving, and it turned into an all-out decorating ... Read more
Christmas at the Flora House
This has been a special Christmas for us: It was the first in our new house, and it was Addi's first! V had some new traditions, too. Our Christmas recap: I love our tree this year despite never finding a tree topper after ours broke. I plan to also purchase a new tree skirt next year. We chose to stay in Chicago for Christmas this year vs. traveling to Arizona or Kentucky. We wanted to ... Read more
Riding the 2018 CTA Holiday Train in Chicago
We continued our tradition of riding the CTA Holiday Train in the Chicago area this year. If you're not from Chicago and have never heard of it, it's a holiday-themed train that only runs on certain L Train lines at scheduled times. In 2016 and 2017 we caught the train on the Red Line, which runs north-south through the city. This year, we picked the Purple Line in Evanston because we live in the ... Read more