Lou Slangen immigrated to the United States from Holland as a young man with 2 simple suitcases, a boat-load of dreams and the perfect formula for success. He exuded passion, persistence and eventually found the perfect partner for his journey – his wife Linda.

He and Linda raised 4 kids while moving around to multiple cities during his journey. He led large sales teams for a multinational healthcare products firm - rising to become the…

You decided to host the big holiday gathering. Now you’ve come to your senses and the reality of this big-time commitment is slapping you in the face! You’re saying to yourself, “Oh crap (OK – you’re using some ‘choice’ swear words, but this is a family-friendly blog, so I cleaned it up) my house is a cluttered disaster!”

Your mind wanders to the ‘state’ of your guest bedroom, your pantry and your mudroom entryway (areas your guests will…

After you dropped Jack off to start his freshman year at Ohio State it finally hits you. Unless his older brother Jim or sister Stephanie ‘boomerang’ back you’re finally an empty nester. And since Stephanie is due in a few short months, living in Chicago, and game fully employed (Thank God) the boomeranging child effect is unlikely to happen – at least with her.   

Somehow you thought being transformed into an empty nester would feel more…

It’s fun scrolling through Pinterest looking at glamour closets of stars like Khloe Kardashian. How cool would it be to have a room dedicated to your shoe, purse or jewelry collection (even if you’re jewelry is more costume than real)? 

While you may dream of such luxuries, you have waaaaay too many practical needs to deal with first.

Your son is demanding a new bookbag. Your daughter wants to buy a hot new prom dress she saw at the mall. “It’s…

Is your kitchen pantry such a mess that packing lunches or prepping for a holiday meal is a huge source of stress? Are your shelves so narrow that canned good and boxes are falling off the edge? Does pulling out cooking sheets out require you to be a mini-Houdini? If you answered yes to any of these questions stepping back and evaluating the design and organization of your kitchen pantry cabinets will be a worthwhile thing to do. 

If you’re…

There are situations where I wish I could go back to the days when I was growing up. Visiting Grandma’s house for a fresh Italian meal is one of them. The smell of garlic bread with fresh parsley flakes or her famous pizza (with the thick crust, diced up tomatoes, and small bits of anchovies - yes, I know some of you are grossed out about that) baking in the oven. If I could only get another slice of it today.

However, there are other aspects…