Lessons from the happiest place on Earth
The happiest place on Earth is just 4,400 miles away from Chicago. Finland, which topped the United Nations report this year as the happiest country on the planet, is a...
All Stories
Chicagoland renters and buyers are itching for walkable suburbs. Enter ‘surban.’
Newbies to Chicago’s suburbs are increasingly stowing cars and slipping into walking shoes. No longer are McMansions, white picket fences and sprawling square footage topping suburban buyers’ most-wanted list. Instead,...
How should families deal with a significant other who isn’t liked?
DeeDee Cayetano didn't meet Jason Morris' parents or siblings until a month after she married him — so her relationship with her in-laws was strained from the start. The couple...
Debating whether to remodel or sell your house? Ask these 7 questions first.
Sandy Tremain and her husband, Jeff, bought her 1960s Deerfield home in 2008. Back then the four-bedroom home with original pink bathrooms, galley kitchen and vintage appliances worked just fine....
What does having joint vs. separate bank accounts say about your relationship?
In homes across the country, old couples and young couples, rich couples and poor couples are arguing about money. How they’re spending their money, how they’re earning the money and...
The risk of being your child’s best friend and how to draw the line
Susan Wholley bought her daughter her first drink when she turned 21, and she was the person her daughters turned to when they had questions about sex and marijuana. The...
You like vintage, your spouse wants modern. Here’s how to settle house-hunting arguments.
If you’ve ever stepped into Ikea, then you’re probably aware of the challenges facing couples searching for the perfect piece of furniture. With spring homebuying season nearly upon us, spats...
Why modern custody agreements look so different: ‘Anything goes, as long as the children are happy’
Lucenda Jacobs’ 13- and 15-year-old children have their own home in Houston, but they’re never alone. Every two weeks, Jacobs and her ex-husband swap in and out of their children’s...
House hunters, be wary: 7 seemingly small flaws may point to a money pit
When Annemarie Kill and her husband, John Duffy, bought their first house in Chicago’s Galewood neighborhood in 2003, the duo knew it needed some cosmetic work — in fact, they...
How to make blended families work
When two people decide to become a family, it’s tricky blending lifestyles, finances and personalities. But when you add in unrelated children to create a blended family, chances are high...