After having kids, working in advertising wasn’t possible with the long hours. I still felt I needed something so I signed up for a yoga teacher training.  I now teach yoga specializing in prenatal and mom and baby classes. Ups and Downs of a Yoga Mom is a natural extension of my life. Here I write about my yoga on and off the mat, as well as raising my kids in a calm fashion in our chaotic world. I explore everything from living green to parenting to my own struggles and successes.

Beth’s Family Travel Tip:

My favorite family travel tip is to come prepared. Begin a bag weeks in advance with small toys that they don’t play with often or get a bunch of new ones from the dollar store. Pack a variety of snacks, books and videos with a portable DVD player. Also, bring blankets and stuffed animals from home so your kids are comfortable in their new surroundings.

Beth’s Top 3 Family-Friendly Chicago Destinations

• Green City Market.  Steps from the zoo, Chicago’s largest twice weekly market offers the freshest fruits, vegetables, herb, flowers, cheese, bread and smoothies.  Little ones love tasting the samples and learning how the sellers grew the items on their farm.  The Market often attracts live music, jugglers, bubble men and a crepe stand that alone makes the trip worthwhile. Street parking is difficult, but an expensive cash only lot is available.
• Margie’s Candies.  The old school candy shop offer gigantic sundaes with a signature wafer.  Tables have juke boxes which entertain and astonish our children of the iPad era.   This antique gem is a special treat for all ages
• Pickles Playroom.  On those days when you don’t have the energy to interact and wish you could do work in a coffee shop; this is it.  Part playroom, part coffee shop, part hair cuttery equals win, win, win for all involved.  Of all the newly opened play spaces, this seems to offer something for all ages from babies to older kids.

Find Beth on Facebook here and follow her on Twitter @upsdownsyogamom.