Seems like whoever I run into nowadays is very curious about my newly acquired free time.

During the day I now have 6 hours free, five days a week to do what I want.

In the past two weeks, most days have fallen into a pattern.

After the crazy morning rush, I come home, drink a coffee and read some of my New Yorker Magazine. It was one of the things I had to give up when we had kids. There simply was no time to read for pleasure. Right before school started, I happily renewed my subscription.

Then, I’m off for a run. Last year my friend Jennie sent me my first podcast. It was a life changing listen. Not only because it altered my eating habits but also it opened my eyes to the wide world of podcasts.

Jennie is a friend of mine from my college days. She is a mother of two, an occupational therapist, grows her own organic veggies, and is in the processing of publishing her first book. She has become my guru on all of these things. She is always on the lookout for ways to help Ben with his sensory processing disorder.

When she heard this podcast on the Rich Roll Show, interviewing Rhonda Patrick, LONGEVITY, EPIGENETICS, MICROBIOME HEALTH & THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EATING FOR LONG-TERM WELLNESS VERSUS PERFORMANCE, she thought of me. You can read all about Rhonda Patrick on her website, Found My Fitness.

I think I’ve sent this podcast to about 12 people. It’s really worth a listen.

Then, once I figured out how podcasting worked, I started listening to them every time I ran. So far, these are my top 5 podcasts:

1. Radiolab. They describe themselves as, “A show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.”
2. This American Life. On their ‘about us’ page they seem to have trouble deciding what they are about. But it’s interesting and entertaining journalism, which is proven by the fact that they are the most popular podcast in the country.
3. Serial. An American Life spin off, there are two seasons of Serial. This first one, on Adnan Syed, a man accused of murder, goes through the evidence to see if he is innocent or guilty. The second is about Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier held captive by the Taliban for 5 years.
4. S-Town. A spin off of Serial about the life of John B. McLemore.
5. Rough Translation. It’s about how the issues we talk about in America are talked about abroad.

After this, I shower up, and head out for a nice lunch. I’m trying to eat my way across the globe, without leaving the city of Chicago. Don’t worry, that blog is coming soon.

Finally I have an hour or two which I have so far spent mostly running errands, at the grocery store, the hair salon, at the kids school volunteering.

My house is still a mess, but every time I open a cabinet and everything falls out on top of me I take a deep breath and remind myself I can do it when winter comes. As Adam says, “What’s the rush? You have 10 years to organize this stuff.”

It may take me that long.

I know what you are thinking, where do I find the time to read with four small kids around? The answer? While breastfeeding. My mother in law bought me a Nook reader and it stays right next to my boppy. You’d be surprised how many minutes you breast feed twins during the day, each time I read a few pages.

My favorite genre these days is foreignness. If it’s true foreignness it’s even better. Perhaps it’s because travel has always been a thrill for me. I love nothing more than to submerse myself into another culture completely.

With four kids, that’s not happening anytime soon. If you are in the same boat as me, then please take your pick from the list below. You too can take a vicarious travel around the world. Some I read years ago, some just recently.

1. Shantaram. An epic novel set in the underworld of contemporary Bombay. An escaped convict flees a maximum security prison in Australia and starts life anew. (Thanks for the suggestion Emma.)

2. The Power of One. A fictional account of a boy named Peekay who grows up in 1939, during apartheid in South Africa. A motivating and feel good piece of work. (Suggestion from Rob Hart, my South African buddy)

3. Cutting for Stone. Twin brothers born of a secret union between an Indian nun and a  British surgeon. The twins grow up with Ethiopia on the brink of revolution as a backdrop. (Great one, Lottie)

4. River Town. Peter Hessler, a Peace Corps volunteer, teaches English in this remote town of Fuling. Loved the way he saw differences in the two cultures. (Jane Lee, thank you.)

5. Life and Death in Shanghai. A haunting, inspirational account of Nien Cheng’s six-and-a-half years as a political prisoner during Communist China’s Cultural Revolution. (Jennie Lui! This one if from you!)

Anyway, I’m currently looking for more good reads. Doesn’t have to be foreign. Just enthralling. A few minutes ago I finished Gone Girl, another book recommended to me by my friend Lottie. A psychological thriller that was totally addicting. I ate it like it was a batch of fresh baked brownies, it took me less than a week to complete. Suggestions anyone?

Technology is unavoidable nowadays. What a different world our children live in than the one we grew up in!

Recently I answered a survey about touch screen devices for kids under three. My friend Kelly’s friend who was doing a research project. I answered as best I could, but Ben at 2 and 1/2 is still to young to grasp the concept.

Adam and I were discussing getting Jack an iPad for his 5th birthday. Right now he uses our iPhones to watch shows and play games. So much so that we’ve kept an old iPhone around just for him to use.

In the end we decided a bike would be a better purchase, especially after seeing how well his friend Grant rode his.

But technology is here. It’s not going away. And I’m not particularly bothered how much time my kids spend trying to master it. In a lot of ways I think it’s a good thing. I’m sure most jobs in the future will need good technological skills.

Perhaps this is how I justify the fact that we’ve moved on from buying just “educational” games (see previous blog – First Five Iphone Apps for your 4 Year Old) to buying fun games that are sometimes questionably violent.

I’m always searching for new games to entertain him, which probably means other moms are too. Here are another 5 that we’ve downloaded recently.

1. Where is my Water? I enjoyed this one even more than Jack did. Couldn’t put it down until I finished all the levels. It’s a simple concept, just get the water to the alligator in the tub. But amazing how hard they can make it!

2. Jelly Car. I think Jack enjoys all the different cars he can make even more than playing the game. Considering how wonky these cars drive, he’s got considerable control over them.

3. Ninja Town. Mostly jumping from tree to tree as high as you can while picking up points. Adam and Jack seem to have taken a liking to this game. I’m still not sure what makes it so exciting.

4. Team Umizoomi. Look! I can buy educational stuff for my kids! Jack is at an age where counting is fun.

5. Angry Birds. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know this game already?

On an adult note, my friend Lottie recently introduced me to “Words with Friends“. I’m addicted. If anyone out there reading this is playing as well, look me up!

Seeing the Zoo Lights a few weeks ago made me wonder what other winter wonders I should seek out for the kids. I did a little thinking about holidays in the past, and a lot of research, and here is what I’m going to try to see before all the magic ends…

1. Brookfield Zoo. They also have Holiday Magic, another spectatular zoo light exhibit. In addition to the lights there are over 400 decorated Christmas trees, ice sculptures, magicians, and jugglers.  Many exhibits are also open, like the Hamill Family Play Zoo which has lots of holiday kid friendly activities. The lights run from 4pm – 9pm for three weekends. December 3rd and 4th, the 10th and 11th, and the 17th and 18th. Also open from December 26th until the 31st. Regular admission fees are $13.50 for adults and $9.50 for children over 3. Parking is $9.00 per car/van.

2. Train Exhibits at the Chicago Botanical Gardens Wonderland, open November 25th – January 1st from 10am – 6pm and the Morton Arboretum Enchanted Railroad open November 25th to January 8th, 9am – 4pm. While at the Arboretum, search for the Hidden Gnomes in the Children’s Museum and join in on their Winter Outdoor Play.

3. Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier. Open December 2nd – January 8th, exclusive of holiday hours. Most days they open by 10am. Closing times vary. Admission is free but you’ll need to buy an activity wristband to ride the rides. They go for around $15 – $20 depending on the package you decide on. If you are at Navy Pier, you can also visit the Childrens Museum. They have a fake snowball and fort exhibit as well as a ‘ice skate with your socks’ rink for kids this winter.

4. CTA Holiday Train. The train is decorated with lights and more. Santa and his elves ride the train passing out candy canes. It’s a great little afternoon activity. Normal CTA rates apply.

5. Ice Skating at Millennium Park. The rink is open on Friday, November 18, 2011 through Sunday, March 11, 2012, weather permitting. The rink is free and open to the public. Skate rental is available for $10. Hours vary so check the website.

This is posted and more on my growing group of lists for Chicago at Hidden Little Gems.

Last week I posted some winter, kid friendly stuff to do in Chicago on Hidden Little Gems. It’s a facebook app which provides lists to “discover places to eat, drink, stay & play from your friends”. Hidden Little Gems was started by an old friend of mine from my days in Asia.

As a result, a few of my old buddies saw the list and contacted me. I guess I never realized that, even though I moved out of that life and started a new one, most of them stayed there and still see each other.

A lot of them now have kids, so I’m hopeful that my list will be useful to them. But not all. So, I decided a needed to post a few more lists to represent the lone Chicagoan of the group!

This next post, Uniquely Chicago Experiences. If you are looking for touristy stuff to do when people are in town, these five things are a must.