Hey you, Chicagoland. Pay close attention to what you’re about to read: GO SEE THE DRURY LANE PRODUCTION OF “BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL”! Yes, I yelled. And yes, I said “effing” in the title up there. I would have used the actual F word in honor of its major role in the musical, but this is a family-friendly blog. Let me back up for a minute. The fine folks at Drury Lane in Oakbrook asked me to come and check out the show, on their dime, and I jumped at the chance. I loved the movie, and just a few months ago my sister and I went to see (and…
-
-
Wait, What Day Is This Again?
And the month, please? Well, I’m kidding about the month part. I know exactly what month it is (April), because I’m in the thick of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER season. I am seriously having trouble keeping track of the days, though. (I just looked; it’s Wednesday. In case you also wondered.) I just returned from a whirlwind trip to New York City (for the LTYM book launch) and New Jersey (to visit my other family) and I had all kinds of fun being completely relaxed and in a state of recharge, especially at this moment (Sunday afternoon) at this place (the beach in Seaside Heights) with my sistuh from anuthuh…
-
They Blinded Me With Science Humor
When I was researching my Chicago family travel book (Wait. You didn’t know I wrote this book? Huh.), I found all kinds of places around the Chicago area that my family had never experienced before. One of my (and my boys’!) very favorites was American Science & Surplus. This is not a sponsored post, by the way. The store contains what you would expect: science stuff and odds and ends. Lots of it is VERY odd, in fact. You can get test tubes and bottles, but you can also get little motors and paper and maps and crime scene tape and marbles and lava lamps and frames and military stuff…
- Best Thing Ever, Family Fun, Friends, Fun in Chicago, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Something That Could Change Your Life
Whirlyball, Where Have You Been All My Life?
Actually, I guess it’s the other way around. Whirlyball has been a Chicago staple for years and years, right here in front of me, but for some reason–and I’ll be kicking myself over it for a long time to come–I had never tried it…until this week. (Disclosure: the fine folks at Whirlyball invited me and some friends in for some complimentary play. I was not compensated for this post.) Whirlyball, which is a combination of lacrosse, basketball, hockey, and bumper cars, is a fast-paced team game and SO MUCH FUN. Players are buckled into “WhirlyBugs” with a plastic scoop in hand. The idea is to get a whiffle ball through…
-
Note To Self:
Next year, remember to ask someone to remind me that I will likely need a sleep aid on the night in between LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO audition days. It’s what happens when we listen–oh, so willingly!–to these from-hilarious-to-heartbreaking stories of motherhood for hours at a time. At night, the stories start to ooze out. They stick with us for so many different reasons. When we’re in the beginning of the process of having to choose which ones are right for the show this year, there is excitement about finding our newest LTYM Chicago family members combined with sadness in thinking about the many who will have to be let…
-
Celebrating Holiday Traditions With Target
I was thrilled when the folks at Target asked me to write a post about one of my favorite Chicago area holiday traditions. After they provided me with a gift card to purchase items that I thought could enhance the fun, they just turned me loose and let me do my thang. (Thanks, Target! This was fun!) All words and opinions are mine, as usual! Oh, and stick around for the end: I’m giving away a $75 Target gift card to one of you lucky readers!
-
How To Have The Perfect Thanksgiving*
Going along with my family’s method of sticking to “new old traditions“, we did Thanksgiving our way. Perhaps you might want to change it up sometime, too? Here’s how. 1. The very first thing you do is make reservations at your favorite Brazilian steakhouse, which is also known as a churrascaria. 2. Start talking excitedly about “Meatsgiving” and make comments about the stretchy pants you’ll need to wear after it’s all over. Also, debate whether it’s best to starve yourself during the hours leading up to dinner or if it’s best to continue normal eating practices, thus keeping your stomach in practice. 3. Spend Thanksgiving Day completely relaxed and smiling.…
- Confessions, Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?, Friends, Fun in Chicago, I've Got Mad Skillz
Just Noh.
I’m in a mood this afternoon, because I scheduled a workout for 4:30 p.m. and one of my least favorite things to do is drag myself away from whatever I’m doing to go take an afternoon class. I used to do my workouts mostly in the evening or at 5:30 in the morning almost exclusively, so it’s not like I’m new at this, but I’m a creature of habit and changing up my schedule today hurt. I’ve grown quite accustomed to doing my 8:30 a.m. class and then being finished for the day. Actually, the fact that this is bothering me so much really tells me that I probably need…
-
Survival Skills
There’s a saying about how Chicago has only two seasons, winter and construction*. My little corner of my western suburb has been experiencing construction year-round for nearly two years now (even through the winter months), thanks to a gutting and extensive reconstruction of a major state route that happens to be one of the few roads that runs through my entire town from all the way north to all the way south. By the way, that state route happens to border my subdivision. The city planners back in the day had absolutely no idea that eventually Naperville would be the fifth largest (by population) city in Illinois and naturally, didn’t…
-
Return To The Chicago Food Swap
Yesterday, as my title indicates, I returned to the Chicago Food Swap. I used to attend monthly, but it’s been literally a year since I could get my schedule to mesh with the monthly weekend. Yes, it’s a weekend commitment for me. The Chicago Food Swap may only last two hours or so on a Sunday afternoon, by my usual M.O. is to spend the entire day before in my kitchen because I can’t keep from overdoing it. Even though I was SO! SICK! of my kitchen by Saturday night… …I survived my marathon baking session and made it to Sunday. Shew! My sister and I headed to the Broadway…