Back in the summer of 2011, I was selected to be an “Ambassador” of Skydeck Chicago, which is the attraction/observation deck found (mostly) on the 103rd floor of the building technically known now as the Willis Tower (but still called the Sears Tower by me and the majority of Chicago natives). I thoroughly enjoyed my summer two years ago, making multiple trips up there for various fun reasons. Here’s the famous building in question: Wait, let’s get a little closer: See those four boxes all the way up there on the left? They make up “The Ledge”, which has kept visitors shaking in their boots (sometimes even from the ground…
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#BlogHer13: Wow.
After reading somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 BlogHer ’13 recaps (so far) for my job as Social Media Researcher for BlogHer, I caught up yesterday afternoon (for now) and decided to go ahead and write my own post before hundreds more show up in my queue and my brain gets fried completely. (I hear it sizzling, so I thought I’d better hurry.) This was my fifth BlogHer; I’ve attended it each year since the last time it was in Chicago (2009). It was the first BlogHer that was experienced as a member of the BlogHer team as opposed to just attending. I’ve said for two years now that San…
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What To Do In Chicago During #BlogHer13, Or Anytime!
So you’re coming to the Windy City this summer, huh? Whether you’ll be here for the massive BlogHer conference at the end of July and you’re looking for some sightseeing opportunities or you’re coming for a family getaway, if you’re wondering what to do in Chicago I am just the girl who can help you out. My book, Chicken in the Car and the Car Won’t Go: Nearly 200 Ways to Enjoy Chicagoland with Tweens and Teens happens to be overflowing with–you guessed it–nearly 200 things to do in the Chicago area. In addition to all of the fun features, the book contains information on public transportation, where to find…
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Tim McGraw And Me: Lunch At Outback Steakhouse
Well, not just the two of us. But it was fun, and he is super-nice. It happened on Friday, was in honor of military personnel, and featured Steak Flights by Outback Steakhouse. Read more here.
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Chicago River Bridgehouses: I’m Obsessed.
I once wrote about how I’m a *wee* bit obsessed with taking pictures of doors and windows. That is still a very active obsession. Another one? The Chicago River bridgehouses. Each pair is different, and I once learned that each pair typically has features that echo the features (or style) of one of the buildings in the close vicinity. It’s for that reason that I take tons of pictures of these bridgehouses, and am constantly craning my neck to match them up to their companion building. Some are easy; some aren’t. Where am I, most of the time, when I’m trying to figure it out? Click here to find out.
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Shoreline Sightseeing Kicks Off 2013 Tour Boat Season!
Having written a book about fun things to do in the Chicago area with tweens and teens, I get asked ALL THE TIME for recommendations. My first recommendation is usually (and you would think obviously, but not so much!) BUY MY BOOK. After that all-important recommendation, I usually change it up according to how I’m feeling that day and who is asking. I have a wide variety of favorite things to do in the Chicago area, of course. One suggestion that is always at the top of my recommendation list (and usually the first thing I do with out-of-town visitors) is an architecture river tour. I have enjoyed lots of…
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My NBC Nightly News Debut…Sort Of
So we weren’t actually ON Friday evening’s NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams as scheduled because our segment got bumped due to breaking news. (“Sigh…but that happens in the news biz, you know”, I type knowingly, because I have LOTS more personal experience with the “news biz” than I did a week ago.) Tracey and I were in the Valparaiso, Indiana Buffalo Wild Wings during the broadcast*, and we had just talked our server into changing the channel on the huge tv that hung on the wall above our table (from NBC Sports to NBC local) when Ann Imig (National Director/Founder of LTYM) sent me a text letting me know…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, Fun in Chicago, I've Got Mad Skillz, My Friends Have Mad Skillz
LTYM Chicago 2013: The Non-Recap Recap
I have been at a loss as to how I should formulate a decent summary post for Sunday’s LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO show. I have so many words swirling around in my head but at the same time, none of them want to come out in any way that makes sense. I could tell you how amazing the show was, but that would be very similar to what I said last year. In a way, that’s not a bad thing. I’m finding out that, just as Tracey and I have been preparing our 2012 cast for “younger siblings” in an alumni group on Facebook, each year our show is…
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Hello Again
Well, hello there! *dusting off the blog dashboard* It’s been a very busy week, as LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO was on Sunday. It went very, very, VERY well and as an added bonus, NBC Nightly News (yes, the NATIONAL ONE) spent the day with us to get tons of coverage and interviews for a piece on Ann Imig (Founder and National Director) and this LTYM phenomenon. (!!!!!!) We aren’t sure which evening this week it will air but believe me, I will let you know. I will write a more detailed post after I get caught up with the work I had to let fall by the wayside over…
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The Journey
It makes total sense (to me) that the day after writing a post about how consumed I am with Chicago’s LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show, I would write another post about Chicago’s LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show. I have two very good reasons. The first reason is because I was a total idiot yesterday and forgot to mention that tickets are still on sale. Had we used the same venue as last year we would have sold out weeks ago, but we decided that we’d “Go big or go home” this year and moved to a venue three times the size (the gorgeous Athenaeum Theatre!), therefore…tickets are still available! You…