What day is it again? *checks calendar* Ah yes, Thursday, July 23. Time flies when you’re having fun! This may be my most epic July ever. In fact, I don’t even have time to write an actual, well-thought-out post because I am about to get in my car and head up to Wisconsin for the day. The last couple of weeks have been crazy and fun, crazyfun. Last weekend was the eleventh annual BlogHer conference, in New York City. I say every year that BlogHer weekends are some of my favorite weekends ever ever ever, and this year was no different. In fact, the fun of it (and being around…
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Get Yourself On A (Shoreline Sightseeing) Boat!
Even though the weather in Chicago has us all shaking our heads at the moment (in the 40s on June 1? NO THANK YOU), summer really is on its way. Know how I know? Because a week ago, I was on a boat on the Chicago River, enjoying the sights and gorgeous Chicago architecture, courtesy of Shoreline Sightseeing. Getting myself onto an Architecture Boat Tour is one of my very favorite things to do it the world (I enjoy river tours about three times each summer!), and this time was no different. (Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets from Shoreline Sightseeing and no other compensation for this post, which was not…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Favorite Things, Food, Friends, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, My Kid Has Mad Skillz, Proud Moments, Something That Could Change Your Life, Travels
My LTYM Travel Season, By The Numbers
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and it also happened to be the last day of the 2015 LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER season. Each year I have driven to see some other shows, not only because I like hearing the stories live but also because I like to see how other cities do things (every city, while having to stick to certain national guidelines, creates a show that reflects their community), and it’s a way for me to support my fellow producers and meet up (on their own turf) with some of the teams I’ve coached as the LTYM National New Cities Mentor. This year, Jim was slightly astonished when I told…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, Favorite Things, Fun in Chicago, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Pretty Pictures, Proud Moments, Something That Could Change Your Life
All Over Again.
It’s all over, again. Every year, the experience of bringing a LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show to the stage in Chicago seems to fly by with more speed. On Sunday, our fourth show took place at the beautiful Athenaeum Theatre and, while it was about ninety-five minutes long, it seemed more like ten. Add the three actual hours of pre-show stuff (photos, run-through, etc.) and you have…about twenty virtual minutes. Each year I find myself trying to figure out how to freeze time a little bit. Each year I also struggle to write a recap that adequately captures everything about show day, and frankly it’s impossible to do so. Expressing…
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Drury Lane’s “Billy Elliot”: Effing Amazing!
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…
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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…
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Next Year At The Same Place!
For the last eighteen years, we have spent various Jewish holidays with a group of five other families from our temple. We all got together when our oldest kids were in the three-year-old and four-year-old preschool classes there, and it was great to have plans with friends nearly every Hanukkah, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover. Everyone didn’t go to every get-together, but back in those days it was nearly always a full house. I have pictures—somewhere—of the times when the kids were around but I’m too lazy to look for them so you’ll just have to take my word for it. Those preschoolers and their siblings, thirteen kids in…
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Tina Fey’s Netflix Original! (#StreamTeam)
I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team and will be happily sharing monthly tips and stories about how my family uses Netflix on a regular basis. (Okay, that’s an understatement. I should say CONSTANTLY. We use Netflix CONSTANTLY.) This post is sponsored by Netflix, of course! Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or so, you are well aware that Season Three of “House of Cards” (A Netflix Original Series) has just become available for streaming. I can’t tell you how many of my friends made plans to cozy up this weekend and binge-watch the adventures of Frank and Claire Underwood, played to perfection…
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Create Your Taste At McDonald’s!
If you’ve been reading Suburban Scrawl for a while, you may recall that I have a special place in my heart for the McDonald’s brand. My first job was at McDonald’s and for two years I worked at the brand new location just steps away from my high school, with many of my friends. We had a BLAST. One of the benefits of working there was the food, obviously. Break time was easy because the food was RIGHT THERE. I have always loved the traditional menu but back then we would create our own custom creations, too, to mix things up. We would make sloppy joes with chopped up burger…
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God Save The Queen (And Her Corgi)!
One of my very favorite things in this house was given to me a couple of years ago by my friend Sue, followed a year or so later by Sue’s gifting of another one of my very favorite things in this house. They are Queen Elizabeth and one of her Corgis. Not the REAL Queen Elizabeth, silly. THIS Queen Elizabeth: To say I’m a British Royals fanatic would be a massive understatement. You can get an idea of my crazy, and I highly recommend you do, by reading my live blog of William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, which is (along with the comments) still hysterical (to me) three and…