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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California Dreaming
I just returned from a long weekend, a glorious weekend, in southern California. The reason for my visit was my cousin’s wedding on Saturday, but I flew out there (alone) early Thursday morning so I could see a couple of friends and spend some time “doing my own thing”. I had an amazing time. I mean, truly amazing. I felt so purely happy for the duration of the trip: I loved it. So many good things. (I have since decided that I need to figure out a way to travel regularly. Really.) Though the four days were chock full of goodness, here are some of my favorite things about the…
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Flat Sue’s Back, And This Time We’re Headed West!
If you’ve been reading for a while, you may remember how my friend Sue–who I’ll call Real Sue for the purpose of this post–sent me a Flat version of herself–Flat Sue–so she could “experience” the BlogHer conference in New York last summer, sort of, since she wasn’t able to attend in person. I, with the help of several friends, Instagrammed the heck out of Flat Sue’s New York adventures. If you set aside the fact that we lost track of Flat Sue (ahem, LIZ.) for part of one evening and had to put out a “Missing ‘person’ Report” on Twitter, well, the weekend was hysterical. Wait. Let me back up.…
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I Care Deeply About What’s Going On In The Overseas Markets
I have this odd quirk that makes me a really cheap date (and easily entertained) when I’m on vacation in another country: I love foreign grocery stores. I can’t explain why. It’s just a part of my life-long foreign fetish, I guess, but there’s just something about checking out what foods are popular in other countries, how they’re priced, what the packaging looks like, and anything else that pops up as I stroll up and down the aisles. A worldwide tour of grocery stores sounds like a great kind of vacation to me. I’m weird like that. When we went to Germany in 2010 I had a great visit to…
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Immersion
It’s interesting what happens when you are placed (or place yourself) into a world completely different from what you’re used to. After a while, your brain starts to make adjustments. The length of time varies for everybody–I have a feeling it has a lot to do with how open-minded a person is and what his or her past experiences include–but eventually, we all adjust. Studies have shown that being totally immersed in a foreign language is the best way to learn it, and although I believed that before I arrived in Costa Rica on Sunday, today I can say that I know it to be true from personal experience. Although…
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All By Myself
So here I am, at this awesome hotel in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Actually, it almost doesn’t even seem like a hotel. It wasn’t, always. It used to be someone’s house. Now it’s a “hotel” with twelve rooms and four suites, one of which Jim and I were given (yay!). I am in heaven, honestly. This is a working trip for Jim, and I tagged along willingly, knowing that I would be left to my own devices. I find that most people either don’t mind spending time alone, or they absolutely hate it. I rather enjoy it, to be honest. It’s not that I don’t like (or prefer) being with others–I…
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Dailey Method Interval Class: Icing On The Cake!
I guess “icing on the cake” is probably not the best choice of words in the case of a fitness-focused post, but that’s how it feels and it’s my blog so we’re going with it. You all already know how I loudly exclaim on a regular basis (on Facebook, on the phone, on Twitter, in person, and even to total strangers) how much The Dailey Method has changed my life. I have written about TDM workouts so many times that I finally created a landing page for all of the posts (See the link at the very top of this page?) for any of you who might be curious. After…
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Girls’ Night Out: Go Red For Women!
It’s that time of year again! For the third year in a row, I will be joining a bunch of my girlfriends, B96, 104.3 K-HITS and Bath & Body Works at the gorgeous Alhambra Palace (1240 West Randolph Street, Chicago) for “Girls’ Night Out: Go Red For Women”, an event that celebrates the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement. The event is on Thursday, February 28 from 7:00-10:00 p.m., and I know it’s going to be a great time. Last year was pretty awesome. The only problem I’m currently having will sound familiar to you: wardrobe. I drove myself absolutely insane in 2011, trying to find the perfect…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Working On My Fitness, Zumba
Zumba-versary
The first time I ever took a Zumba class, it was at a fitness conference called Midwest Mania. I loved it so much that I came home and immediately looked up a local instructor on their website so I could try a class close to home. I took the class, and was officially hooked. I have always loved to dance. I still do: I have a dance floor radar and if I sense one is nearby, I make a beeline for it. I am *that* woman who is out there for any group dance at a wedding or Bar Mitzvah reception. I am a quintuple threat (1. Cha Cha Slide,…
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Disney Magical Moments
I went to see “Disney On Ice” with my sister over the weekend. The advantage of attending a show like that without bringing children along–besides the lack of pressure to buy overpriced souvenirs and being among the first people out of the parking lot when it’s over because you don’t have to worry about getting anybody into a carseat–is that it’s the perfect environment for people-watching and taking in the magical moments of total strangers. We saw countless little girls dressed as Disney princesses, all sparkly from head to toe and brimming with excitement over, well, everything. Two sisters, about four and six years old, were leaning on the guardrail…