We had no plans for NYE, so I figured we would stay home with the girls and have a nice home-cooked meal. But then I saw a giveaway on Instagram hosted by ChicagoGoodLife and Eataly that looked like it would be perfect for us: a family-friendly NYE dinner at Eataly for four (two adults, two children). I won! We were able to have a lovely last meal of 2019 by spending a part of New Year's Eve at ... Read more
My First Workout at Train Moment in Chicago
I was so sad when my yoga sculpt instructor left the gym recently, but when I learned he now trains at Train Moment in the West Loop of Chicago, I knew I wanted to try a class. Train Moment is a new fitness studio that offers group strength training combined with HIIT conditioning on the Versaclimber. The class is 50 minutes, and you divide your time among the three sections: Versaclimbers, the ... Read more
CTA Holiday Train 2019
For the fourth year we've made it on the CTA Holiday Train in Chicago. It's becoming one of my favorite holiday traditions now that we have young girls, because their faces light up when they wave to Santa and ride the festive L train. This year we waited until Santa's Express was on the Purple Line in Evanston because that's near our home and not too crowded. We boarded at Central Station ... Read more
Holiday Magic Experience 2019 at Brookfield Zoo
I want to make the Christmas season as magical as possible for our girls, so the Holiday Magic Experience at Brookfield Zoo was on my bucket list. We had skipped last year because A was only 8 months old, making this was our first time with our two girls. We had a blast, but I'll admit it's a workout to go anywhere with two kids. It's totally worth the 45-minute drive to Brookfield, ... Read more
2019 Holiday Events in the Chicago Area
There's so much to do in Chicagoland this holiday season! We have already checked out Lightscape and can't wait to experience more festive fun. I'm sharing some of the best holiday events in the Chicago area and will be adding to this list periodically, so check back! CTA Holiday Train and Bus: One of our favorite family traditions is riding the CTA Holiday Train. You also have the option of ... Read more
Our Visit to Lightscape at Chicago Botanic Garden
** Chicago Botanic Garden hosted our visit to Lightscape. All images and opinions are my own. I'm feeling festive after our visit to Lightscape this week. Months ago I saw photos of Lightscape on Chicago Botanic Garden's website and I knew I wanted to take my family to wander along the vibrantly illuminated trail during the holiday season. Lightscape combines color and sound on a milelong ... Read more
Hacking Your Health Live Pop-Up in Chicago
** I received a free invitation to the Hacking Your Health event and Thrive Clean wellness program. All images and opinions are my own. A few weeks ago I was invited to attend the Hacking Your Health Live Pop-Up hosted by GF Mom Certified Tiffany Hinton and Kilogear Cut at Lateral Fitness in Chicago. It was held on Nov. 14, which is World Diabetes Day, and the goal was to raise awareness on ... Read more
Boo! at the Zoo at Brookfield Zoo Near Chicago
Sunday was a gorgeous day in the Chicago area, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to check out Boo! at the Zoo at Brookfield Zoo, one of the Chicagoland family-friendly activities happening in the month of October. Boo! at the Zoo is on weekends until October 27, so there's still time to check it out. I loved seeing the changing leaves as we walked around. The line of cars at the main ... Read more
Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago
** Thank you, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, for hosting my family for a visit to Brick or Treat. I've wanted to take the girls to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Schaumburg, near Chicago, for quite some time, and the Brick or Treat event, happening now until Nov. 3 this year, was the perfect opportunity to get festive this Halloween while doing something new as a family. For Brick or ... Read more
Halloween Family-Friendly Events in the Chicago Area
I've been adding fall family-friendly events to my calendar for this month in hopes that we will get out more and get festive! I know I can't get to all of these, but it would be fun to attend at least a couple of them in October. These events are all family-friendly and some are free to attend! These are events I've found so far in the Chicago area: Pumpkin Pier Lights: After dusk in October ... Read more