* Chicago Botanic Garden hosted our visit to Brilliance: The Orchid Show. All images and opinions are my own. Update: The 2020 Orchid Brilliance show has been canceled because of the COVID-19 outbreak. When Chicago Botanic Garden invited us to the preview for Brilliance: The Orchid Show, Graham and I were thrilled because we love plants. We decided to make a date night out of it. It may be cold ... Read more
Unique Date Ideas in Chicago
A goal I haven't shared yet for this year is to go on more dates with my husband. We don't regularly schedule date nights, but I'd like to change that. As Valentine's Day approaches it's a good time to figure out plans, whether you're a married couple, longterm partners or just started dating. I'm sharing five experience date ideas in Chicago. Rage Room: I have wanted to do this since seeing a ... Read more
MLK Jr. Day of Service Events in Chicago
I've been compiling Day of Service events in the Chicago area in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is Jan. 20 this year. In the past volunteering or giving has been important to me on this day. I hope to be able to find childcare or bring my girls to an event this year. If you live in the Chicago area and are looking for ways to give your time, consider these events. Day of Service ... Read more
Family-Friendly New Year’s Eve at Eataly Chicago
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