Millennium Park Archives

07/31/2017

My Chicago Summer Bucket List & On-the-Go Photo Tips

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #SummerIsForSavings #CollectiveBias #WFM2

Summer is breezing past us, and we still have many items left on our Chicago summer bucket list. Some of these activities I would do as part of my own self-care, and some would be fun to do as a family! My goal for the next weeks is to do as many of my wish list items as possible. I’ve already tried kayaking on the Chicago River and a mermaid fitness class, along with countless beach days, so with about seven weeks of summer officially left, I have exactly seven activities left to do in the city. Sure, I’ve done most of these before, but they are certainly worth doing every year!

My Chicago summer bucket list for 2017:

1. Attend a new street festival. You can find a food, music or arts festival just about every weekend in the summer!

2. Embark on an architecture cruise on the Chicago River. These tours never get old!

3. Go stand-up paddleboarding on Lake Michigan. I have tried SUP before, but I want to master it while taking in city views!

4. Watch a movie in Millennium Park. I recently went to a concert at Jay Pritzker Pavilion, where the movies are screened, and it reminded me that I never actually watched a movie there. Movies in the parks are a fun way to spend an evening, and they’re free!

5. Practice yoga on the beach. Outdoor yoga is so much fun!

6. Send summer off with a cruise on Lake Michigan. We’ve done this every summer since we’ve lived here.

7. Stroll around Lincoln Park Conservatory. Taking photographs of plants is one of my favorite activities.

Ready, set, go!

In the past I’ve shared my ideas to save money for travel, but there’s one more thing I’ve done to help me pay for fun, whether it’s exploring Chicago or visiting a new place. I wanted to capture the memories we create this summer and save money while also investing in my myself and my goals for this blog. With that in mind, I turned to Walmart Family Mobile’s $49.88 PLUS Plan (Unlimited Talk, Text & Data Plan), which is powered by T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE† network. I wanted to have a new tool to keep me connected, help me store and take photos, consolidate my photo and social apps in one place, and give me more flexibility. It was super easy and convenient to get started on Walmart Family Mobile’s $49.88 PLUS Plan and it includes up to 15 GB of 4G LTE† data, then 2G*. I picked up the LG L59 Grace from the selection of phones at Walmart and then getting activated took only a few minutes. There’s no contract and you can keep your phone number and even your phone.

Using the phone and the expanded 15 GB of 4G LTE† data helps me not only share my memories on social media and my blog more seamlessly, but it helps me keep more of a balance between my blog and my family life. It’s a plus that the monthly $49.88 PLUS Plan is easy on my wallet and has no activation fees or late charges, and you can pick from Walmart’s clear monthly plan options to fit your own budget.

Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to this page or your local Walmart for current pricing.

Taking/sharing photos on the go this summer:

Don’t rush to get a shot. When you are in a hurry you are more likely to shake the camera or phone you are shooting with, which yields blurry photos. Take a deep breath and slow down. That means don’t worry about what other people think about you snapping a photo or getting your photo taken. Take your time.
Try multiple angles and poses. Instead of taking a phone at eye level with your subject, try getting down low or taking the photo from above. Step forward and back (while checking where you are stepping) to take the photo. Take the same photo at least three ways.
You can use either your camera and phone to take great photos. When using your phone, turn on the Pro or HDR setting and download photo editing apps to help you.
For the photos on my camera that I want to share instantly, I use a mobile adapter that was fairly affordable to send them to my phone and then upload them to social media using a Nikon app. It takes just a minute! The little adapter plugs into my camera and then I can see and download photos on my phone. I then share where I please.

Find the best natural lighting to avoid using the flash. I prefer photos without flash because they look more natural and better overall.
Use a tripod with a remote to take fun time-lapse photos (like when you watch fireworks at Navy Pier!). Tripods can be found in all price ranges, and often another object can act as a stand to keep your camera still as well.
Organize all your photo apps, social media and related apps in one folder on your home screen to make them easily accessible on the go. Don’t waste valuable time that could be spent exploring your city!

My home screen on the LG L59 Grace has folders for my social media, photography and other frequently used apps.

Besides offering the data to suit your needs, the $49.88 PLUS Plan also provides a free VUDU◊ movie rental credit valued at $7.00 each time you renew your service.

What’s on your summer bucket list? Share it with me in the comments!

*Please always refer to the latest terms and conditions at myfamilymobile.com.

†To get 4G LTE speed, you must have a 4G LTE capable device and 4G LTE SIM Card. Actual availability, coverage and speed may vary. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.

Disclaimer: ◊Limited time offer. Available for lines active with the PLUS $49.88 plan only. VUDU enabled device and account required for digital viewing. Customers must be 18 years or older to open a VUDU account. Movie rental only available in the USA. Free movie rental provided in the form of a movie rental code to the value of a $7.00 VUDU credit. Movie rental code allows for selection from available movies for rent. May not be readily redeemable on all new releases. Code will be delivered within up to 24 hours of the effective account renewal date. Must be used within 30 days of receiving code. Offer is non-transferable. Limit 1 per customer. Additional terms and conditions on VUDU’s website: http://www.vudu.com/termsofservice.html

Connect with Walmart Family Mobile:

Twitter: @FamilyMobile

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09/21/2016

My Favorite Things I’ve Done in Chicago

I’ve tried to explore Chicago as much as I can since moving here in March 2015. I love trying different things to do and checking out new restaurants. I like to share the activities I have enjoyed most so far with anyone who is visiting Chicago for the first time. All of these fun things to do are easily accessible from the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, which is conveniently located in The Loop, or downtown. The hotel puts you just moments from popular Windy City attractions like Millennium Park, where you can take your seemingly required “Bean” selfies, and the Lake Michigan lakefront. The Chicago skyline is gorgeous (see above), and this hotel lets you be in the middle of it. Plus the hotel has amenities like rooftop and indoor pools, a fitness center and pet-friendly rooms!

My picks for must-do things in Chicago:

Architecture cruise on the Chicago River.

Chicago Cubs games at Wrigley Field (or White Sox game at the Cell if you prefer). Both are just a short train or car ride away.

Taking in the views from the John Hancock Tower and Sears (Willis) Tower. You don’t need to pay for a ticket to the observation towers. You can grab a drink from the Signature Room if you don’t want to feel like a tourist!

Walking, running or riding a bike along the Lakefront Trail.

Eating at local restaurants! It is tough to nail down a specific place, because Chicago has so many amazing food options. And if you venture outside of the Loop you can find even more amazing eateries.

Attractions near the hotel that are still left on my Chicago bucket list:

Art Institute of Chicago
Field Museum
A show at Chicago Theatre

It’s easy peasy to book a stay at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel by joining Carlson Rewards, if you haven’t already. By joining, you get the Members Only Rate Exclusive from Club Carlson, which saves you up to 10 percent more at participating hotels when you book directly on Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (that includes Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By Carlson) brand websites and mobile apps. You can also enter to win 30,000 Club Carlson points — did I mention hotel stays start at 9,000 points?! (To be eligible, you must be a member of Club Carlson (or become a member).

In addition to the rate exclusive, Club Carlson members get perks such as:

• 20 points per U.S. dollar spent on rooms and food and beverage buys, plus food and beverage discounts.

• Elite status after just 10 eligible stays.

To enter the giveaway for 30,000 points, sign up to become a member and visit the Carlson website to find hotels! Comment below with where you would travel. Please provide an email address or social media handle so I can contact the winner and obtain your Club Carlson account information.

Giveaway rules: No purchase is necessary to win. Winners must be 18 or older and live in the U.S. to participate. Club Carlson will deposit the 30,000 points in the winner’s Club Carlson account. I will notify the winner via email and obtain the winner’s Club Carlson account number. The winning entry must follow the rules stated above. The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email on October 10, 2016. The winner must reply within 48 hours or another winner will be selected from the remaining entries.

UPDATE: THE WINNER WAS CHOSEN AND NOTIFIED. THANK YOU FOR ENTERING.

06/23/2015

Unexpected Adventures in Chicago

Chicago, you surprise me at every turn. I seem to regularly stumble upon an opening, event or attraction.

I have multiple examples in just one recent day.

On our way to Navy Pier for our Ferris wheel ride, my friend Charlsy and I just happened to join the Special Olympics torch procession. I had watched the local news earlier that day and knew it would be in Chicago, but I never imagined being directly behind it as it arrived on the pier.

Also on our walk on Navy Pier, Charlsy and I walked over a bridge over the Chicago River. We stopped, along with many others, to get our picture taken with the Chicago skyline and river in the background. I took another photo and turned around to see a bridge worker yelling at everyone to get off the bridge. Everyone had disappeared, making a run for it. I didn’t know what was going on, so I ran, too. Charlsy didn’t hear any of it but ran behind me. As we approached the other side, another bridge worker told us we didn’t have to run, that we could take our time. We realized then that the bridge was lifting for a boat. As was later pointed out, these two Arizona gals have limited drawbridge knowledge.

I took this photo after watching the bridge lift.

Earlier, on that same whirlwind day, I wanted to take Charlsy to see the Buckingham Fountain. We started walking over from Millennium Park when we were forced to enter some sort of festival to get there. Chicago had led us to the Blues Festival, where we stood in line for free pizza samples and took photos with the banner. We had a mission (to see the fountain), so we didn’t stay long, but we were thrilled at the serendipity of it all.

We later found out that we had also walked through the opening ceremony at Maggie Daley park. We had seen a choir dressed in yellow and wondered what was going on. Turns out it was the Chicago Children’s Choir that we had spotted, and former Mayor Richard Daley and his family were there. I loved the skyline views from the park.