Chicago | Just a Chi Town Girl

Link Love

ninainthechiDecember 17, 2014Uncategorized%s Comments

You’re never too old for Christmas jammies.

Grace Atwood and her blog Stripes & Sequins are definitely on Santa’s “nice” list this year- loving the #AsGoodAsGold guest post she did with Megan Runser.

’tis the season for bubbly…and apparently, everything we know about champagne glasses is wrong. Oh.

9 simple, not complicated tips for holiday table settings.

The Tile App is genius. There is nothing more frustrating than losing your keys/purse/etc.

Downtown Chicago during the holidays…I love seeing these old photos.

The last episode of Serial comes out tomorrow and this Funny or Die video cracked me up. Mail Kimp.

Holiday Bucket Listing

ninainthechiDecember 15, 2014Chicago%s Comments

Caroling at Cloudgate, Zoo Lights, impromptu cocktails, shopping…this weekend really took a bite out of my holiday bucket list. My family was in town to celebrate Christmas and it was such a fun mix of old traditions and new. The unseasonably warm temperatures was certainly something new; I am so used to doing our family festiveness while the biting cold hits my face! While I do love how beautiful Michigan Avenue looks covered in snow, being able to get away with wearing a blazer while running out to get one last gift for our celebration was quite a treat. And this city is just begging to be photographed in all of it’s holiday glory which was nice to be do without removing gloves every two seconds.

Still on the holiday deck: “White Christmas” viewing at The Music Box Theatre and somehow find that Santa Train. And maybe bake some cookies. If anyone has a recipe they love, please share!

Tavola Italiana at Mariano’s

ninainthechiDecember 9, 2014Uncategorized%s Comments

When I was studying abroad in Italy, I discovered arancini (pronounced ah-run-chee-nee). Balls of rice with meat or cheese in the middle, this was the first dish I tried recreating upon returning back to the states because I loved it so much. I had never had anything like them before and it may be safe to say that I haven’t had anything like them since because I am pretty sure my version was not right. It felt apart, I always burned it…just not right.

Fortunately, Mariano’s (my favorite grocery store in the world) is celebrating their launch of Tavola Italiana, their exclusive trade partnership with the Italian Trade Agency. In addition to selling food and beverage items imported directly from Italy, they are hosting a ton of classes and demos led by some of the best chef’s in Chicago. When I saw the Arancini making class, I knew I had to learn how to finally master this dish I had loved.

It was a blast. Chef Rich Mancini was fantastic- he so nice and the technique he showed us was the missing link for me. Terlato Wines was on hand for a wine pairing and the sweet man who played the accordion really put the experience over the top (or as my seatmate said- “the accordion is a dying art form, is it not?”). I had the nicest conversations with people who also loved Italy and had spent a lot time there so I basically came home wanting to book a one way ticket back to the motherland. Travel talk is some of my favorite talk.

Two locations of Mariano’s will be hosting events like this through the 14th. Click here to check out Bucktown’s schedule and click here to see what Ravenswood has going on. Bravo to Mariano’s for this awesome new endeavor!

Follow That Train!

ninainthechiDecember 5, 2014Chicago%s Comments

Raise your hand if you chased down the Santa Train last night on your way to the grocery store.

Oh, that was just me? Okay.

Sitting at a stoplight on my way to restock our barren refrigerator, I spotted out of the corner of my eye the most festive El of all time and lost my mind. Sorry to everyone on the street corner who had to hear the “SANTA! TRAIN!” screams that were coming from inside my car. Basically, seeing the Santa Train is the highlight of my year and all I could think was “follow that train!”

I didn’t see it again and my straight-shot drive to Mariano’s became far detoured but it was really fun. 364 days of the year, the El makes me want to bathe in anti-disinfectant but on the day it’s the Santa Train…all aboard, Christmas people.

Ice Skating at Millennium Park

ninainthechiDecember 4, 2014Chicago%s Comments

To make good on the one Christmas Bucket List item that seems to always go undone every year, I planned an outing last night for my work team that included ice skating at Millennium Park. I cannot, cannot, cannot believe I have never been! It felt so great to be outside, the lights of the city and twinkling from the trees bounced off the Bean so beautifully and it was a blast. It was a great team building activity and as I did a few solo spins around the rink to take it all in, I couldn’t help but think that I was in the middle of a new favorite holiday memory. I guess you should never underestimate the power of a little good, simple fun, right?

A Guide to Christmas in Chicago

ninainthechiNovember 25, 2014Chicago%s Comments

The holiday season is here and I don’t beat around the bush in claiming that Chicago is the best city in the world to enjoy the holidays. It is just a fact. But if there is anything negative about all of the holiday awesome in our fair city it is that there is so much- how do you possibly know what is happening and when and make plans to do it?!? That’s what I am here for. Below you will find links, dates and details for all sorts of fun Chicago Christmas goodness. Mark your calendars, friends!

Tree Lighting at Daley Plaza: November 25th at 5pm

Thanksgiving Day Parade: November 27 at 8am

Christkindlmart: November 21-December 24 Sunday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 11-9pm; this German open-air market is open in the Daley Plaza to satisfy your craving for mulled wine in little boots, ornament shopping and wiener-schnitzel.

Wreathing of the Lions: November 28th at 10am the beloved Lions at the Art Institute get their traditional evergreen wreaths and following the ceremony, families are invited inside the Ryan Center to create their own wreaths, totally free.

Zoo Lights: November 28-January 4 frpm 5-9pm (check the website for specific days as it’s a bit inconsistent and you would hate to be stuck outside the gates with your spiked roadie. Or not…)

BrewLights: December 3rd from 5:30-9pm- $40 will get you a dozen holiday beer samples that you can use to keep warm while checking out the Lights.

Southport Holiday Stroll: December 5th from 5-9pm; free cocktails, shopping, sales, more free cocktails, a sleigh that acts like a bus to transport you up and down Southport (for free!), Victorian carolers and Santa & Mrs. Clause. Such a quaint experience for such a big city.

Ice Skating at The Peninsula: The “Sky Rink” opened last Saturday and sits 4 stories above Christmas-ready Michigan Avenue. Combine that with spice wine and you’ve got my kind of outdoorsy activity. Open Monday through Friday 3-8pm, Saturday 12-9pm and Sunday 12-6pm.

Ice Skating at Millennium Park: Monday-Thursday 12-8pm, Friday 12-10pm and weekends from 10am-10pm

Caroling at Cloudgate: Fridays at 6pm starting on November 28th until December 19th, choirs will lead a community singalong in front of the Bean. Mark this down as the most festive thing you could possibly do. I sang my heart out last year.

30th Annual Music Box Theatre Christmas: December 13-24th, The Music Box Theatre does showings of It’s A Wonderful Life and White Christmas. Sometimes Santa shows up and there’s a group singalong. Gosh, I love a singalong.

Kris Kringle’s Kandy Kane Ball: Festive cocktails for a cause at Joe’s on Weed on December 13th from 9pm-12am. Proceeds benefit Chicago Children’s Charities and don’t forget to bring a toy to donate at the door!

Claymas Christmas: December 21 at 9:30pm- Holiday improv. These guys are hilarious.

CTA Santa Train: November 28- December 23- check the schedule for when this hub of Christmas cheer is on your tracks. It smells like cinnamon, Santa and the reindeer are on a flatbed and the inside is covered in decorative holiday awesome. So, basically, the only time during the year when you actually want to get on the El.

Joffrey Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”: December 5-28; Joffrey is one of the best ballet companies in the world and to see them do The Nutcracker is so special.

Love Actually Is All Around

ninainthechiNovember 21, 2014Uncategorized%s Comments

One of my favorite movie scenes is in Love Actually when people are meeting their loved ones arriving at the airport. Something about the hugging and smiling and Hugh Grant saying that “if you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that love, actually, is all around” that makes me tear up.

I have been to Midway Airport 15+ times this year to fly out for work travel; I don’t hate it but I wouldn’t exactly call it my happy place. But last night I went to pick up my best friend who was flying in from LA and I had so much fun. I was a few minutes early and was so happy to be standing at Arrivals, watching people come out. Big hugs and hellos, kisses and handshakes, going back in for that second hug…I didn’t know people actually parked cars and met people at the airport anymore and I love that they do. It was totally Love Actually last night at Midway…and then it was my turn to give my friend a huge hug and touch her belly which is growing my new best friend that will arrive in February. Pick up people from the airport is where it’s at, I tell you. A instantaneous happiness burst.

Love actually IS all around. In this season and all of them. That’s so cool to remember.

Weekend Forecast: Brunch with a Chance of a Bloody Mary

ninainthechiNovember 14, 2014Uncategorized%s Comments

Cheers! It’s Friday!

If brunch and a Bloody Mary sounds as good to you as it does to me right now, here are some great spots in Chicago to hit up this weekend: Crosby’s Kitchen (pictured above), Homeslice (pictured below, it comes with a slice of cold pizza!), Sunda (two words for you: Sumo. Mary.), Tweet (so.many.combos) and Rockit (the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar was clutch for our group the day after our wedding). If you’re snuggling in at home, you can’t go wrong McClure’s mix.

Happy weekending!

Owen + Alchemy: A Friend Date

ninainthechiNovember 7, 2014Uncategorized%s Comments

There are those coffee dates you have in your calendar that you’re looking forward to but if something comes up, you’ll cancel or reschedule. And then there are those coffee dates, or juice bar dates in our case, where you would sooner die than not show up for time with that person. That was yesterday for me. A 75 minute yoga class followed by a much needed catch-up at Owen + Alchemy juice bar in Logan Square followed by me being positively on fire the rest of the day.

Don’t you just love people who set you (figuratively, of course) on fire? The people who you can’t come in contact with and not walk away inspired/excited/confidant/grounded?

I do. I really, really do.

Owen + Alchemy is awesome, by the way. A chef-driven juice bar, it has a gazillion different combos that not only are really delicious but are geared toward specific health issues. “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food” is their motto. I agree, Owen + Alchemy. My kombucha was amazing and I have #58 in my fridge for today- cold brewed organic coffee, raw almond and cashew, maca and vanilla bean. Amen and good morning!

Just a Chi Town Update: Sparkly & New

ninainthechiNovember 3, 2014Blog Talk%s Comments

Well, hello there! Welcome! Am I overdressed? Do you like my shoes?

As you may have noticed, things look a little spruced up around here. Real talk- things are a lot spruced up around here.

I have been writing Just a Chi Town Girl for 5 years now and in that time, the experiences, photos, writing and everything in between have grown, just as I have. The website itself though? Not so much. I don’t have the same haircut I had 5 years ago, why in the world did I have the same website design? It was time.

For as much as things change, they do stay the same. I am still that girl who loves Chicago and calling it home makes me wildly happy. My family is my heart and my husband Ryan and our cat Luna Bell have grown that love times a million, to say the least. Some days, I am confidant my cooking skills have grown as well…other days, not so much (buckwheat waffles did not go well). I started this blog while sitting/living on a friend’s couch and while I have an actual house (err, condo) now, I share the same enthusiasm I did about it that day 5 years ago.

Thank you for reading and for being a part of this little community. I hope you love this new and improved little corner of the internet and are living a life you love in a place you love too.

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