Category Archives: travel

Chicago Gourmet Recap: 5 products I discovered

Posted in barilla pasta, Blog, blogger, brands, Chicago, chicago gourmet, Chicago Restaurant, City, Cocktail, Dinner, events, Food, food blogger, foodie, marianos, millennium park, Restaurant, Sunday Funday, Tourist, travel, windy city, Wine, wineries by

Chicago Gourmet is one of those events I had been wanting to attend for a long time. I finally had the opportunity and was thrilled to be among the best chefs, restaurants and brands in the world. Lucky for me, it was extra special because Chicago Gourmet was celebrating their 10th anniversary.

The week long event is thrown by the Illinois Restaurant Association along with the title sponsor Bon Appetit magazine every year in Millennium Park. It brings together renowned chefs, restaurants and wine and spirits. There are tastings, book signings, cooking demos, and wine and cocktail seminars throughout the event. It is truly a “foodie” experience.

This was my first year attending and it will not be my last. I sampled everything from Thai food, types of honey, wine, sliders, charcuterie, truffle mac & cheese and so on. I left discovering so many products I fell in love with. Even a few from brands I have never heard of. Read more at Restaurants & Recipes

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Old is New Again: The Berghoff

Posted in appetizer, Blog, blogger, Chicago, Chicago History, Chicago Restaurant, City, Cocktail, cocktail bar, Datenight, Dinner, events, family, family friendly, Food, food blogger, foodie, German Food, History, Photography, Restaurant, The Berghoff, Tourist, travel, Uncategorized, vacation, windy city, Wine by

My parents grew up going to The Berghoff in downtown Chicago. Most Chicagoans probably have. I used to go as a kid, but the last time I was there, I was in high school. In fact, I thought for the longest time it was closed. Recently, I had the opportunity to dine and tour the restaurant and was so impressed. Not only because of the history, but the revival of the menu.  The Berghoff is known for their German food like Weiner Schnitzel’s, bratwursts and giant Bavarian pretzels. Of course, those dishes are legendary, but there are new additions to the menu that are more modern and appealing to a younger generation. More contemporary dishes that even include certified gluten-free options. But first, let me tell you about the history and how it all began. Read more at Restaurant Reviews & Recipes

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Southwest Michigan: All the places you must visit

Posted in adulthood, Baby, beach, Blog, Chicago, family, family friendly, family vacation, food blogger, kids, Life, michigan, motherhood, new buffalo, Photography, staycation, summer, toddler, Tourist, travel, Uncategorized, vacation, Wine, wine tours, wine trail, wineries by

I have been visiting New Buffalo, Michigan since I was a little girl. In fact, my parents even had their joint bachelor and bachelorette party there over 30 years ago. I grew up going to the beach and going to the farmer’s market every summer. For our very first family vacation, we rented a house on the beach when Noah was just three months old. Read more at Travel & City Adventures IMG_9245

 

End of Summer (Head) Shots

Posted in Blog, blogger, career, Chicago, City, Contest, events, Food, food blogger, foodie, free, Giveaway, Headshots, Life, mom, motherhood, Photography, summer, travel, Uncategorized, windy city, Wine by

IMG_6341I had an awesome chance to work with the talented photographer, Sarah, from Levine Moore Photo We took some updated photos for my blog at North Avenue Beach and at the new swanky Shore Club. We had lots of fun and the photos turned out amazing. Now we have teamed up to do a FREE 30 MINUTE HEADSHOT GIVEAWAY. See my Instagram account for details. 📸📸

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SafeHouse with our Junior Spy

Posted in appetizer, Baby, blogger, Chicago, City, Dinner, events, family, family friendly, Food, food blogger, foodie, Fun, kid friendly, kids, Kids events, Life, mom, motherhood, Restaurant, spy, summer, toddler, toddler meals, Tourist, travel, Uncategorized, vacation, windy city by

We are always on the hunt for fun activities to do as a family. Things that are different and unique, but still kid friendly. We recently went as a family to the spy-themed restaurant, Safehouse on 60 E. Ontario in River North and had such an adventure! This was probably the most unique dining experiences we have had in Chicago. I am usually not one for themed restaurants, but they go all out and stay in “character” the entire time.  There is so much for everyone to do, you could spend hours just exploring. But not only is it entertaining for the entire family, the food is INCREDIBLE. Read more at Motherhood & Family

Picnic Essentials

Posted in Baby, Babyganics, birth, blogger, Chicago, diapers, family, Food, food blogger, foodie, kids, lakeview, Life, lincoln park, logan square, mom, motherhood, Munchkin, Pizza, pregnancy, southport, Spring, summer, Sunday Funday, toddler, toddler meals, travel, Uncategorized, west town, wicker park by

There are many items we need for the park, but there are a few that we MUST have before we leave the house for long periods of time. Now that Noah is a toddler, some of the items are necessary to keep him entertained and make motherhood just a little easier on our summer adventures.

This waterproof picnic blanket is the best! It folds up really small, easy to clean up spills and has handles to make it easy to carry. Picnic Blanket ( 70x80 extra large fold & portable )for family travel , camping , outdoor concert tablecloth lawn or beach mat with color stripes , best kids water-resistant mat tote bag with handle Read more at Motherhood & Family

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Texas Tourism: More than BBQ and Tex-Mex

Posted in blogger, Chicago, City, family, foodie, getaway, kids, mom, motherhood, staycation, texas, Texas Tourism, Tourist, travel, Uncategorized, Visit Texas, Wine by

IMG_5073I was recently invited to a Christmas in July event hosted by Texas Tourism at Raised Bar in the Renaissance Hotel. The event was for Chicagoans to learn about different cities to vacation in Texas during our cold, bitter months. I got a chance to talk to representatives from different cities and learn more about each one. We ate, drank wine, decorated Texas cookies and I got to thinking I may just need a trip down to Texas. Read more at Travels & City Adventures