Category Archives: Chicago Specific Fun

Dec 16 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family, Fun for Couples, Nightlife

Day 82: Vinejoy

If you like wine, parties and cool people and you don’t know Vinejoy, you are sorely missing out on some of the best independently made wines and super fun parties ever. I mean it. Ever. Not only do these two dudes bring the best craft wines of California’s Central Coast to Chicago’s independent wine shops (like In Fine Spirits, City Provisions, A. Vision Chicago, Que Syrah, etc.), but they also do special events, weddings, and tastings throughout the city.

Probably the most fun event they spearhead is their monthly potluck held in various spaces throughout Chicago. I’ve been to a few different ones-in a bakery, an artist’s loft, and the Vinejoy Offices. Each potluck features a food item (goat cheese, leeks, bacon, vegetables, etc.). Every person attending contributes $20 and a dish containing the featured item. (The money goes towards the basically unlimited amount of wine Vinejoy supplies these parties with). Everyone votes (in a creative way-I won’t spoil it) for their favorite food item and that person wins a bottle of wine. If that wasn’t enough, I always meet the most interesting people at these parties. Its like these guys are magnets for talented, cool, smart, groovy people.

Tonight I went to a special potluck for frequent attendees where the food was not a specific item but your “signature dish.” I made pumpkin bars, of course, and the hubs brought mini tuna melts that WON the favorite dish! Other highlights included mini chicken pot pies and mac and cheese. Aside from the good food, fun people and tv playing a VHS of The NeverEnding Story, they also had a photobooth curtesy of Emily Alt Photography. (Hopefully someday I’ll be able to have a whole blog post dedicated to a photobooth). Needless to say, we had a great time.

If any of this sounds fun to you, or you just want to know more about them, sign up for their mailing list here. Maybe I’ll see you at their next fun event?

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Dec 13 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 80: Dog Park

I had the day off today and instead of just going for a walk, I decided to take Elphie to the dog park right near our home. It’s close enough and she loves it enough that every time I walk her she thinks that is where we are going. Instead I always steer her the other way, much to her dismay I imagine.

Today, as we headed there, I remembered the last time I was actually there with her. It was about a year ago. I had just spent about two weeks in bed recovering from a spinal tap to check for meningitis and the hubs was taking Elphie to the dog park, as he did most nights during this time. To his surprise, I said I wanted to go with. We bundled up together and walked to the park. It was empty and snow covered. I sat on a bench and watched Elphie and my husband play fetch. I remember feeling encouraged by the trip out, rejuvenated by the fresh winter air and hopeful that it was the start of recovery from a dark period during which I felt extremely sick and sore all the time. At the time I did not know that recovery would take much longer than I had expected. But today taking Elphie there and playing fetch with her myself allowed me to recognize how much has changed and how much better I feel. It also reminded me to continue to take advantage of my good health now.

Also she played with an adorable four month old puppy and came home only to plop on the floor and look like this. For hours.

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Dec 10 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family, Guilty Pleasures, Holiday Fun, Reader Suggested Fun

Day 77: Christkindlmarket

It’s Guilty Pleasure Monday and the fun is a reader suggested activity! My friend Sarah suggested I meet her at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. Conveniently located right near her work, Sarah has been more than once, so she showed me where to find the nesting dolls, indoor ornament stores and nutella crepes. I, unfortunately, came full from lunch so did not get to sample the crepes but I did makes some purchases while moseying around catching up with my friend.

Both of my purchases were unique for me; a bird ornament with a feather actually coming out the tail and a Tibetan Singing Bowl. The bowls caught my attention just by being gold and shiny. I thought, “what cute little bowls to put jewelry or something in.” The man working the booth (Tibetan?) told me that they sing and then demonstrated. With a wooden stick he circled the outside of the bowl creating a lovely, pure note. He mentioned they are used in meditation and yoga rooms and are meant to calm. The first time I tried it, it didn’t totally work for me, but I wanted it anyway. He wrapped it up and gave me some notes on my technique. (Obviously I practiced as soon as I got home and I am happy to report I can create the tone almost as well as this man. And it is quite soothing).

Most of the booths contain ornaments and other items handcrafted in other countries. (Hence why there are Tibetan Singing Bowls in a holiday market). Many of them are from Germany and the rest of Europe. You can also get cuckoo clocks, beer steins and many a wooden toy. I highly recommend checking this market out. It’s even worth a special trip to loop if you don’t regularly go there.

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Dec 09 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family, Nightlife

Day 76: Technically Today

When December moved from the 8th to the 9th, my dinner party friends and I were in the midst of an almost three hour dance party at our favorite local dive/dance/photo booth bar, the Holiday Club. Located on Irving Park and Sheridan (a mere block from our home), this Uptown gem does not look like the kind of place that has children of the 80’s and 90’s dancing for hours on a Saturday night, but it does just that with a dj that mixes a little nostalgia with a lot of volume. Seriously, the place was packed. And because I technically was there (dancing my heart out) on this day, it is today’s fun thing.

Now we all like to have fun, but we rarely go out to a bar at 11pm and dance until after 1:30am. On the contrary, 11pm is usually a late night for us. I guess we were all feeling a little feisty because everyone was on board and excited for this special and unexpected fun! And yes I do have some pictures but those are probably best left unshared.

Dec 03 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family, Guilty Pleasures

Day 70: Bongo Room

Guilty Pleasure Monday today was brunch with a friend at the Bongo Room. If you live in Chicago and are not familiar with the Bongo Room, you must go. Known for their indulgent breakfast items, this popular brunch spot recently opened their Andersonville location, where we ate today. I’ve been to the Wicker Park location before, and on the weekend the wait is normally about two hours during prime brunch time (and they do not take reservations). However at 1:00p.m. on a Monday, we had no problem. Because it was Guilty Pleasure Monday, I ordered the white chocolate caramel pretzel pancakes. Three huge-like bigger than my face-pancakes were delivered to the table. My friend had some kind if savory pork sandwich that he said was great. (Apparently he was not having guilty pleasure food). But back to my pancakes, pretzel filled and covered in caramel and white chocolate sauces, these pancakes were not the crazy sugar rush they could have been, which was a welcome surprise. They were nicely sweet and crunchy but not overly so. I managed to eat about one third of the plate. They were SO big. And SO yummy!

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