Category Archives: Chicago Specific Fun

Nov 10 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Chicago Specific Fun, Friends and Family

Day 47: Young House Love

A few weeks ago, my sister told me about a blog called Young House Love written by a couple who tackled the task of renovating their old, wood-paneled home using DIY techniques and a lot of time and patience. They took four and half years to get it to their taste. Now they live in a new house with similar challenges and blog full time. They also just published a book that my sister, her best friend and I all preordered so that we could go together to a book signing with these bloggers turned authors at the Chicago West Elm.

After waiting in line for three and a half hours (don’t worry, we brought chairs and were sitting almost the whole time), we finally met Sherry and John, took pictures with them and had our books signed. So much was fun about this experience (especially the free cookies and hot chocolate we got while waiting) but the best part was probably the time the three of us spent reading the book, looking at projects and talking about what we’d each like to do in our own homes.

The intro to the book is totally inspirational and reading it made me feel like I could do many of these projects, as the couple themselves had no experience with renovation when they started. The biggest idea I took from it is that your home should be something you love and that makes you smile every day. And that walking in to a room you made beautiful is satisfying on so many levels. I foresee many fun projects in my future…

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Oct 31 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Acupuncture Update

Today I went back to Lincoln Square Acupuncture for a second treatment. I wanted to give the first one some time, just to see how I felt. Since then I have gotten a lot of questions from people about what it was like and if it worked.

First, it totally had an effect on the knuckle joint in my left thumb. It may seem small but I feel I can use that hand in a whole new way as a result. And I’m left handed!

Second, we focused last time on my left side and since then I have noticed that my right side feels more stiff or painful than the left. Hmmm…

So today, I told her both of those things and she went to work. She focused on my right knee, which is now more enflamed than the left. She also put two needles in my right hand that “might hurt a little.” These felt like a quick pinch or sting like when you get a regular shot but only felt that way going in.

The sensations I experienced this time were different than the first time. I relaxed and closed my eyes, letting my mind wander. Then I noticed that my fingers felt strange. I knew they were on the arm rest of the chair but instead of feeling the arm rest, I felt nothing. Like they were floating or, and this is going to sound weird, not there at all. Also, my head started getting really heavy and I think I might have almost fallen asleep but at the very moment I was starting to doze, I felt a zing go up my thumb. Needless to say this startled me but it was very quick and did not happen again. The muscles in my shoulder twitched a few times, but I was less anxious about all of these feelings and just kind of let them be.

After she took the needles out, she asked if she could put an herbal liquid on my knee to draw the heat out. I told her that was fine. (I’m sort of up for anything when it comes to this place. It feels good to be that adventurous and spontaneous)! The liquid smelled like a mix between Vicks Vaporub and Bengay and was brownish in color. She said people use it for asthma too so maybe it was exactly that.

I made another appointment for next week and will update again after that one. Please feel free to post any questions. At this point though, I do recommend trying it.

Oct 27 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Friends and Family

Day 33: Didier Farms

I have this whole weekend off, which is amazing, so the hubs and I decided we would go to a farm/pumpkin patch kind of place to get fall food items like apple cider donuts and apple cider and decorative gourds. It wasn’t until we were on our way out to the suburbs that we thought to see what our friends, who live in the area and have two young kids, were up to. But, as luck would have it, they did not have much on the schedule for the day and said they could join us!

After stopping by their place first–and dropping off a gift I had for their 5 year old daughter (see pictures below. Giving a gift to a child could be its own fun thing) –we piled in to two cars and headed for Didier Farms.

We spent a few hours there. Highlights include: drinking hot apple cider, seeing baby potbelly pigs, watching all the kids, but particularly our friends’ children, enjoy the rides and games, and picking out the perfect little pumpkin to bring home. We did as much as we could before we got too cold and had to head back. It was everything I had hoped for and more!

Oct 21 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Food/Drink Fun, Fun for Couples

Day 27: Andersonville Adventure

After a short shift at work, I decided I wanted to enjoy the gorgeous weather by wandering around one of my favorite Chicago neighborhoods, Andersonville. My husband and I moseyed down Clark (around Foster), checked out a few new shops and wondered over where to eat.

Our first stop was at a new dog store and groomers called Jameson loves Danger where we looked for a sweater and/or witch costume for Elphie. Among their selection, which was mostly for smaller dogs, was mobster, shark and beer wench but no witch. The sweaters also looked too small, but we did end up buying her a thunder shirt (for her separation and doorbell anxiety) and some cheese flavored treats.

Next we popped in to a farm fresh grocery called Urban Orchard. We were looking for some food and had already struck out at Ann Sather (who knew they closed at 4 on Sunday?). Their chalkboard claimed they had a cafe but it was not really what I expected. Nothing prepared to order, just some pre-boxed food. They did have some great looking pumpkins though!

Then, we admired some reclaimed wood furniture outside of an antique-y store. A barn wood table caught my eye, so gorgeous but $300 and not really big enough to replace our current table.

By this point, we were pretty hungry so decided on our old stand by, Lady Gregory’s. Named after an Irish author, Lady G’s is a total pub with delicious food. Over dinner, we had a shared fantasy about moving to a farmhouse near the lake in Michigan, eating at that barn table every night and living out of our vegetable garden. I would cook fresh every day, bake bread, can vegetables and make jam and pies. He would work in the nearest big city and BBQ and brew beer on the weekends. We’d have kids, dogs and a fireplace and basically always look like we stepped out of the J Crew catalogue.

After we’d had our fill of deviled eggs and dreams, we planned to stop by the furniture place to admire the table one more time but the shop was closed up and the table moved back inside, so we decided to end our Andersonville adventure there. I wish I had a picture of this table! But you will have to settle for this one of me admiring the local fall decor.

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Oct 18 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family

Day 24: Who are you?

Sometimes I find meeting up with a friend I haven’t seen in a long while (like multiple years) stressful. I wonder who we are to one another and worry over whether we will have anything in common anymore. This morning I had brunch with a friend from college that I had not seen since college, other than that time this summer when I saw her in a play and was like, “whoa you live here?” Not only did we have plenty to say, but we also agreed we should be better friends.

Over our delicious brunch (at Over Easy on Damen), we caught up but mostly we talked about how we define ourselves–we, she and I and we, society. And I’ve been thinking a lot about something she said, “We are so focused on what do you do but really we should be asking who are you?” I’ve been thinking about it a lot because I went in to our brunch with a set one-liner about my job and why I’m not doing what I set out to do after college. I had an excuse of sorts but when she and I really got in to it, yes it is true that I want to do more or better or something else but I shouldn’t feel bad that I’m not doing that now. It does not define me. And it was really refreshing (and fun) to get in to all that with a new/old friend.

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