Weekend Playbook

The Weekend Playbook: Places to check out!

1. Check out International flavor in Logan Square at FAT RICE
It's an intimate 30-seater from the folks behind X-Marx underground dining club. It channels Portuguese and Southeast Asian flavors into dishes like shaking chili whitefish with Padron Peppers & preserved lemon or it's namesake fat rice, studded with proteins raging from linquica and pork belly to salted duck and praws.

2. SUITE 25: Sports bar, Peruvian-Style: Second floor sports bar above Milwaukee Ave with snackage like Incan Tater Tots (mashed tater shell that's stuffed with sirlion/olive/'n onion then pan-fried) and wash down with their Beer Sangria!










3. Winter Cocktails from Hot Chocolate: they have new booze-infused warming winter drinks, like a rye-based number mized with espresso, dark hot chocolate & mole bitters called The Siren.

4. Four Courses of beer-aided bliss at Two Brothers Dinner at Browntrout: Warrenville's Two Brothers is teaming up with Browntrout for a four-course beer dinner featuring combos like Heavy Handed IPA paired with mussel & walleye chowder and Cane & Ebel Red Rye alongside lamb papperdelle with ricotta, cauliflower and fried rosemary.

5. Santa 5K Hustle at Soldier Field with booming after party. (That's where you'll find us!)Santa Hustle


Have a fabulous weekend everyone! I'll be sure to share everything that happened this week on Monday.

Pop-Up Book fair on December 9th

Hi Everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed some good relaxation time :) I was spoiled and was home for about a week and a half and it was amazing. I haven' t been home that long in quite some time and I enjoyed some much needed Family time.

I wanted to share some great information about an upcoming Pop-up book fair for next weekend! I'm on the hunt to schedule all of my new December activities and this might have to be one of them. Make sure to check it out!

Pop-Up Book Fair

I'll be back to share tomorrow about my experience from tonight. I'm heading to a "Me So Far" event here in the city for those who live close to the Red and Brown Lines. I'm very excited to be a listener to a few presentations on the brave souls that have chosen to present on their lives and hope to make a connection. Stay Tuned and have a wonderful Hump Day!!

Thanksgiving Holiday Break

Hey Everyone! Happy Friday we made it to the end of the week. I'm off to CT for the long Thanksgiving holiday break that I've given myself. I cannot wait to be home with the family and catch up on some reading and seeing all my high school friends that I haven't seen in ages. It is a much needed break after these past two weeks. I wish you all a very happy and safe Thanksgiving Holiday. I will not be blogging next week but I did want to mention two books that I came across and will be reading over the next week.

One Thousand gifts 

MWF seeking BFF

I've just come across both and I've started MWF seeking BFF and it's all based in Chicago which I love. The other is about how to make every single day in your life more memorable. Both sound fantastic and I'll let you know what I think.

I'm off to go cuddle with this little one. Can't. Wait.

2013 Michelin Guide: Chicago

For those of you in the Chicago area you'll have to check out the new Michelin ratings. Unfortunately, we did not receive has many starts as we did in the last few years. I was quite surprised because I feel as though we've opened up a ton of new restaurants and I've loved them all!

It is amazing through for Alinea to still keep three stars while L2O and Graham Elliot restaurants achieved two stars. There was a total of 16 Chicago restaurants that made the one-star list, including Mexique, a mexican-french restaurant in our West Town neighborhood.



We are one of the three American cities that have Michelin guides for their restaurants, which is pretty impressive. Of course New York and the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country are the other two.

I encourage you to take a look at all of the restaurants that made the list and support them!

The full list is here: 2013 Michelin Guide Chicago

Three Stars:
Alinea

Two Stars:
Graham Elliot *
L2O*

One Star:
Acadia (N)
Blackbird
Boka
Everest
Goosefoot (N)
Longman & Eagle
Mexique (N)
Moto
NAHA
Schwa
Sepia
Sixteen (N)
Spiaggia
Takashi
Topolobampo
Tru

Also, in case you were sitting at the edge of your seat for the new bar to open down in River North.. it's Official...John Barleycorn opens at 4pm tonight on Kinzie. I hope I never have to make it there!

A Drink with Chicago

I came across the best blog yesterday while taking a break during the long work day. Kelly and Hillary decided to start having a drink with local entrepreneurs, chefs, celebrities, socialites, artists and athletes who all love Chicago as much as they do.

It is a great read to see all of whom they've interviewed so far. The pictures are spectacular and I loved the interview with Robbie Gould. This is the best idea and wish I would have thought to do this but absolutely love these ladies for going through with it. Learn about all of the Chicagoans that we have here in the city.

Go ahead and check out all of their interviews: A Drink with Chicago

  

Da Bears

Well I know it's only been a day but I have to share our experience at the Bears game on Sunday. It was my second Bears game but my brother's first. I know what you're thinking, what are two JETS fans doing at one of the biggest Bears games? Well, I still fully support the Bears and love them dearly and despite the outcome of the game we had a great time.

I have to say that the weather was not too inviting. It was about 60 degrees when we left for the game in the pouring rain and high winds. We left the game and it was around 40 degrees, pouring and still extremely windy. It would not have been a true BEARS experience without the weather that we had.

I was so thankful because the seats that I bought were just under the overhang!! It was the best feeling after walking through the rain from the Red Line to the stadium and realizing that we had some of the best seats in the stadium. We were 15 rows up from the field and just by the end zone. They were great seats and we were both excited to see the Bears take on Houston.

We got to the game with enough time to walk around and so Ted could explore the stadium. We could not believe how many Houston Fans were at the game. We were sitting on the visiting side but still, it was kind of ridiculous even though the stakes were high for the game.

 Noisy Houston Fans were everywhere!

 Happy Veteran's Day! They gave out flags to everyone that walked in the stadium.

 The tributes to the Veterans throughout the game were very touching and everyone was excited to support all that were at the game and being honored.

 Now I do have to apologize for the game, I do believe that some of it has to be because of me. I have this theory, that is crazy, that my Jersey that I received from my Mom for Christmas last year is cursed. I'm not sure if it's because I should only being wearing my JETS jerseys or not but every time I wear it the Bears lose. The last time I wore it was for the Thursday night game against the Packers. I had to wear it to the game on Sunday but I am so sorry if that contributed to the game's outcome. I fully support the Bears but I do feel like I need to give my Cutler jersey a rest for a little bit, especially for big games such as the Packers and Texans.

That said, we still had a great time at the game. I was happy to be able to take my brother who is such an avid football fan. He couldn't believe the seats and we luckily stayed dry and warm for the most part. We still love you BEARS and I know that you'll come back for Monday Night football this week! I promise to not wear my jersey for the rest of the season!

Ted's first 10K Race

Welcome back from the weekend everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed the extremely warm weather that we had here in Chicago and dodged the crazy rain storms.


A while back my brother and I decided to sign up for the Chicago Perfect Ten 10K just after I had completed my first 10K in August. Little did I think that I would be able to do the Stairs on Sunday and then the 10K race that next Saturday but we made it through!

My brother flew in Friday night from Columbus and we went straight to Trattoria Roma to load up on their delicious pasta and bread for the race. If you haven't tried this quaint Italian restaurant on Wells you must! It is one of my favorite spots in the city because of it's amazing homemade pastas and the staff is always so friendly. We shared the bruchetta, Cesar salad, spinach raviolis and the Rigatoni special. It was the perfect meal to have before Ted's first running race.

 We woke up bright and early and was greeting with the perfect running weather. We geared up and headed down to Navy Pier. The race was supposed to start at 7:45 but they delayed by 45 mins because there wasn't enough volunteers to setup the race. It was a beautiful Saturday morning run but the race could have been run a little bit better.

Ted did a great job and is excited to start training for his Half Marathon in May next year. I was very excited to finish, as I did not train as well for this race as the one I did in August. I was hurting a little more than I would have normally but all and all it was a great race to do with Ted.

Finish Line

 We're all done and ready to go celebrate!

It was a great first to run with my brother and I look forward to more races that we complete. We'll be running with our sister for the 5K Turkey Trot in just about a week in CT.

Friday Recap

Happy Friday Everyone!

My sincere apologies for being so lame this week and having only two posts! I will make sure that doesn't start to be a new thing :)

I have a few new things to share with you that I've managed to squeeze in with my hectic week of work! Last week the boss of my company asked me to completely change teams. It was a shock to both me and my direct Manager. I've been on KC for a year and a half and know the ins and outs but apparently the president has different visions in mind for me. He asked that I start my new position this week and then my manager had to take up all of what I would have been doing for KC for the next two months. Now this is a HUGE opportunity for me and I'm thrilled but this week I've found myself on TWO full time clients and having to carry out two new business pitches! It has been insane. Probably the hardest week I've ever been through in my 4.5 years in the marketing world. I'm so thankful for this opportunity and to see what it brings to my career but I'm also very thankful for Friday today!

With the new job this week I've had some great opportunities to try a lot of new things. We had a big Target project this week and I had to head there quite frequently after work or before to catch up on the latest. I was not complaining about this by any means because I absolutely love target. It was around 8pm on Wednesday and I still had to make it to Target, it was too late to rent a car so I decided to try out the 24 Bus. I had no idea it would take me right to the West Loop Target. It was only about a 20 minute ride and I was there. I highly recommend the 24 bus if you ever need to get to Target from the loop and not feeling the new city Target on State. It is a great alternative if you do not want to take the red or orange line that late.

I had other big news this week, last night I agreed to be setup by a co-worker. My poor Creative Director has been dying to set me up with this guy that she worked with before and has been nagging me for about a month. I gave in and received some texts from him this week and we're planning to meet next week. I've been on a blind date before but never a setup. I'll be sure to have the updates next week.

I've also managed to give directions to 4 people this week just walking to and from work. Apparently in my 4 plus years here I've become someone that looks like I know what I'm doing. Sometimes I feel like I'm a walking zombie going to and from work but apparently I still am approachable. I helped direct this darling couple to Daivd Burke's Primehouse on Monday. If you haven't tried you need to immediately! I went two years back with my old roomies and it was delicious! Probably the biggest popover I've ever seen. I recommend going during restaurant week so that you can enjoy without breaking the bank.

All and all it's been quite the week and I'm so excited for my brother to arrive tonight. We've got quite the weekend planned but I'm dreading our 10K race tomorrow morning. I managed to survive the stairs this past Sunday but my running is not up to par. Wish us luck tomorrow AM as we'll be starting at Navy Pier at 7:30AM. We'll be celebrating Sunday night at the BEARS game!

Lots of fun new things to talk about next week. I wish you all a fabulous weekend!

Tower Up! 2012 SkyRise Climb

Happy Monday Everyone!

I had quite the accomplishment yesterday with 5 of my ladies! We climbed the Willis (Sears) Tower! It was a total of 103 flights of stairs! I had decided to sign-up on my Birthday in July this year as a big accomplishment that I could call my own. The climb benefits the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), where they believe that anyone can soar to great heights! RIC gives patients the tools they need to restore ability following a stroke, brain injury or other trauma or illness. This is for a wonderful cause and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to raise money for RIC and climb up 2,109 stairs to the top.

I was able to convince 5 of my friends to join me yesterday, and while we're so thankful that it's over, it was truly an unbelievable experience. I was so nervous while we were waiting in line to start but the relief and sense of accomplishment at the end was worth it. 

Above you can see how some of the RIC participants crank their way to the sky via hand power. Just above is the picture of us waiting to climb. It was crazy to wait for about 30 minutes in line before actually being able to take our first step!

While most of us had not trained as much as we had liked, we all could not believe how motivating it was to climb up with  the RIC's patients, some with bionic arms and robotic legs. Every time I felt a little fatigued or thinking I couldn't make it to the top, I thought about why we were all climbing and pushed through.

28 minutes later, Katie and I finished and were greeted by screaming RIC's patients eagerly waiting to give us our medals. It was the best feeling and I couldn't control my emotions when I received my medal. I was so taken back by their enthusiasm and encouragement throughout the climb and especially at the top. 

 Gorgeous Views of the city from the top!!

 Our feet on the Ledge!!

 We all had a great time playing on the Ledge overlooking the city! It was a great way to celebrate our accomplishment, dangling atop the tower! It was probably the fastest that I'll ever make it up to the top. I recommend taking the stairs vs. the elevators the next time you go to visit!

 Team Ogilvy sitting on the Ledge!

All of us at the top! 

A BIG Thank you to my five ladies that completed the Climb with me! I couldn't have done it without all of you! Thanks for being adventurous with me :)

If you want to sign up for the next SkyRise climb here is the website: Tower Up!

Stitch Fix

Happy Friday Everyone!

I just received my first email from Stitch Fix and I cannot wait until my first shipment on November 28th!

Stitch Fix is a newer website, that sends you three of the latest trends and best new brands delivered right to your doorstep! Much like Birchbox there is a little bit of a wait before you can officially start receiving shipments. There are three steps:

1. Pick your preferences of clothes, jewelry and accessories.
2. Receive your shipment
3. Try on and decide what you'd like to keep!

For just a $20 shipment fee you can have new clothes catered to your preferences in just a few weeks! It's a great outlet to try out new clothes that you might not get to find in-stores. Go ahead and sign up ladies!

For the men, feel free to check out Trunk Club and support my friend Teresa!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!

A Halloween First

Hey Everyone!

We're almost to Friday, we can do it! I don't know about you but this week has been brutal and I'm really looking forward to relaxing before the big Willis Tower Stair Climb!! Well, I'm not going to lie, I'm terrified of the climb but it will be a good time.

Yesterday was Halloween and I have never dressed up at work before. A little background, our office has been under construction for a little over a year and has been turning our regular cubes into a teleconference setup. It was a big adjustment but without the change I would never had dressed up this year. I am lucky enough to have one of the best rows in the whole floor. Kristin, Jamie and Luke are my cube mates and we all share one row of these new crazy cubes!

We are pretty close to each other and we got to know one another very quickly, well we had to! Kristin works on the same client as I do while Luke and Jamie are on completely different ones. As a row we really bring a lot to the table. On any given morning, or late night, you can find Kristin entertaining us with singing, Luke asking what certain English words mean or if his Aussie words are the same, and Jamie's jokes. We're a strange bunch but it keeps us going in our very demanding jobs.

Earlier this year I came in wearing a brand new Yellow Banana Republic sweater. It is so soft and has the cutest elbow pads, very preppy as always. Luke mentioned how much he liked it and Kristin immediately said she had the same one in red! This is where it all started.

Luke, the try Aussie, decide that we should be the Wiggles for Halloween. I had no idea who they were but a few youtube videos later it was decided that our row would be the wiggles. I would be yellow, Kristin Red, and the boys were left to decide what they could find.

Well below is a picture of us from yesterday during our 5 minute photo shoot that we squeezed in during client calls. The original assigned colors did not stay true and both Luke and Jamie rotated between wearing my yellow sweater before deciding that we would have a unique green wiggle in our group :)

Luke was later named the psycho wiggle..he just couldn't stop wiggling for our photo op! It was definitely the  best 5 minutes of the day. Hope everyone had a great Halloween!