Everything is Awesome

February 18, 2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

My apologies for the delay in posting and for getting this tune in your head for the rest of eternity. I traveled home this weekend to see my family and pick up my pooch. I was supposed to pick him up the weekend before but the roads were bad so we pushed it off a […]

Somewhere Sunny and 75

February 4, 2014.Reading time 6 minutes.

lido beach, sarasota florida, winter vacation, simply social blog, lido beach sunset

Give me a chance to explain before you swell up with hatred for anyone who is or has experienced this image in the last week or so. Last week I was right there with you. Scoffing at good ol’ Joe Nichols singing cheerfully about somewhere sunny and 75 when we were in the midst of […]

How to dress for a polar vortex

January 27, 2014.Reading time 7 minutes.

cold weather essentials, winter outerwear for chicago, winter outfits, northface parka, ugg boots, smartwool socks, brisk run gloves, northface hat

I was going to start off this post by talking about our trip to Untitled on Friday for the kick-off to restaurant week, but then that silly Polar Vortex showed up again, ruining everyone’s dreams for an early spring and overall dexterity. So I’ll get to the food in a bit, as I understand it is key to […]

Tips for surviving a polar vortex

January 6, 2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

By now you may have heard of a little storm system wreaking havoc on the “lower 48” early this week, blessing us with a frigid blast of cold temperatures more suitable for Old St. Nick than young Chicagoans. I know living in Chicago for several years now should prepare us for weather like this and […]

Recaps and Resolutions

January 2, 2014.Reading time 8 minutes.

It seems only fitting to take a few moments and reflect on 2013 before we head full-swing into the new year. I’m not a huge fan of resolutions, primarily because I’m just as guilty of letting them go as the next person, but I do feel that they serve a purpose. After all, it was […]

on holiday lulls

December 29, 2013.Reading time 6 minutes.

thumbprint christmas sugar cookies, holiday sugar cookies with sprinkles, red and green christmas cookies

I must admit I’m feeling a bit melancholy now that Christmas is over. Perhaps it was the mid-week occurrence or the late Thanksgiving this year, but it just doesn’t seem like it should be over yet. I am very grateful for some time off work to celebrate with friends and family, but I can’t help […]

Lessons in cookie decorating

December 19, 2013.Reading time 8 minutes.

Last night I faced a serious dilemma. I had a lot of baking and decorating to do but my back was locked up like Chris Brown during the holiday season. See what I did there? In all seriousness, my back tends to lock up on me if I spend a lot of time standing in […]

Thanksgiving reflections

December 4, 2013.Reading time 7 minutes.

simple holiday place setting, rosemary napkin, ribbon-tied napkin, holiday china, thanksgiving place setting

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Ok so I’m a little delayed on my post-turkey post. But let’s get serious, if you’re anything like me you are just now starting to feel like a normal human again after a serious bout with tryptophan. Just me? Ok, then. I love Thanksgiving. I would tell you it’s my […]

After the storm

November 18, 2013.Reading time 5 minutes.

tornado central illinois, storm damage, springfield illinois

Have you missed me? I’m going to assume the answer is yes just as I do each time I write a rhetorical question on a blog post. After all, it is my blog and I’m typically the only one in the room to answer any questions that might arise. Unless you count Finn and if […]

Running on my nerves

October 3, 2013.Reading time 5 minutes.

bank of america chicago marathon countdown clock

I’ll keep this post short and sweet. I know I say that at the beginning of most of my posts and then ramble on and on and on but I’m going to really try to give it my all. Speaking of giving my all, my first full marathon is rapidly approaching. If you need me […]