Made Conscious Shopping Event

Thanksgiving is coming up. Can you believe that? And with that comes Black Friday, which I will spend asleep/chilling on the couch, and then Small Business Saturday, where I will do all my shopping.

This year, after all the shopping, I plan to stop by the Made Conscious Shopping Event hosted by Noktivo Spa. Should be a pretty cool time - Swag bags and beer will be provided, along with gifts to buy. Check it out here.

Barre with the Ballerinas at JW Marriott Chicago 12/6

Kick off the holiday season with a complimentary morning of ballet-inspired fitness with The Joffrey Ballet & The Barre Code

The morning includes:
A ballet inspired fitness class led by The Barre Code instructors and Joffrey Ballet ballerinas
Sample healthy bites from Spa at JW Chicago's Spa Cuisine Menu
Smoothies from JW Marriott Chicago's Lobby Lounge

RSVP

GET SOCIAL WITH CAPITAL ONE TONIGHT: 6:30pm

Join Capital One at the Capital One 360 Café in the Gold Coast to experience what the future of banking looks like along with networking, food, beer, wine and a DJ. 

RSVP

Saks Holiday Window Unveiling Party 11/23

Get in the Spirit at a Saks Holiday Window Unveiling Party

The holiday windows at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City are legendary, and their annual unveiling is one of the biggest events of the year for the iconic luxury department store. Fortunately, you don’t have to be in Manhattan to enjoy the fun, as MasterCard® cardholders in the Windy City are invited to an exclusive holiday window unveiling party at Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago. At this exciting event on November 23, guests can watch a live video feed of the NYC window unveiling while enjoying refreshments and entertainment in signature Saks style.

The festivities take place in the newly remodeled contemporary women’s department on the fifth floor, where a live video feed from New York will provide a spectacular view of the colorful animated window displays as they’re first presented to the public for the 2015 season. Enjoy every breathtaking detail as you take advantage of beauty treatments or just groove to the sounds of a live DJ. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll find yourself in the holiday spirit in no time.

The Essentials:

MasterCard cardholders are invited to a holiday window unveiling party at Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago.
Party includes live video feed of the window unveiling in New York, refreshments, entertainment & beauty treatments.
Location: Women’s Contemporary, 5th Floor
Event takes place November 23, 2015 from 5 to 7pm.
To RSVP, please contact RSVPChicago2@s5a.com

Launch of the LeBron 13 "Horror Flick" on Friday the 13th at Nike Chicago

Come and celebrate the launch of the LeBron 13 "Horror Flick" on Friday the 13th with a viewing party at Nike Chicago's Two Three. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive trialing experience with the LeBron 13 while enjoying food and drinks throughout the evening.

The Two Three is located on the 5th floor of Nike Chicago and will be open during regular store hours until 11/17. Reserve your spot below to guarantee entry.

#BRINGYOURGAME

Get Pampered at Old Orchard - JOOJ

Timbuk2 Chicago: FEMME Launch Party w Anna Baun of A Lily Love Affair

Timbuk2 is teaming up with Chicago fashion leader, Anna Baun of of A Lily Love Affair for the ultimate style collaboration happening at Timbuk2.

Anna will be hosting the event at the Timbuk2 Chicago store, where highlights include:

sake for sipping & sushi for noshing

photobooth

friends & family pricing on FEMME, one night only

meet, greet and shop with Anna on hand to help you shop your favorite looks

Space is limited, tickets are complimentary. RSVP

Gap Concert Series at Virgin Hotel 11/5, 11/15, 11/25

Don't you just love how there's always a free concert to be enjoyed somewhere in this great city? Who's coming with me to the Virgin Hotel and party with GAP??

Free Food This Week!!!

Guys, whoever said there's no such thing as a free lunch is WRONG! Here are places you can get some free food this week:

1) Thursday - ChickfilA free sandwich or nuggets! Just RT!

2) Saturday - Nando's Scavenger Hunt can yield free lunch for a year if you're one of 5 hunters to find the golden stick. But, in the past, just for trying, they'll also give you a certificate for one free meal.

3) Sunday - Uber Is Sending Real Grandmas Around Chicago to Cook Free Homemade Meals...FOR FREE!

Let me know in the comments if you know of more places. I'll be at Cosi searching for more. Why Cosi? Because it's Free Coffee Wednesday! (This and every Wednesday til the end of the year. Whohoooo!)

Free Arclight membership

You guys know I love movies, right? And free movies are even better. Thanks to the new ArcLight Cinema Grand Opening in New City, Chicagoans get free membership in their reward programs! Check it out here! Be sure to sign up as you'll get things like free tickets, birthday perks, and savings each time you visit. Worth $15, but sign up now and you won't have to pay a dime until April 2016. YAY!

Networking party at Primebar 11/10/15

RSVP for drinks and food at Primebar, a pretty great bar in the heart of the loop.

Movie Review: Our Brand Is Crisis

Oh boy (sigh), I went to an advanced screening of Our Brand Is Crisis at Showplace Icon Chicago on Tuesday. I love Sandra Bullock, but like her character's nickname, this movie is a CALAMITY!

First off, when I saw the trailer, I was still clueless about what this movie is about. I guess it sort of is like Scandal, but I don't watch that show, so I wasn't sure. That should have been the first sign. But against my better judgement, I skipped on over to the theater and wasted a few hours of my time.

Her character was confusing. One minute, she was a pitiful nervous wreck, & then in a blink of an eye, she transformed into a feared leader. Absolutely no development on that change at all!

The whole story was confusing. Some scenes were completely unnecessary. The ending was ridiculous because things do not happen like that in real life. Sooooo many questions were thought but then we dismissed it because this movie isn't worth our time. Not even worth a DVD viewing.seriously guys, just go and rewatch the Proposal instead.

Event Recap of Andersonville Dessert Crawl

You know I love food fests right? In all shapes, sizes and forms. I've been to more than one person should in a lifetime (and I won't have it any other way), but last weekend, I went to Chicago's Andersonville Dessert Crawl for the first time. Thanks to the generousity of Foodseum and the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, I was gifted a pair of passes to check them out.And, oh boy, did I have a blast!

We started at the Swedish American Museum at Clark and Foster and headed north, eating and laughing all the way. An hour and a half later, we had looped back to the museum, with sugar-madness in our eyes. Here is what transpired along the Caramel Apple Route:

We stop first at Candyality and indulged in some chocolate covered turtles. I love pecans and caramel, so this was amazing to me. We next walk down to Andersonville Antiques, ate some cookies baked by Swedish Bakery while browsing the wonderful knicknacks found in the store. You guys, they have amazing, unique rings here for TEN DOLLARS! I'm definitely going back here soon. Also, as a kid, we would always get our birthday cakes from Swedish Bakery. They have this amazing strawberry jam kind of cake that I was hoping would be available, but alas, Swedish Bakery isn't open on Sundays :(

We weren't sad for too long because we then head on town to Vincent and had some coconut custard with brownie brittle. The hot cider was an extra $5 which we opted out of because we had to save room for the next course: Thai Sweet Banana dessert at Noodle Zone. It's a good, but was missing the tapioca balls that I am use to in this meal.

Next, we crossed the street and headed back south. We stopped in Renalli's and were greeted with a cheesecake bar with make-your-own-toppings. Naturally, I went crazy over the toppings, adding chocolate and caramel, and whipped cream, and strawberries and pineapples. It was pretty amazing. Also, at Ranalli's, I discovered that this place does happy hour really well, with decent deals every night. It is now on my list of great places to go with friends!

Afterwards, we went to Potbelly's and were given 3 pieces of straight-from-the oven cookies. I've always loved their cookies, especially when warm and soft and sweet! Then off to a bar we went. At Simon's Tavern, my first thought was "Oh, there's a lot of people here drinking for 2pm on a Sunday." But I guess the bar is that cool. They were totally decked out in the Halloween spirits, with dismembered doll parts strewn all over the walls. Doll eyes watching us as we slurp down the Swedish Rice Pudding made next door at Svea Restaurant.

Though topped with lingonberries, it had a very overbearing corn taste. I quickly finished that and moved on to the next dessert - Coffee Brownie and Coffee Chocolate at La Columbe. I love the addition of coffee to the desserts; it brings a very satisfying crunch to the stuff. And of course, since I was at La Columbe, I had to get a latte on draft. I mean, their coffee on draft is so good, its a crime to walk in there and NOT get one.

We chilled for a bit, then made our way down to Cantina 1910 and had Stuffed Concha. This was the absolute climax of the dessert crawl. It was a crunchy cookie pastry filled with airy whipped flan that was oh-so-smooth. I wanted a dozen of it to bring home.

We walked further down to a culinary store and had some strawberry shortcake at Wooden Spoon. You guys, this store was SOOO CUTE! It was like a small dollhouse. And they have a grill in the back and a party house in the way back and an amazing garden. I wanted to stay here forever, but we had to finish up at Giordano's, where we had super delicious cannolis. I love cannolis and these were some of the best ones I've ever had. What a way to end the dessert crawl! I will be sure to go again next year!

Goose Island Fall Beer Tasting at Public Hotel 11/6/2015

Join Public Hotel for an exclusive preview of three of 312's new Fall beers in Library Bar and enter for a chance to win exclusive prizes including a Goose Island vintage record player!

RSVP