Doing Good with Foster the People

Yesterday was another mash-up of eating out, shopping and connecting with former Clevelanders, this time with a volunteer twist.

My friend Carli has been doing PR for the Do Good Bus, which has linked up with the band Foster the People during its U.S. tour. The Do Good Bus kidnaps Foster the People fans who are up for an afternoon of mystery volunteering in the city where the band is playing that night.

I made a donation to help get the bus on the road and my pic made the back of the bus (I'm below the flash to the left).

Before catching the Do Good Bus, I browsed some shops in Bucktown and Wicker Park (wait till Pickle sees his surprise). My faves were Psychobaby (custom baby clothes), The Red Balloon, P45 and Cynthia Rowley. I kid you not, but the only thing I bought for myself were some cult Cynthia Rowley Band-Aids. Trust me, I've spent enough on meals and wine this week.

The Do Good Bus took us to an organization called The Gaia Movement, which collects clothes, toys and books in bins throughout Chicago, farms a small garden to source food for a church's food pantry and teaches people about sustainability and the environment.

I sorted and cleaned books and helped box them up for Christmas deliveries for kids...ahhh, so heartwarming. I had a great time meeting new people and comparing our best book finds. Mine were a bunch of Harlequin novels clearly aimed at lusty single moms. See below.

When I was going through the piles of books, one of the garden team leaders came over and asked if I wanted to help out with the garden. I sheepishly told her I'm not an outdoor girl and that I was enjoying the cool, shaded warehouse environment. :)

Once we got back into the city, the band interrupted its sound check to come by and say hi. We got a picture snapped of Mark Foster, Carli and me to represent the Cleveland connection. (Note that I made Carli pose with the broom she was using the clean the bus.) Mark was nice enough to sign the postcard I was sending to Dylan.

It's so funny, but when Carli and I saw the band in Cleveland in June at the Grog Shop, they were parked on the street with one van that was hauling them around the country. Four months later, they have an entourage of four sweet buses (five couting the Do Good Bus) and will be on SNL Saturday (featuring a surprise guest!!).

Heading home today to see my boys, whom I miss like crazy. Can't wait to veg and eat salads for the next few days.

Michigan Avenue and Two Dinners

Yesterday was a lovely, relaxing day. I'm staying in Bucktown, so I found a gym to help me lessen the guilt of all the gorging I've been doing. However, I didn't even make it back home before stopping to eat a cheddar and figs grilled cheese sandwich at a wonderful cafe called Birchwood. The staff are so friendly and helpful, and I loved sitting on the patio. (Even DailyCandy wrote about it, so you know it's awesome.)

I spent the majority of my day on Michigan Avenue, and the blisters on my feet are living proof. Strangely, my wallet really isn't much emptier from that jaunt. I've been spending all my money on food and drink vs. goods. However, at Zara, I purchased mommy-and-me scarves (not matching though). They have BABY SCARVES. BABY SCARVES. The one I bought hopefully will go nicely with the Pickle's pea coat from Gap (I know I have a problem).

I hit up the new Topshop, which just opened a couple weeks ago, but their stuff never fits my linebacker shoulders. I had a moment of panic in the dressing room when I thought I wouldn't be able to get the cute star-pattered sheer top I was trying on back off. No rips!

Met up with friends for drinks and a sampling of the foursquare-raved-about garlic bread at Michael Jordan's new steakhouse in the Intercontinental Hotel. Crowd was older and the service was lackluster, but we were entertained by our server's throwback look to the Robert Palmer Addicted to Love video. And, the garlic bread was amazing. The chicken and waffles appetizer also was really good.

Finally got to go to Avec for a late dinner, and the dates are all that everyone have said they would be. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait too long for a table. My friend Mary and I both had our inaugural sampling of bone marrow, and neither of us were converted fans. However, I still want the antique bone marrow scoops that I saw at the Art Institute on Monday.

Hitting up some baby shops in Bucktown this morning and then meeting up with Carli on the Do Good Bus. Back home to the Cleve tomorrow to relieve Phil of our sick kiddo. He has the worst luck when I travel. :(

Art and Indian food

So, no extreme relaxation brownie needed yesterday. A visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, some Cakebread chardonnary at The Wit and a delightful meal at Cumin did the trick.

I tried to live tweet my visit to the museum, but Twitter was S L O W yesterday so my tweets weren't quite in real time. Here's a link to them. My faves were the kimono and war posters exhibits and a little one-on-one time with my fave painting above.

My friend suggested that I try the restaurant in the new modern wing, Terzo Piano, and it was fantastic. I had the due piccole, which was a flatbread pizza topped with microgreens from The Chef's Garden in Ohio, goat cheese and beets. I'm so glad I asked my server what it was since it was listed in the salad section and it wasn't really clear what the presentation would be.

After my afternoon at the museum, I walked to Edelman's Chicago office. The building is impossible to miss because it was designed by the same architect as the World Trade Center towers. It's also right by Millenium Park. I walked on the bridge from the new modern wing to Millenium Park, which is something I didn't get to do the last time I was here.

At Cumin in Bucktown, I had my favorite Indian food staples: naan, samosas, paneer mahkani and saag (this time with lamb). Awesome!

After I finish up some work, I'm hoping for a wonderful, wandering afternoon outside in the sun.

Tomorrow, I'm doing an afternoon of volunteering on the Foster the People sponsored Do Good Bus with my friend Carli, who's coordinating publicity for the bus' efforts during the band's U.S. tour. The weather outlook looks great.

Kicking off birthday month in Chicago

Beth (D&E alumna) and Mary (MT alumna) at Big Star

Hello! I am alive. I am surviving the chaotic balancing act that is Christina the individual with Christina the wife and mama the mother. During hectic times, I tend to go social media dark. Here is a glimpse into the light.

I have been busting my ass the pass six weeks trying to prove that I can do it all. Sacrifices include my twitching right eye, hating myself when I put work first, and spending "quality time" with my hubs while I work on my laptop in bed with ESPN on in the background. Such is life, and I'm certainly not the only one.

I find myself in Chicago during the kickoff of my birthday month! and I have the fortune of meeting up with five friends over five days. Mwah! I'm here for a trade show this weekend + Monday and then attempting to take "vacation" the rest of the week. Try, try again, I will continue to attempt. :)

Tonight, I met up with agency alumna from my past two Cleveland jobs in Bucktown. Fun! We tacoed it up at Big Star (super strong and cathartic margaritas), pretentioused it up at Violet Hour (goat cheese=yum and brandy=yuck) and caloried it up at Hot Chocolate (love those lusty Mexican hot chocolates).

The last time I was here, Mingus was in my belly and I was keeping him a secret. Now, I'm trying to sync my schedule so that I can Skype with him and his daddy #firstworldproblems (yes, I just used a hashtag not on twitter...get over it XOXO).

At the NACS show for convenience store execs, here are my favorite new products:

Lazy Larry Extreme Relaxation brownies are da bomb!

Pickle!

Perky Jerky! Holla!

Tulsa...so close

I have a personal goal of conquering all 50 states. To be considered a legit trip, I have to stay overnight. Since I haven't checked off any new states in a WHILE, I was excited at the chance for a biz trip to Tulsa this month. Well, it was a no go, so Oklahoma will remain lonely for me. 

Got a few visits brewing, but I haven't bought any flights yet. On the horizon: Vegas for Phil's 40th (lucky #7 trip for me!), maybe Boston for a conference for Phil, Chicago and San Francisco to visit a newly relocated friend. I'm also still aching to take the Pickle on an international trip. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year!

Hello, 2011! 

 

Yesterday, my brother and I were chatting about the Back to the Future Movies, and he said one was set in 2015...where are our flying cars, yo? We've got four years to bust them out. 

 

2010 was a milestone year for me. I welcomed a new travel companion into the world, and wow, is my life different...in a good way, of course. Before I had a baby, I had always hoped to be really mobile with my child, and The Pickle is a trouper. (He's actually helping me type this, which is why an early draft published before I was finished.)

 

Here's a recap of 2010:

• I survived first-trimester nausea on a work trip to Chicago
• I took a road trip to D.C. while still hiding my bump. I discovered my new prego bladder-emptying threshold (every 45 minutes)
• Phil and I took an amazing babymoon to Key West
• Dylan and I took our first trip together to Dallas (it was a blast, but I came home exhausted)
• I took my first work trip to NYC and endured the pain in the ass of mobile pumping (airport bathrooms blow for this)

Here's what's coming up in 2011:

 

I'd love to take an international trip with Dylan...can you imagine how cute his passport will be?! There are two possibilities for this: a Morocco trip with Sarah or somewhere in the Caribbean for a friend’s destination wedding. Fun!

 

Most likely, I'll have multiple Vegas trips, both for work and fun (Phil and his best friends will be celebrating their 40th this year). Dolla dolla bills, y'all!

 

Happy travels to you all!

Traveling for two

So...I'm five and a half months pregnant today and due in August. Whoa.

Phil and I are really excited, but I'm still processing everything, which is why I've been pretty private about sharing our news. I told my extended fam and work my news a month ago, and I'm finally ready to admit on the interwebs that I have a new traveling status: Christina + 1. (No, this is not an April Fools joke.) Some of you might have noticed my bump in my last post while in D.C., so I figured it's time to spill the beans.

Baby K, aka Mingus (our official nickname...long story) has been an amazing little traveler to-date. (Actually, I've had a super easy pregnancy so far.) He/she's been to St. Louis (which I never end up writing about because they're quick day trips for work), Vegas, Chicago and D.C. without incident. And, Mingus will get to experience Key West in a couple weeks. Woo hoo!

My fam keeps asking if I'll still travel while pregs (obviously, yes) and after the baby is born. Of course! I thrive on planning trips, and I don't expect that to change. I'll just need to make some adjustments. My friend Sarah has been an amazing role model for me. She traveled by herself with Ella, who was one, a couple years ago for our San Francisco trip, and she took Ella and her newborn to Dallas by herself a couple months ago. She started a blog to write about being a working mom, Postpartum PR, which I love reading.

In any event, I'm excited to have a go-to traveling companion. This kid is going to experience the world, one city at a time!

My fav hotel reward programs

When I travel, I'm all about maximizing rewards...airline miles, hotel points, etc. When it comes to hotels, I heart Kimpton boutique hotels because of their fantastic amenities. I also participate in Marriott's rewards program, and have redeemed their free hotel rooms when in Paris, Raleigh for the Krispy Kreme Challenge and Dayton for March Madness (woo hoo). I'm "this close" to a Kimpton redemption.

While in Chicago a few weeks ago, I stayed at Hotel Monaco. I’ve never stayed at this location, but I’ve stayed at other Hotel Monacos in other cities (and other Kimpton-branded hotels) and loved them. I was cheerily greeted when I arrived, upgraded and given a card to redeem two mini bar items for free…despite my already steeply discounted rate. How's that for a welcome?! My room was immediately available and had a pretty bay window with a nice view...see above (the circular condos/parking building near the House of Blues has served as my beacon many times when visiting Chicago).

Many Kimpton hotels are green and they always offer great products like Aveda and L’Occitane in the room. Plus, they have daily free wine receptions, fun animal print bathrobes and offer complimentary items like fashion tape by request. I love staying in their hotels because they have a boutique feel, yet offer all the amenities and services (and then some) of a major hotel chain.

What about you? Where do you like to stay when you travel? Any travel reward programs that stand out to you?

Freezing in Chicago

Dear lord, I have not been this cold in ages. Today reminded me why I shell out the cash I do to park in the building where I work as opposed to making the frigid seven-minute walk I used to in exchange for parking in a cheaper garage. Walking in -2 degrees totally blows. But, I'm in Chicago - a city I haven't visited in five years - and at least it was sunny today.

The last time I was here was when I was at my previous job promoting the CMJ Rock Hall Music Fest...by far, the most fun I've had working. I was in charge of street teams who visited cities within a five-hour driving radius of Cleveland to promote the three-day music festival that featured 100 bands. We visited zillions of music stores, college campuses and clubs. I ate at yummy restaurants like The Bongo Room (thanks Michelle!) and Topolobampo.

So, although January isn't my ideal time to visit, I still had fun today. I had lunch at Park Grill in Millennium Park (directly below the bean) and watched ice skaters while I dined with a WSJ reporter. And, I tried a new Rick Bayless restaurant, Xoco (which I still don't know how to pronounce) with a friend. Xoco is a cozy joint with a delightful short rib torta (Mexican sandwich) and killer churros.

Two pieces of advice: if you fly to O'Hare, consider taking the train downtown because cab far is more expensive than NYC ($60 vs. $2.25 on the train). And, if you ride the train in the city, http://www.hopstop.com/ will be your best friend because it gives you walking and public transportation directions. I heart hopstop and use it faithfully when I travel to the cities it covers.

Tomorrow includes another busy, chilly day (thank goodness for ear muffs). Visiting the Tribune for a meeting will likely be the extent of my sightseeing. I'll just have to come back once the weather breaks!

2010 Wanderlust

New year, same infatuation with planning trips.

In 2009, I did so-so achieving my travel resolutions. I went on nine trips, four fewer than 2008, and I didn’t hit any new states. However: JAPAN. The Krispy Kreme Challenge and our March Madness trips were also really fun (and both were with Phil).

Bunches of you have been suggesting that I post more frequently -- not just when I go on trips -- so I’m going to work on that. Let me know what you’d like to read about…maybe your own trips and adventures? Lemme know! (And, if you'd like to guest post, drop me a line.)

Right now, I am scheming like crazy to get Phil to agree to a beach vacay for our third anniversary in April. (The pic above is from our honeymoon in Punta Cana.) I’m really digging Key West. If you’ve got any suggestions or hear of any travel deals, send them along!

I'm headed to Chicago in a couple weeks, a city I've been meaning to get back to since it's been five years. And, some friends from India have offered to let us tag along the next time they go home, so I will be ALL OVER that. Maybe this year, maybe next. I told Phil I will go with or without him (even though they are his friends from work).We'll see!