Stay Warm and Entertained at 3 Events in the Aurora Area This Winter & a Giveaway

Stay Warm and Entertained This Winter in the Aurora Area!

**Disclosure: Thank you to the Aurora Area CVB and Paramount Theatre for providing tickets for my winter giveaway. No other compensation was received; all opinions are 100% my own.

The winter months can be particularly long and grey here in the Chicago area. Fortunately, there are a few upcoming events in the Aurora area that will inspire you and your family to get out and enjoy engaging activities and performances. I am happy to highlight three upcoming events that are each unique and will have you engaging the senses this winter season. I am also giving away four tickets to the Blind Boys of Alabama performance on January 18, 2019 at the Paramount Theatre -- so be sure to enter!

Read More

The Chocolate Sanctuary in Gurnee: Making Dining a Chocolate Experience

The Chocolate Sanctuary in Gurnee: Making Dining a Chocolate Experience

The Chocolate Sanctuary in Gurnee, Illinois has been on my chocolate radar for awhile. Finally, we had a free afternoon for a little winter adventure. The Chocolate Sanctuary is quite the experience for chocolate lovers with chocolate being infused into many of the dishes. Of course, the foodie adventure also can include a large variety of chocolate desserts, drinks, truffles and more should you choose.

Read More

Wednesday Weekend Windup {New Year's, Nature Fun, Holiday Lights and More}

Happy New Year! 2019 will soon be here! This weekend is the last opportunity to see some of your favorite light displays. There is plenty of fun to be had this weekend!These are my picks and I will probably add a few more as the week goes on. I added a few into next week for the kiddos that are off from school:

Read More

15 January Events in Chicago Suburbs Worth Going Out For

15 January Events in the Chicago Suburbs Worth Going Out For

January can be a tough month with a bit of a holiday letdown. Fortunately, there are some fabulous events in the Chicago suburbs and surrounding areas to go out for! Here are some fun events coming up in January to inspire you to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air:

Read More

Backyard Bird Care for Winter

Backyard Bird Care for Winter:

**Disclosure: I do manage The Wildbird Shack's  social media outreach. All opinions are 100% my own.

Birds experience a scarcity of resources during winter months and need a little help from us. My friends a The Wildbird Shack in Mount Prospect, Illinois have a few suggestions on how you can help birds this winter and keep them coming to your yard:

Read More

Bald Eagle Days and Eagle Watching Coming Up in the Quad Cities

Eagles at Centennial Bridge image by Stacey Jeffery courtesy of Visit Quad Cities

Bald Eagle Days and Eagle Watching Coming Up in the Quad Cities

Winter is a fabulous time to look for bald eagles along the Mississippi River in Illinois. The Quad Cities have some excellent opportunities to view the majestic birds and learn from naturalists. Take a peek:

Read More

Wednesday Weekend Windup {Carriage Rides, Icicles, Farmhouse Tours and More}

Happy Holidays! There still are opportunities for some happy holiday fun this weekend! Plus, remember to shop small! Here are my picks:

Read More

Visiting Cuneo Mansion and Gardens in Vernon Hills, Illinois

Visiting Cuneo Mansion and Gardens in Vernon Hills, Illinois

Tours of the Cuneo Mansion and Gardens welcome the public to an intriguing estate full of stories, art, unique architectural elements, exquisite furnishings, outdoor sculptures in the gardens and more. Since the mansion is not always open to public, we really felt like we were uncovering rare treasures during our tour.

Read More

6 Places for Locally Roasted Coffee in the Chicago Suburbs

6 Places for Locally Roasted Coffee in the Chicago Suburbs

Chicago suburban coffee shops are calling my name in the winter! I especially enjoy local coffee shops with their own locally roasted coffee. Over the past couple of years, my family has been exploring a variety of local coffee shops in the suburbs looking for yummy mochas (my favorite). Here are our favorites local coffee shops that roast their own coffee:

Read More

7 Ideas for Celebrating Christmas on the Road

Being away from home and even en route somewhere on the holidays can be difficult. Here are some ideas to infuse a little cheer when on the road!

Read More

Patisserie Coralie in Evanston for Tea and Treats

Patisserie Coralie in Evanston, Illinois is the spot for French pastries and a spot of tea or coffee

Tea and pastries at Patisserie Coralie in Evanston, Illinois -- can we say perfect winter day joy! When things start getting chilly around here in the Chicago area, I head for places where I can get tea or coffee. Pastries and chocolates are always a great bonus! Last weekend, I visited Patisserie Coralie in Evanston for the first time. The adorable French patisserie was very busy and it was easy to see why! Patisserie Coralie has every pastry you can think of including croissants, macarons, tarts, meringues, madeleines, eclairs, viennoiseries, truffles and more.

Read More

Wednesday Weekend Windup {Ice Carving, Holiday Stroll, Art Market, Glass Art and More}

This weekend is a great one to get your holiday celebration on! Here are my picks in the Chicago suburbs:

Read More

2 Restaurant Finds in Galena, Illinois

2 Restaurant Finds in Galena, Illinois Including One Eleven Main and Otto's Place

Galena's historic main street invites wandering, exploring and relaxation. During our quick getaway to Galena, I found that I really was able to sit and relax at a number of spots plus saunter through a number of shops. I was so relaxed that I actually didn't take many photos of our tasty exploits. So, I guess Galena is one of those places that finally got me to relax, so I will need to return again! I do have a couple of places that we enjoyed to recommend. So, all is not lost!

Read More

Monthly Discoveries Newsletter

Newsletter Time!

Read More

Gillerson's Grubbery in Aurora, Illinois Serves Up Great Food with Local Flare

Lunch at Gillerson's Grubbery in Aurora, Illinois enjoying comfortable bar favorites with a twist.

Before our afternoon at the theatre at historic Paramount Theatre in Aurora, we decided to stop for a little lunch. My husband noted that Gillerson's Grubbery uses a number of local providers and are big supporters of the local community, so we knew we had to check it out. Well, they have burgers too.... so there's that!

Read More

Holiday Shopping in Galena, Illinois

Holiday Shopping and Small Business Exploring in Galena, Illinois

Our weekend holiday getaway to Galena, Illinois was just what we needed to start off the holiday season, revel in small business explorations and event get a little shopping done! Of course, there was time for wine tasting too! My husband and I opted to sneak away to Galena for a weekend in November and it was just the recharge we needed. Immediately upon arrival, one is charmed by Galena's historic main street:

Read More

Wednesday Weekend Windup {Victorian Christmas, Bonfires, Music Fest, Cocoa Crawl and More}

Weekend Family Fun in the Chicago Suburbs December 7-9, 2018 

The weekend is almost here, so time to get ready for family fun! Plenty of experiences this weekend including a variety of holiday fests each with its own flare -- here are my picks:

Read More

Exploring Lena Brewing in Lena, Illinois

Illinois Made Lena Beer at Lena Brewing Company

On the drive from Chicago suburbia to Galena a couple of weeks ago, we spotted an interesting brewery -- Lena Brewing Company. The brewing company is housed in a repurposed feed mill building, so we could already feel that Lena was unique and had community spirit. We were right!

Read More

7 Places for an Old Fashioned Christmas in the Chicago Suburbs and Nearby

7 Places for an Old Fashioned Christmas in the Chicago Suburbs and Nearby

Here we are right in the middle of the holiday season! If you have been looking for a slice of old fashioned Christmas, here are some places where you can experience some old time holiday charm in the Chicago suburbs and nearby:

Read More