Aaaaahhhhh!!!! Runs screaming from the open house...

Even though we are still feeling the affect of the recession, Chicago open houses are on my calendar this weekend. My husband and I have decided that its time to find a house to settle down in and move from our small 2 br townhouse. We spend a lot of evenings searching through hundreds of real estate listings in the Chicago area to find a diamond in the rough. (and there is a lot of rough!) We probably look at more homes online than most people because the area we are searching to buy in is pretty large. (most of the western suburbs) We also end up rejecting a lot of homes for a lot of reasons that are probably pretty common in this economy.

Something’s gotta give though, and the economy isn’t going  to move forward until all of the people like us (with a 20% down payment ready to go) are able to get past at least one of these barriers and buy a house sometime soon. If you are trying to sell your home these things we’re running up against may provide some insight into why your home isn’t selling yet.

1. Not close enough to the METRA train. Parking is notoriously difficult to get in most west suburban metra stations (like 7 year waiting list long) so a lot of pressure is put on the homes within walking distance to the train, and not just the tracks, the station itself. Homes with 4 bedrooms or more within 6 blocks of the Naperville train station go for $600,000 to $1.5 million. Sometimes I wonder why we even try to find a house in these areas… What is less than that is usually painfully small, painfully out of date or demolished or earmarked for demolition so a McMansion can be built for some rich executive that needs to travel downtown every day.

If we only had the skills of these guys...

2. Kitchens/Baths not recently updated and we’re not Bob Vila or Norm Abrams. (we wish we were though) We can update some things, but a full house rehab is not our cup of tea. We’re going on 2 months on a simple Vanity/Paint/Sink bathroom remodel at home now. We also aren’t Richy-Rich enough to afford someone else doing the renovation either. I think if one room needs an overhaul that is ok, if the entire house needs it, the house gets rejected. (about 90% of what I see online is in this category)  Everyone knows that once you have kids you won’t ever have any money to renovate again, so it’s either included when you buy the house or it never happens and you have a lifetime of relatives trying to politely avoid Christmas Eve invitations. This is why there is so much pressure to get a recently updated house. Just watch HGTV’s suite of 12 million shows on how to quickly and cheaply update and stage a home to sell. They’re actually very good at it. Just don’t believe how fast its done in. That part is not true. (and a test: if your kitchen cabinets have hinges on the outside of the door that are visible OR have an oak strip across the bottom of a white laminate cabinet door, you need to get them replaced or refaced before selling. And Advice: all wood tones go out of style within a few years, get white instead! Likewise, if you have flourescent tube lights in the celing with a fake window pane cover, they need to go now!)

3. Pre-Recession home pricing. I have switched from using Realtor.com’s site listings to using Redfin.com. There you can see the past sale history of the home you are looking at if it is publicly available. (it usually is if its been sold within the last 15 years) If we see that the home was purchased at the top of the real estate bubble in 2006-2007 and they want the same price for it now, no-way-Jose. The entire Chicagoland metropolitan area has declined in value about 20% from then and the people who price accordingly are the ones selling. If your home is not updated, take off the mandatory 20% plus the cost of renovating the rooms that need it. I had to sell my condo at 20% less than the value, how can I go pay a premium for someone else’s home?

The holy grail of kitchens, celing height cabinets, lots of storage, an island and white cabinets!!!

4. Its already contingent on a sale. You would be surprised how fast a home sells if it’s had the kitchens/baths recently updated (within the last 10 years)  and its price is about 20% lower than the peak. Maybe a week and its sold. So if your goal is to move out of town and loose that mortgage payment to start your new job and life somewhere else, this is how to do it. And by recently updated we don’t mean super fancy, just nice basic stuff is way better than a 1972 kitchen. (and there are surprisingly still thousands of 1972, 1961 and 1985 kitchens out there. It’s been a trend lately that as soon as we find a house that has dropped the price with the market and it looks like its in good working shape, it’s contingent. One loophole we are hopeful about is possibly finding Foreclosed Homes or Short Sales. We know some are in bad shape, but a lot of the homes being foreclosed on are recently renovated or built when the bubble was high and are still in nice shape. One thing that makes this difficult is the length of time it takes to close with the bank that owns them.

5. Near water and/or has a pool. (hot tubs are not great either, and why on earth do you have a professional Bowling Alley in your basement of a 4 bedroom ranch?) I am not a swimmer so pools, lakes, rivers, retention ponds, hot tubs and bowling alley’s scare me. Ok not the last one. I just don’t have extra cash to maintain these water works (waterfalls in the backyard are also a bad idea, difficult to maintain) so remove them if possible. Plus, who wants to sit in a Hot Tub where the last owners got-it-on anyway???

6. Sometimes the home has been discounted but the Property Taxes are still too high. This is difficult because some homes are discounted heavily and the taxes are almost as much as the mortgage payment from 2007 levels. No county or town is going to lower them without a serious fight either. They are short on budgets and cash also. So, these usually are excluded too. If you can re-negotiate your property taxes before you sell this will be a huge help to getting it sold faster.

So, I will not be spending my weekend frolicking in the leaves at Morton Arboretum where I would like to be. It is very likely we will be walking through open homes for sale and trying to find one that is affordable, nice and in a good location, but judging from the last month or so it may be a while…

Have you been thinking of some home improvement projects but are afraid to spend the money in the current economy? Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Products can help. It is scary not knowing if all our jobs will be around in 6 months, but if you have some savings to use for these projects and really need new windows, doors, more efficient electric appliances, new attic insulation or a new furnace or air conditioner there are some Tax Credits that may help you save 30% more  than you can get discounted at the store.

I recently got an email from my realtor about making these home improvements that are tax deductible. You can’t get all the money back that you spend on the energy efficient appliances, windows or alternative energy sources like solar and thermal heat, but you can get up to 30% back. If you need these things anyway now is the time to buy before the end of 2010 because the Tax credits may not all be available beyond then. Here are the details from the home buyer email:

Energy efficiency Tax Credits offered by the federal government could be even more useful for the average homeowner.

You may be eligible for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of materials (up to $1,500) for certain products purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 31st, 2010.

Below are the rating specifications for eligible energy efficiency products:

Product Category Product Type Tax Credit Specification

Insulation Meets 2009 IECC & Amendments

Windows & Doors Windows, Doors, and Skylights Before June 1, 2009: Must meet ENERGY STAR criteria After June 1, 2009: U factor <= 0.30 SHGC <= 0.30

Storm Windows & Storm Doors In combination with the exterior window over which it is installed: has a U-factor and SHGC of 0.30 or below Meets the IECC

Roofing Metal Roofs, Asphalt Roofs All ENERGY STAR qualified metal and reflective asphalt shingles HVAC Central A/C Split Systems: SEER >= 16, EER >=13 Package systems: SEER >= 14, EER >= 12

Air Source Heat Pumps Split Systems: HSPF >= 8.5, EER >= 12.5, SEER >= 15 Package systems: HSPF >= 8, EER >= 12, SEER >= 14

Natural Gas or Propane Furnace AFUE >= 95

Oil Furnace AFUE >= 90 Gas, Propane, or Oil Hot Water Boiler AFUE >= 90

Advanced Main Air Circulating Fan No more than 2% of furnace total energy use.

Water Heaters Gas, Oil, Propane Water Heater Energy Factor >= 0.82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.

Electric Heat Pump Water Heater Same criteria as ENERGY STAR: Energy Factor >= 2.0

Biomass Stove Biomass Stove Stove which burns biomass fuel to heat a home or heat water. Thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% as measured using a lower heating value.

Extended Opportunities: The following upgrades are eligible for a 30% of cost tac credit (without an upper limit) if placed into service before December 31st, 2016:

Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Same criteria as ENERGY STAR: Closed Loop: EER >= 14.1, COP >= 3.3 Open Loop: EER >= 16.2, COP >= 3.6 Direct Expansion: EER >= 15, COP >= 3.5

Solar Energy Systems Solar Water Heating At least half of the energy generated by the “qualifying property” must come from the sun.

Homeowners may only claim spending on the solar water heating system property, not the entire water heating system of the household. The credit is not available for expenses for swimming pools or hot tubs. The water must be used in the dwelling.

The system must be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC). Photovoltaic Systems Photovoltaic systems must provide electricity for the residence, and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirement.

Small Wind Energy Systems Residential Small Wind Turbines (windmills) Has nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts.

Fuel Cells Residential Fuel Celland microturbine system Efficiency of at least 30% and must have a capacity of at least 0.5 kW.

It’s August and all the stores in Chicago would like a share of your pocketbook this season in back to school supplies, clothes, shoes and college dorm necessities. Some have great sales starting already, other stores will start the back to school sales in Chicago this week. Most kids start school in a few weeks and want new backpacks, lunchboxes, supplies and of course jeans, gym shoes and stylish accessories.  Kids don’t care very much about whether there is a back to school sale running or not, but they do need some new stuff.

Yet, this year we are still in a recession and the economic activity is restrained, so how much new stuff will people really buy? Or can you get more use out of last year’s backpack and lunchbox? Maybe it’s not the time for a cell phone for the kids just yet? This year’s back to school buying season may be more about sales than ever.

If you want to afford the things you need for the lowest prices check out these tips for saving money and stores and where to find Chicago back to school sales and discounts.

1. Skip the non-necessities.I don’t think it’s the year for coach purses, 7 for mankind jeans or new iphones. I think most families are looking for back to school sales in Chicago this year on back to school items and are more likley to re-use things they have around the house. If you can get some life out of cleaning up last year’s backpack, lunchbox, gym shoes or get by with last year’s calculator, people are doing that.

2. Look for the back to school sales. You need to look around at all the sales to get a feel for the best prices. The best way to do this is to research online first, but beware some stores can charge different prices for items online than they do in the store. Look for fliers online to check store prices before you drive all over town. Target, Walmart and most department stores like Carson’s and Macy’slist the flyer online in image format to view. Getting the Sunday paper is also a good deal this year because those back to school sale flyers are delivered to your doorstep. Many office supply stores have school supplies on sale, check Office Max and Office Depot and Staples flyers.

3. Consider unusual stores for even more discounts. Maybe the dollar store has more value than you might think? Sometimes general items like notebooks, folders, markers and glue can be found cheaper at a dollar store and if you don’t like the brand label, cover it with stickers or remove it all together and decorate the bottle with a sharpie.  The worst place to buy school supplies is usually the grocery store, they never have sales, have very little selection and always have high prices. Sometimes you can find daily deals on the wise bead blog for office supplies at stores you would not expect.

4. Buy used expensive itemslike computers and cell phones instead of new if possible. You can buy unlocked cell phones on ebay or sign a contract to get a cell phone for free with a plan. Computers last longer than you might think, and with some refreshing of the software and cleaning of the hard drive many used desktop and laptop computers are perfectly good for a few more years after someone sells them. Look for deals on ebay or with a friend that does IT work.  IT guys always know when companies are getting new computers and selling the old ones cheap. They also know how to refurbish them. Good friends to have.

5. If in doubt, wait on buying new back to school clothes. If you need some quick shiny new clothes to get into the first month of school with check out Old Navy’s sales and H&M for teens. The styles are hip and the prices are low. Plus the long sleeve stuff isn’t really wearable yet because it’s too warm. In September and October all the fall stuff will be on more discount and even cheaper than the 10-25% offnow. Plus most discounts are listed as “specially marked items only” anway. Also, for teens buying gently used clothes at Plato’s Closet is always a good idea. They charge less than half the original price for some very cool brands.

6. Stick to the back to school list. Don’t deviate from the list and let the kids get extra stuff, or buy extra stuff for yourself! It is easy to toss extra cool new stuff in the cart, but if you have a budget to stick to, the list is the best guide.

It is Fall TV Season Premiertime again in Chicago. Yet few of the listings I see on the internet are in local Chicago time zone time. So, I have taken the eastern standard time zone listings and converted them below into the new fall season schedules for Channels ABC 7, NBC 5, CBS 2 and Fox 32 in Chicago. (and the suburbs)

Every year this is the time new TV shows start popping up on TV and unfortunately within a month about half of them fail on average. I hope you enjoy all of the new TV season premiers this year in 2009. I also hope you find some good shows to watch this season and I hope your favorite premiers become long running series shows. Sometimes you can find recaps and episodes of the season premiers on the web also, on the network websites within a week before the launch date. I usually watch everything once and then whittle it down to the shows I want to watch and its usually 2-3 per year.

ABC New Fall TV Series Premiere Dates: Channel 7 in Chicago

Saturday Night Football: Saturday, September 5, 7 pm CST
20/20: Friday, September 11, 9 pm CST
Dancing With the Stars: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST
Castle: Monday, September 21, 9 pm CST
The Forgotten: Tuesday, September 22, 9 pm CST
Dancing With the Stars Results Show: Wednesday, September 23, 7 pm, (special day and time)
Modern Family: Wednesday, September. 23, 9 pm CST
Cougar Town: Wednesday, September 23, 8:30 pm CST
Eastwick: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST
FlashFoward: Thursday, September 24, 7 pm CST
Grey’s Anatomy: Thursday, September 24, 8 pm CST
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Sunday, September 27, 6 pm CST (two hours)
Desperate Housewives: Sunday, September 27, 8 pm CST
Brothers & Sisters: Sunday, September 27, 9 pm CST
Shark Tank: Tuesday, September 29, 7 pm CST (summer run began on Sunday, Aug. 9)
Hank: Wednesday, September 30, 7 pm CST
The Middle: Wednesday, September 30, 7:30 pm CST
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Sunday, October 4, 6 pm CST
Ugly Betty: Friday, October 9, 8 pm CST (two hours)
Supernanny: Friday, October 16, 8 pm CST

NBC Series Premiere Dates: Channel 5 in Chicago

Sunday Night Football (Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers): Sunday, September 13, 8:15 pm CST
The Jay Leno Show: Monday, September 14, 10 pm CST (series premiere, every weeknight)
The Biggest Loser: Tuesday, September 15, 8 pm CST (two hours)
Saturday Night Live Weekend Thursday Update: Thursday, September 17, 8 pm CST
Parks and Recreations: Thursday, September 17, 8:30 pm CST
The Office: Thursday, September 17, 9 pm CST
Community: Thursday, September 17, 9:30 pm CST (series premiere); moves to Thursday 8 p.m. six weeks later
Heroes: Monday, September 21, 8 pm CST (new time, two hours)
Mercy: Wednesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Law & Order: SVU: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST (new day and time)
Law & Order: Friday, September 25, 8 pm CST (new day and time)
Southland: Friday, September 25, 9 pm CST (new time)
Dateline: Saturday, September 26, 8 pm CST
Trauma: Monday, September 28, 9 pm CST (series premiere)
Community: Thursday, October 8, 8 pm CST (new time period)
30 Rock: Thursday, October 15, 9:30 pm CST

CBS Series Premiere Dates: Channel CBS 2 in Chicago

Survivor: Samoa: Thursday, September 17, 7 pm CST (18th edition premiere)
How I Met Your Mother: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Accidentally on Purpose: Monday, September 21, 7:30 pm CST
Two and a Half Men: Monday, September 21, 8 pm CST  (7th season premiere)
The Big Bang Theory: Monday, September 21, 8:30 pm CST  (3rd season premiere)
CSI: Miami: Monday, September21, 9 pm CST (8th season premiere)
NCIS: Tuesday, September 22, 7 pm CST (7th season premiere)
NCIS: Los Angeles: Tuesday, September 22, 8 pm CST
The Good Wife: Tuesday, September 22, 9 pm CST
The New Adventures of Old Christine: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Gary Unmarried: Wednesday, September 23, 7:30 pm CST (2nd season premiere)
Criminal Minds: Wednesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (5th season premiere)
CSI: NY: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST  (6th season premiere)
CSI: Thursday, Sept. 24: Thursday, September 24: 8 pm CST (10th season premiere)
The Mentalist: Thursday, September 24: Thursday, Sept. 24: 9 pm CST (2nd season premiere)
Ghost Whisperer: Friday, September 25, 7 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Medium: Friday, September 25, 8 pm CST  (6th season premiere, new network)
Numbers: Friday, September 25, 9 pm CST  (5th season premiere)
48 Hours Mystery: Saturday, September 26, 9 pm CST
60 Minutes: Sunday, September 27, 6 pm CST  (42nd season premiere)
The Amazing Race: Sunday, September 27, 7 pm CST (15th edition premiere, two hours)
Cold Case: Sunday,  September 27, 9 pm CST (7th season premiere)
Three Rivers: Sunday, October. 4, 8 pm CST

Fox Series Premiere Dates: Chicago Channel 32

Cops: Saturday, September 12, 7 pm CST
America’s Most Wanted: Saturday, Sept. 12, 8 pm CST
So You Think You Can Dance: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 7 pm CST
Glee: Wednesday, September 16, 8 pm CST (new)
Bones: Thursday, September 17, 7 pm CST
Fringe: Thursday, September 17, 8 pm CST
Brothers: Friday, September 18, 7 pm CST(new)
‘Til Death: Friday, September 18, 7:30 pm CST
Dollhouse: Friday, September 18, 8 pm CST
House: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST (two hours)
The Simpsons: Sunday, September 27, 7 pm CST
The Cleveland Show: Sunday, September 27, 7:30 pm CST (new)
Family Guy: Sunday, September 27, 8 pm CST
American Dad: Sunday, September 27, 8:30 pm CST
Lie To Me: Monday, September 28, 8 pm CST
The Wanda Sykes Show: Saturday, November 7, 10 pm CST

I always like to recommend the best events around Chicago to attend and plan your weekends and vacations with but sometimes I have to call out the details about Chicago that are less than ideal. Today’s complaint is about the Chicago CTA bus service.

I have a love hate relationship with public transportation to begin with so lately when the 121 bus is nowhere to be found I become even more frustrated with the system that is supposed to move 3 million people around the city every day.

I have taken the Metra in from the suburbs to work every day since I moved out there a few months ago. The Metra Trains only run 3 times per hour so you don’t have any choice about when they run or when you arrive in downtown Chicago. This combined with the bus issues pushes my commute to Naperville to 2 hours each way regularly.

There is only one bus going to Michigan Avenue from Union Station, the 121 bus and it only runs 3 times an hour as far as I can find on any schedule. I don’t have a smart-phone so I can’t use the CTA bus tracker, I just expect that the CTA knows that there is a BNSF train with about 1,000 people on it that gets in every 20 minutes at Union Station and they would want to coordinate the busesthat stop there around those times. The BNSF line has more riders than any other Metra line in Chicagoland and runs the most people in and out of the city each day, it is well worth coordinating with.

Yet, they don’t.

No matter if I take the 7:00, 7:20, 7:40, 8:00, or 8:25 BNSF Metra Train, there is never a 121 bus available when I walk out of the station. Granted, the walk from the basement core of the station up 2 levels and out to the street level takes about 6-7 minutes as a bunch of trains unload and converge with Amtrak passengers with luggage and a bunch of luggage moving vehicles.

Why the last batch of AM trains come in at 9 am and the buses pick up and leave at 9:03 AM exactly I have no idea. You can’t possibly get out there fast enough.

There is nothing more frustrating than to be on the first car of the train, standing by the doors to get off first and then by the time I get to street level, the last 121 bus has left or the latest one is leaving and it will be 15-25 min before another one arrives and 15 minutes on that bus if it does eventually arrive. (and after 9 am sometimes they just don’t even though there is a 9:15 bus on the schedule). 

Likewise for getting back to the station. I spend a small fortune in cab fare to get to Union Station in less than 20 minutes. It is obsurd that they don’t know and coordinate busses picking people up and dropping off at the station with when the most crowded trains leave.It seems like you have to leave work and hour before your train in order to get the bus to Union Station. If I leave at 5:15 or 6:15 there are never busses to be found to get to the 5:45 or 6:50 trains, yet it only takes 10 minutes to get there.

I am not the only one with this problem. I see dozens of people arrive at the bus stop under Michigan Ave notice that nobody is there and leave to catch a cab. This is at totally different times every day too. There is no consistency to the schedule either. People also arrive at the stop, wait for 15-20 minutes and then abandon the bus to pay $8-9 for a cab to make the last express train home so they can actually see their kids before they fall asleep. 

In the AM people stand around at the 121 bus stop hoping there is another bus as promised and the 9:15 never shows and they never make it to work by 9:30 am as expected. Some give up and take cabs, others walk, but it isn’t fair either way.

There should be some digital communication between Metra, BNSF and CTA for these kinds of trip planner transfers to note when packed trains are coming in and leaving with thousandsof people and how to get them routed to the appropriate next leg of their journey. During peak hours this is 3 trains an hour per line and during off-prak times this is only 1 train per hour! (How much simpler does it get?)

I am not sure they have any interest in this since they still get my flat fee monthly fare payment even though I end up walking for a 1/2 hr most mornings now and get to work before the next bus would get me there. An equal opportunity rant for Metra would be appropriate since bringing in the trains at 8:50 rather than 9am would help a lot of people catch that 9:03 am 121 bus.

These are the updates I just got about Memorial Day Parade and Street Closures in Chicago. If you are planning on attending the Chicago Memorial Day Parade, The JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge Race, The Memorial March, or the Bike the Drive event, check this list first to find out where the streets are closed and where/when the events happen. I hope eveyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend and have a burger from the grill for me!

J. P. MORGAN CHASE CORPORATE CHALLENGE (3.5 miles) on Thursday, 21 May 09, 6pm – 10pm:

This event site will be in Grant Park, Lower Hutchinson Field.

The run will take place on Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Rd to Wacker Drive.

Start time for the run is at 7:10 pm.

Columbus will close at 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm from Roosevelt Rd to Balbo.

Columbus from Balbo to Wacker Drive, as well as the east west streets in this area will remain open for as long as possible to allow for the end of rush hour traffic.

The on site CPD Commander will give the order to close the streets shortly before the race begins.

At the end of the race, as soon as it is safe to do so, Columbus from Balbo to Wacker Drive and the east west streets in the area will be opened.

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE on Saturday, 23 May 09:

The parade route is from Wacker Drive to Van Buren on State Street, step off 12 noon.

State Street and the east west streets along the route will close at 11:30 am.

Wacker Drive will be closed for staging from Wabash to Lake Street at 8:00 am.

Van Buren will be closed for vehicles and disbanding from Michigan to Franklin at 8:00 am.

The parade will last approximately 2 hours and streets will be opened to traffic as soon as it is safe.

BIKE THE DRIVE on Sunday, 24 May 09:

The event site will be in Grant Park, Butler Field the bike route is on Lake Shore Drive.

Lake Shore Drive will be closed to vehicle traffic from 5:00 am to 10:30 am from Hollywood to 63rd Street.

AMERICANS FOR LIFE, LIFE MEMORIAL MARCH on Friday, 22 May 09:

This group will meet at the Thompson Center Plaza; the march will step off at 11:30 am.

A group of 2000 to 3000 people will march south on Clark St to Adams, east on Adams into Federal Plaza.

The group will hold a rally at Federal plaza until approximately 2:30 pm.

During the march traffic will be affected from Wacker Drive to Jackson and State to LaSalle.

As soon as it is safe, streets will be opened to traffic.

Vintage Black and White Mother's Day Photos with Kids.

There are a lot of ideas for spending Mother’s Day in Chicago with mom this year. Whether your mom is a corporate VP or a stay at home multitasking genius, there is something you can do to make this Sunday’s Mother’s Day Special.

Mother’s Day Flowers are always a great gift. Most moms love flowers so getting a bouquet of roses, flower arrangement of dasies or car load of bedding flowers for the front yard are all great ideas.  I have been taking my mom flower shopping for several years now the week before Mother’s Day. We buy a few hanging pots of geraniums and some flats of flowers for the garden (petunias, begonias, dahlias and maybe a rosebush or a flowering shrub if we need one that year).

Blue Butterfly on an Orange Zinnia, Flowers are a great gift for Mother's Day

I end up spending about $100 since it is a fancy place for flowers (Vern Goers in Hinsdale), but the Jewel stores have their greenhouses up and the home depot sells a lot of interesting bedding plants also. (also try The Growing Place in Naperville. ) You probably want to go home and help mom plant them in the garden and pots too, in order to really make it a great gift and a great day.

Mother’s Day Brunches

There are numerous Mother’s Day brunches all over Chicagoland on Sunday May 10th. Some good local Chicagoland restaurants I know of are:

Vintage Moms of the 1950's. What would they would have liked? What do they want us to remember?

The Glen Prairie Restaurant in Glen Ellyn, McCormick & Schmick’s Restaurant in Chicago, ZED451 in Chicago and the very popular Naperville Hilton Sunday Brunch at Allgauer’s in Naperville. You need reservations for all these restaurants on Mother’s Day. They all are usually booked for their Sunday brunches and Mother’s Day is no different. Call now to see if there is still room!

Mother’s day Gift Ideas

If you can’t afford an iPhone or a luxury spa vacation for mom here are some good Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for kids and families.

What most moms want is to be appreciated and to spend quality fun time with their kids. With how hectic the schedules are in our lives with work and home responsibilities, nobody gets enough quality time. Doing something for the day for the family is probably what mom would like best.

The famous Blue Box from Tiffany's.

Also keep your ears open for what mom has been talking about needing latley. Does the dishwasher make a menacing noise when it starts? Would the thought of doing dishes by hand in the sink every night grind your life and schedule to a halt? Is the washer starting a leak or acting funny stopping mid cycle? Getting things for the home that need upgrading is a great way to get a gift for mom and help both parents in the house get things done quicker.

Not all mom’s want to be reminded of the work they do at home on Mother’s Daythough. Some moms want to go out and experience the world that they left behind when they had kids. Maybe this kind of mom wants a night out withdad in the city, with a broadway show, fancy dinner and four star hotel.

Mother’s Day Traditions

If you really think about it, moms are the glue that holds nature and life together. Without all their nurturing and caring how would human life transfer knowledge to the next generation and continue? If you think about it, its pretty amazing that life has existed as long as it has, and how within a few short decades the generational shift in the world is huge. Moms also influence heavily who you become and some of your deepest personality traits. Women have traditionally played an important role in making all life possible on earth, lets give them the credit they deserve.

Plenty of fast fun affordable spring break escape options in Chicago.

I know that the tradition is to leave Chicago and go to a warm sunny tropical location to celebrate spring break, but for many people who live throughout the Midwest, Chicago is the destination for a spring break getaway. If you’re from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri or Minnesota you might be thinking of spending Spring Break in Chicago. OR, Maybe you live in Naperville and want to escape and stay downtown for a stay-cation break?

It’s the big city with all the bright lights and events happening. Maybe you’re considering moving there some day and want to see what all the excitement is about in Chicago? Here is a list of things that you can do on Spring Break in Chicago, whether you’re 17 or 77.

1. Shopping on Michigan Avenuedowntown or at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. Before the Mall of America was built, Woodfield was the largest mall in America. Do your civic duty during this recession and find the best sales and deals in the stores now. Shopping is a local pastime in Chicago whether the country is in a recession or not. I see Michigan Avenue filled with shoppers every day.

2. Eat a Steak.Or if you’re a vegetarian, check out some of the finer veggie options in Chicago (yes there are many). Some of the best steakhouses in Chicago are: Gibson’s, Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris, Mickormick & Schmick’s, Smith & Wollensky and Lawry’s Prime Rib (technically not steak but still very good). Some of the best well known Vegetarian restaurants are the Lakeside Cafe, Uru-Swati on Devon, Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant on Ashland and Mana Food bar on Division.  

The view of Chicago on spring break

3. Odyssey Chicago Lake Michigan Dinner Cruise or the Chicago River Boat Tours. Both of these options give you a great view of Chicago and the skyline. The Odessy Dinner Cruises are best at night when the skyline is lit up. The Chicago River Boat Tours are also fantastic on the Chicago River. I think the Architecture tour is the best but all of them are equally informative and entertaining.

4. Check out the Art Institute of Chicago. Ok, this isn’t really very spring breaky, but well worth the time and still provides a certain amount of risque topics for discussion. There are always special traveling exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago that showcase collections of artwork that are very rare and exclusive. Check them out since they are usually only showing the exhibit for a limited number of weeks.

5. If your spring break is really late, or you are possibly waiting to plan a summer trip, consider Six Flags Great America. This is about the most spring break like activity we have here in Chicago. It’s pure fun, all the roller-coasters and rides you can possibly dream of. It is a day of pure escape from the everyday.

6. Check out the concerts. A lot of local bands play weekly in the city and if you plan ahead you can catch big national tours as they pass through Chicago. The Allstate arena, United Center, House of Blues and Chicago Theater all have new shows every weekend and you can get discount tickets the day of, if they aren’t sold out. The best way to check out these venues is their individual websites.

Ira Glass ready for the show.

This American Life has gone on the road again to produce 2 live stage shows, one in Chicago at the Chicago Theater and one in New York City which will be taped and beamed live via some fancy newfangled satellites to a bunch of movie theaters (400!) across the country so you can see the show as it happens from where ever you live. The two live shows have sold out instantly so if you want to get tickets to this yearly event you can only get tickets to the movie theater beamed shows now. See full list of This American Life Live Movie Theaters below.

I like that even though This American Life has gotten more popular and more widely known in the last 10 years they haven’t forgotten that people still like live shows on stage and seeing the personalities firsthand. I am also glad that  they haven’t forgotten their Chicago peeps since they went out and made it big in NYC, and are willing to still do a show in the Chicago Theater as a dress rehearsal of sorts.

The Chicago Theater from a past This American Life Show Live.

The show is said to include a radio show taped live with Ira Glass (as we would expect from past live shows) and include their local contributors: Dan Savage, Starlee Kine, Mike Birbiglia, David Rakoff and Dave Hill. They also mentioned an appearance by Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?? (am I msising something?) The live show should last around two hours.  I am planning on attending one of the movie theater beamed shows in Illinois, since that is what is available. If you get tickets to the Chicago Theater version of the show, let me know how it goes. Things are rather unpredictable in live shows.

If you would like to find out which cities the live This American Life Show will be instantly beamed, here is the list that I found: (hopefully they won’t be pissed that I copied it from their site, but I like info to be all in one place when I’m researching it, and it was a few pages buried into the site. It seems like all the states are represented, way to go!

Illinois: 7 PM Tickets are $20.00 each.

Addison – Addison 21
Barrington – AMC South Barrington 30
Batavia – Randall 15 with IMAX
Bloomingdale – Century @ Stratford Square
Carbondale – Carbondale Showplace
Chicago – AMC River East 21
Chicago – Chicago City North
Chicago – Chicago Webster Place
Crystal Lake – Showplace 16
Deer Park – Century 16 Deer Park
Edwardsville – Edwardsville Stadium 12
Elgin – Elgin Fox Theatre
Evanston – Evanston 18
Gurnee – Gurnee Cinemas 20
Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire 20 plus IMAX
Lombard – AMC Yorktown 17
Naperville – Naperville Showplace
New Lenox – New Lenox Showplace
Niles – Niles Showplace
Orland Park – Orland Park Cinemas 14
Pekin – Pekin Showplace
Peoria – Willow Knolls 14
Rockford – Rockford Showplace
Savoy – Savoy 16
Springfield – Springfield West Showplace
Warrenville – AMC Cantera 30
Woodridge – Cinemark Woodridge 17 with IMAX
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Alabama: Birmingham – Trussville 16
Gulf Shores – Cobb Pinnacle 14
Huntsville – Hollywood 18 – Huntsville
Mobile – Stadium 18
Tuscaloosa – Hollywood 16
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Arksansas: Little Rock – Breckenridge Village
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Arizona: Glendale – AMC Arrowhead Town Center 14
Glendale – AMC Westgate 20
Mesa – AMC Mesa Grande 24
Mesa – Cinemark 16 – Mesa
Oro Valley – Century – Oro Valley Marketplace
Phoenix – AMC Ahwatukee 24
Phoenix – AMC Desert Ridge 18
Scottsdale – Sonora Village 10
Tucson – El Con 20
Tucson – Park Place 20
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California: Alhambra – Alhambra Renaissance 14
Arcadia – AMC Santa Anita
Bakersfield – Bakersfield Stadium 14
Burbank – AMC Burbank 16
Chico – Cinemark Chico
Chula Vista – AMC Otay Ranch 12
Cupertino – AMC Cupertino 16
Daly City – Daly City 20
Dublin – Hacienda Crossings 20 plus IMAX
El Centro – Cinemark Imperial Valley Mall 14
Elk Grove – Laguna 16
Emeryville – AMC Bay Street 16
Fresno – Fresno Stadium 21 plus IMAX
Hayward – Century – Hayward
Huntington Beach – Huntington Beach 20
Irvine – Irvine Spectrum 20 plus IMAX
La Jolla – AMC La Jolla Village 12
Long Beach – Long Beach 26
Los Angeles – AMC Century City 15
Los Angeles – The Bridge
Manteca – Showplace 16
Merced – Mainplace Stadium Cinema
Mill Valley – Mill Valley Cinearts Sequoia 2
Milpitas – Milpitas Great Mall 20
Monterey – Monterey 13
Mountain View – Mountain View Cinemas 16
Ontario – AMC Ontario Mills 30
Orange – AMC The Block 30 @ Orange
Orange – Orange Stadium Promenade 25
Palm Springs – Palm Springs Courtyard Stadium 9
Pleasant Hill – Pleasant Hill Downtown 16
Redding – Movies 10
Redwood City – Century 20 Downtown Redwood City
Riverside – AMC Galleria at Tyler 16
Roseville – Roseville 14
Rowland Heights – AMC Puente Hills 20
Sacramento – Natomas Marketplace
Sacramento – Sacramento Downtown Plaza 7
Sacramento – Sacramento Greenback Lane 16
Sacramento – Sacramento Stadium 14
San Bruno – Century Theatres at Tanforan
San Diego – AMC Mission Valley 20
San Diego – Horton Plaza
San Diego – Mira Mesa 18 with IMAX
San Francisco – Century 9 San Francisco Centre
San Jose – AMC Eastridge Mall 15
San Jose – Cinearts Santana Row 6
San Jose – San Jose Oakridge 20
San Mateo – San Mateo Downtown
San Rafael – San Rafael Regency 6
Santa Barbara – Arlington Theatre
Santa Clarita – Valencia Stadium 12
Santa Rosa – Rialto Cinemas Lakeside
Stockton – Stockton City Center Stadium 16
Tracy – Movies 14
Tustin – AMC Tustin Legacy 14
Union City – Union City Union Landing 25
Ventura – Ventura Stadium 16
Walnut Creek – Walnut Creek 14
Woodland Hills – AMC Promenade 16
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Colorado: Aurora – Southlands 16
Boulder – Southlands 16
Broomfield – AMC Westminster Promenade 24
Castle Rock – Castle Rock Stadium 12
Colorado Springs – Cinemark Carefree Circle with IMAX
Colorado Springs – Hollywood Theaters 14
Colorado Springs – Tinseltown
Denver – Pavilions 15
Englewood – Greenwood Plaza 12
Fort Collins – Cinemark Fort Collins
Greeley – Cinemark Greeley Mall
Highlands Ranch – AMC Highlands Ranch 24
Lakewood – Bel Mar 16
Lakewood – Colorado Mills Stadium 16
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Connecticut: Branford – Branford 12
Fairfield – Quick Center for the Performing Arts
Manchester – Buckland Hills Showcase Cinema
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DC: Washington – AMC Mazza Gallerie 7
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Wilmington – Brandywine Town Center 16
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Florida: Altamonte Springs – AMC Altamonte Mall 18 with IMAX
Aventura – AMC Aventura Mall 24
Boca Raton – Shadowood 16
Brandon – AMC Regency 20
Coral Springs – Magnolia Place 16
Delray Beach – Delray Beach 18
Fort Myers – Belltower 20
Ft Lauderdale – Cypress Creek Station 16
Gainesville – Gainesville Cinema 14
Jacksonville – AMC Regency Square 24
Jacksonville – Tinseltown USA
Lake Buena Vista – AMC Pleasure Island 24
Lakeland – Lakeside 18 Cinemas
Merritt Island – Merritt Square 16
Miami – Dolphin Cinebistro
Miami – Movies @ The Falls 12
Miami Beach – South Beach Stadium 18
Miami Lakes – Miami Lake 17 Cinemas
Naples – Hollywood Stadium 20-Naples
Oldsmar – AMC Woodland Square 20
Orange Park – AMC Orange Park 24
Orlando – Pointe Orlando with IMAX
Orlando – Waterford Stadium 20
Palm Beach Gardens – Downtown At The Gardens 16 Cinemas
Royal Palm Beach – Royal Palm Stadium 18
Sarasota – AMC Sarasota 12
Sarasota – Hollywood Stadium 20-Sarasota
South Miami – AMC Sunset Place 24
Tampa – Citrus Stadium Park Mall 20
Vero Beach – The Majestic
Wesley Chapel – Grove 16 Cinemas
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Georgia:Alpharetta – North Point 8
Atlanta – Perimeter Pointe 10
Augusta – Augusta Exchange 20
Chamblee – Hollywood 24 @ North I-85
Kennesaw – AMC Barrett Commons 24
Lawrenceville – AMC Discover Mills 18
Lithonia – AMC Stonecrest Megastar 16
Morrow – AMC Southlake Pavilion 24
Savannah – Savannah Stadium 10
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Hawaii: Honolulu – Dole Cannery 18
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Iowa: Ames – Movies 12
Cedar Falls – College Square 12 Theatre
Council Bluffs – Star Cinema 17 with IMAX
Davenport – Davenport 53 Showcase Cinemas
Dubuque – Star Cinema 14
Iowa City – Sycamore 12 Theatre
West Des Moines – Jordan Creek 20
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Idaho: Boise – Boise 21 plus IMAX
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Indiana: Bloomington – Bloomington Showplace East
Evansville – Evansville Stadium 16
Fort Wayne – Coldwater Crossing
Indianapolis – AMC Castleton Square 14
Indianapolis – Galaxy 14
Indianapolis – Indianapolis Showplace with IMAX
Lafayette – Eastside 9
Michigan City – Michigan City Showplace
Mishawaka – Movies 14
Muncie – Muncie Showplace
Noblesville – Hamilton 16 with IMAX
Portage – Portage 16 with IMAX
Schererville – Schererville Showplace 16
Terre Haute – Terre Haute Showplace
Valparaiso – Valparaiso Commons
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Kansas: Lawrence – Southwind 12
Leawood – AMC Town Center 20
Merriam – Cinemark 20 (Merriam)
Olathe – AMC Olathe Studio 29 with IMAX
Topeka – Hollywood Stadium 14
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Kentucky: Florence – Showcase Cinemas De Lux Florence
Lexington – Hamburg Pavilions 16
Lexington – Lexington Green Movies
Louisville – Stonybrook Cinemas
Louisville – Tinseltown Louisville
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Louisiana: Baton Rouge – Citiplace 11
Baton Rouge – Perkins Row
Covington – Hollywood Stadium 14
Harahan – AMC Elmwood Palace 20
Harvey – AMC Westbank Palace 16
Shreveport – Tinseltown
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Massachusetts: Boston – Fenway 13
Braintree – AMC Braintree 10
Burlington – AMC Burlington 10
Dennis – The Cape Cinema
Foxboro – Patriot Place
Framingham – AMC Framingham 15
Great Barrington – The Mahaiwe Theatre
Hadley – Hampshire Mall 12
Lowell – Lowell Showcase Cinemas
Marlborough – Solomon Pond Mall 15
Millbury – Blackstone Valley
Randolph – Randolph Showcase Cinemas
Revere – Revere Showcase Cinemas
Swansea – Swansea
Wellfleet – Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre
West Springfield – West Springfield Showcase Cinemas
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Maryland: Abingdon – Bel Air Cinema 14
Bowie – Bowie Crossing 14
Columbia – AMC Columbia Mall 14
Columbia – Snowden Square 14
Germantown – Germantown 14
Owings Mills – AMC Owings Mills 17
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Maine: Brunswick – Brunswick 10
Ellsworth – The Grand
Rockland – The Strand Theatre
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Michigan: Ann Arbor – Quality 16
Battle Creek – West Columbia 7
Canton – Canton Cinema
Flint – Flint West Showcase Cinemas
Grand Rapids – Celebration Cinema – Grand Rapids North
Holland – Holland 7
Jackson – Jackson 10
Kalamazoo – Kalamazoo 10
Lansing – Celebration Cinemas Lansing
Lansing – Lansing Mall Cinemas
Livonia – AMC Livonia 20
Mount Pleasant – Celebration Cinema Mt Pleasant
Oxford – Oxford 7
Port Huron – Krafft 8
Saginaw – Saginaw 8 / Quad
Sterling Heights – AMC Forum 30 with IMAX
Traverse City – State Theatre – Traverse City
Walled Lake – Commerce Township 14
Ypsilanti – Ann Arbor Showcase Cinemas
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Minnesota: Duluth – Duluth 10 Theatre
Eagan – Eagan 16
Eden Prairie – AMC Eden Prairie 18
Mankato – Movies 8
Maple Grove – AMC Arbor Lakes Megastar 16
Minneapolis – Brooklyn Center 20
Minneapolis – Kerasotes Block E
Oakdale – Oakdale Cinema
Roseville – AMC Rosedale 14
Waite Park – Parkwood 18 Theatre
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Missouri: Cape Girardeau – Cape Girardeau Town Plaza
Chesterfield – AMC Chesterfield 14
Columbia – Forum 8
Hazelwood – St. Louis Mills 18
Joplin – Northstar 14
Kansas City – AMC Barrywoods 24
Kansas City – Cinemark 14, The Palace
Kansas City – Kansas City 18 Cinemas
Saint Joseph – Hollywood Theaters 10
Saint Louis – AMC Esquire 7
Springfield – College Station
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Mississippi: Pearl – Tinseltown Jackson
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Montana: Bozeman – Gallatin Mall Cinema 11
Helena – Great Northern 8
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North Carolina: Asheville – Hollywood 14 Asheville
Charlotte – Stonecrest 22 @ Piper Glen
Concord – AMC Concord Mills 24
Raleigh – Brier Creek Stadium 14
Raleigh – North Hills Stadium 14
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North Dakota: Bismarck – Grand Theatre
Fargo – Century 10 Theatre
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Nebraska: Lincoln – South Pointe Cinemas
Omaha – AMC Oakview 24
Omaha – Village Pointe Cinemas
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New Hampshire: Portsmouth – The Music Hall
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New Jersey: Clifton – AMC Clifton Commons 16
Edgewater – Edgewater 16 Multiple Cinemas
Hamilton – AMC Hamilton 24
North Brunswick – Commerce Center 18
Paramus – AMC Garden State 16
Parsippany – Parsippany Cinema 12
Rockaway – AMC Rockaway 16
Voorhees – Showcase at the Ritz Center
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New Mexico: Albuquerque – Albuquerque Downtown 14
Albuquerque – Cottonwood 16
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Nevada: Las Vegas – Century 16 South Point
Las Vegas – Colonnade 14
Las Vegas – Orleans 18
Las Vegas – Sams Town 18
Las Vegas – Village Square 18
Reno – Riverside 12
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New York: Albany – Crossgates Stadium 18 – Albany
Bronx – AMC Bay Plaza 13
Brooklyn – BAM – Brooklyn Academy of Music
Buffalo – Elmwood Center 16
Farmingdale – Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas
Holtsville – Island 16 Cinema De Lux
Hudson – Time and Space
Ithaca – Ithaca Mall 14
Loch Sheldrake – Sullivan County Community College
New Rochelle – New Roc Stadium 18 plus IMAX
New York – Chelsea Cinema
New York – First and 62nd Cinemas
New York – Union Square Stadium 14
Port Washington – Port Washington Cinemas
Potsdam – Roxy Theatre
Rochester – Tinseltown 17 with IMAX
Syracuse – Carousel Mall Stadium 17
Victor – Eastview Mall 13
Westbury – Westbury Stadium 12
White Plains – City Center 15 Cinema Delux
Whitestone – College Point Multiplex
Williamsville – Transit Center Stadium 18 plus IMAX
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Ohio: Akron – Montrose Movies 12
Cleveland Heights – Severance Stadium 14
Columbus – AMC Easton Town Center 30 with IMAX
Columbus – AMC Lennox Town Center 24
Columbus – Crosswoods Cinema 17
Columbus – Georgesville Stadium 16
Dayton – Hollywood Stadium 20 @ Fairfield Commons
Mason – Deerfield Town Center
Maumee – Maumee Showcase Cinemas
North Canton – Tinseltown USA 290
Pickerington – Pickerington Cinemas 16
Springdale – Springdale Showcase Cinemas
Valley View – Cinemark 24 Cleveland
West Carrollton – Dayton South Showcase Cinemas
Westlake – Crocker Park Stadium 16
Zanesville – Colony Square Mall
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Oklahoma: Norman – Spotlight 14
Oklahoma City – AMC Quail Springs 24
Oklahoma City – Tinseltown USA
Tulsa – Cinemark Tulsa 17 with IMAX
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Oregon: Beaverton – Cedar Hills Crossing 16
Bend – Old Mill Stadium 16
Happy Valley – Clackamas Town Center
Medford – Tinseltown
Portland – Lloyd Center 10
Springfield – Cinemark 17 (Springfield)
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Pennsylvania: Bensalem – AMC Neshaminy 24
Erie – Movies 17
Harrisburg – Susquehanna 14 Harrisburg
King Of Prussia – King of Prussia 15 plus IMAX
Lititz – The Penn Cinema
Moosic – Cinemark 20 Moosic
Philadelphia – Riverview Plaza
Philadelphia – The Bridge – UPenn
Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh West Showcase Cinemas
Plymouth Meeting – AMC Plymouth Meeting 12
Reading – R/C Reading Movies 11 & IMAX
Tarentum – Cinemark 17 Pittsburgh Mills
Warrington – Warrington Crossing 22
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Rhode Island: Warwick – Warwick Showcase Cinemas
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South Carolina: Columbia – Sandhill Stadium 16
Greenville – Hollywood 20-Greenville
Myrtle Beach – Cinemark 14 at Coastal Grand
Summerville – Azalea Square Stadium 16
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South Dakota: Sioux Falls – Sioux Falls Stadium 14
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Tennessee: Knoxville – West Town Mall 9
Nashville – Green Hills 16
Nashville – Opry Mills 20 plus IMAX
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Texas: Amarillo – Hollywood USA
Arlington – AMC Parks At Arlington 18
Austin – Cinemark Southpark Meadows
Austin – Metropolitan 14
Bee Cave – Cinemark Hill Country Galleria
Burleson – Movies 14
Cedar Park – Cinemark Cedar Park
Dallas – AMC Northpark Center 15
Dallas – Cinemark 17 with IMAX
Dallas – Galaxy Theatre
El Paso – Cinemark Cielo Vista
Fort Worth – Fossil Creek
Grapevine – Tinseltown Movies 17
Harker Heights – Harker Heights
Highland Village – AMC Highland Village 12
Houston – AMC Gulf Pointe 30
Houston – AMC Willowbrook 24
Houston – Houston Marq*E Stadium 22
Houston – Memorial City Mall
Humble – AMC Deerbrook 24
Killeen – Stadium 14
Lewisville – Vista Ridge Mall
Longview – Hollywood Stadium 14 Theatres
Lubbock – Movies 16
Mesquite – AMC Mesquite 30
Midland – Tall City
Pflugerville – Tinseltown USA Pflugerville
Plano – Cinemark 24 (The Legacy)
Plano – Tinseltown USA Plano
San Antonio – Cielo Vista 18
San Antonio – Fiesta 16 Theatres
Spring – Cinemark at Market Street
Sugar Land – AMC First Colony 24

Waco – Jewel 16
Webster – Cinemark 18 Webster
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Utah: Midvale – Union Heights 16
Ogden – Tinseltown Newgate
Provo – Cinemark 16 Provo
Salt Lake City – Salt Lake City 16
West Jordan – Cinemark 24 W. Jordan
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Virginia: Alexandria – AMC Hoffman 22
Arlington – Ballston Commons 12
Fairfax – Fairfax Towne Center
Glen Allen – Virginia Center 20
Hampton – AMC Hampton Towne Centre 24
Mclean – AMC Tyson’s Corner 16
Norfolk – Mac Arthur Center 18
Virginia Beach – AMC Lynnhaven 18
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Vermont: South Burlington – Palace Cinema 9
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Washington: Auburn – Auburn 17 Theatres
Federal Way – Century Theatres Federal Way 16
Kent – AMC Kent Station 14
Lynnwood – Alderwood 7 Theatres
Olympia – Capital Mall 14
Port Townsend – The Rose Theatre
Redmond – Bella Bottega 11 Cinema
Seattle – AMC Pacific Place 11
Spokane – Northtown 12
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Wisconsin: Appleton – College Avenue 16
Appleton – Hollywood Cinemas 14
Ashwaubenon – Bay Park Cinemas
Brookfield – The Majestic – Brookfield
Kenosha – Tinseltown Kenosha
Madison – Point Cinemas 16
Mequon – North Shore Cinemas 11
Oak Creek – South Shore Cinemas 16
Oshkosh – Oshkosh Cinemas 12
Sheboygan – Sheboygan Cinemas 13
Sturtevant – Cinema at the Renaissance
This show is one night only. Thursday, April 23rd, on these select movie screens nationwide.

Delaware:

The speakers in the 2009 Speaker Series: Minds that Move the World.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment is presenting the 2009 Speaker Series: The Minds That Move the World at The Chicago Theatre. This series brings together the most influential voices in politics to debate the most pertinent current events. The speaker series schedule is:

MARCH 11      Bill Maher and Ann Coulter (already completed)

APRIL 1      Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore

APRIL 22 Chris Matthews interviewing Tucker Carlson, Arianna Huffington and Paul Begala

Bill Maher and Ann Coulter spar at the first series of debates.

MAY 28 Charlie Rose interviewing James Carville and former Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove

All these programs will be presented at the Chicago Theater at 175 N State Street in Chicago, IL in the loop downtown. This is a huge event because there aren’t a lot of events where you can see these speakers (like Al Gore) in Chicago very often. There are plenty of speaking events and TV show tapings you can go see in LA, New York or Washington DC, but it is rare to get political and media people out to Chicago.

The web site speakerseries2009.com does not give any details as to what former Vice President Al Gore will be talking about that evening of April st but I would bet on some of the themes from the Inconvenient truth and some updated data. I woullso expect a spirited debate from Karl Rove and James Carville. (twomen that are not fans of each-other and both powerful speakers) In fact I am suprised that Ann Coulter and Bill Maher didn’t end up in a brawl on the stage. I almost wonder iof they have chosen the most polarized political speakers in an effort to incite a war on stage.

Tickets for the speaker series cost between $35 and $185. (plus a multitude of Ticketmaster Fees adding another $20)

In the Chicago Theater you really have to be within the first 50 rows to see any details of what is happening on stage. You can bring binoculars to see from the balcony, but it is otherwise difficult to really enjoy the performances and events there. So, if you can get a seat closer to the stage, regardless of price, get it.

The other word of caution I always have about The Chicago Theater is to get there early and don’t expect to leave quickly. The theater seats over 3,000 people but only 20 people can enter or exit through the front doors at any one time, so the lines are long and the crowds can be fierce.  Arriving about a 1/2 hour before the show starts is the best way to go. Plus you get to admire the interior of a beautiful classic restored theater.

This is really a series of events for a true political junkies who are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Except Al Gore. I think his show will be the best of the series and the one to see.

March Madness used to be the one time during the year when betting at work was ok. Everyone got their brackets, whether they understood the NCAA college basketball tournament or not and the smack talk at the water-cooler continued for a month. (three weeks plus one week to speculate about your favorite NCAA college basketball teams)

President Obama Fills out NCAA Brackets on ESPN Sportcenter

Now with Fantasy Basball, Fantasy Football, Fantasy NASCAR and reality Television I am not sure how people have time at all to work since there are so many sports to consume. Somehow March Madness hasn’t dominated the work conversations yet this year, but I know the college basketball smack talk is coming. Soon.

An entire month of college basketball on CBS Channel 2 in Chicago and nothing else used to be a huge let down for me, but now as a girl who lives with a fiance, it is a welcome time of peace and quiet. Tech Guy watches as much NCAA college basketball in 2009 as he would like, and I get to go blog as much as I would like.

We call it having interests on our own and I think March Madness 2009 was invented for exactly this purpose. All the NCAA college basketball teams are hoping for their best shot at winning it all this year and I am hoping to get some laundry done.

On a more collegiate note. If you are a recent transplant to Chicago and want to find a bar or pub to watch the NCAA basketball tournament and all of its commercials, Chicago has many options.

The Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville northside neighborhoods of Chicago are filled with bars that still fly college team flags for those who can’t move on and want to pretend they’re still at the fraternity while getting completely wasted. Other bars and pubs across the city offer a more low key approach to experiencing the excitement of March Madness and the Final Four in 2009 with food and drink specials.

Some of these bars are:
Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap – from March 19 to April 6 Entire duration of the tournament Jake’s will be serving the Madness Burger, a 9-oz. burger topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and a fried egg served between two grilled cheese sandwiches, paired with a Miller Lite pint for $9.99.

The Full Shilling Bar in Wrigleyville - March 19-20 The Wrigleyville bar will be throwing an NCAA Tournament kick-off party for the first two days of the big dance. Withover one hundred Miller Lite scratch & win tickets, this lottery-style party will give everyone a chance to win. Prizes include mp3 player speaker coolers, aluminum bottle wraps, hats, t-shirts, bottle openers and more. Pitchers of Miller Lite will be on special for $7 both days. Food specials include the two-buck burger on Thursday and the $7.99 fish fry on Friday.

Rockit Bar & Grill On March 26, 6-8 pm Red Hot March Madness. A $40 all inclusive ticket includes drinks and snacks during the NCAA basketball Games, and the proceeds benefit charity.

O’Donovan’s - After the St Pats crowd clears, this friendly North Center bar’s 20 plasma TVs to watch NCAA Tournament Games throughout the bar, party room and patio. The bar will open at 10 am on March 19-22 and offer daily lunch and dinner specials all day.

Smoke Daddy – Celebrate Purdue: Smoke Daddy owner Josh Rutherford is a Boilermaker Alum, so you know the place will be decked out in black-and-gold. And a Purdue-themed menu will be available throughout the tournament, including the Boiler Burger, Mackey’s Mac and Cheese and Purdue Pete’s Pulled Pork Sandwich. (say that three times fast)

Harry Caray’s – Harry Caray’sTavern has the first round action from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (weekday games working lunch?) with a food buffet and domestic drafts included for just $20. Harry Caray’s(in Lombard) will offer $2 Bud and Bud Light drafts with commemorative March Madness pint glasses on all game days. Visit harrycarays.com before the tournament starts to enter your picks and you could win a private flight for four to St. Louis for a Cubs-Cardinals game by picking the most games right.

Kroll’s SouthLoop – Lots of Drink Specials and the “Madness Burger” and “Sweet Sixteen Wings are all on tap with their TV screens for watching all the games at one sitting.

Merkle’sBar and Grill – $4 22-ounce drafts and $5 bombs, along with 25 cents wings during all tournament games. And on March 28, try your hand at Merkle’s Sweet 16 flip cup tournament (everyone’sfavorite college pastime) with cash prizes.

Timothy O’Toole’s – has 45 TV screens, more than any other Bar I have seen. The bar specials include Wingfest famous wings and $2 draft beers on Saturdays and $16 Miller/Coors buckets on Sundays.

The Spread – March 20 Junior Board’s 7th Annual March Mania Party. $30 all-you-can-drink package from 9 p.m. to midnight and enter a raffle to win prizes like Final Four tickets and a flat-screen TV.

Moretti’s (West Loop) – April 6 Watch the championship game on over 25 big screen TVs, including 4 super bright HD plasmas.

Social Twenty-Five is new and offers spacious booths, loungey leather banquettes and 24 TVs on two floors. No specials listed though this late-night spot will open as early as 11 am for daytime games.

Cagney’s Bar has oversized booths, wooden chairs and 25 TVs on two floors. They offer specials like $15 select domestic beer buckets and $5 burgers and fries. Luckilly it’s a new bar and without an allegiance to any one college team yet, so this spot’s clientele consists of mostly low-key locals and is a best bet to avoid frat behavor.

Bull & Bear Bar has all the NCAA March Madness games on 26 TVs (the most I’ve seen) and one wall projector. No specials for the NCAA College Basketball Games and in addition to that you need a reservation for a booth! The regular Monday-Friday deal of half-price apps (3-7 pm) is still in effect.

Theory has 20 TVs on one floor, including some semi-private booth sets. There are specials like $3 Miller Lite in March, plus regular deals such as $6 Belvedere cocktails Thursdays, Effen cocktails on Fridays. There is no official team loyalty here but reverence to Illinois teams across all sports so less crazed frat behavior is to be found.

Hi-Tops has 20 (yes 20) TVs to watch all the NCAA March Madness at once plus a bunch of reality shows and cable TV nobody needs to see. Hi-Tops has Domestic draft beer and appetizer buffet packages March 21 and 22 ($25 from 11 am to 5 pm) and April 4 and 6 ($15 for game start to end). A spirited Lincoln Park crowd has a Michigan State University fandom inherited from the Gin Mill and is known for it’s rowdy.

Sully’s House has 12 TVs plus 3 wall projectors for full coverage of all games. They have $12 select domestic beer buckets, and half-price appetzers on Fridays. There is a loyalty to Gonzaga University and University of Florida here plus an unofficial gathering of Creighton fans from who knows where.

Grand River Bar has 5 TVs and $4 well drinks and $10 Miller Lite pitchers deals like $1.50 mini-burgers on Thursdays and $5 sandwiches on Fridays. The bar is owned by Michigan State University alums, this is the spot for Spartan fans to congregate and celebrate in Lakeview. If MSU is out, then Big 10 games get priority over the others.

Many of us know Tesla Motors because of the news involving either:

1. High Gas Prices and alternative fuel vehicles talked about by magazines like WIRED.

2. The CEO of the Tesla Motors Company being removed by the board because of lots of personal differences and internal conflict which have led to the Tesla Roadster being behind on it’s delivery schedule and having engineering problems in getting the product to market.

3. The BBC UK show Top Gear reviewed the Tesla roadster this past season and it quit on them several times. They generally liked it when the batteries were running though.

The Chicago Tesla Dealership and Showroom will be located at 1053 West Grand Ave in Chicago, IL this spring near the Kennedy Expressway in the River West neighborhood. (kind of a desolate location from the looks of Google Street View) The dealership will be Tesla’s first electric car sales showroom and service center outside of California. I am also excited about this new Tesla Dealership in Chicago because this is the first fully electric car to be commercially available in Chicago that I know of.

I was a fan of the GM EV1 back in the day and they never even offered them here in Chicago since the test never expanded that far. Now Tesla will be the first company the test out battery powered electric cars (green cars) in this climate. Many people think that the cold winters will reduce the performance of the batteries that power the cars since batteries generally don’t do well here with out below zero temperatures.

Tesla is offering one couple model of their electric car for $109,000.00 ($55K down payment) at this time and have plans to offer another one at a lower price ($60K) in the future and maybe adding seats for more passengers. Right now Chicago is thrilled that we had enough people and interest to support an electric car dealership and we welcome Tesla to the Chicagoland area.

No word on how these little 2 seater Tesla roadsters will fare in the snow and cold, but we plan on enjoying them in traffic, emissions free, in the other season: construction.

The Odyssey Dinner Boat Cruises on Lake Michigan in Chicago are well known for providing an elegant evening on the lake with a spectacular view of the city of Chicago. When we got a chance to take one this weekend and have a night out we jumped at the chance. My fiance and I couldn’t remember the last time we had been out on a date night since we got engaged. The Chicago Odyssey Dinner Cruise was just what we needed among the crazy wedding planning we are managing right now. Here is a review of our experiences on the Odyssey Dinner Cruise this past Saturday night in Chicago.

Boarding Time: 6:30 pm

Cruise Starts: 7:30 pm

Dinner: 8PM

Jazz Music/Dancing: throughout

View of Chicago: the entire night until 10:30 pm when we got back to Navy Pier in Chicago.

Cost:  Saturday Night Dinner Cruises start at $92. This may seem like a lot of money, but there are many restaurants in the city that cost a lot more than that and don’t provide this kind of unique experience.

The weather started out rainy so we were not sure we would have much of a view on the Chicago Odyssey Cruise ship that evening, but we drove to Navy Pier anyway in hopes of a romantic evening away from everything stressful happening right now. We read that the dress code was somewhat formal and Steve actually pulled out a suit jacket to wear. The location was easy to find, we parked in the Navy Pier garage and the Chicago Odyssey Boat was docked right on the other side of the pier from where we parked by the #5 doors.  The cruise ship looked just like the pictures, big white modern looking boat with black windows. 

The rain was disappointing but when you are on a large boat for 800 people you don’t even know it’s raining outside. The interior was surprising, no communal tables or big buffets. The level we were set up on was a very elegant restaurant setting with individual tables and we sat right by the window to see the view perfectly. The meal was a 4 course meal which was very good. The appetizers, salad, main course and desert were all very good. The chicken I had as the main course was a bit heavy but Steve really enjoyed his steak and the cobbler for desert was amazing. I don’t think that people view the Odyssey or any of the Chicago Skyline Cruises as a big floating four star full service restaurant, but they really are.

The cruise started out with a champagne cocktail hour while people were boarding. Then we switched to diet pepsi so we would stay awake since we live sleep deprived lives at this point. The coffee later in the evening was also a welcome perk of caffeine. There was a full bar available though with all the amenities you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber.

The dining room on the Odyssey is really as nice as a fine dining restaurant.

The Chicago Odyssey Boat Tour Cruise also had a very nice 3 piece jazz band playing sets on the boat during the entire time we were there. They covered everything from smooth jazz to classic Sinatra standards and finished out the evening with an energetic rendition of Sweet Home Chicago. I think they are wise to have good quality music on a cruise of Chicago’s skyline. People in Chicago know their music and jazz and the couple next to us was commenting how the music was genuine jazz played well.

Our server was very attentive and the service all around was very good the entire time we were on the ship. We were still invited to go upstairs and view the skyline from the top deck of the ship even in the poor weather and the server even offered an umbrella if we needed it. I think having separate levels and rooms on this ship is a key to it’s success. There was a college honor society party on the 2nd level and a high school party on the 3rd and we never really came in contact with any of the immaturity you would expect from those younger crowds during the trip. I am sure that all the couples that were in that dining room were happy to be in a separate room also. 

We were surprised at the variety of events that people were celebrating on the Odyssey Cruise Ship that night. They make a special effort to find out what event you are celebrating and make it special. They announced people’s anniversaries and birthdays as well as had special birthday desert cakes with candles. They try and go out of the way to make your 3 hours on the lake a special and memorable experience.

We found that the Odyssey Ships don’t go far from the shore on to Lake Michigan (which is nice for the view), they initially turned south to view the city and then looped back north a few times cycling back and forth from the museum campus to Navy Pier. We did go up on the top deck and saw a beautiful view of Chicago (under a light fog) and of Navy Pier. Some HS kids were smoking up there but were just hanging out.

I can imagine how cool it must be for a high school or college student to take a date, or have a dance on Lake Michigan on a boat like this, especially if you’re from the suburbs.  It is like their first night out as adults and most of the kids looked like they took it pretty seriously. The rest of the crowd seemed like they were a mix of young couples celebrating birthdays and mid-aged people on anniversaries. One group was a girls night out all the way from Tennessee. I could see this as a great way for people traveling from other cities to really get to see Chicago and have an elegant dinner at the same time. I can also see the appeal for couples with kids to get away for the evening and go on a cruise like this just to relax and enjoy each-other’s company.

My overall experience surpassed my expectations on the Chicago Odyssey Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan andI can confidently recommend the experience for anyone looking for an elegant night out in Chicago or someone looking for tourist suggestions for enjoying a vacation in Chicago. The spring-summer-fall seasons are probably better weather than the first week in March but it is possible to go on these scenic dinner cruises almost any time of year and we’re glad we got to get away this weekend regardless of the weather.

Have you had an experience on an Odyssey Dinner Cruise that you would like to share? Comment below…

The Downtown Chicago St Patrick’s Day Parade begins at 12:00 noon, Saturday March 14th. This year like in many years the Chicago St Patrick’s Day Parade is not held on the actual holiday in order to make it more convenient to attend. (it’s also a fun free thing to do for the holiday) The parade will be held starting at Balbo and Columbus and runs north on Columbus to Monroe.

Taking Public Transportation to the Chicago St Patrick’s Day parade is strongly encouraged since parking is scarce and expensive. Any of the EL loop lines are accessible, get off at the train at Randolph, Madison or Adams and walk east to Columbus. If you are coming in from a Metra line to Union Station, the walk is much further, and you will probably want to take a cab from the station to Columbus. Plus it will most likely be cold, so walking 10 blocks or so isn’t fun when it is that cold. If you are lucky to be coming in to Millennium Station, exit on Lake Street and walk 2 blocks east to Columbus.

Dyeing the Chicago River also happens downtown at 10:45am: Saturday March 14th. You can see the green river dyeing process from the East side of the Chicago River bridge at Columbus Drive or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Columbus and Lake Shore Drive. This is a new location due to construction taking place this year. There is all kinds of mystical folklore about leprechauns that surrounds the dyeing of the river but basically the local Journeymen Plumbers use 40 gallons of vegetable dye to change the color of the river for a few hours in celebration and spirit of St Patrick’s Day and Irish Traditions. It is enjoyed by everyone and quite a sight to see in person. Stay downtown for the Parade at Noon.

There is also a2009 Naperville St Patrick’s Day parade on the same day in the SW suburbs. The west suburban residents will be able to celebrate their Irish heritage in the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 14. The 2009 Naperville St Patrick’s Day parade kicks off at 10 am from Naperville North High School, located at 899 N. Mill Street. The parade moves south on Mill Street, east on Jefferson Avenue, south on Main Street and west on Water Street to the Municipal Center. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is hosted by the West Suburban Irish group. All residents are encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item at the parade to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Pantry Charity.

And last but not least, there is the ever popular South Side Irish Parade at noon on Sunday March 15th. This is the parade where people get the most drunk and rowdy although I hear it is a lot tamer than it used to be. If you would like to attend the South Side Irish Parade also, wear your green and go hang out between 103rd-115th Streets and Western Ave. & 103rd St in Chicago, IL 60643. The parade is free and it usually lasts about 2 hours. They actually mention on their website at southsideirishparade.org that this St Patrick’s Day Parade is a celebration of Irish heritage in the Beverly-Morgan Park community on the South Side of Chicago and in order to be respectful of it, please refrain from public drinking in areas where it is not permitted.

Everyone loves a good party and this year the recession has compelled more people to stay home and party for the Oscars with their neighbors and TV than in years past. The superbowl was a great example of people staying in, having a house party, bringing pot -luck dining items and enjoying the evening spectacle on DVR. The Oscars are always a very entertaining telecast and this year with Hugh Jackman hosting there will likely be lots of singing and dancing as well.

I think the Oscars will be entertaining whether you go out or stay in this year. Watching the Oscars at a posh party in Chicago is nice, although you will have a hard time justifying $150 ticket prices in the recession. Chicago Oscars house parties will be very popular this year and here are some tips for making yours fun. Remember that creativity is what really makes your Oscar party fun and not necessarily how much money you spend.

Chocolate Oscar Candy for guests.

Chicago Weekend Fun’s Oscar House Party Tips

:

1. Dress up. Seriously. Don’t buy anything new, just raid the closet and dress up fancy as if you were attending a formal Oscar party. Some people also take more of a character theme to party costumes and tell guests to dress up as their favorite movie character.

2. Champagne, or in most cases, use the champagne glasses with ginger ale soda and voila, it’s a lot cheaper and nobody gets drunk before the end of the loooong Oscars broadcast and has to figure out how to drive home.

3. Liveblog the telecast on your blog, or twitter your reactions to what is happening on the Oscars telecast online. Some snark may make that pretty popular with guests and your online friends if it is a “virtual” party.

4. Invite the neighbors, friends, family. People enjoy getting together the more people the merrier. It proves that just sticking together helps in a recession like this. Pull all the chairs into the TV room for seating to watch the Oscars and put the food in another room so people don’t chat in the room where people are actually watching the show. Interesting mixes of people from different areas of your life make the most interesting parties.

If you really can afford a $100+ ticket to an Oscar Party in Chicago here is one of the local Chicago Oscars Events you may be interested in:

The Gene Siskel Film Center Oscar Party @ 6pm till Midnight downtown at the Gene Siskel Film Center. “Oscar Night in America”. $150 or VIP $250. This is a formal black tie event, but you get to watch the most well known awards for movies with some of the most influential movie personalities in Chicago, making this a truly unique experience if you can afford it this year. CALL 312-846-2072 for your tickets.

It is that time of year again, Tax Preparation Season in Chicago. (it can ruin many weekends before April 15th) You get through Christmas and the Super Bowl and very quietly your 1099’s sneak up on you when you aren’t looking. Tax Preparation in Chicago can be just as challenging as any other location in the US and it is a lot harder to make the trek out to an accountant when it is below zero here.

The tax season is a different process for everyone. Whether you use a paper form 1040 EZ, an online form, TurboTax, H&R Block TaxCut, go to a tax preparing service like Jackson Hewitt or H&R Block or have your own personal accountant, there are deductions your should know about.

Personally I got to use the energy credit for new energy star windows last year which was thrilling considering how much they cost up front. I also started using TurboTax a few years ago and have enjoyed doing my taxes online with their Q & A format. I actually don’t dread doing my taxes anymore thanks to TurboTax.

I actually think the ads that say an accountant will find you thousands of dollars in refunds is a bit misleading. The people who own businesses and have complicated situations may find more deductions with H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt, but someone single and uncomplicated like me does just fine with an online tax preparation program.

Here are some tips and resources to help you through the tax season in Chicago for 2008 in 2009. I do need to state that I am not a tax professional by any means, but through some research I was able to find these tips that I wanted to share.

This is a helpful list of green tax credits you can claim in 2009.

$150 for some Energy Star furnaces/boilers
$200 for all Energy Star windows
$300 for some Energy Star heat pumps and central AC
$500 for insulation and sealing that meets model building code
$3,150 for the purchase of a hybrid car or SUV

Also, the federal limit in tax credits for home improvements is $500. More information on state tax credits can be found at the Database of State Incentives for Renewable and Efficiency.

This is also a list of common income tax deductions that are often missed:

1. State sales taxes as a deductions.This only applies if you live in a state without income tax like Oregon but work in a state that does have it like Washington. Keep track of these expenses during the year by saving receipts or logging them in Excel.
2. Reinvested dividends. This is more of a tax break since those dividends never got taxed. Bonus!
3. Out-of-pocket deductible charitable contributions. This includes mileage driven for charity and cash donations.
4. Deductible Student loan interest paid by parents. Since the IRS treats student loan repayments by parents as a gift to their child, students that aren’t claimed as dependents can actually deduct up to $2,500 of the loan interest paid by their parents.
5. Moving expense to take your first job. As long as you move more than 50 miles, you can deduct the cost of getting yourself and your stuff to the new locale. You can even deduct mileage.
6. Military reservists travel expenses. Members of the National Guard or military reserve can deduct travel expenses related to drills or meetings as long as they travel over 100 miles and are away overnight. The deduction covers the cost of lodging plus half the cost of your meals. You can also deduct mileage, parking fees, and tolls.
7. Child-care credits. If you pay someone to take care of your kids such that you can work, you might qualify for a tax credit. Note that this is true even if you claim your childcare-related expenses through a tax-favored reimbursement account at work because such accounts are capped at $5,000 while expenses up to $6,000 can qualify for the credit.
8. Estate tax on income in respect of a decedent. You can get an income-tax deduction for the amount of estate tax paid on an IRA the you inherit from someone else.
9. Any State tax you paid last spring. If you owed state taxes when you filed your 2007 return, you can deduct that amount along with the state income taxes that were withheld during 2008.
10. Deductible Mortgage Refinancing points. Any points that you pay when you refinance can be deducted (on a monthly basis) over the life of the new loan. Moreover, all unamortized mortgage points left over from prior years are deducted all at once if you end up refinancing your mortgage in any particular year.
11. Jury pay paid to employer. Some employers continue to pay their employees’ full salary when they’re on jury duty, but require that the employees turn over their jury pay. Since the IRS views this as taxable income, you need to be sure to deduct it. If you don’t, you’ll end up paying double taxes on a portion of your income.
     

President’s Day is observed on February 16. I won’t be at work that day, like most people who have the day off, I will be honoring our first presidents by shopping at the President’s Day Sales around Chicagoland. Wouldn’t they be proud?

All the local Chicago stores are starting their ramp up of ads for that holiday and if you are holding off on buying something because of the recession, you may want to go shopping on President’s Day because the stores are cutting prices and have everything on sale.

President’s Day is much like Christmas this year where Chicago retailers just want to make sales so they are cutting prices and discounting everything in the store. You can get great deals on clothing, furniture, housewares, carpet, mattresses and even cars. GM, Ford, Toyota and Honda are trying to talk anyone into buying a car off their lot. One dealer even advertised a buy one get one free sale. (it was a Chrysler dealer)

Here are some of the President’s Day Sales around Chicago that I have heard about. If these are national stores you may find they have the same deals in other locations also.

Kohl’s - the home of all holiday sales. Kohl’s has a lot marked down on sale this President’s day both online and in stores. Look for great Bonus Buys (Expires 2/18/09) like:
15-50% ENTIRE STOCK Kitchen Electrics
50% Off Chaps and axcess Suit Separates for Men
Athletic Shoes on sale from $28.99 
40-70% Off Bedding Collections & Accessories, Sheet Sets and Down Comforters 

The general sale includes some great deals like:
30-40% Off Men’s Dress Shoes & Casual Shoes
50% Off Bed Pillows, Mattress Pads, Feather Beds & Fiber Beds

Take an additional 10% off your order with coupon code: NEW3988 Expires on 2/22/09.

Kohl’s Charge Card holders save up to 30% off with the following coupons:
15% Off: MVCCHARGE15 (Exp 2/17/09)
20% Off: SAVE20FEB (Exp 2/29/09)
30% Off: PRESIDENT30 (Exp 2/18/09)  

Kohl’s also has all Dana Buchanan women’s seperates are 30% off on President’s day.

Plus there are bonus coupons you might get in your mail box if you are a Kohl’s credit card user. They always send 10%, 15% or 30% off coupons in the mail and this is inaddition to the sale prices already in the store.

Macy’s – Macy’s Department Stores also like having sales for all the Holidays. I would expect a lot to be on sale from their clothing departments to clear out the last of the winter clothes since spring merchandise is coming in soon and Jewelry will be on sale since Macy’s just took over the jewelry section of the store from a jeweler that was leasing it at the State Street Store. This may have been the case at other former Marshall Field’s Stores also.

Furniture – Ashley Furniture, Harlem Furniture and LaZBoy all have sales planned. If you have lots of savings and a good job while you have a ratty old sofa, it might be time to go looking. IKEA Chicago also has a $150 cash back deal going on mattresses in their Schaumburg and Bolingbrook locations.

Update: As I find out more details I will update this post. Check back and bookmark this page to see the updates as they happen closer to the President’s Day Sale Date. 

Photo credit goes to alykat on Flickr.

I realized about 7 years ago that bowling was enjoying a resurgence in popularity when all my friends were spending their weekends in rented shoes at bowling alleys in Chicago. I was surprised to see two bowling alleys packed this evening while driving home. I stopped by a store next to the Willowbrook Bowl on my way home and was surprised to see the parking lot packed. The place was jumpin!

Then just off 290 I saw that the Hillside Bowl was also full to the gills. You could see inside through the large windows and tons of people were bowling on a Saturday night. I remember the days when only the freaks and geeks went bowling at the Tivoli Bowl in Downers Grove on Friday night and the “typical” first date was at the Brunswick Zone  where bowling and pool tables provided many teenager groping opportunities. Things have changed. Bowling is Family Friendly, it doesn’t cost as much as most other social activities and there is “some” exercise involved. I am sure that for some people the retro style bowling shirts and shoes are also a plus. 

Many new bowling alleys have been added to the Chicago area over the last 10 years also. 10 Pin bowling Alley and Lucky Strike Bowling Alley combine bars and huge video screens for sports games all in one.

Here is a roundup of the fees and open bowling times for the local Chicago area bowling alleys that I have been to or heard alot about lately:

1. Hillside Bowl – 4545 HARRISON St in HILLSIDE, IL 60162 (708) 449-5350 See their web site at bowlbowlbowl.com. 36 Lanes.

2. Willowbrook Bowl -735 Plainfield Road in Willowbrook, IL 60527 Call (630) 325-1746 or check out their website at willowbrook-bowl.com. I am not sure how much this bowling alley has been updated over the years, but I remember it from when my Aunt and Uncle used to run the restaurant there. It seems popular again, look for the giant bowling pin on the SE corner of Plainfield Rd and Rt 83 in Willowbrook.

3. Tivoli Bowling Alley – 938 Warren Ave, Downers Grove, IL? phone: (630) 969-0660 Great for afternoon bowling, under the movie theater. Watch out for the HS Bowling Gym Classes though.

4. Brunswick Zone Bowl – 1555 W. 75th St in Woodridge, IL Phone: (630) 985-1115 has pool tables as well as many bowling lanes. Or check out 1515 Aurora Ave in Naperville, IL Phone: (630) 355-7622 or there is another at 558 E. North Ave in Glendale Heights, IL Phone: (630) 858-1300. There are other Brunswick Zone Bowling Alleys tucked in all over Chicago. These are the ones I have either been to recently or a long time ago. Less personal service from Brunswick, since this is a huge chain and it’s hard to be individual and unique that way.?

5. 10 Pin Bowling Alley & Bar at the House of Blues in Chicago -330 N State St, Chicago, IL Call: (312) 644-0300. Watch out for the drunk bowlers, but it is a swanky looking place.

6. Lucky Strike Bowling Alley and Bar in the East Illinois Movie Theater Building Complex -100 Yorktown Shopping Ctr, Lombard, IL – (630) 916-8681 and 322 E Illinois St, Chicago, IL. – (312) 245-8331. $10 – Open to 2 AM.

7. Fireside Bowling Lanes - 2648 W Fullerton Ave in Chicago, IL 60647 Phone: (773) 486-2700 See their website at: firesidebowl.com. A great retro bowling alley on the north side of the city.

Photo credits to RICCIO “il colore del ricordo inganna”, Hryck. and ehoyer on Flickr.
 

After being absent for 2 years the Flower and Garden show is back this spring in Chicago. The Chicago Flower and Garden Show will be running between March 7 and 15 in 2009. This is a great show if you have a yard or garden area around your home that you enjoy spending time in or plan on renovating or improving this spring/summer.

The Chicago Flower and Garden Show is amazing for anyone to see because they have so many example gardens there that are inspiring for what you can really do with your space, even if you have a very small space to work with like urban dwellers do. There are usually a lot of vendors of plants, patios, decks, pools, hot tubs, landscape and design companies as well as lawn care companies exhibiting that can help. There are usually how-to talks also that help you find the right info if you want to do the work on your yard and garden yourself.

Tickets are $12 during the week and $14 on weekends for Adults and $5 for kids. This does not include the Navy Pier $23 parking fee. So, this is a fun family event if you want to take the time to drive downtown and don’t mind the parking costs. There are a lot of restaurants and shops at Navy Pier that are also fun to stop and see if you bring the family down to the Flower and Garden Show.

More details can be found at chicagoflower.com

Back before America went through 2 world wars and weathered the Great Depression, there was an annual National Thrift Week that people participated in. I had never heard of this trend before and none of my relatives had ever mentioned it in their stories about the times when they grew up. National Thrift Week was usually on January 17-24.

Now that the US is in an economic recession and has more unemployment and economic decline looming the idea of National Thrift Week has caught the interest of many bloggers on the Internet. I heard about it from the Get Rich Slowly Blog last week and was interested in the idea of National Thrift Week enough to peruse their website at bringbackthriftweek.org. And while I don’t know if it will ever come back as an unofficial holiday or anything, I do think that it is a compelling idea with principles to consider.

The spending that the consumers, businesses and government has been doing in the last 3 decades is astounding. I don’t think any of us can truly appreciate that much money the government or business has spent over the years or will be spending in this stimulus plan because it is so far removed from the amount of money we are personally responsible for on a daily basis. I do think we have a concept for what our own spending patterns have grown to over the last decade and seeing the current crisis makes me thing a check in on how to scale that back is needed.

National Thrift Week gives us a chance to get back to our roots so to speak and remember what it is that we really need and not focus so much on wants. The basic principles are outlined in each day’s focus of the week: Have a Bank Account Day, Invest Safely Day, Carry Life Insurance Day, Keep a Budget Day, Pay Bills Promptly Day, Own Your Home Day, and Share with Others Day. Most of these days may have also been educational in nature because we were a country going through a transition in lifestyle and money management as we changed from a rural economy to an industrial one.

Personally I think these days might be good to revisit yearly to re-examine each of these areas in your life and with your family’s budget/expenses. Having a family meeting about the bank accounts and interest, investment choices, insurance needs and adjustments, budgeting, bills, how close you are to owning the home outright and sharing with others/charity are all relevant topics today too.

I know that these National Thrift Week ideas and possibly making changes in all of our lives to spend less and save/invest more wisely won’t miraculously fix the economy or make things any better for the overall situation, but it will help you individually. Knowing what is going on in your financial life down to the details is important and re-examining the details in order to make changes is usually helpful in making you less likely to fall into the traps that land people in bankruptcy, foreclosure or serious debt. Considering how hard it is to get a job right now, none of those financial problems will be easy to fix if someone lands in them today.

So, consider participating in National Thrift Week for your familyand look at where you can streamline your budget, save more, invest it wisely, pay off our homes, have the right amount of insurance coverage and share resources with family and friends. It will make all of us less prey to the shifts in the world markets and more confident that things will be ok no matter what happens economically in America.

In the past I have been very anti-valentine’s day, but now that I am engaged I am more ambivalent about it. If people want to get together on Valentine’s Day in Chicago and make love rather than war or money, it is probably a good thing. Those who don’t really want to bother with all the V-Day hullabaloo are always welcome to celebrate anti-valentine’s day too.

In Chicago it is cold in February and the options for celebrating Valentine’s Day with your special one are limited to the indoors and maybe someplace with a cozy fireplace. That said, there is a range of price to which you can celebrate this day of love.

If you have endless funds available the Trump Tower Hotel is offering a special Valentine’s Day package with a view of the Chicago River, a Dozen Roses, Champagne, Chocolate and a premium suite for $900. Yes, that is the cost for one night. That puts a lot of pressure on both parties for it to be a “spectacular” night at that price. At least at home you don’t loose $900 if things don’t work out. Plus in this economy who wants to spend a mortgage payment on one night in a hotel room? (just the room)

I have always liked the more simple ways to show someone you love them on Valentine’s Day. Nobody enjoys paying $100 for a dozen red roses at the Chicago FTD Florist so why not send something else? Believe me, pink roses can be just as romantic, white roses are elegant, and there are so many beautiful flowers, why limit it to just roses? (orchids, lilies and Gerber daisies are all great alternatives that get ignored by florists on Valentine’s day) Don’t all the flowers really say something beautiful? There is no reason that you have to be exactly like 9 million other people in Chicago. Originality gets you brownie points and wins over hearts big time.

Check out the little local Chicago FTD florists a week or 2 before Valentine’s day to see what they plan to have on hand. Ask about what else they will have besides 12 tons of red roses from Chile. I try to avoid large florist chains like Phillips because there is so little creativity there, but in a pinch they have a lot of stock. You have to tell them what you want though. Jewel and Dominicks have great low cost deals on flowers but they usually wilt in 24-48 hours. (Which is so dissapointing) I like Tulipia in River Forest for my fresh flowers and they usually last a week.

Chocolate is also a typical Valentine’s Day gift but I don’t know any woman that says she needs Chocolate when most women always complain that they are on a diet. (talk about passive aggressive) I know a few women who crave it, but I wonder if there is really something else going on there.

I think most women really want to be loved and appreciated. I think doing something to show you love them in a non-traditional way might be the best Valentine’s Day gift of all. Sure, an elegant dinner at the restaurant of her choice or a new pair of earrings would be great but save the big flower/chocolate/hotel room money for something else.

My fiance got me some flowers last year and new windshield wipers for my car. And yes, he even installed them for me. This year he is upgrading the memory in my laptop, very thoughtful of him. It was sweet and I do appreciate his thoughtfulness every time I am driving in the pouring rain in Chicago. Think different this Valentine’s Day and you will have a much better time with the holiday than all your friends and coworkers that do the same thing they do every year.

Update: 2 More events happening around Chicago if you really do want to brave the cold and go out to do something special on Valentine’s day:

The Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago Troupe makes its official company debut at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., on Valentine’s Day. This event features performances from the company repertoire (including the jet propelled “Pyrokinesis”) …Plus, as the $46 ticket price includes a post-performance champagne and cheesecake reception and parking is free…this makes the event a great way to treat your honey to a great evening out without breaking the bank. For more info call 847.673.6300.

These local fine Restaurants have specially prices dinners available on Valentine’s Day with unique menu’s and Valentine’s Day details. Call for more information and details.

BIRCH RIVER GRILL – AN AMERICAN KITCHEN 75 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL (847) 427-4242
DINE at 733 W. Madison Street in Chicago, IL (312) 602- 2100
GLEN PRAIRIE at 1250 Roosevelt Road in Glen Ellyn, IL (630) 613-1250
KARMA – ASIAN FOOD & WINE 510 E. Route 83 in Mundelein, IL (847) 970-6900
Kinzie Chophouse at 400 North Wells Street in Chicago, IL 60654 312.822.0191
MAMBO GRILL at 412 North Clark Street in Chicago, IL 60654 312.467.9797

With the Fed lowering the interest rate to effectively 0% a few weeks back we have all been waiting to see how the consumer mortgage rates will be affected in Chicago. Both the city and suburbs have been affected by the real estate housing bubble and many people who have 6-7% mortgage rates on their homes and condos would love to refinance their mortgage and save some money in this economy.

Just this week Jan 12th, marketwatch reported that 30 year fixed rate mortgage rates went below 5% and down to the lowest rate ever. I am surprised that they have gotten so low and see that marketwatch lists the average mortgage rate for a 30 year fixed rate loan at 4.62% now. Wow that is low. A 300K mortgage with 20% down and a 30 year fixed rate loan at 4.62% is $1,333.00 a month.

If that rate was 5.62% it would be $1,481.00. Low rates save you a lot of money and allow you to use those savings to make extra principle payments and pay the loan off faster which saves a lot on interest paid to the bank over the life of the loan. (remember interest is calculated on the entire loan amount each year, so the amount you really pay for your house over 30 years is usually about 3x the value)

I am not sure which mortgage companies in Chicago can offer these rates though because so many of the banks are in trouble financially right now. Taking in less profit on loans would hurt their chance of recovery. Citigroup Banks is one that is giving higher interest rates like 5.5% on a 30 year fixed loan because of their current financial situation.

I hope that people living in Chicago can refinance their loans at the lowest rate possible and pay off their mortgage home loans quickly and own them outright. It is a difficult thing to do but owning your own home without a mortgage is one of the most rewarding things you can do and gives you so much financial freedom and saves a lot of stress. Look into how you can lower your interest rate and pay off your loan in a shorter time and get freedom from mortgage payments.

Every winter people all over Chicagoland huddle around their TV sets to watch the 2 best teams in the NFL go for the Super Bowl win regardless of if our Bears are in the game or not. We still enjoy seeing a good football game with any of the teams and throwing a big Superbowl party to celebrate. My ideas for Superbowl recipes had gotten a bit stale so I did some research for some new ideas and recipes this year in 2009.

Some of my friends enjoy going to one of the many local sports bars to enjoy the camaraderie of a full bar cheering and others like to gather with friends and family and watch the Super Bowl at home. Either way you get the glory of the game and (sometimes) the entertainment of the commercials. (there have been a lot of weird and not-at-all-funny commercials in the last few years)

With the economy doing so poorly this year I am guessing more people will be planning on watching the big Superbowl game at home in 2009. This means that you may have to dig up some recipes for munchies for guests or just for your own kids and family. Here are some non-typical recipes and ideas for  while watching the big Super Bowl game on TV this year.

1. Here is a chocolate treat recipe I red about on a friend’s blog that I think would be very appropriate for a Super Bowl event. Take 2 wheat thins and make a peanut butter sandwich out of them, then dip it in melted chocolate (like a chocolate fountain you may have lying around from 2006 or a Hershey’s kiss fondue pot) It’s a yummy snack attack!

2. If you have a more cultured crowd coming to watch the game try this recipe for baked brie recipe with jam. Take a grocery store pre-made puff pastry and lay out on a cookie sheet. Lay a wedge or round of Brie cheese on top and then spread jam (raspberry works well) on top.  Close up the pie crust over the brie, drizle with maple syrup and sprinkle with a handful of brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees in the oven for 25-30 minutes until pastry is golden. Let sit and cool for 10 min before serving with crackers and apple wedges. (and wine)

3. Another great crowd pleasing dip recipe is Superbowl BLT Dip. This is great with anything from veggies to crackers to kettle cooked potato chips. Take 4 cooked slices bacon, 3 green onions sliced, 1 cup mayo, 1 cup lowfat greek yogurt, 1/4 cup arugula chopped in a food processor and pulse until chunky. Stir in crumbled bacon and 1 pint chopped grape tomatoes.

4. Use this Superbowl time together with family and friends to catch up. The guys may be glued to the TV and the game but most women I know use the time during the game and during the commercials to chat, catch up and spend some quality time with friends. It is rare that you can see everyone socially during the holidays because of crazy schedules, the Super Bowl is a great time to see some of the people you may have missed or re-unite family that was going in different directions during the holidays.

5. Get Kids involved in the superbowl game by  making a football themed obstacle course throughout the rooms where the TV is not on. It gets the kids up off the couch at least at the commercial breaks and gets them some exercise. Try the running in tires move (with something like hula hoops), the jump over the back of the couch and land on your belly on the cushions move and the run in between a slalom pattern to get them going. They can even time themselves and see who gets the best time. This is also best supervised since you never know what may happen when kids get wound up.

6. Skip the company Superbowl football pool. In a recession like this, who has $20 to throw away anyway? It always ends up that one of the hard core sorts guys gets the best squares and wins. Keep that $20 in the bank for a rainy day this year.

7. Give prizes for best Superbowl football fan wear. Pick the team you will be following in the game and dress to impress with fan colors and gear if you have it. Kids may even want to face paint the number of their favorite player or go 1/2 and 1/2 with the colors of their team on their face or in hair coloring. (hair coloring seems more common for kids these days and in most cases is temporary). You can make a trophy out of tin foil and a small cardboard box for the winner.  

2008 was a busy and eventful year in Chicago. People started off on edge about the war in Iraq and ended with more hope for the future even amidst more problems with the economy. 

Chicago had it’s fair share of events, news, trends, buzz and history made in 2008. The biggest most popular news and events in Chicago happened in the last few months with Barack Obama winning the presidential election and Rod Blagojevich being arrested and then released with corruption charges. 

Chicago also remained in the bid process for the 2016 Olympics ( despite my disagreeing about it’s appropriateness here) and we got monsoons of rain in June and Snow in December, January, February and March. The precipitation levels in Chicago have been on the rise in 2007 and 2008, nobody seems to know why. Bernie Mac passing away was big news in Chicago because it was so unexpected and he was (and is) so popular here. Politics is always new in Chicago but I haven’t gotten into the fray there. We try to keep things clean on the Chicago Weekend Fun Blog.

Not all of these topics are things we can post about here with our main focus being about entertainment, events and fun things to do in Chicago. It is also a secondary goal that we cover any other issues that people living in Chicago have to deal with and try and always remain open minded about all different people, cultures and ideas.

The trends in 2008 news coverage popularity by topic: (from the Pew Trust)

Some of the most popular posts we had on Chicago Weekend Fun in 2008 are listed below in no particular order.  I was happy that these posts got a lot of comments and seemed popular with readers. There were many more posts that were well received but too long a list to include here and I always appreciate the comments, emails and contact form submissions about the blog. All comments are welcome, even the ones about my spelling errors. (I am human like anyone else, and sometimes forget the spellcheck) I also appreciate the people who comment with additional information that I did not have at the time of the post, after all this is a blog and a news/events/information conversation.

Our goal in 2009 is to write more posts and provide even more information about the topics that are requested and commented on. We enjoy working on this blog immensely and would like to continue doing so for a long time. I never thought that writing or running a web site would be this enjoyable as work, but I find that we always have something to say so the topics and words come quickly. We also know that this is a learning process so if there are revisions and changes along the way it is because we are doing our best to provide the best site possible and work out the kinks as they come at us.

Your readership is always appreciated as is your feedback. If you would like to help out the Chicago Weekend Fun blog in 2009 you could send us a note in our feedback form, add a link to us in your blogroll, send a link to the site to your friends, bookmark us or advertise your company in ad words in the content network that runs on the blog. Any or all of those things would be greatly appreciated.

Top Topics, News and Post Trends for 2008 – comments and views – in no particular order

 Chicago Area Cook County and DuPage Sales Tax Increase

 Chicago Magnificent Mile Lights Festival

 Apple Orchards Autumn Apple Picking

 Top 5 Chicago Tourist Attractions

 Chicago now has 2 Christmas Music Radio Stations

 Naperville Ribfest Festival July 4th Weekend

 Chicago Black Friday Sales and CyberMonday Deals

 Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse Restaurant

 Chicago Neighborhood and Suburbs Zip Codes

 Chicago Halloween Haunted House

 Chicago Street Closures for Barack Obama Rally

 Taste of Chicago

 Big New Year’s Eve in Chicago 2008  

 Tommy Hillfiger Lighting Christmas Tree at Macy’s 

The emails are arriving in my inbox already for Day After Christmas Sales at stores in Chicago. It wasn’t even Christmas day yet and the stores had already planned out how they will discount the merchandise to help you find a great deal on anything you did not already get this Christmas. The day after Christmas sales are also a common destination of you really need to return those purple socks or snake print sweater you got as a gift this Christmas. Some of the after Christmas sales I have gotten info about are:

JC Penny has a big after Christmas Sale and Clearance starting at 5:30 am Friday December 26th and Saturday December 27th. There are special door buster deals available from 5:30 am to 1 pm if you are an early bird. There is also a store wide 60% off clearance sale. This does not mean everything is on sale in the store but a lot of the seasonal items like clothing or home decor should be marked down. There are 2 printable coupons on their site you can use to get an extra $15 off $75 or $10 off $50. AND there is 50%-70% off at JCP.com.

Kohl’sis going head to head with JC Penny to capture that middle class market and they also have big sales planned for Friday December 26th and Saturday December 27. Almost everything from clothing and apparel for the entire family and all holiday home decor is 50%-80% off at Kohl’s after Christmas sale and clearance. The items may be subject to availability though since we didn’t have an easy time finding boots this winter at Kohl’s they seem to frequently sell out of popular items.

Best Buyhas a very merry Christmas sale going all weekend long from Friday December 26 through Sunday December 28. Check Best Buy for their Christmas sale items like TVs, dvds, wireless digital photo frames and home appliances. This is not a sale in stores though. Check bestbuy.com for details.

Crate and Barrelhas a day after Christmas sale going with 70% off on all of their holiday decor and many specialty items for the season. See here for a link to the Crate and Barrel sale page. I am a big fan of Crate and Barrel Christmas ornaments, home decor and wrapping. If you can get these holiday decorations or housewares (glasses, baking equipment, pillows, candle holders, festive swags, rugs) at a large discount now and save them for next year you might just come out ahead in your 2009 budget.

Old Navy also has a lot of great clothing, sweaters, jeans and t-shirts on sale at 75% off. Old Navyis one of my favorite stores for getting the same basic clothes as more expensive stores, and half the cost. And when the clothing is on sale, it is the most affordable time of the year to buy. So, if you have birthdays in the next 2 months or so to buy for or need anything yourself that you didn’t get to buy before Christmas, check them out online or in the stores. (personally I think clothing is better to shop for in person since it is so dependent on fit and you have to try everything on to know it will work before you buy) They have women’s cashmere cardigans on sale for $35.00 right now. That is a great deal.

Lastly, check out Macy’s for some additional discounts (15%) on purchases made online with the promo code SAVEMORE. There are already discounts of 20%-6% on a lot of clothing and merchandise. I have found that Macy’s does have good deals if you hunt for them. I got some great women’s turtleneck sweaters as gifts last week at 1/2 price of $20. You just have to be careful because there are a lot of items not on sale mixed in too. Macy’s has done a lot of business this holiday with promo codes, discounts and free shipping deals, so make sure that if you shop there you are getting to take advantage of them.

Happy Holidays and happy after Christmas Day sale shopping!

Since I will have the week off next week and many kids are off from school I thought some Christmas Craft Ideas might be helpful and useful to the readers of Chicago Weekend Fun. (cat toys, origami snowflakes ornaments, garlands and chocolate covered strawberries) 

I am not an expert crafter like Martha Stewart but I have enjoyed my fair share of craft projects over the years. I think the fascination starts when you are a young girl in Brownies and Indian Princesses and all the projects are crafts. Popsicle sticks, rick rack, origami and felt come together with sequins and glue to make some great christmas ornaments and kid masterpieces.

Right now crafts are also popular because you can make decorations and gifts at home for less money that you would buying in stores. The use what you have philosophy is big right now with the recession and economic troubles. That said, I enjoy a good craft project whether it is a recession or not. Here are some recent craft projects I have done that you may enjoy too.

1. Catnip Felt Cat Toys- This is an easy inexpensive gift for people who have cats and want the kitty to get something for Christmas too. Felt is cheap and available for $.25 or $.50 per 8 x 11 inch at most craft or fabric stores. I got mine at Blick art supply and Hancock Fabrics because I wanted a lot of different colors.

You can be as elaborate or as simple as you would like with the shape of the cat nip pouch you are making. I made fortune cookie shaped catnip toys this Christmas and then sent them in Chinese food container boxes. A fortune cookie cat toy is made from a simple circle of felt folded over and sewn in 1/2. Before you close up the end, stuff it full of catnip and pack it down well. Then close up the end and fold the half circle in half again like a fortune cookie and stitch a few loops to hold it closed. Ta-da Cheap inexpensive cat fun. .

The cats don’t care what the shape is so if I am just using the 1/2 circles I call them catnip perogi. Otherwise a plain square pouch is ok too. Sewing doesn’t have to be super neat either, the simple over under stitch works well and I don’t bother to turn it inside out to hide the stitching either. The cat’s just want the catnip.

2. Wrapping paper scrap snowflakes – I hate always having small scraps of wrapping paper left over. It seems like such a waste. I read a few years ago about a way to make snowflakes from them in Martha Stewart Magazine and the instructions are actually pretty easy. It is like origami, but easier.

First take a scrap and make sure it is a perfect square. Then accordion fold the paper in 1/2 inch accordion folds. Then take a stapler and staple across the center of that thin folded bunch of paper. Next, take scissors and cut a pattern in the edges of the paper where the folds are. A pattern that cuts off some of the folded edges on both sides on the ends is always good, it lets the snowflake open more. Then unfold the snowflake ends and tape them together so the flake makes an accordion folded circle. See picture at left.

You can hang small stars or snowflakes on thechristmas tree as ornaments or hang larger ones in the window as a decoration. If you don’t like the white back to the star snowflake just make 2 and tape them together before hanging.

If you want 2 kinds of paper snowflakes, got to wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake and they have another “how to” article that I liked although I haven’t tried this yet. A home full of hanging paper stars and snowflakes is a very festive place to have a party.

3. Home made garlands – I know this reminds people of the 70’s, but if you have that cheap basic ribbon around the house that is kind of shiny, just cut it into 2-3 inch strips and tape or glue the ends together. This can also be done with paper cut into 1 inch by 3 inch strips. It is also fun to pop popcorn and string it with a needle and thread and then decorate the trees outside with it and the birds come eat it. You have to get the string or thread out of the tree eventually but it is cute and functional for a while.

4. Ok food itn’t technically a craft. But with all the baking going on people sometimes forget how easy it is to make chocolate candy type gifts. I once used baking chocolate and some chocolate molds to make a chess set as a gift. It was a popular gift and it was not that expensive. The only thing is that baker’s chocolate isn’t quite as sweet as the milk chocolate most people are used to, so finding another brand to melt down and use might be better.

Another great easy food to make is Fudge and everyone likes getting that as a tasty gift. The basic ingredients of fudge are chocolate chips, butter and condensed sweetened milk. Some people add marshmallows or nuts to the mix and a pinch of salt but it is basically just melted and then mixed together and then put into a baking dish in the fridge to harden. Here is an easy Fudge recipe for kids to make in the microwave. fudge-recipe.com/microwave-fudge-recipe.html

Also, chocolate covered strawberries are always a big hit. Chocolate is easy to melt in the microwave (or double boiler if you happen to have one) And you just dip the strawberries in and put them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Then drizzle with white chocolate or nuts to finish them off before putting them in the fridge for a few hours. These only keep a few days, so make the same day as the party if possible and don’t layer on the chocolate too thick, or it is difficult to eat. This is also a yummy treat for Valentine’s Day.

5. If you like the look of crafts and like giving hand made gifts without the hours of work you can always check out Etsy.com for hand made in the USA crafts that make great gifts. They have a full range of items available that are so well done that they look just as professional as the things you would buy in stores.

Everyone may be loathing the recession we are in right now, but that is no reason to not have a Happy New Year. There are plenty of New Years Parties happening in Chicago to ring in 2009. Or, if you really don’t want to spend a lot of money you can always to the frugal thing and host a party at your place. I still think it is important to celebrate. Plus I like non-denominational holidays like this where everyone can participate. It is good to balance things out after all that Christmas stuff.

If we are going to really have hope for 2009 to get better we are all going to have to pitch in and help. And that is a lot easier if we get to relax once in a while and have some fun, especially on New Years Eve. I know there are endless Chicago New Years Eve parties planned but these are the ones that I have heard about and think might be the better ones to recommend.

1. First off the major New Year’s Eve party in Chicago is always at Navy Pier. This year Kiss 103.5is hosting/sponsoring it so the music should be more up to date than it was when it was with 101.9. Some people think it is too crowded, but it really does give you a great view of the city, fireworks, bands and convenient parking inside the building. It isn’t as hip as some parties up north in the city at posh restaurants or clubs but for the most people this is a fun night and a great party. Tickets are still available at thenyegala.com from $154.80 per person to a $2,000.00 VIP Package. I am not sure what the point is of the VIP Package, but if you have the money to burn, have fun. The rest of us are ok with the regular admission. The Music is being provided by 7 local DJs. (what no live bands?) The tickets include a 5 hour Premium Top-Shelf Liquor Package, 3-Course Hors d’Oeuvres, 2 Ballrooms of Entertainment, Midnight Firework Celebration, Confetti Countdown, Champagne Toast, Giveaways, Party Favors, Raffles, and the Balloon Drop at midnight.

2. NYE at the Hard Rock Hotel is also an option if you like a modern rock style to your New Years Eve. This is also a great place to book a very stylish suite that has a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline and stay there without having to drive home. The party starts at 9 pm in the Fender Ballroom and tickets are $125.00. Attire is FORMAL. It is sponsored by the Lincoln Park Young professionals so be on the lookout for yuppies. The Hard Rock Hotel’s Address is 230 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL. ChicagoNYEInfo.com is the address to go to for tickets.

3. The Chicago Hilton is also having a large New Years Party in Chicago for 2009. It includes a 4 hour open br starting at 9 pm, a buffet, champagne toast at midnight and all kinds of music and video stuff going on. Tickets are $155.00 for the event, get them at newyears09.com. Or if you really want to live it up there is a $2,000 VIP package for 8 people that includes reserved seating and more goodies. But who really needs to spend 2K on NYE this year?

4. The Chicago House of Blues is also known for it’s New Year’s Eve Parties because of the performers they bring in and the venue itself. This year I can’t find anything listed there even though I have been to NYE parties there in the past. Why no party HOB?

So if none of those New Year’s Eve parties seem to sound like a place you would like to go for the evening, try Checking Going.com or there is always the house party for cheap. Nothing wrong with staying in on NYE, it is more recession proof for your wallet that way. 

From December 5th 2008 through January 4th 2009 the Bank of America Winter Wonderfest will be open at Navy Pier in Chicago. This is one of the many Chicago Christmas events that are perfect for the family to attend while kids are on holiday break. A trip downtown on the metra is always an exciting day for kids. The Bank of America Winter Wonderfest is a spectacular holiday event that begins its 8th holiday season with more attractions and over 170,000 sq ft of indoor family activities.

The Chicago Winter Wonderfest includes lots of amazing decorations with over 750,000 Christmas lights, 25,000 ornaments and hundreds of Christmas trees. The activities at Winter Wonderfest include Winter Themed carnival rides, games, music and live bands and entertainment daily. Many families found that this was a great yearly tradition to go to with the kids and return every year. (in addition to going to the walnut room at Macy’s for dinner under the great tree.

One of the attractions at the Winter Wonderfest is the eWish Center. The ewish center is open in Festival Hall from December 5th through January 4th. Kids can email Santa Claus their holiday wishes on the internet. Elves are there to help the kids write or send the emails. The emails go direct to Santa Claus. This is far more hip than the old write your list on paper and send it through snail mail method.

strong>Santa Claus arrives at Winter Wonderland at Navy Pier on Saturday November 29th at 5 pm on the Grand Staircase. This was for the opening of the holiday season and the official lighting of the pier for the holidays. Santa Claus also made a stop on the Family Pavilion Stage. Then he and Mrs. Claus listened to the holiday wishes of children from 6:00 pm. until 9:00 pm. Since Santa can’t be there every day, the ewish center makes sure that Santa Claus gets all the wish information and everyone gets their wish.

The Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier is free to enter and walk around but it is either $12 or $16 to ride the activities and rides. The $16 wristband includes ice skating, the $12 wristband ticket does not include ice skating. There are a few family packs that include parking and 4 wristbands that offer some discounts. There is a winter wonderfest family pack for $64 that includes 4 premium wrisbands (the ones that include skating) and free parking if you drive downtown. Navy Pier is located at 600 East Grand Avenue. Phone Number: (312) 559-1212.

The hours that the Chicago Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier is open are:
Bank of America Winter WonderFest will be open:
 
December 5, 2008 to December 18, 2008
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm December 19, 2008 to January 4, 2009
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Special Holiday Hours:
Wednesday, December 24, 2008: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday, December 25, 2008: CLOSED
Wednesday, December 31, 2008: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Notes:

In addition to the Winter Wonderfest, Navy Pier is also the location for the largest New Year’s Eve Party in Chicago. Get tickets online to experience the best fireworks presentation and festivities of the New Year in Chicago!

I have been on a hunt trying to find where to buy Mochi ice cream balls in Chicago for about 6 months now. I have been checking all the grocery stores and food stores I live near and asking around to no avail. Until this week when I found that they sell boxes of 6 mochi for $3.50 at Trader Joes food stores. Ah-Hah! I can enjoy the goey sweet goodness of Mochi that you find at sushi and Japanese restaurants whenever I want now.

Trader Joes sells 4 flavors of these Mochi 6 packs: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Green Tea. A serving of Mochi ice cream is 2 mochis and they have 210 calories per serving. That is great news, a Mochi only has around 100 calories. Chicago needs more sweet treats like that with low calories and perfect portion sizes. We love our desserts and most people love Mochi when I bring them over for the first time. Chicago and the suburbs will fall in love with Mochi as soon as everyone knows where to buy them. Trader Joes seems to have Mochi in the Downers Grove store and the Downtown stores I have been to.

They can seem difficult to eat at firstbecause they take about 4 bites to eat and the ice cream starts coming out of the rice coating. I like the idea of cutting them in 1/2 and using a spoon or fork because if you eat them with your fingers it gets messy. Other people cut Mochi into quarters and use toothpicks for gusts to eat them with at parties. Mochi do make good party food since people will be interested in something new if they haven’t seen or tried them before. Plus, who doesn’t like ice cream? 

So this Christmas, New Years or other holiday try some Mochi and bring them to your holiday parties to add some new tastes to the event. Your guests will thank you.

The Chicago Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora, ILis the hot place to shop for Christmas gifts this season. I keep hearing about it all the time from people at work, friends and family so I had to write about it. My last trip to the premium outlets mall in Aurora was back in 2006 but it looks like they haven’t changed much except for adding more outlet stores. I have been doing more of my Christmas shopping online this year but when I really don’t have any idea what to get someone for a Christmas gift, a trip to the Premium Outlets Mall helps because you can see so many items in person in one place with all the outlet stores.

If you don’t have kids in tow, you can pretty much knock off your remaining Christmas gift list in one afternoon at the mall. That is a lot of progress in a short time, which is what people like me (who have no time) need this season. The premium outlet stores at the mall in Aurora also have the benefit of being discount stores. You have all the major brands that have premium clothing, shoes, handbags and kids clothes at 25%-50% off most all of the time.

The Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora, IL is located at: 1650 Premium Outlets Boulevard in Aurora, IL 60502, phone: (630) 585-2200

The Hours are: Extended Holiday Hours 

Mon, Dec 1 – Tue, Dec 23 
Mon-Sat: 9am-9pm, Sun 10am-7pm

Christmas Eve Wed, Dec 24: 9am-6pm

Christmas Day Thu, Dec 25: Closed

After Holiday Sale Fri, Dec 26: 8am-9pm
Sat, Dec 27: 9am-9pm
Sun, Dec 28: 10am-7pm
Mon, Dec 29 & Tue, Dec 30: 9am-9pm

New Year’s Eve Wed, Dec 31: 9am-6pm

New Year’s Day Thu, Jan 1: 10am-9pm
 
The last time I was at the premium outlets mall in Aurora I got a black Kate spade purse at 1/2 off. I was happy! My friend who I was with got a bunch of kids clothing at 75% off and since they grow out of it so quickly, and it makes sense to always buy a few sizes to big and put it away in the drawer if it is on a deep discount sale like that. It saves a lot of money in the long run. Plus the clothing, shoes and handbags you find at the premium outlet mall are not last year’s styles, they are this year’s styles and current items just at a discount.

All these retailers found out a long time ago that in certain areas outlet malls make more sales so just mark things down from the beginning and they sell better. That is why outlet malls are always in far out locations, they don’t want them near the high regularly priced stores because then they would never sell anything at full price again. So, consider the Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora, IL your secret this holiday season for getting the same type of gifts everyone else buys but at 25%-50% off.

So, here is a list of stores I found that are at the Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora, IL and if you see a bunch of brands you like and are in the chicagoland area, check out the mall and see if you can get ahead of the game and get your Christmas shopping done this weekend!

A|X Armani Exchange   
Adidas   
Adidas   
Aeropostale   
Aerosoles   
Aldo   
Ann Taylor Factory Store   
Anne Klein   
Ashworth Golf   
Asian Chao   
Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels   
Banana Republic Factory Store   
Bass   
BCBG Max Azria   
Benetton   
Bose   
Brooks Brothers Factory Store   
Cafe Seattle   
Calvin Klein   
Calvin Klein Underwear   
Carter’s Children’s Clothing
Chico’s Women’s Clothing
Claire’s Accessories   
Clarks Bostonian   
Coach   
Cold Stone Creamery   
Converse   
Crabtree & Evelyn   
Crocs   
Designer Fragrances   
Diesel   
DKNY   
Dooney & Bourke   
Dressbarn   
Dressbarn Woman   
Easy Spirit   
Ecko Unltd   
Eddie Bauer Outlet   
Elie Tahari   
Factory Brand Shoes   
Fossil   
Gap Outlet – Kids & Baby   
Gap Outlet   
Geoffrey Beene   
Giorgio Armani   
Guess   
Guess Accessories   
Gymboree Outlet   
Izod   
J.Crew   
Jockey   
Johnston & Murphy   
Jones New York   
Journeys   
Juicy Couture   
Kasper   
Kate Spade     
Kenneth Cole      
Kitchen Collection   
Lacoste   
Lancôme – The Company Outlet   
Lane Bryant Outlet   
Le Creuset   
Le Gourmet Chef   
L’eggs Hanes Bali Playtex   
Lids for Less   
Limited Too   
Lindt Chocolate   
Liz Claiborne   
Liz Claiborne Shoes   
Lucky Brand Jeans   
Maidenform   
Maki of Japan   
Maternity Works   
MaxMara   
Michael Kors     
Mrs. Fields/TCBY   
Naturalizer   
Nautica   
Nike Factory Store     
Nine West   
Oakley Vault   
OshKosh B’Gosh   
PacSun   
Pearl Izumi   
Perfumania   
Perry Ellis   
Petite Sophisticate Outlet   
Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store   
Puma   
Ranch 1   
Rave    
Reebok   
Rockford Footwear Depot   
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory   
Rue21   
Salvatore Ferragamo   
Samsonite Company Store   
Sarar   
Skechers   
Sony   
Spyder   
Starbucks Coffee   
Strasburg Children   
Stride Rite Keds Sperry     
Sunglass Hut International   
Sunglass Icon   
Sunglass Shop/International Watch Station   
Swarovski   
The Children’s Place Outlet   
The Cosmetics Company Store   
The Fudgery   
The Great Steak & Potato Co.   
Theory   
Timberland   
Time Factory Watch Outlet   
Tommy Hilfiger   
Totes/Sunglass World   
Ultra Diamonds   
Van Heusen   
Villa Pizza   
Villeroy & Boch   
Vitamin World   
Waterford Wedgwood   
Wilsons Leather Outlet   
Zales Outlet   
Zumiez   

Since winter started this weekend with a blanket of snow I thought I would offer some top driving tips for how to drive in the snow and ice, in blizzards and generally Chicago style in the winter so you get where you need to go whatever the weather is like. This is also important for safety since driving in blizzards and snow conditions can be very dangerous. That said, I am not a professional driver in any way. I’m just someone who lives in Chicago and hears about people in other areas who are curious about how it is that we can drive through all this snowy weather. (we had about 60 inches of snow in the winter of 2007-2008 in Chicago, that is 5 feet! Crazy!)

Chicago is known for having dreaded bitter cold winters where snow can be frequent and unforgiving for driving the city’s streets even if they try to plow. The entire Chicagoland metropolitan area is made up of a pretty scrappy bunch of people and we don’t let any blizzard, snow storm or ice stop us from where we have to go even if we have to drive behind a plow to get there. Sometimes it is also good to know how to drive in the snow for when there are no snow plows since many municipal budgets have been cut in the recession. Many people are already complaining to Mayor Daley in Chicago that the snow is not getting cleared in the city fast enough. (realistically it takes 12-24 hours after the snow stops to make all the roads travelable after a large storm)

In Chicago, school doesn’t even get canceled unless there is 2 ft or more of snow on the ground. Seriously, I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and I only remember having a snow day twice from kindergarten through high school. We take transportation very seriously and are very good at figuring out how to drive in bad weather in the winter and all kinds of snow conditions. The only people who are better at this are northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Denver Colorado drivers and possibly some people who live up in Maine. They have it worse than us and we commend them for daring driving attempts in all kinds of smart 4 wheel drive vehicles.

CWF Top Tips for how to go Driving in the Snow this Winter:

1. Front wheel drive cars are better for snow than rear wheel drive cars. I know some people love their rear wheel drive cars for performance but it just isn’t as controllable in the snow. 4 wheel drive is the best but not available on many 4 door cars. If you are a truck or SUV owner you have already probably considered the snow in your purchase decision. It’s mostly the sports cars and tiny cars that loose the snow battle. (I wonder how the smart car fortwo will fare this winter? how many of the mentos-commercial-guys do you need to lift it out?)

2. Automatic transmissions are better in the snow than stick shift. I know this may not be something people want to believe but not having a “crawl” speed where you are not giving the car any gas and just let your foot off the brake is one of the ways to get yourself out of many sticky snow situations. Some people think crawling in a manual transmission is easy, I don’t drive stick so I don’t know. I have just watched my fiance slide about because he couldn’t give his car gas slow enough and just spin in place and not go anywhere in his integra on ice and snow. I have had to push his car out of street parking spots twice now.  Most of us just simplify things and go with an automatic transmission car.

3. Heavy cars are better than light ones in the snow because if you don’t have enough weight over the wheels giving the power you just spin in place.

4. If you have a heavy front wheel drive car with an automatic transmission you have won half of the battle. (usually some kind of front wheel drive sedan) Congratulations on your astute snow car buying skills. Now put a small shovel, flashlight, ice scraper and bag of driveway/road salt in the trunk. This is going to help you out a lot this winter. (some jumper cables and a portable battery jump starter are also wise additions since batteries only last from 2-5 years in the cold Chicago gets and you never know when they will die)  All these things do make a good car kit gift for Christmas too, if you know someone that needs them.

5. Allow extra travel time for driving in the snow. Pretty much anywhere you have to go will take double the travel time in the snow. Just allow for it and you will be less likely to try something like passing cars or fast turns that lead to a crash.

6. In general when you are driving in the snow you have to slow way down. Try and be 5 mph below the speed limit and be careful not to expect your car to perform the same way it does on dry pavement. (sometimes only driving 10 mph if its is snowing at that moment and there is no salt on the roads) This is usually most apparent in how long it takes you to stop at a stoplight or accelerate away from one. Double your stopping distance so you start braking twice as far away from the light than you usually need in good weather. Also let the car crawl away from the stoplight on its own a bit before giving it any gas or your wheels will spin.

7. When driving in the snow you also should take corners very slowly. Brake way before you get to the corner, (while still going straight, and not during the corner) and make sure you are pretty much at crawl speed (5mph) through the turn and then slowly accelerate after the corner again. Too much speed into the corner or acceleration during the corner will either cause your car to fishtail or loose traction and slide because of the snow. So many mailboxes get hit because of this. Some people believe that if you add power in a slide you can control it but I do not. I have found that if you turn into the direction of the slide with your steering wheel and let off the gas you will regain control of the car almost immediatley. It’s like a return to default settings way to get out of an uncontrolled slide.

8. If you have to pull out of a parking spot that has been covered with a foot or two of snow first uncover your car. Next use the shovel to clear snow from around the wheels and a few feet in whatever direction you are going to pull out in. (the idea is to get enough traction to get up to 5 mph momentum which will continue to pull you through the rest of the deep snow) You can try and pull out then using the crawl method or letting it crawl and then giving it a little gas in the rocking back and forth method, but if that doesn’t work spread the salt chunks on the snow in the pathyou are pulling out in for more traction. This should work. Sand can help sometimes too but the large chunks of salt generally work better for grip. (this is more necessary if there is a sheet of ice under the snow) Once you get moving your momentum will help you through the rest. If the snow is actually covering your bumper or higher than the bottom of your car this may not be much help. Best to leave the car and cross country ski or snowshoe to the store then. (most snows in Chicago are 1 inch or less though, so this process of getting out of deep snow should not be necessary all that often unless we have another winter like last year.)

9. If you are driving in heavy wet snow or an ice storm stop every 1/2 hour or so (or whenever you need to) and uncover the windows and mirrors with the ice scraper to see better and clear the headlights, tail lights and the snow/ice which gets encrusted in the wheel wells. (also known as car boogers)

10. If you are driving on the highway in a lot of snow, or on any multi-lane road, follow the tracks of other drivers the best that you can. (without tailgating because it takes twice as long to stop!) These tracks have less snow in them and sometimes the compacted snow has more grip than the slippery stuff. Also slush is always better than snow for grip, so aim for that rather than making a new path. Changing lanes is also tricky if you have a snow drift in between lanes. Always change lanes slowly and try and keep the wheel as straight as possible even if it tries to drift when going over the new snow between lanes. If you feel spin, let go of the gas immediately, the automatic coast momentum will handle it until you find the new lane grooves. 

Most of the time you will find that they plow the slow lane first (because it is the most in use) and work their way to the middle lane next as far as clearing snow goes. If you are following a snow plow truck be careful of the road salt they may be dumping behind them. The spray goes across all 3 lanes on the highway sometimes, and can dent your car if it is large chunks and you are close enough.  So, following a snow plow is good in getting a cleared road but bad in that the salt may hit and dent your car.

11. Also it is widely known that the salt from all the roads will rust your car out from underneath so after the snow has melted or been plowed and it is safe to take a non-essential trip, go to the car wash and get it washed off and removed before it starts to corrode the fenders of the car like Swiss cheese in a few years. This may mean more expensive car washes in the winter but it helps extend the life of the car and protect your trade in value. If you have a garage kept car it is even more important to get the salt washed off regularly since your car sits inside a damp wet environment when all the snow melts off the car and sits in a pool on the floor of the garage. Rust always starts in the garage in the winter! (professional rust proofing spray underneath your car fenders can help but it only lasts so long and should be applied by the dealer or a professional) 

12. I also thought I should mention snow tires. I have never bought “snow tires” so I can’t say how much of a difference they would make since I have never gotten completely stuck either. (I think it is a pain to own 2 sets of tires and switch them out every fall and spring) Most people in the midwest buy an all season tire that has a good toothy tread on the outside and a water channel through the center and is rated for all seasons. (dry, rain and snow) It is also important to note that using chains or metal spiked tires are illegal in Illinois since they rip up the pavement, so don’t buy or use those. Really the only tires you don’t want to own are slick or soft rubber performance racing type tires or the super cheapo tires that are made of hard slick plastic and have weak treads and grip. Again it is the sports cars and small cars that loose out here. If you buy a mid-priced all season tire and have a front wheel drive car you should be in good shape. If your tires are bald or near bald, getting new ones on at least the wheels that power the car before winter can be a great help.

Hopefully some of this information will be helpful to you and maybe help you get where you are going despite the bad weather and snowstorms we sometimes get. Best of luck in the snow!

All the people who golf in Chicago lament that 1/2 of the year here is unplayable. Some of us take that as a hint not to play Golf but others press on in spite of that fact. One option for golfers during the long Chicago winter is an indoor driving range. Another option to get your winter golf fix with is an online golf game that is played real time with other players.  Some people like this type of game because it allows them to play without buying a $500 game console and they can easily play from work or home. Personally I am not a golfer but I was asked to give the World Golf Tour Online Game a try so here are my thoughts:

1. The game takes a long time to load. Like several minutes. I have a DSL connection although not the fastest one available. This surprised me a lot. The game is in Flash 10 though which is high bandwidth stuff.

2. The game is not that intuitive for non golfers looking to learn. I watched the 2 tutorials that they had on the site and they never once mentioned how to get the golfer to swing. I understand how to choose the club or iron, choose the directionality and change the level of swing though.

3. After 3 wiffs and a score of over 1,200 I am not sure this makes much sense. I can’t get the swing to rotate up over his head with clicking or dragging the swing bar on the bottom of the screen. Right clicking and left clicking are no help. I am also doing this on a laptop because I don’t have a desktop computer at home and I am not sure it was designed for that either.

4. If nothing else, once you get the instruction manual figured out, this is an interesting representation of playing a golf game. They have re-created many of the most famous PGA golf courses in the game and the views of the course look very nice. I think the animation is clear and looks more realistic than most I have seen. They allow you to view instant replays of your swing and the shot just like they do on TV golf coverage.

So, my official opinion of the World Golf Tour online game is that it is confusing but someone who has more experience with golf might have better luck, and really appreciate a local escape to a warmer climate without ever having to leave Chicago. Other options might be to just do some golf betting online and feel like that is just as much fun.

Every year millions of consumers flood the shopping malls on Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving Christmas sales and buy as many of their Christmas gifts on sale as possible. The point to this 5am madness is that there are special deals and sales only on that day and sometimes only on that morning of Black Friday that help you save money on your yearly Christmas gifts bill. This year in Chicago will probably have even more emphasis on cost savings, sales, deals and discounts since we are in the middle of a economic recession and everyone I know is cutting back on their holiday budget this year. With holiday spending budgets getting smaller and the same number of people to shop for gifts for, parents will be even more willing to get up early for Black Friday sales all over Chicagoland and save an extra 20% or 30% on the toys their kids want for Christmas. Cyber Sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving have also become more popular in the last few years leading CyberMonday to also be a big day for sales and black friday ads. (as well as Green Monday, the second Monday in December)

The Stores that participate in this Black Friday Sale tradition each year change and you never really know what the sales will be until the week before or maybe the last few days before Thanksgiving. Then there is a flurry of TV commercials, newspaper flyers and internet posts on a BlackFriday site on the internet. Why these retailers don’t run Google ads for the term Black Friday Sales and CyberMonday Sales, I have no idea. It would be much more efficient in search and content networks online.

Some great Sales going on for Black Friday and Cyber Monday:

WalMart is opening at 5AM in Chicago! They have a lot of flat screen HDTVs on sale but you have to go online to one of those dumb interactive flyers where you have to click to turn the page rather than just listing them in one long page. I hate interactive flyers online. The deals are in store only. 

MicroCenter has 2 Laptops each for $299.00. A MSI Wind Netbook with an Intel® Atom Processor N270, Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition, a 120GB Serial ATA Hard Drive, a 1GB DDR2-667 RAM and a 2.6 lbs; 802.11b/g Wireless Network. (Price after $50 instant savings / REG. $349.99 / 857565 / IN-STORE ONLY) OR a Acer Aspire Notebook with a Intel® Dual-Core Processor, Microsoft® Windows® Vista® software, 160GB 5400RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive and a 802.11b/g/Draft-N Wi-Fi Certified Wireless Network. (Price after instant savings / 860361 IN-STORE ONLY) Pretty cool deals on some very functional laptops. The stores open at 8am on Friday. Be in line at 6am if you want these deals!

Dell also has laptops on Sale and they have a deal where some are $530 off. That still isn’t as cheap as Microcenter though.

BestBuy’s sales don’t look that great, maybe because their largest competitor Circuit City is going out of business and they don’t really have anyone to force them into offering really good deals anymore.

MACY’s has a special sale going now before Thanksgiving that includes free shipping online and an additional 15-20% off when you use the checkout coupon code “PERK” and buy more than $99 worth of stuff before tax. They say over 25,000 items are on sale too. MACY’s actually has a pretty cool website and a lot of your Christmas shopping can be done online very efficiently. They also have a second coupon discount code for free shipping “GOBBLE” that is good through Saturday Night. And a third for Monday only “ONEDAY” that is good for free shipping on orders over $75. They also have a special deal on buy one get one free women’s sweaters. And for Tuesday through the end of the week Macy’s has another free shipping code of “MERRY” running on the site. It seems that they change their marketing programs daily.

Fancy housewares retailer Crate and Barrel is even getting into the Black Friday – Cyber Monday sales this year offerin free standard shipping on all orders over $100 (excluding furniture). They also have started to mark down some items which they never used to do until they hit the outlet. I still think Crate and Barrel has great gifts for coworkers, family and friends if you need to impress.

And of all the times of year to make upgrades to the site Hallmark.com is not available this weekend. At least they recognize that people will be upset about this and go elsewhere for cards and creative stuff so they are offering a $2 off on $10 purchase cupon right now and they are offering a discount coupon code “SORRY25″ for when you come back to order your cards later from the site. I am not sure though if it will make much of a difference. First Hallmark looses it’s real estate in all the Jewel food stores in Chicago (to American Greetings) and now they can’t get their web retail distribution right either. Not a good sign for this company.

JCREW also has some sales online offering an additiional 30% off all markdowns today on Monday using the promocode EXTRA30 at checkout but only through Wednesday December 3rd. JCREW always has the best sweaters for work and in great colors. See if you can find something great there online if the site is back up. It was crashed when I checked. Maybe there was a really great deal?

_____________________

The stores in Chicagoland that I have gone to or seen sale flyers for on Black Friday for sales have been: ToysRUS, Kohl’s Macy’s Department Stores, WalMart, Target, BestBuy and Carson’s. Amazon.com also has a lot on sale for that day only. That doesn’t mean there won’t be more stores around Chicago that will have special door-buster sales or early bird deals. When I find out what some of the sales are about, the times, locations and %off I will add that information to this early bird post. I come back and edit and add info to posts like this to help get the word out. Gift giving is an American tradition at this point and even if we give smaller cheaper gifts this season, we still mean the best things from the heart. 

I do see a few trends continuing this year despite the credit crunch. I think video game systems will be hot and computers and electronics will continue to be popular too. Kids are just to dependent on them now for so much of their time and the systems have all evolved to do so much more than Duck Hunt. (Wii, XBox, PS3) Anything related to Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Wii is just going to sell off the shelves, so get them early or pay a lot more on ebay than you want.

I hope your Christmas season is bright this year and that we all will be able to make a happy holiday with family and friends with 1/2 the money it used to take in this sluggish world economy. I think focusing on good food and good times with family is more important than a pile of gifts anyway. Check back later to find out what is on sale near you in Chicago and get the best local deals to save money.

I just got an email about this IKEA 3 day weekend sale in Chicago and wanted to share the great news. Ikea Billy bookcases are on Sale for $30.00 off. These great multipurpose bookcases usually cost $89.99 and this weekend for Friday, Saturday and Sunday they are only $59.99. There is a limit of 2 per customer. I love bookcases with well organized books, overhead bookcase lighting and a comfy chair to read. I am not in the market for a bookcase or furniture right now, but if I was, I would be over there so fast… IKEA has 2 Chicago locations, one in Schaumburg, IL and one in Bolingbrook, IL.

If you go to this sale event in Chicago be sure to leave early as I am sure there is a limit to how many they have on sale that day. And always bring someone with you to IKEA so you have help carrying and loading things to the car. They don’t let you take carts outside the building so you need someone to watch your stuff while you back up the car to the loading area. I am pretty sure that IKEA has made a significant contribution to the decor of the several million households in Chicago with their affordable furniture and modern designs. Plus whenever you go to IKEA you will end up buying more than you came for because it is all such a good deal. I always end up with an extra sauce pan, lamp or tea kettle because it is so affordable and cute.

And as a bonus to get shoppers out early they are offering free breakfast until 10:30 am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It looks like a small breakfast, but then again who wants to be full and sleepy when lugging home a new sofa.

They also have the EKTORP sofa deal still running from Labor Day where you buy one and get a slipcover for free. And last but not least all rugs (even the huge ones) are 30-50% off. Cool huh? If you have a new home and need some decorating help IKEA is there for you in Chicago. It makes me a little sad my place is decorated already…I miss IKEA. They do decorating on a budget better than anyone.

Have you ever needed a zip code to find out an address or mail a letter to someone and needed their zip code? I run into this problem a lot so here are the zip codes I have been able to compile from a few different places on the web. There are Chicago neighborhood zip codes from the north, south and west side of the city and some near Chicago suburban zip codes too. The zip codes are all listed aphabetically for easy reference. Hopefully this list will be helpful and if you bookmark it you can come back again to look the zip codes up as soon as you need them. No more hunting for old letters or christmas card envelopes with return addresses on them!

Albany Park zip codes- 60625, 60630
Andersonville zip code - 60640
Belmont Cragin zip codes – 60639, 60634, 60641, 60707
Berwyn & Forest Park, IL zip codes - 60402, 60130, 60398
Beverly zip code - 60643
Bridgeport, IL zip codes – 60608, 60616, 60609
Bronzeville - 60653
Bucktown zip codes - 60622, 60647
Chatham zip codes - 60620, 60619
Chinatown zip code - 60608
Dearborn Park & Printer’s Row - 60605
DePaul zip code - 60614
Downers Grove, IL - 60515, 60516
Edgewater - 60640, 60660
Edison Park & Jefferson Park - 60630, 60631, 60646
Englewood - 60636
Evanston, IL - 60201, 60202, 60203
Gold Coast & Streeterville - 60610, 60611
Greektown - 60607
Highland Park, IL - 60035
Horner Park - 60618
Humboldt Park - 60647, 60651, 60624
Hyde Park & Kenwood - 60615, 60637, 60653
Irving Park - 60641, 60618
Lakeview - 60657, 60613
Lincoln Park - 60614
Lincoln Square - 60625, 60659
Logan Square - 60647, 60641, 60639
Loop - 60601, 60602, 60603, 60604, 60605, 60606
Marquette Park - 60629
Naperville, IL - 60540, 60563, 60564, 60565
Near North Chicago- 60610, 60611, 60654, 60606
Near South Chicago - 60605, 60607
Near West Chicago - 60606, 60607, 60610, 60612, 60622, 60661, 60608, 60616
North Center & St. Ben’s - 60613, 60618, 60657
North Park & Budlong Woods – 60625, 60659, 60646, 60630 Old Town: 60610, 60614
Oak Lawn, IL - 60453, 60454, 60456, 60457, 60458, 60459
Oak Park & River Forest, IL - 60301, 60302, 60303, 60304, 60305
Pilsen & Little Village - 60608, 60616
Portage Park - 60641
Ravenswood – 60625, 60640
River North - 60610, 60611
River West - 60606, 60622, 60610, 60661
Rogers Park – 60626 Roscoe Village: 60618, 60657
Schaumburg, IL - 60173, 60179, 60192, 60193, 60194, 60195, 60196
Skokie, IL - 60076, 60077
South Shore - 60649, 60617, 60619, 60637
St Charles, IL – 60174
Tri-Taylor & UIC University Village – 60607
Ukrainian Village - 60622, 60612, 60607
Uptown & Buena Park - 60640, 60660, 60613
Washington Park - 60615, 60637, 60609, 60621
West Ridge & Warren Park - 60659, 60645
West Town - 60612, 60622, 60647, 60610
Wicker Park - 60622, 60647, 60614
Wilmette, IL - 60091
Winnetka, IL - 60093
Wrigleyville Chicago - 60613, 60657

New and Returning TV Series Fall Start Dates Schedule in Chicago - Mark Your Calendars Now! With just days to go until the official start of the 2008-2009 Television season, here is an updated listing of returning TV series and new season TV premiere dates. Also, the return of Deal or No Deal and debut of America’s Toughest Jobs, on NBC, started early this season on August 25th. So if there is not much happening in Chicago on weeknights this fall, there is a lot of new programming on TV. The thing is though, every year all the channels put out a bunch of new shows and only about 1/2 or less remain at the end of the fall. Some perish after only one week. We will see which new fall shows will stick and which returning series will hold our attention on Television very soon. Here is a rundown of all the networks in Chicago and their Fall Programming Schedules. Look for your favorite shows on the list.

ABC Network Fall TV Shows Channel 7 in Chicago

20/20: Friday, September 19, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Dancing With the Stars: Monday, September 22, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Boston Legal: Monday, September 22 9 pm CST (season premiere, final season)
Opportunity Knocks: Tuesday, September 23, 7 pm CST (series premiere)
Dancing With the Stars: Tuesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (time period premiere, two-hour performance show)
Ugly Betty: Thursday, September. 25, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Grey’s Anatomy: Thursday, September. 25, 8 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Sunday, September. 28, 6 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Desperate Housewives: Sunday, September 28, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Brothers & Sisters: Sunday, September 28, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Pushing Daisies: Wednesday, October 1, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Private Practice: Wednesday, October 1, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Dirty Sexy Money: Wednesday, October 1, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Wife Swap: Friday, October 3, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Supernanny: Friday, October 3, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Sunday, October 5, 6 pm CST (season premiere)
Samantha Who?: Monday, October 6, 8:30 pm CST (season premiere)
Life on Mars: Thursday, October 9, 9 pm CST (series premiere)
Eli Stone: Tuesday, October 14, 9 pm CST (season premiere)

CBS Network Fall TV Shows Channel 2 in Chicago

The Big Bang Theory: Monday, September 22, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
How I Met Your Mother: Monday, September 22, 7:30 pm CST (season premiere)
Two and a Half Men: Monday, September 22, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Worst Week: Monday, September 22, 8:30 pm CST (series premiere)
CSI: Miami: Monday, September 22, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
NCIS: Tuesday, September 23, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
The Mentalist: Tuesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Without a Trace: Tuesday, September 23, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
The New Adventures of Old Christine: Wednesday, September 24, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Gary Unmarried: Wednesday, September 24, 7:30 pm CST (series premiere)
Criminal Minds: Wednesday, September 24, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
CSI: NY: Wednesday, September 24, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Survivor: Gabon: Thursday, September 25, 7 pm, CST (season premiere, two hours)
48 Hours Mystery: Saturday, September 27, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
60 Minutes: Sunday, September 28, 6 pm CST (season premiere)
The Amazing Race: Sunday, September 28, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Cold Case: Sunday, September 28, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
The Unit: Sunday, September 28, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Ghost Whisperer: Friday, October 3, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
The Ex List: Friday, October 3, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Numb3rs: Friday, October 3, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
CSI: Thursday, October 9, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Eleventh Hour: Thursday, October 9, 9 pm CST (series premiere)

NBC Network Fall TV Shows Channel 5 in Chicago

Heroes: Monday, September. 22, 9 pm CST (season premiere, two hours, Heroes clips show at 8 pm CST)
Law & Order: SVU: Tuesday, September. 23, 10 pm CST (season premiere)
Knight Rider: Wednesday, September. 24, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Lipstick Jungle: Wednesday, September. 24, 10 pm CST (season premiere)
My Name is Earl: Thursday, September. 25, 8 pm CST (season premiere, one hour)
The Office: Thursday, September. 25, 9 pm CST (season premiere, one hour)
ER: Thursday, September. 25, 10 pm CST (season premiere)
Chuck: Monday, September. 29, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
My Own Worst Enemy: Monday, September. 29, 10 pm CST (series premiere)
Life: Friday, October 3, 10 pm CST (season premiere)
Kath & Kim: Thursday, October 9, 8:30 pm CST (series premiere)
Crusoe: Friday, October 17, 8 pm CST (series premiere, two hours)
30 Rock: Thursday, October 30, 9:30 pm CST (season premiere)

Fox Network Fall TV Shows Channel 32 in Chicago

Prison Break: Monday, September 1, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Bones: Wednesday, September 3, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Kitchen Nightmares: Thursday, September 4, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?: Friday, September 5, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Cops: Saturday, September 6, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back: Saturday, September 6, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Monday, September 8, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Fringe: Tuesday, September 9, 7 pm CST (series premiere, two hours)
‘Til Death: Wednesday, September 10, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Do Not Disturb: Wednesday, September 10, 8:30 pm CST (series premiere)
Don’t Forget the Lyrics: Friday, September 12, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
House: Tuesday, September 16, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
The Simpsons: Sunday, September 28, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
King of the Hill: Sunday, September 28, 7:30 pm CST (season premiere)
Family Guy: Sunday, September 28, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
American Dad: Sunday, September 28, 8:30 pm CST (season premiere)

CW Network Fall TV Shows Channel 9 in Chicago

Gossip Girl: Monday, September 1, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
One Tree Hill: Monday, September 1, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
90210: Tuesday, September 2, 7 pm CST (series premiere, two hours)
America’s Next Top Model: Wednesday, September 3, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Privileged: Tuesday, September 9, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Smallville: Thursday, September 18, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Supernatural: Thursday, September 18, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Everybody Hates Chris: Friday, September 19, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
The Game: Friday, September 19, 7:30 pm CST (season premiere)
In Harm’s Way: Sunday, September 21, 6 pm CST (series premiere)
Valentine: Sunday, September 21, 7 pm CST (series premiere)
Easy Money: Sunday, September 21, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Stylista: Wednesday, October 29, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Surviving Suburbia: Sunday, November 2, 6:30 pm CST (series premiere)

The Labor Day Weekend and Holiday Monday are so jam packed with events you won’t be able to stay home for long. Both in the City of Chicago and in the suburbs there are large events and parades happening in addition to all the shopping sales all over Chicagoland. The Chicago Jazz Festival is this weekend, the JayCees Naperville Last Fling and the Labor Day Parades are all day Monday. I know the weather will also be good this Labor Day Weekend, it should be in the upper 80’s and no rain is in the forecast.

First, on Friday at 5pm there is the monthly Critical Mass Bike ride through downtown and the streets of Chicago. Join up wiht them at Daley Plaza at 5pm if you want to ride along. There is a police escort at the front of the pack and bike riding helmets may be required….

The Chicago Jazz Festival is also this weekend in Grant Park. The 30th Annual Jazz Festival runs Thursday through Sunday.  In the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park they will be celebrating 30 years of jazz with two time Grammy Award winner Sonny Rollins. The admission to the Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park is Free! The Jazz Festival will run August 29-31 for three days of free music on three stages from 10:00 am-9:30 pm per day. No Dogs or Alcoholic beverages will be allowed in the festival. The Grant Park Petrillo Band shell Schedule is as follows:

Friday, August 29, 2008
5:00-5:50 T.S. Galloway’s Tribute to Capt. Walter Dyett featuring Julian Priester, Ken Chaney, Mwata Bowden, Edwin Daugherty, Ari Brown and Von Freeman
6:00-6:55 AACM Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Amina Claudine Myers, Michael Logan and Thurman Barker
7:10-8:10 Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Tribute to Betty Carter
8:30-9:30 Eddie Palmieri’s Latin Jazz Band

Saturday, August 30, 2008
4:30-4:45 – Remembering Franz Jackson
5:00-5:50 – Pharez Whitted Sextet
6:00-6:55 – Vijay Iyer Quintet
7:10-8:10 – Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy
8:30-9:30 – Gerald Wilson Orchestra with a special guest Kenny Burrell

Sunday, August 31, 2008
5:00-5:50 – Ron Dewar Quintet
6:00-6:55 – From the Netherlands: The Instant Composers Pool
7:10-8:10 – 8 Bold Souls with a Special Guest Dee Alexander
8:30-9:30 – Ornette Coleman

Naperville is also hosting it’s Jaycee’s Last Fling Concert Event in the downtown area. This is the traditional last event of the summer to celebrate and socialize before the official fall season and back to school craziness takes off and fills the calendar. Click here to see the full last fling booklet with the map, directions, schedule and more info you may need.

The Naperville JayCee’s Last Fling 2008 features a Carnival, Main Stage Performances featuring Nationally known Artists, Free performances on the Entertainment Stage daily, a Beer Garden and Dozens of Great Food Vendors and Business Expo Booths From local Naperville Businesses. It is a great place to take the family for a fun night out. Tickets are $10.00 per person on Friday night and $12.00 per person on Saturday and Sunday night. Tickets can be purchased at Oswald’s Pharmacy at 88 Gartner Road in Naperville, 60540 (in the Naperville Plaza Shopping Center) or at Dean’s Clothing at 226 South Main Street in Naperville, 60540 (in Downtown Naperville). The actual location of the Last Fling is: The Naperville Riverwalk, 100 West Jackson Avenue Naperville, IL 60540 phone: 630-961-4143

Naperville Last Fling Dates and Times:

• Friday August 29 @ 5 pm – 11 pm
• Saturday  August 30 @ 10 am – 11 pm
• Sunday  August 31 @ 10 am – 11 pm
• Monday September 1 @ 10 am – 6 pm

Music Concert Schedule
Friday August 29th
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Dennis DeYoung
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm The Music of Styx – Hi Infidelity

Saturday August 30th
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm The Doobie Brothers
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Painkiller Hotel
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Josh Holmes

Sunday August 31st
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Gavin DeGraw
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Absentstar
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Kimi Hayes

Monday September 1st
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm The Hat Guys
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Stellar Road 

Enjoy the Labor Day Holiday and have a great weekend!

Sweet Tomatoes is a casual dining restaurant that offers healthier low calorie foods than most dining places that are still very tasty. Sweet Tomatoes is somewhat new in Chicago and I had only previously heard of it from a friend who lives in Portland and raves about how much she loves to go there with her family.

I found out that there is Sweet Tomatoes restaurant in Chicagoland in Naperville-Aurora on Route 59 not far from Fox Valley Mall and I tried it out a few weeks ago.

I loved the food and the “sample-everything” setup of the restaurant. I liked it so much that we have been back to Sweet Tomatoes one other time since then. There are 6 Sweet Tomatoes restaurant locations in the Chicago suburbs now:

Chicagoland Sweet Tomatoes Address Locations and Phone Numbers

Aurora 986 North Route 59 1-630-978-4017 (about 1 mile north of Fox Valley Mall)

Glenview 2351 Willow Road 1-847-657-8141

Lombard 2820 Highland Avenue 1-630-932-5099 (Just outside Yorktown Mall)

Schaumburg 1951 E. McConnor Parkway 1-847-619-1271 (just east of WoodField Mall)

St. Charles 2801 E. Main Street 1-630-377-3309

Waukegan 850 S. Waukegan Road 847-578-0474

The food offered at Sweet Tomatoes is a cross between a salad bar and a buffet. That said they market the restaurants as healthy dining alternatives for families instead of a burger chain or a old country buffet.

So, when you go you still have to be conscious of how much you eat and what the calories are in the items you choose. That said you can have a really tasty dinner that has more vegetables and less fat than most restaurants offer.

The entry to the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant usually has a menu of large self serve salad bar full of fresh vegetablesimmediately where you walk in. They have pre-made salads and a selection of fresh cut vegetables and all the toppings you can dream of in addition to staples like potato salad and raisin-broccoli salad.

The dinner meal pricing is usually all you can eat for $9.95 per person plus drinks. So, this usually works out to about $13.00 per person with tax. For a couple of single people that is pretty affordable. For a family with a lot of kids that might get pretty expensive. 

What is nice is that you really can try anything you want, and if you don’t like it it’s no big deal and you can get something else. With kids and their picky palates this can be a good thing. There is different selections of pre-made salads, soup and pastas for lunch and dinner to mix things up.

The sweet tomatoes self serve salad bar ends at the cash register and for some reason they have you pay there. I would have thought just having the cash register at the door would have made more sense but they don’t set it up that way.

Then after you pay and take your tray of salad you see the rest of the restaurant contains fresh bread, soup, baked potatoes, chilli, deserts, pastas and drinks. So, then you get a few more plates of things to try. Luckily they have made the plates and bowls small so you can save room and try a variety of food.

I really enjoyed the Sweet Tomatoes strawberry lemonade, the Broccoli-Rasin Salad, the wonton salad and the cobb salad. The fresh bead with cheese on top was great, as was the make your own sundae bar. The chocolate and vanilla fat free frozen yogurt they have is a low calorie treat, but you have to be careful with toppings and brownies adding a lot of calories to your dinner.

Overall all the foods offered at sweet tomatoes is very good and leaves a lot of choice to the individual. If you want to find out more about their menu you can download it here from the site. 

The thing you also have to watch is how many plates you get and things you try. The employees are very good at busing plates right as soon as you finish something and it has been proven in studies that people eat about 30% more when the plates and remnants of the meal are removed and not in eyesight. It is a visual queue for your stomach to say it’s full when the table is full of empty plates. When the plates are removed immediatley people generally stretch things further. But aside from that I think Sweet Tomatoes is great and I plan on going back again soon.

The first (Aurora) Sonic Drive In burger restaurant in the Chicago area is set to open in today August 19th. The address is 2974 Kirk Rd. in Aurora, IL 60502. Right by Fermi Lab. I wonder what impact Sonic Burgers will have on particle colliders and atomic research in the future?

I have never been to a Sonic because of their out-of-Chicago locations but anything that gives us more commercial opportunities to see TJ Jagodowski on TV can’t be all that bad. Sonic Burgers are known for being yummy, creative and fast food (like all ther burgers). So, what makes the Sonic Drive Ins so popular in the rest of the country? (besides TJ the Chicago improv comedy god?) Well for one thing they have a shake called the Fried Ice Cream Blast. In a city known for it’s deep dish pizza, hot dogs and love of all things fried, Chicago will love that one.

Or maybe you will come to love Sonic for their angus bacon cheeseburgers, the super sonic breakfast toaster or your ultimate drinkstop that allows you to combine as many different carbonated pop flavors, syrups and other add-ins to make custom drink combinations. Sonic also has “Coneys” which are basically hot dogs with chili on them. Chili-Dogs? Chilli Cheese Dogs? I hear it’s a Ohio thing.

Anyway, Sonic Burgers and Drive In will bring some needed excitement and creativity to the fast food and greasy spoon restaurant category in Illinois. And of course being human we want anything we have never tried before a few times before we get tired of it. I think Sonic will do a tremendous business at first but I wonder if they will be able to sustain that high level beyond 6 months or a year?

I remember Culver’s being a huge deal and now the parking lot looks empty every time I go by. (seriously who eats something called a butter-burger with custard? doesn’t that spell instant heart attack?) And we all know how McDonalds has had to completely re-brand after that whole Super Size me debacle a few years ago. They are just getting people to forget about how unhealthy their unbelievably cheap food is three years later.

So will I visit the Sonic in Aurora? Yes. I want to try it just like anyone else. But fast food is not a staple in my diet so it probably won’t be a habit for me. But I will enjoy the TV commercials. For more info visit their site at sonicdrivein.com/offers/index.jsp

It is officially Fourth of July weekend now and we have a lot going on around Chicagoland. I am not sure how anyone would go to all these events, but here is a list of things going on from the family friendly to the avant gard. If nothing else, enjoy the holiday weekend and relax while celebrating our independence one more time. It is a good time to pause and reflect on patriotism, freedom, our values and the upcoming presidential elections in November. It is also a time for food, family and flags. So it’s your 3 day weekend, have fun with it!

1. Taste of Chicago is still running. If you haven’t had your giant turkey leg yet this year, this is the place to do it. Downtown in Chicago in Grant Park. Admissions is free, food is sold by a ticket system and expect drinks to be expensive.

2. The Naperville Ribfest (the suburban anti-taste) is running this weekend also. This festival celebrates the joy that is barbecued ribs with rib cooking specialists from all over the country. My favorite is still Sweet Baby Ray’s though. There will be Fireworks at 9:30 pm on Friday night for the 4th of July.

7/4/08 Update: If you go to the Ribfest, you must-must-must park at one of the lots and take a shuttle to the event. We found no parking within a mile of Ribfest yesterday and we ended up parking at the 5th Avenue Metra Station in Naperville and taking the bus shuttle to Knock park behind Edwards Hospital. (the Ribs were great though!!!) And Ted Nugent was mighty entertaining.

3. The Lisle Eyes to the Sky Hot Air Balloon Festival is also happening this weekend in the  SW suburbs. The Lisle Eyes to the Sky festival is off Route 53 in Lisle,IL at Short Street between Maple and Ogden Ave. But much like Ribfest, if you go there isn’t any parking located there. You have to go into downtown Lisle at the Metra station, park there and walk or take a shuttle to the festival. Also much like Ribfest there are live musical acts, fireworks and all the carnival foods and rides you would expect of these summer carnival fests. The balloons usually launch at 6:30 pm each evening and 5:30 am each morning. The one bummer of this fest is that you can’t actually ride in a balloon yourself and the wind sometimes grounds the launches all together. It is a free event though, so at least there is no cover charge.

4. The Navy Pier City of Chicago fireworks display will be the day before the 4th on July 3rd at 9:30 pm. The fireworks are from Navy Pier but are viewable from most places near the lakefront downtown.

5. Summerdance is back at the Grant Park Spirit of Music garden in Chicago. Sunday July 6th is a Swing night with a USO swing band and free dance lessons beforehand by the professionals of Big City Swing. Lesson is at 4 pm and big band swing music starts at 5pm and goes until 7pm. The park is located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Harrison Street. Summerdance does happen every weekend all summer long, so mark your calendars for next week too.

6. Free workouts in Millennium Park in Chicago on Saturday Morning. Work off all those BBQ ribs…

7. The Chicago beaches are open but there has been a swimming ban put out by the National Weather Service because of a seiche (wave) warning so please stay out of the water. Picnics and volleyball on the beach are still ok though.

8. Most cities and towns in the suburbs will have fireworks on July 4th at dusk. My favorite has always been the Darien/Downers Grove/Woodridge fireworks at 75th street and Main street (Lemont Road). They are viewable from all 4 corners of the intersection in the shopping mall parking lots. I also have seen a great fireworks show in Carol Stream at the intersection of Idaho St and Lies St. They use a retention pond area to display the fireworks over and they are really close to where you sit on Lies Street so you end up watching the fireworks overhead most of the time. They are even more dynamic up close like that. I have also heard that DesPlaines has a nice fireworks show over Oakton Community College and that Glen Ellyn’s Fireworks are really good too, over Lake Ellyn.

9. And lastly, if all these events aren’t risque enough for you Going.com is listing an event at Crowbar for “P*rn on the 4th” with a p*rn star Jesse Jane. I guess that is celebrating freedom of a completely different kind. You can RSVP for no cover charge early at the going.com/pornonthefourth website.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July in Chicago!!

There are so many places to see Fireworks on the 4th of July in and around Chicagoland this fourth. If you are looking for your local town or city’s listing or looking for options to see fireworks near you this list we have rounded up may help. View the list below and all the city websites are listed too so you can copy past them into your browser address bar and see what details and schedule information they have also. Have a great fourth of July and enjoy the fireworks!!

All the cities listed below in alphabetical order, scroll to see your city listing in detail: Addison, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, Batavia, Beecher, Bensenville, Berwyn, Blue Island, Buffalo Grove, Calumet City, Carol Stream, Chicago, Country Club Hills, Darien, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Elgin, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Forest Park, Fox Lake, Glen Ellyn, Glencoe, Glenview, Gurnee, Hoffman Estates, Huntley, Itasca, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Lisle, Lockport, Lombard, Lyons, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Naperville, New Lenox, North Aurora, Northbrook, Oak Brook, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Oswego, Palatine, Palos Heights, Park Forest, Park Ridge, Roselle, Skokie, South Holland, Streamwood, Vernon Hills, Warrenville, Wauconda, Waukegan, Wheeling, Wilmette, Winnetka, Woodridge and Zion.

Addison fireworks at Community Park
Location: 120 E. Oak street in Addison, IL
Call 630-833-0100 for the full schedule or view the website at addisonparkdistrict.org
Show Time:  July 4th @ dusk set to music

Arlington Heights fireworks at the Arlington Park Racecourse
Location: 2200 W. Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights, IL 60006
Call 847-385-7500 for the full details or check out the website at arlingtonpark.com
Show Time: July 3rd at 7:30 after the racing ends.

Aurora fireworks at Aurora Central Catholic High School
Location: Indian Trail and Edgelawn in Aurora, IL
Call: 630-844-3640 for the full schedule or visit aurora-il.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Barrington fireworks at Barrington High SchoolLocation: 616 West Main Street in Barrington, IL
Call 847-304-3400 for the full event details or view barrington4thofjuly.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk on the front lawn of the HS

Bartlett fireworks in Apple Orchard Community Park
Location: South Bartlett and Stearns Roads in Bartlett, IL
Call 630-837-0800 for the full event details or go to the website village.bartlett.il.us
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (community party beforehand)

Batavia fireworks at the Batavia High School
Location: 1200 W. Wilson in Batavia, IL
Call 630-879-7134 for the full event details or go to cityofbatavia.net online
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Beecher fireworks at Firemen’s Park
Location: 711 Penfield in Beecher, IL
Call 708-946-2261 for more info or visit villageofbeecher.org online
Location: July 4th at 9:30 pm Parade beforehand at 4pm

Bensenville fireworks at the Redmond Recreational Complex
Location: 735 E. Jefferson in Bensenville, IL
Call 630-766-8200 for more information or go to bensenville.il.us for details.
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following a free concert at 7:30 pm

Berwyn fireworks at the Morton West High School
Location: 2400 Home Avenue in Berwyn, IL
Call 708-788-2660 for more event information or go to berwyn-il.gov for details
Show Time: July 4th at 7 pm from the football stadium

Blue Island fireworks at Eisenhower High School
Location: 127th Street and Sacramento in Blue Island, IL
Call 708-388-1000 for more detailed information about this event
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following the parade at 11:30 am at 123rd st and Western.

Buffalo Grove fireworks at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course
Location: Lake Cook Road and Raupp Boulevard in Buffalo Grove, IL
Call 847-459-2500 for the full event listing or visit vbg.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following a symphonic band concert

Calumet City fireworks at Thornton Fractional North
Location: Pulaski in Calumet City, IL
Call 708-868-2530 for details
Show Time: July 3rd at 9:15 pm following a 6pm free community concert

Carol Stream fireworks in the Town Center
Location: Gary St and Lies St in Carol Stream, IL
Call 630-665-7050 for more details or visit carolstream.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (about 9:30 pm)

Chicago Grant Park fireworks
Location: Grant Park 337 E. Randolph Street in Chicago, IL 60602
Call the city at 312-744-3370 for full details or visit egov.cityofchicago.org
Show Time: Thursday, July 3rd at dusk (9:30 pm) following a 8pm free concert from the Grant Park Orchestra

Chicago Nay Pier fireworks at Navy Pier
Location: 600 E. Grand Avenue in Chicago, IL 60611
Call 312-595-7437 for more information or go to navypier.com
Show Times: Wednesday, July 2nd at 9:30 p.m.; Friday, July 4th at 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 5th at 10:15 p.m. (set to music)

Chicago White Sox fireworks at the U.S. Cellular Field
Address Location: 333 W. 35th Street in Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: 312-559-1212 or view chicago.whitesox.mlb.com
Show Time: July 4th after the Sox game presented by Pontiac

Country Club Hills fireworks in the Community Park
Location: 175th and Maple in Country Club Hills, IL
Call 708-798-2616 for event schedule or view countryclubhills.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following a concert (concert is not free)

Des Plaines fireworks at the Oakton Community CollegeLocation Address: 1600 E. Golf Rd in Des Plaines, IL
Call 847-391-5301 for full event schedule and listings or visit desplaines.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm (campus grounds open beforehand for picnics and free concert from 5-7 pm)

Downers Grove-Woodridge-Darien Fireworks at Four Corners
Location Address: 4 shopping center corners parking lots of 75th Street and Lemont Rd (also known as Main St DG) or near the ZigField Troy Golf Course
Show Time: July 4th at Dusk (9:30 pm)

Elgin fireworks at the Elgin Sports ComplexAddress Location: 601 S. McLean St in Elgin, IL
Call 847-931-6120 for full event schedule or go to enjoyelgin.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (free concert beforehand at 7pm)

Evanston fireworks at the Clark Street Beach
Location: Clark Street and the lakefront in Evanston, IL
Call 847-328-2100 for schedule details or visit evanston4th.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:15 pm (free concert from 7:30-9pm and parade at 2pm beforehand)

Evergreen Park fireworks in Duffy Memorial Park
Location Address: 92nd and Millard in Evergreen Park, IL
Call 708-422-1551 for full event schedule or view the website at evergreenpark-ill.com
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk following the parade at 6:30pm at 95th and Pulaski

Forest Park fireworks in the Town Park
Location Address: South of I290 just east of the Desplaines Avenue Exit in Forest Park, IL
Call 708-366-7500 for the full event schedule or view forestpark.net
Show Time: July 4th at 9:15 pm following the 4pm parade and a free 6pm concert

Fox Lake fireworks at Mineola Bay
Location Over the Fox Lake in Fox Lake, IL
Call 847-587-2151 for more specific directions
Show Time: July 7th at dusk (9:00ish)

Glen Ellyn fireworks in Lake Ellyn Park
Address Location: 645 Lenox in Glen Ellyn, IL
Call 630-469-5000 for full schedule of events or go to the website at glen-ellyn.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following food and music in the park at 1:30 pm. $2.00 admission for all the events

Glencoe fireworks at the Lakefront Park
Location: Park Avenue and the beach in Glencoe, IL
Call 847-835-3030 for more schedule details or visit goglencoe.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm following a parade at 2 pm and a BBQ on the beach at 6:30 pm

Glenview fireworks at the Glenview Park District Golf Course
Address Location: 800 Shermer Road in Glenview, IL
Call 847-724-1700 for the full schedule or visit glenviewparkdist.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm set to music following 7:30 free community concert

Gurnee fireworks at the Warren Township High School’s O’Plaine Campus
Address Location: 500 N. O’Plain Road in Gurnee, IL
Vistit gurnee.il.us for the full event schedule
Show Time: July 4th at 9:25 pm

Hoffman Estates fireworks on the Village Hall Grounds
Address Location: 1900 Hassell Road in Hoffman Estates, IL
Call 847-781-2660 for the full event schedule or visit hoffmanestates.com
Show Time: July 4th and July 7th @ 9:30 pm

Huntley fireworks at the Prime Outlet Mall
Address Location: 11800 Factory Shops Blvd in Huntley, IL
Call 847-669-9600 for schedule and details
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm )

Itasca fireworks at the Hamilton Lakes Office Park
Address Location: Illinois 53 and Thorndale Road in Itasca, IL
Call 630-773-0835 for full schedule or view the website at itasca.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following 4pm food vendors and picnicing grounds open and 7pm concert

Lake Forest fireworks in the Deerpath Community Park
Location Address: Hastings and Deerpath in Lake Forest, IL
Call 847-234-6702 for full event schedule or visit cityoflakeforest.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Libertyville fireworks at the Butler Lake Park
Location: Lake Street, west of Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville, IL
Call 847-362-5664 for the full event schedule
Show Time: July 4 at dusk (9:30 pm) free music concert beforehand

Lincolnshire fireworks at Spring Lake Park
Location Address: Oxford Drive, just east of Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolnshire, IL
Call 847-883-8600 for full event schedule or visit village.lincolnshire.il.us
Show Time: July 4th at dusk

Lisle fireworks in Lisle Community Park with the Lisle Eyes to the Sky Festival
Address Location: Short Street and Illinois 53 in Lisle, IL
Call 630-769-1000 for full event schedule or visit eyestotheskiesfestival.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:45 pm

Lockport fireworks in Dellwood Park
Address Location: Route 171 & Woods Drive in Lockport, IL
Call 815-838-0549 for full schedule of events or visit lockport.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk

Lombard fireworks in Madison Meadow Park
Location Address: Madison and Ahrens in Lombard, IL
Call 630-620-5700 for full schedule of events or view tasteoflombard.com website
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm in association with the taste of Lombard festival with food and live music performances

Lyons fireworks
Address and Location: Lawndale & Ogden Avenue in Lyons, IL
Call 708-447-8886 for full details or view lyonspolice.org website
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm follwing a parade at 1pm and music at 8pm.

Morton Grove fireworks in Harrer Park
Address: 6250 Dempster in Morton Grove, IL
Call 847-965-7447 for full event schedule or go to mortongroveparks.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following the parade at 2:30 pm

Mount Prospect fireworks in Melas Park
Location Address: Central Road and Busse Road in Mount Prospect, IL
Call 847-392-6000 for full event schedule or go to the website mountprospect.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (additional fireworks on July 2nd and July 3rd at 9:30 pm also)

Mundelein fireworks on the Mundelein Festival Grounds
Location Address: Seymour and Courtland in Mundelein, IL
Call 847-949-3200 for full holiday event schedule or visit mundelein.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Naperville fireworks at the Naperville Ribfest in Knoch Park
Address Location: West Street and Martin Avenue in Naperville, IL
Call 630-848-5000 for full Ribfest Event Details and Schedule or go to ribfest.net (if the site is not down again)
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

New Lenox fireworks at The CommonsLocation Address: Veterans Parkway between Haven Avenue and U.S. 30 in New Lenox, IL
Call 815-485-6452 for full event schedule or go to newlenox.net for details
Show Time: July 4 at dusk (9:30 pm)

North Aurora fireworks at the Village owned property adjacent to the North Aurora Towne Center
Address Location: I-88 & Orchard in North Aurora, IL
Call 630-897-8228 or go to vil.north-aurora.il.us for full event schedule and details
Show Time: July 4th @ 9 pm

Northbrook fireworks in Techny Park
Address Location: 1750 Techny Road in Northbrook, IL
Call 847-291-2980 for full event schedule or details or view northbrookjuly4th.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following a float filled parade at 2:30 pm

Oak Brook fireworks in the Oak Brook Polo Fields
Address Location: 31st and York Road in Oak Brook, IL
Call 630-990-3000 for full event schedule details or view the website at oak-brook.org
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk following the Taste of OakBrook festival

Oak Forest fireworks at 159th and Central at OakFest
Address Location: 159th and Central in Oak Forest, IL
Call 708-687-4050 for full event schedule or view website at oakfest.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm)

Oak Lawn fireworks at the Richards High School football fields
Address Location: 106th and Central in Oak Lawn, IL
Call 708-857-2200 for full event schedule and details olparks.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following the Centenial Park festival and a free corchestra concert at 7:30 pm

Orland Park fireworks at Centennial Park
Address and Location: 156th and West Avenue in Orland Park, IL
Call 708-403-6100 for full event schedule and details or view the website at orland-park.il.us
Show Time: July 4th set to music at 9:15 pm following a free concert at 6pm

Oswego fireworks at PrarieFest Park
Address Location: 313 E. Washington Street in Oswego, IL
Call 630-554-3259 for the full event schedule or view the website at oswegoil.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Palatine fireworks at Community Park
Location Address: Northwest Highway and Palatine Road in Palatine, IL
Phone 847-604-0288 for more schedule details or view the website at palatine.il.us
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk (9pm) after a carnival at 4pm

Palos Heights fireworks at Lake Katherine
Illinois 83 and 76th Avenue in Palos Heights, IL
Phone: 708-361-1807 for schedule details
Show Time: July 3rd at 9:15 pm

Forest fireworks at Central Park
Address Location: Lakewood Boulevard, next to Freedom Hall in Park Forest, IL
Phone: 708-748-2005 or view the website at villageofparkforest.net for more schedule details
Show Time July 4th at 9:15 pm following a free orchestra concert at 7pm

Park Ridge fireworks at Maine East High School
Location Address: Dempster and Potter in Park Ridge, IL
Phone: 847-692-5127 or view the website at parkridge.us for schedule details
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk (9:15 pm)

Roselle fireworks at Lake Park High School
500 West Bryn Mawr in Roselle, IL
Phone: 630-980-2000 for more info or view the town website roselle.il.us for the schedule listings
Show Time: July 4th at 9:40 pm following free music entertainment at 5:30 pm

Skokie 3-D fireworks at Niles West High School
Oakton Street and I-94 in Skokie, IL
(847) 674-1500 or view the schedule online at skokieparkdistrict.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:15 pm)

South Holland fireworks at Thornwood High School
170th and South Park in South Holland, IL
(708) 210-2900 or view the schedule at southholland.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm

Streamwood fireworks at Dolphin Park
Location: Park Boulevard north of Irving Park Road in Streamwood, IL
Call 630-837-0200 for a full listing of events or chekc the town website at streamwood.org
Show Time: July 4 at dusk around 9 pm

Vernon Hills fireworks in Century Park
Location: 1001 Lakeview Parkway in Vernon Hills, IL
Call 847-367-3700 for the full schedule of events or check out the website at vernonhills.org
Show Time: July 4 @ 9:30pm
Music starts at Century Park at 6:30 pm followed by fireworks at 9:30 pm.

Warrenville fireworks at Cerny Park
Location: Forestview Avenue & River Road in downtown Warrenville IL
Call 630-393-9427 for the schedule of events
Show time: July 3rd 5-10pm
The celebration runs from 5 to 10pm with a parade, food and fun. It ends with fireworks at 9:30pm.

Wauconda Fireworks at Cook Park
Location: Main Street & Garland Drive in Wauconda, IL
Call 847-526-9600 for full information and schedule or check out the Wauconda Park District Web Site at waucondaparks.com
Show Time: July 3 @ dusk (usually 9:30 pm)

Waukegan Fireworks at Waukegan Harbor
Location: the lakefront near Grand & Sheridan in Waukegan, IL
Call 847-599-2949 for the full details or check out the Waukegan Website at waukeganport.com
Hours: July 4 @ 9pm

Wheeling Town Fireworks
Location: Park District behind the Saint Joseph Worker Catholic Church
Address: 181 West Dundee Rd in Wheeling, IL
Call: 847-459-2600 for more details and info or visit the Wheeling Town Website at vi.wheeling.il.us
Show Time: July 4 @ 9:15pm

Wilmette fireworks at Gillson Park in Wilmette, IL
Call 847-256-6100 for more details or visit the Wilmette Park District website at wilmettepark.org
Show Time: July 3rd over the lake @ 9:30 pm

Winnetka fireworks at Duke Child’s Field
Location: Willow and Hibbard Streets in Winnetka, IL
Call 847-501-2040 for details or check the Winetka Park District website @ winpark.org
Show Time: July 4th @ 9:15pm
The Fireworks are also accompanyied by recorded music which is nice.

Zion fireworks at Shiloh Park
Location: 25th and Emmaus Avenue in Zion, IL
Call 847-746-5500 for more information or check the Zion website at zionparkdistrict.com
Show Time: July 4th @ 9:30pm

Naperville Ribfest has become one of the largest suburban summer festivals in Chicago. It has been running for at least 20 years and the Ribfest has grown to now include major music acts along with great ribs from all over the country.

The thing that makes the Naperville Ribfest so attractive for both businesses and local residents is that it is in the suburbs and there are over 128,000 people living in Naperville and many more in towns of similar size around it. All these families with kids get something fun to do over the July 4th weekend and advertisers and entertainers love to be in front of them.

Over 1 million people go through the Naperville Ribfest over the 4th of July weekend. With that in mind save yourself some time and park in the 5th Avenue Metra Station lot and take the shuttles they have running every 10 minutes to the Ribfest. Otherwise there is no aprking within 1 mile of the fest. It is actually located in Knoch park behind Edwards Hospital but the hospital parking lot is off limits too. All the street parking was full by 3pm in the afternoon when we went too.

We suburbanites live 1 hour or more southwest of Chicago so the Taste of Chicago isn’t really an option for us with the awful traffic Chicago has these days. Plus if you live locally walking or biking to the Naperville Ribfest makes it more community friendly and less like the big city. The festival tries to be kid friendly and family friendly but local high school and college kids enjoy the Ribfest too.

Here is some helpful information about  the Naperville Ribfest schedule, rib restaurants selling food there and the events that weekend. 2009

Ribfest 2009 will run from Thursday, July 2rd through Sunday, July 5th.

• Thursday, July 2nd 12:00 Noon to 10:00 p.m.
• Friday, July 3rd 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m.
• Saturday, July 4th 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. Gates open to public at 7:00pm for fireworks
• Sunday, July 5th 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m.

The Ribfest Food Vendors selling Ribs will be:

• Desperado’s BBQ & Rib Co. – Their 10th year at Ribfest
• Fast Freddy’s Electric BBQ Ribs – They aren’t cooked fast but they are eaten fast!
• Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue and Catering – You know and love Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce from the Jewel grocery store and come see what they do when they are cookin’
• Texas Outlaws BBQ – They have won first place two of the last five years
• Uncle Bub’s- The Hichory Smoked BBQ Restaurant was born in 1997 in Westmont
• Famous Dave’s – Well, they are famous for their ribs of course
• Pigfoot BBQ Company – A Ribber at Naperville Ribfest for 13 years
• Aussom Aussie – A 20 year veteran of the International BBQ Circuit and they have great cornbread for $2.00 also.
• Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ – They offer both tomato based as well as vinegar based sauces.
• Porky N Beans – a member of the National Award Winning Rib Cookers of America since 1983
• Rasta Joes BBQ – Joe Alexander (Rasta Joe) has been at Ribfest for over 15 years
• Sgt. Oink’s Pit BBQ – Last year they won Naperville 3rd place best ribs
• Johnson’s BBQ – They have a BBQ sauce called “Thermonuclear Sauce”
• Smokin’ Joe’s Hog Wild Barbeque
• Armadillo’s Rib and Que Company
• Howling Coyote Southwest BBQ

The competition for best ribs prizes is Fierce! Last year Uncle Bubs was voted best in the Naperville Ribfest and Armadillo’s won best Sauce. I think that those plus Sweet Baby Ray’s will be the best ones to check out first because it may be impossible to try them all unless you plan on eating lunch and dinner there every day of the festival. There are other food and drink vendors there at the fest too. You can always count on Oberweis for some great ice cream and root beer floats.

If you come to Naperville Ribfest for the food, stay for the music. They have brought nationally known bands and acts to the suburbs for years and this year is no different. There are 2 stages; the Main Stage (Heart, Sarah Evans, Todd Rundgren and Huey Louis and the News) and the Brian R Schultz Rock and Roll Stage (Blue Oyster Cult, North Mississippi All Stars, WAR, Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone) plus there is also a BP Family Area that has a lot of fun activities for the kids. The schedules for both stages are below.

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Some tips for making your trip to the Naperville Ribfest more fun:

1. If you drive be prepared to walk because parking fills up in downtown Naperville quickly and you end up parking far away. Wear comfortable shoes. Park in the 5th Avenue Metra station lot off Washington and take the shuttle to the fest.

2. Buy your tickets in advance through the Ribfest web site or pre-sale tickets locally in downtown Naperville at the Jewel Grocery Food Stores and save $2.00 per ticket. Otherwise it is $10.00 at the gate and there are usually long lines.

3. Bring the kids, your appetite and stay for the music and entertainment all evening long. Here is a Map of the events and locations of the Naperville Ribfest.

4. The Ribfest will close if when it is raining there is any Lightning. At that time the park will close and everyone will be asked to leave for safety reasons. It is very very crowded and everyone just sits on the ground with their ribs to eat. So bring handy wipes for your fingers or get them at the Sweet Baby Ray’s station.

Enjoy the Ribfest and have a great time!

I am all about dining out on weekends. I love eating dinner alfresco and eating dinner at a restaurant that offers outdoor patio dining as the sun sets over Chicago and the suburbs. We live in such a frigid climate most of the year that when summer arrives we are even ok seeing just cars and exhaust as we eat as long as we get a few rare sunbeams to warm our shoulders or have some tiny white lights twinkling over our heads along with the moon and stars.

Many local Chicago restaurants offer garden seating or patio tables  outside but three restaurants announced new patios in their restaurants open this weekend. The weather should be upper 70s to low 80s too, so it is perfect for eating outside, and there aren’t many bugs out yet either.

Many of you know Mia Francesca in Lakeview and Francesca’s in Downtown Naperville (both are favorites of mine) but now there is another Francesca in the family and she offers outside patio dining too. Francesca’s Passaggio is located at 3124 South Route 59 in Naperville, IL. Call (630) 946-0600 for reservations. The Francesca’s family of restaurants offer fine Italian dining in a relaxed but upscale atmosphere.  The new patio looks lively with TV screens and a fire pit for those chilly nights in September.

Pergolas are great over patios. They are like a trellis with big support beams creating an outdoor room space. Perennial opens its’ patio for the summer in Lakeview Friday in the Park View Hotel at 1800 North Lincoln Avenue. Call 312.981.7070 for reservations. Perennial restaurant features elegant American bistro food including peekytoe crab salad and crispy confit chicken leg with blue cheese foam. A little different from the regular bistro fare.

WAVE Restaurant and Bar is located in the W Hotel at 644 N. Lake Shore Drive (312-255-4460) and continuing their theme of mixing fun with class they have opened a make your own sundae bar on the Patio. The difference between the Sundaes you made as a kid and these at WAVE? The Bailey’s drizzled on top of course. Could anything be richer on a warm summer evening?

This is some very disturbing news. The state of Illinois will be deploying radar and speed cameras all across the state in July to record photos and track speeds of cars going over the speed limit in construction zones and work zones on the highways and tollways. The first ticket will be for $300.00 fine and a second one will result in a $1,000.00 fine. On the surface that looks like something good, to ensure safety, but it isn’t and we have seen this before.

What the press release doesn’t say is that speeding isn’t what you think it is. Most of us consider 5 mph over the speed limit to be ok, because a hill could create that without you even knowing it and most cops won’t write you a ticket for going 2 mph over the limit. These cameras and radar machines will be able to automatically print cash for the state’s budget deficit by sending tickets for anyone over the limit at any level. Even 1 mph. And they will, because it has nothing to do with safety. It is all about money.

This was a huge problem in Bolingbrook last year when a Mayor’s thinly veiled attempt to “reduce accidents” revealed a plan to print cash also. It failed when residents were getting $200.00 tickets in the mail several days a week for making legal right turns on a red light after stopping behind the white line. People were enraged. They lit up the internet protesting this unfair way to basically steal their hard earned money during an economic downturn when paying the mortgage and bills is harder than ever already. After months of vocal complaints, phone calls and an outright boycott of the stores in Bolingbrook, the mayor reconsidered this policy, took his money to the bank and suspended the program in November 2007. This has also been a huge problem as cameras were installed in London and all over England as a revenue generating machine, and the people were so enraged they openly disable and destroy them and just voted out the current mayor of London that approved it.

I hope the same protests happen online, by phone and in person all over the state of Illinois about these unfair tickets from these  automated speed and radar cameras. Technology has led to many new conveniences and advances in our lives, but it has also reduced our privacy and anonymity to an almost non-existent level. And now exploiting technicalities for the sake of revenue is more popular than ever.

It is obvious also that there is a huge budget deficit to be filled in Illinois right now, and technically catching small infractions and charging an insane amount of money in penalty for them is a fast way to make a lot of bucks. What the citizens of Illinois really hate is the patronizing tone of this false justification for the charges being to save lives. We know it isn’t true, and that isn’t even a growing problem. If saftey was a problem, the numbers would be higher. They find it legal and justified to charge everyone $300 or $1,000 because 2 people were killed in 2004 and 5 in 2003. No data is presented to prove that in the past 5 years anyone has been killed, injured or otherwise mildly annoyed while working on the roads. Why use 5 year old data to justify this program except that this is the last time this happened? And they don’t mention if the cars were speeding or not. I would bet they weren’t speeding and it was probably drunk driving, of which kills hundreds of people every year and the state is not very good at stopping at all.  How about we accept that accidents happen sometimes on highways rather than invent false reasons to charge people money they can’t afford because there is no public vote on this type of revenue generation scheme and no way the citizens could block it from happening?  

Another solution to this workers shutting down the roads every summer would be to actually fix them in a proper manner so they don’t require more fixing every summer. I have had a strong feeling for years now that the road construction companies are a huge racket making money in unjust ways from the state while they patch and repair roads in low quality ways that won’t last, on purpose, to create more work for themselves next year and for every year in the future. No roads should have to be redone every year. Yet, there they are on 290, I-55, 294, 90-94, I-88 and 355 every year jackhammering out road seams just to put in 2 seams where there was once 1. All the seams patched now buckle and bump my car so that the CD skips, but hey that made someone personally a lot richer. I believe that 90% of the highway road construction is completely unnecessary. I would be happy with the quality of the roads with no further work at all for about 5 years.

Hey, there is the answer!  The answer to the budget deficit problem is to stop all road work for the next 5 years. That way we don’t get busywork shutting down our roads and the state of Illinois can actually pay for things it needs all the while no one gets killed or mildly annoyed working there.

So, now we know that instead of stopping the racket of road construction companies basically extorting money from the state, the government has decided to steal the money from the citizens to pay them. Make your opinion known to the governor and state government that this is not right to do to citizens and it must stop.

Personally, I am not going to travel on the highways or tollways after July 1. I can’t take the risk of loosing that much money for something I didn’t do right now. I am perfectly ok with back roads for where I need to go. If you do have to travel on these highways, use cruise control and set it for 5 mph below the limit just in case of a hill.

If you want to read the full press release you can at: www.dot.state.il.us/press/r033005.html 

Chicago Festival season has begun this year and I wanted to post a comprehensive list of all the major Chicagoland festivals and block parties and neighborhood events that I found. If there are summer events not listed here post a comment to add yours to the list. I hope this helps you plan your summer calendar and find a lot of fun things to do in Chicago while the weather is warm.

May Spring Festivals and Events in Chicago

May 14: Chicago Fair Trade Day Festival

May 14: Green City Market opens

May 14-16: Black Thai International Arts and Crafts Fest

May 16-18: Chicago Mayfest

May 23-25: Summer Camp 2008 (suburbs)

May 23-26: Gaelic Park Irish Festival (suburbs)

May 24: Memorial Day Parade

May 24-25: Randolph Street Market Festival

May 25: Bike the Drive

May 26: Memorial Day Festival

May 26: WOOGMS 45th Annual Memorial Day Parade

May 28-31: Chicago Turkish Festival

May 29-June 1: Mayfest in Lincoln Square

May 30-June 1: Chicago Gospel Music Festival

May 31-June 1: Belmont/Sheffield Music Festival

May 31-June 1: Do-Division Street Fest and Sidewalk Sale

May 31: Chi-Town Kruze and Car Show

JUNE Summer Festivals and Events in Chicago

Through June 1: Belmont/Sheffield Music Festival

Through June 1: Gospel Music Festival

June 2-8 Chicago Improv Comedy Festival

June 5-6: Lake View Music Fest

June 5-8: Chicago Blues Festival

June 6-8: Jeff Fest (named after some dude named Jeff)

June 7: Chalk Festival

June 7-8: 57th Street Art Fair

June 7-8: Community Art Fair

June 7-8: Fiesta Back of the Yards

June 7-8: Printers Row Book Festival

June 7-8: Ribfest Chicago

June 10-15: Fiesta Puertorriquenas

June 11-Aug. 16: Grant Park Music Festival

June 12-13: Festa Pasta Vino

June 12-Aug. 24: Chicago SummerDance Festival

June 13-15: St. Michael’s Celebration

June 14: Puerto Rican Parade

June 14-15: Andersonville Midsommarfest

June 14-15: Artists of the Wall Festival

June 14-15: Old Town Art Fair (North Avenue and Wells)

June 14-15: Wells Street Art Festival

June 14: Wrigleyville SummerFest

June 16: Halsted Tastes Better

June 16-20: Thailand Festival

June 19: Southside Neighborhood Gospel Fest

June 20-22: Close 2 Smooth Jazz Festival

June 20-21: Scottish Festival and Highland Games (suburbs)

June 20-22: St. Josaphat Summerfest

June 20-22: Taste of Greece on LaSalle Street

June 20-22: Taste of Randolph Street

June 21-22: Chicago Summerfest in Lincoln Park

June 21-22: Custer’s Last Stand Festival of the Arts (suburbs)

June 21-22: Pizza Fest

June 22: River North SummerFest

June 24-25: Randolph Street Market Festival

June 25-28: Chicago Arabesque

June 27-29: Peace Fest

June 27-July 6: Taste of Chicago

June 28: Back Lot Bash

June 28: Chicago Pride Fest

June 28-29: BAM! Belmont Arts and Music Fest

June 29: Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade (GBLT)

June 29: Girl Blast

JULY Summer Festivals and Events in Chicago

Through July 6: Taste of Chicago

July 3-6: African-Caribbean International Festival of Life

July 3-6: Naperville Ribfest (suburbs)

July 5-6: Lake View Music Fest

July 10: Bastille Day 5K Run, Walk and Block Party

July 11-12: BenFest

July 11-13: Chicago Tribune Magnificent Mile Art Festival

July 11-13: Irish American Heritage Festival

July 12-13: DuSable Arts and Crafts Festival

July 12-13: Chicago Folk and Roots Festival

July 12-13: Kwanzaa Summer Festival

July 12-13: Rock Around the Block

July 12-13: St. Andrew’s Greek Festival

July 15-Aug. 26: Chicago Outdoor Film Festival in Grant Park

July 18-19: Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party

July 18-20: Pitchfork Music Festival

July 19: Silver Room’s Sound System Block Party

July 19-20: Ethnic Arts Festival (suburbs)

July 19-20: Sheffield Garden Walk and Festival

July 19-20: Summer on Southport

July 20: Chinatown Summer Fair

July 20: Dearborn Garden Walk and Heritage Festival

July 25-27: Pierogi Fest (in Indiana)

July 26: Ghana Fest

July 26: Venetian Night

July 27: An Arts Adventure

July 26-27: Randolph Street Market Festival

July 26-27: Taste of Lincoln Avenue

July 26-27: Wicker Park Fest

AUGUST Summer Festivals and Events in Chicago

August 1-3: Lollapalooza

August 2: Uptown Summer Unity Festival

August 2-3: Retro on Roscoe

August 3: Belize Day in the Park

August 8-10: Caribbean Festival

August 8-10: Gold Coast Art Fair

August 8-17: Illinois State Fair (rural)

August 9-10: Korean Street Festival

August 9-10: Market Days

August 9-10: West Fest

August 15: Croatian Fest

August 15-17: East Meets West Fest

August 15-17: North Side Summerfest

August 15-17: St. Demetrios Greek Festival

August 16: Barrio Art Fest

August 16: Carifete

August 16-17: Chicago Air & Water Show

August 22-24: Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest

August 23: Chicago Reggae Festival

August 23-24: Bucktown Arts Fest

August 23-24: Taste of Greece

August 23-24: Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival

August 24: Festa di Tutti i Santi

August 28-31: Chicago Jazz Festival

August 29-Sept. 1: African Festival of the Arts

August 29-Sept. 1: The Last Fling (suburbs)

August 29-Sept. 1: Taste of Polonia

August 30-31: Bash on Wabash

August 30-31: Randolph Street Market Festival

SEPTEMBER Fall Festivals and Events in Chicago

Through Sept. 1: The Last Fling (suburbs)

Through Sept. 1: Taste of Polonia

September 5-6: Windy City Wine Festival

September 5-7: German-American Festival

September 6: Guinness Oyster Fest

September 6: Von Steuben Parade

September 6-7: Ukrainian Village Fest

September 11-14: Festival de la Villita

September 13: The Wine Crush in Old Town

September 13-14: Celtic Fest Chicago