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Category: Chicago Guide

October 14, 2019October 14, 2019 Blog by Brosh

A League of Their Own: Visiting the Home of the Rockford Peaches

August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 Blog by Brosh

Summer Playlist 2019

August 26, 2019October 14, 2019 Blog by Brosh

A John Hughes Movie Location Tour of Chicago’s North Shore

May 30, 2019May 30, 2019 Blog by Brosh

Outdoor Movie Night at Wrigley Field: The Breakfast Club

May 9, 2019August 14, 2019 Blog by Brosh

3 Places to Watch Outdoor Movies in Chicago This Summer

March 4, 2019June 19, 2019 Blog by Brosh

Where to Score Paczki in Chicago for Paczki Day 2019

February 5, 2019August 27, 2019 Blog by Brosh

Chicago’s Cat Arcade and Lounge

January 25, 2019January 25, 2019 Blog by Brosh

The 2018 BIG Holiday Blog

December 21, 2018December 21, 2018 Blog by Brosh

Shopping for my Chicago Youth Program Holiday Buddies

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In a world where social media allows so much instant access and opens the opportunity for comparison, true joy is being at peace with your life. ••• I believe joy means appreciating the story that I’m living, and I do that everyday. I find joy in the nooks and crannies of life’s foundation. You know, the little things. ••• There are so many things I find to be joyful, but here are a few examples: seeing a place for the very first time; hearing my little cousins laugh as I spin them on a swing; giving my time; little free libraries; exploring a city after a snowstorm; carrying on family traditions; finishing a race; learning something new; passing forth knowledge; a crowd cheering in celebration; seeing my little cousin’s face when she saw grass for the first time (she’s from Arizona!) ••• Joy is everywhere, all of the time. It’s woven into the fabric of life. It exists in the small details and the big, obvious happy times. Even in the difficult moments, it’s there. You just have to remember to look. ••• @solitudemountain and @thebucketlistfamily please give my friends, family, and me the chance to add to our joyful experiences by selecting us for the winter wonderland in Utah. 🎿❤️ #BucketListChristmas
Breakfast for dinner is always a good idea. Especially since every night this week has involved working late + the winds are howling off of Lake Michigan, so warm foods are needed. 10SP for this plate on blue plan. ☀️🌙
I am nominating my friend, Danielle Goodwin, for the 12 Days of Bucket List Christmas’s Friends Getaway Package. • Danielle and I became friends while studying at the University of Southern Indiana. There was a day when she was sick with a cold, and I brought her Sprite and other trinkets to help her feel better. That was almost eight years ago. We’ve been friends ever since; and it all started with a soda. • Danielle embodies every characteristic synonymous with being a friend. She cares about me, a lot. To be friends with her means being loved by her with her entire heart. When I moved to Eastern Europe to volunteer with the Peace Corps, she organized a farewell party for me, and she had everyone write letters for me to read for the entire first year of my trip! It was one of the most thoughtful gestures anyone has ever done for me; and I kept every letter. • She moved to South Carolina a few years ago, and I moved to Chicago. She flew to Chicago to celebrate my birthday with me; and I flew to South Carolina to stand by her side at her wedding. We travel back and forth to see each other several times each year, and sometimes we meet in the middle. • We chat throughout the day and Danielle always asks “how is your day?” We live roughly 1,000 miles apart, but she cares to know about my life, and she makes me feel seen. That’s what a friend does, they see you. I mean REALLY see you. When you’re having a bad day or a great moment of celebration, a friend is someone by your side going through the motions of life’s ups and downs with you. Danielle and I do that for each other. • In 2016, I moved to China to teach English, and Danielle was living in South Carolina. We still talked everyday, even with a 12 hour time difference. One day, she told me what a terrible day she had at work. It made her sad, but talking about it helped. After we finished talking, I ordered her favorite Chicago treat, Garrett’s Popcorn, to be delivered to her house. I was living in China, but while residing in the USA, I would always bring Garrett’s Popcorn to our visits. It brightened her day to have it even though I was in Asia at the time. >>>POST IS CONTINUED IN COMMENTS
The bravest thing I have ever done is move to China by myself. I did not know anyone when I moved to China; and I also did not speak the language. I moved to China to teach English as a foreign language, and it was the adventure of a lifetime. Teaching in front of hundreds of students, trying new foods, making new friends, visiting new cities, learning a new language, experiencing a new culture, all of the greatest adventures existed outside of my comfort zone and within two seconds of life-changing bravery. Every time I stepped outside of my circle of familiarity, two more seconds of insane bravery presented itself as an opportunity for a new experience — and I took it! Please watch my video for the full story! @FijiVacations and @thebucketlistfamily please allow me two more seconds of life-changing bravery by selecting me to visit the Cook Islands. I would love the opportunity to introduce a lifelong friend to her own version of two more seconds of bravery while we experience the Cook Islands and soak in everything it has to offer! 🌞 #BucketListChristmas
Our first family Christmas party of the year’s video is up on my YouTube channel. Feel free to click the link in my bio to catch a glimpse of the way we kick off jingle bell season every year! ❤️🎅🏽🎄
The first family Christmas party of the year is this afternoon. That means white elephant gifts, an appearance from Santa, kids playing musical chairs, and a lot of food. • I need to start straightening my hair now in order to be on time at 3PM because it’s also an hour away. I am, however, laying on my bed post-shower in a towel, listening to Four Christmases. I would say this is an unusual scene, but my life narrator would disagree and say “it was not an unusual scene.” • Also, I love a good wreath. I spiced up this wreath from @target with a strand of miniature white lights. Merry Jingle Jangle! 🎄
Thankful for my little circle of people that makes it into each phase of life. Thankful for good health, travel, and all of the steps forward to be taken in the upcoming year. Thankful to play the role of fun Aunt; and thankful for all of the diamond moments that were found in the mine of 2019. Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! 🦃💕
“Looks great! Little full, Lotta sap.” — Clark Griswold 🎄
Tonight is the Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Millennium Park! Tree lighting weekend and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival feel like the official start of the holiday season because all of the lights are lit for the first time! I never did a Halloween post because I was just back from Mexico and coming out of the magical whirlwind that was that trip; and it snowed like crazy on October 31, so it didn’t feel like Halloween. Watching horror movies and passing out candy to trick-or-treaters during blizzard conditions sure felt strange! Anyway, here’s one of my favorite decorated homes from the spooky season — the original Playboy Mansion! I found it so clever that they dressed skeletons like the Playboy bunnies — hilarious. For future reference, the Gold Coast neighborhood has some of the best decorated homes in Chicago for every holiday. 🎃👻💀
Ordered things for Christmas cards today! I’ve never been good about sending them out because time always gets away from me, but I’m early this year. Christmas cards have always been a tradition with my grandparents, and I’d like to keep it going, so here I am. 🎄 • Here’s a shot from my trip to Arizona! This is from when we rode the train through the Verde Valley. Visiting Arizona for the first time is one of the 2019 celebrations mentioned in the card. 🌵🚂
Chicago’s Christkindlmarket opens this week! These temps feel like January, but really it’s only November and all of the best holiday events are coming up in the next several weeks! I love this time of year and I am so ready for toasted nuts and hot wine out of a boot.🎄
Oh, the weather outside is frightful. Moving south seems more and more delightful. Several months of #Chiberia to go — let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. ☃️🥶
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