Culinary Fight Club!

I don't often get excited for blogging events anymore, but when an invite to the Culinary Fight Club at Navy Pier came my way, I could NOT resist. My eldest kid just so happens to be a foodie-wannabe-chef, so this Monday the two of us will be living it up at The Billy Goat Tavern, watching as 3 local chefs battle it out to see who can create the most amazing, perfect bite of food.

AND WE GET TO SAMPLE IT, TOO!

Honestly, I would have been happy enough with just the sampling of creative foods; but knowing that 20% of all Culinary Fight Club Chicago Event proceeds benefit feeding the hungry through the non-profit - Fight2Feed, well that just seals the deal on making this event a Must Not Miss for me. 

Interested? Tickets are still available! 


~ This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.~

Sky Zone for the Holidays!

We were so lucky to be able to review the new Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park in Elmhurst this fall! Being brand new, it was super clean and filled with dozens of high-energy activities. 

Sounds like an ideal gift to give a kid in Illinois in the wintertime, right?

 If you buy a $30 gift card before December 31, Sky Zone will include 30 minutes of free jump time and a pair of Sky Zone jump socks (super grippy and perfect for jumping off of the trampolines ON THE WALLS).*

 Physical activity, especially in the winter months, is key to maintaining your family's physical and mental health. I totally encourage you to give Sky Zone a call or check out their website for their deals, hours, and locations.

A small note to reference when going to any Sky Zone: going when the facility is practically empty isn't always awesome. There was a minimum of 6 kids for the dodge ball courts which really bummed my kids out as they were 2 out of 10 total kids in the facility. Ask your local rep what the high and low peaks are, to better suit your family's personal preferences.

*Be sure to check all of the rules and regulations, which may not be listed on this review. Offer is only good at the participating Sky Zone where pass is purchased.

*Disclaimer: though I received 3 passes for myself and my children to use, all opinions and statements are my own words and no compensation was received.

A Rose by Any Other Name...

On Saturday, my husband posted this picture on Facebook of me holding an absolutely stunning bouquet of roses from Kalla. Beside the photo he said "Happy Anniversary, Honey! I love you!"

And the responses were insane.

Can you blame them? People on Facebook were astounded at the bouquet of over 52 enormous roses and rose buds, arranged in a lovely vase; the entire thing is bigger than my head and weighs at least 40 pounds! My husband quickly achieved "best husband of the year" status in the minds of many a Facebook Friend.

Had I been ON Facebook when he posted that picture, I might have stopped the onslaught of assumptions that this arrangement was a gift from my husband for our anniversary. While he brings me flowers with decent regularity, a bouquet of this size is not something I would have been very happy with him purchasing on that particular day, considering the fact that we were going out of town that weekend for our anniversary trip! For 2 whole days, only our teenager, cats, dog, and helpful neighbors were able to appreciate its beauty. When I returned home from our anniversary weekend rendezvous, the roses awaited us, looking just as fresh as when they arrived, if  not more so.

The truth is, these flowers were a gift from the Kalla flower company. Kalla was a sponsor for a summertime Chicagonista Live! show in June, and as a blogger thank you, they provided bouquets as gifts for everyone who attended* the live taping of ChicagonistaLive; isn't that amazing?

This bouquet is called the Athena and Artemis and retails online for $200. The delivery was in the most secure and appealing box I've ever received flowers in, and their hardiness, at 4 days past delivery, reflects the caliber of roses used.

I haven't received any payment for this post, and I wasn't even politely asked to do one. This is absolutely on my own steam and desire to spread the word about their work. I'd totally recommend Kalla.com for any event you need to brighten up with flowers!

*Truth #2: Even though I have lived in the Chicago suburbs my entire 38 years, I still get lost when I try to get downtown via the 290/294/yaddayadda method. And so, even though I had over 2 hours to travel a distance that should have taken 50 minutes, I ended up about an hour NORTH of Chicago, in traffic, crying and sad. I missed the ChicagonistaLive show! The only show I have been able to attend. And I missed it. AND I WAS CRYING. But MJ and Kalla took pity on me and included me in the blogger outreach, which is why I am sitting at my kitchen table in September, writing a blog post, while blissfully inhaling 50-some enormous roses.

Just what I needed...

I really needed today's event. It's been a crazy couple of days with lots going on and it was nice to be at the Whirlpool media event without having to be in charge of anything or anyone. All I had to do was enjoy myself and pay attention in between the delicious food they served us. (I am seriously craving that chicken dish. I have GOT to email their chef for the recipe. Divine!)

The Whirlpool Event Center is on LaSalle Street in the beautiful red brick building on the Chicago River that has the large clock tower on top. If you've ever seen pictures of Chicago, you know what I'm talking about.

Where are the pictures of this event, you ask? Well, it's hard to take photos when your children steal your camera's batteries for their Xbox remotes. AGAIN. (The corded remotes they got for Christmas are no longer quite as reliable. This is where it's important to keep the products you review instead of returning them. My kids recommend NOT buying the cheaper remotes and buying the quality ones, so that they last longer. FYI).

I digress.

It was at this event that I found what may just be the solution to our "Where to put the teenager" problem! (Yes. It's a problem. Trust me, he needs his own space. We ALL need for him to have his own space!)

Gladiator Garage is affiliated with Whirlpool and has the coolest modular system that I think is PERFECT for the teenager basement hang-out/future bedroom!! Spots for movable shelves! Sliding drawers and practically indestructible bamboo desktops!

I think I have about a zillion ideas to figure out on this one...

Time for a Little Heart to Heart....

Speaking of diseases that try to destroy the women we love...

Friday, February 3 is National Wear Red Day. I will be wearing RED! (Note to self: Do some laundry.)

The National Go Red For Women Foundation focuses on bringing awareness to women's heart disease. Why only women and not men and women? As a person who has had male loved ones with serious heart disease, I was curious, too.

Their website explains it quite well, I think:

In the past, heart disease and heart attack have been predominantly associated with men. Historically, men have been the subjects of the research done to understand heart disease and stroke, which has been the basis for treatment guidelines and programs. This led to an oversimplified, distorted view of heart disease and risk, which has worked to the detriment of women.

Because women have been largely ignored as a specific group, their awareness of their risk of this often-preventable disease has suffered. Only 55 percent of women realize heart disease is their No. 1 killer and less than half know what are considered healthy levels for cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol. The Go Red For Women movement works to make sure women know they are at risk so they can take action to protect their health.

We women are always the caregivers and rarely think about providing care for ourselves. It's time to put a stop to that oversight and place ourselves higher on the To Do list than the laundry and soccer practices! I mean, it's pretty freaking hard to multi-task if you're having a heart attack...

Though this short movie is meant to be light-hearted, it's not meant to downplay the seriousness of women's health and I think the point is pretty clear:



This February 29, Sassy Moms in the City will be hosting a fabulous event to draw awareness for women's heart health! Girl's Night Out will boast raffles, music, mini spa services, etc. FUN STUFF. Fun stuff that brings women together. Women that are all wearing red, joining forces, and remembering the reason behind our red dresses is to Fight Heart Disease and spread awareness of how to do so.

I just so happen to LOVE red dresses!!
* Sassy Moms is providing me with a complimentary ticket to help them spread the word for their event. Don't tell them (cuz I really want to go!), but I would have done it for free.

Kenmore Knows

Kenmore knows what we want and how we want it. I always walk away from the Kenmore Live Studio thinking that their products are absolutely awesome. This weekend at the Kenmore Blogger Summit in Chicago was no different.

Why yes. That is me with a Google YouAreHere dot on my bum. You aren't really surprised by that, are you?

Forget the fact that we got to meet people from Google (YES. Google) and listen to a fabulous speaker from Wired.com. Forget about the fact that Kenmore and Sears provided each attendee with an awesome small appliance of their choice after feeding and housing us all for the weekend (I chose a new vacuum to replace my former, slowly dying, love...). We can even forget about the amazing prizes that 2 people were given (a 50/50 stove and the most beautiful refrigerator in the world...). Kenmore also knew that we wanted to be listened to and heard.

And we were.

Our ideas, our comments, and our experiences are what matters to the company and I left that summit feeling as though we were valuable resources who were truly important .Jim, aka Busydadblog, adding one of his Lunchbox Daily drawings to the whiteboard of ideas...

I also left with a coupon code for 30% off of any regular-price Kenmore small kitchen appliances, cookware, bakeware & kitchen gadgets. Anyone can use the offer at Sears.com and Kmart.com only. It does exclude sale, clearance and major appliances and expires on 2/4/12 so use it fast! Enter the code 30KENMORE at checkout.


*Disclaimer: I was given product during this summit that Kenmore also paid for but all opinions of their products and company are my own.

I should be their Spokeperson. I really, really should.

I have finally been digging to the bottom of the huge box of samples that P&G sent to me after attending BlogHer11. Yes, I know it's been over 2 months.

This has led to the discovery of several girly products like "ampoule" for my hair from Pantene and a few items from Oil of Olay. So this week? I decided to be a girl and take care of my hair and face. I'm not sure what I was expecting from that ampoule thing, but the bottle claimed it would refresh and heal my split ends and the damage it has weathered, etc. etc. All I know is that after I used it? My hair still needed a trim. So it's hard to tell if the goop is working when all I can see is 14 different lengths of raggedy, tired hair. Nevertheless, my hair was clean and that's always the makings for a good day around here. So I decided to forge onward and use the moisturizing stuff on my face. In for a penny, after all.

Holy, holy, holy, y'all. My face! Now, maybe it's just because I was remembering to WASH it or maybe it's because of the products, but my face IS looking less war-torn and beat-up! I use the daily wash cloths thingies to clean the make-up off, and then apply the Regenerist stuff to my face and neck and my skin looks and feels AWESOME. Like, baby's butt/rubbing-my-cheeks-all-day/here,-touch-my-cheek-stranger-at-the-grocery-store AWESOME.

I shoved my nose up into Patrick's eyeball last night to prove my point. As he rubbed his bleeding cornea, he dutifully nodded and agreed that YES. I look just like I was 17 again!

So. There you have it. Clear evidence that Oil of Olay's Regenerist will knock a whole 10 years off your age.

;)

*Got the package for attending BlogHer and haven't ever talked to P&G but man-oh-man am I going to email them soon and suggest that I should be their new spokesperson for Oil of Olay. I don't even need to be paid in MONEY. Just in a lifetime supply of Regenerist. Well, maybe a little money, too. If they offer. I'm no martyr.

3 Minutes of Fame...

I welcome everyone who is here from my 3 minutes of "fame" on NBC 5 Today. I hope I didn't stumble or stare blankly into the camera... I am a bit freaked out at all of the possible ways I can flub this up...

Please take the time to read through the company information and my own views on the products. If you have any questions on the products or where to purchase them, please ask and I will do my best to help you or direct you to someone who can!

Also, please let me know that I didn't look too weird or spastic on tv. Lie if you have to, because I am seriously nervous!

All information in italics is straight from the companies' releases. My own take on the products is in regular font. There is so much information, that I didn't want to leave anything out!


The Safety Turtle by Safety Turtle.com

The Safety Turtle Wireless Wristband Alarm is an ingenious combination of wireless signal-outfitted wristband and a wireless base station receiver that sounds an alarm the instant a child falls or ventures into water. The base station can be positioned anywhere between pool/waterside and 200 feet away (depending on model desired). $235

If you are a family that is around water quite often, I can see how the Safety Turtle would be truly beneficial. Water (and fire) are 2 of my biggest concerns with little kids. Did you know that it only takes an inch or two of standing water for a baby to drown? The thought is horrific. If you have a pool or frequent the beach often, this may be a product that you find is worth the cost. Corinne and I tested it out in our sink and the MOMENT the sensor got wet, the alarm went off! The uses for the Safety Turtle are quite extensive. Have a pet? Work at a public pool? Like to go boating? Check out their website for many different reasons that the Safety Turtle might apply for you and your family.

The Sport-Brella XL by Sport-Brella

The Sport-Brella XL gives the whole family instant protection from the sun, rain, and wind with its domed shape, side flaps and 125 SPF. Its umbrella action open mechanism allows it to be set up in just three seconds and fits the family, fully 9 ft. wide. Includes top wind vents, side zippered windows for efficient airflow and additional visibility, internal pockets for gear and valuables, convenient carry bag and tethers/ground stakes for use when necessary for additional stability. $69.99

I am SO STOKED about the Sport-Brella XL!! We love camping, fishing, and going to the beach, but all of those activities can truly stink when it is 95 degrees and sunny. Just last year, my middle son almost had heat stroke at Lake Michigan's beach and he is WAY too big for me to carry across the dunes! I'm thrilled to bring the Sport-Brella XL to the Dunes with us this August and to continue to use it for any outdoor events that occur in the elements. If you purchase this, just be sure to take the directions out of the pouch with the stakes. Mine was a little stiff to manipulate, at first but is a breeze to set up now! In fact, we used it this weekend for a bit of shade during our lunch in Six Flags' parking lot. What a help!


The ThermaCell Outdoor Lantern by ThermaCell

The ThermaCELL Outdoor Insect-Repellent Lantern is the best option for keeping mosquitoes and other insects in any outdoor setting. The Patio Lantern is both a powerful insect repellent device and a functional and portable, long-lasting outdoor LED lantern, with both functions being usable separately or together. Providing a 15x15 ft mosquito-free zone, it is 98% effective (tested and used by the Department of Defense and the United States Army), making it the most effective insect repellent device on the market. It is also non-toxic, safe and non-intrusive, being DEET-free, silent, portable and odor free. Weighs only 13 ounces. $31.99

I wish we'd had this lantern 2 weeks ago. The mosquitoes were terrible with all of the rain! I know it will only get worse, and when we're within the woods at a campsite, it can be something FIERCE, even with bug spray and long clothing on. It's small enough to put on our table without overwhelming our personal space, which, when you're camping, is a BIG DEAL. The Thermacell Lantern is just what our family needed; not only for campsites, but also our backyard!

Peekaru Ozone by TogetherBe Baby

Peekaru Ozone lets parents take their baby out in the sunshine without worrying about sun damage or having to apply chemical sunscreens. The Peekaru Ozone is a uniquely breathable and lightweight baby carrier sun cover that attaches securely over any soft baby carrier, keeping baby shaded and cool. Can also be attached to any standard car seat or stroller. The super soft, moisture-wicking fabric blocks 95% of the sun's UVA and UVB rays while keeping baby cool and comfortable. Fits babies from birth through two years with an adjustable bottom that easily and securely cinches up for use with small babies, and lets out to accommodate babies' legs as they grow. $44.95

I cannot wait to see my little nephew using this product! It's so incredibly hot and his skin is so incredibly fair that his parents need to be super careful with him. Knowing that they can take him out without either burning his skin or suffocating him from attempting to protect him from the UV rays is comforting to this Auntie.Chicken in the Car and the Car Won't Go

I am so happy to review this new book (only released 6 weeks ago and not even in stores yet!) written by my blogger friend, Melisa Wells. With about 200 activities for tweens, teens, children and adults, this book's range spans across the entire Chicagoland area, city and suburbs. It includes detailed information regarding pricing, parking, and appropriateness for age ranges. It also provides many phone, address, and website addresses for a fully cooperative book. (I just love it when everything I need is right in front of me, without having to search for the details!)

You can purchase it on Amazon or buy a signed copy from the website, chickeninthecar.com.

I hope that these reviews were helpful to many of you! I also hope that you stick around and check out my little corner of the blog-o-sphere. Thanks for reading and have a fabulous day!


Disclaimer: I was provided with these products for free with the understanding that I would honestly review them on NBC 5 and also on my blog. All opinions are my own and no monetary compensation was exchanged.

Say Hallo to Mah Leel Frend...

Hallo, ladies! Zey call me Mr. Rooter, but zees feels so formal, no? Please, call me Antoine. I want you to feel comfortable around me. Tell me your deepest secrets and most intense desires. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

It was weeth great excitement and mild trepidation that I attended the Midwest Media Summit in Chicago on Saturday. When I opened mah eye,* I could not believe mah luck! 100 beeeutiful women in one room? And all of them yearning to hold me in their hands?
Sidney fell in love with me. It's true! And what can I say to such a lovely woman? Sidney, no matter how far away you are, you will always be close to mah heart, too. Oh-ho-hoh... The memories shared from our moments at the summit will carry me through ze most deesgusting clogs...
... Though I must admit being a beet, how you say? Confus-ed? Yes, confused by zis Tweeeeter everyone was ooohing and aaahing about. Why a tiny screen when you have me, Antoine Rooter, around to entertain your twitchy fingers? Mah confusion has NOTHING to do with my lack of opposable thumbs, deespite vat Miss Tracey likes to claim! I say, Leeeve your life! Do not vaste it twitting and tweeting and chirping like leeetle birdies!
I must confess: I have a zing for zah blondes, too. Miss Melanie.... Mmmm-mmm. She makes my plunger happy.

The women of the table felt the need to compare my plunger size to the size of their, um... Vell. You can fill in the blanks. I was embarrassed, to say the least, especially when they pulled out ze cameras, but never like to deesapoint a woman. I did mah best. They left happily surpirised. ;)
Sigh... Again. It is ze bane of an action figure's existence that we must, how you say, acquiesce to a human's desires. Miss Rita could not control herself. Mah plunger has zees affect on women. I cannot help it!
Who knew zat these "Mommy Bloggers" could exhaust a leetle plastic man so thoroughly? Zey Do! Not! Stop! Enough with ze giggling and tossing and bending of mah arms! Give a plumber a break, ladies!


*Sadly, Mr. Rooter is a one-eyed action figure. We try not to make too much of an issue out of it. He's already self-conscious enough about his, um, "size."

**My own apologies to Mr. Rooter if this post isn't quite as appropriate as they would like. I honestly toned it down. This IS the PG version, believe it or not...