Weekend Pause Button

 
Last weekend was one of those weekends I wish had a pause button and now that we have a few inches of snow on the ground, I really wish that there was pause button because those 60 degree days were glorious. But until the next thaw comes, I will remember the glass of wine I drank outside with this view and our trip to the Milk Room. Spending time outside in February just feels like the craziest gift, you know? If you don’t know, look out the window at that white stuff and we’ll be on the same page.

Sidebar: The Milk Room, an 8 seat cocktail bar in the Chicago Athletic Association, is one of the coolest places we have ever been too. Formerly the teeny room used to store milk in the early 1900s / booze during Prohibition, it now houses a cocktail experience…which sounds like a weird thing to say but when you’re drinking Campari from the 1970s, Bourbon from the 50s, listening the Bob Dylan on vinyl and learning about it all from the single bartender with only candles lighting the way, it’s an experience. An extravagant experience but a date that will rank the top of our list for years to come. 

 

Makeover Time

Good morning, kittens (that’s my mom’s new kitty Vincent).

El blog is going to get a much needed update and as a result, will be down for a few days. Just a Chi Town Girl recently turned 5 and homegirl is in need of a makeover. The next time you see us, we will be all spruced up and ready to go with more of what you’ve come to expect on this blog (Chicago love, food, health, cats) and some new content I am really excited about.

As always, thank you for reading and I’ll catch you soon!

Xo
Nina

A Weekend Away- Kohler, WI

This weekend was one for the books.

Ryan and I took off to Wisconsin for a much needed getaway. Since the honeymoon, we have both pretty much been working around the clock and it was time to…relax. Have some fun. Be together.

You guys, it’s fall in Wisconsin. The drive to Kohler was stunning and it felt so good to see…trees. I am not relinquishing my status as a city girl and our weekend was not rustic by any means but being outside, walking on leaves, and seeing a big sky of stars at night refreshed me in a way I didn’t know I needed.

My sweet husband planned the weekend, most likely because he wanted to get in as much golf as possible, but I felt so cared for by his plans. The spa at Kohler was amazing, our meal at The Immigrant Room goes down as one of the top 5 meals of my life and trap shooting for the first time was a blast but there’s nothing like time together. It’s a special day when you wake up with your person and think “what fun thing should we do today?”.

I walked with him while he played 18 holes of golf and friends, karma paid me back within hours…we were having a nightcap when a group of broadway performers and investors started a singalong. My heart beats fast just thinking about it. Holding hands with my husband while belting out “Seasons of Love” and various selections from The Sound of Music while drinking a manhattan is pretty much my version of heaven on earth.

I know you can’t call tradition after only doing it once but we recapped the weekend on the drive home the way we talked about our wedding on our honeymoon so I think a weekend in the sweet village of Kohler needs to be our fall tradition. Or at least more weekends entirely governed by togetherness and fun.

You are, you know.

A Friday morning reminder.

Serial Podcast

Have you guys been listening to “Serial“? It’s this weekly podcast that unfolds a nonfiction story over the course of a season and this season, the episodes explore a murder that happened in Maryland in 1999. The person investigating doesn’t know much more than the listener so you’re essentially discovering things together and I am fascinated. I don’t like SVU or other tv shows like that but this is just interesting and such a smart idea to bring the television episode format to podcasts.

I couldn’t wait for the latest Serial episode to come out this morning and to listen to it on my morning walk. I imagine the look on my face was super funny with all of the twists and turns happening in the story and I may have sworn out loud when it ended because it was really starting to ramp up.

You can download it for free in iTunes.

Everyone Loves Flowers

Spotted this truthbomb of a sign yesterday and couldn’t agree more. I love getting flowers, sending flowers, buying flowers, you name it.

In case you need to do any of the above, here are my favorite bloom spots:

A New Leaf: a splurge but truly exceptional arrangements.

Ashland Addison Floral: I received the most incredible rose arrangement from a friend the week of our wedding from this shop and the people who work here are beyond nice.

Mariano’s: the best deal out there and I am so in love with mix and matching from their huge pick your own section. Oh and a dozen roses are 10 bucks. This is my go-to for keeping fresh flowers in my house.

The Bouqs: when you need to get flowers to a non-local address, this online flower company your best bet. Lots of options and no hidden fees.

Lentil Stew

Some nights when it comes time to make dinner, I hit starvation city and dinner becomes a veggie burger and baked potato kind of situation. Tonight, however, I was poised and ready to go for lentil stew and was reminded that cooking during the week doesn’t have to be complicated or take forever. Tonight’s meal was satisfying, healthy and I have enough to get me through the rest of the week so if I do hit starvation city, I won’t have to dive for the freezer. Jackpot.

Lentil Stew
I bag of lentils
Vegetable broth
4 carrots
1 red pepper
I can cannellini beans
5 leaves of kale
Salt & pepper

Boil the lentils in the vegetable broth, then add the carrots. Cook for 20 minutes and then add everything else. Season to taste. Cook until lentils have softened and add water until you get the consistency you want- I like mine more stew like but you could definitely add more water or broth to get soup.

Well, in that case, I respectfully decline this opportunity for employment.

Fireplace Season

We’re officially in fireplace season, folks. Thai takeout, a few pumpkin beers and blankets in front of the fireplace felt so cozy last night but I can’t help but feel like it’s a little early for it to be so cold.

The Sun-Times agrees– apparently, the last time it was as cold as it was on Friday, the Cubs had won 100 games. Aka 1935. Which speaks to how cold it was on Saturday and how bad the Cubs have been for a very long time.

Sort-of related: we watched The Chef last night on our cozy fire spree and absolutely loved it. So funny, awesome cast, Jon Favreau wrote, directed and started in it and it just the perfect ending to the weekend. It did, however, make me sort of want to quit my job and open a food truck…

2 Great Things I Read This Week

I don’t know if it is the changing of seasons but it seems like every other conversation I have had these past few days has consisted of someone saying something to the extent of “What am I doing with my life?!?”. Not necessarily in a bad way but it feels like there’s a lot of introspection happening as leaves are starting to turn and begin their descent to the ground.

And real talk: I ponder, question, reflect or panic about something about my life on most days that end in y.

Should you be in a similar boat, I read two things this week that I loved.

“The Crossroads of Should and Must” literally stopped me in my tracks. I am not good with should, I don’t exist well or fully in obligation but must, must isn’t something I have thought much of.

Must is different—there aren’t options and we don’t have a choice. Must is who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest, most authentic self. It’s our instincts, our cravings and longings, the things and places and ideas we burn for, the intuition that swells up from somewhere deep inside of us.

“7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose” is a little more irreverent…and like most things worthwhile, will require some work. #2 made me feel pretty good because my 8 year old self would be really glad I still write (I was the journal and silly story queen as a kid) and she would also probably be happy I still sing along to West Side Story on a regular basis but #4 (How Can You Better Embarrass Yourself)…that is not even a work in progress. As a friend observed recently, I don’t get messy very often. Yes, I embarrass myself because I trip often or when my stories get awkwardly long but in terms of real vulnerability, not so much.

But I think it all comes down to #6:

6. GUN TO YOUR HEAD, IF YOU HAD TO LEAVE THE HOUSE ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, WHERE WOULD YOU GO AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Whoa.

So, read this and this if you are need a little push to get you thinking about life-related things. And let me know if you discover anything big.