so, as some of you know, this week was a little bit blergy for me. nothing in particular happened; just lots of little things added up.
well, poor simon had to hear me whine all week, so when he came home last night he immediately launched the "grumpiness recovery program."
part one, focus on the positives:
1. we are planning a mini-moon to chicago next month. we're going to explore the windy city for a few days and eat our weight in pizza. (chicago recommendations welcome!)
2. tomorrow we are going to visit some friends who have a new puppy. i can't wait to meet him.
3. whenever we talk about growing old together, simon busts out this heavy new england "old man" voice and talks about "kids these days". it makes me laugh so hard. i love him.
part two is to have fun: we're going to eat mexican food tonight, watch a silly movie tomorrow, take lots of pictures and maybe, just maybe... bake some red velvet cupcakes.
(photo credit: antufev)
That sounds like one of the best "grumpiness recovery programs" I've ever heard of! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely positive list! i hope you have loads of fun, and loads rest from the more stressful parts of your life.
ReplyDeletelove
-bree
I love when that special someone can cheer me up! This is an awesome "grumpiness recovery program."
ReplyDeleteI adore Simon!!!!!!!! Sending all my Austin sunshine to you this weekend, my love :)
ReplyDeleteIt seems like everyone's down in the dumps lately. At least the weather seems to be improving everywhere!
ReplyDeleteI'm from Chicago, so if you haven't already firmed up your pizza-eating plans I recommend Pizzeria Uno or Pizzeria Due. They're like kitty-corner to each other and I think owned by the same people, so if one's too crowded you can hop on over to the other.
Best. Chicago. Pizza. Ever. Actually, best pizza ever. Now I'm hungry for pizza!
Enjoy your trip!
sooo sweet and adorable. have a good weekend + enjoy all the little positives!
ReplyDeleteUm, I fully support this program!
ReplyDeletexo
Suggestions for your mini-moon.
ReplyDeleteEat - Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. (http://www.chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com/)
Shop - Bucktown (Damen Blue Line Stop)
Read - Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
View - Hancock Building
Museum - Chicago Historical Society (http://www.chicagohistory.org/)
Beer - Sheffield's in Lakeview or HopLeaf in Andersonville
Cocktail - Potter's Lounge (Palmer House Hilton) or Signature Room (Hancock Building)
nicole, thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteMy husband is from Chicago, so we're there all the time.
ReplyDeleteAnd every SINGLE time we go, I force him to order me some Lou Malnati's pizza. I swear you won't be disappointed. There's one on Well's downtown and a few others dotted around the city (and the burbs, too!).
Enjoy your weekend!!
Ain't nothing like a big old Snickers bar to get Rondell in a better frame of mind!
ReplyDeleteOoh - I second Nicole's Hopleaf suggestion! It's so wonderful! We're hoping to move to Andersonville soon. I'll live vicariously through you if you end up going there!
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Violet Hour (on North Damen - www.theviolethour.com) is a great place if your in the mood for some serious cocktail-ing.
I could go on and on with suggestions here, so I'll stop for now. Again, just have a blast and let Chicago help you stay in a positive frame of mind.
Nina ~ No problem. Let me know if you need any other suggestions or have any questions about Chicago. Avoid Navy Pier. I know it's a Chicago landmark but it's a bit of a tourist trap and the Ferris Wheel is super slow.
ReplyDeletehow fun!! my hubby and i LOVED giordano's pizza, seriously delicious...it takes 45 minutes to cook your pizza but SO worth the wait!
ReplyDeletealso, if you have time, you should visit billy goat tavern, delicious burgers and quite the experience (if you've ever seen the SNL skit from back in the day, you know what i'm talking about!)
by far my favorite pizza place in chicago:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com/
enjoy your stay!
My S and I had Mexican for lunch and let me tell you, talk about a mood enhancer. Nothing like some good tacos and burritos, laughing, and good chats. Yes!
ReplyDeleteOh man, I hope those red velvet cupcakes get made. My favorite favorite kind of cupcake:)
Enjoy that PUPPY! Have a great weekend, glad Simon can bring out the positive in you!
(My comment is so food heavy woops! You'd think I couldn't talk about it anymore after stuffing my face with Mexican, sigh)
It sounds as if your weekend will be perfect...and now I'm craving pizza and mexican! LOL!
ReplyDeletethank you for reminding me to be positive. :)
ReplyDeletegreat list.
enjoy all the good things in your life. ♥
**dont forget to enter in my necklace giveaway**
Hehe "grumpiness recovery program." Love it.
ReplyDeleteyeah chicago !
ReplyDeletewe used to live there and downtown was a great spot and for the life of me...old age actually...I can't remember it...but you really can't go wrong eating ANYWHERE in chicago !!!
haha the "grumpiness recovery program". that is the sweetest thing I've ever heard. focusing on the positives is great advice! have so much fun being un-grumpy :) happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteHaha that is brilliant. I hope the weekend goes really well. And seeing a puppy is possibly the best thing, to get rid of grumpiness!
ReplyDeleteOh, Nina, I'd be happy to give you Chicago recommendations! If you want, let me know what sort of things you'd like to do, and I'll give you places. Though, I do admit to being quite possibly the only Chicagoan who absolutely despises Chicago-style pizza, so I will not be making recommendations in that category :)
ReplyDelete(oh, but agreed with whoever said it up there, definitely go to the Violet Hour, it's amazing. Just try to avoid it on a weekend night, or you'll be waiting in line forever!)
what a treat to stumble upon your beautiful blog! I'm a lifelong Chicagoan who just moved to Manhattan, and oh how I miss it... Since you're a fellow coffee afficionado, you MUST have Intelligentsia - their cafe at 55 East Randolph is a block away from the amazing Millenium Park (hopefully the weather will accommodate walking), and next to the beautiful/historic Chicago Cultural Center, which is FREE and is always crammed with great exhibits and events.
ReplyDeletePizza? Deep dish - Lou Malnati's. Thin crust (and 1000 times better) - Spaca Napoli at Sunnyside and Ravenswood on the North Side.
Shopping on Armitage: Chocolate at Vosges, shoes at Lori's and make your own handbag at 1154 Lill :) have fun!
nina,
ReplyDeletei'm excited that you are going to come visit my hometown! i'm assuming that you'll be staying somewhere in/around downtown?
michigan ave is beautiful, but the stores are mainly ones you'll find in any big city (saks, nordstrom, gap, etc).
there are a lot of food options on rush street, and i love people watching, especially on a nice day. ;)
i agree with nicole, have a cocktail or two at the top of hancock building. the view from there is amazing!
there are a lot of cute boutiques in old town on wells street, and getting there will be easy if you are downtown.
i think one of the best things about chicago is the different neighborhoods. you really get a feel for the diversity of the city. if you have time in your schedule, visit andersonville (clark street)-lots of independent shops line the old swedish neighborhood. :) have a great time...i'll be looking forward to hearing about your trip! :)
great list!! Have a fun trip!!
ReplyDeleteNina, I have something for you on my blog!
ReplyDeleteNina, I am from Chicago, too, and my all-time favorite pizza is Giordanos. (http://www.giordanos.com/) Truly, an experience worth every calorie. :)
ReplyDeleteI also love the Chicago Art Institute, the Adler Planetarium, and Second City.
i just went to chicago this past weekend! it's such a fantastic city.. i would love to move there. for pizza, i would recommend gino's east. also, if you want some good authentic Mexican, check out Zocalo on Ontario. And be sure to get their Esquites (fire-roasted corn). Soooo good.
ReplyDeleteDan and I used to live in Chicago, so I could give you many recommendations! I'd say for a minimoon, a romantic afternoon thing we loved to do was go to the Music Box theater. It's a really special place that plays old movies. Also Orange is my favorite brunch spot — and don't pass up the juice or the fruit sushi.
ReplyDeleteHere's a few Chicago Recs... since I may be the second person in Chicago that dislikes Chicago style pizza I'll say go for chinese at Ben Pao on W. Illinois they have the most awesome egg rolls! And definatly check out the Ledge at the Sears Tower well now Willis Tower it's a trip! Also there's a super cute shop on State Street that I think you may like its called P.O.S.H www.poshchicago.com
ReplyDeleteHave a super fun mini-moon!!
You HAVE to go to Giordanno's for pizza. It is the best deep dish I've ever had.
ReplyDelete