So, the deals are done. Maybe you scored something good, or avoided it. I’ve scoured the Twittersphere to relax and unwind:
@ChicagoPrime: Come to “Black Friday Specials all weekend long” Friday, November 25 at 3:00 pm until Sunday, November 27 at… http://t.co/8VMwWpeS
@Sunda: Heading out for Black Friday? Bring in a shopping receipt and receive $15 off of lunch!
@PinstripesBBB: BLACK FRIDAY shopping?!?! Bring in your holiday shopping receipts during lunch or dinner and receive a… http://t.co/6Gx8KQzN
@CarlucciRest: Get ready to eat & shop! It’s our Black Friday Menu! $25 3-course dinner menu. Friday thru Sunday (11/25-11/27)
@GooseClybourn: BLACK FRIDAY EXCLUSIVE: http://t.co/A6iaANK1 Join us for the exclusive release of King Henry at our brewpub! #Chicago #craftbeer
Sipping hot, spiced Glühwein on a crisp, cold day. What could be better? Shopping! The annual Christkindlmarket begins on 23 November and will be open through Christmas Eve. Lots of shopping stalls to either buy decorations and gifts, or simply spend a pleasant afternoon with a friend while browsing the stalls, sipping Glühwein to keep warm. Spend as little or as much as you like, so it will always be within your price range.
This German festival is held every year at Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602) and continues to have free admission. It is open from 11 am to 8 pm every day, so you can stop in on the weekends or any day you are in the Loop.
Try the roasted nuts while you are there…freshly roasted and sweetened. YUM!
Your interest in art doesn’t have to be confined to the Monets at the Art Institute [nor should it be!]. But one you get outside of established districts like River North, where do you go?
A favorite is in the Pilsen East neighborhood, which holds court every second Friday [hosted by the Chicago Arts District and the Podmajersky family, who rent out most of the artists' lofts and galleries in this 'hood]. There are some fabulous art/garden spaces here, along with an eclectic crowd with which to mingle and share some Two-Buck Chuck.
What differs about this neighborhood’s galleries is that many change constantly, and are usually not the established artists you find in River North. The result is fresh perspectives and a variety of work.
The galleries are open from 6-10pm (very reasonable hours for a gallery walk!).  The dates for 2010 are: January 8, February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, October 8, November 12 and December 10, and the action starts around Halsted and 18th, going south to around Cermak.
I also suggest checking out Kristoffer’s Cafe, right at 18th and Halsted. The tres leches cake is amazing and addictive [sorry!] and their tamales [Mexican and Mayan] are welcome as it’s a bit of a trek before you hit more restaurants. UIC is also nearby, so there are plenty of other options just a bit north.
Photograph by Wonderlane, available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/5247393335/in/photostream/ under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Mystery shopping: It’s an urban legend, where someone dines at a great restaurant, or shops at a nice store, and gets it all for free, right?
Well, no. It’s actually quite true. But, it’s not as simple as critiquing your waiter or writing up that snotty salesclerk. Some shops can take a great deal of time, sometimes the pay isn’t commensurate with your time outlay, and reimbursements can take up to 90 days or more — if the company is reputable enough to pay you.
The mystery shopping ‘game’ is one I’m rather new to, with around 2 years under my belt. I’m not one of those whose main job is to shop — rather, I’d like to enjoy the various perks and I’m glad to give feedback when it fits in my schedule and it’s something I’d like to do. But I’ve learned a lot and hope it’ll help you in your own quest:
- Read up on it. There are many reputable, amazing companies to work with; not all are this way! Check out the message boards on Volition forums and Mystery Shopping Forum to review which companies pay, pay quickly, and have good shops. I’ve found these both to be excellent guides with honest opinions and experiences. Also be sure they’re part of the MPSA [Mystery Shopping Providers Association].One of the agreements you make with each company is not to disclose with whom you’ve shopped, so you won’t be able to ask “Where can I get in on Cheesecake Factory shops?” without backlash. But, there are designations for companies that do retail, hospitality [yes, that's a free stay at a hotel], fast food, casual dining or fine dining. Once you’re in you can decide if you want to shop a particular place.
- Sign up with as many reputable MSCs [that's "mystery shopping companies"] as possible. Some may not be in your town, but Chicago itself has plenty of shops to go around. Also check the lists on the MSPA site and Volition. You can even search your MSCs for shops while you’re on vacation, or traveling through airports. I’ve listed some favorites below.
- Read the shop materials closely.It may seem crazy, but some MSCs have 8, 15, even 20-page reports for you to file. Many are multiple choice, but often you are expected to write a short essay about different parts of the experience [i.e., was the bathroom clean? Did the hostess greet you naturally? How many customers were there in line ahead of you?].It’s important to purchase the right items, interact as requested and be alert — it’s easy to overlook something small and have your entire shop disqualified. Not fun! Make sure you’re ready to give a full, honest disclosure, and that you cover all the bases. Some things are timed… but you can’t be obvious timing or taking notes. It can be a bit of a juggling act, but with smartphones and watch timers, it’s not too hard to keep up. You also likely will need to give accurate times — to the second at times! — and take those times discreetly. Luckily the fact that most of us are on our phones is a decent cover.
- Keep a record of your shops. A spreadsheet or some sort of system to keep track of the shops you are going to do and those you’ve done is helpful for later questions and to be sure you’ve been paid.
Leftovers: we all have them and a lot of us don’t think of them fondly. But leftovers don’t have to be the meal we dreaded as kids. With the advent of the Internet, we don’t have to just reheat what we have; instead, we can hit various Web sites and see if there is a tastier way to eat our leftover food.
Instead of forcing yourself to eat too many ham or turkey sandwhiches, continue to enjoy your food by making tasty new meals out of your leftovers.  Here are a few sites that can help:
LeftOver Chef (This site has a nifty search engine where you select a few leftover food items in your kitchen and it provides a recipe that fits.)
Teri’s Kitchen
Love Food Hate Waste
Big Oven (Another site with a leftover search engine.)
Recipe Goldmine
If you have any favorite left over sits, please share!
The fifth annual Andersonville Dessert Crawl will be held on 3 October 2010 from 2-5 p.m.
This just seems like an evil, evil neighborhood to organize a dessert crawl! But if you are planning or attending any holiday parties, this may be a way to sample some desserts for those events without buying huge portions.
Now that summer is almost over, we need to start thinking about indoor events.¬† What type of event is common in the city and in the ‘burbs?¬† Wine tastings!
If you’ve been wondering how I’ve found out about free wine tastings, here is my secret: LocalWineEvents.com.
Visit the website, choose your state (or country), and then the city. Voila, you have a listing of wine events in that area.  Now, beware that most events are NOT free; some are only a few dollars while others cost more than $100 per person.  (We only list the free or cheap Chicago-area events on the Thriftista calendar.)
This is also good if you are travelling — since it lists places from all over the US, Canada, UK, and other international events, check it out before you hit the road.
This site also lists beer tastings and mixing classes, so it is useful to a wide variety of people.
I love fun, swanky events. Better yet, I love fun, swanky events that are free and offer food and drink [even if it's non-alcoholic].
Kenmore Live Studios has been popping up in conversations for a while now from friends “in the know.” I know, I know, who’s more in the know than your Thriftistas? It boggles the mind…
To showcase their home appliances while simultaneously sharing delicious food from area restaurants and chefs, Kenmore has really upped the ante in terms of cool ideas. There are even area bands providing entertainment outside of chef demos, which kept a huge crowd hanging out before the River North clubs open up.
We Thriftistas happened by the event late this past Saturday night, so we missed out on awesome cupcakes from Roscoe Village’s own Bleeding Heart Cupcakes [and a baking demo by Michelle Garcia], but we enjoyed coffee and seltzer while wandering their exhibits, including the opportunity to color-stain a dress and several multimedia kiosks and appliances.
So, get there early!
There’s much interaction on the Live Studio’s Facebook page [hello great way to connect with your potential customers via social media!] including voting on upcoming events. Upcoming: July 22 “Sweet Designs” with Sugarbliss Cake Boutique and July 31 Sears Chef Challenge.
The Live Studio runs from 7-9pm on Weds.-Sun. at 678 N. Wells [at Huron]. You will need to “sign in” when you enter [on iPads, natch] so remember your freebie email address.
The line starts behind me!
The Long Grove Strawberry Fest is a tradition in the northwest suburbs.  People may not make it every year, but most people manage to go every few years.  Not surprisingly, The Long Grove Confectionery is a draw at this eventРtheir chocolate covered strawberries are expensive but worth a splurge.
Entrance is free, but hide your wallet while you browse through the rest of the shops.  The are galleries, vendors, kitschy stores, and lots to see in this historic district.
This year the event is from 25-27 June 2010.  Not far from Rt. 53 and Lake Cook Rd., this is a great time of year for a little sceneryРin particular, the daffodils on the side of the road.
