From the category archives:
Ladies who work or live near Schaumburg may be interested in the (not quite) monthly Girls Night Out at Chandlers. The next event in 2012 will be held on 26 January from 5-9 p.m. Admission and appetizers are free (we always like that word!) and there is a cash bar.
This looks like a fun way to check out fashion, cosmetics, handbags and other female guilty pleasures.
Chandler Chop House is located at 401 N. Roselle Rd. in Schaumburg.
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Millennium Park has many free events almost any night of the week — yes, even in the winter! Personally I’m intrigued by the “Cabaret With a View” where you sit on the enclosed stage of the Pritzker Pavilion in a climate-controlled environment.
Check out the fabulous events. Don’t forget your wine and a picnic!
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One of the “joys” of home ownership is keeping your place in shape, or improving what you already have.
Fortunately, Home Depot has regular workshops and “do-it-herself” with a lot of options, and you can have no knowledge to get started. Best of all, they’re free and signing up for the club gets you future discounts. I’ve highlighted a few:
January workshops:
Storage and closet organization solutions
February workshops:
Install a vanity, faucet & bath accessories
And a “do-it-herself” workshop is in February: How to install crown molding
There also are online tutorials, like affordable kitchen updates.
Another Home Depot tip: hang on to your receipt if you purchase plants. They’re returnable if they die within a year, so if you don’t have that green of a thumb, you can replace it!
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Interested in ballet? Want the background scoop? If so, then lucky you for living in (or near) Chicago! The Joffrey Ballet offers free tours on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Although they are free, you can’t just pop in– you have to call at least a few days in advance and reserve a spot as space is limited.
Another neat thing they offer? Lunchtime lectures…These aren’t regularly scheduled, so you will have to check their website (and again, contact them in advance).
Phone: 312.386.8921
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Perhaps you’re like me and forgot to send cards. Or finances just don’t allow you to send greetings to everyone on your list.
What with Hallmark going pay-for-play on their excellent e-cards, and most e-card sites having some truly craptastic designs [sorry, that's as nice as i get with some of these monstrosities!] I’ve put together a list of great sites and who they serve:
For your fun/silly friends/coworkers or if your boss has a sense of humor/you want to get fired:
DoodleWhore [yes, that's its name!]
More “traditional,” good for granny:
Care2 [these earn credits that can go toward charities]
You can also create your own with Smilebox, for Mac or PC. Or do slideshows, scrapbooks, etc.
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Zoo lights aren’t just for kids! If you haven’t been to Lincoln Park Zoo in a while, try their unique zoo lights experience of touring the zoo after dark, with special holiday lights.
Displaying on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from Nov. 25-27, Dec. 2-4, 9-11, and nightly Dec. 16–Jan. 1 (excluding Dec. 24 & 25)– 5pm to 9 pm.
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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!
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I just learned something new about the city…some willing citizens volunteer to give free tours of touristy areas of the city. Right now (Nov. 2011), InstaGreeter tours are being offered for The Loop and for the Mag Mile. Each tour is an hour long and they are….FREE!!!!!!
Loop tours: Friday – Sunday, tour start times are 10 am – 3 pm. Tours are limited to 6 people and are first- come-first-served. They start at Chicago Cultural Center Visitor Information Center, 77 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60602.
Mag Mile tours: From 12 Nov to 31 Dec 2011, this tour is available Fridays and Saturdays, 10 am – 3 pm start times. Tours are limited to 6 people and are first- come-first-served. They start at Water Works Visitor Information Center, 163 E. Pearson St., Chicago IL, 60611.
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The Museum of Contemporary Art is launching an interesting series of arts events in October called Tuesdays in the Cafe. The MCA is free on Tuesdays, so unless you purchase something from Puck’s Cafe, it’s completely free. All start at 6pm and run every month through April 2012.
First Tuesdays – Doodleganza - they supply the art supplies and it’s hands-on! Some “special activities” happen too, but the information is not too specific on what.
Second Tuesdays - Culture Catalysts: Chicago’s Movers and Shakers - “Meet the artists featured in our Chicago Works series and others who influence arts and culture in Chicago”
Third Tuesdays - Internet Superheros Art and Tech -“Explore the intersection between art, technology and the internet”
Fourth Tuesdays - Face the Strange, New Music from Chicago and Beyond - One hour sets of music
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Our old post highlighted the easiest ways to get some cheap Starbucks access. But since June of 2010, it’s free, baby!
Don’t neglect to check out these other freebies while you’re there:
And don’t forget to put $5 on a Starbucks card to get a free drink card in the mail and on your birthday [more bday freebies here].
I’m at Starbucks enough [sadly] to be asked how to connect to wifi almost every time. And more than one person has asked if it’s expensive, or gets frustrated by the process of signup! Here, hopefully, a guide to make it easier [and to make it a bit cheaper]. Obviously, print it out before you head out!
First off, there are 2 options for wifi at Starbucks: AT&T and T-Mobile.
FREE: If you have AT&T wireless or DSL service at home, you can use your email login and password to use it for free ‚Äîno purchase required! Your guilt in using valuable Starbucks real estate might prevent this, but I’ll leave that to you.
Cheapo: You can…
Others can use 2 hours for $3.99, and option I haven’t used as $5/mo is far more useful and a better deal [plus, that $5 can go toward a product and not just internet service].
Keep in mind that with both of these, the 2 hr warning is basically a warning ‚Äî they aren’t [so far, thankfully!] cutting you off just yet.
Free: For T-Mobile customers, you can use the wifi for free here. This seems to only work on my phone ‚Äî does anyone have other experiences? It thus far hasn’t transferred to my laptop, but you can always tether your phone to your laptop for a connection. For Mac tethering, and PC tethering.
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