Favorite Things Friday

Favorite Things Friday

Favorite Chicago Bars..

So I have been to a few bars in Chicago..and here are a few that I just keep on going back to for their beer, ambiance, and beer.

Cork and Kerry.  Western Avenue favorite.  Went here for the Big 21, and keep going back.  Took my friend Sarah here for a Bears game not too long ago..good times!

Billy Goat.  Where else in Chicago can you go, drink some Schlitz on tap, get a great burger, and pet a live goat?  Hands down awesome.

Hub 51.  And not just because one of my best friends works here!  Went here for brunch last Super Bowl Sunday.  It may have to be a tradition.  Best breakfast sandwiches, bloody mary's, and well..it is just a pretty cool place to be any time of day.

Goose Island.  Great Beer, great burgers..but mostly great beer.  Love both locations!

Signature Lounge, John Hancock.  Whenever I have friends in town, I take them here.  Best view of the city, and uber strong martinis. 


Andy, Ellen, Me, Katie at Hub 51 after the Dining In




Me and Sarah at Cork and Kerry..Bears!!



Col, Me, Best Beer Man Ever, Jen at the Billy Goat.  Awful Photo, but you can tell we were having fun and a bit of Schlitz.



Julie, Liz, Me at the Signature Lounge. 



Ellen, Jon, Me at Goose Island.  Saying goodbye to the awesome Chaps!

Washington!!

I went to Washington State for a couple of days to visit my oldest brother and his family.  Love visiting and being Auntie Mega-Mega (nickname I got because S couldn't say Megan).  They live about 2 hours away from Seattle proper via car, a little closer via ferry.  My brother and I took the ferry one day to Pike Place Market, to look around and explore.  He hadn't taken the ferry or gone to Seattle yet, and we wanted to check it out before they went and had a few kids in tow. 

I never realized how rainy Washington was until I got there.  They always say, rain rain rain.  They were right.  I saw sunlight for a whole 10 minutes in 6 days.  How depressing. 

Here are a few great photos I took from that day!!



Start of the Ferry Ride



Love this Market..fresh seafood!



Market




Bought some salmon, crab, halibut..



Love this Raspberry Lambic

10 minutes of sunshine



Wine I bought to go with the halibut.  Yum!!



Happy Birthday!!!

To me!  I have to say, I usually hate my birthday because most folks forget about it being so close to Christmas.  The joys of being a Christmas baby :)  The past couple of years have been great because one of my brothers and my SIL take me out for dinner and just relax.  My favorite tradition from Birthday past was when my family and I would grab breakfast at this restaurant called the Golden Shell (South East Side of Chicago).  It is closed now, but I hear that the kids of the owners opened up a place in Indiana.  I may have to try it out.  It was a family style breakfast..just platefuls of amazing breakfast food!  It was nice to sit around that place, relax, and just have some seriously amazing food. 

Looking forward to a low key day and a 312 after work! Although I just had this in Seattle, and must find it in Chicago.

Washington..

I travelled to Washington to visit my oldest brother on the 23rd.  It has been a whirlwind of kids games, wii, cooking, etc the entire time.  Love these two kids!!  They are so smart, and got so big over the past year. 

I have a feeling I will be coming back to Chicago with tons of yummy recipes from my SIL and her mom.  I can't wait to make her pepper steak and barley soup!

Will write more and post photos when I get to back to Chicago!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas from Seattle!  I'll be visiting family here, spending time with two of the cutest kids in the world. 

I have spent the past few Christmas's all over the world.  2006-Hawaii, 2007-Oman, 2008-San Diego, 2009-Yokohama, 2010-Seattle. 

Hoping that today looks a little like this...

Thomas Kinkade

I love Thomas Kinkade.  Someday I will actually splurge and buy one or two of his paintings.  They are simply amazing.

Favorite Things Friday

Favorite places I have visited!  I have been around the world and back a few times with my travels on my own, and with the Navy.  I want to go back to each of these places again, along with some other places I want to visit!

My top 5 are:

1.      Dubai.  I went here twice, and would gladly fly back on my own.  The resorts, shopping, and food were amazing!  Dubai Mall was a cool attraction, complete with its own ski slope inside.  I wouldn’t recommend it, but it is a sight to see! The best part of the trip was a day at Wild Wadi Water Park.  Most of the ship went there multiple times. Best.Waterslides.Ever! I stayed at the Dubai Beach Marine Resort and Spa.  Quite possibly the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at.  Beautiful. 

2.      Rome.  I have been here twice, and loved each trip.  I have been to Italy five times, and Rome is just an amazing city.  So much history, so much beauty, and who can forget the food?  I will never forget the little pizzeria near the Colosseum.  I go there every time I visit!

3.      Paris.  I lived here the summer after I completed my freshman year of college.  I studied a history class here, and had my own apartment.  We travelled throughout the country, and I have to say my favorite parts were visiting the art museums, and Normandy.  The art museums such as the Louvre, are so huge, I would go after class and look at the art again and again.  Normandy was just simply breathtaking.  To walk on the same beaches and traverse near the concertina wire still standing there, so many years later…words can’t do it justice.

4.      Napa Valley, California.  Wine, wine, wine.  I was here for a day, and want to go back! 

5.      Yokohama.  I went here last year to visit my brother at Christmas.  Got to see some great things, and discover my love for Chu-hi.  I would love to go back again in the spring to see the cherry blossoms..and someday climb Mount Fuji!

Always Love a Good Deal..

So I am notorious at work for being "the girl who knows where to get a deal in Chicago" and "where to go in Chicago".  I live in the Windy City, but don't work here..and have a helluva commute every day, which is worth it!

I look at a few different websites every day (seems crazy I know, but I love to save money on stuff I do, or stuff I'd like to do).

My all time favorite is Groupon.  I have gotten so many good deals from them, what's not to love?  Cubs Rooftop tickets (uber cheap), 1/2 off at restaurants, $25 for $50 of clothes at the Gap, so on and so on.  Their deals are good for one day only, which is why I check it first thing in the am.  This way I don't miss out on anything.  So sometimes my friends get early morning texts asking if they are game for a rooftop game.  Sorry!!!  But I don't want to miss out on saving so much money on something so awesome.  By the way, if you haven't gone to a rooftop game, you are missing out.  I should put that on my bucket list even though I have been to 2, but I could always go to one more?!?


I also check out Tippr, Living Social, and You Swoop.  These websites aren't Chicago-centric, although You Swoop is. 

I bet you can find one thing you could use every week from one of these sites.  Now I am just trying to use up my restaurant vouchers.  Anyone want to do lunch or dinner at Berghoff?!?

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