Chicago..my kind of town

I heart Chicago. I always have - the first time I went was in my early teen years and I remember falling in love then. There's just an energy in the city that can't be ignored, awesome shopping everywhere you look and the best pizza a girl could ask for!
I went to Chicago for a work trip on Tuesday, and on Thursday night the H drove up (it's only 4 hours or so) and we spent the weekend just walking (a LOT of walking!) around the city and of course, eating.

Thursday night we went to my all-time favorite non-pizza restaurant, Kuma's Corner. Seriously, if you are in Chicago you HAVE to check this place out! On a Thursday night it was pretty crowded and we had to wait about 45 minutes but the wait is definitely worth it. This place is a no-nonsense, heavy metal, ink-filled establishment (no Metallica or Megadeth haters). The service is always great and I can't say enough about the food! My favorite is the"Iron Maiden" a burger (veggie for me) with avocado, chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese. I am actually salivating thinking about it! My husband got the "Slayer" which is fries covered with burger, chili, peppers, onions, and anger. Yes, anger.

The next day we walked downtown, shopped and ate pizza! Below is our all-time favorite pizza place, Geno's East. In all fairness, we tried a couple other places and while they were OK but nothing compares to Geno's.

Geno's East

All in all, we had a great time but it was nice to get back home to the animals and a routine! :)

I've been MIA

This year is flying by! I can't believe it is May already. I've had a busy couple of weeks, with some busier weeks ahead. Last weekend a friend, her aunt, and I went to Greenville, South Carolina to visit my friend's mom. We had a lovely time and were able to pack a lot into just three days. Some trip activities included an all-day shopping trip to the local outlet mall, white water rafting, and a trip to downtown Greenville.


I've been trying to curb my spending (at least a little) because of our upcoming Europe trip, and the fact I really want a Kindle/Nook and a new iPhone. HOWEVER, I did make a quick trip to Sephora because they had a sun kit that included a bunch of great items for only THIRTY DOLLARS!!

photo: Sephora.com

Can you believe the awesome price on this?? I haven't used many of the products yet, only the bare essentials mineral veil (love) and the sugar lip balm.
Lets talk about the Sugar lip balm, shall we? I've been reading about this in the blogisphere for a while now but haven't been able to fork over the $20-something dollars for lip balm I will most likely lose. I have to say that my sugar balm is still securely tucked in its own special pocket in my purse. I haven't lost it yet, so that's a sure sign it's a winner! It goes on really smooth and my lips stay soft for hours afterwards.


I hope everyone had a great Monday!



-A