Chicago, IL

After all of the stress that comes with the holidays, like shopping, decorating, and baking, you should treat yourself. While some people may think it is a treat to get a massage or pedicure, when I want to treat myself, I think chocolate. Here are some great ways that you can treat yourself in Chicago this year, with a chocolate theme.

Fannie May Chocolate Ferry
Take the Chicago Water taxi on the weekends between now and December 23rd and not only will you get a free ride, you will also get free Fannie May Chocolate samples. This is a good way to get from downtown to Michigan Avenue shopping. You will also get a coupon for a free cup of hot chocolate at the Fannie May flagship store at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive.

Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge
Yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds. There are several locations, hopefully one near you. I have been to the one at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, where my husband and I shared chocolate fondue. It was “research” because we planned to have a chocolate fountain at our wedding and we needed to know what tasted good dipped in chocolate. Of course the answer was “everything” and we ended up not using the fountain, but it was well worth the trip.

I have also stopped by the location at the 900 N Michigan building for a hot chocolate. Also recommended. They have comfortable chairs, so you can just stop in, get a delicious chocolate treat and rest your tired feet for awhile.

Ghiradelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop
830 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Walk into this chocolate heaven and you will get a free sample of one of their signature chocolate squares. My favorite is the one with caramel, but they are all pretty great. In addition to chocolate treats, they also have a wide variety of ice cream products, like shakes and sundaes. My favorite is the World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae. I highly recommend it.

This is the last post in my 12 Days of Chicago series. I hope that I have given you some ideas of fun things that you can do in Chicago this Christmas season. The deadline for the accompanying contest is today at 12:00 p.m. Chicago time. If you have not yet entered, click here for more information.

Chicago, Ethel’s Chocolate Shop, Ghiradelli, chocolate, Fannie Mae

Santa Claus is a very busy man this time of year, but if you want to make sure that he has you on his good list and will be bringing you what you want this Christmas, you may want to steal about of his time.

There are lots of opportunities throughout the city to visit with Santa and his helpers. While visiting Santa in a shopping mall, at Daley Plaza, or at a department store makes for a pretty run-of-the-mill Santa visit, there are some more elaborate ways you can meet with Santa, which makes the season a bit more fun.

One of the oddest ones that I found was a local suburb, Elk Grove Village, actually had a swim with Santa event. It makes me wonder, what exactly Santa wears while swimming? Does he take off his hat? Wear red swim trunks? Or will he just be hanging out while the kids swim?

Swim with Santa
December 16th, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Pavilion Aquatic Center
Elk Grove Village
$7 resident / $10 non-resident (pre-registration required)

Odyssey Cruise brunch with Santa
Three hour event featuring a two hour cruise
December 16th, 11:00 a.m. board time
Shoves off from Navy Pier
$52.90 per adult; $15 per child age 3-11*

Ride the CTA with Santa
Santa and his elves ride specific el trains throughout the holiday season and hand out candy canes.
They ride the trains, a different route depending on the day, from 1:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and 3:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. on certain weekdays. Here are the dates for the remainder of the season:
* December 16 — Brown and Orange Lines
* December 17 — Brown and Orange Lines
* December 18 — Orange Line
* December 20 — Yellow Line
* December 21 — Purple Line Express
* December 22 — Red Line
For more information, visit the CTA website.

There you have it! Three unusual ways to spend some time with Santa this holiday season. Hopefully you can talk him into bringing you a Nintendo Wii.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Chicago, Christmas, Santa Claus, Swim with Santa, Odyssey Cruise, Navy Pier

Nothing says winter more than ice skating. In Chicago you have plenty of chances to lace up the skates and take a whirl, perhaps in a nice holiday sweater.

Millennium Park
Open now through March 16, 2008, weather permitting (it’s outdoors)
Cost: Free. Skate rentals are available for $9.
Hours: The rink is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Holidays: On Christmas Eve, the rink will be open from 10am to 6pm. On Christmas Day, the rink will be open from Noon - 8pm. (Please note that the rink will close at 8pm on Thursday, December 27 and Monday, January 7).

Navy Pier
Now through January 6th
Cost: part of Navy Pier’s Winter Wonderfest; Skating and skates rental included in cost of upgraded wristband, which is $18.
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Holidays: On Christmas Eve the hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
New Year’s Eve: 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Chicago Park District
Located throughout the city
Hours vary
Check the link above times and places.

If ice skating is not your cup of tea, head to the United Center where you can watch the hockey professionals show you how it is done. Chicago Blackhawks tickets are still available for the remainder of the season and they are playing well this season, so you might want to check them out. The Chicago Wolves are another hockey opportunity and they play at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

On day one of this 12 days of Chicago project, I wrote about the opportunities for shopping within the city limits of Chicago. However, if you are feeling adventurous, or are looking for some bargains, there are plenty of great shopping areas in the suburbs of Chicago. Here are two such places which I would recommend to someone looking to get out of the city and do some shopping this holiday season.

Gurnee Mills shopping plaza
6170 W. Grand Avenue, Gurnee IL (near Great America)
What’s makes it special: giant indoor outlet mall where you can get some great deals
Department Stores: Kohl’s, JcPenney, Sears Grand, Value City, Saks Fifth Avenue outlet
Places to eat after a long day of shopping: Two different food courts, Ruby Tuesday, The Rainforest Cafe
How to get there from the city: I-94 W to Gurnee Mills Circle East

I highly recommend Gurnee Mills as it is the kind of place that, after going once, was sad that I had not been before. Some tips, though: go early in the day because it gets incredibly crowded; wear comfortable walking shoes because it is a huge mall and your feet will get surprisingly tired. There is also a movie theater if you get bored with shopping and need to rest a while.

They have some unique stores that you cannot find in the city like Bass Pro Shops, Borders Outlet, and wide variety of others. For a full list of the store directory check out this listing here. They have varying hours over the next couple of weeks for the holidays, so be sure to check this link for hours before you head up there.
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The opportunities for good theater abound in Chicago year round. In addition to musical, plays, and comedy shows, there are also terrific dance performances and opera. During the holiday season, the city of Chicago adds some holiday-themed programming to its roster, allowing to get your theater fix, while also getting the holiday experience.

Here are a few options when it comes to holiday shows, although it is by no means an exhaustive list:

The Nutcracker
The Joffrey Ballet
December 12-30th (Friday-Sunday only)
Auditorium Theatre
50 E. Congress Parkway
I saw the Nutcracker performed when I was in the fourth grade it is a very memorable show, even to this day many years ago. It is a great show for younger kids, as well as adults. The music and performance is magical. Another version of The Nutcracker will be peformed in Naperville from December 14th-16th. Visit the North Central College website for more information.
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If you spend anytime at all in Chicago during the holiday season, you know that this town goes all out when decorating for Christmas. Throughout the city, from Michigan Avenue, to the loop, to downtown buildings; everywhere you look has the Christmas spirit.

Therefore, one of the best things you can do to get in the holiday spirit in Chicago is just go for a walk. It is difficult not to get excited about decorating your own tree or wrapping some gifts after seeing how beautifully decorated the city is each year. The best part is that looking at decorations is free.

Michigan Avenue is decorated with millions of lights starting with the lights festival, and the rest of the city is not lacking in the lights department either. The outside of hotels throughout the city are also covered in lights, as are the majority of trees in the medians throughout downtown. Even the statues outside of the Board of the Trade get into the act, each lady holding a Christmas wreath.

Macy’s department store, in addition to its window display, also decorates the outside of its store for Christmas (see below).

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This holiday season, both of the major zoos in the Chicago area have special holiday events. Both the Lincoln Park Zoolights and the Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo have started and run through the end of the year.

Lincoln Park Zoolights
Hours: 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.; closed December 24th and 25th
Location: Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
Highlights: Laser light show, visits with Santa, ice carving, storytelling, carousel, train rides
Cost: Free!
Official site

Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo
Hours: 9:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Location: Brookfield Zoo, First Avenue between Ogden Avenue and 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, just 14 miles west of downtown Chicago
Highlights: Nearly one million twinkling lights, ice-carving demonstrating, Santa visits, carolers, photo opportunities.
Cost: Admission to zoo is $10 for adults, $6 for kids. Parking will cost you another $8.
Official site

I think zoo lights events can be a lot of fun. Many young children love the sparkly holiday lights and get memorized by all of the elaborate displays. As an adult I must admit I can be pretty impressed by the lengths the light displays can go to. I wonder what all of the animals think about all the extra lights and nighttime visitors?

For more information on the events, check out the official websites, which are listed above in the descriptions.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Chicago, Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, zoolights, zoos

Navy Pier is the top tourist destination in Chicago and for good reason. Whether the weather is hot or cold, there is plenty to see and do for young and old alike. There are a wide variety of shops, eateries, and entertainment and you could spend an entire day there and still not experience it all.

Now that winter is here, Navy Pier is about to start their Winter Wonderfest event. It begins this Friday, December 7th, and runs through January 6th. Admission to the event is free, although you have to get a wristband to have access to the rides and activities. There are two different wristbands, one for $15 and one for $18. They both include an unlimited access to the rides and activities. The more expensive wristband allows you ice skating rental.

So what do you get for that money?

Arctic ice rink: A fun indoor ice skating rink which is an alternative to the outdoor skating rink at Millenium Park. The photo above is from the rink.

Ferris wheel: Although Navy Pier is famous for its outdoor ferris wheel, in the cold weather they have a great 50 feet indoor ferris wheel. Although you won’t get the great city views that you would from the outdoor ferris wheel, you will have a great view of the wonderfest.

Rides: There is a matterhorn spider web and a hand gliding ride. Also, there is a reindeer express train which allows you to see the whole fest while saving your energy for ice skating. There is also a carousel, inflatable games, and a ropes course.

Other Activities: You can watch a cabaret show or join your child in decorating holiday cookies.

For more information on attractions, visit the official site.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Chicago, Navy Pier, Winter Wonderfest

These days Daley Plaza looks less like a courthouse square and more like a German market, thanks to the annual Christkindlmarket event taking place now through December 24th. The event features a wide-variety of booths selling German food, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, and more.

Here are some photos to give you an idea of what kinds of things to expect at the event:

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In Chicago and its suburbs, just like most cities, they are plenty of opportunities for you to do some good this holiday season. Even if you don’t have a lot of extra cash to donate to worthy causes, there are other things that you can do to help out. Here is a short list of ideas, although it is no way comprehensive.

1) Make a bell ringer smile: The Salvation Army bell-ringers, who collect money throughout the city, are hard to miss. Downtown they are in front of every major department store and other key places. In the neighborhoods, you can find them outside of your local grocery store. Those people work hard, often standing out in the cold for hours waiting for donations. Recently outside Macy’s, I saw a bell-ringer singing carols. I hope she has as much enthusiasm a few weeks from now. So, when you pass one by, drop whatever change you have in your pocket. Better yet, do what my sister and I did one year: take that jar or bowl of change you have accumulating at home and dump the whole thing in the Salvation Army bin. You’ll feel great and so will the bell-ringer.

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Another time-honored tradition in the city of Chicago for the holidays is to visit the decorative window displays at the Marshall Field’s department store. Although Field’s is no more, the window displays have continued at Macy’s, which is located on State street between Randolph and Washington.

The display this year has a Nutcracker theme and includes moving exhibits and beautiful exhibits. As seen in the photo above, the displays are enjoyed by young and old alike and have become a holiday tradition for many families in Chicago and surrounding communities.

If you plan to visit the Macy’s windows display, I have a couple of recommendations for you. First, go early. By this I mean go early in the season (they are up already) and also go early in the day. If you go to Macy’s at the height of the shopping day, it can be crowded and difficult to see the displays. That leads me to my second recommendation: have patience. If the windows are crowded, be patient and people will move along. Nothing dampens a festive holiday mood more than pushy, rude people.

The best thing about the window displays is that you can see them for free. Plus, if you are downtown shopping, you don’t even have to go out of your way to see them, as they are right on the main shopping strip on State Street.

Below is a video of one of the windows from this year. It shows the details and creativity that goes into each window and also shows why people young and old become memorized by the views and are slow to move it along.

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Chicago, Macys, Marshall Field

This post is part of the 12 days of Chicago series, which brings you 12 fun and interesting things that you can do for the holidays in Chicago. In conjunction with the series, this blog is sponsoring a holiday contest, which you can read about here.

Many people flock to the city of Chicago from neighboring towns, suburbs, and even other states for one reason and one reason alone: The shopping! Like other major cities, Chicago has a wide variety of shops available, depending on your shopping needs. There are department stores, discount shops and boutiques. Although every neighborhood in Chicago has shops that may be of interest, today I will just focus on two key shopping areas in Chicago, both of which are great for your holiday gift giving.

The Magnificent Mile: This is the name given to the stretch of Avenue from Oak Street to Wacker. It consists of mostly high-end department stores and trendy boutiques. Examples include Lord & Taylor, Coach, and Burberry. It is also home to the Apple Store, Borders, Filene’s Basement and the Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop.

State Street: The State street shopping area, which extends roughly from Lake Street to Monroe, has its fair share of department stores, but also has some cheaper options. The most famous is Macy’s, which was, of course formerly Marshall Field’s, but there is also an Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, and the newest kid on the block: Loehmann’s.

I headed into Loehmann’s to check it out this week and I found it to be somewhere between Marshall’s and Nordstrom Rack in terms of clothing. They are mostly a clothing store, but also have handbags and some gifts. Both photos are from Loehmann’s.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas of how to start your Chicago shopping!