Tall Windy Ship Boat Ride

This was our staff summer outing - a sail boat ride!  I loved it, here are some photos I got.

We Can Donut!

Ha, love the vibe this donut place is throwing down.  I will definitely be adding this to my bucket list.

Tweet

Tweet was the latest Breakfast Joint on our bucket list.  Originally, we were planning on staying in Des Moines until Monday morning, but ended up having to leave Sunday night so my brother could get back to work.  Well, Eric and I had already requested the morning off of work so we decided to check out Tweet.  It was probably my favorite morning date ever and it was the perfect start to my week.  We ate outside on the patio underneath colorful umbrellas and I couldn't get enough of the adorable tablecloth.  The food was excellent and yelpers agree giving it four out of five stars.  Definitely put this on your to do list.  Cheers to Monday mornings not spent at work.

Underground Wonder Bar

I've been wanting to get to this place for quite some time.  The Underground Wonder Bar  has 4.5 stars out of 5 on yelp.  It recently moved to a different location because it grew out of it's original place.  Unfortunately, it's current location is no longer "underground." It has live music every night, a popular house band, and I've heard great things.  Not sure if it was because I had a long week at work or what, but I wouldn't put this place at top of your Chicago Bucket List.  The music wasn't anything special, the drinks were extremely over-priced, and they charge a cover.  And with a name like that, I kind of feel like perhaps they should actually be underground...

Jersey Boys

Eric and I went to Jersey Boys on Easter, it was AWESOME!  I highly recommend to anyone who is on the fence.  We both really enjoyed it.  Of course, they are super strict about photos inside the theater, but I got a few outside and in the lobby.

Such ornate ceilings...

Afterwards, an amazing dinner at Petterino's!  Such a perfect place to go before or after a show.

UP Comedy Club

I recently got the opportunity to go to a stand up show at UP!  Up Comedy Club is Second City's latest addition.  It is located on the third floor in their building and is a brand new cabaret style club.  Second City Producers have developed four signature shows for this theater, but they are also focusing on bringing in various stand-up comedians.  They are open 7 nights a week and is a must stop on your Chicago Bucket List.

We went to see Garfunkel and Oats, a comedy-folk duo from LA consisting of two talented actress-songwriters.  They ended up being less stand-up than I expected, but they incorporated some really funny songs into their routine that I absolutely loved.  Definitely interested in seeing where these two end up down the road.

Stop by this great venue for a couple laughs next time you are in Chicago!

Molly's Cupcakes

Molly's Cupcakes is a famous cupcake place in Chicago and they did not disappoint!  I like them not just for their amazing cupcake making skills, but also their philanthropy minded owners who donated a portion of their profits goes directly to schools in the Chicago area.  Molly's has over 1300 reviews on Yelp and comes in with a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Free sprinkle station.... got to love it. 

Yes, those are swings... you can sit on.  Pretty much amazing.

Holiday Train Attempt #2

After 3 years of living in the city, I finally caught the Holiday Train.  It took two attempts, but was well worth it!

Kind of crammed inside so it makes it a tad bit difficult to get photos, but here are a few:

How do you groom a holiday tree?  With a pine cone.

What kind of luggage does Santa bring down the chimneys?  Soot-cases.

Actually got a few shots of Santa Claus himself!  I was pretty proud that I got him and he was looking right at me. :)

Until next year, Holiday Train!  This is definitely going to become an annual tradition.

Holiday Train Attempt #1

Fail (too crowded).  The CTA Elf wouldn't let me on. :(

Don't worry, I'm a pretty determined girl.  To be continued.

Lucky Strike

What do you do when you have week off of work in Chicago in December?  Go to all those places in the city you never go to.  First stop: watch the football bowl games while bowling at Lucky Strike.