Category Archives: Guest Author
111 Cool Places in Chicago
When ever I travel anywhere, I see a few of the big tourist things but then I ask around, talk to locals, about what they like to do. So I love books like this!
111 Places in Chicago That You Must Not Miss (111 Places in …. That You Must Not Miss)
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- The ultimate insider’s guide to Chicago, fully illustrated with 111 full-page color photographs!
Features interesting and unusual places not found in traditional travel guides!
This book is great for locals and tourists!
Chicago. City of the Big Shoulders. What started off as a small fur-trading settlement is today a bustling metropolis. Once considered the “hog butcher of the world, stacker of wheat, player with railroads and the nation’s freight handler”, Chicago’s colorful past remains hidden in the nooks and crannies of this wonderful windy city.
Adventures await, from the glamorous to the gritty. Sip dirty martinis in an elegant, underground, 1920’s bank vault. Paddle a kayak down the infamous Bubbly Creek of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. While away an afternoon in a salt cave, or smoke a classic cigar in the oldest family-run tobacco shop in the U.S. Snorkel a 32-acre, limestone sheet shoal, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the Midwest. Dine outdoors in a 23rd floor Beaux-Arts cupola overlooking the Chicago River.
Whether you’re an out-of-towner or a diehard Chicago dweller who thinks you’ve seen it all, these 111 hidden places are waiting for you to discover them.
Author: Amy Bizzarri
Amy Bizzarri is a freelance writer specializing in family fun and travel, a Chicago public schools world language teacher, and an avid reader. She lives with her two kids – a tween boy and a toddler girl – in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. Follow Amy and her adventures in Chicago and beyond on her personal blog, AmyWrites312.com.
Candid Candace Jordan of Chicago
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE IN THE KNOW – in Chicago –
Follow our dear friend Candid Candace
THE ultimate Chicago blog for movers, shakers and just plain cool!
CANDACE COLLINS JORDAN is one of Chicago’s top Media personalities. Chicago Tribune social columnist (Candid Candace); Chicago Now blogger (Candid Candace) and award-winning host of “Candid Candace TV.
She was voted “Chicago’s Most Social Scenester” in a poll conducted by Racked.com She has appeared on The Steve Harvey Show as an etiquette expert, as a co-host and guest on WCIU’s “You & Me This Morning, Windy City Live, WGN Midday News, Fox Midday News, NPR radio, WGN Radio and as a Rivet radio show host, to name a few. She and her successful blog, Candid Candace, were featured in Chicago Magazine’s “Belle of the Blog” cover story feature as well as in CS Magazine’s “Best of the City” issue. – You get the picture? FABULOUS!
You can also find her on Twitter, and Facebook !
Cooking Class $10 @ Whole Foods
GET A TASTE OF SPRING WITH CHEF CHRISTOPHER TONG OF MY PRIVATE CHEF
AT THE WHOLE FOODS MARKET-LINCOLN PARK COOKING SCHOOL, CHICAGO
Chicagoans appreciate when the calendar turns the corner toward spring. Celebrate spring and attend a cooking demonstration hosted by the popular Chef Chris Tong, of the upscale Chicago-based private gourmet dining service, My Private Chef.
He will present some delicious recipes perfect for spring entertaining. The cooking class is on the mezzanine level in the on-site classroom at the Whole Foods Market in Lincoln Park, 1550 North Kingsbury, Chicago. It will be held on Monday, April 11 from 7pm-8:30pm. The cost is $10.00 per person.
People who are casual cooks or lovers of gourmet food get to ask questions, discuss preparation, and come away with fabulous recipes that you can try at home. Chef Chris will provide tips on shopping
for the finest ingredients. And, everyone gets to have a taste!
Chef Tong’s Spring menu features:
Fresh Pea Soup, Crème Fraiche and Chives
Sautéed Pork Tenderloin, Red Beet and Heirloom Carrot Salad with Soy-Ginger Vinaigrette
and Jasmine Rice
Fresh Strawberries, Champagne Sabayon
Advance registration is requested to reserve your place in the class.
To register for the class, call Whole Foods Market, Lincoln Park at 312.587.0648
or sign up at the Customer Service Desk. Credit card payment will hold your place for the class.
My Private Chef is enjoying popularity as one of Chicago’s favorite private gourmet dining services. Trained in European-style fine cuisine, Chef Tong established his reputation at fine restaurants and hotels in Florida, California, and Chicago. Now he has adapted his impressive skills to the world of private entertaining. My Private Chef offers enticing cuisine for a wide range of events, from intimate dinners to weddings to corporate parties.
Chef Chris says: “Every event is different and I’ve met some wonderful people including many celebrities.
Being part of very special occasions makes my work worthwhile. I also love conducting cooking demonstrations where I get the feeling that audience members will go home and try some new dishes!”
For more information about My Private Chef, contact Event Services at 773.370.8131
or visit our web site: www.myprivatechef.net
Power of Touch and Cuddling
We all want love, acceptance and connection with other people. We’re social beings, and this connection with others is part of our emotional, physical and spiritual DNA.
Touch plays an important role in building these connections, increasing scientific evidence clearly shows a connection that lack of touch can lead to depression, anxiety and a myriad of heath issues, and an inability to connect with others.
Most of us don’t get enough touch in our lives.
We’re touch-deprived, and most of us don’t even know it consciously. All we know is that there’s loneliness and stress and a deep sense of missing out. We feel this because there’s a biochemical yearning for something that is missing in our lives. And there is something missing: touch and the connection with others that it fosters.
“That’s why we started Cuddlist,” says Adam Lippin, Co-founder and CEO of CUDDLIST. “Safe, non-sexual, consensual touch fills a need that’s badly neglected in our society. Cuddling relaxes us and reduces stress at the very least, and on the deeper level it nourishes our soul and helps us get in touch with our higher self. Much like yoga and meditation, non-sexual touch is healing and transformative.”
Cuddlist brings together those who need touch (and that would be just about all of us!) with Certified, professional cuddlers who are experienced, safe, well-versed in cuddling techniques and follow a code of conduct that set the conditions for a great session. There have been LOTS of press on this group over the last year – check it out HERE.
THE CHICAGO NETWORK IS GROWING!
Become a certified CUDDLIST or FIND a CUDDLIST in Chicago
While any two people can cuddle, of course, what sets Cuddlist apart is that we are creating the marketplace for transformative cuddling, and we bring the professionalism and best practices that make it work; Cuddlist training is overseen by my co-founder, Madelon Guinazzo, and she both has years of experience as a full-time Cuddlist and knowledge of what works in practice.
While Cuddlist is something special, and fills an important gap in our world, I also want to share what it means to me personally.
“I’ve been a yoga and meditation practitioner for more than 20 years. Yoga has been an animating principle in my life that has seen me through college, drug addiction, the corporate world in New York, loss and death, and the birth of my son and my relationship with my amazing spouse. I’m also a touchy-feely “hugger,” and when I go to shake someone’s hand I’m keenly aware how restricted touch is in our society.”
Most would agree that touch is therapeutic, and the rush of oxytocin we produce when we cuddle is great, but in my experience cuddling also can be something deeper.
American Buddhist Jack Kornfield, in his book, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path, talks about how the simple act of being present can be a deeply spiritual practice. I think cuddling, if non-sexual and approached without expected outcomes in mind, can help us be present and raise our spiritual awareness.
So while I’m a “hugger,” and I immediately see the value that cuddling can play as a corrective in our society, I also think it contains a deeply spiritual component.
Indian civil rights leader Mohandas Gandhi said we must be the change we want to see in the world, and I want to play my part by encouraging non-sexual touch and the emergence of what might be called cuddle yoga.
“Touch is important, and we don’t get enough of it. I want to change that, and that’s why I, along with my Co-Founder, started Cuddlist. Will you join us?”
Are you ready to give yourself the gift of nurturing touch?
Book a therapeutic, non-sexual, cuddle session with a Certified Cuddlist today.
Find out more at CUDDLIST. Learn more; FIND a CUDDLIST and/or become a CUDDLIST!
Mothers Day Contest
Countdown to Mother’s Day!
Very seldom in life do we meet people with such amazing gifts that we are left stunned. Earnestine Robinson is one of those rare people. She is able to create music so intricate, many consider it impossible to do without a background in music. Despite no formal music training, with her faith and family, she rises from humble southern roots to become an unlikely composer of classical music that takes her all the way to Carnegie Hall and to a world premiere in Europe.
Earnestine does not question her source. She trusts God to guide her and just continues to create extraordinary music that has taken her all the way to Carnegie Hall three times.
While some stories are interesting and others explore and push the reader to think, it is usually the inspirational stories that touch the soul. Her book “Driven by Faith” is a “must-read” for anyone who has struggled to answer the question, “Why am I here?”
Earnestine’s gift is more than just creating some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear. It’s also about family, faith and giving back. To this end, Earnestine and her family are holding a contest, one that could include you and your mother.
Join us for this very unique “Countdown to Mother’s Day!”
1. Submit in 500 words or less your special Mother’s Day story.It can be funny, sentimental, bold or all of these and more. Submit HERE.
2. Each day, prior to Mother’s Day, come back and share special thoughts you have on the upcoming special day on Earnestine’s timeline on Facebook.
3. Share your thoughts with all your friends.
The first 100 people to actively post on Earnestine’s timeline will win the opportunity to participate in a special live, online Earnestine Robinson Master Class. She will discuss and take questions on how to find your purpose and the role of faith in reaching your destiny.
On Mother’s Day, three winners will be chosen and each receive a $100 gift card from Amazon and a copy of Earnestine’s book “Driven By Faith”. Each of the stories will be posted on Earnestine’s Facebook page.
Make this your best Mother’s Day ever!
Social and Professional, Creative idea-Exchange
Join Melissa G Wilson and Four Great Authors for an Invigorating Evening with the Written Word!
When: Wednesday, October 15th, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Space (a most unique connection space!) 444 N Wabash, Chicago, IL, 5th floor
Have you been longing for a fun, more connective way of meeting new people?
Do you like to learn new things in a warm, inviting social setting?
Are you ready for a very unique, interactive experience?
Then you will want attend this first of its kind authors roundtable adventure.
What to Expect
- You will start by arriving at 5:30 where you will meet me as one of your hosts as well as other hosts who will introduce you around the room to others attending as well as the authors.
- At 6:00 p.m. We will have a brief introduction to the authors and their tables of conversation around each of their books.
- At 6:30 you will choose your first table to sit down at. Note that once a table is full you will have to go to one that has openings. At your table you will get the chance to not only listen to the author’s overview of his or her subject but also get to meet the other participants at your table and exchange ideas and ask questions to create great, stimulating conversation.
- At 7:00 you will again switch to another table of your choice and, once again, meet new people and have create a great exchange of ideas.
- At 7:30 you will have your third and final opportunity to sit down and converse with an author.
- From 7:30 – 8:00 we will have an open room conversation sharing the insights and highlights from the authors and you and the other participants.
Craig S Wilson, Author of Dating for Life (www.datingforlife.com)
Winter Weather Could Cause You Plumbing Problems
It’s Here! WINTER!
The arrival of the winter season and cold weather = potential plumbing problems in our homes and apartments. Whether you rent or own, you can have Frigid morning showers, frozen or cracked pipes, broken radiators, flooding, and leaks are just a few of the many unwanted plumbing issues brought on by winter weather.
begin to eat their way into the waste that has accumulated on the sides
and top of the drain pipe. Cool!
Brought to you by the plumbing experts GOODE PLUMBING.
1-800-662-1875
4 Local Female Authors are SHY TOWN GIRLS
A group of four women authors
in Chicago were looking to share their best tips on
the collaborative publishing process with you!
Four Shy Girls
Four Big Dreams
One Awesome City
Novel 1 in the Shy-Town Girls 4- Book Series
When beautiful, but shy 24-year-old, Bobbie Bertucci, arrives at her
new digs, an elegant brownstone in Chicago’s historic Gold Coast
neighborhood, she has no idea what her new life will be like. Between
balancing her job as a modeling agent and escaping a bad relationship,
she’s hit rock bottom.
But things change when she moves into the same building as her close
friend Meryl. Additionally, her two new twenty-something roommates, Ivy
and Ella, help bring Bobbie out of her shell. Barbara, landlady and
mother-hen of the house, watches out for the girls while sharing sage
advice.
Bobbie, Meryl, Ivy, and Ella, all variations of shy girls, brave the
city of Chicago together, forming a powerful bond of friendship. Their
nighttime roof deck conversations over glasses of wine instigate
laughter and even some tears.
Bobbie takes a bold step to redesign her life completely to ensure
she doesn’t fall into the romantic trap she fell into before. But
there’s a new suitor in the picture, and she will have to decide between
an old flame or a new one, taking a risk, something hard for any
girl–even harder for a shy girl.
writing and creating a technique that you can learn to use yourself or
with other writing partners.
Listen to a recent interview
with all four authors to learn how we got started on down this writing
path. We hope you’ll gain some valuable insights on writing, publishing
and marketing your own books and products. You’ll get to know each
author individually as we’ll write from our own perspectives and share
our own experiences.
Feel free to contact us for collaboration and speaking opportunities, to talk to your book club or just a drop us a line to say hello!
Sign up now to get free updates on that latest publishing techniques and best practices for writing!”
Happy Holidays and Tax Season Thoughts
Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays!
Chicago’s Museum of Science Industry Roommate Contest
The Museum of Science and Industry is looking for a roommate.
You don’t have to pay rent. In fact, for a one-month stay, they’ll pay you. Ten thousand dollars.
The “Month at the Museum” contest is offering one lucky winner the chance to stay at MSI for 30 straight days, from October 20 to November 18. The winner will have private sleeping quarters on museum premises, and a platform to describe his or her experiences to online followers.
On successfully completing the month’s stay, he or she will win a $10,000 prize, plus “a package of tech gadgets, an honorary lifetime membership to MSI, and new knowledge and experiences that may just transform you,” according to the competition’s website.
“For starters, you’ll interact with museum guests as you take in all the experiences here. One day, you might watch a live heart surgery via teleconference or dissect an eyeball. The next, you could be cutting things with a laser in our Fab Lab. Trust us: it isn’t likely to be boring.
You’ll also be a bit of a Museum celebrity, making some appearances and giving interviews. Through blogging, tweeting and videocasting, you’ll report to the world about your 24/7 life inside this historic and beloved institution. …
Frankly, we have no idea what it’s like to spend every night for a straight month here. We’re kind of counting on you to tell us and the rest of the world.”
Pretty cool!
