Sweet Chicago

Whew.. barely made the cut this Sunday for my Sweet Sunday Post… This Sweet Sunday is centered around one of the "sweetest" places I like to visit: Chicago :) I don't know what it is about the little, big city, but it makes me feel like I am on top of the world. My mom and I just recently made a visit to Chicago making this a no-brainer to post about this week.  Like always, we spent WAY too much money visiting the Water Tower Mall and shopping all along Michigan Ave. Whenever we go to Chicago, there are a few normal ordinary things we have to do to make our trip complete, and if you haven't done any of these things, I highly recommend them (even though most of them are very simple little things).

1. The Corner Bakery for Breakfast

The corner bakery has a few locations around Chicago, but they by far, are our favorite place to go for breakfast. They have stuff for on-the-go to please their regulars, hold a lot of brunches, and also create a perfect atmosphere to people watch around the city.

2. The Bridge and Walking along Lakeshore

My mom and I are big walkers in general, so we enjoy our walks along Lakeshore the most. You get to see a lot of different parks, the Harbor, a lot more of the "local life" which we day dream about the whole stretch we walk past residents, and you get a really good look around the Navy Pier (also one of the coolest places to go).  Our normal ordinary is to take this walk more than once while we are visiting just because we get to see new things every time. 

3. The Crate&Barrel along Michigan Ave. 

I can't go to Chicago and make it out of the Crate&Barrel Store empty handed. It's four floors worth of every home and garden accessory you could imagine. If you are as obsessed with home design as I am, it is a must-do when visiting Chicago! This year,  I couldn't resist this cute yellow watering can which I am going to use as a flowing pot instead and place in the center of my porch table. 

4. Wrigley-ville

Personally, I am a Cincinnati Reds Fan, but more times than not, my mom and I try and go to a Cubbies game for the heck of it because Wrigley field and the surrounding area is so cool and full of great baseball history. We are spots junkies in general, so we both feel totally in our element hanging out on this side of town.  Plus, who could turn down peanuts and cracker jacks? ;)

5. Peet's Coffee

This used to be a Caribou Coffee across from Millennium Park, but Peet's replaced Caribou. I must admit, I really really loved what they had done. Peet's had a very serene atmosphere, a whole wall made of plats that they watered and grew, but overall, it is pretty standard. Their lattes were to die for, and I will definitely continue going back. I realize this is a chain, but I had never been and it made this Chicago trip even better. 

6. Millenium Park

I think this goes without saying that- Millennium Park is a must do when going to Chicago. Whether you are going for the gardens, a concert, the bean, whatever, it is just a really fun place to be all the time. There is always something going on, it is right around the old library and seems to be a central hub for University of Chicago, Northwestern, and other schools located in the city, it is just across the street from the Art Institute, and just a few streets over from catching Lakeshore where you can even walk to the Navy Pier. I just love all the gardens and seeing what they are growing every season, seeing what new exhibits are out there, and of course stopping by the bean. Chicago is full of the coolest art, and this area in particular highlights a ton of artistic strength. 

Summer 2013

Summer 2013

7. The Water Tower Mall + Giordano's Pizza

These two places are caddy corner from each other, so I mean really, it is necessary. I am definitely a Giordano's Deep Dish Pizza girl over Gino's: All day, every day. The Water Tower Mall is also one of my favorite places to shop because of the dancing waters in the front, the crazy amounts of stores (including the Lego Store which is just the coolest) and the insane amounts of products and brands available that are definitely not in Indianapolis.  Some of my purchases were bareMinerals Makeup which I will be posting about here hopefully this week, a watch, and a few other products here and there. It is my favorite place to shop aside from the Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx. 

8. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory

I am almost embarrassed that I didn't take a picture of this when my mom and I went this last time, but we have made it a tradition to stop here for ice cream if we go on a night walk in the city. We once went for breakfast just because we could, and ever since that time, we just feel like we have to go back. It is a place full of chocolaty goodness and bliss, so GO if you get the chance. It is right in the heart of Michigan Ave. and it is the perfect place to take a break and soak in the city at any time of day. 

Of course there are plenty of other things we like to do like go and see shows, go to Blackhawks games, Bears games, we love the Blue Man Group, concerts, and all that good stuff. There are also other breakfast places like "The Yolk" that we like to go to, sometimes we get Chicago Dogs for dinner instead of pizza, but it all just depends… Everyone makes their own traditions, or in my words, their own normal ordinary, when visiting their favorite cities, and we enjoy trying and finding new things just as much as visiting our old favorites. These 8 things are what really make my Chicago trip complete though, even when I go just for a quick visit. I'm already am anticipating my next trip back!


I hope you all have had a wonderful Sunday, and thank you for reading!

T. Hall