A little cold weather didn't stop us! We bundled up and strolled amongst the animals, right here in the heart of Chicago! With the city skyline as our backdrop, we walked around Lincoln park zoo sipping hot apple cider and looking at thousands of glittering lights. This tradition happens only once a year and boy is it a sight to see!
From walkways, to animal exhibits, to tiny tree branches, the zoo is beautifully illuminated with every color imaginable. We made new friends and enjoyed each others' company as we viewed musical light shows, watched live ice carvings and even did a bit of holiday shopping together! Oh and don't let me forget...we kept our Christmas spirit alive by visiting Santa! (You're never too old to believe.) Events And Adventures Chicago
And what a better conversation starter than ugly Christmas sweaters?! We donned our knits all night, both tasteful and tacky. We talked about where we found our sweaters or how we made them. Someone even borrowed their granny's sweater just for the party. Also, not to mention any names, but one gentleman told his hilarious story of shopping is the womens section to find his perfect outfit! Our first Holiday party here in Chicago was off to a great start! The drinks were the size of fish bowls and the straws seemed as long as fishing poles. It was quite a sight! To add to the evening, it was nice to have our own area reserved because it gave us some space to do our first annual gift exchange. The anticipation was overwhelming as each of us opened our gifts one by one for all to see. Who would have guessed that a tin of cookies would be the most demanded present. After the gift was stolen a few times, some lucky person went home and indulged in a delicious treat (you know who you are). We also had a donation box designated to Toys for Tots. It was nice to see how many members brought gifts in hopes to make the Holiday special for children near and far. This was just a simple reminder to me how awesome our Chicago members truly are. All in all, the evening was great! We even started making plans for our Holiday party next year!
Events And Adventures Chicago
Can’t find the perfect present? Who doesn’t love a handmade, one of a kind, gift? Our Chicago members got a jump start on the holiday season at one of the coolest events yet, glass blowing! We made our very own glass ornaments! Our two awesome instructors walked us through the delicate process. We were each given a glob of melted glass at the end of a pipe, we rolled it in all sorts of different colors of broken glass, and then it was time to turn up the heat. We had to keep our glass constantly rotating in a huge furnace to melt the colored glass shards evenly, turning our little blob into a rainbow of swirling colors. When it was finished in heat, our instructors kept the pipe rolling as we blew with all our might to fill our colorful glass blob with air. We pinched them off, and there you have it! A beautiful, unique ornament, a perfect holiday gift for a loved one, or for yourself! Glass blowing was definitely one of the most interesting and fun things the Chicago club has done yet! This event was on fire, literally! Events And Adventures Chicago
Traveling with E&A is awesome. Not only do they do all the planning work, but we get to hang out with members of the other cities. I had such a great time! For many of us it was our first time in New York City. I got to experience the city with friends not only from Dallas but also Minneapolis, San Jose and Vancouver. I met a bunch of new friends from other cities too. I love that E&A scheduled the best stuff for us. Carnegie Deli, Radio City and the Rockettes, Hop on & off bus tour, boat tour around Manhattan Island with a fabulous narrator that knew, well, everything about the city’s history. The holiday lights are awe-inspiring. We had time to do our own thing, too. We got discount tickets for Broadway shows. Spiderman Rocked! Visited the Empire State & Rockefeller buildings-WOW. Sat in the audience of my first TV show. Really cool. We ate all kinds of delicious food (think I’ll be paying for that for a while). How can you stop when it’s EVERYWHERE? Thank you so much for a great trip! I’ll remember it forever!
Events And Adventures Travel
So each month we head out and try a new (or old) restaurant in the city. We usually choose a place that has been reviewed on a local station or in a newspaper. Sometimes we go big and check out places that are even on national TV shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We like to see what the chefs and critics have to say and then go in and rate it ourselves. This week we definitely found a hidden gem! Nestled between two buildings and just below the ‘El’ train tracks is Macello. The street is dimly lit and the noise of the train every few minutes echoes for blocks. From the store front it looks like your average Italian butcher shop. But as you step inside and walk toward the back you are taken in by delicious aromas. The atmosphere is rustic with wooden beams and bright, boldly colored artwork. The brick oven definitely adds a cozy touch. We had a private section reserved just for E&A. The menu had so many scrumptious choices that we all had a hard time deciding what to order. Everything was made fresh right in the restaurant! Most of us ended up sharing and sampling eachothers delicious dishes. We also were in luck because it was ½ off wine bottle night! It’s so nice to meet up after work and share dinner and drinks and talk about our day. We decided that events like this make a long day at work worthwhile when we have something to look forward to at the end of it. There’s nothing like spending an evening with good food and good company. (Especially when the owner sends over a round of delicious limoncellos “on the house” for dessert!) Events And Adventures Chicago
Shopping for the holidays? Can’t find the perfect present? Who doesn’t love a handmade, one of a kind, gift? Our Chicago members got a jump start on the holiday season at one of the coolest events yet, glass blowing! We made our very own glass ornaments! Our two awesome instructors walked us through the delicate process. We were each given a glob of melted glass at the end of a pipe, we rolled it in all sorts of different colors of broken glass, and then it was time to turn up the heat. We had to keep our glass constantly rotating in a huge furnace to melt the colored glass shards evenly, turning our little blob into a rainbow of swirling colors. When it was finished in heat, our instructors kept the pipe rolling as we blew with all our might to fill our colorful glass blob with air. We pinched them off, and there you have it! A beautiful, unique ornament, a perfect holiday gift for a loved one, or for yourself! Glass blowing was definitely one of the most interesting and fun things the Chicago club has done yet! This event was on fire, literally! Events And Adventures Chicago
And what a better conversation starter than ugly Christmas sweaters?! We donned our knits all night, both tasteful and tacky. We talked about where we found our sweaters or how we made them. Someone even borrowed their granny's sweater just for the party. Also, not to mention any names, but one gentleman told his hilarious story of shopping is the womens section to find his perfect outfit! Our first Holiday party here in Chicago was off to a great start! The drinks were the size of fish bowls and the straws seemed as long as fishing poles. It was quite a sight! To add to the evening, it was nice to have our own area reserved because it gave us some space to do our first annual gift exchange. The anticipation was overwhelming as each of us opened our gifts one by one for all to see. Who would have guessed that a tin of cookies would be the most demanded present. After the gift was stolen a few times, some lucky person went home and indulged in a delicious treat (you know who you are). We also had a donation box designated to Toys for Tots. It was nice to see how many members brought gifts in hopes to make the Holiday special for children near and far. This was just a simple reminder to me how awesome our Chicago members truly are. All in all, the evening was great! We even started making plans for our Holiday party next year! 
Events And Adventures Chicago
Can’t find the perfect present? Who doesn’t love a handmade, one of a kind, gift? Our Chicago members got a jump start on the holiday season at one of the coolest events yet, glass blowing! We made our very own glass ornaments! Our two awesome instructors walked us through the delicate process. We were each given a glob of melted glass at the end of a pipe, we rolled it in all sorts of different colors of broken glass, and then it was time to turn up the heat. We had to keep our glass constantly rotating in a huge furnace to melt the colored glass shards evenly, turning our little blob into a rainbow of swirling colors. When it was finished in heat, our instructors kept the pipe rolling as we blew with all our might to fill our colorful glass blob with air. We pinched them off, and there you have it! A beautiful, unique ornament, a perfect holiday gift for a loved one, or for yourself! Glass blowing was definitely one of the most interesting and fun things the Chicago club has done yet! This event was on fire, literally! Events And Adventures Chicago
Traveling with E&A is awesome. Not only do they do all the planning work, but we get to hang out with members of the other cities. I had such a great time! For many of us it was our first time in New York City. I got to experience the city with friends not only from Dallas but also Minneapolis, San Jose and Vancouver. I met a bunch of new friends from other cities too. I love that E&A scheduled the best stuff for us. Carnegie Deli, Radio City and the Rockettes, Hop on & off bus tour, boat tour around Manhattan Island with a fabulous narrator that knew, well, everything about the city’s history. The holiday lights are awe-inspiring. We had time to do our own thing, too. We got discount tickets for Broadway shows. Spiderman Rocked! Visited the Empire State & Rockefeller buildings-WOW. Sat in the audience of my first TV show. Really cool. We ate all kinds of delicious food (think I’ll be paying for that for a while). How can you stop when it’s EVERYWHERE? Thank you so much for a great trip! I’ll remember it forever!
So each month we head out and try a new (or old) restaurant in the city. We usually choose a place that has been reviewed on a local station or in a newspaper. Sometimes we go big and check out places that are even on national TV shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We like to see what the chefs and critics have to say and then go in and rate it ourselves. This week we definitely found a hidden gem! Nestled between two buildings and just below the ‘El’ train tracks is Macello. The street is dimly lit and the noise of the train every few minutes echoes for blocks. From the store front it looks like your average Italian butcher shop. But as you step inside and walk toward the back you are taken in by delicious aromas. The atmosphere is rustic with wooden beams and bright, boldly colored artwork. The brick oven definitely adds a cozy touch. We had a private section reserved just for E&A. The menu had so many scrumptious choices that we all had a hard time deciding what to order. Everything was made fresh right in the restaurant! Most of us ended up sharing and sampling eachothers delicious dishes. We also were in luck because it was ½ off wine bottle night! It’s so nice to meet up after work and share dinner and drinks and talk about our day. We decided that events like this make a long day at work worthwhile when we have something to look forward to at the end of it. There’s nothing like spending an evening with good food and good company. (Especially when the owner sends over a round of delicious limoncellos “on the house” for dessert!) Events And Adventures Chicago
Shopping for the holidays? Can’t find the perfect present? Who doesn’t love a handmade, one of a kind, gift? Our Chicago members got a jump start on the holiday season at one of the coolest events yet, glass blowing! We made our very own glass ornaments! Our two awesome instructors walked us through the delicate process. We were each given a glob of melted glass at the end of a pipe, we rolled it in all sorts of different colors of broken glass, and then it was time to turn up the heat. We had to keep our glass constantly rotating in a huge furnace to melt the colored glass shards evenly, turning our little blob into a rainbow of swirling colors. When it was finished in heat, our instructors kept the pipe rolling as we blew with all our might to fill our colorful glass blob with air. We pinched them off, and there you have it! A beautiful, unique ornament, a perfect holiday gift for a loved one, or for yourself! Glass blowing was definitely one of the most interesting and fun things the Chicago club has done yet! This event was on fire, literally! Events And Adventures Chicago