Does anyone else have spring cleaning fever? I have become obsessed with cleaning and getting ahead. Laundry is finally getting folded, my closet has been purged, and I have been preparing all my lunches for the week on Sundays. Another big change? I am going to the gym again after an eight month hiatus (and some subsequent weight gain). I have been working out 4 days a week, and am on the paleo diet, and the pounds are coming off.
Don't worry, the blog won't be turning 100% paleo. There will be some paleo recipes (that exclude cards, sugars, and dairy) but they will be scattered in with my regular content that I prepared before starting the diet. Plus, I let myself cheat on the diet for two meals a week, so you will be seeing restaurant reviews too.
While I have been extra focused on getting healthy, I have made time for some fun too. Here's what I have been up to lately.
First things first. I am giving away an iDevices Kitchen Thermometer! It's seriously the coolest most high tech kitchen gadget I own. The thermometer has bluetooth and an app for your phone that tracks the exact temperature of your meat, and it will notify you 10 degrees before the cooking temperature is reached, and again once the meat is ready to come out of the oven. You will never overcook your chicken again. It's worth $79.99, and you can head over to my instagram account and enter to win.
Erin and I had a very busy week doing work for the Windy City Blogger Collective. On Monday we did a live radio interview with WGN Radio. As Erin said, the interview lasted about 3 minutes, and we took 30 photos. We also answered some questions about how bloggers make money. If you missed it, you can listen here - we are in the last 15 minutes of the show.
On Tuesday were the guest speakers at Benedictine College's Philanthropy and Non-Profit Communications in a Digital World class. We talked to the class via Skype about how bloggers work with non profits. And on Wednesday were recorded an interview for MeetAdvisors, and online talk show that interviews entrepreneurs. Today I am giving a talk on data privacy at John Marshall Law School - that's a lot of talking.
On a recent weekend I attended a brunch tasting at Frontier (more on that later), where I met Whitney Reynolds, the host of the Whitney Reynolds Show on PBS. Whitney is super sweet and also a rockstar Chicago woman. Her show just moved to Monday at 6:30 on PBS, and she hosted a fun party to celebrate her new time slot on Monday at Hubbard Inn.
I attended Chairs for Charity, a fundraiser for Designs for Dignity. Notable Chicagoans were selected to design chairs for a silent auction, and my friends Danielle and Alaina designed the chair above. I am totally biased, but I loved their chair and wanted to take it home with me.
WCBC hosted a happy hour at Fulton Market Kitchen. I love getting together with my blogging friends, there just seems to be so much love in the room when we all get together. Plus, FMK's meatballs were amazing. I hadn't checked out the West Loop bar/restaurant before, and was impressed with the edgy meets elegant decor, and the strong cocktails. I will definitely be returning.
I went to a tasting of Bohemian House's new brunch menu, and loved the Bavarian Pancake stuffed with Farmer's Cheese and Apples. Brunch service starts tomorrow, and I strongly suggest that you check it out.
Last night, I joined a group of girlfriends for dinner at Range, one of our favorite neighborhood spots. The farm to table food is a modern take on American classics, and I especially enjoy the buffalo cauliflower.
Before we started our diet, we went to Shake Shack, and it was as amazing as always. Charles chose to order regular fries instead of cheese fries, and then proceeded to eat my cheese fries.
And I brunched at Kanela with some girlfriends. Lauren and I ended up ordering the same breakfast - the Californian Benedict, which was served with perfectly seasoned breakfast potatoes.
Somehow, I have even more speaking engagements coming up - I have updated the Speaking Engagements tab with details.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Heidi D. says
Girl you are BUSY!! I need to get to the next happy hour and come out of hibernation now that spring has finally arrived. And the Shake Shack photo...mouth watering.