Happy New Year! I hope 2016 is treating you well so far. Something got into me and I decided to spend the last days of 2015 doing things to start the new year off right. I poured days into writing blog posts, so that when 2016 came I was two weeks ahead. I cleaned out the house, organized closets, and filled 7 trash bags with donations for charity. I wanted to free up some time and free up my life from things I don’t need anymore, and I wanted to set things up so that I can have a productive and fun 2016.
The past few weeks have been filled with holiday parties, time with friends, and travel. It was so much fun, but I am excited for things to slow down in January and February so that I can refocus. Over the next few weeks I am going to be devoting my time to eating better, getting to the gym, and planning some big things for the Windy City Blogger Collective.
Here is what I have been up to lately:
Foodseum had a lovely party to celebrate the holidays and the closing of their Encased Meats exhibit at Block 37. My friend Kyle came up with the idea for Foodseum, got funding through Kickstarter, found a space, and launched a small museum, it is a major accomplishment. In 2016, the Foodseum will hold it’s second exhibit, focused on one of my favorite things: Chocolate.
That same night, I went to an event that my friend Jocelyn was hosting at Rent the Runway. It involved champagne, red velvet cupcakes, and gorgeous dresses. Jocelyn’s cookbook, Grandbaby Cakes, is killing it, and I can’t wait to see what she gets up to in 2016.
The Windy City Blogger Collective hosted one of my all time favorite events! I organize 2-5 events per month for WCBC, but I was especially excited when the new AMC Dine-In at Block 37 gave WCBC two theaters and let us screen a holiday movie of our choice. I chose The Holiday, since I am a sucker for any American/British love stories, and I know it is a crowd favorite. No only did I get to fill a theater with friends, we got to order freshly made food at the touch of a button! Oh, and the plush leather chairs recline really far. It’s seriously amazing, and it is a movie night game changer.
Then WCBC hosted its annual Holiday Party! This is the biggest event we host, and this year over 150 attended the party at the new Hyatt Centric in the Loop. We had cocktails from Cochon Volant, cupcakes from Sprinkles, and lots of giveaways, and even more fun.
Later that week Erin and I had a pre-Christmas lunch at Quartino… were we ordered an aggressive amount of food. One salad, four half-orders of pasta, and two desserts to be exact, yes for two people. We might be a small business, but our appetites are big.
Charles and I spent a week in Munich for Christmas. You must be thinking that I spent a lot of time in Munich in 2015. I did, and it was because Charles’s family decided to spend Christmas there, and Charles and I were dead set on going to Oktoberfest. There are no future plans to go to Munich, and I am ready to explore some other European cities. I did have fun exploring Munich’s Christmas markets and I have a blog post about them coming soon.
I spent the time between Christmas and New Years at home in my pajamas cooking, writing, and avoiding the cold and snow. And getting Velvet Taco delivered via Caviar.
On New Year’s Eve it was time to get out and party. We joined friends at Chi-Town Rising and it was the best New Years ever. (Yes, I am that short. Please note that I was not wearing shoes.)
The next morning Charles and I had a boozy brunch at Bar Siena and feasted on fried cheese, short rib hash, and bombolini, washing it all down with bloody marks and mimosas. It was a delicious way to begin the New Year.
And now it is back to reality. I am hitting the gym and eating healthy. Since I got ahead on blog posts, I have a variety of recipes queued up for you, so even though I will be eating Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad Bowls on repeat, this site will offer its usual content.
I hope your new year is off to a great start! Oh and I am heading to Park City soon – leave me any recommendations in the comments!
Katie @ Live Half Full
Friday 8th of January 2016
Your productivity amazes me, as always!