xoxo, lm

From my family to yours: Easter egg hunt

My family has quite a few traditions and one of my favorites is on Easter. It's the adult version of an Easter Egg hunt: a beer hunt.

Quite similar to an egg hunt, you strategically hide beer and then let the masses run wild. We've done it for a couple years now and my sister and I will proudly take credit for it.

We decorate the bottles with ribbons and the like for added effect and get creative with our hiding spots. For those of you that are really festive, you can use six-packs as Easter "baskets" for the hunters!

Each year my sister and I have to talk my ma into allowing us to hold the hunt - "but ma, it's tradition!" - and each year our persuasion skills have won. In the end, it's all about family togetherness. Even if that means everyone ages 21-75 running around the yard looking for bottles of beer.

Can't wait for Sunday!
xoxo,
Lisa Marie

Photo courtesy of catlu1

I'm not afraid to admit ...

... I'm an awful packer. If I'm vacationing for 5 days, I will pack 6 pairs of shoes and 11 outfits. Because really, you never know. What if I don't like an outfit as much as I thought I would? Or what if my travels change and I'm gone longer than expected? More is best, I say. Except when you're driving 14+ hours to Savannah. And you're sharing a car with 3 others that have luggage. And one of them is my sister, who yells at me when I overpack (And I quote, "Lisa, just because we're taking a bigger car does not mean you can bring a bigger suitcase."). Said sister is pregnant (!), so I know she means business.

My adventures in packing started out horribly (exhibit A to the right). I couldn't close my suitcase ... or even come close to closing it and I hadn't even added my makeup and toiletries. After reassessing the situation, unpacking a pair of shoes, a pair of jeans, 3 dresses and 4 tops, my suitcase was slim and trim and ready for a road trip.

I'm all set to go with my suitcase ... plus an extra bag that holds my toiletries. I'm hoping to sneak it in the car without my sister knowing.

Wish me luck! I'll be back a week from Monday. Have a great week!

xoxo,
Lisa Marie

Eat, drink & be merry for half price

If you like to explore our city's entertainment and restaurant options, you're in luck! Restaurants and other establishments want to see city-goers happy, and also want to see them in their venue.

And why wouldn't you try out a new restaurant, get a massage or visit a favorite diner when you can do so on the cheap?! Chicago Half/Off offers certificates to restaurants, salons, spas, fitness centers and more for - you guessed it - half off!

CBS Radio Chicago runs the site and thanks to them, you can do more in the city for less! There are a limited number of certificates for each deal, so if you see something you want, make sure you buy it before it's out-of-stock.

Each certificate has its own rules and restrictions, so read the fine print before making a purchase. A current sampling of the deals include Ed Debevic's, Edwardo's, LaSalle Flower Shop (this is for you, boys!), The Hunt Club and The Comedy Sportz Theatre.

There are other sites that offer similar deals, like Half-off Deals (make sure you click on the right city! There are a few to choose from), Drive Deals from 97.1, Half-Price Chicago and Chicago Emmis Deals (which is used by Q101). On all of the sites, processing fees are added to the total and some require the certificate to be mailed instead of printed by the user.

Most of the sites seem to get their stock from Half-off Deals, so you'll see a lot of the same certificates, but it's worth a shot to check out multiple sites if you can't find what you want!

Now that the weather's starting to perk up, it's time to really enjoy the city!

xoxo,
Lisa Marie

I'm not afraid to admit ...

... I get emotionally attached to people on my bus route. People I've never spoken to and some I've never even made eye contact with, but riding the same bus makes me feel connected to them. My co-worker rides the same route as I, and together we've named our "friends." There's the cute lil' old man, my co-worker's boyfriend (who isn't her boyfriend at all) and the couple. There are others but these are our closest bus friends. When they don't show in the morning, I worry about them. When I ride an earlier bus than my co-worker, she asks if our friends were there. How can you love people so much that you've never even spoken to? On the CTA, anything's possible.

xoxo,
Lisa Marie 

*photo courtesy of CTA

Celebrate Women's Day with pledge, Kate Spade, book

Today is International Women's Day and countries all over the world will be honoring and continuing to strive for women's social, economic and political achievements.

International Women's Day started in 1911 and there are many ways to show your support, including signing a pledge to support the Join me on the Bridge campaign. Today, the campaign united women in Congo and Rwanda, and together they demanded peace and development. In New York and London, women walked across major bridges and gathered to make peace banners. By signing the pledge, you'll be showing the government that you want it to invest in women.

If you would rather make a statement with jewelry, Kate Spade has partnered with Women for Women International and the Join Me on the Bridge campaign, and made a limited edition bangle. It costs $48 and 25 percent of proceeds benefit Women for Women International.

If you're still not sure how to show your support, put Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women on your book list! The film inspired by the book played at select theaters late last week in celebration of International Women's Day, and shared tales of women's struggles and triumphs. You also can donate to CARE, which helps empower women to change the world.

How will you celebrate women today?!
xoxo,
Lisa Marie

Novice Chef: almond bark popcorn

Yum! It's so delicious and oh, so easy! My friend Michelle brought this snack to a holiday gathering a couple years ago and we couldn't put it down. I made it for work today and the reviews were superb: people thought it tasted good and looked fancy!

All you need is popcorn (I bought light butter because I didn't want butter to overwhelm the flavor), almond bark (chocolate or white chocolate) and m&ms (peanut or plain).

Directions:
Pop a bag of popcorn and pull out the uncooked seeds (don't forget this step! I left too many seeds in and it makes eating a task!).
Add m&ms to the mix.
Melt about 4 squares of almond bark in a pan over low heat (it will take about 6 minutes).
Then, combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir!

Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, then enjoy!
Verdict: It's a go-to recipe. It tricks people into thinking I can actually cook and it's tasty!

xoxo,
Lisa Marie

Sick of sticky notes? Try online to-do lists

I've finally started cleaning up my mess of an e-mail, but I realized I was still sending myself to-do lists electronically and placing sticky notes in my purse to keep from forgetting things.

I did a little research and found there are a number of sites that offer list-building tools, which is much more effective and manageable than posting sticky notes everywhere. Accounts at the sites below are free and once you sign-up, you can build and manage all the lists you want!

Earlier today, I e-mailed myself the name of a musician I didn't want to forget (James Otto, for all those wondering!) and now I've deleted the e-mail (which would've gotten lost in a sea of e-mails, anyways) and created a list of musicians I can add to at any time. I now have a go-to spot to keep all my long- and short-term to-dos, grocery list - you name it! TODOIST has Gmail integration, which is yet another step to streamline your life, so if that's appealing to you, try it out! Toodledo and Tadalist also offer users simple list-making options, and each site has its own bells and whistles.

My plan is to continue to maintain the planner I keep in my purse so I can jot things down and have a schedule when I'm on-the-go, but keep the bulk of my to-do items in an online home instead of scattered about.

Another life- and time-saver is Doodle. If you exchange 42 e-mails before you narrow down which day to get together with your girls, you must use Doodle. You go on, pick dates for your event and send it to those invited. Once your guests answer, you're able to view which day works best for everyone without sending e-mails back-and-forth. My dear friend Lindsey got me hooked on the site and you should be too. It will change your life. Or at least the amount of time you spend planning a night of cosmos.

Cheers to simplifying life!
xoxo,
Lisa Marie