Life and Links: Hunkering Down for the 2018 Chicago Snowstorm

Here I am, making snow angels at Maggie Daley Park. I love skating and the snow.  I have such solid winter gear that I am never wet nor cold.  I’ll share some of my favorite gear soon, along with fun reads for this 2018 Chicago snowstorm weekend!

Boy oh boy. This week started especially memorably for me as my mom’s new cat slept in my bed for the first time.  This may not be a big deal to anyone else, but I am allergic to all animals. After my mom’s last chemo treatment, I finally bought her a hypoallergenic cat eight years after we first met with a breeder. Turns out, I am obsessed with this cat.  She greets you at the door when you come home from work, she loves playing in water, and sleeps about 20 hours a day. And although she is furry as all get out, she is definitely hypoallergenic.

Just look at this little mug, she melts my heart.

Then the week took a turn as I came down with a winter cold.  It’s not the flu, so I shouldn’t be complaining.  I’m starting to feel a bit better, and if the 2018 Chicago snowstorm means I am working from home tomorrow, that might provide the extra sleep I need to kick this thing.

Speaking of the 2018 Chicago Snowstorm….

The Loews Chicago hotel is doing something super cool and is offering rooms for just $89 for anyone stuck in Chicago because of the snow.  To book a room online, use the code “STAYWARM” and plan on showing your ID at check in.  This rate applies to anyone with an Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, or Michigan ID.

This weekend, I’m heading to a first birthday party, and to the Travel and Adventure Show in Rosemont.  With the 2018 Chicago Snowstorm effectively shutting down the airports, it’ll be a nice place for my mind to escape to somewhere else.  Last year, I learned about the serene and wild solitude of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and planned a vacation there. If there is anything that could embody quiet travel anymore than the UP, I don’t know about it. Although my mom’s surgery led to us canceling our trip north, I was able to reschedule it.

An App To Track Illnesses While you Travel

Speaking of illnesses, a new app came out this week that allows you to check the prevalence of up to 15 different illnesses across the country.  It’s called Doctors Report. It’s effective for checking incidences in your neck of the woods, and also to check the likelihood of getting an illness while traveling.  Isn’t that a great tool?

Learn more about my experience in the Azores here and here.

What I’m Reading

My friend Erika over at With Love, Paper and Wine wrote an article about why you should visit Napa Valley in the winter offseason.  Highlight: a walk-in tasting at Caymus without an appointment.

In 1981, then Mayor of Chicago, Jane Byrne, moved into the most dangerous housing development in the city.  Such an interesting read.

I just bought 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos and can’t wait to read it. It talks about being a likeable person, raising children that you are proud of, standing by your convictions.  If only I had more time in the day!

As the date approaches, I’ve been reading about some of the right and wrong things couples do in terms of budgeting for their wedding.  This article is a great tool to avoid debt.

Susan highlights a trip to Valparaiso, Chile.  I must be too Midwestern because my first thought was that I didn’t realize Indiana was so colorful.

In Case you Missed It…

Looking to buy something for your special someone this Valentine’s Day? I posted a guide of gifts for your favorite traveler.

Did you catch my post on high tea in DuPage county? It’s much cheaper than the city options and honestly, has more delicious food accompaniments.

What I’m Buying

I found what I think are the cutest and girliest phone cases around, and then learned I can also design my own with Casetify custom iPhone cases.  I love that there is so much customization available for my phone.

I’m absolutely obsessed with cute pajamas.  Soma has some of the cutest pajamas around.  I picked up more than a few styles this winter, and some of my favorites are on sale.

-I’ve been really enjoying fresh scents in my home. I don’t use candles because I have a knack for forgetting to blow them out, but I just learned of Oojra’s healthy and sustainable sourced home scents.  The creator of the line came up with the brand as a healthy way to provide home decor and scents for his mother with cancer. I’ll be getting myself the Thai Jasmine reed diffuser once it’s back in stock.

In the meantime, I will be popping sinus medicine and getting my rest this weekend in the hopes to kick this cold.  Have a great weekend!