It's official. Summer is here!

Well, I guess it's not officially summer until Monday, but I have tan lines on my feet from my flip flops, so that means its summer :)

Madi and I have been taking trips to the beach and to the park. We alternate between the park and the beach in the afternoons to keep it interesting.

It rained Monday and Tuesday so we didn't get to go out at all, but I'm pretty sure we've made up for it the last few days.

One of my favorite things to do in the city thus far is the farmer's market on Saturday mornings. We have gone every weekend - its so exciting, because its all "locally" or "regionally" as my husband would have me say, grown produce, mostly organic or close to it. The thing I love is seeing the new fruits and vegetables that change weekly as the season progresses. When we first started going in May it was mostly greens, and ALOT of aspargus. Now it's fresh strawberries, cherries, raspberries and today we even got our first tomatoes there! One farmer clued me in that blueberries should be ready for next weekend!

I guess the thing that I like is that I'm buying high quality fruits and veggies and supporting the local economy. Alot of the farmers come in from Michigan, Indiana and south/ west Illinois.

In addition to the great fresh produce, there are also some amazing bakeries. I'm addicited to blueberry muffins from Bake. They are amazing!

As a reward for Madi being so good in the stroller as I check out the market each week, we got to the playlot afterwards to let her run around. She is so adventurous for such a little thing. She loves the slides, swings, and even the bouncy bridge.

I feel so incredibly blessed to spend this time with her. She is learning so many new things, almost daily!

I'm trying to meet some other moms at the park to get more involved in the community. Mostly it's just me and nannies except on the weekends, then it's moms and dads at the park! (and kids of course!)

This weekend we are going to the Randolph Street Food Festival. Then its to the burbs for Father's Day golf.

Chicago

We've been in our new "home" for a little over a month already. Which is insane. Time is going by so fast.

Our new home is a 2 bed 1000 sq ft apartment in a high rise on the 20th floor in Chicago.

I honestly thought this would be a bigger adjustment, but we taken to the "downsizing" amazingly well. A smaller space = less stuff to baby proof and clean. That makes me happy.

I love our new little corner of the world. We take walks everyday (baby I go at least 2x a day, 1 with daddy at night). On average I walk about 3-5 miles a day.

We can walk to the beach, any type of shopping you can dream of, well I should say, mostly shopping someone like myself could only dream of. Where I used to have Target, Walmart and Aldi on my normal driving routes, I now have likes of Kate Spade, Jimmy Choo, Prada and Barney's New York. LOL. I'm sure the people in the stores wonder what a chic in 20 dollar old navy jeans and 5 dollar flip flops is doing walking down their well manicured street.

I love living in Chicago alot more than I imagined. I thought I would like it, but I thought that there would be enough cons to make me annoyed on a regular basis. That's is not that case at all. I think our Apartment Finder guy did an amazing job showing us this place. We are close to everything! Public Transporation, which we are becoming pros at and baby loves riding the el!

The truth is, I'm alot afraid of how much I like it. I've always had this dream of moving out west to California to be close to sand and surf, the other day as I was hanging out at the Oak St beach with baby, I thought. Wow, this is kind of like my favorite beach in Cali, except its Chicago. Although, it is summer time, the best time in Chicago... I'll update you on my love for Chicago and yearning for Cali in January or March timeframe :)

Ok, so another thing I love is how much stuff we do. I'm not joking, I honestly think in the month we have been here we have "done more" than in the last year in the suburbs. Our jobs and commutes consummed so much time, when it came time for fun or weekends, they were basically non existent. We were too tired!

Stuff we've done and liked:

Farmer's Market- Every Saturday the whole family dog included head out for a morning of fresh pastries and organic vegetables and fruits. I feel very European selecting my fresh foods and putting them in my reusable (ALDI) bag. Baby and Dog get lots of free food samples from the vendors. It's great. I like buying and supporting local business owners when I can.

Millenium Park- Monday nights all summer free concerts. It's very Ravina like (bring a blanket and a picnic and listen to music. Why it's better than Ravina = FREE!!) We listened to She & Him. Baby liked the music, but she REALLY liked running with her friend around the "BEAN". Pictures to follow!

FESTIVALS- I've always known Chicago is very well known for the many summer festivals that occur between May and September. However, I haven't actually been to, well any. Until we moved to the city. Let me tell you, this is a parent's (whose too cheap to pay for a sitter) dream! Here's the premise: Free Entry (for the most part, or they request a small donation). Lots of food and beer vendors and live music.
The great part is, it's like going out to a bar, except its outside and people bring their strollers. It's great. You feel like you've had a night out and paid 0 babysitter fess and 0 cover or entry fees. Only slightly over priced food and beer :) Totally worth it!!!
And we get to discover different parts of the city, we might not have any other reason to go.

Festivals we've attended so far:

Belmont/ Sheffield Music Festival- supporting local business in Lakeview. Baby liked the music, we liked the atmosphere. I'm still sad I didn't actually go for it and get a giant alchohalic concoction served in a pineapple. Oh well, next time :)

Mayfest- Lincoln Square. This was a fun one! German fest. kind of like Oktoberfest, but in the spring. Something about a Maypole? I don't know. In any case. My husband purchased us both a 1 liter plastic boot of strong german beer, brats, potato salad and large soft pretzels. Delicious. Baby spilled a good portion of my beer, which is ok. 1 liter is a bit much for me :) Good german music bands. This little town is like little Germany. Agrocer, dress shop and many german beer haus'. Cute. Quaint.

This coming weekend, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by our choices, but I'm sure it'll be fun whatever we choose.

Friday- Blackhawks (won the Stanley Cup) Ticker Tape Parade near the Loop

Saturday- Midsommerfest- Andersonville- Two great bands that I like on two different days. Mike and Joe Saturday and 16 candles Sunday... tough choice. Since it's free, maybe we'll go both days?

Saturday- Oak Street Muzic Fest

Sunday- Ribfest- It's weird I have a thing for ribs and wings. My husband, not such a fan. Although I feel like a man, I am totally excited for this fest!

Sunday - is also Blues Fest- but I'm not that big of a blue's fan. Probably we'll skip this!

To fun times in the city!!!

Life Makeover!

I think my mom still subscribes to this blog. That is probably it. Seeing as I haven't updated in going on two years. I won't be upset if even she has unsubscribed ;)

In any case, instead of starting ANOTHER blog that I do not keep up with I figure, I'll just give this one a shot again.

The flavor of this might be a bit different than before. As I read through my old posts, they were very focused on professional development etc... blah! This is about a life makeover.

Those posts and that engergy from 2008 did carry me far and I used alot of my own advice to further my career. Interestingly enough the commute to the city and blog died at the same time. No surprise.

Because I was prego I took a new, higher paying job the suburbs closer to home. Meanwhile, my husband took a new job in the city. We commuted together for about 2 months.

Fast forward to today: 2+ years has passed... to summarize. Took promotion job opportunity in October. I had a baby, born in February 2009. She is the best baby in the whole world (I am her mom, I can say that:) I went back to work 7 short weeks after she was born (Side note: if you ever find yourself pregnant and you MUST return to work for financial reasons, do yourself a favor and take all 12 weeks the government says you can have. Your emotional well being will thank you!)

I worked LONG, HARD, hours. I worked nights talking to people in Shanghai, Singapore, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico. I wanted people to know that just because I had a baby, didn't mean being successful was any differnt. The harder I worked, the more pressure was put on me by myself and others. The more pressure, the more I worked. It was a never ending cycle. Every time I looked at the calendar months were passing faster than ever before.

The faster they passed, the faster I fell behind. I couldn't keep up. My job grew and grew and I tried to keep up. In January my inbox had over 1000 unread emails. I deleted them so I could have a fresh start to 2010. By March the unread emails were over 1000 again. Insane. I couldn't keep up. On average I recieved 175-200 emails per day. 95% of them requiring a response or some action on my part. I kept trying to make this work.

As the months went on, the hours got longer, but I also got more tired. I was up so late working, I'd come in later. The days were meshing in to each other. To top it off I felt like I never saw my baby. Or my husband for that matter.

I don't know exactly what or when the tipping point was, but one day I realized... it doesn't matter how many hours I work, or how hard I work. I am never going to make "them" happy. I am never going to be "happy". I couldn't continue down this path. Where would I be in 10 years... richer? yes. miserable?... most likely. Have missed out on majority of my daughters formative years? yes. The only positive to the opportunites that lie ahead for me were more money and free international travel. Don't get me wrong both great things.

So I quit that job. I am now working as an independent consultant for my former employer, doing what I love and do best... RECRUITING!

One step in the right direction to my life makeover.

Step Two. As much as I loved our house, it was a bear in a sense. Holding us back from things and places we'd rather be. Given the market is horrible we decided to see if we could rent out our house. We did and within 10 days from signing a lease, we were relocated to a downtown hi-rise in Chicago!

What a change this is!
Floors reduced: 3 to 1
Sq footage reduced: 2000 to 1000
Garage space reduced: 2.5 to 1 paid spot
+ Deciding to sell 1/2 of all of our "worldly possessions" including: a car, dining room set (which I LOVED :(, couches and many other suburban items that are non-essential in city. A grill, patio set, garage storage shelves etc...


Its interesting the girl that used to write this blog in 2008, would have probably looked at what I have just done as moving backwards. And in some cases, sure, it probably is. Do most people understand trading a gorgeous home for a plain 2 bedroom apartment? No, probably not. But I'm grown up and confident enough in my decisions that I'm ok if not everyone understands.

Status: We are one month in to our new city life and I feel like we did the right thing. Apartment is slowly but surely coming together. Baby girl loves the city. We take walks daily and she loves taking in all the sights and sounds of the city!

I hope you'll join me as I attempt to document our new life in the city!

Power of a Network

I will admit off the bat that I am an easily amused person, but it is not too often that I am in "awe" of certain things, people, events, etc... This past week I have learned some very exciting things about the power of a network, not just any network, but a good network. Two very influential people in my professional and personal lives have shown me just how important and valuable a good network is. First up is Dave . He is in the process of getting a book deal for his upcoming book, The Freak Factor. In order to promote his book, he asked the most influential people in his network to send out his manifesto to 10 people we thought would actually read and find useful. His latest blog update shows just how far a good network can reach. I think he has people on almost every continent talking about his manifesto, in just two short weeks!
Next, Cari has recently launched a much needed career and image consulting business in the Chicagoland area! She has used her extensive network to get her business up and running and will continue to use it to grow her business. Her latest blog post talks about not only building a good network, but the right network, with people who are supportive, encouraging, and constructive to help you grow professionally.

That being said, networking, in my opinion is essential to career growth. I'm not just talking about the cheezy cocktail hours hosted by your professional association (as these can be good...sometimes). I'm talking about actively listening and learning about your neighbors, peers, and friends of friends you meet at weddings, bbq's, and parties. In order for a network to become useful you have to know who is in your network. Once you know who your network is you can begin cultivating it and have it become a powerful tool for you.

Progress (is good)

Progress can be defined in many different ways. I define progress as the ability to change or move forward; having a positive impact on the future.

Today, was not the first but at least the 10th time I have been approached, confronted, yelled out, or shyly asked to buy girl scout cookies. I love girl scout cookies. Not only because the cookies are awesome. But I think the little girls are cute in their sashs and I like supporting young women entreprenuers. Despite that, progress is a must.
Here's where the progress comes in... Everytime I have successfully said no and not come home with 4 boxes of cookies! Not because I dont' want a box or 2, what woman in her right mind doesn't love girl scout cookies? but because I now understand the running miles necessary to burn off the approximately 1 box I would polish off in a week or less. This is how my love hate relationship with running continues. I love to run, hate how it makes me so aware...

I'm such a dork, I did the math:

SPOILER ALERT**** Don't proceed if you already have a box in your house... enjoy your last cookie season :0

Thin Mints: Serving size 4 cookies- 160 calories = 1.5 miles. Realistically, I think
I'd probably put down between 6-8 cookies(per sitting) = 3 miles

Somoas: Serving size 2 cookies, really can anyone just eat 2? 150 Calories= 1.5 miles, again on average double, 300 calories 3 miles.

This is above and beyond my standard 4 miles 3-4 times a week for weight maintenance.

Verdict: Progress is good. I'm saving money and my ass!(sorry Girl Scouts)

The Windy City (For Real)

Today, as I do everyday I packed up my desk and things and got ready for my long commute home from work. As I exited my building in downtown Chicago, I was quickly and literally swept up in a huge wind gust! The wind was crazy my entire walk to Union Station where I catch my train. It was so funny so see myself and other well dressed professionals holding onto our coats hats and bags all the while trying to keep from being knocked over by the wind. It was quite a site. It was like in the movies right before tornado comes through and everyone is hanging on for dear life, except no tornado, just lots of wind :)

Just thought I would share!

Easter

Last minute found out due to family having the flu that I was now going to be hosting Easter dinner for 10 adults and 2 kids! AhhH!!!! I'm a very spontaneous person, but not a fan of spontenoues major holiday hosting. Oh well, Boston Market saved the day thanks to their chill and bake dinners for 12, perfect!

Easter this year was different than most in many ways. 10 + inches of snow covered the ground and most area easter egg hunts were cancelled (how sad). The spring dresses stayed in the closet, replaced by warm sweaters and bulky coats. Yet, one thing that was consistent with almost every Easter I can remember from when I was a kid, was Easter morning church service. In my book, always my favorite church service of the year. Today, our church focused on not only the Easter story, but also the power of God. Through a few close friends recently I have had the opportunity to witness the power of God in ways that I haven't seen before, I am truly in awe.

Happy Easter!

Please come soon spring....

This winter, feels like it's been the winter of all winters... I can't remember the last time it was above 50 degrees or even 40 degrees for two or more days in a row. Yesterday in Chicagoland was a tease, it was bright and sunny, which was great... however it was still freezing cold outside.
I never thought I would say this...but I actually can't wait to hit the outside pavement, sidewalks, and trails in a couple of weeks. I would take a sticky, humid run over running on a treadmill any day. Although I love my new treadmill, I hate it because it symbolizes winter and cold.
In a few weeks, I'll be heading out west to Southern California to visit my brother and some old friends, and then to go to a recruiting conference the ERE Expo. Basically this is the biggest best recruiting group and event in the country. I am so excited to go and learn new things (and enjoy some California sunshine)
The best part of all is that I got my company to pay for whole thing... hooray!!!

My Blog

When I was a kid I always felt obligated to have a diary, to right down my secrets and my thoughts. The problem with this was that I was and still am very outspoken and really don't have any secrets, so my diaries were only ever used in fits of anger or deep sadness. I am really glad I don't know where any of those diaries are because it would probably appear that my childhood and early college years were sad and depressing. But maybe since there was only ever about 4-6 entries a year, it might appear things were going well at other times except those few occasions where I was sad enough to write about it.
That is not my intention here. Unlike writing, I enjoy typing. I am an excellent typist thanks in part to a computer game I had as a child called, Mario Teaches Typing. Basically, it was like playing the Nintendo game except that instead of hitting A, B, Up, Down, you had to type words and symbols to keep Mario moving forward. It actually worked, I was addicted and my parents probably just assumed I was a really into computers ;) Since I enjoy typing I think this will be a great way for me to document what goes on in my crazy fast paced life.

My friends and family have often comment to me saying you are SO busy, but really if I wasn't busy I would probably go NUTS! I don't like being bored and certainly don't like not moving forward in my life :)

I have no clue what this blog will turn into, if anything. But I'm hoping that some good comes out of it, if only sanity for my 3 hour daily commute to the city!