10 Last Minute Gift Ideas Under & Way-Under $100
2009-12-18 22:29:00 If you're like most people, myself included, you are not ready for the holidays. You still don't know what you're cooking for Christmas, you have nothing to wear to your in-laws, you haven't put up your tree, and you're just revisiting the Christmas gift list you made in late October. As I was going through my own list just this morning, I thought I'd share some of the neat gift ideas I found for last minute shoppers. They're for infants to elders, combine style, utility, and fun... and they range in price from $7.99 to $69.95 and are in stock to ship for Christmas '09 as of this writing!
Philly Kitchen Share: Rent A Professional Kitchen For Holiday Cooking
2009-12-18 06:48:00 There are businesses renting just about everything these days, including workspaces like offices, product testing areas and more. Now, a new company is offering a different type of space for people to work in when they don't have their own, and it's something that could come in handy this holiday season.
5 Hot Beauty Gadgets For Women Over 40
2009-12-14 23:29:00 ... If money and time were no problem (and when are they not problems?), we would get professional treatments to keep looking our best.... But thanks to technology we can use modified professional gadgets at home. These five beauty gadgets are my picks for function and reliability. They make dynamite gifts.
CTA's Holiday Train holds magical moments
2009-12-14 00:29:00 When boarding the CTA's Holiday Train, your senses are instantly bombarded -- light, sound, smell, and even taste if you like candy canes.About 15 CTA Tattler readers rode the train with Santa Saturday. Check out the photo slideshow below. And thanks to all of you for making it a good time, and sharing good cheer afterwards at the Grafton Pub....
Designed For Kids, But Can YOU Resist? Crane 1-Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier
2009-12-12 23:14:00 ... There are over a dozen adorable characters to choose from including: the Sponge Bob Humidifier, Hello Kitty Humidifier, Thomas The Tank Humidifier, and a pig, penguin, frog, dragon, panda, elephant, and cow humidifier! If you or your children need room humidifiers for the dry days and nights of winter, give these a peek. If nothing else, they'll make you smile.
ATHLETES AGAINST DRUGS HOLIDAY PARTY
2009-12-12 16:18:00 Stedman Graham Founder of Athletes Against Drugs (AAD) hosted their Annual Holiday Party celebrating its 25th Anniversary at the Fairmont Hotel. Guests enjoyed cocktails, Live Band and great food during the event which was attended by athletes, media personalities and supporters of AAD. Earlier in the evening, in another ballroom, the event started with a youth holiday party for hundreds of kids who played games, received toys to take home and was greeted by Santa Claus. Former NBC 5 anchor Art Norman MC'd the program. Stedman Graham received a special award by U.S. Cellular presented by Greg Hinton. The award was made from famed Chicago artist Debra Hand. For more information on Athletes Against Drugs or...
Holiday Gadget/Photo Deals from B&H!
2009-12-12 05:55:00 Here’s some great gadgets deals from B&H for the holidays: $50 Off Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Digital Cameras, plus Free Shipping – link $100 Instant Savings on Canon EOS 50D SLR Digital Camera with 18-135mm IS Lens – link $50 Off HP / Hewlett-Packard Pavilion dv7-2170us Entertainment Notebook Computers, plus Free Shipping- link Great Gift – $25 Off Impecca ...
Holiday Gifts for Your Pets, Miss Meowsky on WLS
2009-12-12 02:19:00 Holiday Gifts for Pets with Miss Meowsky
Ugly Holiday Sweaters Make for a Warm Community Meetup
2009-12-12 00:18:00 Last night's Ugly Christmas Sweater Holiday Party was a huge success! Organized by Windy Citizen editor & publisher Brad Flora and sponsored by more than two dozen Chicago bloggers (including Chicagosphere and Chicago Carless), almost 100 of you--our readers, friends, loved ones, and fellow bloggers--came out to Black Rock Bar in Roscoe Village on a frigid night....
New Survey Says Social Media Good for Holiday Business
2009-12-11 23:32:00 A new survey from comScore this week (reported in TechCrunch) suggests that social media has a positive effect of holiday purchases. Last week, the survey firm asked 425 shoppers nationwide about their buying habits this holiday season. As many as 28% said that social media had affected their purchasing decisions this year, including online product reviews and Facebook and Twitter posts from friends and trusted influencers....
Weekend work; Tattler Holiday Train meet-up is Saturday
2009-12-11 13:00:00 Go read my post from last Friday on the weekend work on the Blue and Green lines for the coming weekend. Ditto.OK, that was easy. Meanwhile, on the Red Line, trains won't stop at Argyle and Lawrence going southbound from 10 pm Friday till 6 pm Sunday for track maintenance.CTA Tattler Holiday Train Meet-up. Most important, don't miss the Holiday Train this weekend, especially the Tattler meet-up on Saturday. We'll pile into the first car of the Orange Line train when it stop at Roosevelt at 1:24 pm on Saturday. More details here.We'll ride the train as it changes into a Brown Line. At Western we'll disembark and head directly for some Christmas cheer. It looks like there's now a...
Holiday Gifts for the Traveler
2009-12-10 20:09:00 Tis the Season! I wanted to focus on affordable gifts for the Traveler as this year it's about functionality and purpose rather than mindless gift giving. I thought about what I would like to get as a traveler that I would either not take the time to get for myself or only think of when I need it. I also wanted to focus on children to promote the wanderlust in a budding mind. A charging station for all the electronics you carry with you. It has all of the plugs you need, there is also a wireless charging station or pad and all you need to do is lay the item on top of it. A multi-country adapter. The new...
Holiday Gifts for the Traveler
2009-12-10 03:43:00 Hi Everyone! Recently on our Traveling Eye show heard every Friday from 11 AM to Noon on www.wvon.com, (yep, that was a shameless plug), Ja'Vonne and I offered our ideas on the perfect gift to give the traveler in your life. Some of the ideas included: Leather Travel Wallets - they are compact but has a compartment for everything you need. Umbrella - yes I said Umbrella. The one thing a traveler usually forgets is an umbrella because when you are on vacation it isn't suppose to rain. Travel umbrella's are small and can fit in any carry on bag. Personalized Passport Cover - Passports usually come in one color so they all look alike. With a personalized passport cover your traveler will be able...
Charitable Tattoo Holiday Giving
2009-12-08 22:37:00 A tattoo shop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is doing something pretty great this holiday season. We've all heard of the Toys for Tots program, but they've come up with a Toys for Tats campaign. If you bring in a toy worth $10 or more, they'll give you a certificate for 50% off your next tattoo. That is a really sweet deal and incredibly generous. If you happen to be visiting the South Dakota area for any reason (though I can't think of any reason to go there unless you are dragged), make sure you stop by the shop with a toy in hand and a design ready to go.Sure, they're not in Chicago but I think it goes without...
Holiday Workshop for Kids
2009-12-08 19:19:00 ADVENTURE STAGE CHICAGO & VICTORY GARDENS THEATER PRESENT THREE DAY HOLIDAY WORKSHOP FOR KIDS (Chicago) Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) and Victory Gardens Theater (VG) are partnering for a three day creative workshop designed to keep your kids engaged and entertained during their school's holiday break.HOLIDAY DRAMA KIDS THREE DAY WRITING AND PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP Mon. & Tues., Dec. 28-29, 9am-1pm Wed., Dec. 30, 1pm-6pm ASC at Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St., Chicago Kids devise their own New Year's piece, explore acting fundamentals, rehearse short scenes and monologues, and perform their original holiday play on the ASC stage for friends and family. (Light snacks provided Dec. 28-29; dinner provided Dec. 30. Performance at 5pm on Dec. 30.) Holiday Drama...
"Million Dollar Quartet" added holiday performances!
2009-12-08 19:10:00 CHICAGO'S HIT ROCK 'N' ROLL MUSICAL MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS WITH ADDED PERFORMANCES! CHICAGO, IL--Million Dollar Quartet, the smash-hit musical now playing at The Apollo Theater announces added performances for the holidays, including two special New Year's Eve performances. Tickets are now on sale through March 28, 2010. Gift certificates, perfect for holiday gifts, are available at the Apollo Theater box office, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave, (773) 935-6100. Million Dollar Quartet CDs are available online, www.milliondollarquartetlive.co-m; t-shirts and other merchandise are available at the theatre. The schedule for the weeks of Christmas and the New Year follows: - Tuesday, December 22 -; - 7:30 p.m. - Wednesday, December 23 -; 7:30 p.m. &n...
Instead of buying gifts, why not give of YOURSELF this holiday season?
2009-12-08 13:58:00 If you're most people in America this month, you're running around town, trying to check names of your holiday gift shopping lists. But this is stressful! How much fun is dealing with crowded parking lots, cramming into packed stores, and standing in cashier lines until your feet hurt? Not much. So why not try something revolutionary? DON'T spend this season, but consider sharing of YOURSELF instead. This may sound strange coming from a spa owner who also sells lovely gift items, but during these tough economic times--and this recession has been hard on us all--but perhaps the way to best honor the season and those we like and love is by offering something personal that comes from the heart....
A Mommy Holiday Coffee (courtesy of Corner Bakery)
2009-12-08 04:42:00 December is a busy month for moms. I decided to start December off with a relaxing party for hard-working moms -- thanks to Corner Bakery.
Send us your holiday decoration and tradition photos
2009-12-07 20:00:00 For a look at previous social media experiments centered around holiday photos, Check out these links:Original call for Halloween photos.Then, take a look at the overwhelming response. In October, we asked you via Twitter to share with us your Halloween costumes. The response was off the hook and the feedback from readers -- both in print and at the blog -- was equally as positive.Fast forward to December and the thoughts turn to the holidays.And that's what I'm asking for this time: Holiday photos.What you send is entirely up to you. It can be anything from your house bathed in Christmas lights, your Chanukah menorah, Kwanzaa decorations -- even an artsy shot of your Christmas tree like the one above...
What's your favorite holiday bar?
2009-12-07 19:39:00 Does your neighborhood tavern do it up in style for the holidays? Whether its a strong stock of holiday beer, impressive decorations or the entire staff clad in Santa costumes, we want to hear about it....
Details on Saturday's Tattler Holiday Train Meetup
2009-12-07 14:00:00 The CTA just released the schedule for this Saturday's Holiday Train on the Orange and Brown lines. So, the Second Annual CTA Tattler Holiday Train Meetup will commence at 1:24 pm Saturday when the train is scheduled to roll in to the Roosevelt station on the Orange Line. We'll be waiting at the north end of the platform to board the first car. So look for me and others wearing CTA Tattler buttons.The Holiday Train will then become a Brown Line train. We'll travel north, hearing the ooh and ahs at station stops on the way to Western. At Western we will disembark and head to a Lincoln Square pub for some holiday spirits. Tune in laer this week for...
Holiday Dates in Chicago Vol.2: Lula Cafe and The Whistler
2009-12-07 07:12:00 Dinner and a nightcap at Chicago's Lula Cafe and The Whistler
This weekend: Renegade Holiday Sale
2009-12-04 22:59:00 Wanna give yourself a break from the doldrums of online-shipping deadlines and department-store merch? Look no further than the annual two-day Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale at Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, 1419 W. Blackhawk St. Take a look at pics of DIY goodies from Renegade sellers! Browse holiday gifts from more than 150 creative crafters hawking DIY clothing, screen-printed posters, laptop covers, buttons, jewelry, ornaments and enough other wares to fill two whole gymnasiums (and then some!). Don't miss the makeshift cafe of mid-shopping snacks and sips, including cupcakes from Tipsycake (1043 N. California Ave.) and an array of beer and wine. Need a ride? Get yourself to Division Street between Ashland and Hoyne avenues and hop a trolley. Stops include Greenheart...
Let's take this outside: Outdoor holiday activities at the Chicago Bot
2009-12-04 20:51:00 Bundle the kids up and take advantage of these local outdoor holiday events.
Vintage Holiday Sparkle Here! Open House at Secret Treasures
2009-12-04 18:54:00 If you don't know about Secret Treasures, this is a good weekend to find out. The vintage and antiques store will be all aglow this Saturday and Sunday for its holiday open house. Secret Treasures is a destination shop at 605 Dempster in Evanston. It's well-known by anybody who's into vintage china, colored glass dishes, jewelry and odds and ends. It occupies two small storefronts on Dempster with plenty of eye candy and charming little things to give and feather your nest. Yelp commenters seem to be fans of the prices, too. Here's where:Secret Treasures605 Dempster Street (just off the Dempster stop on the Purple Line)Evanston, IL 60201 Regular store hours: Tuesday ~ Saturday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm847-866-6889...
Tattler's 2nd annual Holiday Train meetup set for Sat., Dec. 12
2009-12-04 15:00:00 Plan to join your very own CTA Tattler and other loyal readers on the CTA's Holiday Train next Saturday, Dec. 12. Exact boarding times are not available yet, but we're hoping to meet the train at Roosevelt in the early afternoon. The train will be on the Orange and Brown line tracks that day -- an Orange train south of the Loop and Brown north of the Loop. We will ooh and ah, admire the gaudy decorations and silly ad cards, take copious photos and generally have a great time riding north. Then we'll exit at the Brown Line Western stop and repair to a pub for more holiday merriment. Seasonal fun will be had by all. Please do plan...
Weekend work on Blue and Green lines; Holiday Train schedule
2009-12-04 14:00:00 The Blue Line is shut down from Clark/Lake to UIC/Halsted this weekend from 10 pm Friday till 4 am Monday. Bus shuttles will provide substitute service so crews can repair slow zones. Holiday Train on the Green/Purple lines. Riders can marvel at the fabulous Holiday Train from 3 till 7 pm Friday on the Green and Purple Express lines. On Saturday, the train will run on the Green Line from 1 to 9 pm. And plan to join the CTA Tattler Holiday Train meet-up next Saturday, Dec. 12. Details here. Green Line work. Shuttle trains the weekend will serve the Ashland Branch stations on the Green Line from 7 am till 3:30 pm Saturday. Green Line trains will run in...
5 Great Gift Ideas For The Traveler On Your Holiday List
2009-12-03 23:29:00 Have a traveler on your gift list? Here are some travel products that would be great gift ideas for anyone who travels or even just dreams of traveling…. Happy Gift Giving! 1. 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers – Travel Guide book from Frommer’s 2. The Travel Book – presenting A-Z coverage on every country in ...Travel Lady Cruises, always providing you with TLC!5 Great Gift Ideas For The Traveler On Your Holiday List
By: Travel Lady Blog
Juneteenth acknowledged as legal holiday in Wisconsin, but does it matter t
2009-12-02 18:29:00 Tour director shows a display at the Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee, WI At a claims company I worked for several years ago, I took Juneteenth off. My African-American boss at the time supported the idea, but she didn't take the day off as well. She also continuously asked me when was the day again and what was the day for. Over the years, I've run into several other people who have no idea what Juneteenth is. So when I received an email today about a Chicago Tribune article (courtesy of Associated Press) stating that Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed a bill to make Juneteenth a national holiday, I wondered how many people would actually take advantage of...
Holiday event at Sofia Vintage
2009-12-02 05:32:00 Timeless winter style. I'm talking about the snowman. He's workin' that coal. (luckyfish/Flickr)It really is a wonderful life when you get great new-old duds to wear for the holidays. It gets even better when you can give a little back.This Thursday Sofia Vintage Clothing & Accessories in the Gold Coast is having an evening holiday celebration, complete with munchies and booze. The food will be provided by the second generation Lettuce Entertain You restaurant Hub 51 and hopefully the cocktails will help fuel the vintage flying off the rack.Why so enthusiastic? Fifteen percent of sales will go to the Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation, an organization now in its 29th year of fighting the disease. The event runs from 5:30...
Early to Bed Holiday Promotion: Give Nice...Get Naughty
2009-12-01 23:25:00 Give Nice...Get Naughty promotion at Early to Bed
Holiday Shopping Deals to kick off December
2009-12-01 23:24:00 Black Friday and Cyber Monday came and went. My guess is that most people didn't get all their holiday shopping done in one weekend. If you are still looking for that perfect gift or if you are just looking to grab some bargains for yourself, check out some deals from around the web below. Macy's - Get an extra 25% Off Friends and Family sale at macys.com. Use promo code: MACYSFRIEND at checkout. Also get free shipping when you spend $99+. Valid 12/2 - 12/7 only! New York & Company - 30% Off On Orders $75 or More. Use promo code: 2516 at checkout. This offer is good the entire month of December! Puma - Get $20 off orders of...
How to add "be a good samaritan" to your holiday to-do list Linco
2009-11-30 06:13:00 How is your holiday wish list stacking up now that you have probably scoped out the shopping scene this weekend? Many Lincoln Park businesses could be delighting in yours if it's a hopeful who's who of designer labels. There are also several organizations doing works of human kindness around the neighborhood just bursting to give you your good citizenship patches before year's end.... in case that's what you're really wanting.Charity, a definition from Chambers dictionary. Used with permission of flickr user HowardLake.Everybody knows you like to give. Scanning this year's semi-annual political donations reveals that Lincoln Park is more about "the gift" than any other zip code in Illinois.... with nearly three quarters of a mil just to political...
Holiday Deals Come with Difficulties
2009-11-29 22:42:00 Want to take advantage of some of the newly announce Holiday deals with cruises, like the Costa $199.00 7 night Caribbean cruise? Be aware that the air fare to get to most destinations is tight and expensive due to air fare sales that were going on in October. Flights are full and expensive, so consider ...Travel Lady Cruises, always providing you with TLC!Holiday Deals Come with Difficulties
By: Travel Lady Blog
NBA star, underwater homes, holiday decorating in this weeks real estate ne
2009-11-28 18:51:00 This week in Chicago real estate news: - Antoine Walker is being sued for not taking care of affordable housing projects owned by his company The former NBA star apologizes for the awful conditions, including rodent infestations and facades that are falling off, but managers in his company are less sympathetic in this Tribune article. -21 percent of Chicago homes are worth less than the mortgage owed on them The number statewide is about 18 percent, and about 23 percent nationally. But we're doing a lot better than Nevavda (65 percent) or Arizona (48 percent) -Suburban homes welcome tourists for the holidays Historic and creatively decorated homes in Mount Prospect, Geneva and Elgin are included on tours for those looking for inspiration and ideas, the...
CTA rider's holiday wish: A swine flu shot
2009-11-28 16:45:00 A rider wrote to "Going Public" with a suggestion for a gift the CTA could give him."Maybe it's too late for this, but my request for a gift from the CTA would be an H1N1 flu shot, to combat all those nasty bugs that are hangin' all over the handles and railings, doors and windows of those trains and buses.Or maybe just a seasonal flu vaccine, if they can't get the other one because of the shortage."...
Urgent! It's time for an Emergency Holiday Workout Challenge
2009-11-27 19:12:00 Sign up for the Social Workout Emergency Holiday Challenge to lose weight and feel great by the New Year.
Must-see holiday movies you need to know about
2009-11-27 04:10:00 The busy holiday season is here, which means you have shopping to do, dinners to prepare and in-laws to avoid. Somewhere in there, the studios hope, you'll find time to see a movie.Which to choose?Fox is hoping it will be "Avatar" on Dec. 18, the sci-fi adventure from James Cameron with a reportedly humongous budget of $500 million. From the looks of things, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," which set box office records when it opened a week ago and is poised to trounce any new competition this week, including Viggo Mortensen's high-anticipated turn in "The Road," still will be a force when "Avatar" opens.A week after "Avatar," Robert Downey Jr. turns up in a rocket-fueled "Sherlock Holmes." We've seen...
Your holiday reading ...
2009-11-26 04:05:00 http://www.flickr.com/photos/xy-bermatthew/ / CC BY 2.0One of the features that I've planned for The Job Stalker is a weekly round-up of interesting articles that I've come across relating to the job search. It's my intent that this will be a regular Friday feature, but with getting things geared up here last week, the first of those posts came out on Saturday and, due to the holiday looming ahead of us this week, I'm passing along these to you now. There's quite a lot to read in this batch, so it's just as well if you have some extra time to get into them.One of the side-effects of concentrating the bulk of my job search on Twitter this time around is that,...
Holiday Travel Vs. Staying Home ? 10 Reasons to Get Away
2009-11-25 21:42:00 I have a small group of clients who are in the processing to board a cruise ship today, the day before Thanksgiving and heading towards a Holiday adventure. They are all couple who didn’t want to have to travel and stay on someone’s sofa bed and feel displaced (even with their own families). So off ...Travel Lady Cruises, always providing you with TLC!Holiday Travel Vs. Staying Home – 10 Reasons to Get Away
By: Travel Lady Blog
Holiday Sex
2009-11-25 21:01:00 The holiday season is a great time of year because your odds of getting laid are much higher. Here’s why: There are a ton of single people out there who so desperately wish they had someone special in their life during this festive, emotional season that they’ll fuck just about anything in order to feel some semblance of relationship... Click to read more...
By: The User Pool
Gratitude this holiday season
2009-11-25 19:37:00 I like how the start of the Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Wint-er Solstice/Shop Till You Drop season begins with Thanksgiving. Yes, I’m aware of the damage done to our Native Americans and all the horrors our European forefathers brought to this nation including, but not limited to, smallpox, slavery, and partially hydrogenated oils. However. I choose (and it is a conscious ...
Feeling the holiday spirit with CTA gifts
2009-11-24 06:13:00 Love it or hate it, public transit is here to stay.It's been a topsy-turvy year for the CTA.There's a new boss and no fare hikes (for a while)But add in bus cuts and worker layoffs and gone is that smile.To help you remember what fun it is to ride,"Going Public" presents this CTA gift guide....
Jingle 'L': The CTA Holiday Train has arrived
2009-11-21 20:48:00 "Going Public" caught up with the CTA Holiday Train on its maiden ride Saturday. The trip started at the Howard stop, where the Yellow, Red and Purple Lines meet.Riders took photos with Santa and received free candy canes. If you spot the holiday train, please send a photo to tswartz@tribune.com for a photo gallery "GP" is putting together.Here is the holiday train schedule.More photos after the jump....
Friday roundup: train door problems; weekend service changes; Holiday Train
2009-11-20 13:00:00 There's been plenty of news this week that I haven't had a chance to report. Here's my attempt to catch up:Train door problems persist. The Sun-Times and Trib reported that a Red Line train door stayed open between Addison and Sheridan. This comes on top of the Morse stroller incident. Now the union is calling for the return of conductors on the rails. Except, that would cost $19 million per year. I don't think so.RTA OKs CTA service cuts. The RTA board Thursday formally approved Gov. Quinn's plan to borrow $166 million to stave off fare hikes. But service hours cuts will go into effect, unless the CTA can convince the union to take furlough days or wage cuts. Red...
Holiday Train to spread good cheer starting this weekend on Red and Purple
2009-11-19 02:00:00 It's back! The long-awaited Holiday Train will thrill passengers young, old and in between starting around noon Saturday at the Howard station, heading south on the Red Line. The detailed schedule for Saturday is here; Sunday's schedule is here. The general schedule is here.The Holiday Train is made up of six heavily decorated train cars, with Santa sitting in the middle on a flat-bed car. It will traverse all eight rail lines between Nov. 21 and Dec. 23. After all, Santa really has to get to work on Dec. 24.It really is a sight to behold. It's especially cool to watch the faces of those who don't know it's coming. Usually folks on the opposite platform cheer for Santa and...
It's a wine holiday
2009-11-18 05:56:00 Happy Beaujolais Nouveau! What is that, you ask? Tomorrow marks the Thursday in November which, according to French law, is exactly when French Beaujolais producers will be allowed to release the first wines produced from this year's harvest ... otherwise known as Beaujolais Nouveau.... |
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