a day in the city

Posted on July 10, 2019 by tandem in love

we had an impromptu trip to the city!

lately, any new adventures into the city…hc is always a part of it but this time around…he had to work and i trekked downtown, with the girls, by myself! its not that i don’t ever go to the city by myself {i do allllll the time but to my usual stomping grounds. helloooo, i used to live in the city} but if it’s a place i’m not used to driving to…hc is usually there.

we traveled to millennium park first to meet kim, terry and the boys. it was hot and humid. i needed to get to the lakeside garage {i spot hero’d my parking} and my map was telling me to take wacker. helllllll no. hc can drive wacker but not me! i freak out just being in the car when hc takes that route. so i diverted to the above ground routes and took the long, a little bit more congested roads to get to the garage. well that was no picnic either. i still had to go underground for a nano second but when you do, gps goes out. poof! like, once you go underground…it’s like bye bye bye {cue n’sync}.

so, i used the old fashioned way of getting around and used my brain. my gps was kaput and i needed to get to the garage. i pulled over. surveyed my surroundings and navigated a u turn, a left turn, then a right turn and voila!! i took myself straight to the garage! wahooooo! i was so relieved!

we found the famille inside the park and we all walked over to maggie daley play area. the girls were so excited to see their cousins! they absolutely love hanging out with them. the kids giddily ran towards the playground and disappeared. kim, terry, and i just wandered around while the kids explored.

while we were out, it started raining and we took cover under the trees. we watched people still going down the slides while it was raining and that was incredibly entertaining as the water made the slides super slick and people were flying off the surfaces! ohmergawd…it was the sound of shrieking and laughter, then thud, thud, thud. folks skidding across the ground as they shot down the slides. so crazy!

after some time at the park, we jumped back into our cars and headed over to wrigleyville to shop around, spend some time at gallagher way, and we also had dinner reservations at dutch and doc’s.

we had such a great time all around in the city and we decided to head back to the ‘burbs for some ice cream at our favorite local shop, where hc & thuy met up with us! ellie fell asleep on the way home and it was so darn cute! she got sleepy and took the baseball cap on her head and pulled it forward over her face. so adorable.

we arrived at the ice cream shop before anyone else and decided to wait for them on a bench. there wasn’t a line but 5 minutes later, i turned around and the line was out the door and down the sidewalk! yikes! i jumped up and got in line to save a spot for everyone!

all the kids got ice cream, and some adults, and we decided to walk around downtown, since the car show was going on {just ending…as we were out so late}. after a lovely stroll in the warm summer evening, we all dispersed and headed home.

it was such a wonderful day and evening spent with the family. life is good.

[exploring wrigleyville]

[little buggers…ellie was a nut in the store]

[new hats]

[oh ellie…always following in her big sister’s footsteps…it’s so sweet to see]

[snacking at gallagher way]

[coloring and drinking at dutch and doc’s]

[oh how we love the cubbies]

[so exhausted on the ride home, she pulled her cap forward and fell asleep! we were still heading out for ice cream!]

xoxo

olive’s first cubs game

Posted on May 20, 2019 by tandem in love

hc took olive to her very first cubs game!!!!! i was so excited. hc was so excited. olive was so excited! the day had come and the weather stunk. absolutely stunk. it was cold, rainy, gloomy, and did i mention cold? hc was a bit bummed but i said, take her anyways! bundle her up, bring lots of layers, a blanket, and if it got too cold…you can always leave but it’s the experience that was most important!

so, there they went. olive was so game for it. they explored the area, took pics everywhere, and baby girl was a complete trooper! as elsa said, “the cold never bothered me anyways!” LOL the good news was their seats were under an awning, so they were protected from the ongoing/intermittent rain.

olive enjoyed a big cup of pepsi and of course, a hot dog! she loved the music and bopped along to the tunes and enjoyed watching the game. one of her favorite things about the visit was meeting the cubbie bear! she thought he was so cool, bragged how she high fived him and he picked up for a pic!

this girl was steadfast in staying and enjoying the game despite the crummy weather. so much so, baby girl stayed through 10 innings! yes, 10 innings! after the 10th inning, she said she was ready to go home! i don’t even think i’d survive 10 innings in the cold and rain! i was so proud of her!

hc and olive packed up their items and headed out. she is so darn good! hc even offered her to get a souvenir and she declined. she didn’t need one. whaaaaaa?! gosh, i love her!

her first chicago cubs game was a success! she thoroughly enjoyed it! i can’t wait until she goes again and this time around, it will be warm out! i demand it. i guarantee it. no if’s and’s or but’s…ya got that chicago weather? please and thank you.

[that’s a big cup of pop]

[hello hotdog!]

{may 11th, 2019}

xoxo

cubs game ’18

Posted on July 12, 2018 by tandem in love

yaaayyyyy! i love cubs games!

i really, really do. i grew up loving the cubs. my most favorite team? andre dawson, ryne sandberg, wilkins, mark grace…my love for the cubs intensified then. i was that child that would rush home from school and turn on the cubs games on wgn and actually watch all nine innings. yesssssssss.

anyhoo, prior to the game, we had abraham’s bris {you can read that in the previous post}. we purposely arrived late to the game because 1. we had the bris to attend and 2. it was soooooooo dang hot, we didn’t mind showing a wee bit late. we scored rockstar parking and walked our way into the stadium. we grabbed some dogs and beers and maneuvered our way to our seats. ohhhhhh, it was hot! the temperature in the stadium was 102 degrees F. yowza!

we really enjoyed ourselves. well, i really did…although drinking beer, mixed with hot temps seemed like a disastrous combination. my body temp started to rise and i was feeling super parched, but survived. once the game hit the 8th inning, hc was done. i was surprised because usually i am the one done but hey! it’s the cubs game!!!! i love attending any game and it’s even better when they win. i absolutely love singing the go cubs go song at the end of the game!

well, i wasn’t going to argue! so, we left. we stopped by a shop to find a hat that hc was interested in. we knew that a storm was coming but we really didn’t plan around it. once hc purchased his hat, we hit the streets to walk back to the car. that was when the sky opened up and it rained on us! it was actually awesome! it was so hot, so a rain shower was appreciated! it may have rained for 6 minutes and then it stopped and the sun came out again.

i loved that we attended two events that day, i really had a great time despite the 102 degree heat, hc and i both purchased hats {like we need any more!}, we were rained on, and…

we left at a poignant moment in the game! the twins caught up and then the cubs won the game by one run! holy cow!

we hit the road again and cruised home to meet up with hc’s parents, who stopped by our house {they watched the girls over the weekend!}. it was such an eventful but heart-full day.

go cubs go!

[we arrived late to the game]

[it was sooooo hot outside]

[we left at the 8th inning]

[nice face hc]

xoxo

oh cubbies!

Posted on October 27, 2017 by tandem in love

i was soooo excited to go to my first NLCS game!

honestly, the cubbies have hit it up the last three years but before that…ummmmm, wasn’t it 2003 when they were last in it?! anyhoo, i was stoked when hc called me and asked if i wanted to go to a game! hells yessssss!

it was a beautiful, cool evening. we left mid afternoon, found a sweet parking spot, and strolled around the city towards the field. we arrived there so early! it wasn’t that crowded down below {yesss, we could walk around without bumping into everyone} and we were first in line at our favorite hot dog stand! score! we walked up to our seats and chowed down on our dogs, drank beer, and people watched. the stadium was very empty but as the hour passed, it became super packed!

i was so nervous. the cubbies were going into this 3-1 and each game was so gut wrenching! as we waited for the game to start, hc spotted our friend linh {there with her guy jim}. he tapped her arm to get her attention and i screamed! it was awesome to see her, if only for a few seconds!

the first inning was awful! the dodgers scored right away and inning after inning, they were shutting out the cubbies and getting ahead run, after run! ugh!!! it was soooooo disappointing. i was so bummed and so was every cubs fan there. hc and i weren’t going to let it get us down. we enjoyed our drinks, ate more food {hello cheesy fries and super loaded nachos}, sang our hearts out in the 7th inning stretch, and stayed to the very last inning {where the dodgers knocked us out 1 2 3 at the bottom of the 9th}.

right before the game ended, our friend scott and his sister joined us! that definitely added to our fun! we were able to hang out and chat with them for a bit. overall, it was a great evening, despite them losing. we had a great time with each other {date night!}, it was a beautiful evening, we saw a few of our friends, ate yummy bad food, and truly enjoyed our time out sans kids!

well, cheers to a great past season and to next year’s world series win!

[best dogs everrrrr. so darn good]

[i love wrigley field]

[we got to meet up with scott and his sister!]

[some cool wall in wrigleyville]

xoxo

go cubs go!

Posted on August 14, 2017 by tandem in love

hc sprung on me the idea of a cubs day date! hell yeahhhhhhh! i was so excited to 1. go on a date and 2. go to a cubs game {thanks aunt wendy!}! it was such a beautiful day – sunny skies and perfectly warm temps.

we dropped the kiddos off at my parents and headed into the city for brunch at southport grocery {my top three brunch spot}. we sat outside, i ordered my usual, and we absolutely enjoyed a conversation uninterrupted! the sun was beating down on my skin and it felt fantastic. after brunch, we walked down towards the field.

the front side of the ball park was finished and hc and i strolled around, taking in the new sights. we headed into ‘the park’ and grabbed some tasty beverages. we just hung out on the green, people watched, downed our drinks, and then headed into the cubs store to peruse the racks.

we finally traipsed inside the ball park {i pumped}, grabbed more drinks, and found our seats. right away, hc started gabbing with the people around us. it’s so funny to me that i am usually the gregarious one and hc is typically the quiet one but the tables were turned in this situation. i just prefer to mind my own business and hc wants to be everyone’s best friend. hahaha! well, it works!

as usual, i seat danced to every cheesy song they played…i think it’s my second most favorite part of being at a cubs game…seat dancing. it’s like the best thing everrrrrrrr, besides the cubs winning! we drank beer, ate hot dogs {with grilled onions, of course}, and cheered on the cubbies!

they kicked the white sox derrières and i was ecstatic! go cubs gooooooo! go cubs goooooo! hey, chicago, what do ya say? the cubs are gonna win today! peeps started waving the W and i jumped on my feet to boogie down to the cubs song!!! yeahhhhhh! i was so happy! woo hoooo!

hc and i trekked out the park and cruised straight to the car. i secretly wanted to stay in the city and continue our day date into a evening date and have dinner but we needed to get home to the kids…we were gone since mid morning and with the crazy traffic ahead of us, the kids were pushing the limits of their stay with my dad {he’s just so frail these days}.

it was a perfect date. we definitely don’t have too many of these of late and shame on us…we should! although, being away from the kids gives me heart palpitations. i can’t help it! i am obsessed with their cute little faces. i throughly enjoyed our time out, i love my hubby so, and was so satisfied that the cubs WON and that they won against the white sox! ha!

[he’s like, “what are you doing? um, doing what i do best. hahaha]

[my old ‘hood. when i was single…i would always go to julius meinl for coffee or sometimes just hang out]

[a favorite place…southport grocery]

[yasssssss!]

[we had to check out the cubs store!]

[i’m so ready for the cubs to WIN!]

[enjoying our time together sans kiddos!]

[enjoying the park]

[i love this field]

[the place to get grilled onions on your dogs! mmmmmm]

[i’m in love]

[7th inning stretch! take me out to the ball game…]

xoxo

cubs, pumpkin carving, and cookies

Posted on November 1, 2016 by tandem in love

we had invited my family over one night for pumpkin carving, watching the cubs game, and decorating cookies. we tend to do that…mix occasions and everything together!

it was a lovely day out…not too cold, not too hot. an typical fall day of weather. we decided to do burgers and simple side salads for dinner. we pulled out everything cubs that we had…napkins, cheese plate, coasters, wine, we carved a cubs pumpkin, and my sister brought over cubs dessert! woo hooooooo! we were ready!

everyone just did their own thing…the kids were playing, us gals were talking, and the boys were talking, grilling, and watching the game. it’s so interesting how we congregate with like species with similar interests! hahaha!

these are the days that i really enjoy! afternoons where you just go with the flow, relax with family, eat, have fun, and chill. we started our pumpkin carving excursion outside but the mosquitos were in full force so we relocated the artwork inside. the carving attempts were a bit competitive but honestly, mine was the best. ha! i was so carefree with my carving that i got slack for it…whatevs! i win with my perfect cat carving! meow!

after we carved our pumpkins, the kids decorated pumpkin cookies – well, they pretty much ate their cookies whilst decorating! i don’t blame them, they were oh so yummy. i am a sucker for sugar cookies. a total weakness!

we had such a great time with everyone. the cubs won against the giants and we were super happy!!! it was a great evening indeed! go cubs go!!!!!

[i love ellie’s expression]

[go chicago cubs!]

[chicago cubs napkins & cheese plate]

[reagan loving his cousin ellie]

[oh bennett… that face]

[we’re looking like a bit of a hot mess…let’s just say it was a very casual evening]

[dan working on his craft]

[hi bennett…how many family members does it take to carve one pumpkin? ha!]

[these kiddos and their iPads]

[pumpkin cookie decorating]

[hey olive, you’re suppose to decorate…not just eat the cookies!]

[bennett hard at work]

[sweetest smile]

[yummmmmmm]

[potty training requires interesting outfits]

[my spooky cat carving]

[i love carving pumpkins! so fun and spooky!]

[c for chicago cubs!]

xoxo

cubs game!

Posted on September 28, 2016 by tandem in love

woo hoo! i was super excited to get out, hang out with my girl dana, and go to a cubs game!

it all started with these being hc and his aunt wendy’s tickets. it’s quite a long story with some complications, emotions, and tough decisions that ended up being a win for me! i was going to have a day without the kids and i was going to a cubs game! woot woot!

hc left early with the girls which let me sleep in. oh mer gawd! it was like i was single with no kids again. i slept like a log and woke up feeling so rested and refreshed! it was amazing! i leisurely got up and got ready with no kids screaming at me or needing something! wowza! i was on slow mo. i was texting dana and we were both very chill with idea of just doing things at a slow pace.

i finally made it out of the house and on my way to meet dana. we weren’t worried about making it to the game on time {as you can already tell if you read the above paragraphs!}. i parked by her condo on lsd and we walked towards wrigley. it was a beautiful day out…the sun was shining and dana and i were having a blast just walking and talking.

once we arrived at wrigley, we grabbed some beers and found our seats. holy cow! they were great seats…right by third base and the first two seats of the row! woo hoo! we were having a grand ol’ time. we couldn’t stop chit chatting, so much so, we weren’t really watching the game. that was a bit different for me because i am a game watcher. anytime i go to a cubs game, i love watching them play but not this time. eep! they were not playing very well anyways. ugh!

after the 7th inning stretch, we decided to make a run for the bathroom! as we were walking towards the restrooms, we were elated there wasn’t a line! oh em gee…the 30 seconds it took us to walk up to the line, it formed so expeditiously from no line to at least 20 people in front of us! after the restroom, we needed to find the first aid room so i could pump. we walked out of the bathroom and the line to the women’s restroom stretched back so far, it hit the next women’s restroom line! yikes!

we found the first aid area and the women behind the desk walked us to a clean room where another mom was pumping, then another mom came in to pump, and then another mom came in to nurse. it was a milk pumping party in there! thank goodness they have this area because the women’s restroom and the family restrooms were disgusting! there was no room, it was dirty, and no shelf to be able to put your bag/pump anywhere!

after the restroom and pumping, we met up with dana’s friends mara and amanda. before we knew it, it was the end of the game. whaaaaaa?! we left during the 7th inning and by the time we were done, it was the bottom of the 9th…how did that happen?

we decided to go to vines on clark for some more drinks. it was so darn nice out! perfect temperature and weather! it was packed, as expected, but we found a bench spot in the sun, yay! we just drank and talked and had a lot of fun being silly. i had so much fun with these three! amanda and i realized we were picture soul mates! haha! we both love taking pictures no matter what the situation or environment! after an hour or so, we decided to part ways. yes, i missed my family and i was ready to go home. after hours of having fun, i was ready to see my babies!

we all walked back towards dana’s place and we said our goodbyes and gave our hugs. i got into my car to hit very, very heavy traffic and finally made it home to my hubby and girls! it was a fantastic day out! i had the best time and i am so happy to have had a little me time! it was an absolutely awesome day spent with my dear, sweet friend dana!

[hanging with my bae]

[3rd base seats]

[hanging out at vines on clark]

[amanda, dana, moi, and mara]

[completing a photo shoot while at vines on clark]

[we dab everywhere]

xoxo

renegade craft fair

Posted on September 21, 2016 by tandem in love

for our 5th anniversary, i wanted to go to new york city. that was our plan. then we got pregnant and had a baby so nyc was out of the question, for now.

we planned a very simple evening out. hc’s parents so kindly offered to watch the kids for our anniversary night. we got ready and headed out the door…so excited for our alone time! i really wanted to hit up the renegade craft fair in wicker park. it was in our old hood and i love how it has sooooo many amazing vendors. plus, i told krissy, from earth cadets, that i would pay her a visit! {check out her shop, it’s local and full of awesomeness}

it was an absolute perfect day, just like our wedding day {our special day had temps in the mid seventies and it was a clear, sunny day}. we found a sweet parking spot, walked our way into the fair, nabbed a drink or three, and started to walk the fair. it was fabulous. we had such a great time drinking and perusing all the handmade goodies.

i know i say it all the time but i loooooooooove chicago. i love the city. i love the culture. i popped into krissy’s shop, found cute matching shirts for the girls and said hello to her! it was great seeing her and chitchatting for a bit before we finished up the fair.

we headed out to the restaurant {coast…where we had our third date} and scored another fab parking spot! we were seated right away {hc had made reservations}, ordered apps, and clinked our wine glasses in celebration of our marriage! as usual the food was amaze. i love coast because it’s exactly how sushi should be done! yummmmm.

we took our time, relaxed, and reveled in our time together with no kids! the funny but awful part of our evening out was that we were spent. oh my goodness. olive and ellie were sick and olive had a horrible night of sleeping, as in she hardly slept and either did we {ironic that it wasn’t our newborn who kept us up but our two year old!}! so when we finished our dinner…we were soooo ready to come home. hahaha! we were going to fall asleep!

nevertheless, it was quite an amazing day. hc made it so special and i am very thankful for his romantic notions. we completely enjoyed the craft fair, our dinner out, and had the most wonderful anniversary date night!

[yesssssss, chicago cubs wine! hc bought this for our byob anniversary dinner]

[our super, duper casual night out]

[our old hood]

[soooooo many awesome vendors]

[two beers for hc and vodka lemonade for moi!]

xoxo

b’s birthday

Posted on August 27, 2015 by tandem in love

the morning we came home from vegas, we went right into hosting a birthday party for my nephew bennett! yes, it was a very last minute decision…my sister wasn’t expecting to throw a party for him {we usually just gather together for a dinner out} but b asked and he received.

i needed to grab a few things for b’s party, so i headed out with olive while hc mowed the lawn. as soon as i arrived home, peeps were already over setting up the place for the party. we started prepping and decorating…it was so impromptu, so there wasn’t a ton to do…easy peasy!

i was dreading putting olive down because her cousins were already over and she always wants to play and not miss out on anything. it was very comical the way miss olive reacted when i told her it was nap time. she first stared me down. she literally paused what she was doing and did the stare down. then she slammed her fist onto the table and said no. then she put her head down onto her arm, onto the table and wept. “wah wah wah, hmph, nooooooooo” is what she kept saying. then, i picked her up to change her diaper and i kept saying bedtime, and she responded with an insistent, “i don’t want toooooo, i don’t want tooooooo”. oh, it was hilarious. i put her into her crib, she turned to her side and fell asleep. what an actress!!!!!

[b wanted a chicago cubs themed birthday party]

[thuy’s hand painted tank! how cool is this?!}

[gathering gifts for the birthday boy]

slowly all the guests trickled in. it was a very small, intimate party. just family. we all hung out, snacked on some goodies, chit chatted, and enjoyed each other’s company.

we grilled, we set up the ‘buffet’, ate a delicious meal inside {it was way hot and so much cooler in the house, so we set up a long table to dine on}, and we slowly trickled back out so the kids could play. we pulled out the little kiddie pool that jane had bought for olive and the kids went crazy over it. it’s always fun to play with water, non?!

of course, what is a party without a piñata?! and let me tell you about this piñata…it was a tough little sucker. the kids {without a blindfold} beat it and beat it and beat it and it would not break! it started to fall apart but it would not split in half or break open completely. we finally had to call it quits and the kids dove in for the candy. it was like the bionic piñata!

after the piñata, we sang happy birthday to b and served the yummy cake. i love cake. i love cake with whipped cream frosting. that is my favorite. buttercream is another. i love it to be sweet, light, and airy. i must say, cakes at mariano’s market are deeeeeeelish.

[our first guests: pete and lan]

[avery and kim, serving delicious apps]

[ready for the piñata]

[swing batter batter batter swing!]

[go reagan!]

[make a wish!]

[represen’ing! go cubs!]

[ready to open presents]

[sponge bob madness!]

at the very end of the day and waaaayyyy after the party ‘ended’. b opened up his gifts and was a super happy camper! he loved his presents and we loved seeing his happy face. it was a fantastic day. although hc and i were spent from our overnight travel, nothing feels better than having your family over and seeing your little nephew happy to have celebrated his birthday. it was a good one b! happy day to you, always.

xoxo

crosstown showdown

Posted on July 15, 2015 by tandem in love

months ago when hc asked me if i wanted to go to the cubs/sox game, my response was “hells yes!”. i love the cubs, i love wrigleyfield, and i love me a baseball game in the middle of july! swell!

the day couldn’t come fast enough but before i knew it, it was game day! i was super excited and couldn’t wait to get there! we drove by aunt wendy’s house to pick up grace and some parking passes for the area. we headed on in to the city, traffic was meh but no matter, we were right on track with our time. we circled around only once before we scored a fabulous parking spot…only two blocks away from wrigley!

we had a few snags on our way in {our tickets wouldn’t scan at the gate} but we were finally inside and it was bustling! we wanted to find our seats first before we bought food…who really wants to walk around looking for their seats with their hands full of food? not moi. well, big mistake. ugh. we were smack dab in the middle of what seemed like the longest row of seats in wrigley! hahaha. we felt bad getting up {and making EVERYONE stand up in their seats} to go get food and drinks. so, we waited until someone next to us stood up to leave and we followed suit. woot!

[how cooooool is this?! our seats happen to be the same numbers as our anniversary!]

[almost there!]

[excited for the game…cubbie sandwich]

[it was a beautiful day!]

[love this mobile band]

[grabbing some grub // we were twinsies!]

[your typical baseball fare]

we settled back into our seats and didn’t leave them again. we were content. the game was pretty amazing. every second of it! the cubs were ahead and we were coasting to the end. one of my most favorite moment of any baseball game? the seventh inning stretch! i looooooove singing along to that song. it’s summer, it’s american, and it’s soooo baseball, america’s favorite pastime!

fast forward to the ninth inning and cubs win! cubs win! woooooo hooooooo! at the very end of the game, they will play the song go cubs go and i love screaming to it. i do apologize to those who were around me. sorry if you get the wrath of my off key singing voice. baahahaha.

[7th inning stretch…take me out to the ballgame!]

[cubs win! cubs win!]

after the game, all my friends there were texting me to hang out {um, half the people i know were at the game that day!}! booooo! we couldn’t because we had grace and that meant no bars for us {hey, grace, do you mind sitting at the front stoop of the bar while your dad and i hang out inside…not}! although, i was a little sad we couldn’t stay afterwards to celebrate the win!

nevertheless, it was a great game {just a smidge over two hours…shortest game ever for me!}! it was a gorgeous, perfect day to watch and cheer on our beloved cubbies!

xoxo

tandem in love

{life is truly beautiful and it should be celebrated + shared.}

Tag Archives: chicago cubs

a day in the city

olive’s first cubs game

cubs game ’18

oh cubbies!

go cubs go!

cubs, pumpkin carving, and cookies

cubs game!

renegade craft fair

b’s birthday

crosstown showdown