My Latest Obsessions

MMC + CMC after their Good Knight musical performance

CMC + her adoring fan/cousin

GMC heading downtown

Right on = big ole sandwich from Perry's Deli

Gene & Jude's ROCKS!

Happy Friday! This is our LAST weekday of summer vacation before school officially starts for CMC + MMC on Monday. Bittersweet for sure. We had a really great summer but it is time for the kiddos to head back to school! I always feel torn towards the end of summer. Part of me is SO ready for them to get back to school while another part of me appreciates the flexibility that summer provides schedule wise. However, I think the kiddos need some space from one another!

We'll be in back to school mode this weekend. We might head to the Brookfield Zoo on Saturday to catch the Kratt Brothers in action. The gals and GMC love Chris and Martin Kratt's show "Wild Kratts" on PBS. And then on Sunday I have a baby shower for one of PFC's cousins. This morning we are hoping to take the train downtown to check out  Millennium Park and meet PFC for lunch. One last hurrah before Monday!

Have a fabulous weekend! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

• The other day the kids and I were getting ready to head over to Hot Doug's for lunch. Luckily I called ahead as there was a 2 hour wait! We then opted for a little local Gene & Jude's action. However, I'm personally determined to get to Hot Doug's before they close on October 3rd! 
• Kravet Fabrics collaborated w/ Diane von Furstenberg = amazing colors and gorgeous prints. My mom JuJu confirmed that they are pretty fabulous as she has seen all of the samples. 
• New fave Essie nail polish color = Style Cartel.  
• My british buds will be happy to know that Chicago is now home of the Cowshed spa in the Soho House Chicago. First look inside the Soho House Chicago. 
• Check out this Bastille Day Party. Doesn't it look fabulous?! 
• Love these bright and colorful melamine plates from Ashley Longshore. They are on sale to boot! 
• The recent passing of Robin Williams was extremely tough to hear about. Heartbreaking. We all have our own memories of him from a show or movie or stand up. Some fell in love w/ him as Mork on Mork & Mindy and one of my favorites = him as Mrs. Doubtfire. His five most memorable roles. Let's hope that his passing will increase awareness about depression and suicide. Here's Jimmy Fallon's tearful tribute to Mr. Williams. I'm feeling the need to watch Dead Poet's Society one last time. O Captain! My Captain!
• Oh Joy! launched her oh joy collection for Target this past Sunday = cute stuff! 
• We had two dinner guests this past week. One evening I made this slow cooker pulled pork (w/ homemade bbq sauce), corn salad (= one of my faves), and this easy cole slaw. And then one night I made spicy asian noodles with chicken (= a recipe I had not revisited in quite awhile). I forgot how much I LOVE it. 
• A couple of recipes I want to try = chicken and plum grain salad, breakfast salad (via A Cup of Jo) and Summer Garden Pasta. 
• How to wear your hair like a true Parisian. How come my bun never look that chic?! 
• The article, A Relationship Worth Protecting, hit home (both as a mom of sisters and coming from a family of sisters myself).  Other good articles that hit home = Parents are the ones who need limits on screen time, The One Letter to Read Before Sending Your Child to School, How to Be An Empathetic Parent Even When it Feels Hard. 
• 10 Vacation Worthy Hotels = look amazing! I have a dear friend in Austin that I want to visit at some point this year. Doesn't the Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin look pretty amazing?! Unique for sure. 
• We've all seen the viral ice bucket challenges for ALS (via donations and awareness). We were tagged several days ago and plan on doing it together as a family this weekend. So many ice bucket challenges are out there - but this is one that really left a big impression on me. And Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo posted about an upcoming movie, The Theory of Everything (the story about the young physicist Stephen Hawking when he was student and about to be find out he had ALS). I'm adding this movie to my list come November.