Why do people drink so much?

Hey guys-long time no blog! Just enjoying what is left of my summer. I just got in from a co-worker's bachelorette party at the Trump Hotel and I must say that hotel is s-p-e-c-t-a-c-u-l-a-r. Beautiful views of the city on the 26th floor suite. We then headed to Rebar on the 16th floor and it was just as lovely. It was packed for  a Friday night. Just be prepared to bring a  lot of cash-I paid 15 bucks for a wine spritzer.

Anyways, my husband always wondered why people get SO drunk and excited about the nightlife here in Chicago. Even anywhere for that matter,let me tell you why and what I tell him.

Here in the US,there is a whole lot of stress. A whole lot. The stress can come from a variety of situations. Maybe it's that spat you had with your boyfriend. Or maybe you just had a grueling 40 hour power study session for that final exam that you pray you passed. Or maybe it's your job and you are having a really crappy day. Or maybe you just finished a 60 hour work week. Whatever the case may be,you will want to relieve what caused you this stress.

The healthy ways of course is to exercise,deep breathe,mediate,yoga,whatever, to decrease your level of stress. A lot of times however,people hit up the bars and do some heavy duty drinking instead. Or they just go on an all out shopping spree to help them relieve this stress as well. Too much and even too little can be detrimental to your physical and emotional health on some level.

This is why. People do work hard,but they play hard as well. This is my motto.

As long as it doesn't destroy your overall well being and  you get to a point where you cannot function in today's society.

Well,time to take this makeup off,and get ready for bed,and hit up brunch somewhere in the city tomorrow. Goodnight!

Summertime in the city part 2

Well here I am,my last day off before I have to head back to work(yes I counted the weekends as well).
With this 90 degrees weather we have been having,I have to say,in a city that keeps us hostage with the extreme cold temperatures in the winter time,this 90 degrees heatwave we have been having is a punishment for all the complaints we make in those winter months.

With that in mind it has been way too hot to cook,so I have been heading out to different spots for food and drinks. One of them was a neat place in Uptown called Fat Cat-they had great martinis there. I also discovered this great coffeehouse based out of Vienna called Julius Mienl. Here they got great coffees,healthy gourmet sandwiches and wonderful desserts.

 I also was able to head to Oak St beach as a bathed in the sun amongst the city skyline.

I did some shopping here and there,before the sun got really strong or right before the sunset,because that was really the only time that was the most comfortable. I got a killer navy blazer for half off at Zara,a retail based clothing store from Spain. Oh how I love shopping in Chicago.

Summer isn't over yet for me however,and I am half dreading to go to work and half of me just needs to go back. I just can't imagine being off for more than a week if I am not planning on going anywhere. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy what our city has to offer,especially in the summertime.

Now if it can just cool off "just a little bit" so that it can be comfortable to dine al fresco.

Summertime in the city.

Here's me at the annual Kidney Walk to benefit The National Kidney Foundation. The event took place on June 27th starting at Soldier Field and ended at McCormick Place. It was raining pretty bad that day but it turned out to be a success regardless. Plenty came out and did the walk along Chicago's beautiful Lakefront.

As you can see,I have been out and about since summer kicked off here in Chicago. Other things I have been up to are:

Going to the beach. With the beach a block away from me who wouldn't take advantage of that?

Lunch at the Signature Room. My parents came out last weekend and me and my husband took them to the 95th floor of the John  Hancock Building. They feature a great lunch buffet between 11:30-2:30 every Saturday for only 20 bucks!. The view up there is beautiful as you can see the whole city skyline. We had a view of Navy Pier and the lake. Day or night this place is a great stop.

Shopping and dining al fresco. This is the best time to go to Michigan Ave because the weather is nice enough where you can walk around without a coat. I bought some great threads from the ever so popular international brand United Colors of Benneton. This store has sleek,classic but stylish threads for the modern woman. I finally checked out Kuma's Burger and Sweetwater which are excellent options for dining.


I finally took off a week from work,so I will definitely be checking out other hot spots here around the city. I won't be blogging as much because I will too busy enjoying my time off,but I will definitely keep you updated when I return.

Letting go toxic relationships-are they worth keeping?

We all have had them at one point in our lives-toxic relationships. As you already know,I am obsessed with the reality series The Real Housewives of New Jersey. One of the girls on the show,Dina(left),decides to confront a long time drama queen named Danielle(right) to let her know that she is too toxic to be in her life,and does not want to have anything to do with her anymore(you will have to see how that all pans out by catching up with the episodes on Bravo).

Of course, we cannot all be brave like Dina,but there are times when letting go certain people in our lives that cause drama has to be done in order to live a happier life. People who bring you down and keep you in the negative is in no shape or form good for your self-esteem or emotional well-being.

Do you have someone like this in your life you want to get rid of but not sure what to do about it? Just think about this for a minute. Does this person(or persons),whether it's a relationship with a friend,significant other,or even a family member make you feel awful when they are around you? Or do they make you feel good and are a joy to be around? Does this person display a caring attitude and likes you for being you or does this person try to dominate your every move and doesn't really care to be there for you? Even worse,does this person use you and contacts you only when she/he needs something? These are just some things to think about whether or not it's worth keeping someone like this in your life.

Then of course you got the ones that don't care to pick up the phone and bother calling you or take the time to even drop an email to say hello-just drop them all together,they can be just as toxic as someone who is involved in your life on a day to day basis. We are all busy,and being "busy" is not an excuse. It takes five minutes to say hello,or drop a note. Social Media especially has made it easier now to keep in touch with everyone,so there is no excuse.

So next time you are pondering whether or not you should hold on to a toxic relationship,ask yourselves these questions mentioned above and find out if these people are really worth keeping. We must fuel our bodies with nourishment,water,and sleep,but we must also fuel our mind and spirit and keep it free of negative energy. Instead,surround yourself with positive and drama free friends and family instead,your soul will thank you.

Congrats Blackhawks!

Blackhawks Skyline...

The Skinny Italian: A recipe for looking good and eating great-who knew?

As most of us,we have one guilty pleasure(or two) that we may be embarrassed to say what it is or just laugh it off and admit it. One of mine is the Reality TV show "The Real Housewives of New Jersey". There are several shows that have this theme(such as New York,Orange County,etc) but the New Jersey series seems to be the one that interests me. I don't know why,maybe it's because my father used to live in New Jersey. Maybe it's also where my husband spent the majority of his time in the US as well. I have been to New Jersey myself since my family has friends still living there. Maybe because this Italian-American cast just reminds me so much of the big hair, big houses and drama that my ethnicity possesses as well.

 One of the girls on the show,Teresa,has made a cookbook recently called "The Skinny Italian". Teresa Giudice,is an Italian-American woman who is married to an Italian also and has four kids. She one day decided to make a cookbook out of all the recipes that she learned from her parents who are from Italy themselves. Her cookbook is not just any cookbook,but also an autobiography on how her parents immigrated to the US and kept their traditions alive,tidbits from her husband,and how to dress fabulous on a budget(Teresa was not always a housewife,she graduated from Berkley College and was a buyer for Macy's in NYC). The best part of the book is her step by step instructions on how to can and preserve tomato sauce(totally reminds me of us Macedonians and our canning of peppers for the winter months). There is also descriptions on how to choose the best olive oil,the different types of herbs,and more.

Here is the best part: The Real Housewives cast member did not know how to cook when she got married. All her recipes were learned through the phone! This is the perfect book then for you newlyweds(such as myself) who may never lifted a finger in the kitchen but has that inner housewife in them.

 The thing with this cookbook is that it is a very "busy" book with lots of pictures of not only her great slimming recipes but of her four gorgeous daughters and her fellow housewife friends. Teresa insisted that she was not going to write a cookbook that was "boring" but a cookbook that was fun to read and get a chuckle or two from it. It's an autobiography,self help book,and cookbook all in one.

"The Skinny Italian" can be purchased at Borders,Barnes and Nobles,and where I got mine at,Target. Target has the best price for this book ($15.99). Grab one today and start impressing your husband. Yes you too can be a housewife and fabulous!

Lake Michigan Waves