What’s one of the best things about summertime in Chicago? The Air and Water Show of course!!!

If you haven’t ever gone, you are missing out–seriously. Can you think of anything better than spending a beautiful sunny afternoon along the lakefront drinking a cold one and pinching your ears shut as a F14 fighter jet goes screaming past you? Or watching a plane make smoke loop-d-loops and then go straight into a dive bomb, only to pull up at the last second before almost touching the water? I don’t think so! And honestly, the ONLY way to watch the show is from the water. Lucky for us, we ended up watching the show from a beautiful boat this year and it was incredible. It definitely made the experience of watching the show from the water even better.

We took a lot of photos and videos of all the action. Check them out below!

Chicago Air and Water Show

Pictures from the Chicago Air and Water Show 2010. Blue Angels and others.

11 Photos

Here goes my first attempt at blogging. Alex is in full blog mode already so it’s going to be hard to keep up, but I think I’m up to the challenge. Unfortunately for many of you my posts will more technically focused; how I’ve created and configured the blog, tools I’m using, useful websites, etc… I’m only going to apologize once; it’s what I enjoy doing and subsequently writing about so you’ll just have to deal with it. Hopefully there will be a few interested parties who either want to do something similar or share their advice with me. Now that we’ve got the formalities out of the way let’s move on.

WordPress

Why WordPress? Simply enough, it seemed to be the industry standard from what I could tell in my research. By research I mean Googling. Off topic for a moment, but do you think Googling should be classified as a skill? I think it should. I often ask interviewees this question. Many of them are a bit perplexed by the idea at first but through some prodding they come to the understanding that in our field it is extremely difficult to know everything about a particular programming language, software, browser, etc… and if you can find the specific nugget of information you’re looking for in a shorter amount of time than your colleagues it might be classifiable as a skill. You should Google the term ‘Googling, or ‘Is Googling A Skill’, it’s interesting. Back to the topic at hand, WordPress seemed like the best choice for our needs, it has a well established blogging framework, easy to navigate admin section, a plethora of free templates and utilities (plugins) and was easy enough to learn in a day or two such that I could customize our site to our liking. If you know PHP you’ll be able to easily understand WordPress. Plus WordPress is Open Source, which I tend to prefer (that’s a whole other topic). Check out the history and documentation for more information.

Free WordPress Templates

When starting our site I immediately gravitated towards free WordPress templates for three reasons; I didn’t want to waste the time to create a WordPress site from scratch, there are plenty of free templates available online (I’ve listed a number of sites below that I perused in my search) and of course they’re free. There are also plenty of WordPress themes that cost a pretty penny and most likely worth it (better SEO management, customization, etc…), but my suggestion when starting a blog is to limit as much of the overhead costs as possible. Most bloggers warn that making money blogging takes months to years to see decent returns, so I figured we’d start small and see what happens. I focused on free WordPress templates which already contained customization for Google Adsense.

• 18 Adsense Optimized WordPress to Maximize you Contextual Ad Earnings
• 21 Free AdSense-Ready WordPress Themes

Once we decided on a theme (honestly this took over two weeks as Alex and I have different opinions on look and feel) I installed WordPress on my local machine to get better handle on it. It wasn’t too difficult and the WordPress documentation helped a ton. To be honest, the basics of a WordPress site are rather simplified for the user which is great. There are few things you must do and the rest is styling and customization.

Bluehost Hosting

After deciding on the theme it was time to purchase a site and hosting services. I had used Bluehost before (davealexwedding.com – sadly we didn’t keep this site going) so I was comfortable with them and after some more quick ‘research’ I found them to still be one of the top rated hosting sites. The price was good ($4.95 / month for a 12 month contract) and WordPress installation is literally a one click setup. The total time for purchasing the site, installing WordPress, uploading our files and the site being up took a couple of hours. It’s still a little early to report on any down time or customer service issues so we’ll see how it goes.

That covers the initial setup of the blog. Overall it took us approximately two weeks and most of that as I said was deciding on a theme. For the most part it was a pretty painless process and having done it once I could easily get a blog setup in as little as a day. However, since the blog has been up I have done quite a bit of customization, Adsense and SEO management that have proven to be a little more difficult. I’m still working on these areas and hope to have a post up shortly with more in depth information on how we are approaching these areas and how that affects our progress of reaching our goals.

First off, let me say that shopping for clothes is not my favorite thing to do. I used to love it, but then again I had 0% body fat and was spending my parents money and not my own! But that was a long time ago and clothes seem to get more and more expensive, especially the cute ones!

About a year or so ago, I found this adorable shop in Hubbard Woods that I get almost everything from now. Well, actually that is a lie. My mom found the shop and had been telling me to go for about 6 months and I finally listened to her. It is a tiny place, just about a “hallway” of a store. They’ve been there over 10 years and they have a great local following. It is the place to go for clothes and cute baby stuff.

And what is the name of this perfect paradise for shopping do you ask? Well, it’s Randoons Wearables and Whatnots, of course!

Everything is priced very reasonable. I’m talking shirts from $25 to $60 or so. The pieces are definitely on the casual side, but I have found a few shirts I can wear to work too. They have adorable dresses, jewelry, purses and they carry some cute shoes now as well. They also have a good selection of baby clothes and gifts—and with all of my cousins having babies right now I can shop for me and shop for them at the same time.

Another thing I love about this store is the sales people! I know what you are thinking about sales people and especially sales people in small shops– they can be a little pushy most of the time. Not at Randoons though! The owner is as sweet as pie and makes you feel right at home. The other woman that works there is just as sweet too. She has helped me pick clothes that will work well with my body type and also pull pieces together to help complete an outfit, which I love because it always seems like I buy a bunch of stuff that doesn’t go together!

They have a variety of designers featured, although none that I have heard of before. I’m not a “big name” shopper. (If I want that, then I would go to a boring department store.) The clothes are unique and I always get compliments on what I wear.

Randoons will run cute sales depending on the season or holiday. I’ve been able to pick an egg out of an Easter basket to discover what percentage discount I get off my purchase, I get a coupon in the mail on my birthday, they host spring break sales when everyone else is out of town, and have a birthday party every year for their anniversary (which is where I discovered cupcake bombs! But that is for another blog post.)

Oh yeah—they are also dog friendly! They sometimes have a small selection of dog clothes and the owner has 2 dogs that are there on occasion as well.

Randoons in my opinion, is just the best. If you haven’t gone yet, you definitely need to bring some girlfriends and check it out! And with the prices, you can walk out with a lot of clothes for little money!

From Hefner’s Bedroom:

I give Randoons 5 out of 5 paws because anything that keeps my mom this happy deserves 5 out of 5.

My new downfall is the Love’s yogurt shop that opened up about a month or so ago next to my office. And I had just gotten over the caramel brownie cravings from the place across the street that closed—damn! This is part of the same chain that has about 5 restaurants around the Chicagoland area.

It is a pretty typical yogurt shop, you can choose from the several varieties they have each day and they also offer low sugar options which is nice. Anything swirled is my favorite. I have had chocolate and peanut butter swirled and it was umm umm good. I’m in LOVE ! (ok ,bad pun. I apologize.) But it does hit the spot on a hot summer day and even fits into my South Beach Diet guidelines. (Actually it does not, it just makes me feel better saying that.) They have a ton of toppings too! Oreos are my favorite or maybe Reese Pieces. Dave likes gummy bears on his ice cream—can you believe that? Any way you order it will be good, even if you are a weirdo like my husband.

The only downfall, in my opinion, is that you will have to navigate your way through the tons of kids who hang out there after school at all the tables outside. But you gotta work for all those unnecessary calories, right? On the other hand, if you are a kid reading this, check out the hip new hangout in Winnetka! It’s where all the cool people go who like ice cream and want to get away from their parents.

In addition to the yummy yogurt, they have salads, wraps, paninis and baked potatoes if you want lunch. From what I’ve been told it is good food, inexpensive, and a quick bite. I need my frozen yogurt though so I cant waste time on nutritious food. And guess what??? Hef loves Loves’ too! Big surprise, considering he likes anything that we are eating that he is not supposed to have. He did get a little lick from Mom and enjoyed the sunshine on the patio.

From Hefner’s Bedroom:

3 out of 5 paws for Love’s. I will have to reassess my review once I eat a full meal and not just a measly lick of ice cream.

Today on my lunch break from work, my mom and I took Hef to Café Aroma for a quick bite. It is a cute little European café down the street from my office. They serve amazing coffee, breakfast items, sandwiches, soups, and gelato. You can always run in and get something to go or stay and there and order. It slightly reminds me of Central Perk from Friends, but smaller and more Parisian. We sat outside with a few other tables and Hef got to people watch, which he loves. I ordered the egg sandwich (not egg salad) – pretty much what I always get there! It is on a ciabatta roll with sliced hard-boiled eggs, giardinarra peppers, tomatoes, and these delicious, slightly sweet pickles I have never tasted anywhere else. So good! My mom had the veggie sandwich for her lunch. It was on similar bread with a sampling of organic veggies and fresh mozzarella cheese. Beautiful! The portions are huge so you can definitely share, unless you are the super-hungry type. The waiter even came over to give Hefner a little doggie biscuit while we ate. He especially liked that and being able to munch on my leftover potato chips. Café Aroma is a popular place for lunch and coffee for local Winnetkians….Winnetkaers…whatever and I can see why!

From Hef’s Bedroom:

Café Aroma gets 4 out of 5 paws. Why not 5 out of 5 do you ask? No meat was ordered. (Maybe I need to have a talk with Mom and Grandma about that.) The lame dog biscuit was a poor substitute, but I never pass up a treat.

Dave and I took Hefner to the Winnetka Sidewalk Sale a few weekends ago. We stopped by Noah’s Ark Pet Supply on Elm Street and Hefner got himself a new toy – big surprise! It was (I emphasize ‘was‘ as it is now destroyed) a brown tennis ball with what looks like a squirrel tail attached to it that squeaks. Hefner LOVES tennis balls and anything with a squeaker, so this toy is pretty much as good as it gets.

Noah’s Ark Pet Supply

Noah’s Ark has a more unique, but pricier (what do you expect in Winnetka?) selection of dog and cat toys that you can’t really find at the big name stores. It was nice to not have to choose from the same five things he usually gets, and subsequently destroys, at PetSmart (so maybe change your inventory once in a while PetSmart… hint hint). Although last week when I was in PetSmart they had a new line of Martha Stewart pet products displayed. I don’t think you are supposed to play with those toys though, knowing Martha. Your dog should just admire their graceful styling and color palette, not slobber them up. But I digress, in addition to toys Noah’s Ark has a great selection of leashes, shampoos, higher end pet food, carriers and even a cute little “bone bar” with a variety of dried animal bones on display. Hefner liked checking out the “bone bar” although he did not purchase one – there is no way one of those things is going on my new couch, gross! They even have gift items for us dog lovers. I saw some very cute yorkie note cards I may have to go back and buy. Noah’s has a good sampling of pet clothes and jackets as well. I’ve purchased two winter jackets for Hef there that are the warmest ones I’ve found as well as some lighter weight fleece jackets for the fall. They seem to be of high quality and last a long time. Oh, if you go make sure to get their discount card, if you get 5 stamps they will take 10% off your 6th purchase.

From Hefner’s Bedroom:

I give Noah’s Ark Pet Supply 4 out of 5 paws. They have some unique toys and super cool clothes that keep my looking smooth for the ladies. Too bad I couldn’t get this toy, but I’m not sure I could even get my mouth around it. I can only walk around for so long in this 98 degree humid Chicago weather without something to eat. I had to take a break under a shoe table for a few minutes.

Little Ricky’s Rib Joint

My new super chic Lisa Centner Originals handbag in tow (from the sidewalk sale of course) we headed to Little Ricky’s for a bite. We sat outside at a nice table in the shade along with several other “ladies who lunch” and ordered up some bbq pulled port nachos. OMG they were incredible! Gooey cheese, beans, bbq pork and plenty of jalapenos for spice – absolutely perfect along with Dave’s beer and my Winnetka tea (like a long island ice tea). We’ll definitely be back for those nachos. They were very friendly towards Hef, who pretty much sat at our feet the whole time begging for scraps. He even met a new potential girlfriend, Fiona, who was sitting at the table across from us. She was very cute but a bit aloof towards Hef’s advances. Maybe she’s not looking for a relationship, oh well.

From Hefner’s Bedroom:

Little Ricky’s gets 5 out of 5 paws for a great patio dining experience. I would go back again and again for the nachos. Actually, I would go back anywhere that I get meat, but this was especially good.

Welcome to TheChee! My husband Dave and I have been tossing the idea around for years of starting our own business or website. The long term goal would be to supplement a large portion of our current income, in the short term we’d be happy with a little extra spending cash and the opportunity to work and collaborate together. We both love our jobs. I currently work with my father running his dental practice and Dave works at a local software company, but this may help us get away from the 9 to 5 (more like 8 to 6 these days, Dave!) in the future. Also, one of us could stay home and not completely lose a source of income when we decide to have kids. I could just see Dave as Mr. Mom, that would be a sight!

Each of us has various interests and ideas making it difficult to decide on a specific concept. Dave and I met at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I majored in Industrial Design, which is fancy name for product design. I started as a general art major and at the time it seemed like one of the few specialties to avoid becoming a starving artist. It was a ton of fun and I met a lot of great people, but I should have minored in business like my father encouraged. Kids, make sure you listen to your parents! I enjoyed it, but honestly I don’t miss it at all now that I’m not doing it. That’s a good sign, right? Dave on the other hand majored in Computer Engineering and continues to work in the industry, although he’ll be the first to tell you that most of what he learned in school isn’t applicable in the workplace. Kids, make sure you don’t listen to that!

We’ve decided to blog about a variety of topics; living and starting a family on the Chicago North Shore as a younger couple, local events and festivals, restaurants in the area, outdoor activities and dog friendly places for our adorable yorkie Hefner and even a bit of our interesting personal life – yeah right! Additionally I’ll be discussing my ongoing struggle with starting an online bakery and Dave may document is progress with developing an iPhone application. We’ll also keep you posted with our progress on achieving our goal, our time frame is two years but hopefully it won’t take us that long!

We hope you enjoy our blog and find some useful information about the Chicago North Shore!