Hey hey!

This post is a day late this week- sorry! I’ve been up since 4 a.m. Chicago time, and not that I’m making excuses or anything, but it’s been a crazy busy weekend!

Links (from my Twitter):

Deadspin ran a story about how news reporting has always been ugly. As someone in the industry, I found this fascinating.

I wrote a guest post for my friend Caitlin’s blog on gender neutral names: Check it out!

What’s hot on dating sites? Proper grammar. As a girl with a Tinder bio that literally reads “I will probably correct your grammar,” I can confirm.

A necklace that holds your slice of pizza.

Did you know that 40 percent of millennials pay for news? Shockingly, I am not one of them. I get a free digital subscription to the Tribune as part of my job here, so I rely on that. Do you subscribe to the news?

You can now have dinner in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Dying.

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And my week highlights?

Central Michigan University’s homecoming! This is the entire highlight of my week, if not the past few months. I didn’t realize how much I missed my little college town until I ventured back for a weekend. (For comparison’s sake, Chicago’s population: 2,700,000. Mount Pleasant’s population? 26,000.)

• The Bird. I miss this bar so. damn. much. It sounds totally weird to say (and makes me seem a bit like I have drinking problems, I know), but the Bird has been my favorite bar since the day I turned 21 almost half a decade ago. It’s the perfect mix of divey, hipster and chill, and it’s guaranteed I’ll run into at least a half-dozen people I know whenever I go. Half of the bartenders know me by name, and PBR is super cheap. This was literally the first stop I made when I got into town.  I’ll stop this love letter now, but I really cannot emphasize enough how much I love this bar.
• The Cabin. Not on the same level as the Bird, but I did work here for three years, and the pizza is better than anything I’ve had here in Chicago.
• Venturing to the Kelly/Shorts tailgate lot. Unfortunately I never went to the game since it was rainy and miserable, but I did go to the lot for half a second before we ditched the stadium scene for the Cabin.
• O’Kelly’s! I hate this place. But I love it. Kind of like the Lions. But, as gross and sketchy and gross and gross as it is, it’s a Mount Pleasant tradition.
• Train Wreck. This is my favorite beer from Mount Pleasant Brewing Co., so obviously I picked up a six pack to take back to Chicago with me.
• Walking through campus. I love CMU’s campus so much — especially North Campus. I can’t put into words how amazing it felt just to be back and walk past the front lawn seal.
• All of my friends. I saw college roommates, CM Life friends, MSA friends… so many friends from so many of my college social circles. It was such a good time.
• Kaya Coffee House. I loved this place in undergrad. I had to work on Sunday, so I spent the entire day holed up in Kaya working remotely. It was such a nice vibe.

And, in non-homecoming weekend highlights…

• Dinner at Oiistar in Wicker Park. I’m usually not the biggest ramen fan because I’m a klutz and chopsticks require fine motor skills, but I’m not going to turn down ramen when it’s cold, drizzly and windy outside… and I’m accompanied by an attractive guy.
• The usual heavy lifting behind the Tribune’s social media accounts.
• Helped my friend Daighna with a photo project… Can you spot me?
• Apple picking in my parents’ backyard.
• I finally finished Devil in the White City. It took a while since I was fact-checking and Googling something new every few pages.
• The most beautiful sunset on my drive up to Mount Pleasant.
• Getting access to Facebook Signal! I had my account verified recently, and now I have permission to use Signal. I’m already excited to see how I can use it at work.

(You can keep up with this stuff as it happens if you follow me on Instagram and on Snapchat: RandiMShaffer.)

After two insane weekends of travel between Chicago and Michigan, I am beyond ready to stay in Chicago for the foreseeable future. I’m really looking forward to a few things this week, like the NHL season opener (Go Red Wings!) and spending a weekend with one of my coworkers.

What’s on your radar lately? Let me know in the comments!

Arigato hey!

What a whirlwind week and weekend! There was so much going on I hardly had time to catch my breath.

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Links:

The Limited’s new brand campaign features actual real boss women. So cool.

Ever wonder what the characters of Star Wars look like now?

My coworkers put together this really cool photo gallery detailing the rise of Chicago’s iconic skyline.

Starbucks lets you place your order from your app now!

This is an old link, but a friend shared it on social media this week and it made me think. Thirteen things every woman learns by the time she is 26. I’m turning 26 in just a few short weeks, and while I do have a bed frame — I still love pre-gaming and shopping at H&M.

I like this rundown on dating apps. I also like the way it ends. “I ended up deleting my profiles because I got overwhelmed meeting so many people so quickly. Turns out, I still want to be single for a while. Which is perfectly fine, too.” So accurate.

The Kitchn has a fall checklist. Casseroles and PSLs, ya’ll.

This is an older link too, but I was helping a friend with some decorating inspo when I stumbled across this tool from Apartment Therapy. If you’ve ever struggled with nailing down the vocabulary to put your style into words, it will definitely help. (I’m a toss-up between “Warm Industrial” and “Classic Glam.”)

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And my week highlights? Where to start?

The biggest high point of my week was my trip back to Michigan for the weekend. My hometown has its annual Fall Festival during the last weekend of every September, so it’s a great chance to meet up with all my old friends from high school and spend some quality time with my family. I took Amtrak home Thursday night, and then spent Friday morning doing yoga and drinking tea on my parents’ porch. No sirens, police scanners, L trains or shouting pedestrians? So relaxing. I walked around the festival with my sister for a little bit, and the two of us sampled fudge, dips, salsas and shave ice cones. Later that night I had pizza and went apple picking with my parents (they have trees in their backyard!) before I went to Captain’s Lounge (the village dive bar) and a friend’s bonfire for the night. I drove up to East Lansing afterward to stay the night with my sister… and then we woke up at 8 a.m. to start tailgating. We never made it to the game (shame) but ended up visiting friends of hers and then going to the bar she works at to watch part of the game. I ended up running into one of my college roommates, and then we went to another house party before my sister and I made stops at Leo’s Coney Island and HopCat (crack fries!) to finish up the day in East Lansing. Whew!

Other highlights?

• Starbucks with my friend Megan! She’s in the process of moving to LA so I had to see her for one last caffeine fix before she left.
• Dinner at Fat Cat in Uptown.
• Skype-ing with some students at my alma mater. Society of Professional Journalists has a chapter at CMU, and the organization president asked if I could Skype into a meeting for a Q&A. It was great! I love seeing passionate journalism students actively taking steps to advance their careers.
• I got my new bedding! I kind of went all out during last week’s West Elm sale and ended up with this duvet cover in both white and gray (I couldn’t decide!), matching shams and this coverlet in gray.
• Fall decorations! Like every other basic white girl ever, I love fall, so I love spending the first day of Autumn filling my apartment with foliage.
• The usual 40-ish hours at the Trib’s social media desk. My boss is on a well-deserved vacation, so my week was filled with quite a few 7 a.m. shifts!

It was such an eventful weekend filled with so many of my favorite things!

And the best part?

I get to do it again… this coming weekend!

I’m going back to Michigan again this coming weekend for my alma mater’s homecoming game in Mount Pleasant. Fire up Chips!

What’s on your radar lately? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Sunday! Kind of. I mean, the Lions lost so that’s a bummer, but aside from that, it was an absolute gorgeous day today!

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Links (from my Twitter):

The Emmys are going on right now. One of my favorite parts is always the fashion, but boss ladies like Amy Schumer and Amy Poehler are also fantastic.

Did you ever watch Zoey 101? I totally did. And the show’s creators finally answered one of the show’s age-old questions.

There’s a new Taco Bell in Chicago that serves booze, and my coworker Sara took one for the team by trying all the boozy offerings and reviewing them.

Sara totally on a roll with this column about calling Chicago home.

One of the Trib’s columnists, Rex Huppke, put together an annotated version of the recent GOP debate. I audibly laughed reading it.

Facebook is getting a dislike button.

Completely in love with this Harry Potter location clock.

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And my week highlights?

• Fall candle shopping! (PSA: White Barn/ Bath and Body Works is running a two for $24 special right now.) My seasonal favorites are Sweater Weather, Salted Caramel and Mahogany Teakwood, but I also love burning Eucalyptus Mint in my bathroom.
• A night out with some of my favorite journalist friends! Some coworkers and acquaintances and I hit up the new Lowcountry in Lakeview for a utensil-free seafood boil (crab legs and shrimp) before grabbing drinks at Redmond’s (Lakeview) and then drunk tacos at Restaurante Los Caminos de Michoacan (Lakeview).
• Having my Facebook verified! Totally superficial, I know, but the blue checkmark is pretty cool, nonetheless.
• Dinner at the Hyatt Regency hotel out by O’Hare. A former coworker’s wife was in town, so we met up for dinner and drinks.
• A work meeting at Ghirardelli. My boss is totally awesome, so we hold our monthly social media team meetings over ice cream.
• Dinner at XOCO (Wicker Park).
• New bedding. I kind of went overboard here, but West Elm was having a crazy good sale. I picked up this duvet cover in both white and gray (couldn’t decide!), along with the matching shams, and this coverlet in gray. Come at me, winter.
• Watching the Lions/Vikings game. I am a huuuuge Lions fan, and unfortunately, I’m kind of dating a Vikings fan. It’s rough, but I got to watch the loss with a puppy on my feet… so that’s kind of a benefit, I guess?

(You can keep up with this stuff as it happens if you follow me on Instagram and Snapchat: RandiMShaffer.)

I’m so excited for this coming weekend. I’m actually heading back to Michigan for two super exciting events. My hometown is having its annual fall festival, and my alma mater (Central Michigan University) is playing my sister’s college (Michigan State University) on Saturday, so it’s going to be crazy busy going to both events, but will be so much fun!

What’s going on in your life lately? Let me know in the comments!

Arigato hey!

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Links from my Twitter:

I loved this story (and photos) about the last of the 9/11 rescue dogs.

The Tribune’s wine columnist ran a list of bottles of red wine for $10 or less.

New emojis are coming! I’m excited for the hot dog, taco and sad-looking lion. You?

Chicago closed down its corgi beach day because corgi creepers (me probably) were threatening to crash it. Totally not fair.

Cedar Point is getting a new coaster!

It’s NYFW! The New York Times has highlights for those pour broke souls with desk jobs (ie: me) that can’t be there.

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And my highlights this week?

• A visit from my postgrad roommate Elise and Paddy! Paddy lives in England, and he flew into O’Hare, so Elise came to visit and the two spent some time with me. Elise gifted me macarons when she left. So sweet!
• A visit to Rent the Runway with my coworker Kasondra. She has a super fancy event coming up at The Drake, and wanted to check out the new store in Chicago. She ended up picking this Clover Canyon dress, which is totally her style. Can’t wait to see her pictures!
• Dinner at Cafe El Tapatio in Lakeview with Elise and Paddy! I had the nachos, and they were so good, except for the cicadas that dive bombed us.
• Dinner at Thai Aroma in Lakeview. I had the shrimp aroma noodles and I somehow managed to finish the entire plate.
• Brunch at Bongo Room with a friend. I had vanilla brioche french toast. 10/10. Do recommend.
• NFL Sunday! I had to watch the Bears game from my office since I work Sunday shifts, but I followed along with the Lions game as well since I’m a Detroit fan.
• My first ever visit to Portillo’s! Kasondra convinced me to eat 2,000 calories worth of cheese fries, chopped salad, chocolate cake and soda. Whoops.
• A visit to the Lakeview Arts Festival with my friend Ariel. I Snapchatted a lot of this experience (hey, follow me!) and it was great! I got to check out a lot of local art and music, including a pottery sculpting demonstration, with a glass or rosé in hand.
• Dinner at my friend Mickey’s. She had a dip-themed party, and I brought my Snickers dip. There was queso, eggplant dip, feta dip, edamame dip and fresh fruit. So fun! If you’re in Chicago, search for the Inspired Women of Chicago group on Facebook and join it.

(You can keep up with this stuff as it happens if you follow me on Instagram or on Snapchat at randimshaffer.)

What’s on your radar lately? Let me know in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.

Happy Labor Day!

I usually do my end-of-week wrap-up on Sunday night, but since I had a minor blog problem, I’m a bit behind with my posting. Did you notice my site was down a few days this past week? Eep. Turns out, I was hacked with some malware. But thanks to my amazing software developer genius friend Kim, my site was scrubbed and up-and-running again in two days.

I also figured (almost) everyone has a three day weekend, I might as well wait until Monday night. I’m already two full days into my workweek, so I know the rest of the week is going to absolutely fly by.

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Links:

Corporette has your comprehensive list of Labor Day sales. It’s not too late!

My college roommate Caitlin got engaged! Congrats!

I love this tool from Slate that tells you whether you’re gentrifying a neighborhood by moving into it. It’s probably not entirely accurate, but is still a great way to spark a conversation.

I’m obsessed with my Detroit hockey, so I’m loving this livestream that shows construction of the new District Detroit arena as it’s happening in real time, especially since I’m not living in Michigan anymore.

If you’re looking for some new fall reads, Popsugar has a list of books that are going to be adapted into movies this fall. I’ve actually read several of these, and have several more on hold at the library or loaded onto my Kindle.

I cannot stop laughing at this piece by one of my favorite Trib columnists, Rex Huppke, that claims McDonald’s all-day breakfast is an abomination.

One of my favorite Michigan-based bar chains, HopCat, is expanding across the Midwest.

Chicago tacos.

J.K. Rowling was live-Tweeting the Hogwarts sorting and all of the feels.

I love this piece about how Amal Clooney is so much more than just “George Clooney’s wife.”

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And my week highlights?

• An impromptu shopping trip. It hit 70 degrees this week which meant fall has been on my mind. I picked up this dress in wine and this tunic in olive from Nordstrom.
• Checking out the new Mean Girls collection at Dylan’s Candy Bar with my coworker Kasondra.
• More Labor Day shopping! I probably went a bit overboard, but put in several online orders. I cleared out Old Navy, ordering this anorak jacket, this dress in blue, this blazer in olive, this shift dress in olive and this scarf. I grabbed these combat boots in brown from 6pm.com, and  I also did a bit of damage at H&M, picking up this sweater in several different sizes and colors and these jeans.
• Puppy sitting! One of my friends was out of state on business this week, so I got to puppysit his golden retriever, Dempsey.
• Baking apple pie cookies. I told you — fall has been on my mind, so this felt like an obvious way to celebrate before temps rocketed back up into the 90’s.
• Dinner and beer at Piece in Wicker Park. I love pizza, so obviously Chicago is a pretty dang good fit for me city-wise. The aforementioned friend with the golden retriever lives pretty close to Piece, so we’ve gone a few times. This week’s choice was goat cheese and tomato pizza with a Golden Arm brew on the side.
• The usual 40-ish hours manning the Trib’s social media presence.
• Starting Amy Poehler’s Yes Please. I’m still working on finishing up Devil in the White City, but both of these library loans were cleared for my Kindle at the same time, so I’m reading both books at once.

(You can keep up with this stuff as it happens by following me on Instagram and Snapchat: randimshaffer.)

What’s on your radar lately? Let me know in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.

 

Good evening you guys!

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Links:

New restaurant openings in Chicago!

Fellow college-educated single 20-something ladies! There’s a reason we aren’t in committed relationships. It’s statistics.

This satirical article about Chicago’s Humboldt Park from The Onion hits a litttttle too close to home.

Cute puppy video.

A Chicago Target store is getting a built-in bar so goodbye bank account.

I love these inspiring quotes about feminism.

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And my week highlights include:

• Friday night happy hour at The Bar on Buena in Uptown with my friend Ariel.
• Shopping and wine tasting in Libertyville with my coworker Kasondra.
• Starting The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. (Has anyone read this one before?)
• Homemade peanut butter banana oat smoothies.
• Spent an evening with my friend Mickey and her new baby kitties! (There were photos on Snapchat: follow me at randimshaffer if you’re curious!) We also made Thai peanut noodles and veggies for dinner before spending like seven hours gossiping.
• The usual 40-ish hours at the Tribune’s social media desk.

(You can keep up with this stuff as it happens if you follow me on Instagram and on Snapchat: randimshaffer.)

What’s on your radar lately? What have you been up to? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Links:

Facebook has overtaken Google as the top source for news links. Awesome.

The Everygirl did an interview of Caitlin Crosby, who founded the Giving Keys. I saw Caitlin talk at an Invisible Children conference a few years ago and she was so nice.

Life isn’t all about marriage. Here are some things you can do instead.

I’m obsessed with this corgi video.

Popsugar has a list of the best things to buy at Target.

Two-ingredient Nutella brownies. RIP your waistline.

So, uh. The Ashley Madison site was hacked.

…Josh Duggar was one of those outed in the hack.

Fortune has advice on what to do (and what not to do) following a job interview.

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And my week highlights include…

• My first ever Wrigley Field experience! I watched my Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs 15-8 with my friend Mickey. Not a bad first Cubs experience!
• Brunch at Toast in Lincoln Park followed by window shopping with one of my old coworkers from Mongolian Barbeque. I had the apple, pear and brie crepe, and we stopped in at several shops such as Warby Parker and Paper Source, as well as a few antique and resale shops.
• Homemade breakfast omelettes — spinach, tomato and feta.
• Drinks at Cheesie’s in Lakeview with my cousin, Ben.
• Movie night at a friend’s place to watch Back to the Future. I’d never seen it before, I know. I’m behind on my pop culture.
• Starting — and finishing — Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects. Slow-moving, but well-written with a solid plot. My only gripe? The main character was a terrible journalist.
• A work meeting at Ghirardelli for some espresso chip ice cream.
• The usual 40-ish caffeine-fueled hours at the Trib.

(You can keep up with this stuff as it happens if you follow me on Instagram or on Snapchat: randimshaffer.)

What’s on your radar lately? Let me know in the comments!