Hey guys!

No links this week because it has been absolutely crazy. I’ve been so busy, but in the best possible way!

Side note: I will forever and always use my blog as my personal online journal, because even though I love posting my outfits, photos, recipes and general blog-ish lifestyle tidbits — my blog still remains the best way for my family to keep up-to-date with my adventures.

Not only did my mom and sister swing by town for a much-anticipated weekend shopping trip, but one of my best friends from college — Kelly — was also in town this weekend! So, there was so much going on!

• Dinner at Old Town Pour House in, well, Old Town with coworkers…
• …followed by drinks at Old Town’s The VIG with the same coworkers.
• Shooting a collaboration with Closet Barcode — stay tuned!
• Reading Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places. It was really, really good! I meant to tackle it chapter-by-chapter on the L to-and-from work, but… well. It’s Gillian Flynn. So I accidentally stayed up until 1 a.m. and knocked the whole thing out.
• Lunch and dinner at 676 Restaurant & Bar — the restaurant at my mom and sister’s hotel. I had the margarita flatbread and the risotto and both were amazing…
• …followed by shopping along Michigan Avenue! My mom took me to do some early Christmas shopping so I didn’t have to worry about fitting things on the train back from Michigan. I picked up this gorgeous Kate Spade tote and these mixing bowls from Crate & Barrel. Because when you’re an adult, you ask for kitchen supplies for the holidays…
• …followed by a showing of Potted Potter at Broadway Playhouse downtown in River North.
• Drinks at the Billy Goat Tavern in River North with my coworkers. This is the Tribune’s go-to watering hole.
• Brunch at Kanela Breakfast Club in Lakeview. I had a waffle topped with Nutella, crushed graham crackers, chocolate syrup and toasted marshmallows. So good!
• Dinner at Glaze Teriyaki in Lakeview with Kelly…
• …followed by drinks at Lakeview’s Wilde Bar and Restaurant…
• …followed by drinks at Lakeview’s DryHop Brewery, where some coworkers joined us.
• Finishing up Christmas shopping!
• And the usual 40-plus hours a week at the Tribune’s social media desk. Love my job.

And this coming week? There’s so much to look forward to! It’s Christmas, obviously, so I’ll be hitting up Chicago’s Christkindlemarket, heading to a concert at the House of Blues and then taking the train back to Michigan for the holiday.

What are your Christmas plans? Let me know in the comments!

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

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Links (mostly from my Twitter);

Here’s a list of acceptable champagne brands when you’re straddling the line between Andre (too college) and Veuve Clicquot (hey I’m a journalist).

Here are the most popular Pinterest searches of the year, by country. Did your searches make the list? Mine definitely did.

My hood is getting a barcade!

Here are the best iPhone social network apps of all time. #spoileralert: Facebook is No. 1. Do you use any of the other apps?

Have you been reading the Humans of New York Syrian refugee stories? They have been making me bawl my eyes out. At work. No joke. President Obama commented on one of my favorite stories and it (of course) moved me to tears.

Columbia Journalism Review picked the best — and worst — journalistic pieces of the year.

I love everything about this Detroit Free Press A1.

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And my week highlights?

• I fiiiinally finished putting up my Christmas decorations. Hooray!
• My annual hot chocolate party! I had some of my favorite Chicago girlfriends over for a hot chocolate and waffle bar. (Here are photos from last year’s event.) We tried so many different combos of spiked hot cocoa. My favorite is caramel vodka with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle on top. We watched Christmas movies (The Grinch and Love Actually) and played Cards Against Humanity, gossiped and talked about books. It was a great night!
• Some online shopping. I can’t stop taking advantage of holiday sales! I picked up these fair isle socks and this blazer from J. Crew, and this sweater from J. Crew Factory. I also grabbed this skirt, this blazer and this blazer (!!!) from the Limited.
• Dinner at Wood in Lakeview for date night! It was so good!
• Drinks at Uptown’s Fat Cat.
• Mid-week drinks and appetizers downtown at The Commons Club with some of my Loop-working friends.
• Empire binge-watching. I started this last week, and cannot believe it took me so long to get into it! It’s filmed here in Chicago, so everyone here is crazy about it. I’m almost done with season two.
• Homemade Christmas Crack! I’ll get the recipe posted soon.

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

I’m looking forward to finishing up my Christmas shopping this coming week, and I’m really excited for some weekend visitors! My mom and sister are coming to Chicago this coming weekend to do some shopping — my mom has never stayed in Chicago for longer than a drop-off, pick-up or train transfer before! I’ll be staying in a hotel downtown with the two of them while they’re here. And then as soon as they leave, one of my best college friends will be in town on a flight layover! I’m so unbelievably excited.

How’s your holiday season going so far? Let me know in the comments!

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

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Links (mostly from my Twitter):

Fifteen questions (and answers) about my favorite thing: glitter.

Lollapalooza is expanding to four days next year! I don’t think my liver will be able to handle it.

The front page of the New York Daily News was pretty… intense, after the San Bernardino shooting.

Parents are naming their kids after Instagram filters. Not gonna lie… I would probably do this.

I ran a round-up of my dozen most-worn this fall.

A lot of white millennials get financial help from their parents.

My friend Kayla is fighting Lyme disease! I donated to help with her treatment costs, and if you have a few dollars to spare, I’d ask you to do the same.

The iPhone might be getting rid of the headphone jack? I’m not so sure I like that idea.

There’s a Tumblr account dedicated to last messages sent and received. It’s so insightful. And also heartbreaking.

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And my week highlights?

I was still recovering from strep throat and ended up coming down with a cold. Yuck. So, my week was pretty slow. High points include:

• Dinner at Andersonville’s Little Bad Wolf, followed by…
• …drinks at Andersonville’s Hopleaf.
• Starting (and finishing) Empire season one. Do you watch it? It’s filmed in Chicago, so all my coworkers love it. It’s so good, and the soundtrack is flawless.
• Some awesome Cyber Monday deals, including this dress from Loft, this dress from Loft and these Kendra Scott earrings in green.
• Putting up my apartment’s Christmas decorations.
• Newsroom cake! The @chicagotribune Twitter reached 500,000 followers — making it the biggest media presence in Chicago. One of the editors brought cake for the web team to celebrate.

I’m looking forward to some holiday celebrations this coming week, and hopefully I’ll start feeling a bit better.

What’s on your agenda? Ready for the holidays? Let me know in the comments!

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

 

 

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Links (mostly from my Twitter):

New Red Wings Stadium Series jerseys!

Chicago’s Cafe El Tapatio (Lakeview) is expanding. It’s one of my favorites, but it’s a little cramped, so thank gosh.

Corgi Vine!

Have you been following along with Chicago’s Laquan McDonald protests?

I love this fun read from the New York Times on modern dating and texting.

…And this one from Business Insider about how having too many options is actually kind of a bad thing.

With the holidays coming up, here are some excuses for when your family asks why you’re still single.

I love this pear-and-apple oatmeal recipe.

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And my week highlights? Honestly? I don’t have too many of them. I found out earlier today that I’ve had strep throat for the entire past week! That would explain why I’ve felt so terrible and consumed so much tea. So, short of a trip to urgent care and a trip to CVS for some penicillin, this week’s events include:

• Black Friday shopping! I got a new Apple TV and I’m really excited about it.
• Friendsgiving at my coworker’s apartment in Logan Square. I contributed my grandma’s escalloped corn and pumpkin pie, but could not stop eating so much amazing food! My friends are great cooks.
• Homemade pear-and-apple oatmeal.
• A show at Second City! I saw Soul Brother Where Art Thou with my coworker Greg, and really enjoyed it. My face hurt from laughing so much afterward.
• A sleepover at my friend Mickey’s. We stayed up late gossiping, made breakfast, played with the dogs she was petsitting and did manicures.
• My new Bean Boots were delivered!
• Dinner at XOCO in Wicker Park…
• …followed by drinks at Estelle’s in Wicker Park.

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

This coming week, I’m really excited to start kicking off Christmas festivities! I’m planning on doing some Cyber Monday shopping and taking advantage of free shipping, since I’ll have to have gifts shipped to Michigan in advance of the holiday. I’m also looking forward to decorating my apartment.

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

 

There’s no link roundup this week, because I was way too busy live-tweeting #SMWChicago to post any cool links on my Twitter. #Whoops?

Regardless! My week was pretty awesome, if not totally busy. Highlights include:

• Drinks at the Rocking Horse in Logan Square.
• …followed by arcade games at Logan Square’s Emporium.
• Social Media Week! It was insanely busy, but still fun and I took a lot out of the conference.
• Dinner at Lakeview’s Cafe El Tapatio. (The nachos are my favorite!)
• Receiving some fun Closet Barcode samples to shoot for you (stay tuned!)
• A trip to the Randolph Street Market with my friend Chelsea. I’ve gone before, but never while it was hosted entirely indoors with lots of Christmas stuff.
• Chicago’s first snowfall!

Work took up so much of my time! I’ll hopefully be doing a Social Media Week recap post as soon as I’m done with the holidays. I’ve also been fighting off a cold, so I’ve been drinking tea and sleeping almost nonstop lately.

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

And this coming week… Friendsgiving! I have my first three-day weekend since I started at the Trib six months ago (seriously cannot already believe it’s been that long) and I’m so excited to spend it eating with my coworkers and doing some Black Friday shopping!

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

Happy Sunday!

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Links (Mostly from my Twitter):

Every Harry Potter movie reenacted with kittens!

Chicago friends! Ventra’s new app rolls out this week!

I could not stop laughing at this video of drunk girls interacting with puppies.

This post about how Mean Girls would be different if it were set in 2015 is hilariously accurate.

Puppies on a kiddie slide! (I know, lots of puppies this week. It’s been one of those weeks.)

My alma mater had a football game, and the refs yelled at the cheerleaders for being too loud. Is that even allowed? #FireUpChips.

Yassss. This list of new words being added to the dictionary is on fleek. (I am getting old.)

3D printable corgis!?

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And my week highlights?

• My work bestie Kasondra’s birthday! I made her these cute Starbucks cupcakes to celebrate with.
• New dishes and wine glasses from Crate & Barrel (which I’ve already started breaking).
• My Detroit Lions beat the Packers!
• I had a chance to Skype with students at The Daily Illini about creativity on social media.
• Drinks at Celeste in River North.
• Dancing at Paris Club in River North.
• Window shopping in Lakeview with my friend Emily.
• Starbucks Happy Hour with some of my favorite coworkers. (My holiday drink of choice is the peppermint mocha!)
• A relaxing bath with my current read, Go Set a Watchman.

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

I’m looking forward to a few things this coming week! It’s @SMWChicago, so I’ll be spending most of my week rotating between the Tribune Tower and Merchandise Mart, working and attending several of the sessions. I’ll also be preparing for Friendsgiving. I can hardly believe it’s coming up so soon!

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