Hello hello!

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Links:

I love these smartwatch stickers. I could not stop laughing when I saw the link.

Refinery29 has some great tips on how to move past common work screw-ups. A lot of these are totally avoidable (never fake a sick day, never snark about coworkers through your work email) but aside from that, these are good tips.

I love these tips from The Kitchn on maximizing your countertop space. Living in a city means countertop space is a precious, precious thing. TL;DR: Use your walls.

I love Liz’s tips to being happier. Know what’s crazy? Short of one quick 10-second Snapchat video, I didn’t take ANY photos of Chicago’s fireworks displays. I was too busy living in the moment. And it made me happy.

I love this idea for making a kite aerial photography kit. I’m hoping to spend more time on Chicago’s beautiful beaches now that it’s finally summer. This would be so fun!

The U.S. Women’s team won a game or something.

This woman has the perfect butt. Which is kind of annoying because most of us don’t… so how are we supposed to get jeans that fit?

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And my week highlights?

• A trip to Cheesie’s Pub and Grub in Lakeview with my coworker for mac and cheese grilled cheese and PBR.
• Italian for dinner at Club Lucky in Wicker Park with a friend.
• Pizza and Oberon at Homeslice in Lincoln Park! I had the Miller White and it was delicious.
• Sangria, tapas and paella de mariscos with my college friend Emily at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba in Lincoln Park! Emily studied abroad in Spain and had been dying for some close-to-authentic cuisine. I’m not sure how authentic it was, but it was pretty damn good!
• Consignment shopping in Lincoln Park.
• Shopping shopping on Mag Mile. H&M had some amazing sales going, so I was able to grab these pants, this shirt in a candy-colored tribal print, these rings and several of my favorite basic tees.
• Doughnut ice cream sandwiches with a coworker from Firecakes Donuts in River North.
• Homemade guacamole! (Recipe here.)
• Nitro coffee from Beatrix in River North. It’s kegged and on tap, so it’s foamy and frothy and has three times the caffeine of regular coffee. It was so good.
• Fireworks against the Chicago skyline! One of my friends has an incredible view from the roof of his place in Wicker Park, so Emily, Mickey and I went to a party to catch 360-degrees of fireworks and paper lanterns with a glass bottle of wine in hand.
• Homemade RumChata French toast! (Mimosas on the side, of course.) Recipe post coming soon.
• The arrival of my new pouf from Etsy! I spent forever searching for an ottoman that I liked, and the tall gray burlap one I picked out from Hello Homebody could not be more perfect!

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

It was such a great Fourth weekend. I had several friends in town, and most of those several friends consented to tequila shots and Cards Against Humanity at an impromptu mini apartment party.

How was your Fourth? Let me know in the comments!

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

 

Happy Sunday/ Pride Parade day here in Chicago! I’m so bummed that I had to miss the event due to work, but I had a hand in curating our livestream of the event over here at the Trib, so it was like I was basically there, right? 

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Links:

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT GAY MARRIAGE IS NOW JUST MARRIAGE MARRIAGE AND I’M SO EXCITED ABOUT IT. Equality, guys.

Thrillist ranked Michigan as the No. 1 state in the country, thus making me miss my home even more. Mitten love.

This man spent two weeks eating food marketed toward women and detailed the experience.

My friend Angela has super useful meal planning tips. As someone who forgets to grocery shop, runs out of time to pack lunch and ends up eating Chipotle four times a week and vending machine food the other three… yes.

The Chicago Tribune has a list of ice cream places to check out. This has turned into a personal to do list. God bless my employer you guys.

Cat posted a photo of this blueberry pie with an amaretto crust on Instagram and I almost licked my phone screen.

Cat also has advice on making new friends as an adult, when things like blind roommates and student organizations don’t exist anymore.

If you’re getting underpaid, it’s probably costing you in more ways than just your paycheck.

This has been out there on the Internet for a while, but Lifehacker has tips on being a gracious houseguest. (Yes, this is a not so subtle hint to anyone who plans on crashing at my Chicago apartment.)

The Everygirl has a list of ways to style a headboard. I’ve always made my bed the focal point of my bedroom (after advice from my parents), and my gorgeous DIY headboard is one of the most commented-on items in my home.

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And my week’s highlights included…

• A visit to the Dagne Dover popup shop at theWit Chicago! I love my Dagne (you can read an earlier review of it here) and was so excited to check out some of the other products in person for the first time ever.
• Vegetarian enchiladas and guacamole with a friend at XOCO in Wicker Park, and then a visit to a rooftop to take in the most amazing view of my city ever. Photos really don’t do it justice.
• Homemade guac! (Suck it, overpriced Chipotle.)
• A letter in the mail from my Mount Pleasant roommate Elise, who I love and miss way, way too much.
• Dinner at Nha Hang Viet Nam in Uptown with a coworker. (I had Hu Tieu Tom – rice noodle soup with shrimp and vegetables.)
• A tour of the Chicago Pedway. I figured out how to get from the red line Lake station to Trib Tower and back almost entirely sheltered from the rain, snow and cold. January Randi is already thanking June Randi for her forward thinking.
• Dinner and beer at Handlebar in Humboldt Park with my friend Mickey after helping her move (aka mostly just gossiping and talking about boys and drama).
• A new Illinois driver’s license! So bittersweet.
• An attempted trip to the balcony of Trib Tower to take in the view of the lake… but construction has delayed the opening another few weeks. Bummer.

(You can see all this as it happens and more if you follow me on Instagram or on Snapchat: @RandiMShaffer)

And this coming week? I might try breaking onto Trib Tower’s balcony to see that view! (Totally kidding.) In reality, I’m so incredibly excited for this coming weekend. My college friend Emily is coming to visit for the Fourth of July, and we have an awesome weekend full of fireworks, pizza, beach days and mimosas scheduled. Absolutely cannot wait! What’s on your radar lately? Let me know in the comments!

 

Happy Sunday and first day of summer! I’m still getting used to my Sunday through Thursday paper here at the Trib, so my Sundays always feel like relaxed Mondays. I don’t hate it though, since it makes the rest of the week go by super quickly.

 

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Links:

Reading can make you happier. You heard it.

Stylecaster has a guide to wearing neon. I’m absolutely drooling over that green midi skirt.

Everyone knows you have to protect your shoes from water, salt, dirt and cold in the winter. But did you know you should protect them in the summer as well, from sand and sweat?

Here’s a useful guide for building outfits with monochromatic elements.

Here’s a neat quiz that will let you know which presidential candidates you side with on important issues.

Your breakup will be good for you. I promise. These are all lessons I’ve learned over the past many, many years, and are applicable time and time again. I’m coaching a great friend through a rough break up right now and these are so good to remember. (And if you ever need anyone to talk to about breakups, dear reader, please shoot me an email.)

As someone who obsessively hoards books, I love the idea of decorating with them.

Considering I now live out of a purse (yay city life!) I love these ideas for travel snacks from The Kitchn.

I’ve always read warnings about Toxic Shock Syndrome on tampon boxes, but this is the first real life account of it I’ve read.

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And me this week? It was fairly productive and included a trip back to Michigan, which was great! Highlights include:

• Breakfast with my college roommate Kendall at Tweet in Uptown before her Monday afternoon departure.
• Time with my parents! My mom is a vendor at a Thursday farmers’ market, so a Friday visit meant I got to lay claim to her leftovers. Hello cheddar onion rye bread!
• A finished kitchen/ dining room table. I had to make some modifications to my Ikea Norberg wall-mounted table, since it was built to Swedish design configurations and my apartment is, yunno, American. It took a while (turns out drilling through metal is not easy) but I managed to get the thing installed.
• A visit to Ann Arbor to hit up both Arbor Brewing Company and HopCat (crack fries) with a friend.
• Sangria and tapas at Wicker Park’s Black Bull with a friend.
• TOUCHING THE STANLEY CUP. As part of my job doing social media over at the Chicago Tribune, I had to chase the Stanley Cup around town on two different occasions to Periscope the atmosphere for our followers.
• Grabbing a front row seat at the Chicago Blackhawks Championship Rally! Disclaimer: This would have been 6,000 times cooler if it was my amazing Detroit Red Wings that were hoisting this glorious trophy, but it was still such a cool experience to stand front row with the media at Thursday’s event!

 

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

How was your week? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Links:

This teen started an anonymous Instagram account to post nice things about all of his classmates. See, high schoolers aren’t all evil.

Zoe Saldana’s husband took her last name. Awesome.

My amazing employer put together this cohesive list of the best outdoor breakfast and brunch locations in the city and I will be taking full advantage of it. Cause mimosas.

What it’s like to get fitted for a bra at six different stores. I’m a bravangelist and will preach about proper fit for forever. This was an interesting read.

This is what the rest of the world thinks about Americans.

I spent five days trying to find an ottoman/ a pouf for an empty corner in my apartment, and right on cue, the Everygirl comes out with a list of fab low profile seating options. I ended up with a taller version of this Etsy find, but the Everygirl picks are still super useful.

Super useful tips for great skin.

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And my highlights this week?

• Lunch at Soho House Chicago with my college friend Perry.
• Receiving several shipments of junk and making some serious progress on my apartment. Hello new rug, pillows and master’s degree frame!
• A visit from my college roommate Kendall!
• A trip to Midsommar Fest in Andersonville for day drinking and street festivals filled with churros, rainbows and cover bands.
• Celebrating my college friend Matt’s birthday with watermelon Jell-O shots and Absolut raspberry consumed through fabulous pink flamingo straws.
• Dim Sum from Pingpong Restaurant – thanks Kendall!
• (Killer) margaritas from Cesars in Lakeview… with a side of free tequila shots.
• Brunch at Kanela Breakfast Club in Lakeview.
• The installation of my gallery wall. I finally got around to finding some new prints and hanging up my frames. I’m not sure if I want to keep my wall how it is, or add to it. Suggestions?
• A new house coffee blend I picked up from Chicago-based Intellegentsia. Can’t wait to try it!

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

This coming week I’m going to get some new original content up on the blog… promise. I feel like I’ve been doing a ton, but not really updating the Internet with my adventures. I’ve got some serious downtime ahead of me on my train ride back to Michigan for next weekend, though, so hopefully I’ll be able to buckle down and #GSD!

What have you been up to lately? Let me know in the comments!

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Links:

Pinterest now lets you buy things right from the app. RIP bank account.

Caitlyn Jenner is gorgeous and I hope I look half as amazing as she does when I hit 65.

If you have to buy coffee at Trader Joe’s for whatever reason — ie: you’re 100 percent out of coffee and all your local roasters are closed — here’s a list of the best coffees to get.

High performance heels sound intriguing.

Caitlin over at And Possibly Dinosaurs has this super easy tutorial for coasters that I’ll have to try, since I don’t have coasters yet.

One of my favorite bloggers is moving (back) to Chicago which makes me super excited, because I’ve been dying to try SoulCycle and – what do you know – she’s an instructor.

Four clear signs you’re never going to hear from him again. I personally haaaaate being “ghosted.” I was on the receiving end of this right before I left Michigan, and it sucks. Just man up and tell me straight forward that you’re no longer interested in talking so I can stop wasting both my time and yours.

Take a day off. It’s good for you.

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And my week highlights include…

• Protein Bar for lunch on the gorgeous new riverwalk trail with a friend.
• Assembling some new shelves for my kitchen!
• Finally ordering a diploma frame for my master’s degree. It’s been floating around and I’m kicking myself for letting it get bent during my recent move, so soon it will have a new home and a place on my wall.
• A full work week at the Tribune. #lovemyjob
• Dinner and craft beer at Wicker Park-based Piece with a friend to watch the Tigers/ White Sox game, and then finally watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. (Apparently now that I live in Chicago, viewing was mandatory. It also happened to coincide with the actual date Ferris took off 30 years ago, so watching the flick was non-negotiable.)
• Picking up this new lipstick (in Chatterbox) and this delicious smelling bath bomb for a whopping total of $2.89 — thank you Macy’s Money!
• A wonderful piece of welcome mail from the aforementioned Caitlin.
• The most productive weekend ever. I’ve only been here for three weeks, but this weekend was the first that I didn’t have out-of-town visitors, so I was finally able to put some work in on my apartment. I installed new chrome shelving in my kitchen, ordered some throw pillows (this, this, this and this), hung up my gallery wall frames, took multiple trips to Target and West Elm, stocked and styled my bar cart and cleaned my entire apartment top-to-bottom.

And this coming week? I’m super excited to have my college roommate Kendall visiting next weekend! I’m also excited to get some more organizing and decorating done, and of course, another week of work at the Trib. It honestly doesn’t feel like work at all though. Loving your job is such a great feeling.

What are you up to lately? Let me know in the comments!

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

 

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Links:

I love The Everygirl’s weekend city guide to Chicago. I just moved here and have been completely inundated with visitor requests since arriving, so I’m always looking for fun things to do with those visitors that aren’t too tourist-y.

I (finally) tried Chipotle for the very first time a week ago and I might have already eaten it like four times so I’m really excited to try this recipe for DIY sofritas tacos.

And speaking of DIY food, my friend Angela posted this yummy looking recipe for ricotta stuffed shells.

Elite Daily has a list of reasons why you should take a break from social media. As someone who spends at least 60 hours a week on social media (no exaggeration — I work in social media), several of these really hit home for me, especially no. 5.

Elite Daily also has 25 things you didn’t know you could do with wine this summer. This is my new summer checklist.

Actually no, my summer checklist includes these can’t-miss summer restaurants in Chicago.

And more summer booze. My former roommate sent this Smirnoff-sponsored Buzzfeed post on boozy frozen summer desserts my way, and while I normally ignore any and all sponsored posts on Buzzfeed, 1. I love my former roommate and 2. Smirnoff was my beverage of choice in college. I’ll bite.

Caitlin over at And Possibly Dinosaurs has a list of staycation ideas. She lives in Michigan, but it looks like a lot of her ideas can be easily replicated in other areas.

Melissa McCarthy has a new clothing line. It’s one of those things that seems all inclusive with body-positive messages, but in reality the line only serves women sizes 4 and up, meaning it still excludes a lot of women and their bodies.

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And this past week’s highlights?

• My first encounter with the Michigan Avenue bridge! I work just north of the Chicago River, so sometimes I venture across the river on lunch break to grab a bite to eat. All the bridges that cross over the river draw up for boat crossings, so I was delayed on my way back to the office because of the bridge.
• A visit from out of town friends meant a day of sightseeing for them. We took a walk through Millennium and Grant parks.
• Mag Mile shopping! This adorable piece in navy is finally mine!
• Brunch at Kanela.
• Perfect spring weather spent with an Oberon and a new friend (and a golden retriever puppy!) at Northside in Wicker Park.
• Booze-filled conch shells at Three Dots and a Dash – a tiki bar in River North.
• Some more decorating and unpacking.

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

I’m finally starting to settle into my apartment, which is such a nice feeling. I’m still waiting on a few more things that had to be ordered for the space, but I already can’t wait to show you guys my storage and decor solutions. On the agenda for this coming week? A few late night shifts at work and hopefully a run to get myself a new Illinois ID.

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.