Not only is Christmas Day arriving this weekend in Chicago but so is a major winter storm along with a good old fashion arctic blast on its heel! Which means for everyone’s safety, our Saturday outdoor holiday events have been cancelled but will open again on Monday. So, here’s a list of indoor holiday events for those who will venture out no matter what the weather is!! Please note that events are subject to change so be sure to check the links provided.
Outdoor Fun (Cancelled)
Christkindlmarket (Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St.) in The Loop. Closed early on Friday due to the weather. See you next year!
Winterland at Gallagher Way (3635 N. Clark St.) in the Wrigleyville neighborhood. This event will reopen on Monday and run through January 8, 2023, which includes a Christkindlmarket if you’ve missed the one at Daley Plaza!
City of Chicago Christmas Tree (Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St.) in The Loop will be open both Saturday and Sunday!
Indoor Cozy Fun
Light Up the Lake (Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood.
Grinchmas 2022! (1010 W. 35th St., 6th Floor) the former Spiegel Building in the Bridgeport neighborhood this Saturday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, the Hubbard Inn (110 W. Hubbard St.) in the River North neighborhood has you covered with the Matzo Bash – Chicago’s Christmas Eve Party – Bubby Approved! this Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. This fun-filled evening kicks off with a hosted Vodka cocktail reception and passed appetizers (9 p.m.-10:30 p.m.) continuing with two levels of schmoozing and dancing with one of Chicago’s top DJs! Afterall, just because it’s Christmas Eve it doesn’t mean we can’t party!!
Whatever your Holiday Plans are This Weekend, Have Fun and Be Safe!!
Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago
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As children throughout our Chicago communities fall asleep on Christmas Eve this Saturday night, some may wonder if Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, with his glowing red nose, will be guiding Santa’s sleigh through a starless night sky.
Chicago Origins
What most may not know about Rudolph and friends is the story’s Chicago origins.
The credit for the ‘birth’ of Rudolph goes to Robert L. May, a Montgomery Wardadvertising copywriter. Ward’s, as it was known, was a Chicago-based department store, similar to its chief rival- Sears, Roebuck & Company, which still sells as an online retailer today. The holiday season, then as now, was where competition was fiercest and department stores fought for attention, shoppers, and their bottom line.
Rudolph was born in the waning days of the Depression, as World War II began raging across Europe.
According to Wikipedia sources, May was a frustrated advertising copywriter at Montgomery Wards, whose wife was dying of cancer. Early in 1939, May’s boss asked him to write a “cheery children’s book” for Christmas shoppers, suggesting “it should be an animal story, with a character like Ferdinand the Bull.” The store would give the book to shoppers as a promotional gimmick. As the source tells it:
“May decided to make a reindeer the central character of the book because it was a Christmas animal. It had to be a sort of “ugly duckling” who had a lot of heart to make it with Santa. He drew on memories of his own painfully shy childhood when creating his Rudolph story. He and his then four-year-old daughter Barbara, together with Montgomery Ward artist Denver Gillen, visited Lincoln Park Zoo one Saturday to get a better idea of what Rudolph might look like. “
A 2018 Time Magazine article said the idea of a glowing nose apt for navigating came from May looking out his office window in the middle of one of Chicago’s winter days, seeing the fog from Lake Michigan and thinking of Santa trying to do his work on such a night.
According to the Time Magazine article, Montgomery Ward printed the story as a soft-covered booklet and distributed 2.4 million copies for free.
Then, a small publishing house Maxton Publishing Co. offered to print it in hardcover. It became a best-seller, but Rudolph’s story didn’t really become world-famous until May’s brother-in-law Johnny Markswrote a musical version that Gene Autry sang. The tune topped the charts in 1949.
Later, with the advent of television, ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ became a much-loved annual television special for the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation in 1964, which was remade for a new generation in the 1970’s and 80’s.
What resonates with Rudolph?
The story of Rudolph carries a much bigger message for children and parents alike today. It is the story of a ‘differently abled’ sweet-natured mammal, whose unique traits, once mocked by peers, are essential to accomplishing an important task. As Ronald Lankford notedin his cultural history of American Christmas songs, “The story of Rudolph, then, is the fantasy story made to order for American children: each child has the need to express and receive approval for his or her individuality and/or special qualities. Rudolph’s story embodies the American Dream for the child, written large because of the cultural significance of Christmas.”
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
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As Chicagoans gather to celebrate Hannukah (through December 26), Christmas (December 25), and Kwanzaa (December 26), 2023 brings the promise of a new year! Many Chicago restaurants are saying “good bye 2022’ and “ Happy 2023” in style on Saturday, December 31!
In Lincoln Square, the quintessential Argentinian experience at Artango Bar & Steakhouse,4767 N. Lincoln Avenue.New Year’s Eve is a perfect time to celebrate the exciting tastes, lively music, and dancing of Argentina. Starting at 4pm, their three-course, prix-fixe menu includes such appetizers as Chef’s Choiceempanadas and Ceviche Nikkei, with tuna, leche de tigre, avocado, with huacatay sauce. Follow this with a festive entrée, such as Pato, a seared duck breast with carrot puree and a blood-orange demi-glace. Beef afficionados will enjoy the OJO DE BIFE, a round ribeye steak served with homemade chimichurri sauce, roasted potatoes, and asparagus. But ..save room for dessert! Try their delicious spice cake, or a delicate flan. Live Latin Jazz rings in the new year. For reservations, click here.
In Andersonville, a cozy Mediterranean experience awaits you at Andies Restaurant,5253 N. Clark Street, complete, as Choose Chicago describes, with golden walls and a fireplace. Choose such healthy, organic sharables as a homemade Gluten-Free Pita with a Dip Sampler of hummus, harressa, baba ganoush, and patata. Or, Saganaki Oppa! (flaming cheese) Move to entrees such as Filet Mignon Steak Kabob, which includes charbroiled tender cubes of filet mignon skewered with onions and peppers. Or, their Eight Jumbo Shrimp Kabob, with succulent, marinated grilled shrimp skewered with onions and peppers. Lamb Couscous is a boneless, tender leg of lamb, sautéed with carrots, peppers, onions, and garbanzos in tomato sauce. Tandoori Chicken w/ Dates & Yogurt is spicy, bone-in dark meat chicken baked in tandoori spices with spinach, feta, almonds, and rice. To make reservations, click here.
In Lincoln Park, for romantics, there is nothing like Geja’s Café, 340 W. Armitage Avenue. Their dimly lit interiors, curtained booths, and resident classical/flamenco guitarist is the perfect setting for a romantic beginning to 2023! Guests will enjoy a three-course fondue dinner, sharing a Swiss Gruyere Cheese Fondue with assorted breads, vegetables and fruits for dipping, followed by their house salad with Geja’s Dijon vinaigrette, followed by fondued of Beef Tenderloin, Australian Lobster Tail andGulf Shrimp, served with assorted vegetables and gourmet dipping sauces. Save room for Geja’s Belgian Chocolate Fondue, flamed tableside and served with marshmallows and other delectable treats for dipping. For reservations and more information, click here.
In the West Loop, there’shearty fare awaiting your New Year’s Eve celebration at the St. Clair Supper Club, 951 W. Fulton Market. Alinea’s Grant Achatz named the Midwestern Supper Club after his hometown, and will be serving a four-course dinner featuring their signature prime rib and a champagne toast at midnight. For reservations and more information, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
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If you live in a warm climate, good for you! But most of us live where it is cold for many months every year. Many of us are also still working the majority of our time at home. Unfortunately, energy prices have been going nowhere but up. When we were gone most of the day it was easy to just lower the thermostat, but now we need to stay warm while plugging away at the laptop.
When you are in a cold room the skin’s cold receptors cause the blood vessels in the skin to contract and send blood beneath the skin’s fat layer. Hands and feet have little fat and need blood flow to stay warm so of course these extremities will feel the cold first. If the cooling continues it can affect nerves, joints and muscles. You can lose dexterity and speed of movement. Just feeling cold can be a distraction.
So, you can say, I’ll just put on more clothes, and that’s good but you need to maintain your core temperature. Woolen clothing like sweaters and leggings trap millions of tiny pockets of air that provide insulation. Thermal underwear is great, there are so many options now, but layering works just as well. Throw a blanket over your legs or use an electric blanket, it’s all about keeping the heat from escaping the extremities to keep the core temp up. Keep those hands and feet warm. Fingerless gloves are great, even putting your hands in your armpits work when you’re not typing. Insulating socks and slippers work well to keep your feet warm. Heat goes out through your head too as your brain requires a lot of blood flow. Wear a scarf to keep that heat in that is trying to escape from underneath your clothing. Exercise too can raise your body temp, as little as going up and down a couple stairs can generate 100 watts of heat!
We all should know how to dress and keep our hands and feet warm, but there are a couple of things that can help that you might not have thought of. Drafts will make you feel even colder than you really are. So, try to make your house as draft free as possible, which helps with the heat bill too. Staying hydrated is also important, ensuring blood flow to the extremities. Warm drinks feel comforting but don’t do that much for the core temp. Make sure to eat! Sometimes when working from home we put off eating. Eat at least a snack every 3 hours or so. Something high in protein and complex carbs; cheese and nuts, for example. Stress can reduce blood flow, so try to avoid it (if you can). If you feel stressed, get up and do some exercise. Bundle up and take a brisk walk around the block.
Heating just the space you’re in is much cheaper than heating the whole house. There are many portable heaters available that are safe and energy efficient. They are much better than the old-fashioned ones that could literally set the house on fire. So try these tips and stay warm while keeping those energy bills in check.
Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago
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It’s a small, unassuming space, but it’s a crucial one nonetheless. Bathrooms are one of the more important rooms that can add a great deal of value to a home if they’re modernized and up-to-date, not to mention bring years of comfort and pleasure to those who use it.
If your bathroom is currently in need of a little TLC, a remodeling job is probably on the agenda. But before you start the demolition process, make sure you’ve done your homework on what you should – and shouldn’t – do to bring this space up to par.
Here are some do’s and don’ts to bathroom remodeling to consider to make sure the final product is exactly what you want without breaking the bank.
DO
Choose Appropriate Finishes
A bathroom remodeling job can be pretty involved and expensive. The last thing you want to do is have to go through the process all over again in a few years because the materials and finishes you chose were too trendy and quickly became outdated. Try to stick with more classic, neutral finishes that are stylish yet will stand the test of time.
Similarly, you want to make sure the materials and finishes you choose are right for a bathroom. For instance, porcelain tile is an ideal material for any bathroom floor, as it’s a lot harder than ceramic tile and comes in a variety of sizes, colors, patterns, and shapes.
For the walls, you’ll have your pick of the litter when it comes to materials, including ceramic, natural stone, and glass. As far as the countertop goes, popular materials include granite, quartz, and marble, which can easily ward off the effects of water and moisture, and are extremely durable.
Maximize Storage
Storage is often elected in a bathroom remodel. While your home might have a linen closet nearby that’s big enough to house all of your towels and face cloths, you might want to have ample storage right in the bathroom itself for toiletries such as toilet paper, soap bars, tissue boxes, cleaning solutions, makeup, shampoo, and so forth. Consider adding a full vanity or built-in shelving.
Update the Ventilation System
Built-up moisture can wreak havoc in a small space like a bathroom. Having an adequate ventilation system can easily and quickly expel any steam and foul odors, and is a critical component of this space.
During the remodeling process, consider updating your ventilation system at the same time by installing a ceiling-mounted vent fan or a combination fan/light fixture that does double duty. Just make sure not to allow the fan to exhaust into the attic or crawl space, as this will allow moisture to cause mold and mildew build up in these enclosed spaces.
Install Water-Efficient Products
Any effort you can make to cut back on water usage can save you money and can help ease the water shortage crisis that the state of California continues to be plagued with. During a bathroom remodel, consider swapping your old fixtures with water-saving models that cut back on the amount of water used. From toilets, to shower heads, to faucets, you can ensure your water usage is a minimum of 20% more efficient.
DON’T
Take on a Job Out of Your Scope
You might be handy, but there are likely certain jobs that you aren’t skilled enough for. Taking on a job in an effort to save money that would otherwise be spent paying a professional can wind up in disaster if you don’t know what you’re doing.
The skill and expertise needed to design and remodel a bathroom is typically beyond the scope of the majority of DIYers and should be left to the experts, especially when dealing with the plumbing and ventilation. Stick to simpler jobs like ripping out tiles, painting, and decorating.
Forget About the Design Plan
The layout of your new bathroom should be designed with the people who will be using it most in mind. For instance, a master en suite might include more high-end finishes and components, such as the addition of a heated floor, glass-enclosed walk-in shower, and lots of fancy light fixtures.
On the other hand, a shared kids bathroom might include a double sink, no-slip tile, and a bathtub. A guest bathroom might include extra shelving and storage to provide enough space to store their things.
Forget to Budget For Unexpected Surprises
Just like any other type of remodeling job, it’s always important to budget accordingly and allocate enough money to cover unexpected problems and costs. You might discover major water damage after ripping out the drywall and flooring, which will cost money to rectify.
You may even come across a vent stack or plumbing lines inside a wall that you assumed could be ripped down. While an experienced contractor will be able to pinpoint most issues beforehand, you just never know what you’re going to find when the demolition starts, which is why it’s helpful to add another 10% to 15% on top of your budget to accommodate for these issues.
The Bottom Line
You can add tremendous value and enjoyment to your home by remodeling your bathroom if the job is done right. Be sure to heed the above tips so you don’t wind up disappointed with the end result or stuck making major alterations after the job is done.
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It’s hard to believe that it’s already the final weekend before Christmas! Where did the time go? Anyway, here’s the last batch of holiday festivities that could get ugly!
The River North neighborhood is the place to be if you’re looking for somewhere to gather and celebrate holiday cheer with friends —
Join Santa’s Elves this Saturday at the Headquarters Beercade (213 W. Institute Pl.) for the first annual Elfed Up Christmas Crawl from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. This brand-new bar crawl travels to multiple neighborhood bars in River North and tickets include free Elf Ears (while supplies last), entry up to 5+ venues (no cover), drink specials, a complimentary shot at designated bars, take home swag, DJs at all venues, prizes, giveaways, and more! Plus, the party continues at Fame Nightclub (157 W. Ontario Pl.) afterwards. It’s an epic holiday adventure not to miss!
Tunnel, Tree House, and Moe’s Cantina in River North will be decking the halls for the biggest Christmas party in Chicago this Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the Ugly Sweater DAY Party. Gather your closest friends and don your favorite ugly sweater while enjoying free admission, a complimentary brunch buffet, two drink tickets, complimentary Santa hats, $5 holiday themed shot specials, giveaways and more!
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, the Hubbard Inn (110 W. Hubbard St.) wants you to join them for their Ugly Sweater Holiday Party this Saturday from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Holiday highlights include three dance floors, immersive experiences, activations, dancers, competitions, a 360-photo booth, giveaways, and more! All you need to do is dress in an ugly sweater, a holiday onesie, or a festive costume!
For those who haven’t completed, or even started, their holiday shopping, Chicago’s world-famous European-style antique and vintage market, the Randolph Street Holiday Market, returns this Saturday and Sunday to Plumber’s Hall (1341 W. Randolph St.) in the West Loop. Here you’ll find the most unusual and stylishly crafted mix of vintage and modern decorative objects, art, fashion, jewelry, housewares, hostess gifts, and more from 125+ vendors on three levels. Guests can also enjoy the market’s bar for a beer, wine, bloody mary or champagne and local eateries while browsing vendors and listening to holiday music from local DJs! ‘Tis the weekend to complete your holiday shopping!!
In honor of Hanukkah , which begins at sunset this Sunday, here are some Hanukkah festivities for all to enjoy:
The JCC Chicago is hosting 8 Nights of Hanukkah both in-person and with virtual programming across the Chicagoland area. The 1st Night, 1st Light will be held at Gallagher Way (3635 N. Clark St.) in the Wrigleyville neighborhood this Saturday (3 p.m.-6 p.m.). Families are invited to light the first candle and celebrate with live music, entertainers, Hanukkah games, giveaways, and more! Click link above for the remaining 7 nights festivities.
Grab your dreidel and the whole mishpocha and head on over to Strawdog Theatre Company’s annual hit show Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins now through December 31st at the Edge Off-Broadway Theater (1133 W. Catalpa Ave.) in the Edgewater neighborhood. The goblins are at it again! Will Hershel of Ostropol be able to outsmart them?
Join the Norwood Park neighborhood this Sunday (4 p.m.) for their 4th annual LED Chanukah Celebration at Centennial Park (6068 N. Northwest Hwy.). This event features an LED show, live music, Chanukah swag, a chocolate gelt drop from atop a fire truck ladder, activities for the whole family, latkes, donuts and more!
Holiday Cheers!
Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago
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The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Avenue, is a global icon in the world of art. But ask tourists and locals alike how you’d recognize the building in Chicago’s Loop, at the south end of Grant Park, and there’s one universal answer:
“It’s the one with lions,” they’ll say.
Through the holiday season, the Lions are standing guard wreathed for the season in brilliant red and green. But those two lions have also celebrated every Bears Super Bowl victory, Chicago Sky championship, Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup championships, and Chicago Bulls championships with official logo helmets and face masks covering their majestic visages.
Why Lions?
It started with a prominent animal sculptor named Edward Kemeys, and his wife Laura, also a sculptor. According to an Art Institute blog, Kemys and his wife came to Chicago in 1885, when the Art Institute decided to hold an exhibition of some of Kemeys’s small animal sculptures. They also were working on sculptures to be used at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, later the permanent home for the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue.
During this period, Mr. and Mrs. Kemeys were approached by benefactor Mrs. Henry Field, who commissioned the animal sculptors to create the two Art Institute lions in memory of her husband. In May 1894, the bronze lions took their place on pedestals in front of the museum.
Fun fact: The Art Institute of Chicago’s blog says the lion on the north pedestal is “on the prowl.” The other, “in an attitude of defiance” on the south pedestal was, according to the artist, “the most difficult I have ever attempted. The design called for two lions “to stand upon the flanks of the great external entrance stairway.”
And what happened to the Kemys? According to Wikipedia sources, they created other important works, including ‘Panther and Deer,’ and ‘Coyote and Raven.’ A colossal head of a buffalo for the facade of the station of the Pacific railroad at St. Louis, Missouri. Kemeys died in Washington, D.C., on May 11, 1907. He and his wife are buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Free and lovely to look at
As the Loop Business Alliance notes, The Art Institute of Chicago is the second largest art museum in the country, with a collection of approximately 300,000 works of art. But unlike most of the works of art in this renowned structure, the two-ton lions can be seen 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year…for free. But don’t go further than the lion’s green-bronzed eyes after hours…no one knows what the night can do!
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
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With a week and a half left before Christmas, several area restaurants are still serving up frosty, festive delights as you “Breakfast with Santa (or the Grinch)!”
Santa is coming to the West Loop’s Carnivale, 702 West Fulton Market Street on Sunday, December 18! They’re serving a traditional all-you-can-eat holiday buffet, along with a special visit from Santa and Ms. Claus. Sample from several unusual grazing stations around the venue. They include the ‘Salmon and Bagel Station, with smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese, sliced cucumbers, and cherry and raspberry jellies; ‘Paella and Spanish Charcuterie,’ with seafood and vegetable paellas, chorizo sausage, candied almonds and dried fruits; a Churrasco Carving Station featuring Tomahawk bone-in ribeye, braised short-rib barbacoa, while their Pastries and Dessert station features a donut wall, churros, and cotton candy. Soda, coffee and tea are included. Adults are $55, and children ages 10 and under years are $25. For reservations, click here.
Before you attend ‘Light up the Lake’ at Navy Pier, there’s a great place to take kids for an extra-special celebration! Streeterville’s Harry Caray’s Tavern – Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Avenue, serves up Breakfast with Santa + Wigglewormson Sunday, December 18, from 10am-2pm, serving holiday-inspired breakfast favorites and visits with Santa. Try their Avocado Mistle-Toast, with avocado mash, fried egg, and Texas toast, or the Holiday Hash Skillet, with pulled pork, potatoes, and red & yellow peppers,onion, BBQ sauce, and sunny side-up eggs. Frosty’s French Toast comes with maple syrup and fruit. A live performance by an Old Town School of Folk Music Wiggleworms teacher will have you and your children singing and dancing to holiday classics. BTW…the venue wants you to know that Santa Claus is fully vaccinated. For reservations, click here.
Maybe Lunch or Dinner with Santa instead? At the Loop’s 124-year-old Berghoff Restaurant, 17 W. Adams, on Saturday, December 17, Thursday, December 22, and Friday, December 23, from 1pm-7pm, a very merry holiday meal awaits you and your family, along with a special visit from Santa. The kids can enjoy Die Weihnachtsgurke (the Christmas pickle), a fun Bavarian tradition for kids and those young at heart. As their website explains, “See if you can find the pickle ornament hidden in our Christmas trees throughout the restaurant.” Any child who finds a pickle ornament in any of our trees will receive a year of good luck and a Berghoff Root Beer for $1.00. This year the money raised from the root beer sales will benefit SOS Villages of Illinois, which helps children. Their special Holiday Menu includes a WinterWarm Up Combo, which includesa small Berghoff Salad, a cup of their Soup of the Day, and a Grilled Cheese with provolone served on house-baked sourdough bread. Their famous Bavarian menu includes Spatzleknödel, which is a spätzle dumpling stuffed with smoked gouda, chicken andouille, spinach and fried leeks, topped with a Sriracha buerre blanc, and served with a quinoa and arugula salad. Your meal is complete with their house-made White Chocolate Mousse. 100% of the profits from the sales of the mousse will be donated to the SOS Villages of Illinois. For reservations, click here.
At Kroll’s, an upscale pub in the South Loop, 1736 S. Michigan Avenue, ‘Breakfast with the Grinch’ is already sold out on Saturday, December 17, but you can add your name to the waiting list. If enjoying a morning of Grinchiness, eating and drinking holiday-themed food and beverage, and watching ‘The Grinch’ on Kroll’s four large projection screens while writing your letter to Santa appeal to you, click here to add your name to their waiting list.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
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Yes, we are in the middle of the holiday season and who has time to even think about the New Year. But studies show that the most successful people always set out their goals for the year! It’s best to separate your business goals and your personal goals. Don’t forget the personal ones. For a balanced life we need to pay attention to our personal life also.
To get serious about our goal setting we need to use a good formula. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym used to describe and formulate your goals. If we want to have goals that are attainable, we need to make sure our goals fit the S.M.A.R.T. system.
S stands for specific. You can’t just say I want to lose weight, or I want more clients next year. Exactly how much weight? How many more clients? I want to work out more, how many times will you work out a week? The more specific you get will ensure that you will be successful. Many times, goals are too vague with no sense of direction.
M stands for measurable. Instead of saying I want to make more money next year, put a number there. Weight loss, the same. Knowing your numbers here is important. Business wise especially. If you are in sales, how many connections do you need to make in order to procure a piece of business? Without a way to measure progress how can you tell you’re progressing?
A stands for attainable. Goals must be realistic. Of course, you want to challenge yourself but to state a goal that has little or no chance to be achieved sets you up for failure. Losing 20 pounds in January sounds great but not likely to happen. Remember, goals achieved quickly can be changed easily. Start out small.
R stands for realistic. Realistic, as we have mentioned before. You need to think about whether that goal is reachable considering your resources. Most importantly, are you able to commit to achieving this goal?
T stands for timely. Goals need to be time bound. Hear is where your small steps come in. You may want to lose thirty pounds this year but break it down to 2-3 pounds per month, which is the healthy way it can be attainable. Business goals need a deadline too. Monthly or quarterly, we need to assess how our plans are progressing. Adjustments can be made early before you get off track.
Try to fit in a little goal setting during your holiday season. Start out small with some achievable goals and keep track. You will find out you can really improve your business and personal life with a little planning.
Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago
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Is your home is the hub of the holidays this season? If so, you’ve got some work to do before your guests knock on your door. Luckily, it doesn’t have to take weeks of hard labor to get your home ready – just a few smart and simple tasks will do the trick to get things prepped for holiday house guests.
Figure Out the Sleeping Arrangements
If you’re lucky enough to have a guest room, fantastic. If not, you’ve got a little coordinating you do. Figure out the sleeping arrangements for your house guests, and if that means shuffling family members around to accommodate, do these logistics beforehand.
Maybe Junior will have to sleep with Mommy and Daddy to free up a bed, or perhaps the living room couch will be need to act as a makeshift bed. Whatever the case may be, have this arrangement handled in advance so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.
Make Up the Guest Bed(s) With Fresh Sheets
If no one has slept in the guest bed for months, the sheets will start to get a bit stale. Rip those babies off and slap on a set of crisp, fresh-smelling bedsheets and pillowcases. Set out some extra blankets and pillows too, in case your guests are the type to get really cozy and bundled in bed. And while you’re in there, take a couple of minutes to tidy up and get rid of anything that doesn’t belong.
Clean and Stock Up the Bathroom
Tidying up and dusting is a no-brainer, not just when house guests are shacking up with you. But one room in particular that needs some extra attention is the bathroom (for obvious reasons). Most people won’t get too bent out of shape about a tad of dust underneath furniture, but certain marks and streaks (and smells) in the bathroom can be enough to turn anyone off.
Make sure you clean every corner of the bathroom, including the floor, sink, toilet, shower stall, bathtub and mirrors. Dump out the trash, take out a fresh stack of clean towels, refill the soap dispenser, and restock the toilet paper. Your guests will appreciate the fact that they don’t have to bust your chops asking for anything when everything has already been handed to them on a silver platter.
Have Your Morning Essentials in Order
Some people instinctively reach for their coffee first thing in the morning, while others look forward to a massive bowl of cereal when they wake. Everyone’s different, so make sure you get the 411 on what your house guests prefer to have at their disposal in the morning.
Find out what they like to drink and eat for breakfast, and make sure to hit the supermarket to pick these things up before they arrive. Set these things up in an easily-accessed area on the kitchen countertop, and be sure to point them out to your house guests when you’re giving them the tour so they don’t feel obligated to be served in the morning.
Give Them a Spot to Chill Out in Peace
As cool and fun-to-be-with as you are, most people don’t necessarily want to be in each other’s faces 24/7. So give your house guests some quiet space where they can catch up on their novel, watch their favorite show, or do whatever else floats their boat. They’ll appreciate the consideration of setting up a little area where they can retreat to in order to get a little ‘me’ time.
Plan Things to Do
Depending on how long your house guests plan to stay with you over the holidays, you might want to plan some fun things to do while they’re there. Sure, you could watch holiday movies until you’re blue in the face, but consider finding out what types of things your guests might be interested in doing besides being stuck in front of the tube.
Maybe they’d like to check out the local museum or infamous eateries in your city. Or maybe they’d like to check out some landmarks specific to your town, or even checkout a show. You don’t have to do all of these things, but even a day or two of activity can be enough to break up the monotony of an extended holiday guest stay.
The holidays are all about family and friends, and sharing in the joy of the season. But if you’re well-prepared for your house guests, the holidays can be that much sweeter.
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