In this day and age, our smartphones have become just another limb, permanently fixed to our bodies. So, the idea of keeping phones out of the bedroom seems like such a foreign concept. However, here are 5 reasons you should give it a try!

Minimize temptation. Even if you think you have strong self-control, with your phone within arm’s length, you are much more tempted to play that additional game of solitaire or scroll Twitter for just another 15 minutes. This results in staying up later and later, which can readjust your internal clock, making it harder to fall asleep.

Ease your brain. Whether you’re scrolling social media, texting your significant other, replying to emails, or skimming the news, you are using and stimulating your brain. When you finally do put down the phone, your brain is still on overdrive. Try reading a book, meditating, or doing yoga instead to put your brain in a relaxed state.

Lessen disturbed sleep. One of the most common phone activities before bed is checking social media, however, a study published in the journal of Sleep1 found that using social media within 30 minutes of going to bed has been independently associated with disturbed sleep.

Limit LED screens in bed. Blue-light emitting devices, such as phones, can trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, slowing the production of melatonin which helps regulate sleep.

Reduce disruptions to your sleep. With your phone out of the bedroom, you eliminate the chances of that ding or buzz waking you in the middle of the night and disrupting your important REM sleep.

It’s summer in Chicago, and while there is no better city to be in during these warm months, things are a bit different due to the pandemic. With the rise and fall and rise again of COVID-19 cases, social distancing is still vital for everyone’s safety. With this in mind, let’s take a look at cool events to make this summer a memorable, albeit different, fun season. 

Old Town Virtual Art Fair: For the last 70 years, the Old Town Art Fair has been a staple of the neighborhood and the #1 rated fine art fair in the city. This year the art fair returns virtually with over the work of 250 artists on display via their website. Tour the stunning creations in various media, including painting, photography, sculpture, digital arts, and mixed media. You’re bound to find something that speaks to you, and you can purchase that piece online.

Lakeshore Drive-In: Live entertainment returns to Chicago this summer! The parking lot of the Adler Planetarium will be converted into a site for a live music and comedy series. Kicking off July 29 at 7 pm, hip hop artists Mick Jenkins and Ric Wilson take the stage. Ticket holders will enjoy the event from the comfort of their cars while parked in socially distant parking spots apart from others. To find out more regarding safety and to purchase tickets, click here. 

Manual Cinema: Chicago’s own Emmy award-winning performance collective known as Manual Cinema kicks off their 10th-anniversary celebration with free multi-camera streaming presentations of four of their most beloved productions. From July 27 to August 3, Lula Del Ray will be performed. The End of TV follows from August 3 through August 10. Between August 10 thru August 17, check out No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. Frankenstein runs from August 17 to the 23rd. Each performance features creative use of puppets, actors, and live music combined with elements of cinema, sound, and various electronic media to bring a unique visual experience to viewers. Click here to find out more about this free event.

Millennium Park at Home: Music Series: Chicago has done a great job providing us with quality live music to stream from home since most concerts and fests are canceled. The Millennium Park at Home: Music Series offers up excellent performances every Thursday from 6 pm to 7:30 pm live on the DCASE YouTube page. This Thursday sees a live set by Tasha, and July 30 will feature the music of Mán Cub and Beats y Bateria.

Ice Cream, Anyone? Finally, if you are craving ice cream, The Original Rainbow Cone, a beloved South Side institution, is taking their tasty treats on the road this summer. This weekend the pink truck covered in white polka dots will be at Buona Beef in Mount Prospect on Friday from 4 pm to 10 pm. Saturday and Sunday will find the ice cream truck at Stan’s Donuts in Oakbrook Terrace from 1 pm to 10 pm. As the summer rolls on, the Original Rainbow Cone truck will make its way into Chicago neighborhoods. Keep track of the truck to see when it will be near you by checking out their Instagram account. 

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Around Chicago, we are definitely below our usual rain amounts. After a record spring for rain, the last month or so has been very dry.

Temperatures have also been quite high, usually in the 90s. Now with those high temperatures, you will get a blow-up storm or two, but these are few and far between. Even if you are lucky enough to get some rain from one of these much of the rain will run off, as the soil is too dry to absorb much quickly. 

So, we will need to supply water for our landscape and garden. You may choose to let the lawn go dormant, especially if your lawn is exceptionally large. The grass will come back fine with sufficient rain and cooler temperatures. If you do decide to water, do so early in the day. Watering during the day’s peak heat is not recommended, and late watering can encourage disease if the lawn is wet overnight. An oscillating sprinkler is best as it puts down water quickly and lower. Put out an empty can and water till it reaches an inch. This is necessary every week. Overlap to make sure you do not miss any spots. Water deeply once a week for good root growth. Too frequent watering results in short roots.

The garden is similar but will need watering more often. Vegetables are annuals and will not have long roots. You will need to water your veggies at least every third day when temperatures are high. Most vegetables need sufficient water, although some peppers will do with less. Hand watering is fine but do so thoroughly. Soaker hoses work great, putting down water right at the soil. Annual flowers in pots also have short roots, so water every other day. Hanging baskets have little soil to hold moisture, so again, water every day. 

Well established trees and shrubs (more than three years old) should be fine waiting out the dry spell, but younger plantings need attention. The best method here is the slow trickle. Lay an open hose between the drip line and the trunk or main stem. The drip line is the outermost reach the branches extend. This will also be the reach of the roots. Turn on the hose until the water just comes out the end—water for two hours minimum. 

With a little help, all the plants in our landscape will come through this with flying colors. From the trees and bushes to the grass and the garden, a little care is all it takes. 

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

As summer continues to be summer, here are a few events to help you pass the time and still enjoy the weekend!

The Animal Care League’s favorite annual celebration goes virtual this weekend with its 5th annual fundraiser, the Mutt Strut Virtual 5K Run/Walk. Registration is $20 and includes access to the virtual race platform to record your official time, an event t-shirt to show off on social media and a virtual goody bag with amazing offers from the event’s sponsors. All you need to do is register online, set up your personal fundraising page, collect donations from family and friends, and then run or walk 3.1 miles in your own neighborhood on July 17 to July 19. Tune in for the ACL’s post-race virtual party as they go live on Facebook with a surprise performance! They’ll also be announcing their social media contest winners and top 3 fundraisers. Even though we can’t gather physically yet, ALC is excited to find new ways to keep their friends close and continue to raise life-saving funds for homeless animals! Let’s get strutting Chicago!!

The Chicago Architecture Center will be hosting two virtual events this weekend. Saturday’s event, CAC Live: Buildings and Beer, will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Jeff Marcella, an expert in both buildings and beer, leads this online version of one of the CAC’s popular Pub Tours in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. A longtime hub for entertainment, this neighborhood not only houses some of the city’s greatest and oldest existing structures from warehouses to pubs to Gilded Age mansions but also has stories to tell about the history of brewing in Chicago. In fact, Jeff will share his advice and recommendations on sampling local brews!

Sunday’s event, CAC Live: Wrigleyville Tour, will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, which has undergone significant change in the past few years. Kent Foutty will take you on a virtual walk around Wrigley Field, beginning in front of the home of the Chicago Cubs under their famous marquee. He’ll also highlight new developments across the street, to both the south and west, and share stories of some older neighborhood buildings, including a firehouse beyond the left field wall. You’ll learn fascinating facts about the architecture surrounding Chicago’s beloved “friendly confines!”

West Fest Chicago is an annual street festival held in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood since 2004 on Chicago Avenue between Damen Avenue and Wood Street. However, this year be sure to tune in to the Virtual West Fest Chicago being held on Friday and Saturday. In 2020, each West Fest Chicago stage will have a #WestFestChicagoAtHome live music stream as well as offer virtual vendor promotions from local businesses and host a Virtual Pet Fest featuring pet adoption opportunities from Alive Rescue and One Tail At A Time! Who says you can’t enjoy a street festival this year?

Lastly, this weekend’s Chi-Together: Drive-in Movies & Music will feature Mission Impossible (Saturday) and Beverly Hills Cop (Sunday) at Soldier Field (1410 S. Museum Campus Dr.) in the South Loop with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the movie beginning at 8:30 p.m. Enjoy drive-in movies plus live music in a socially distant event that also gives back to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Each ticket includes a 90-minute music showcase by a locally featured musician or DJ, followed by the movie on 3 jumbo screens for up to 6 people and includes a bucket of popcorn for the group!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

Just because restrictions have lifted and indoor dining is happening again in Chicago doesn’t mean everyone is rushing for the next open table at their favorite restaurant. COVID-19 is still a huge issue, and while it’s great that the Windy City has done a solid job of decreasing corona cases, many of us are still hesitant to venture out in this new normal.

So what is a cautious Chicagoan to do when they crave fine dining amid the pandemic? The Darling, located at 905 West Randolph Street in the West Loop, has created the best combination of aesthetics and safety with private greenhouses in their outdoor space.

Each of The Darling’s ten outdoor greenhouses, called the Rose Garden, can seat two to four guests, providing a safe hub to enjoy their impressive food and drink menu. The best part? The entire dining experience is totally contactless. Guests make reservations online and can browse The Darling’s menu via their phones, ensuring no hassles when it comes to upkeeping social distancing protocols. A $10 deposit is required to book your reservation for the Rose Garden experience, which is available for seating Friday thru Sunday. 

If you have never visited The Darling, this opportunity is perfect for taking in the European-style eats offered at the nearly two-year-old restaurant. During previous visits, I have immensely enjoyed the short rib stuffed beignets featuring a delectable peanut dipping sauce. The traditional British sausage rolls are a favorite as well. The entree that really gave my taste buds a refreshing jolt is the cauliflower crust pizza featuring pesto, pecorino cheese, bacon, red onions, and cherry tomatoes. 

The drink menu at The Darling is a real standout with numerous cocktails that appeal to even the most exclusive tastes. If you’re looking to have drinks with friends while in the West Loop, you can’t go wrong with a pitcher of their English Rose concoction featuring Prosecco and Grey Goose vodka highlighted by Elderflower syrup, mint, and lime. Keeping with the roses motif, The Darling’s pitcher of Desert Rose is another liquid highlight definitely worth visiting. The libation is a tour de force for tequila fans, consisting of tequila, jalapeno-infused Mezcal, and a mixture of blood orange juice and lemon juice with agave-tajin syrup. 

Rum aficionados can’t go wrong with the Darling Buds of May cocktail perfectly mixed with passion fruit puree, basil, and apple cider. Of course, sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than a good old Old Fashioned. The Darling serves them up with the choice of bourbon, scotch, or Oaxacan. 

The Darling’s interior is something to be seen with the entrance resembling a flower shop and opening up to an English-style mansion with large fireplaces amidst the European furniture and live entertainment ranging from magicians and dancers. However, to have a night on the town while staying safe, the Rose Garden is the ideal settings for an intimate, socially distant dining experience with great food and impressive cocktails.

Be sure to call ahead or make reservations online for the Rose Garden greenhouse experience and enjoy a great and safe night out in the West Loop.

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO