Transforming your outdoor space into a trendy and inviting oasis can elevate your home’s living experience and provide a sanctuary to unwind and entertain. With a plethora of innovative ideas and design trends emerging, enhancing your outdoor area has never been more exciting. From embracing biophilic design elements to incorporating sustainable features and utilizing smart technology, there are endless possibilities to create a stylish and functional outdoor haven that reflects your personality. In this article, we explore various trendy ideas to inspire you in elevating your outdoor space to new heights of beauty and comfort.

Introduction to Elevating Outdoor Spaces

Ready to turn your outdoor area from drab to fab? Elevating your outdoor space not only adds value to your property but also gives you a serene retreat right at home. Say goodbye to boring yards and hello to stylish outdoor havens!

Understanding the Importance of Outdoor Spaces

Outdoor spaces are more than just a patch of grass – they are extensions of our living areas, offering a breath of fresh air and a connection to nature. They provide a space to relax, entertain, and rejuvenate, making them an essential part of any home.

Trends in Outdoor Design and Decor

From cozy fire pits to chic outdoor lounges, the trends in outdoor design and decor are constantly evolving. Stay ahead of the curve by embracing new ideas like biophilic design elements, sustainable features, and stylish outdoor living areas.

Embracing Biophilic Design Elements

Bring the outdoors in – or rather, bring the indoors out! Biophilic design incorporates natural elements into your outdoor space, creating a harmonious blend of nature and design that soothes the soul.

Bringing Nature into Your Outdoor Space

Fill your outdoor oasis with lush greenery, natural textures, and earthy colors to create a tranquil environment that feels like a retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Think hanging planters, stone accents, and wooden furniture.

Benefits of Biophilic Design

Not only does biophilic design look stunning, but it also has proven benefits for your well-being. Studies show that being surrounded by nature reduces stress, increases creativity, and improves overall happiness – making it a must-have for your outdoor space.

Incorporating Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Features

When it comes to outdoor design, sustainability is key. Choose eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient solutions to create a space that not only looks good but also does good for the planet.

Choosing Eco-Friendly Materials

Opt for recycled materials, natural fibers, and sustainable wood options for your outdoor furniture and decor. Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint, but you’ll also add a touch of eco-chic to your outdoor space.

Energy-Efficient Outdoor Lighting Solutions

Set the mood with energy-efficient outdoor lighting that illuminates your space while saving on energy costs. Solar-powered lights, LED fixtures, and motion sensors are great options to light up your outdoor area sustainably.

Creating Functional and Stylish Outdoor Living Areas

Make the most of your outdoor space by zoning it effectively and choosing furniture and accessories that not only look good but also serve a purpose. Create distinct areas for dining, lounging, and entertaining to maximize your outdoor living experience.

Zoning Your Outdoor Space

Divide your outdoor area into zones based on functionality – a dining area for meals, a lounging area for relaxation, and a play area for kids. By creating distinct zones, you can make the most of your outdoor space and cater to different activities.

Furniture and Accessories Selection

Choose outdoor furniture and accessories that are not only stylish but also durable and weather-resistant. Opt for comfortable seating, weatherproof materials, and statement pieces that reflect your personal style to create a cohesive and inviting outdoor living area.

Enhancing Ambiance with Lighting and Decor

When it comes to jazzing up your outdoor space, lighting and decor play a crucial role. Let’s shed some light on the different types of outdoor lighting fixtures that can elevate your ambiance and explore some decorative elements that will make your space shine.

Types of Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

From string lights to lanterns, there’s a myriad of outdoor lighting options to choose from. Whether you want to create a cozy nook or a vibrant party atmosphere, selecting the right fixtures can set the mood just right.

Decorative Elements for Outdoor Spaces

Throw pillows, outdoor rugs, and stylish planters are just a few examples of decorative elements that can add personality to your outdoor oasis. Mixing and matching textures and colors can transform your space from blah to ta-da!

Utilizing Smart Technology for Outdoor Spaces

Why should your smart home end at the doorstep? Bring the convenience and efficiency of smart technology to your outdoor areas for a seamless and connected experience. Let’s dive into how you can integrate smart tech outdoors and the perks that come with it.

Smart Home Integration for Outdoor Areas

Imagine controlling your outdoor lighting, speakers, and even your sprinkler system with just a tap on your phone. With smart home integration, you can take your outdoor space to the next level of convenience and comfort.

Advantages of Smart Technology Outdoors

From energy savings to enhanced security features, smart technology outdoors can revolutionize the way you interact with your space. Embrace the future and make your outdoor oasis smart and savvy.

Incorporating Water Features and Greenery

Want to add a touch of tranquility to your outdoor retreat? Consider incorporating water features and greenery for a refreshing and serene vibe. Discover creative water feature ideas and the benefits of bringing more green into your outdoor spaces.

Creative Water Feature Ideas

A bubbling fountain, a peaceful pond, or a cascading waterfall – the options for water features are as refreshing as they are diverse. Adding a water element can create a soothing ambiance and become a focal point in your outdoor setting.

Benefits of Greenery in Outdoor Spaces

Plants not only purify the air but also bring life and color to your outdoor oasis. From providing shade to attracting beneficial wildlife, greenery can transform your space into a lush sanctuary that you’ll love to escape to.

Personalizing Your Outdoor Oasis

Your outdoor space should be a reflection of your unique style and personality. Let’s explore how you can infuse your personal touch into every nook and cranny of your outdoor haven and get inspired by creative ways to make it truly yours.

Reflecting Your Style and Personality

Whether you’re a minimalist maven or a boho chic enthusiast, your outdoor space should speak volumes about who you are. From choosing furniture that resonates with your aesthetic to incorporating meaningful decor pieces, let your style shine through.

Creative Ways to Personalize Your Outdoor Space

From DIY projects to upcycling old furniture, there are countless ways to add a personal touch to your outdoor oasis. Hang up a gallery wall of outdoor art, create a cozy reading nook, or even build a custom fire pit – the possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Let your creativity run wild and make your outdoor space a true extension of yourself.Incorporating these trendy ideas into your outdoor space can truly transform it into a haven that enhances your lifestyle and connection with nature. By embracing biophilic design, sustainable features, and personalized touches, you can create a space that reflects your style and provides a retreat for relaxation and enjoyment. Whether you are looking to create a cozy outdoor living area or a chic entertainment space, these ideas are sure to elevate your outdoor oasis to new levels of beauty and functionality. Let your outdoor space be a reflection of your personality and a place where you can unwind and create lasting memories with loved ones.

Other generations may have a different idea, but for me, the Golden Age of film criticism was probably the late 1970’s to the early 2000’s.

That’s when two Chicago film critics defined the genre for the nation…Gene Siskel, of the Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times. The polar opposites became widely known for their “thumbs up, thumbs down’ critique and ‘At the Movies’ syndicated TV show.

Both have passed on…Siskel in 1999, Ebert in 2013, but they leave a legacy in the film critics that followed, such as Richard Roeper, who replaced Siskel on the show. 

But Siskel and Ebert will never be forgotten, thanks to websites like RogerEbert.com, and the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State Street.

As their website notes, Siskel “possessed a laser-like ability to discern quality in everything. He always looked for the finest; expected it and appreciated it. That is what drew him to the Film Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. There, Gene found a superior showcase for the world’s greatest films. He championed the Film Center from its very inception, as did his distinguished fellow film critic, Roger Ebert. When asked by a journalist to list his three favorite things about Chicago, Gene named Michael Jordan, Mayor Daley, and the Film Center.”

It was only fitting then, that the Film Center was renamed in honor of the man who could discern quality. It’s directly south of the ABC Building, where Siskel & Ebert and successor series Ebert & Roeper recorded weekly from 1996 until 2008.

A Center for Excellence in Film

The Film Center’s programming includes annual film festivals that celebrate diverse voices and international cultures, premieres of trailblazing work by today’s independent filmmakers, restorations and revivals of essential films from cinema history, and insightful, provocative discussions with filmmakers and media artists. Altogether, the Film Center hosts over 1,600 screenings and 200 filmmaker appearances every year. 

Film Festivals Throughout the Year 

The Film Center hosts several film festivals annually, highlighting up and coming filmmakers and voices that might otherwise be muted or unheard, including the Black Harvest Film Festival in November, The Chicago European Union Film Festival in early March, the Annual Festival of Films from Iran in February, the Asian American Showcase and the upcoming Chicago Palestine Film Festival, from April 20–May 5. 

‘CLI-FI’ Lecture Series

Currently, they are hosting a CLI-FI LECTURE SERIES, focused on climate change, to see, understand, and respond to the escalating crisis of climate change. CliFi will run January 30 through May 7, with lecturers Shawn Michelle Smith and Oliver Sann. One of the films featured is 2021’s NEPTUNE FROST, onTuesday, April 2, at  6pm, focuses on a band of liberated coltan miners, which has coalesced into an anti-colonialist computer hacker consortium situated in the elevated terrain of Burundi. They endeavor to orchestrate a revolt against the despotic regime that is subjecting both the region’s innate resources and its populace to exploitation.

On Tuesday, April 9, at 6pm the Gene Siskel Film Center presents Alfonso Cuarón’s CHILDREN OF MEN, set in a bleak, near-future England in which global economies have collapsed and an unprecedented migrant crisis has emerged. Compounding the crisis is the fact of human infertility—no human babies have been born in 18 years. A small group of determined activists fights to protect the future of humanity. For information and tickets, click here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

I would always suggest that people plan menus ahead of time, checking sales to make your weekly plan. This works well to stop overbuying and keeps store visits quick. But in this busy world there is often not enough time to plan before shopping. You can follow the 6-1 principle to make it easier and more efficient.

Choose six vegetables. You can pick a staple like potatoes, such as Yukon gold, which are versatile and can be used in many recipes. Broccoli and zucchini also work well in many dishes. Romaine hearts are great in salad and can also be used for wraps. Mini cucumbers are good for salads and snacking. Tomatoes can be used in many ways, like raw on sandwiches and salads or made into salsa or bruschetta. Fresh corn is also wonderful in salsa too or cooked in a savory corn chowder. 

Choose five fruits. Bananas are good for smoothies, breakfast and school lunches. Berries are also for smoothies and can also be great with ice cream or pound cake for dessert. Small tangerines work well for lunches and snacking. Mango is wonderful too, maybe in salsa, a smoothie, or cooked in syrup for topping. Apples can be eaten out of hand or quickly baked in a crumble. 

Choose four proteins. Now think beyond meat. Of course, get some chicken. Buy a whole bird and cut it yourself. If you haven’t done it before, check a video online. It is the best value, and you will get the most out of the chicken. Chicken backs and wings make great stock. You can make chicken fajitas with some of the vegetables you purchased earlier. Ground beef can be used in so many ways too. Pork tenderloin is relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare. Eggs aren’t only for breakfast. A quick omelet or focaccia is great for a light dinner or lunch. For vegetarians, tofu has many applications. It’s wonderful fried with a savory sauce. Don’t forget cheese! A few hard cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella. Add some cream cheese or ricotta to a baked pasta dish. 

Choose three starches. Tortillas are great for your fajitas or breakfast burritos. Rice for a side dish or a savory casserole. Pasta in all its various forms is so versatile. Spaghetti, noodles, and all other kinds of pasta can be used in so many ways. From simple buttered noodles to baked ziti, the possibilities are endless. Bread and rolls are always convenient to keep in the freezer. Bread thaws quickly for anything from sandwiches to grilled cheese or garlic bread. 

Choose two sauces or spreads. Spaghetti sauce has so many uses, too many to mention here. Use it to make a quick spaghetti meal or a baked pasta like lasagna or ziti. It can accompany meatballs for a hearty sub. Alfredo sauce makes a great main pasta dish with some cooked chicken. Various pesto types are wonderful on pasta or spread on toasted French bread. 

Choose one extra fun food your family really likes. Perhaps some tater tots, these are also great in casseroles. Maybe some frozen pizza for a quick weekday meal. There are many great frozen pizzas now in stores. You can let the kids choose something special for their lunches or perhaps a meal they can help cook!

Keeping the 6-1 rule in mind when shopping can help streamline shopping and get you out of there in record time. We also have the vast internet to help with any recipes. 

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago

Not only will you still be seeing green around the city this weekend, but you’ll also be seeing an array of colors as we welcome in springtime and prepare for the upcoming Easter holiday!

Chicagoans will be wrapping up their St. Patrick’s Day celebration and kicking off the spring outdoor running season with the 43^rd annual Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle this Sunday at Grant Park (337 E. Randolph St.) in The Loop.  Thousands of green-clad participants will be partaking in an 8K Run through downtown Chicago, a Two-Mile Walk along the city’s lakefront, or a One-Mile Race through the Loop.  As usual, participants will get a festive shirt and knit hat, a bib number to display, a finisher’s medal, and a drink ticket for the post-race party.  This event is Chicago’s annual rite of spring and not to be missed!

Navy Pier will be hosting Global Connections: Holi this Saturday (1 p.m.-5 p.m.) in the Aon Grand Ballroom (840 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood.  This free event features live music, DJs, dance, and interactive educational programming as it celebrates Holi which is a Hindu festival of colors commemorating the return of spring.  Guests can also enjoy the festival’s iconic powder throwing outdoors in the Beer Garden.  Powder will be available for purchase while supplies last.  Plus, food and beverages are available for purchase throughout multiple locations at the event.  It’s a fun and colorful way to celebrate spring’s arrival!

With Easter right around the corner, certain Easter-related events will be taking place this weekend as well, such as the following:

This Sunday (11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.) Fifth Third Arena (1801 W. Jackson Blvd.) on the Near West Side will be hosting its annual hare-raising, family-friendly Bunny Bash.  This event includes an outdoor egg hunt, crafts, pictures with the Egg Hunt Bunny, a bounce house, and more.  Everyone will have an egg-citing fun filled day!

This Sunday (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) The Old Plank (2700 N. Milwaukee Ave.) in the Logan Square neighborhood will be hosting its Easter Bunny Brunch & Egg Decorating event.  For only $10 a ticket, kids will get a fun egg decorating activity as well as a kid’s meal for brunchin’ with the Easter Bunny.  Plus, there will be plenty of opportunities to take a picture or a selfie with the Easter Bunny so don’t forget to bring your iPhone or camera.  After all, your host wants to ensure that everyone has a good time because being with family is important to them!

Brookfield Zoo invites you to their newest Easter event Bunny Hop this Saturday (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) at 8400 31^st Street in Brookfield.  Guests of all ages can participate in an all-day scavenger egg hunt throughout the zoo, attend educational spring activities, partake in the Bunny Hop dance party with a DJ, take memorable photo ops with the Bunny, and more.  In addition, special chats at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. will be held at the Hamill Family Play Zoo with the Zoo’s domestic rabbits – Houdini, Copper, and Cloudy.  You’ll have an egg-citing day as you celebrate spring at the Zoo!

For those of us who have fur babies, Horner Park (2741 W. Montrose Ave.) in the Albany Park neighborhood will be hosting a Dog Egg Hunt this Saturday (1 p.m.-3 p.m.).  This event features treat-filled eggs hidden across the lawn, a photo area, lick painting, a costume contest, giveaways, and more.  Plus, it’s a pawsome fundraising event!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

“Rose Mary is the culmination of everything I have done with my career. But more importantly, it’s the culmination of my personal journey thus far—a marriage of who I am, what I’ve learned, and the person I’ve built a life and a family with.”

-Chef/Owner Joe Flamm

Rose Mary’s whitewashed brick walls, honey-colored oak millwork, and pale stone surfaces, accented by red clay and deep, azure blue tilework belie its “boisterous” atmosphere.

But it’s all the better to consume the restaurant’s ‘Adriatic Drinking Food.’ Top Chef winner Joe Flamm’s (Spiaggia) debut restaurant pays tribute to the two women who taught him to be passionate about food…his grandmothers Mary and Mary Rose. 

Inspired by Flamm’s Italian heritage and the bold, bright flavors of Croatian cuisine, which includes the herb rosemary, which grows natively along the Italian and Croatian coastlines, I’m down for their seasonal menu of “rustic yet refined dishes” that reflect the utilitarian, yet celebratory spirit of traditional family-run, age-old taverns in Croatia known as konobas.

With so much inspiration in one West Loop spot, how’s the food? With a 4.6 rating on Google and other websites, you can’t go wrong with such menu items as ZUCCHINI FRITTERS, made with pesto aioli, parmigiano, and pine nuts. STRACCIATELLA is a tart mix of winter citrus, orange mostarda,  with lepinja (Balkan flat bread). ROASTED CAULIFLOWER has tonnato (an Italian condiment often made with tuna, anchovies, lemon juice, olive oil, and mayonnaise,) pickled golden raisin, and pine nut.

Croatian-Italian pastas include a BUCATINI, withlamb cotechino sausage, lentil ragu, and piave (Italian cow’s milk cheese).MEZZALUNA is made with duck ragu, parmesan, and basil. GEMELLI has pesto genovese, pecorino, and breadcrumbs. Risotto selections include SKRADIN, pairing a veal breast with  parmigiano, chicken thigh, and tomato. CRNI is a squid ink, lobster brodo, confit squid, and tarragon.

Other entrees include PORK RIBS PAMPANELLA with Calabrian chile agrodolce, walnuts, cabbage, and yogurt relish. DUCK has cider jus, brown butter apples, and fennel pollen. Hearty appetites will enjoy their 16 OZ LAMB SADDLE with roasted baby carrots, shallot vinaigrette, and pistachio.

Finally, when it’s warranted, we say “Make room for dessert!” CHOCOLATE & HONEY MAĐARICA pairs chocolate cream, honey mascarpone cream on a rum-soaked biscuit, crispy chocolate crunch and chocolate gelato. OLIVE OIL CAKE is festooned with candied oranges, whipped mascarpone, and basil. Or, choose from one of their unusual SORBETTA flavors, including ORANGE BUTTERMILK SHERBET, CHERRY LIME, or BLUEBERRY LEMON GINGER.

Recent Google reviews reflect the positive vibes:

“Great food and location. Great atmosphere and restaurant scene. If you like Croatian Italian inspired food, then this is your spot. The service was good along with all the dishes and deserts. Try the lamb saddle and Gnocchi, both were wonderful.”

“Amazing food and bar service on a shockingly busy Thursday at 5PM. I loved everything I ate, particularly the clams, zucchini fritters and olive oil cake. The vibes are fairly chill with the buzz coming from the open dining room floor plan and low music.”

Rose Mary is located at 932 W. Fulton Street. Open seven days a week, their hours are Sunday-Thursday, 4:30pm–10pm, and Friday and Saturday, 4:30pm-11pm. Reservations are highly recommended, and can be made by clicking here. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago