As technology continues to evolve year after year, new products hit the market that help make our lives easier. Check out these five amazing innovations that can assist you in the kitchen!

1. Instant Pot Smart Wi-Fi 8-in-1 Multicooker

This handy appliance is an electric pressure cooker, steamer, rice cooker, warmer, and more. It’s compatible with Alexa and connects to Wi-Fi, allowing you to access more than 1,000 recipes, control cook settings, and check on your meal’s progress with their free app or voice assistant.

2. NutriBullet Balance Bluetooth Enabled Smart Blender.

Using Bluetooth to connect the blender to your smart device, you can use the free NutriBullet Balance app to set your health goals and select from hundreds of recipes. Then the blender counts calories, proteins, carbs, and more based on the volume of each ingredient you add.

3. Hamilton Beach Smart Coffee Maker

By pairing this smart coffee maker with an Echo Dot, your morning routine becomes a little easier. Ask your Alexa app or the smart speaker to start brewing up to 12 cups of coffee, switch between regular or bold brew, or turn the coffee maker off.

4. Qi Aerista IoTea Brewer

Not a coffee fan? Not to worry, we have you covered. This smart tea brewer has 9 automatic tea programs for different types of tea and can be controlled with the free Qi Aerista app.

5. COSORI Smart Wi-Fi Air Fryer

Combining the power of this air fryer with the Echo Dot, use the voice assistant or the VeSync app to cook your favorite meals or choose from 100 pre-programed recipes.

What other city in America can pair events like an outdoor winter beer festival with a 10-day indoor theatre extravaganza? Chicago, that’s who! There’s so much to do and see! Welcome to winter in Chicago, 2022!

Outside of Broadway, and maybe Los Angeles, there is nothing more vibrant than Chicago’s theatre scene. Unlike the virtual performances of 2021, the 10^th anniversary version of Chicago Theatre Week 2022, starting Thursday, February 17 through February 27, is LIVE! Value-priced tickets for musicals, dramas, comedies, improv and so much more are available from Bronzeville to Rogers Park. 

Among the featured productions are Women of Soul, at the Mercury Theatre, 3745 N. Southport Avenue,  which honors musical divas Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Diana Ross, and Janet Jackson. When There Are Nine,  presented by Pride Arts Center – The Broadway, 4139 N. Broadway, according to Choose Chicago, is “a dream play of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s last day on Earth.” So much more, throughout Chicago and suburbs! 

Too many to list here! For tickets and more information about Chicago Theatre Week, click here.

For a peerless outdoor sports experience, learn the Olympic sport of curling at two venues: Wrigleyville’s The Rink at Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark Street, offers hour-long curling lessons daily from 6pm-9pm. To sign up, click here.

Learn to curl in style at The Gwen Hotel, 521 N. Rush Street. After your session, The Gwen’s bartenders have concocted Olympic-themed cocktails and small bites, served now through Sunday, February 20, when the Olympic curling champion is crowned. Curling at the hotel is available until March 11. For information and reservations, click here.

On Saturday, February 19, the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce invites everyone to layer up and join the Chamber’s first-ever outdoor Winter Brew Chicago 2022 from 12pm-8pm. With more than a dozen local breweries participating, the outdoors will warm, along with the community! The winter street festival repeats on Sunday, February 20, at  4600 N. Lincoln Avenue. Tickets are $13 – $29, and can be purchased by clicking here.

Own the coolest car on the block by attending The Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive. The largest auto show in the nation concludes for 2022 with another fun-filled, family-friendly week of awesome cars, trucks, and SUVs from 10am-10pm daily through Sunday, February 20. On President’s Day, February  21, the show holds ‘closing ceremonies’ from 10am-8pm. The kids will love the kittens and puppies at the Subaru Pet Care display, up for adoption from local animal shelters! For tickets, click here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

Many of us hold our phones in the same position: the bottom of the phone resting on our pinky, holding the back with the rest of our fingers, and scrolling with our thumb. It seems like an intuitive way to hold the phone, but turns out it’s wrong! This hand position over prolonged periods of time can cause damage to your wrist, and other things too. 

We have all become aware of various maladies caused by too many hours on the phone or gaming. Texting tendinitis along with texting thumb, and gamer’s thumb are all caused by straining ligaments and compressing nerves. Now we have the “smartphone pinky.” It isn’t a medical term yet, but probably will be one soon. 

The pinky, as it is the smallest finger, is not tolerant of the pressure and weight of the phone. It can strain the ligament that connects it to your hand. The way you hold your wrist turned in can also cause ulnar nerve compression if held that way for an extended period (and we all know how much our phones are in our hands). The ulnar nerve starts at your armpit and runs down to the pinky side of your palm. It controls almost all the small muscles of the hand. Too much direct pressure on this nerve can cause pain at the least and nerve damage at the worst!

We all want smaller thinner devices, but our hands were not designed to work too long in this position. It is important to keep the wrist near neutral position, not turned inward and keeping your thumb away from the palm. A pop socket will help some, but the best way is to lay your phone on a flat surface and use other fingers to scroll whenever possible. Take frequent breaks and even consider using a neoprene splint to keep your wrist straight. Take breaks and stretch your fingers up and back. You might be wondering, “do I really need to worry about this?” Remember: severe tendinitis could put you in a cast for a month, or more!  

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago

Winter still has its grip on us, but Chicago is beginning to come alive as it thaws out from last week’s snow.  This weekend is no exception as it’s packed with a myriad of events to get us through yet another cold snap! Check out this super charged weekend!

There’s no better way to thaw out than at the 11^th annual Polar Beer Festival this Saturday (12 p.m. – 4 p.m.) at the Rock Bottom Brewery (1 W. Grand Ave.) on the Near North Side. This winter strong ale fest will be held on Rock Bottom’s outdoor rooftop patio and will feature 50+ beers from local breweries such as Two Hound Red, Goose Island, Dry Hop Brewers, Haymarket, and many others! Tickets include a commemorative tasting glass as well. So dress warm and celebrate the thaw!

This Saturday only from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., you can roll right out of bed and go straight to The Pajama Crawl taking place at Wrigleyville’s best bars. Onesies, footy pajamas, or whatever you sleep in is all encouraged.  Tickets include admission to all participating bars and three free gift cards to use on the crawl, a breakfast buffet, drink specials, giveaways and more! So, throw on your PJs and join in Chicago’s coziest winter bar crawl!

It’s the biggest date night of the year! So, celebrate in style!!  Here’s a link for Chicago’s most romantic spots for Valentine’s Day Dinner. Treat your special someone to a great meal either this weekend or on Valentine’s Day this Monday!

If you’d like to get your special someone a gift to go along with the romantic dinner, Time Out Market Chicago (916 W. Fulton Market) in the West Loop will be hosting a Valentine’s Day Pop-Up Market this Saturday (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.). Vendors from throughout the city will set-up on the second-floor balcony and offer jewelry, pottery, greenery, vintage goods, and more great gifts throughout the afternoon. Plus, the Secret Sound bar will be offering tiki cocktails while Time Out Market vendors will be serving up pizza, barbecue, burgers, tacos, and more!

The City of Chicago has approved the permit for the Lunar New Year Parade celebrating the Year of the Tiger this Sunday (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.) at Wentworth Avenue and Cermak Road in Chinatown. The parade will feature traditional dragon and lion dancing teams, decorated colorful floats, marching bands, and marching groups!

The Big Game Day is here! Welcome to Super Bowl LVI!  Two teams remain standing: the Bengals (10-7) and the Rams (12-5). Which one will triumph in this most important of contests and lift the Lombardi Trophy at midfield of SoFi Stadium this Sunday? Catch the big game at 5:30 p.m. (CST) on NBC, or attend one of Chicago’s viewing parties at:

McGee’s Tavern & Grille (950 W. Webster Ave.) in Lincoln Park. Attend their 7^th annual Super Bowl Viewing Party and get a full all-inclusive package and win prizes too!

Time Out Market Chicago (916 W. Fulton Market) in the West Loop.  Watch the BIG game on their HUGE screen!

Mac’s Wood Grilled (1801 W. Division St.) in Wicker Park. All-day drink deals, team specials, and more!  Seating is first come, first served.

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

Romantic celebrations of Valentine’s Day in Chicago ranges from the whimsical…linen-draped, candlelit tables with servers at White Castle (?) to the sublimely epicurean tastes of Michelin-starred restaurants like Alinea.

But for elegance, intimacy, and the epic experience of sharing the finest melted cheeses, prime meats, crustaceans and fine wine with your most precious love, there’s nothing quite like Lincoln Park’s candlelit, grotto-like Geja’s Café, named many times over “The Most Romantic Restaurant in…Chicago, North America… and America,” by USA Today, CNN, and the Food Network. According to the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, the nearly 57-year-old restaurant, as of 2019, has hosted more than 16,800 engagements, often set to the music of the live Classical and Flamenco guitarists who have entertained guests from the café’s earliest days.

February is Valentine’s Month at Geja’s Cafe, and owner Jeff Lawler is going all out. From special cocktails for lovers to their romantic, curtained private booths, St. Valentine himself would be proud. So would Cupid!

Your romantic adventure, according to Geja’s website, begins with a bubbling Swiss Gruyere cheese fondue, served with fresh breads, fruits and vegetables for dipping. Follow that with a crisp house salad, dressed with tangy Dijon vinaigrette. Next, you’ll cook your choices of Australian lobster tail, Gulf shrimp, beef tenderloin, fresh sea scallops or boneless chicken breast in a pot of sizzling soybean oil or broth. The main course is served with fresh vegetables and eight gourmet dipping sauces. Their delectable, sinfully rich Belgian chocolate fondue is flamed table-side with orange liqueur and served with strawberries, banana, pineapple, cherries, pound cake, graham cracker crumbs, Rice Krispy treats, churros and marshmallows for roasting.

With 57 years in the business, it’s now a legacy for generations of families. One Google reviewer wrote, “Took my date to Geja’s Cafe 30 years ago and today we returned with our two teenagers to celebrate a special occasion. Not much has changed and that’s a good thing. The ambiance is as nice as ever, romantic if that’s what you want or perfectly cozy with some close friends. The menu offers excellent options for fondue, and they added outdoor fire tables 5-6 years ago (call ahead for all reservations). Geja’s Cafe is well-known to many Chicagoans, yet it seems that the restaurant boom in the last 10-12 years have lured many younger professionals away from this unique and flavorful dining experience. I hope to return to Geja’s Cafe again for a special occasion down the road.”

Geja’s is located at 340 W. Armitage Avenue. The café is open Mondays-Thursdays, 5pm–9pm, Fridays, 5pm–10pm, Saturdays, 4pm–10pm and Sundays, 4pm–9pm.  For reservations, click here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago