It’s the last weekend before Christmas! Hopefully, you’ve completed your holiday shopping so you can enjoy and immerse yourself into any of these Chicago Holiday Traditions!

It may not be Broadway, but Chicago’s live theater productions rank right up there with the best of them. Here are two traditional holiday productions sure to please you:

The Goodman Theatre’s annual holiday production of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, returns to the stage with Larry Yando as Ebenezer Scrooge now through December 31^st. Experience the heartwarming story of Scrooge’s discovery of kindness, compassion, and redemption after being visited by three spirits. Enjoyed by nearly two million theatergoers, this production not only features top notch performances with spirited song-and-dance numbers, but it also has amazing sets, gorgeous costumes and yes, even eye-popping effects! It’s definitely one of the best Christmas stories ever told!

Another Chicago favorite family holiday production is the Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker being performed at the Civic Opera House now through December 26^th.  This reimagined classic by Christopher Wheeldon follows young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince on a Christmas Eve journey that is set in Chicago against the backdrop of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. This production features a dazzling spectacle of sights, sounds, and enchantment with Tchaikovsky’s enduring music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra along with stunning choreography!  It’s an annual holiday tradition that celebrates the magic of the season and the rich cultural heritage of Chicago!

Chicago’s favorite musical holiday celebration returns to Symphony Center with the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra teaming up with Broadway star Jessica Vosk for its popular Christmas concert Merry, Merry Chicago! now through December 23^rd. In addition to festive arrangements of classical compositions, holiday standards, and carols like “Jingle Bells” and “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful,” this year’s program will feature selections from the Sound of Music and Babes in Toyland! It’s a program filled with seasonal favorites perfect for the entire family!

The Chicago Children’s Choir brings its Voice of Chicago ensemble and the Hyde Park Neighborhood Choir to the Epiphany Center for the Arts in the West Loop neighborhood for a festive holiday season performance of Songs of the Season this Saturday.  The program includes familiar songs like “O Holy Night,” “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and many others as the choir also celebrates its 65^th anniversary!

If you happen to find yourself near the Driehaus Museum (40 E. Erie St.) this Saturday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., you’ll be able to enjoy Caroling at the Driehaus Museum as well as roasted chestnuts, and holiday cheer!

Finally, Let It Shine returns with its newest Christmas drive-thru light shows in three Chicagoland locations (Northbrook, Schaumburg, and Aurora) now through January 9^th (4:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.). You will be immersed into a wonderland of lights as you drive through dazzling tunnels and displays which are synchronized to fun holiday classics! Each location is unique with jaw dropping holiday displays with over one million LED lights!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

“Blue Door Kitchen & Garden, home to celebrated Chef Art Smith, is a farm-to-table oasis in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast and deeply rooted in the philosophy of letting the seasons dictate the menu.”

Management, Blue Door Kitchen & Garden

For a moment of calm during a busy holiday season, the Blue Door Kitchen & Garden on the Gold Coast provides an oasis in the middle of a busy Chicago, serving upscale, Southern-inspired comfort food. 

Created by Chef Art Smith, a Chicago Culinary Museum Hall of Fame inductee, the website notes that Blue Door Garden & Kitchen showcases American heirloom foods made from fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from Midwest farms, including Oprah Winfrey’s former Indiana property, Blue Door Farm. 

Blue Door’s most peaceable oasis is their patio garden, outfitted with a heated tent for winter dining. The patio is available on a first come, first served basis, and reservations are highly recommended.

Chef Smith’s current menu features traditional Southern-inspired comfort food. 

Blue Door is one of a handful of restaurants in the city serving a daily brunch, from 11am-2pm. Highly recommended is the Art Smith Fried Chicken & Waffles, featuring a buttermilk waffle served with rosemary maple syrup. Smith’s take on Avocado Toast pairs it with pickled shrimp, asparagus, hard boiled egg, and tarragon. Beignets, a Louisiana deep-fried staple, are served with raspberry-champagne coulis and fresh fruit. Quiche Lorraine pairs house lardon (French-inspired  cubes or short strips of bacon cut crosswise) and roasted onions.

One Google reviewer raved, “The best southern food in the city! Everything on the menu will blow you away… the fried chicken is crispy and the shrimp mac-and-cheese and corn bread is to die for. Shrimp and grits and salmon was also good.”

“All dishes are fantastic!!,” another exclaimed. “We had deviled egg, fried chicken, kale salad and hummingbird cake. Love the atmosphere and the food here.”

Dinners start with appetizers like Southern-inspired Deviled Eggs, made with chicken crackling, house mustard, and bacon. Or, try the butternut squash soup with toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and crème fraiche. For a lighter touch, start with Cauliflower Florets, served with a seasonal dipping sauce. 

Another light option are the salads, which includes a fresh Beet Salad, with roasted and pickled beets, Granny Smith apples, pecans, gruyere crème fraiche, orange and fennel vinaigrette. Or an Eggplant Salad, featuring breaded eggplant, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese, with a balsamic glaze.

Dinner entrees are Southern-focused with American and French accents. Shrimp & Grits are made with white corn grits, andouille sausage, okra, and a tomato stew. Salmon en Croute is served with apple butter, Brussels sprouts, fennel, and rosemary cream. Rack of Lamb is served with roasted fingerling potatoes, carrots, and celery root puree. Coq Au Vin offers a duck leg with pearl onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and a red wine reduction.

Save room for Blue Door’s desserts, especially the traditional deep-south Hummingbird Cake, with pecan, coconut crumble, seasonal coulis, or the Key Lime Pie, with whipped cream, macadamia praline, and a burnt honey caramel.

Blue Door Kitchen & Garden is located at 52 W. Elm Street. Their hours are Monday-Friday,  11am – 9pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 9pm. Reservations are highly recommended. For more information, click here.  

Alison Moran and Dean’s Team Chicago

Purchasing a home can be a stressful experience, whether you’re a first-time buyer or you’ve been through the process before. But that’s one of the reasons that working with a real estate professional is so worthwhile. With your agent’s guidance, buying a home should be enjoyable, rather than stressful. Here are some of the more unique circumstances where your agent can make your life much easier.

Out-of-town buyers: If you’re looking for vacation homes or moving to a job in a new city, there’s a good chance that viewing homes will be difficult—you could be a long drive or even a plane ride away. With today’s video messaging apps like Zoom or Facetime, your agent can walk you through a property virtually. It’s not the same as walking through in person, but it will at least give you an idea about whether a property is worth pursuing further.

When life is just too crazy: If you’re just getting too busy with everything else going on in your life, a good buyer’s agent should be able to recognize the situation and help you take a step back. They can suggest that you take a few weeks off from your home search to recharge, or only focus on properties that exactly fit your wants list.

Inspection issues: You’re dreaming about move-in day, and then some unforeseen issues turn up during inspection. A good agent can work out those issues by negotiating a lower offer—to cover costs of repairs—or by getting the seller to fix the problem.

Is there anything better than the holidays in Chicago? So much to do…so many memories to make!  

Still have shopping to do? Make it easy on yourself, and have fun! On Thursday, December 9, and Friday, December 10, the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, 12 S. Michigan Ave., invites everyone to get ‘Sauced,’ The Night Market Before Christmas, CAA’s 7th annual showcase of local vendors—plus food and booze, for a night of eating, drinking, and shopping from 5pm-10pm.  Vendors include Exile in Bookville, Gingergold, Golden Root, and A Girl & Her Pug, among many others. DJ Johnny Walker performs. For admission to the market, guests must show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test administered within 72 hours of the event. Free. No RSVP required.

For nearly 40 years, a holiday tradition at Lakeview’s Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport starts Friday, December 10, and continues through December 23. The 38^th Annual Music Box Christmas Sing-A-Long & Double Feature of two holiday classics—1954’s ‘Holiday Inn,’ starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, featuring 15 sing-along songs, and 1946’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Both classics use the holidays to explore the themes of family, sacrifice, heartbreak, disappointment, community, and ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit. Highlights include a Santa Claus visit and a Christmas carol sing-along, accompanied by Music Box organist Dennis Scott. All visitors ages 12 and up will need to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test for all screenings. Check website for times and ticket prices.

Celebrate the holidays at the Millennium Park Holiday Sing-Along near Cloud Gate Plaza, 201 E. Randolph St., on Friday, December 10 at 6pm, and Sunday, December 12 at 4pm. The concerts run for an hour and reflect Chicago’s many faith backgrounds, cultures, and holiday music traditions. Friday’s concert features The Chicago High School for the Arts Chorale Ensemble. Sunday’s concert features the Kol Zimrah Jewish Community Singers. Free.

“Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” These familiar words are the powerful and triumphant opening of Handel’s Messiah. Don’t miss the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, who’ve performed the classic since 1879. This year, they’re performing Saturday, December 11, and Sunday, December 12 at 7pm. The chorus blends voices and hearts at the Harris Theater at Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph. Check website for ticket availability.

For a completely different take on Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale, see a ‘Q Brothers Christmas Carol,’ in Chicago’s rap master Q Brothers Collective’s ‘ad-rap-tation,’ the story follows Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey to redemption, accompanied by the ghosts of hip-hop Past, Present, and Future, to a mashup of hip hop, combined with contemporary musical styles, ranging from reggae to dancehall music, dubstep, and epic rock ballads—all underscored with beats spun live by a DJ. ‘Q Brothers Christmas Carol ‘ runs through December 23 at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 East Grand Avenue. Tickets are $38-$56. Patrons must show proof of full vaccination OR Negative COVID Test, and wear masks.

Meet Jeremy Fisher, Simpkin the Cat, Peter Rabbit, and Tom Kitten at the The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party through December 24 at the Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine.  Performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30am and 11:30am. As the website says, charming storytellers interweave the classic narration and guide gentle interactive moments, recruiting young watchers to join the adventure. After the show, come up on stage to gently play with the puppets and take pictures. Then, head to the lobby for a festive spread of chocolate milk and cookies! Tickets are $47 each.

Alison Moran and Dean’s Team Chicago

We are getting closer to Christmas and hopefully you are on schedule. This time of year, we need to think about our goals for the New Year. If we want to hit the ground running next year, we need to have a plan ready. Most people start the year with “resolutions.” Unfortunately, by the end of January, most resolutions are forgotten or abandoned. If you are serious about making some changes in your life you need a plan.

All goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound. 

Specific rather than general. If you want to lose weight, say I want to lose ten pounds by April 1^st, not just I want to lose weight. Or I will schedule two date nights in January, not that I want to spend more quality time with my spouse. 

Measurable goes hand in hand with Specific. How do you know you are progressing? You must have a way to measure. How many new pieces of business will you attain in the first quarter? How many workouts per week? 

Attainable means just what it says. Of course, you want to push yourself, but setting a goal to lose thirty pounds next month is neither healthy nor attainable. 

They also need to be Relevant. If you have a lofty goal to increase your business by 50% but a recession is looming you need to form your goals to be relevant to the realities of your market. 

Timely goals are the most important. If you have no time limits you will reach the end of the year with little accomplished!

As you think about what you want to achieve this year remember, less is more. Choose no more than three personal and three business goals. 

Personal goals should include family and spirituality along with health. Business goals will be the three strategies that will, when combined, achieve the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). 

Break down your year into quarters. Doing this will keep you from thinking I’m doing OK, there is a lot of time left. Quarterly goals also give you time to course correct before you get completely off track. 

Each goal needs 3-5 strategies for success. Weight loss could include a certain number of workouts per week, doing 10,000 steps, and adding two servings each of fruits and vegetables. 

Business strategies could be a certain number of prospecting calls and appointments per week or reorganizing your home or work office to make working more efficient. As you set up your quarterly plan you will score yourself each week. One point for every task completed. You are trying to achieve a score of 85% or more each week. If you have a total of fifteen tasks per week you will need to perform at least thirteen. If you notice that you are not progressing, or your percentage is not good you need to reassess. Perhaps you need to make more contacts or need to add a workout!

Yes, this is a little more involved than making a few New Year’s resolutions. But how many times have these resolutions ever been successful? I would think not often. If you are serious about changing your life, get a plan and work it! The only other thing I would add is someone to hold you accountable. This is a terrific way to stay on track. They can be a sounding board and help with forming your plan. You will be more apt to keep up with your tasks if you have someone to answer to at your weekly accountability meeting. 

So, get going with your plan and Good Luck! 

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago