I admit it. I'm a coffee snob... a caffiend... a daily indulger in the brew. So, I was extra excited to be invited to partner up with the Single Cup Club to share this sweet discount with our readers at ChiIL Mama. This makes a great gift idea for all the java juice junkies in your life with discerning taste.
Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is a member of the US Family Blogger Network and we've been given a complimentary sample for review purposes in exchange for sharing this deal with our readers.
My readers get to save! 25% off Membership signup - CLICK HEREAnd Use code: HOLIDAY25
The perfect friend in the pursuit of amazing coffee, Single Cup Club is like having your own "guy" in the coffee world. Each month, a box of artisan coffees is shipped right to your door for just $19. You'll experience three small batch roasted coffees with each month's box in the convenience of Kuerig compatible single serve cups.Get 25% off your Single Cup Club membership (Gift & Ongoing Membership). It's the perfect box for the coffee lover in your life, especially if that coffee lover is you!
Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is a member of the US Family Blogger Network and we've been given a complimentary sample for review purposes in exchange for sharing this deal with our readers.
Give the gift of warmth, health and simplicity this season with a gift tea subscription to Simple Loose Leaf. We're excited to try this out ourselves and we are jazzed the teas arrive with 2 re-usable muslin tea bags.
Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is a member of the US Family Blogger Network and we have been given a complimentary sample in exchange for sharing this offer with our readers.
My readers get to save! 25% off Gift Membership or Ongoing Subscription signup - CLICK HERE and Use Code: 25HOLIDAY
The perfect partner in your pursuit of a happier and healthier you, Simple Loose Leaf is like having a personal Tea Somalia. Each month, a box of savory loose leaf teas is shipped right to your door for just $17. Each box has 4-5 loose leaf teas, 2 re-usable muslin tea bags and a beautiful card detailing your month's tea selection. Try each tea and order more from our store with a 50% member's only discount! Get 25% off your membership (Gift & Ongoing) at Simple Loose Leaf. It's the perfect box for the tea lover in your life, especially if that tea lover is you!
Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is a member of the US Family Blogger Network and we have been given a complimentary sample in exchange for sharing this offer with our readers.
We're back from Thanksgiving Break with family and it's going to be a WHIRLWIND WEEK of theatre openings in Chicago. Check back with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for original coverage, theatre & entertainment news and reviews, great nationwide giveaways and more!
Here's what's on our plate this week:
Today we'll be taking an elf led press tour and meeting the big man himself, Santa Claus, at Swissotel Chicago.
Tuesday is Opening Night of The Christmas Schooner, one of our annual holiday favs at Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 North Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL, US, 60613
BEAUTIFUL – Wednesday, December 2 at 7:30 PM at the Oriental Theatre (24 W Randolph)
POTTED POTTER – Thursday, December 3 at 7:30 PM at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E Chestnut). heart emoticon this show! It's so creative and fun.
The last time they played Chicago, a few years back, ChiIL Mama and the kids got in on the opening night action at Potted Potter and we all loved it! I honestly can't remember the last time an audience full of adults and kids all laughed so hard. This low tech, old school show is brilliant sketch comedy, and supreme silliness coupled with over the top talent. Dan and Jeff are two funny guys. Don't miss this! Get your Potted Potter tixs and enjoy these brilliantly beguiling Brits before they leave Chi-town!
THE LION KING (this one's still a maybe pending availability) – Friday, December 4 at 7:30 PM at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph).
Saturday is one of our all time top holiday favorites, opening night of
A Q Brothers Christmas Carol at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER so you don't miss out. Follow us by RSS feed (add your address in the side bar to the right) to get an easy e-mail digest and/or get real time updates & first dibs on giveaways via social media.
YOUTUBE (We have 240+ original videos on our YouTube Channel including video interviews with musicians, theatre people, parents in the arts, live show footage & more!)
We're pretty jazzed about this partnership because StickerYou is the only online platform in the world where you can upload your own designs or artwork to create completely custom stickers, labels, large format decals, temporary tattoos, iron-ons and magnets.
From decking the halls, to wrapping presents the holiday season is the perfect time to get creative and festive. Have you ever used wall decals to decorate your walls? How about using custom labels for all your gifts? Maybe you run a business and want to customize the packaging of your products with festive labels. Whether it be for business or personal use, StickerYou has the sticky product you need!
Disclosure: As part of the US Family Bloggers collective, ChiIL Mama has been given a sample in exchange for sharing this deal with our readers.
For a very limited time, StickerYou is offering a 13% discount on your next order! Use promo code 13STICKER at checkout! CLICK HERE
StickerYou is your one-stop shop for creating custom stickers, labels, decals, temporary tattoos and more. These durable products are perfect for business use or to use around your home and with holiday gifting. Your friends and family will be impressed!
About StickerYou:
- Order your sticky products in any shape, any size and any quantity you wish. StickerYou has no minimum order quantity on most products so you can order the right number of stickers or labels to fit your event.
- StickerYou's custom die-cut algorithm allows them to die-cut around the edge of your sticker or label design creating a unique shape. You are not limited to standard shapes.
- The company began in 2008 and has since expanded operations twice. They are located in Toronto, ON, Canada but ship products all over the world, right to your door step.
About Label/Sticker Products:
- Bottle labels are one of our most popular products. Use them to label your homemade goods such as jams, honey, cookies bags and more.
- Our premium vinyl material has great color reproduction, which means it is easy to match the color of the labels to a specific theme or color scheme.
- Customers have the choice between white vinyl material or clear vinyl material. We typically recommend white vinyl for bright colors or busy designs. But the clear labels also look beautiful if going for a more simplistic or modern design.
- The labels have a high quality shine which gives them a very professional look.
- The labels are photo quality so customers can even upload photos and use them on their products.
- The material will apply bubble free and has a strong but removable adhesive. If an error is made during application, the labels can be peeled up and replaced. The label will remove clean with no adhesive left behind.
- Labels will arrive in 8.5x11" pages. Depending on how large/small your labels, you may be able to fit as many as 100 labels on a page. Delivering in page sizes makes the labels easier to handle, especially if they need to be transported around before they are actually applied.
- The material is waterproof, dishwasher safe, microwave safe, heat resistant, fade resistant and will stand up to mild abrasion.
- Our online platform has tons of templates. This is perfect for people who want to DIY their labels but do not have strong design skills. They can still get a great look which they created themselves. All templates have customizable color, text, images and fonts.
- Some of our templates were inspired by or taken directly from some beautiful designs our customers created. We like to think we inspire our customers, but often they inspire new ideas for us as well.
About Temporary Tattoo Products:
- Temporary tattoos make great party favors. Like our labels, temporary tattoos are simple to create. Simply upload a design, choose the size, and then quantity. They are shipped right to your door in days.
- StickerYou's temporary tattoos apply like most temporary tattoos. Simply peel the plastic film up, apply ink side down on skin, then hold in place on skin with a damp cloth. After a few seconds, peel up the paper backing and blow gently until dry.
- Temporary tattoos will last for 2-3 days but can be removed easily with soap and a cloth, baby oil or rubbing alcohol.
- StickerYou's temporary tattoos are non-toxic and FDA approved.
About Large Format Decals:
(Also known as wall decals, floor decals, window decals and street decals)
- Large format decals are our latest product and have proven very popular with small businesses, however they are also great for seasonal decorating, room decor or use during parties or special events (like weddings). They will stick great but remove clean afterwards.
- They can be ordered in any size up to 4 feet by 6 feet. Will apply smooth and can be removed without causing any damage.
- Street decals are made of a special material which allows them to mold to rough outdoor surfaces, such as brick, cement, concrete or asphalt. They have non-slip surfaces and are waterproof and UV resistant. They will also remove easily, and damage free. The material is durable enough to be walked (or danced) on.
Disclosure: As part of the US Family Bloggers collective, ChiIL Mama has been given a sample in exchange for sharing this deal with our readers.
The last time they played Chicago, a few years back, ChiIL Mama and the kids got in on the opening night action at Potted Potter and we all loved it! I honestly can't remember the last time an audience full of adults and kids all laughed so hard. This low tech, old school show is brilliant sketch comedy, and supreme silliness coupled with over the top talent. Dan and Jeff are two funny guys. Don't miss this! Get your Potted Potter tixs and enjoy these brilliantly beguiling Brits before they leave Chi-town!
ChiIL Mama's daring daughter, Sage rocks Polar Peak and enjoys a dad n daughter skate.
With the holiday season approaching and temperatures dropping, MB Financial Park will once again transform into FROZEMONT, the season’s hot spot for winter fun. The whole family can beat the winter blues with FROZEMONT’s plethora of attractions including winter tubing, ice skating and a hockey series.
“Temperatures may be falling, but fun and excitement are rising in MB Financial Park with the return of our FROZEMONT programming,” said Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens. “Our thrilling outdoor attractions paired with the Park’s variety of incredible venues will definitely create the ultimate winter experience for our visitors.”
FROZEMONT’s centerpiece is the two-story Polar Peak, which will take visitors on a tubing thrill ride from Dec. 11 through Jan. 31. This year’s hill promises an exciting tubing run down a steep grade. Constructed in partnership with StackBox Structures, Polar Peak features four distinct lanes, suitable for children ages three and older. Tubing tickets will be available on-site at the Polar Peak box office for $3 per run, with discounts available for multiple runs. Pricing is outlined below.
Runs Cost
1-9 $3 each
10-19 $2.50 each
20 - 49 $2 each
50+ $1.50 each
Adding to the excitement of Polar Peak’s opening weekend, MB Financial Park will host an ice carving competition Saturday, Dec. 12 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Four local ice carvers will create spectacular works of art that are inspired by MB Financial Park’s winter attractions. The public is invited to vote for their favorite sculpture on-site during the event and the winning ice carver will receive a $500 cash prize.
FROZEMONT would not be complete without one of its most popular attractions, ice skating. The Chicago Wolves Ice Rink will return to the park this winter, allowing its guests to skate under a magical display of glittering lights. The NHL-sized ice rink will officially open at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27, serving as the official kickoff to the FROZEMONT season. Admission to the ice rink is free, with skate rentals available for $8.
The winter fun continues into the New Year with FROZEMONT’s Winter Frost Face-Off hockey series. Returning to MB Financial Park for its third season, the series brings together kids, adults, and local Chicago hockey professionals to participate in a series of hockey games and competitions from Friday, Jan. 7 through Sunday, March, 2. For more information, visit www.200x85.com.
Skating in the Park Regular Hours: Nov. 27 – Dec. 19
Monday -Thursday: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday: 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Skating in the Park – Special Holiday Hours: Wednesday, Dec.23 – Sunday, Jan.3.
December 20: 11 a.m. –11 p.m.
December 21: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
December 22: 11 a.m. –11 p.m.
December 23: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
December 24: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
December 25: 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.
December 26: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
December 27: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
December 28: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
December 29: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
December 30: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
December 31: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
January 1: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
January 2. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
January 3: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Polar Peak Regular Hours: Dec. 11 – Jan. 31
Wednesday – Friday: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Extended Polar Peak Holiday Hours Dec. 21-Jan. 1
December 21- January 3: 12 p.m. – 8 pm
NOTE: Holiday Polar Peak Hours:
Christmas Eve (December 24): 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Christmas Day (December 25): 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
New Year’s Eve (December 31): 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
New Year’s Day (January 1): 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Martin Luther King Day (January 18):
Ice Skating Open: 2 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Polar Peak Open: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Presidents Day Holiday (February 15):
Ice Skating Open: 2 p.m. – 10 p.m.
The whole family enjoyed colorful tubing fun at Frozemont.
About The Village of Rosemont, Illinois: Rosemont, Illinois, Chicagoland’s business and entertainment suburb, is conveniently located five minutes from O’Hare Airport and twenty minutes from Chicago’s downtown. Rosemont is home to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, a wide variety of hotel and dining options, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre and a host of entertainment and retail venues. Rosemont continues to grow and evolve based on the new vision of Mayor Bradley A. Stephens. For more information, visit www.Rosemont.com.
About The MB Financial Park at Rosemont: MB Financial Park at Rosemont is a 200,000 square-foot entertainment and dining complex whose 13 venues offer upscale international cuisine, live music and comedy, state-of-the-art film, bowling and more. Conveniently located near O’Hare International Airport, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is easily accessible from Chicago as well as the suburbs. The address is 5501 Park Place, a looping street situated west of River Road between Bryn Mawr and Balmoral Avenues. A 20-minute drive from Chicago’s Loop, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is walking distance from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, the CTA Blue Line Rosemont station, Fashion Outlets of Chicago and the Rosemont Theatre. Convenient parking is available and is free with validation from any of the park’s venues. For more information, visit www.mbparkatrosemont.com.
Last weekend, ChiIL Mama covered the awesome annual Chicago Toy and Game Fair and we left with a plethora of great games. The timing was perfect because we spent the past 5 days celebrating the long Thanksgiving holiday eating great food and playing loads of board games with family from 3 states.
Some of our favorites are Grandpa Beck's award winning card games Skull King, Cover Your Assets and Nuts About Mutts. It was a pleasure to meet Brent Beck, "CEG" (Chief Executive Grandpa) at Grandpa Beck's Games and the woman behind the CEG! Check back soon for our full review on all 3 games.
In the meantime, Here at ChiIL Mama, we're also giving away a free Grandpa Beck's Game to THREE of our readers (winner's choice) all this week. ENTER HERE through midnight December 6th.
An exciting part of
Now through December 18th
All Grandpa Beck's Games are on sale this Thanksgiving weekend through Monday. ChiIL Mama's readers can buy three games, and then get one free. This is like a 25 percent discount. Just load this code into Amazon on checkout.bstgms15.
Games are available at many local stores, and always available onAmazon.com.
Disclosure: ChiIL Mama was happy to meet Grandpa Beck and his wife at The Chicago Toy and Game fair. We're pleased to partner up with this fun company. They have provided games for our giveaway and for review purposes. All opinions are our own.
Review: Our family and friends love to play board games. It's a chance to laugh and make memories together. In these tech heavy times, it's a treat to unplug, disconnect, and reconnect face to face.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Tryazon, we were given a "party pack" sample of Spontuneous for review purposes and 10 $5 discount coupons for our guests and our readers. Looking for a fun, multigenerational game to play over the holidays and beyond? Check out Spontuneous. We had a blast playing, and it was fascinating how much difference there was between the lyrical knowledge of every generation.
We did have to modify the rules a bit for the snarky teens who didn't want to sing. We ended up allowing spoken lyrics. And the rules weren't entirely clear about whether players can race to blurt out the lyrics to the same song or if one player has the right to finish until stumped. We also had a few debates about what constituted lyrics. We decided to allow BULBOUS BOUFFANT - The Vestibules (ala Dr. Demento) even though the "lyrics" aren't sung and it's more of a sketch comedy piece. Your family and friends will have to be creative a bit on what you'll allow.
We had all kinds of crazy, challenging lyrics come up, like cornbread, gymnastics, apple, Cadillac and Snapchat!
Still, overall it was easy to learn, fun to play, and great for just about all ages. It's suggested for ages 8+, but younger players could team up or play with a bit of writing help. We like that 4-10 players can all join in and game play is fairly fast paced and averages a half an hour, if you don't have Monopoly marathon type time available. We recommend it.
Spontuneous - Family Board Game is Available ONLY on Amazon. Click HERE to order (affiliate link).
Have you ever heard a word that "triggered" you to sing a song? If so, then YOU are Spontuneous! One player says a word and the race is on for the others to sing a song containing that word. Don't worry though, talent is NOT required!
Spontuneous is America's Hottest New Party Game! If you're looking for a hilarious game to entertain your family and friends, then it's time to throw a Spontuneous Party! It's fun, fast paced, full of laughs and a perfect game to spice up your next get-together!
The idea for Spontuneous®, the fun family board game where everyone participates by singing, was first conceived on August 2nd, 2009 by Rob Ridgeway of Billings, MT while hanging out with family. It all started after a spur of the moment singing outburst where everyone quickly agreed that they do the same thing with lyrics. Little did they know that they had just come up with the basis for what would become Spontuneous.
After months of trials and testing the concept out with friends, owner Rob Ridgeway, finally decided to make the game into reality. After much research and a lot of hard work the first prototype was finished just before Christmas 2009. With help from a lot of different people along the way, Spontuneous finally burst onto the scene in 2010 where it was featured at the Toy Fair in New York City. After a few revisions, the Spontuneous that you play today was finally mastered.
After winning the Game of the Year award from Creative Child Magazine, it is safe to say that Spontuneous has arrived and is here to stay!
If you're a person who often bursts into a song upon hearing a word or phrase, you are going to love Spontuneous! This hilarious and interactive family party board game is a great gift for all music lovers of all ages. Spontuneous will have your whole group laughing as you compete against each other to quickly sing songs using trigger-words. Not only is it fun, but is good for your brain as it helps memory recall and word association skills. With several awards and a 4.5 out of 5 star ranking on Amazon, it's sure to become a favorite in many homes this season.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Tryazon, we were given a "party pack" sample of Spontuneous for review purposes and 10 $5 discount coupons for our guests and our readers.
Angina Pectoris tells the fictitious story of a fictitious Israeli minister Dan Yasour, who, in order to placate the religious right, gets a seemingly innocuous bill passed so that Israeli Jews may only receive organ transplants from Jewish donors. Absurdity sets in when the politician himself needs a heart transplant and the only heart available is from a Palestinian Arab-Israeli.
For group sales or additional information, please contact ShPIeL-Performing Identity at info@shpieltheatre.org
Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes with no intermission
ShPIeL - PERFORMING IDENTITY PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF ANGINA PECTORIS
WRITTEN BY MICHAL AHARONI AND
DIRECTED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DAVID Y. CHACK
An Intricately Absurd and Absurdly Intricate Political Satire in Israel
at Theater Wit, November 18, 2015 – January 3, 2016
ShPIeL-Performing Identity proudly announces the world premiere of Angina Pectoris, written by Michal Aharoniand directed by ShPIeL Producing Artistic Director David Y. Chack,November 18 – January 3, 2016 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. The performance schedule includes preview performances Thursday, Nov.19 and Friday Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. with opening/press nights Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Nov 22 at 7:30 p.m.
The regular schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Thanksgiving schedule is as follows: no performance Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26. The Thanksgiving weekend performances take place Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
The Christmas week schedule is as follows: no performances Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25. Christmas week performances are Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m.
The New Year’s schedule has no performances Thursday, Dec. 31 or Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. There are performances Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday Jan, 2, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $28 for general admission; $22 seniors; $18 for students with ID; $12 for industry with headshot and available at the Theater Wit box office by calling 773.975.8150 or visiting TheaterWit.org. For groups of 10 or more please contact info@shpieltheatre.com or call 773.969.6860. Go to shpieltheatre.com for complete post-performance discussions and guest speakers’ schedule.
Angina Pectoris is a biting political satire from one of Israel’s hottest playwrights that posits the ridiculous. But the humorous situations uncover deeper issues about identity in Israel and today’s world pertaining to culture, religion, and politics in a broader and multicultural context.
“I love the way Aharoni shows life in Israel through humor, satire, and meaningful issues. Her writing is a thought-provoking introduction to the thorny issues of the conflict. Her extensive knowledge of Israeli political realm, combined with her writing skills and her fantastic sense of humor make us not just laugh - but also think.” - Ari Shavit, best-selling author of My Promised Land.
“A brilliant and sophisticated satire, comparable to the mythical 'Yes, Minister' that unveils the intricacies of Israel's politics.” - Ami Pedahzur, The Institute for Israeli Studies of the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies, University of Texas, Austin.
“I’ve known Michal Aharoni for many years and Angina Pectoris reveals not only intelligence, but it is humorous, unique, and creative.” Dr. Erel Margalit, Israel Minister of Knesset, Labor Party.
ABOUT MICHAL AHARONI, playwright
Aharoni is a playwright, newspaper columnist, and public-relations professional. Aharoni earned her theater degree from Hakibuzim Seminar in Tel Aviv, followed by a Master’s degree from Middlesex University in London. Over the past several years, she has worked as a spokeswoman for many Israeli politicians. Currently she writes for MAARIV online based in Washington, D.C. Her plays have been produced both in Israel and London. Angina Pectoris is her third full-length play. She is very excited to have ShPIeL produce her world premiere that is also being produced in a concurrent transcontinental world premiere in Israel at Tzavta Theatre in Tel Aviv, one of the leading cultural centers in Israel.
ABOUT DAVID CHACK, director
Chack, ShPIeL's producing artistic director, is a theatre producer, director, writer, curator and professor at The Theatre School at DePaul University. He is also president of the Association for Jewish Theatre and performance consultant to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Recent ShPIeL productions are Cities of Light and A Salon of Jewish-American Song; The Passions of Emma Goldman, The Invasion of Skokie and Conviction. He has also worked with Theater Wit, Victory Gardens Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Piven Theatre Workshop and Lookingglass Theatre.
ABOUT ShPIeL – PERFORMING IDENTITY
ShPIeL – Performing Identity comes out of extensive research and work on identity and theater by Artistic Producing Director, David Y. Chack, showing how identity, heritage and culture create meaningful art and community engagement that transcends boundaries. Coming from Jewish roots, ShPIeL, over its four years of existence has produced the Chicago Stage 773 and Skokie productions of Cities of Light, The Passions of Emma Goldman, and The Invasion of Skokie at the Skokie JCC Theatre; as well as the Israeli play Conviction with Ami Dayan and Maya Productions at Theater Wit; Belgian theatre artist Noemi Schlosser in Date Me! and Sound of Silence with Salomeeshpilt Theatre at Theater Wit; and a ShPIeL Showcase at N’Namdi Gallery honoring Jewish work alongside Asian-American, African-American, feminist, and Chicago historical pieces. ShPIeL is a proud recipient of the Driehaus Foundation’s Theatre Grant from the MacArthur Foundation.
