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By funsherpa, February 1, 2010 1:01 pm

Sharing the fun with the family

This week, funsherpa discovers the family and kid friendly side of Chicago with Caitlin Giles, former lawyer turned professional mother of three and freelance writer.   She shares with us tips on how to take advantage of all the city has to offer for kids and the family.  We also learn a little bit about the mother blogger community.  Caitlin blogs at A Hen and Two Three Chicks and Chicago Now’s Wee Windy City.

F: What motivated you to start blogging and writing the hen and three chicks blog?

C: I wanted to find a way to capture the time with my little ones. As any parent can tell you, kids change so fast and the days can get so hectic. My hope was to create a place where at least some small part of our days together would be recorded.

I was also looking for a creative outlet for myself while my kids were napping.  Kids  are just naturally creative and watching my own little ones really awakened in me the desire to be more creative in my own life.

F: Can you give us some parallels between your former career as a lawyer and being a mom?

Hmmm . . .  that is a tough one. Before I had kids, I worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in cases involving child abuse and neglect. As you can imagine, this was really emotional and difficult work. After my daughter was born, I couldn’t imagine spending my days in a courtroom dealing with such desperate situations and then still having enough positive energy to bring home to her. I knew that I needed a different career path that allowed for better integration of my home and work life. My work as a freelance writer has allowed for just that.

F: Blogger-moms seem to be overtaking the growth of soccer moms and yoga moms – do you agree?  Can you share with us some of the interesting things you’ve learned from other blogger mommies?

C: Women are the biggest social media users out there –they are visiting everything from blogs to Twitter to the popular parenting websites. I think that women are always looking to connect and these new mediums are facilitating those relationships – especially for new moms who are really looking for a sense of community as they face the challenges of parenting for the first time.  I’ve learned a lot about myself and my parenting approach from reading what other moms around the world have to say about their own experiences.

F: What do kids watch on TV these days? Any kids shows you think adults would enjoy as well?

C: Truthfully, I can not think of one kid’s show that I really love. But there are a lot of great internet resources out there that are taking the place of TV time for kids. My favorite site is called Curious Corner on the Art Institute of Chicago website.

F: Kids seem to enjoy winter a lot more than grown ups do – what are your kids’ favorite winter activities?

C: I just wrote a post about this very topic! For adults, winter means traffic delays, shoveling, etc. For kids, winter means SNOWMEN! SLEDDING! ICE SKATING! I think that adults should all take a cue from our kids’ enthusiasm and get out there to enjoy the positive aspects of winter.

Definitely check out an outdoor skating rink – either at Millennium Park or Wrigley Field. And the city is full of great sledding spots – my kids like Cricket Hill on Montrose.

F: What was your childhood like in Chicago and how different is that from your kids’? Is there anything you wish Chicago still had or didn’t have?

C: I grew up in Oak Park. I was lucky because my parents regularly put my siblings and I on the Green Line to come to the city to take advantage of all of the cultural and recreational resources available here. I think that the family-friendly offerings in Chicago just keep getting better and better.

F: What’s a good resource for parents to find fun family friendly activities in Chicago?

C: I’ve been writing a blog called Wee Windy City on the ChicagoNow site for about six months now. The blog is basically about why it is great to be a kid in Chicago. I post about family-friendly events and activities going on around town. I also feature guest posts from other Chicago parents to offer a range of perspectives and information.

F: Any advice to new parents in Chicago to ensure their kids get to appreciate the city they live in?

C: Be a positive model – if you get out there and enjoy your life and take advantage of what the city has to offer, your kids will follow your lead.

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By funsherpa, January 26, 2010 2:00 pm

Learning about Lincoln Park from Jenn...

Funsherpa goes back to where it all began, in Lincoln Park.  Lucky enough to catch a cup of coffee with the lively bloggers behind Lincoln Park Now, I not only discover the secrets of the Lincoln Park Trixie, but also find out about issues that matter to local residents.  Sitting down with Jenn and Molly was awesome and enlightening – read on to discover more about Pawsh Puppies and other interesting things about Lincoln Park.

F: Seems like a great idea to blog about a popular neighborhood in Chicago. How did this blog start?

...and Molly

J: It started when Chicago Now had this push to create hyper local blogs and we were chosen to setup the first one, Lincoln Park Now. We think this is a really great idea because right now, you see a lot of international news or national level news online, but nothing really related to what is going on in your local neighborhood. With our blog, we can let people know about local businesses and provide them with a venue to connect with their neighbors.
M: In addition to that, I believe our role really comes in 3 parts. One part is curation – we scour news resources looking for Lincoln Park mentions and package it into a way that makes it interesting to our readers. The other part of this blog focuses on connecting people, and generating interest from the community. We want our readers to react and share their own viewpoints on what we report. The third part is coming up with our own reporting, with Jenn and I looking for interesting topics and investigating the ins and outs of the story.

F: Do you find a certain type of person responding to local news?
M: When we hit on a special issue that resonates with the residents of Lincoln Park, we definitely see a lot of conversation. People who are very vocal include animal lovers and followers of Democratic politics. There is a very vibrant local political scene that connects to issues at the national level. An interesting fact to note is that President Obama got more donations from Lincoln Park than any other neighborhood in Illinois!

F: What’s the most popular story you’ve written?
J:Definitely the story about Pawsh Puppies . They currently have a defamation lawsuit against a group of protesters who are strongly against their business. We found out about them through a Twitter mention, found all these horrible things written about them online, and saw comment wars posted on sites such as Yelp. After seeing all the nasty stuff written about them online, we decided to call them up to get their side of the story. They told us that they don’t use puppy mills and get all their puppies through reputable breeders; unfortunately, the protesters don’t see it that way. So surprisingly, this issue is extremely divisive.
M: This movement is really gaining momentum – especially with Oprah highlighting the issue and the local politicians passing legislation against puppy mills.

F: What are some of the secrets of LP?
J: Savor the Flavor is one of them (where we meet up)! One interesting thing that has sort of quieted down is the Lincoln Park Trixie Society, which is a stereotype of the Lincoln Park women – these are women who stroll around the neighborhood, wear large sunglasses, drive Jettas, have designer handbags, and carry a cup of Starbucks wherever they go. Also, the Lincoln Hall venue just opened and there is a great music scene there. A lot of independent bands and local hometown favorites are starting to perform there.
M: I’d say Clark St is one of them as it has the most independent businesses than any other place. While Whole Foods isn’t a really big secret, there’s a lot of things that go on in that space. A lot of Twitter conversations usually revolve around the type of people that shop at the Whole Foods on North Avenue. The Farmer’s Market is a big deal here in Lincoln Park, a year round farmer’s market and definitely the most popular one in Chicago.

F: Do you girls ever fight with each other?
J: No, the working relationship is great and we help each other out a lot. Molly is the politics expert and I usually defer that angle in our posts to her.
M: Actually, we were so relieved that we ended writing this blog with each other. If one of us is down, the other one is always there to help out.

F: Do you have any advice for people moving into LP?
M: Take advantage of the free opportunities at Lincoln Park, this neighborhood can be pricey, but there are a lot of free things you can do here. Events at the zoo, yoga at the butterfly museum, and the great bike paths out there. The zoo is doing such a great job at planning weekly and special events, so definitely checkout the zoo!

F: Not to be blasphemous but what other neighborhoods in Chicago do you enjoy?
J: Oh wow, Chicago is so great because of all the diverse neighborhoods. I like Lakeview, Andersonville, Wicker Park.
M: Edgewater, big time, and Wicker Park. Edgewater is really the most diverse neighborhood in Chicago.

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By funsherpa, January 13, 2010 8:00 am

Frost Bite with Devin Kidner

When the mercury drops below 32F, it becomes really difficult to do much in this crazy city, unless of course you are making Chicago home, and need to live with the treacherous winter about a third of the year.  To start the new year right, funsherpa sits down with Devin Kidner of Making Chicago Home to talk about her travels, interest in new people, and more importantly, why Chicago is an amazing city despite the harsh weather!

F: How did the blog come about?

D: The blog was started to put aside a certain loneliness involved with moving to a big city. I have lived and worked in a lot of big cities, and there is a paradoxical loneliness when one first moves into a big city.   This blog is all about going out, meeting new people and exploring the city with no reservations.

F: How do you meet all these people?

D: Well, I originally lived in Evanston and it felt like Prison-ston where no one wanted to do anything, so I moved down to the city which makes it a lot easier to move around and meet interesting people – I am no longer limited by the operating hours of the purple line!  Volunteering at the Green City market has exposed me to great people, too!

F: Do you ever get tired of meeting all these new people?

D: No not at all, for me, it is the biggest thrill in life!  People have so much to offer and it is always great to learn about them and what they do.

F: Why do you move to all these different cities?

D: It started out because of my background -- I’m half-English and half-American, so I wanted to make sure that I had roots in both countries. Then it evolved to learning about different cultures and experiencing life changing events.  Traveling helps me learn about myself and opens my eyes to a lot of global traditions.  One thing it definitely opened my eyes to is how awesome karaoke can be!  If I never lived in Japan, then I would have probably never understood how unique this wonderful tradition is.

F: Do you find it hard leaving all these cities you move to?

D: Nope. I do fall in love with every place I live in, and I love it enough to let it go.  Nowadays, it is very easy to stay in touch with the lasting connections I make in each city.

F: If you had an ideal city what would it look like?

D: It would definitely have the diversity and the weather of Chicago.  It has to be large and have great public transportation that links people to each other.

F: Any post-Chicago plans?

D: I want to stay in Chicago for a while.  I feel like it is very similar to London.  It is so vast, there are so many neighborhoods and people from all over the world come here.  There is so much to explore that it will make it very hard for me to leave Chicago.  So the current plan is to stay here!

F: How does Chicago compare to the other cities you’ve lived in?

D: Well, it is much bigger than London and much more diverse, even though the diversity is segregated.  Part of the beauty of Chicago’s diversity is that you have all these neighborhoods where you feel like you are in a totally different place. It allows for diverse cuisine, diverse chefs and so many good chefs that highlight the rich Midwestern local produce.

F: As an outsider moving to Chicago, what image did you have of the city before moving out here?

D: I imagined everyone would talk with the crazy Chicago accent that SNL portrayed in the “Da Bears” skit -- well I’ve never heard anyone out here with a ridiculous Chicago accent.  Before coming out here too, I only saw photos of the Bean and nothing else, so I never really had an image of the different neighborhoods in Chicago.

F: How are you liking the cold weather?

D: I love the cold and love it when it is negative 17! There was a night last year where it was so cold, that I could feel it biting through my boots.  Days like that make me love the city even more because no other place is this cold!

F: What are your favorite places in Chicago?

D: Hmmm…well I really love the Local Option and the Cat Circus that came to the Gorilla Tango theatre! I haven’t really developed any favorite places yet, but I enjoy the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Joffrey Ballet, and will have to do Whirly Ball one day. I really love everything, so one Chicago thing would be really hard.

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By funsherpa, December 9, 2009 11:58 am

Not quite sure the sweater is ugly enough

We’re throwing an “Ugly Christmas Sweater” party tomorrow night to celebrate the holidays and raise money for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and we’re teaming up with several other great local sites to pull it off .

Details: The party is being held at Black Rock Bar tomorrow, Thursday, December 10th starting at 7:00 PM. The party’s free. The drinks are not, though there will be specials. Bring yourself, your friends, and the ugliest Christmas sweater you can find. Come meet other funsherpa fans as well as dozens of other interesting Chicagoans from across the city.

Help Feed the Hungry: We will be collecting donations (checks STRONGLY preferred) for the Greater Chicago Food Depository at the door.  Suggested donation: $15.

Learn more, RSVP to come, and find out how to spread the word by visiting the official page here. Find us on Facebook over here.

Are you on Twitter? Follow the conversation about tomorrow’s party on Twitter at #chisweaterbash

We’re teaming up with several other great local sites to make the night one to remember.  Here they are.  Check them out this weekend to learn a whole lot more about what’s happening in Chicago.

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By funsherpa, December 4, 2009 10:14 am

Winter is here and so are the holidays!  To celebrate the crazy year that was Rod Blagojevich, Chicago 2016, Tiger Woods and His Fair Ladies, and the birth of Funsherpa, we, along with your favorite Chicago bloggers will be throwing an “Ugly Christmas Sweater” party next Thursday evening.  We’re teaming up with several other great local sites to pull it off in style.

You need to wear something uglier...

Details: The party is being held at Black Rock Bar on Thursday, December 10th starting at 7:00 PM. The party’s free. The drinks are not, though there will be specials. Bring yourself, your friends, and the ugliest Christmas sweater you can find. Come meet other [name of your site] readers as well as dozens of other interesting Chicagoans from across the city.

Learn more, RSVP to come, and find out how to spread the word by visiting the official page here.

We’re teaming up with several other great local sites to make the night one to remember.  Here they are.  Check them out this weekend to learn a whole lot more about what’s happening in Chicago.

Our Co-Sponsors:

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By funsherpa, November 24, 2009 1:45 pm

With Black Friday just around the corner, we thought we’d share some gift ideas with you and save you from this week’s rough weather.  This Christmas, give a unique Chicago gift Here are some holiday experiences available on funsherpa – a list to help you give something thoughtful and meaningful this year, instead of another boring AmEx gift card!

10. Gourmet Cooking Classes at a French Cafe

Gourmet French Cooking Classes

9. Private Wine Tasting with a Sommelier

8. Day at the Aveda Spa in Lincoln Park

7. Unlimited Workout Classes in the Loop

6. Go-karting in Chicago

5. Dog Sledding Adventure

4. Horseback Camping in Southern Illinois

3. Flight on an Aerobatic Plane

2. Private Tennis Classes

1. Ice Climbing in Illinois

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By funsherpa, November 20, 2009 1:28 pm

Crowdsourcing News with Brad Flora

With all the tumultuous change occurring in news media, Chicago appears to find its own unique way to challenge the status quo. Seeing sites such as the Windy Citizen and Chicago Now, it is quite evident that our city is close to the forefront of the future format of news and information. Funsherpa sits down with the brains behind the Windy Citizen, Brad Flora, Princeton and Northwestern alum, Chicago resident, and local entrepreneur. In this feature we learn about the local startup scene, and the future of news from the eyes of the Windy Citizen.

F: How has the concept of the Windy Citizen evolved over time?

B: The Windy Citizen has always been about helping Chicagoans find new things that you otherwise wouldn’t know about. We started with doing editorials through a team of bloggers who would post links and write short articles. We’ve since moved to letting our readers post the links and vote them up and down. We’ve gone from an editorial model to a crowd-sourced model!

F: Anything surprising you’ve discovered about local Chicagoans through the site?

B: I think we tapped into a well of city pride and found there’s a whole scene of people who follow what’s going on in the city – so it has really been fun to see that and provide these people with a forum to share their knowledge.

F: What’s your take on entrepreneurship in the Windy City?

B: There are a good number of people doing interesting things. The environment in Chicago is quite difficult. Chicago is known to be a good place to bootstrap a business. As you get to know people who are starting projects or new ventures, it is pretty rare to find someone who has successfully raised money or even intends to raise money. A lot of cool stuff is happening, but the approach to how you fund and finance that is very different from a lot of other cities.

F: Has there been a time when you just wanted to give up? How’d you resolve that?

B: There are quite a few times that I’ve wanted to give up. I’ve been working on the Windy Citizen for about a year and a half and for the first year or so I wasn’t making any money – so that was a very difficult time for me. It is very easy to get discouraged when you are creating something that you think is cool but nobody else is seeing it. There was a time when the content and design was always changing and I am very grateful to my friends and contributors who have stuck with the Citizen. The thing that really kept me going was finding a couple of people who supported me in developing the concept.

F: Any advice you’d like to share with entrepreneurs?

B: Do your homework. Figure out what you want to do and find the market opportunity. You don’t want to be caught flat footed and not know what your audience really wants!

F: What have you learned from starting up a local media site?

B: One of them is that the market opportunity is a lot smaller than most people think. A lot of people don’t want to think about geography. Their interest is in national stories and national news. Having a population of three million people in a city, doesn’t mean you have a market opportunity of three million people – the audience for us is a bit smaller. At the same time though our audience cares a lot more about what’s going on in the city. It is a smaller market, but we cater to people who are more passionate about things going on locally.

F: With all the talk about new media taking over traditional print, how do you think papers like the Tribune will survive in the midst of bloggers, 24×7 online news sites?

B: Well, The Tribune Company is being very aggressive in the market. They have a Chicago Now site which they’ve turned into a morning radio show. They’ve scooped up a lot of people and are trying to do something interesting.

My expectation is that newspapers will continue trimming costs up to the point they can be profitable. We’ll see smaller more nimble newspapers that may even be published a bit less but they will be profitable.

F: Who are your favorite columnists? What do you like about them?

B: I really enjoy Robert Feder from the Vocalo website. He was the media critic for the Sun Times for 20 years and has now come back to write. His stuff is excellent. Also, I enjoy reading Eric Zorn’s columns. He’s not always covered stuff I’m super interested in, but I’ve really enjoyed what he does. He’s the best and most consistent columnist. John Kass is great too, because he really goes after the creeps.

F: How do you cope with Chicago winters?

B: Working from home is a big start. Its nice when you don’t have to go out in the snow. Second I have a trusty overcoat that I bought in Pittsburg years ago. Between the two of those, I seem to manage them quite well.

F: Can you share with us some of your favorite places to grab a drink in Chicago?

B: I live in Old town. I love going to the Old Town Ale House. At first I was creeped out by the creepy paintings on the walls. I am still creeped out by it. But its got an atmosphere!

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By funsherpa, November 2, 2009 9:10 am

With the mercury beginning its precipitous fall, some of us will alter our lifestyles in very significant ways.  For one Chicagoan however, it will be business as usual.  Dottie Brackett, famed blogger behind Let’s Go Ride A Bike, will continue cycling around the city in rain, shine, sleet, and snow.  funsherpa sits down with Dottie to find out how she survives year round cycling, and debunks some bikie misconceptions.

Cycling Chicago with Dottie Brackett

F: Why write about bikes?  What fascinates you about the topic?

D: Interesting question, I had not thought of it from that perspective: that I am fascinated by bikes.  The word “fascinated” is accurate, but I would modify “by bikes” to be “by the simply bicycling lifestyle.”  A few different factors intersect to create and sustain this fascination.  First, the bicycle is an aesthetically perfect creature.  Taking pictures of bikes and noticing others happily riding bikes brings beauty into my life, unpolluted by the notion of beauty forced on us by the media.  Second, bicycling is fun.  Whether the sun or the snow is in my face, the experience always makes me feel alive, like a child again.  Experiencing such a simple thrill every morning and evening as my commute is priceless.  Finally, the bicycle represents the sort of simple life that we often have to forgo to live in the city.  Careers are stressful, relationships are complicated, and we are urged to reach for bigger, better, more.  The simplicity of the bicycle allows me to use my own two legs to accomplish the simple and pleasant task of getting from one place to another.

These three factors come together to foster my love for the simple bicycling lifestyle, and, in turn, I want to write about the topic to share my experiences with others.  The idea of bicycling for transportation is only now reemerging in the States after a long hibernation.  More people are starting to consider the bicycle, and by showing them that I am a regular woman who gets around on my bike wearing regular clothes, I show them that they can do it, too.  That message is the basic concept behind the website that my friend Trisha and I created.

F: Can you share with us some common misconceptions about the Chicago biker?

D: The biggest misconception is that we are a pack of outlaws.  “The Chicago biker” could be anyone – gender, race, age and profession are all up for grabs.  We are human beings with parents, spouses, children and friends, who simply want to get from one place to another safely on our own two wheels.  I certainly do not fit into the stereotypical mold, and most people who know me in a professional capacity have no idea that I ride my bike everywhere.

F: Drivers usually think of bikers as a nuisance while bikers seem to dread the crazy Chicago drivers – how can we all have peace on the road?

D: Peace on the road would require a fundamental shift in how everyone perceives the city and his or her place in it.  With so many people squeezed into one area, we cannot be selfish.  Being in a rush is never a reason to put someone’s life at risk.  I always defer to pedestrians, and drivers should defer to bicyclists, because the person with the greater power for harm bears the most responsibility.

A driver may think that a bicyclist is selfish simply by riding in the street, because the driver may have to slow down to pass the bicyclist safely.  There is nothing I can say to a person like that – our mind sets are too radically different.  That said, the vast majority of Chicago drivers are very kind.  For every driver who honks at me or cuts me off, there are 500 drivers who treat me like a human being, with patience and respect.

F: You are a year-round biker.  How difficult was it to transition to biking in cold or unpleasant weather?  Do you ever miss having a car?

D: My winter cycling habit always shocks people.  I want to spread the word that it’s no big deal.  Really.  I grew up in North Carolina, so I’m no snow bunny.  Last winter was only my second Chicago winter and my first winter bicycling.  A year ago, I did not know whether I would be able to continue through the winter, but I loved cycling and couldn’t imagine my daily life without my bicycle.  I decided that I would take it one day at a time and see what happened.  As the weather grew colder, I added more layers.  Snow boots.  Heavy duty gloves.  Ear muffs.  Scarves.  Wool socks.  Geeky safety glasses.  I realized that instead of freezing, I was actually overheating: since my body warms itself by pedaling, I need fewer clothes for my 7 mile bike ride than for my wait on the el train platform.  Also, I bought studded tires and never worried about ice.

The beauty of winter cycling is remaining connected to nature.  For most people, Chicago winter weather is cold, cold, and more cold.  A winter cyclists is tuned in to all the subtle changes in weather: which direction is the wind blowing, is it foggy or sharp, snowing or clear, warm (15 degrees) or cold (0 degrees)?   As a bonus, the lakefront is stunningly gorgeous in the winter and the park district keeps the trail plowed.

I never miss having a car.  If someone offered me a Mercedes and free parking downtown, I would reject the offer in favor of my bicycle.  I find that a personal car is completely unnecessary for my city life.  Plus, I no longer pay for a car loan, gas, insurance or city sticker, and I make money by renting my garage space to a neighbor.

F: Lets say you worked for a marketing firm tasked with getting Chicagoans to switch over from cars to bikes – what would you do?

D: I would use all the tactics that automobile advertisers use.  They show the car as sexy, safe, freeing, fun, attractive, normal, necessary.  In my experience, these adjectives describe bicycling more accurately than driving, especially in the city.  Bicycling delivers the kind of freedom that car advertising promises.  We need images of successful and happy people on bikes dressed nicely, going on dates, smiling and laughing.  Exposure to such images, like those on Copenhagen Cycle Chic, is necessary to show the public the possibilities that the bicycle presents.  Most women here have no idea that riding a bike with a skirt and heels is easy; that bicycling does not have to be a sport; and that the bicyclist does not have to get sweaty.

F: What makes a bike ‘sexy’ to you?

D: Flushed skin, fast heartbeats, fresh air, healthy bodies, strong legs – what’s not sexy about bicycling?

F: What are some of your favorite bike paths or routes?

D: The Lakefront Trail is by far my favorite cycling route, with Lake Michigan on one side and the skyline on the other – and no cars.  I also enjoy Ravenswood from Addison north; it follows the Metra tracks and therefore there is little cross-traffic.  Most city streets are perfectly fine for cycling, except major routes such as Ashland, Irving Park, Sheridan and the like.

F: Aside from biking, what other things do you enjoy doing in Chicago?

D: I’ve always longed to move to a big city, as far back as I can remember.  I don’t take it for granted now that I’m here, and spend a lot of my free time exploring different neighborhoods.  Each area has distinctive characteristics, so I park my bicycle and wander around on foot to check out the stores and cafes.  Millennium Park is a favorite destination of mine and I always know I’ll have a nice day hanging out there.

F: What neighborhood do you live in?

D: I live in West Lakeview, and there is so much goodness all around me.  Dinkels Bakery, Pho’s Hot and Spicy Thai, Four Moon Tavern, El Tapatio Café and a little further up the road, Laurie’s Planet of Sound, Haystack Vintage and the Book Cellar.

F: Where are the biker ‘hang-outs’ in the city?

D: The idea of “biker hang-outs” goes back to misconceptions.  I am not a member of any biker gang; most of my friends do not use bicycles as their primary form of transportation.  Some places you can find me hanging out after a ride are the ballet, the Shakespeare Theater, thrift stores, book stores and coffee shops