ChiIL Mama

ACT OUT OPENING: InFusion Theatre Co. Presents Fight Girl Battle World at Theater Wit #review

2013-05-19T15:19:00.000-05:00

ChiIL Mama and Sagezilla (10) had a chance to check out opening night and Fight Girl Battle World rocks. This show is the good kind of cheese--a campy, kooky space romp with a kickin' grrrrrl power protagonist, effective use of multimedia screens, scale model space toys, and puppetry with creepy manipulators in head to toe black spandex. Highly recommended!

Sheila O'Connor as E-V kicks some serious alien butt as the last human girl in the known universe

Visiting Company InFusion Theatre Co.

Fight Girl Battle World

by Qui Nguyen

directed by Mitch Golob

Now playing through June 16, 2013

Critic's Pick in Time Out Chicago!

Recommended in the Chicago Reader!

Theater Pick in Chicago Magazine!

The costumes and alien characters were particularly fun, although Sagezilla really dug this one and felt sorry for his defeat.

We'd rate this one PG13, for stage violence, minor language and some "sex talk", but it's basically appropriate for tweens & teens and up. There's nothing too violent or over the top and we both thoroughly enjoyed the two level stage combat, the creative costumes, grrrrrl power, and clever script. Though the stage combat, choreography and "martial arts" are relatively simplistic, there's enough campy humor and colorful characters to carry the show.

Sarcastic playwright robots and vengeful pink haired generals round out the colorful, hilarious cast.

Theater Wit

1229 W. Belmont Avenue

Chicago, IL 60657

Tickets are $25; $15 for students & seniors, $12.50 industry tickets on Thursdays & Sundays

Regular Run (through June 16):

Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 pm, and Sunday at 3:00 pm

Here's what InFusion has to say:

From the team that brought you our hit production of Soul Samurai, comes an action-packed sci-fi saga that blends punch-ups and parody into one delicious mix. Set in a futuristic universe where humanity is nearly non-existent, Fight Girl revolves around E-V, a hardnosed prizefighter and the last known female human in the galaxy.

We infuse video projection, puppetry, stage combat, and much more in this raucous Midwest premiere.

Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes with intermission

InFUSION THEATRE CO. PRESENTS THE MIDWEST PREMIERE OF QUI NGUYEN’S FIGHT GIRL BATTLE WORLD,

MAY 14 – JUNE 16

InFusion Theatre's Artistic Director Mitch Golob Blends Stage Combat, Multi-Media, and Puppetry In An Action-Packed Sci-Fi Comedy At Theater Wit

InFusion Theatre Company is proud to announce its second collaboration with award-winning playwright Qui Nguyen with the Midwest premiere of Fight Girl Battle World, directed by InFusion Artistic Director Mitch Golob, May 14 – June 16, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Preview tickets are $10. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for students and seniors, and $12.50 for industry professionals Thursdays and Sundays only. Tickets are on sale now at infusiontheatre.com or by calling 773-975-8150.

From the team that brought you Soul Samurai, comes a new chapter of interspace anarchy from Qui Nguyen, Fight Girl Battle World. Set in a futuristic universe where humanity is nearly non-existent, Fight Girl revolves around E-V (Sheila O’Connor), a hardnosed prizefighter and the last known female human in the galaxy. The New York Innovative Theatre Awards nominated Fight Girl for Best Production of a Play, Best Original Full Length Script, Best Direction, Best Featured Actor and Best Sound Design during its world premiere.

Additional Fight Girl Battle World cast includes Brian Barber, Rob Grabowski, Kimberly Logan, Steve Thomas, Michael Harris, Zach Livingston, Meredith Rae Lyons, Elise Mayfield, Kai Young and understudies Maureen Yasko and Kevin Anderson.

The production staff includes David Blixt, fight choreographer; Rasean Davonte Johnson, co-video designer; Anna Henson, co-video designer; Kimberly Morris, puppetry designer, Dave Ferguson, set designer; Charles Cooper, lighting designer, Stephen Ptacek, sound designer; Rachel Sypniewski, costume designer; Cassy Schillo, props designer; Majel Cuza, production manager; Jason Crutchfield*, stage manager and Claire Tuft, casting director.

*Connotes InFusion Company Member

Boyish women (or are they curvy males?!) and regenerating megalomaniacs add to the drama All Production Photos by Johnny Knight

ABOUT QUI NGUYEN

Qui Nguyen is a playwright and co-founder/co-artistic director of the OBIE Award-winning Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company of New York City. His plays include She Kills Monsters (currently running in Steppenwolf’s Garage Rep and premiering in Boston; originally produced by The Flea in NYC); Krunk Fu Battle Battle (East West Players); Trial By Water (Ma-Yi Theater); Bike Wreck (Ensemble Studio Theatre); Soul Samurai, The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G (Ma-Yi Theater & Vampire Cowboys); Alice in Slasherland; Men of Steel; and Living Dead in Denmark (Vampire Cowboys). Qui is a proud resident artist of New Dramatists, a core member of The Playwrights Center, an alumnus of Youngblood and a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and The Ma-Yi Writers Lab. Currently, he’s the playwright-in-residence at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis.

ABOUT MITCH GOLOB

Mitch Golob has directed InFusion’s first eight productions: the world premieres of The Improv Play, Pluto is Listening, Ghostbox and Créole (nominated for five Black Theatre Alliance Awards), the United States premiere of The Last Supper, and the Midwest premieres of Intrigue With Faye, Rhymes With Evil, and Soul Samurai. Some of his other directing projects include 8 By Tenn at Hartford Stage Company, where he worked with Tony Award winners Elizabeth Ashley and Amanda Plummer. He directed the U.S. premiere of Jump to Cow Heaven at Profiles Theatre, And Then They Came For Me at Apple Tree Theatre, and was associate director of the award winning world premiere of Hannah & Martin at TimeLine Theatre.

ABOUT INFUSION THEATRE COMPANY

InFusion Theatre Company seeks out new plays and “infuses” them with other elements of entertainment such as music, dance, and film. “We strive to create dynamic performances by combining different forms of entertainment that will result in both exciting and thought-provoking work and we focus on giving voice to new works, as well as looking at older works in a new way,” says Artistic Director Mitch Golob.

Qui Nguyen’s Fight Girl Battle World, directed by InFusion Artistic Director Mitch Golob runs May 14 – June 16 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for students and seniors and $12.50 for industry professionals Thursdays and Sundays only. Tickets are on sale now at infusiontheatre.com or by calling 773-975-8150.

ACT OUT KIDS EXTENDED: The Silent Language at TUTA Studio Theatre

2013-05-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

NOW EXTENDED

"★★★★...Critic's Choice" -Timeout Chicago

"Highly Recommended" - Chicago Reader

April 19-June 9, 2013

The Silent Language by Miodrag Stanisavljevic

Directed by Jacqueline Stone

THIS is The Silent Language:

*RESERVE SPOTS NOW!

*CHECK OUT CHIIL MAMA'S PAST COVERAGE ON THE SILENT LANGUAGE

*READ ALL REVIEWS

NEW!

The Reviews are in...The Silent Language is a MUST SEE!

The Silent Language Interview Series

A Gift Of Kindness and Support

TUTA Theatre Chicago & Serbian-American Museum bringHomebody from Belgrade, Serbia! Read all about it!

Press Release: Artistic Changes at TUTA

TUTA is now using social media - connect with us on Facebook and Twitter to get all the latest news!

You can also catch up with our blog.

The Silent Language By Miodrag Stanisavljevic @ TUTA Studio Theatre

"The Silent Language", a U.S. premiere, by Serbian playwright Miodrag Stanisavljevic, translated by Zoran Paunovic, is a highly musical and darkly comedic fairy tale. Written in the 1981, "The Silent Language" is an adaptation of an old Serbian folk tale originally called Nemusti Jezik. It follows the journey of a young village servant named Poor Gasho as he gains the ability to understand the "the silent language." As defined in this story, it is the language that only animals can speak and understand. On a larger scale, the script also speaks to the things we see and hear in everyday life, but fail to recognize due to our inabilities to listen and focus on details.

Stanisavljevic's structure is exciting and risky, marking a departure from the typical "alls-well-that-ends well" fairy tale structure. It's very open and at times, exposes the harsh realities of both good and evil. A large forest provides a backdrop for countless discoveries, facing your fears, and finding secrets in unexpected places.

"The Silent Language" will mark two big milestones at TUTA. It will be the U.S. premiere of a rarely produced Serbian play and it will mark the directorial debut at TUTA of their newly appointed Artistic Director, Jacqueline Stone. Stone, a co-founder and longtime company member, brings a wealth of experience and a unique understanding of TUTA's mission and desire to bring innovative international works to American audiences. The Silent Language is an ensemble piece, and will draw upon the long tradition and commitment TUTA has to working with its company members. It's musical in both form and content, and there will be a continued exploration of TUTA's commitment to original and rearranged forms of music.

The production features the talents of company member Jaimelyn Gray, and guest artists Sean Ewert, Laurie Larson, Carolyn Malloy, Max Lotspeich, Aaron Lawson, and Angela Bullard, under the direction of Jacqueline Stone (co-founder). Design and technical collaborators include: Original Music and Musical Direction by Wain Parham; set design by Michelle Lilly; costume design by Branimira Ivanova; lighting design by Keith Parham; sound design by Joe Court; prop design by Joel Lambie; and stage management by Allison Raynes.

Artistic Director and Co-Founder Jacqueline Stone directs "The Silent Language", which makes this the 13th production she has been artistically a part of for the company over the last eleven years. As an actress, she has appeared in numerous TUTA productions including The Wedding (1996, 2010, 2011), The Hour, Alice, Little Prince, Still Life in Color, Uncle Vanya (2008, 2009), Baal, and Fulton Street Sessions. Other Chicago theatre she has worked with include Chicago Dramatists, The Second City, Prop Thtr, 20% Theatre Company, WNEP Theatre, New Leaf Theatre, Backstage, Brown Couch, and io (formerly Improv Olympic). Stone recently directed the world premiere of Chelsea Marcantal's Devour at 20% Theatre Company, in addition to Jenny Siedelman's August 8, 1974. She directed the world premiere of Dee Bolos' acclaimed one woman show Southside (Prop Thtr, NYC Fringe, Seattle Fringe). In addition she directed the world premiere of Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Apollo,Touring company, and Millennium Park) and the Midwest première of Junie B. Jones at Emerald City Theatre Company.

"The Silent Language" will perform at TUTA Studio Theatre, 2010 W. Fulton Avenue, from April 19 to June 9th, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 4pm (no show Saturday, May 4, Sunday May 12, Saturday June 1, or Friday, June 7). There is an additional 8pm show on Sunday, June 2nd. Preview performances are Thursday, April 11, to Thursday, April 18. Opening press nights are Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 at 8 p.m. Spots are "Pay-what-you-can" for previews and a suggested donation of $25 for adults and $15 for industry/students/children under 18 for the regular performances. Spots are extremely limited, and reservations are highly recommended. To reserve spots to The Silent Language: Call 1-800-838-3006 (24 Hours) or buy here online. For more information on TUTA, visit www.tutato.com.

Family Coaster Fun With Batman Backwards at Six Flags Great America #mediaday #originalphotos

2013-05-17T14:42:00.000-05:00

It was our great pleasure to meet "the caped crusader" at our favorite theme park during Media Day at Six Flags Great America last week.

I dig a man who can pull off spandex! And he had gorgeous grey blue eyes, too... and a sweet ride.

We also interviewed quite a few huge coster fanatics who were there for the ribbon cutting and multiple rides. We even caught up with 10 year old Draven who has been on coasters all over the country with his dad.

Check back with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows for our Batman Backwards ride footage, video interviews and more in the very near future.

Today we have stills from the day for you. It was a pleasure to see Theresa from the Local Tourist with her entourage.

The highlight of the day was riding the coaster in the press seat, where we were filmed DURING THE RIDE! We even wore mic packs so you can hear the screams.

Click here to check out our original video interviews and footage from the X Flight Coaster grand opening last season.

I grew up near Kings Island in Ohio, coaster capital of the midwest for much of the 80's, and I've been on The Beast (the largest-fastest coaster when it was built), The Bat (a hanging coaster they took out for safety reasons), a looping coaster that goes forward & backward, and The Racer (their old wooden classic with red & blue racing coaster tracks--one forward/ one backward. At some point during my teen years I was talked onto all of them at least once, by friends and boyfriends, so I'm no stranger to riding backwards and looping at high speeds.

In spite of all that I'm really not a coaster person and even ski lifts freak me out a little. The whole drive out to press day at Great America I tried to advance justify wussing out on the Batman Coaster (where you hang from the track and do flips, a G force turn and a 10 story drop)... backwards. I made excuse after excuse saying I'm too old, coasters make my muscles sore, I don't have to prove anything to anyone....

I almost wimped out a bunch of times on the way there, but when it came to crunch time, I DID IT and got video footage to prove it!

Even the coaster fanatics declared the Batman coaster extra intense backwards. It's rare as moms and/or mature adults, that we get to do something physical that scares us, and I felt an actual sense of accomplishment when I braved up and went for it.

Honestly, it was more like flying than falling and the view was spectacular! I'm glad I went and would do it again... though I was dizzy enough when I got off that I had to wait a few minutes before I could grab my camera and shoot straight. Batman Backwards is some heroic fun.

BATMAN: The Ride Stats:

- Opened in 1992 as the world’s first suspended looping roller coaster

- Given more than 28 million rides

- Travels up to 50 mph through 2,700 feet of track

- Features hairpin turns, vertical loops, corkscrews and a zero-g roll

- One of the most popular coasters in the world

Go Big. Go Backwards! For a limited time only, the world’s first suspended looping coaster, BATMAN: The Ride, will be more intense than ever when riders dare to take on an all new experience – going backwards!

As the roller coaster climbs the 10-story lift hill, riders will take in the full scope of BATMAN: The Ride’s track as they anticipate the adventure that lies ahead. The train will reach speeds of 50 mph and travel through 2,700 feet of track, all while maneuvering hairpin turns, vertical loops, corkscrews and a zero-g roll. The excitement is magnified since guests cannot see the maneuvers that await.

“BATMAN: The Ride will open for its 21st season this spring, offering our guests an entirely different ride experience by going backwards. No matter how many times you have been on BATMAN: The Ride, nothing compares to the thrill of racing down 10 stories facing the other direction,” said Hank Salemi, Six Flags Great America park president. “You literally have no idea what is coming next. This is a tremendous new experience for our guests and one to take advantage of quickly since it will only be available for a limited time.”

Since opening in 1992, BATMAN: The Ride has given more than 28 million thrilling rides and reigns as one of the most popular roller coasters in the world. BATMAN: The Ride backwards launched on Saturday, May 4 – the park’s opening weekend – and will be available for a limited time this summer.

About Six Flags Great America

Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor are two great parks that guests can experience for one low price. Located between Chicago and Milwaukee, Six Flags Great America offers endless adventures for the entire family with 14 heart-pounding roller coasters, a FREE 20-acre water park, spectacular shows, a nighttime firework and pyrotechnics extravaganza and three children’s areas.

Six Flags Great America is pleased to present the premiere of igNIGHT ― Grand Finale, a mesmerizing and immersive nighttime spectacle bursting with energy, vivid colors, brilliant visual effects, lively performances, fascinating imagery, and pure imagination. Learn more about igNIGHT ― Grand Finale at sixflags.com.

About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company with over $1 billion in revenue and 18 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For more than 50 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks and unique attractions including up-close animal encounters, Fright Fest® and Holiday in the Park®. For more information, visit sixflags.com.

About Warner Bros. Consumer Products

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

About DC Entertainment

DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes―a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes―to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.

(s13)

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They're busy getting the park summer ready!

So go already!!

Parents Night Out: Black Comedy Sightseers Opens at The Music Box #review #film #blackcomedy

2013-05-17T13:33:00.001-05:00

Films on our radar. Highly recommended.

Sightseers Opens in Chicago Today, Friday, May 17th at The Music Box!

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we caught a sneak peek at Sightseers and highly recommend it if you dig dark humor. This welcome addition to the road trip killers genre ala Bonnie and Clide and Natural Born Killers follows a benign looking but lethal English couple on a cross country killing spree.

It's a charmingly cathartic wish fulfillment movie in that the couple kills anyone that annoys them. I'm reminded of the Talking Heads line from Psycho Killer "...I hate people when they're not polite." Who can say they've never fantasized about "accidentally" offing rude strangers. Fortunately most of us stop far short of acting on those thoughts. Still, the concept makes for a hilarious film.

Amid the downright banality of a museum tour road trip to such winning locals as Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, and the Keswick Pencil Museum, trigger tempered Chris inadvertently creates an avid disciple. When Tina discovers her new beau is a psycho killer, instead of doing the sensible thing like fleeing and turning him in, she embraces his unfortunate habit and becomes a jealous, dognapping murderess herself, much to his chagrine.

The scariest thing about this film is the utter normality of the protagonists. They could easily be the couple camped out next to you this summer.

Sightseers

A FILM BY BEN WHEATLEY STARRING ALICE LOWE, STEVE ORAM, EILEEN DAVIES

“A wicked little pic in which a tacky couple discovers that cross-country road-tripping makes it surprisingly easy -- and fun! -- to knock off the more obnoxious characters they encounter en route.”

–Peter Debruge, Variety


Fri, May 17	2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Sat, May 18	2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Sun, May 19	2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Mon, May 20	5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Tue, May 21	5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Wed, May 22	5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Thu, May 23	5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm

Music Box Says:

This week we’re opening Sightseers, the new film from director Ben Wheatley (Kill List). In this gleefully gory laugh riot, Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn. Produced by Shaun Of The Dead creator Edgar Wright and co-written & starring members of The Mighty Boosh and Garth Merenghi’s Dark Place, this black comedy is not to be missed! Check out The Playlist’s 5 Reasons You Must See Sightseers

About the film

A pair of sad-sack lovers turns into a frumpy Bonnie and Clyde as their romantic getaway to the English countryside turns into a bloody killing spree.

Directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List), Chris (Steve Oram) wants to show Tina (Alice Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way - on a journey through the British Isles in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina's led a sheltered life and there are things that Chris needs her to see - the Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Keswick Pencil Museum and the rolling countryside that accompanies these wonders in his life.

But it doesn't take long for the dream to fade. Litterbugs, noisy teenagers and pre-booked caravan sites, not to mention Tina's meddling mother, soon conspire to shatter Chris's dreams and send him, and anyone who rubs him up the wrong way, over a very jagged edge...

Dir. BEN WHEATLEY | English | 88m |

Film details. What: Sightseers Where: The Music Box Theatre When: Opens Friday, May 17th

More at Music Box: Our Orson Welles matinee series continues this weekend with The Trial. Welles and Anthony Perkins star in this gripping adaptation of Franz Kafka’s tale of a nightmarish totalitarian state. Given 4 stars by Roger Ebert, the Music Box is thrilled to give our patrons the rare chance to see this film on the big screen!

This weekend, cult classics come out at midnight. On Friday, it’s The Room, director/writer/“actor” Tommy Wiseau’s bizarre drama about love and betrayal (Purchase advance tickets now). Then, on Saturday night, it’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Grab a virgin kit and join the Midnight Madness shadow cast for a party that’s been going on for over 35 years (Purchase advance tickets now).

INCOMING: Epic from Blue Sky Opens May 24th (PG) #familyfriendlymovies

2013-05-16T12:47:00.000-05:00

Over here at ChiIL Mama, we can't wait to see Epic!!! I don't know who is more stoked... the kids or ME?!

“Epic,” opens on May 24, 2013 and is rated “PG,”. The animated feature stars Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Farrell, Christoph Waltz, Beyoncé Knowles, Aziz Ansari, Chris O’Dowd, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler, Judah Friedlander and Blake Anderson from director Chris Wedge and writers Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. The film comes from the creators of “Ice Age” and “Rio”.

“Epic” is a 3D CG adventure/comedy that reveals a fantastical world unlike any other. From the creators of “Ice Age” and “Rio,” “Epic” tells the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good (who keep the natural world alive) and the forces of evil (who wish to destroy it).

When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she teams up with an elite band of warriors and a crew of comical, larger-than-life figures to save their world… and ours.

TONIGHT 5/16 FREE Advanced Screening Tickets for THE WAY, WAY BACK (PG13)

2013-05-16T12:32:00.001-05:00

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and a free, advanced screening of The Way, Way Back! Screening is TONIGHT, Thursday, May 16, at 7 pm at the Kerasotes Showplace Icon.

Thanks to Fox Searchlight and Gofobo for providing the link to advanced screening tickets for our readers. We are excited to announce the release of THE WAY WAY BACK starring Steve Carell (The Office, Crazy, Stupid, Love.) and Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense, Little Miss Sunshine).

To download tickets for this screening simply go to:

www.gofobo.com/rsvp

And enter the code:

MOMSW5Y0

tickets are first come first served and not guaranteed

Synopsis:

THE WAY, WAY BACK is the funny and poignant coming of age story of 14-year-old Duncan’s (Liam James) summer vacation with his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), her overbearing boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and his daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin).

Having a rough time fitting in, the introverted Duncan finds an unexpected friend in gregarious Owen (Sam Rockwell), manager of the Water Wizz water park. Through his funny, clandestine friendship with Owen, Duncan slowly opens up to and begins to finally find his place in the world - all during a summer he will never forget.

Happy 8th Birthday Nakama

2013-05-16T10:15:00.000-05:00

Portrait of Nakama 2013 by Sage (10)

His name is Japanese for "circle of friends" and he has certainly become part of our circle of friends over the past 9 years. We've always shared our home with big dogs and they inspire us and enrich our lives.

Here's Naki as a puppy via Ree Keca at Kumakura Akitas

Our current kids include 2 young girl & boy humans Sagezilla & Du-Jay (10 & 12), a female rescue Husky mix, Igraine the Brave AKA: Iggy Pup (3) and Nakama, our 105lb Akita (8). Here's to the hairy children! We love you, Nakama. Happy happy birthday.

Portrait of Nakama by Sage (age 8)

Nakama--Lakefront fun. Photo by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

HELP OUT & BOOK ON OVER: Author Tracy Beckerman Signing Lost in Suburbia: A Momoir and Dress for Success Fundraiser

2013-05-15T19:02:00.001-05:00

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and win a great read. We're giving away FIVE copies of Lost in Suburbia: A Momoir right here!!

**Meet Tracy in person and pick up your own signed copy of Lost in Suburbia: A Momoir, at Barbara's Bookstore in Willis Tower on May 17th at 12:30pm. Click here for full details.**

ChiIL Mama's stoked to be working with author and nationally syndicated humor columnist, Tracy Beckerman, whose debut book, Lost in Suburbia: A Momoir, was released April 2nd on Perigee Books/Penguin Publishing. Lost in Suburbia details Tracy's journey from single, city girl to stay-at-home mom in the suburbs and how she rediscovered her "cool" as a new mom. We're giving away 5 copies to our lucky readers and we'll be running a full book review in the near future as well.

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win! Enter through midnight June 14th. 5 will win. Many will laugh!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“… finding the humor in parenting made this suburban mother much happier- and gave her a second act.”- Metro

Lost in Suburbia: A Momoir

Along with the release of her book, Tracy has launched a “Cool Mom, Book and Blow Dry Bar Tour” to benefit the international non-profit, Dress for Success. The overarching goal of the "Cool Mom" tour is to engage with mom bloggers and influencers in each city in order to support and raise funds via the Dress for Success Crowdrise Campaign. Tracy has set the goal of raising $5,000 for Dress for Success.

Dress for Success® Partners with Lost in Suburbia Author

Tracy Beckerman

Check out The Cool Mom Dress For Success Crowdrise Campaign Drive

to Benefit Women in Need

Tour Stops Include New York City, Charlotte, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Chicago starting April 17

Sponsored by Theraderm, Living Fresh Collection and Office Candy

Mommy media maven and author of Lost in Suburbia, Tracy Beckerman, and the international non-profit for women, Dress for Success® announce the Cool Mom/Dress For Success Crowdrise Campaign to benefit and empower disadvantaged women around the country.

Help out. Click here to donate.

The multi-city Cool Mom Tour kicked off in New York City on April 17 to celebrate the release of Beckerman’s momoir Lost in Suburbia and support women seeking to keep or reclaim their cool, personally and professionally. The tour will make stops in Charlotte, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and wraps up in Chicago on May 16.

The Power Walk for Dress for Success was hosted by Dress for Success Worldwide during Mother’s Day Weekend. On Saturday, May 11, the organization, walk participants, volunteers, friends and family came together in support of helping disadvantaged women around the country take steps to a secure financial future.

“I truly belive in the mission of Dress for Success to empower women, especially the 80% of their clients who are moms. That’s why I’ve set up a fundraiser on Crowdrise to help them raise money during my book tour,” stated Beckerman. “With the support of moms all along my book tour, I hope to increase awareness for this organization and raise $5,000.”

Since its inception in 1997, Dress for Success has worked with over 120 affiliates worldwide to help more than 650,000 women with career development by providing workplace attire, a strong support network and the tools they need to succeed in a professional setting.

The Cool Mom Tour sponsors include Theraderm, clinical grade skin care at your convenience; Living Fresh Collection, luxurious, eco-friendly bedding offering a cleaner and healthier sleep experience; and Office Candy, offering cute office supplies and all things sassy. These like-minded companies have come out to support the “Cool Mom” tour and Dress for Success, and will provide gifts and door prizes at each event.

In each city, influential mom bloggers and tastemakers will join Beckerman and tour partner, Culture Mom Media at the private “Cool Mom Book and Blow Dry Bar Tour” to raise awareness for the important work of Dress for Success. Each event will feature women coming together for a night of camaraderie, hair styling, food, drinks, giveaways and to support women in need through Dress For Success.

About Tracy Beckerman

Tracy began writing after she moved with two young children to the suburbs of New Jersey from New York City as a way to find herself and share a few laughs about the endless sea of "mom bob" haircuts, minivans, and coordinated tennis outfits. What started out as a single column for a local NJ paper a few years ago turned into a hit and is now nationally syndicated to over 400 newspapers, 250 websites and reaches nearly 10 million readers in 25 states. Tracy has appeared on The Today Show, CBS Early Show and Better TV. Her latest blog posts and column articles on marriage, funny family anecdotes, and being a "cool mom" in the suburbs can be found on her LOST IN SUBURBIA® blog (which won her the title of "America's Top Blogger" by Lifetime Television’s hit TV show, The Balancing Act in 2010). You can read it here: www.lostinsuburbiablog.com. You can purchase her new “momoir” here: http://www.lostinsuburbia.com/.

About Dress For Success

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 120 cities in 13 countries. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 650,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

About Theraderm

Therderm is a clinical-grade skin care line that is simple enough to fit into your busy schedule and powerful enough to address the visible signs of aging. At Theraderm, we believe in skin care that allows the skin to restore itself while revealing the natural beauty ever woman possesses. In addition to being a Board Certified, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon for over 30 years, Theraderm’s founder Dr. James Beckman, has 6 sister, 3 daughters and a beautiful wife. Whoa, that’s a lot of estrogen. No wonder he made a product that really works, he’d never hear the end of it. http://www.therapon.com/

About Living Fresh Collection

Living Fresh Collection, LLC was launched in 2012 as a direct sales company that provides linens for your home that creates a cleaner, healthier more luxurious sleep experience. Originally offered to high-end resorts and hotels, we designed our luxurious bedding by blending the purest of eucalyptus fibers available with cotton to create Tencel+Plus Lyocell Eucalyptus bedding. Our products are naturally dust-mite resistant, hypoallergenic & antimicrobial.

It has been proven in study after study that sleep is essential to one’s health, wellbeing and longevity. Lack of sleep affects our mood, creates fatigue, impedes our focus and most importantly can have short and long term health consequences. Living Fresh Collection was created from natural fibers to promote health and wellbeing, while considering environmental sustainability and recognizing nothing is more important than a great night’s sleep. Please visit www.livingfreshcollection.com for more information.

About Office Candy ®

Office Candy® is a premiere online boutique of designer office supplies that focus on keeping their clients organized. They carry items ranging from file folders, clipboards, file totes, notepads, journals & more. Office Candy® was founded by Laurie Noel Meek, a Golden Circle Member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Laurie began writing about these products on her organizing blog and then quickly realized that there wasn’t a resource that carried all of these items in the same place so she founded Office Candy® in 2011

Office Candy now offers an Affiliate Program, Preferred Organizer Discount & Candy Consultant Program for those interested in direct sales. These 3 divisions along with the retail website keep The Office Candy Gals very busy.

Items range from $5-85 and each offers a unique take on office supplies. “Just because it’s practical doesn’t mean it can’t be cute” is one of their taglines that they live by every day in and out of the office. Office Candy is an extension of Laurie’s love of office supplies & all things cute and fun. Office Candy can be found on social media: www.Facebook.com/OfficeCandyGals, www.Twitter.com/OfficeCandyGals, www.pinterest.com/OfficeCandygals/

TONIGHT: Avondale Restaurant Trolley Crawl 5/15 Just $20!

2013-05-15T12:45:00.000-05:00

The Northwest Arts Connection, a rockin' non profit, is launching their first major event tonight--a trolley ride restaurant hop around my artsy, happenin' neighborhood, Avondale!! Northwest Arts Connection is a group dedicated to making Chicago's Northwest Side known as a destination for the arts - visual, performing, horticultural, and culinary. Check it out. Tickets are just $20! Click here to order.

WIN a complete set of TeenNICK's Dance Academy: Season 1, Volumes 1 & 2 on DVD #giveaway #ad

2013-05-15T12:18:00.003-05:00

NEW DVD RELEASE

I'm a mom of a tween girl and boy, so I'm always on the lookout for shows with good role models that aren't too adult or over the top. That's why we jumped at the chance to offer the whole first season on DVD to one of our lucky readers. ($39.90 value) when TeenNICK offered. In all honesty, we haven't had a chance to review Dance Academy, since they only sent us 1 set to give away, but this sounds like a sweet series full of athletes and realistic teen issues, that's fun enough to keep tweens' interest. We're also all about diversity.

We were elated to recently have a chance to review TeenNICK's #1 series "H2O: Just Add Water" and to give away a full DVD set of Seasons 1, 2 & 3 ($74.85 Value) to one of our lucky readers. That magical Aussie mermaid series was one of our favs, and Dance Academy features the same producers. So if it's that's any indication, you're in for a treat.

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and win a complete set of Dance Academy: Season 1, Volumes 1 & 2. Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter through midnight June 14th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

From the producers of TeenNICK's #1 series "H2O: Just Add Water" and nominated for an International Emmy® Award in 2011, DANCE ACADEMY is a realistic drama that follows this group of ordinary teenagers who are pushing themselves to the limit as they fight to achieve extraordinary things. Catch up on this TeenNICK fan favorite, currently airing in primetime! Each SEASON 1 and SEASON 2 2-disc set features 13 episodes and bonus behind-the-scenes clips or cast galleries!

"The most striking quality of this enjoyable series is its dissimilarity to many of the flashy teen-geared shows available today, thanks to relatable, diverse characters and realistic interpersonal issues that are handled with maturity."

-- Commonsense Media

THEY'VE GOT THE WORLD AT THEIR FEET,

BUT HAVE THEY GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

THIS MAY, JUMP INTO THE FIRST TWO SEASONS OF TEEN NICK'S TWEEN SMASH, AS FLATIRON FILM COMPANY RELEASES FOUR SPECIALLY-PRICED 2-DVD SETS NEVER BEFORE RELEASED!

DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 1, VOLUMES 1 & 2

DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 2, VOLUMES 1 & 2

Street Date: May 14, 2013

DVD SRP: $19.95 ea. (2 Discs)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

When you're sixteen, life is rarely simple. In fact, there's enough to keep you on your toes in normal circumstances. But what if you were also living away from home at the country's top dance academy? Meet Tara Webster, who grew up on a country farm, but has always dreamed of being a professional dancer. When she's admitted to Australia's prestigious National Academy of Dance, she feels like all of her dreams are about to come true -- but the school is tougher and more competitive than she ever imagined.

DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 1, VOLUME 1

Far from home, and way behind on her dance training, Tara feels like a fish out of water, but she knows one thing -- she's not alone on this journey. In Sydney, she meets new friends, good-hearted Kat and good-guy Sammy, and falls hard for a new crush, Ethan. To round out her crew, there's "mean girl" Abigail, a more experienced dancer who sees Tara as a threat, and Christian, an adrenaline junkie with a troubled past. Together they manage the pressures of exams, crushes and dancing, all the while knowing that at the end of the year not everyone makes the cut.

DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 1, VOLUME 2

Tara returns from the holidays excited to have been awarded a first year scholarship, but the rest of the year is full of challenges no one could have seen coming. The group continues to put all their effort into dancing, but along the way some battle eating disorders, struggle with their parents, overcome physical injury and even deal with big breakups. With the end-of-year Nutcracker performance approaching, can the Academy group pull it together? And does Tara really have what it takes to stand center stage?

DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 2, VOLUME 1

It was a rocky first year, but ultimately Tara got everything she wanted: a place in the top dance school in the country, friends she'll know forever and she fell in love - twice! She even danced the role of her dreams. So Second Year should be a piece of cake. Right? In SEASON 2 VOLUME 1, Tara reunites with her friends and discovers the exciting news that they can all compete in a prestigious ballet competition, Prix de Fonteyn, to determine the best dancer in the world. Teacher Miss Raine spells it out for them: "Make no mistakes. Second Year counts. And you are all in competition." Everyone must work harder than they've ever worked before on the dance floor and in life.

DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 2, VOLUME 2

Tara soared to great heights during her first year at the Academy, but by her second year she's learned that being on top - in dance, in life, in love - only makes for a long fall back down. In SEASON 2 VOLUME 2 the stakes are higher, the lows are lower, and the competitions are exhilarating. Tara and the entire crew must manage tragedy, relationships and the ultimate final showdown performance. Above all else, it's their friendship that held them together this long. Will it carry them through into their third year?

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Type: DVD (2 discs)

Catalog #: (S1/Vol.1) NNVG288940; (S1/Vol.2) NNVG288950; (S2/Vol.1) NNVG288960; (S2/Vol.2) NNVG288970

Running Time: 5 hrs. + extras each

Genre: Drama/Dance/Kids

Disclosure: Thanks to TeenNICK and Foundry for providing the DVDs for our giveaway.

It's Winning Wednesday People! Winners Announced from Goldfish to Whales... And Current Giveaways #giveaways

2013-05-15T10:59:00.000-05:00

It's finally getting to be outdoor swimming weather in Chi-town with temps in the 80's, and we have an aquatic assortment of winners to announce today. Congrats!!

ChiIL out with the coolest swim lessons in town at Goldfish Swim School! We had an awesome response with 455 entries to win 2 months of swim lessons and a free registration at Goldfish Swim School, Chicago ($199.00 value).

Big congrats to our winner: Nicole F!!!!

Click here for our past Goldfish coverage.

We also had a rockin' response to our 2nd family 4 pack of tickets to see The Elephant and The Whale, Chicago Children's Theatre's stellar show (160 entries). Come see a baby whale depicted to scale in an awesome multimedia production that includes screen projection, puppetry and live action. There are even mermaids, too! Check out this whale of a friendship tale. All ages.

Big congrats to our winner: Selena!!!!

Click here for ChiIL Mama's past coverage of The Elephant and The Whale.

If you missed our original interview with the Co-Directors Frank Maugeri (Redmoon) and Leslie Buxbaum Danzig (500 Clown) and actor/narrator, David Catlin (Lookingglass), check it out right here.

All 3 are parents as well as theatre professionals and they have some excellent insights on the creation of the show as well as "How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create". We were pretty blown away by what this talented trio had to say. Check it out.

Current Giveaways:
(click link to enter)

Chicago:

*(low entries!!) 4 free tickets to Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies at Beat Kitchen this Sunday 5/19 at noon. Ages birth-8 with parents. Season finale!! Be there. Open through midnight 5/16.

*(low entries!!) 4 pack of tickets to Future Hits at Wilmette Theatre Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 10am ($48 value)

*(low entries!!) a coupon for free LACTAID® Product (you can even use it for your choice of 5 ice cream flavors!

USA:

*ECOBAGS® Classic String Market Bags™ in Earthtone sold as a set of five ($40 value) Open through midnight 5/18.

*Skrub'a Gloves ( kid and adult) and Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD. (TOTAL VALUE: $36.92)

Coming Soon:

Chicago:

*Family 4 pack of tickets to Putting Edge Glow In The Dark Mini Golf & Arcades

USA:

*DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 1, VOLUMES 1 & 2

Street Date: May 14, 2013

DVD SRP: $19.95 ea. (2 Discs)

-- Commonsense Media

THEY'VE GOT THE WORLD AT THEIR FEET,

BUT HAVE THEY GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

THIS MAY, JUMP INTO THE FIRST TWO SEASONS OF TEEN NICK'S TWEEN SMASH, AS FLATIRON FILM COMPANY RELEASES FOUR SPECIALLY-PRICED 2-DVD SETS NEVER BEFORE RELEASED!

Congrats again to our winners. Be sure to check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We give away lots of sweet Chi-town tickets to theatre and family friendly concerts every week. We also have giveaways open to anyone in the USA that include books, DVDs, CDs, toys and more. We're your source for photo and video filled features, reviews, and original content, so ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama.

ChiIL Mama: 2 ii's... one L... all fun in Chi, IL and beyond.

Bard Badges Abound During Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Citywide FREE Tour of The Comedy of Errors

2013-05-14T18:00:00.001-05:00

Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks Program Expanded

Photo by Michael Litchfield.

The cast of The Taming of the Shrew performed for more than 700 people at South Shore Cultural Center on Sunday, July 29, 2012 at the launch of Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks, which toured July 29– August 19, 2012 throughout the Chicago Park District.

FREE FOR ALL

July 25–August 25, 2013
27 Performances in 18 Neighborhood Parks

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced today the expanded Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program as part of the City’s “Night Out in the Parks” initiative. Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST), the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and leaders of Chicago’s corporate community partner to expand the Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program, after its inaugural success in 2012.

Photo by Michael Litchfield.

Baptista Minola (Robert Joseph Miller) pronounces a match between his daughter Katherina (Ericka Ratcliff) and Petruchio (Matt Mueller) as Gremio (Mick Weber ) looks on in the Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks production of The Taming of the Shrew, adapted and directed by Rachel Rockwell, which toured July 29–August 19, 2012 throughout the Chicago Park District.

The citywide tour of The Comedy of Errors travels to neighborhood parks across Chicago, FREE FOR ALL, July 25–August 25, 2013. From Humboldt Park to Garfield and Loyola Park to South Shore, this summer’s Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks will break down barriers to arts participation and give Chicagoans direct access to their City’s cultural resources by bringing 27 free Shakespeare performances into 18 different neighborhood parks.

“Chicago Shakespeare Theater brings Shakespeare to life at Chicago’s Navy Pier, in our neighborhoods and in our schools," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "The return of the Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program will make Chicago’s neighborhood parks come alive with the thrill and magic of live theater. This is a fitting way to honor Shakespeare, and I thank Chicago Shakespeare Theater.”

The expanded citywide tour is made possible by a renewed civic, cultural and corporate partnership between Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and The Boeing Company. Additional support for the program is provided by production sponsor for The Comedy of Errors BMO Harris Bank and the Chicago Shakespeare Trust, as well as Mayor Emanuel’s commitment to support the Chicago Park District’s programs and provide family activities throughout the city’s parks.

“The arts are essential to building strong communities,” said Lianne Stein, Vice President for Global Corporate Citizenship at Boeing. “This initiative brings innovative arts programming to Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods and supports local artists and arts organizations."

Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks is inspired by the open air setting in which Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed more than 400 years ago, and Joseph Papp’s twentieth century American initiative that brought free Shakespeare to urban communities. Beginning its summer tour on July 25 through each of the Park District regions, a specially equipped truck will roll into each park, a stage will unfold and CST actors will perform a 75-minute production of The Comedy of Errors. Staged and adapted by Jeff Award-winning director and choreographer David H. Bell, The Comedy of Errors is one of the Bard’s most popular plays about mistaken identities.

Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks will kick-off at Gateway Park at Navy Pier on Thursday, July 25. Additional parks scheduled to be visited, rain or shine, include Chicago Park District North Region Parks: Frank J. Wilson Park, Loyola Park, Riis Park and Welles Park. Central Region Parks: Eckhart Park, Douglas Park, Dvorak Park, Garfield Park Conservatory, Humboldt Park and Piotrowski Park. South Region Parks: Gage Park, Hamilton Park, Marquette Park, Ridge Park, South Shore Cultural Center, Tuley Park and Washington Park.

Touring to neighborhoods across the City, the free performances of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors will contribute to the activation of parks this summer with programming that attracts families, breaking down barriers to arts participation and encouraging young family members to take part in Chicago’s Summer of Learning program. The initiative represents an innovative public-private coordination to infuse learning into summer programs that young people across the city can attend when school is out of session.

Summer programs throughout the Chicago Park District are participating—including Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks, which will offer young audience members an opportunity to learn about the art of storytelling in the context of a professional theatrical production. After seeing the play, students will be prompted to reflect on their experience and respond to their favorite elements of the production through take-home questions printed in the program. Completion of the activities will earn each young person a “Bard Badge.”

“Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks furthers the Summer of Learning initiative as it will expose youth in our parks to one of the world’s greatest writers,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Michael P. Kelly. “The program also reinforces our commitment to working with our partners to provide citywide cultural programming in our community parks.”

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Barbara Gaines said, “We’re privileged to build on the inaugural success of Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks and announce the expanded tour for this year’s production of The Comedy of Errors. We thank Mayor Emanuel for his support of the arts throughout our city and we are absolutely thrilled to be touring one of Shakespeare’s funniest plays that I know will tickle audiences of all ages and motivate students to earn a ‘Bard Badge.’”

For more information on Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/parks. A complete Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks map and schedule may be downloaded here. For more information about “Night Out in the Parks,” visit www.nightoutintheparks.com. For more information about Chicago’s Summer of Learning and earning badges, please visit www.chicagosummeroflearning.org.

Funky Fun Kidecals Waterproof Labels Discount Code #ad

2013-05-14T15:05:00.002-05:00

I have a mustache obsessed punk rocker of a 10 year old for a daughter, and she's ALWAYS losing her stuff. So we were pretty stoked to be contacted by Kidecals and U.S. Family Guide with a sweet 15% discount offer for our readers and a sample for our family to review. I learned years ago to tag EVERYTHING I ever wanted to see again that left the house with the girl! I still compulsively check the lost and found whenever I'm in the school office for anything and inevitably at least one lunch item or article of clothing of hers is abandoned there.

We've even gotten lucky and had things mailed back that were left at a hotel states away!

With camp season coming, I'm ready for a tagging frenzy, only rivaled by back to school week, so this is great timing. In all honesty, we haven't tried Kidecals out yet, but their site rocks. Their graphics range from cute to edgy, with plenty of choices for older kids.

We'll have a full review of the labels once they arrive. All labels are NOT created equal. We've tried 3 other brands with varying levels of success. My huge pet peeve is labels that are impossible to remove from the backing. Grrrrrr. There are few things less chill than needing 15 minutes and sharp objects to peel each freakin' label when you have a pile of 50 camp bound items to tag. Quick and easy is ideal. But durability is key. They're pretty useless if they peel off, fade or disintegrate fast. So, we'll level with you on how Kidecals measure up shortly.

In the mean time, if you want to get a jump on the summer rush, here's a sweet deal for our readers.

ChiIL Out with ChiIL Mama and SAVE 15% off Kidecals the most durable waterproof labels on the market. Use promo code: bestlabels at http://kidecals.com/

Kidecals always has FREE Shipping.

Here's the scoop on what they've got:

Personalized Kids Name Labels/Camp Labels:
We tag stuff with our last name and phone number, and I've literally had hundreds of dollars in lost items returned by honest people. Even if your kids aren't as prone to losing their stuff as Sagezilla is, there are loads of look alikes out there and labels are a must so kids can grab the right gear.

We're pretty jazzed to label water bottles, clothing, books, toys, and sports gear with Kidecals' trendy and fun designs. We've heard Kidecals are crazy durable...dishwasher, washing machine AND dryer safe, and they don't damage surfaces.

Waterproof Labels:
Sharpies bleed and fade. Kidecals claims their waterproof name labels are insanely durable and can stick to just about anything even pool toys. We'll put them to the test and see if they stay put through wash after wash after wash.

Fun Mustache Stickers:
Facial hair as fashion statement......

My daughter LOVES staches and has quite a few fuzzy ones and necklace ones, so I know she'll freak out for Kidecals' fun Partystache stickers. Use them as drink markers to keep down the germs and the lost juice blues. The Mustache Chalkboard Stickers are a funky fun way to label/organize anything in your pantry or craft room. (They're also fun for labeling foods or drinks at a potluck or party!)

Chalkboard Labels that you can write on:
We could use some serious organization in the playroom. Chalkboard labels are a genius idea for getting organized fast without having to create new printed labels from scratch. Kidecals makes cool designs, and their chalkboard labels are super durable and can even go through the dishwasher!

Daycare Labels:

Cute stuff for the littlest losers... It doesn't end once they're old enough to talk and visually ID their own stuff. But if you have kids in daycare then you know how important it is to label EVERYTHING. Kidecals daycare labels are not just super cute, they're dishwasher, washing machine and dryer safe, and stay put on anything from clothing and baby's favorite snuggle to sippy and snack cups.

As seen on the Today Show personalized clothing labels

Fun designs are fine, but Kidecals was founded by a mother of two boys, who knew that durable is KEY.

ACT OUT OPENING: Family Friendly Circus in Progress at The Actors Gymnasium 5/18 Only #circus

2013-05-14T12:26:00.000-05:00

The Actors Gymnasium Announces

Circus in Progress Performers

We've long been fans of the fantastic circus work and aerial arts at The Actors Gymnasium. Their two show only spring showcase looks to be stellar. Check out some of our highly recommended favs in the circus arts world--Dean Evans (solo clown), Jill Heyser (trapeze), Willem McGowan (diabolo juggling).

The Actors Gymnasium announces performance acts for its May 18th show, Circus in Progress: An Evening of Daring New Work.

Chicago theatre and circus lovers of all ages delight in this popular sneak peek at some of Chicago's most exciting new works of circus art. This cabaret style performance series focuses on the development of new acts, showcasing many Chicagoland area circus and variety arts professionals as well as advanced students from The Actors Gymnasium's classes.

Further performer announcements will continue throughout May through the company's social media, but the following acts are confirmed: Dean Evans (solo clown), Anna Hartje (contortion), Jill Heyser (trapeze), Willem McGowan (diabolo juggling), Rackim Ramsey (lyra), The Actors Gymnasium Intermediate Aerial Class (rope & harness w/ silks), The Actors Gymnasium Teen Ensemble (silks w/ straps), Vox 3 (acapella choral song), Andi Wywiorski (lyra), Aerial Dance Chicago (sling), Kevin Brown and Jason Hanggi of Be The Groove (percussion).

Tickets can be purchased through event's facebook page or through www.actorsgymnasium.com. There are a limited number of tickets available for each performance and tickets are first come, first served. Check early for the best selection. Tickets are available online only. Once online sales are closed, 1.5 hours prior to the show start time, the on location box office will be open. For group reservations and general questions call 847-328-2795.

Two Performances Only! This one day only event performs on May 18, 2013 with shows at 4:30 & 7:30 pm.

The Actors Gymnasium is located at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, Illinois - just off of the Noyes purple line 'L' stop. For additional information on The Actors Gymnasium's innovative programming, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.com or call (847)328-2795.

About The Actors Gymnasium

The Actors Gymnasium is dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American Theatre. Encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration, The Actors Gymnasium teaches circus arts, physical theatre and multi-disciplinary performance to children and adults; produces original, daring works of circus-theatre; and serves as a talent resource, providing performance opportunities to our students and innovative professional event entertainment for a wider audience. At The Actors Gymnasium, people Learn To Fly - physically, emotionally, intellectually and creatively.

The Actors Gymnasium

at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center

927 Noyes Street ~ Evanston, Illinois 60201~ (p) 847-328-2795 ~ (f) 847-328-3495

LAST CALL: WIN 2 months of swim lessons and a free registration at Goldfish Swim School, Chicago ($199.00 value) #ad

2013-05-13T23:59:00.002-05:00

We're so excited to welcome our new neighbors, Goldfish Swim School. ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and win 2 months of swim lessons and a free registration at Goldfish Swim School, Chicago ($199.00 value)!!

Click the Rafflecopter link below through midnight 5/14 for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My kids (10 & 12) have been enthusiastically and quickly honing their swimming skills this month. The warm water and even warmer staff make swim lessons a joy instead of a dreaded event. And with small class sizes the kids get lots more quality learning time and advance faster. Check out ChiIL Mama's past Goldfish coverage here.

Thanks to Goldfish Swim School for giving us this rockin' prize package for one of our readers as well as the classes we're reviewing. Check out their main site here for more info on Goldfish Swim School like their classes, philosophy and more. (Roscoe Village near IK Gymnastics, Chicago)

Babies and little kids especially love the space. It's like a big, warm bathtub full of colorful floaties, giant rubber duckies, and caring, silly staff. Even the bright wall murals, tanks of real fish and turtles, and the tiki hut umbrella in the waiting area all lend a festive vacation air to the space.

If your kids are motivated by rewards or positive reinforcement, Goldfish takes the gold! Once a month, the kids get achievement ribbons, fun little fish themed toys, and a progress report. Goldfish Swim School also has a sweet, reusable swag bag for every family at initial registration with shirts for all the kids, goldfish shaped snacks and car decals.

My kids were non too enthusiastic when I first told them they were going for weekly swim lessons. They'd taken lessons as toddlers and young kids at first the YMCA then the park district. We live on a gorgeous lake and I wanted them to know the basics. But it became such a screaming ordeal, we stopped, at first for winters since drying all our long, thick hair was impossible. Then we stopped formal lessons all together.

Recently we'd been in a quandary about swim lessons because as tweens they're being invited to water park birthdays and swim fun and they're too old to be stranded in the shallows while their friend play and have fun. They're also too old to be in a class of little, preschool advanced beginners without being mortified. With Goldfish, they can have private or semi private classes--our class is just 4 kids, and they've made huge strides on strokes in just a few short weeks.

Even the big kids get to race and play ring games. And they're having so much fun they don't even realize how much they're advancing. I never thought my kids would be bubbly and enthusiastic about swim lessons!

I'll admit, Goldfish Swim School won us back over. The kids come home smelling sweetly shampooed instead of reeking of chlorine. The locker rooms are spacious and have blow dryers like a private club, and funky surfer decor to keep everyone amused. And the space is so clean and comfortable, with plenty of showers and dressing rooms to go around.

Every week the kids beg to stay after their lessons for open swim. It's worth more than gold to me as a mom, to drop the drama and have the kids truly enjoy swimming! Go from cold fish to Goldfish, and make swim lessons fun again.

Disclaimer: Thanks again to Goldfish Swim School for providing lessons for us to review and give away to one of our readers. All opinions are our own.

KINDIE LAND: Win 4 Free Tickets To Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies 5/19 #giveaway

2013-05-13T19:27:00.000-05:00

ChiIL Mama Interviews Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies.

Beat Kitchen's Kids Series Season Finale

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and one of our local kindie favs, Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies. Click here for loads of ChiIL Mama's past Mr. Singer features like live show clips, video interviews and more!

Click the Rafflecopter Link below to enter through midnight 5/16.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies cover The Cramps! Footage by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara for ChiIL Mama.com

Come for our SPECTACULAR 2012-2013 season finale with Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies. We will miss you this summer!

Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies

Sunday, May 19, noon

Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, $6/person

Never Fear... Fest Season's Here. We'll see ya out there:

Do Division, June 1-2

Green Music Fest, June 22-23

Wicker Park Fest, July 27-28

Concerts for Kids has scheduled kids' music stages at Green Music Fest, June 22-23 and Wicker Park Fest, July 27-28. We'll send you an email with the full schedules shortly. (And Mr. Singer is a part of it.)

Our 2013-2014 line up of wonderful children's musicians will begin again in October.

Buy tickets here. Beat Kitchen is located at 2100 W. Belmont.

To keep up to date with Concerts for Kids, become our Facebook friend at www.facebook.com/kidsshowschicago.

Beat Kitchen's awesome rockin' weekly series will resume in the fall with a big kick off party. ChiIL Mama is stoked to be back as press sponsor with free weekly ticket giveaways, and loads of original kindie band content like live show footage, stills, and even band video interviews.

Check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often all summer long. We'll tell you where the fam friendly fun is and continue to rock the great giveaways. Check the right side bar to follow us on Twitter & Facebook for *flash giveaways and/or follow us with e-mail updates. We never spam or share your info.

KINDIE LAND: LIVE Family Friendly Shows on Our Radar Rachel Barton Pine at Old Town School 5/19

2013-05-13T18:53:00.002-05:00

Rachel Barton Pine - Kids Concert

Old Town School of Folk Music

Sunday, May 19th, 11am

Renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine, celebrated as a leading interpreter of masterpieces by the great composers, performs classical lullabies as the perfect antidote to soothe your young ones. This concert is for classical connoisseurs or for music novices of any age!

Rachel invites violin-playing kids (but ALL kids are welcome) to bring their instruments along to the concert where she'll lead them in "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." A great photo opp for the scrapbook!

Click Here For More Show Info

ChiIL Picks for Mother Day: Pretty Muddy Women's 5K Discount Code & Giveaway #prettymuddy

2013-05-11T19:37:00.001-05:00

Moms run schedules, run businesses, run families, and run 5Ks. Want a creative, healthy, and fun gift for your mom? Give her a day to act like a kid, instead of watching over the kids with a Pretty Muddy entry.

This weekend through Sunday 5/12, Pretty Muddy will be offering a $15 OFF discount when you register you and your Mom for a Pretty Muddy race. Use the code: MUDDYMOMMA. This is the perfect way to treat your Mom, and the perfect last minute Mother’s Day gift!

Also, they are running a contest on Facebook right now where they are giving away 2 free entries into each one of our 8 events for 1 mother-daughter duo. You can check out the contest here: https://www.facebook.com/PrettyMuddy . All we ask is that you share with us how your Mom has inspired your fitness goals. Pretty simple!

ChiIL Picks for Mother's Day: FLASH GIVEAWAY 4 FREE Tickets To Mr. Dave at Beat Kitchen's Concerts for Kids

2013-05-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

ChiIL Mama's Kids at ages 3 & 5 at Kidzapalooza 2006!!

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and come play at Beat Kitchen's Concerts for Kids tomorrow at noon. Mama can relax with one of the best bloody marys in town while Mr. Dave rocks everyone's socks off. You can even enjoy brunch out right at Beat Kitchen before or after the show. When nobody's crying and everyone's dancing, Mama's happy.

BK Kids Concerts are geared toward birth through 8 year olds with their parents and babies under 1 are always free! Tickets are a reasonable $6 and concerts happen just about every Sunday at noon fall through spring & even some Saturdays too. ChiIL Mama is proud to be back again as press sponsor for 2012-13.

**FLASH TICKET GIVEAWAY for MR. DAVE!!!! FIRST RESPONDER IN THE COMMENTS SECTION ON ChiIL Mama's facebook page gets 'em.**   Tell us one of your favorite things about being a mom.

We run lots of giveaways that are open to entries for a week, a month for biggies, or even more. We had 7,700+ entries to win Saige--The American Girl Doll of The Year 2013! Sometimes we hear back from loyal readers who enter multiple giveaways all the time and never get picked. So, we're mixing in more quick, painless flash giveaways too, just for YOU.

Sooooo check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.   We give away a free family 4 pack to every kids show every week! And we also have great eco-friendly, educational, fun giveaways and loads of tickets to Chi-town theatre and concerts too. Good luck and happy mothers day all!!

From one Mama to another, have a ChiIL weekend and cherish those rock tots, banger babies, little folk and punk kin. They grow up faster than you'd ever imagine!

Catch 'em while you can. Our concert season is winding down and we'll be taking a summer break.

Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies

Sunday, May 19, noon

Come for our SPECTACULAR 2012-2013 season finale with Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies. We will miss you this summer.

In the meantime, don't despair. Concerts for Kids has scheduled kids' music stages at Green Music Fest, June 22-23 and Wicker Park Fest, July 27-28. We'll send you an email with the full schedules shortly. (And Mr. Singer is a part of it.)

Our 2013-2014 line up of wonderful children's musicians will begin again in October.

Buy tickets here. Beat Kitchen is located at 2100 W. Belmont.

To keep up to date with Concerts for Kids, become our Facebook friend at www.facebook.com/kidsshowschicago.



Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, $6/person May 12: Mr. Dave & The Space Cadets May 19: Mr Singer & The Sharp Cookies Summer Festival Season (save the dates) Do Division, June 1-2 Green Music Fest, June 22-23 Wicker Park Fest, July 27-28

ChiIL Picks for Mother's Day: BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER PRESENTS SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY CONCERT

2013-05-11T15:23:00.000-05:00

BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER PRESENTS

SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY CONCERT

TO MOTHER – WITH LOVE (A CONCERT JUST FOR HER)

FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY THE STARS OF BLACK ENSEMBLE

Sunday, May 12 at 3 p.m.

Black Ensemble Theater Founder and Executive Director Jackie Taylor announces a special Mother’s Day concert, To Mother – With Love (A Concert Just For Her), featuring the stars of Black Ensemble. The one-day-only concert will be held on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12 at 3 p.m. at the new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago.

To Mother – With Love will feature the Black Ensemble's star performers singing love songs dedicated to “Mom.” Featured performers include Rashawn Thompson, Melanie McCullough, Dawn Bless, Meghan Murphy, Lyle Miller, and more.

Tickets, priced at $50, are available by calling (773) 769-4451 or online at www.blackensembletheater.org.

The Black Ensemble Theater

Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.

On November 18, 2011, The Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center opened and is able to accommodate larger-scale productions, bigger audiences and a wider range of educational programming. The new facility includes amenities such as a 299-seat main stage theater (double the capacity of the original venue); 14 offices, classroom space; rehearsal hall, dance studio, scene shop, costume shop, and wardrobe rooms; seven dressing rooms; rehearsal room for musicians; front lobby space with concession areas; and an indoor parking garage. The completion of a 150-seat theater, which will serve as an experimental stage for the work of the Black Playwright Initiative (BPI), is expected in 2013.

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts. For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, please visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.

Original Video Interview With Three of The Creative Masterminds Behind The Elephant & The Whale & Ticket Giveaway #originalvideointerview #giveaway #review #ad

2013-05-11T10:04:00.001-05:00

ChiIL Out with ChiIL Mama. Pop a bowl of popcorn and get ready to see something amazing. We're so excited to bring you our original video interview with the Co-Directors of The Elephant and The Whale, Frank Maugeri (Redmoon) & Leslie Buxbaum Danzig (500 Clown) and with actor, David Catlin (Lookingglass). All 3 are parents and theatre professionals and they graciously took time out of their busy lives for an interview with us about the show. They also shared their insights on "How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create" for ChiIL Mama's long running series on the theme.

We generally try to keep our original videos around 15 minutes, but these three had some seriously sweet gems of info on parenting and great stuff about The Elephant and The Whale, so we're going to go ahead and run it as a longer feature. I'll also break the material down into shorter 15 minute individual interviews at a later date, to add to our Creative Parenting series.

Win 4 Free Tickets:

ChiIL out with free tickets to Chicago Children's Theatre & Redmoon's stellar collaboration! Our last giveaway was so successful, we're going to do it again! Enter now through midnight on 5/14. This giveaway is short, sweet & hard to beat. We highly highly recommend you catch this show before it closes May 26th.

Click The Rafflecopter Link Below For Your Chance to Win 4 Tickets To The Elephant & The Whale AND a free pizza party Thurs, 5/16, 6:30 pm.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ChiIL Live Shows caught the opening weekend of The Elephant & The Whale at Chicago Children's Theatre and we were enormously impressed by this mammoth undertaking. We've long been fans of Redmoon's mission statement "engineering wonder" and of the fabulous physical comedy and energy of 500 Clown. These world collided in a BIG way for this show and adults and hard to please tweens and teens will dig this one, too! Yes, Chicago Children's Theatre is not only for the littles, my friends. A lot of blood, sweat & prep went into this production, but the end result is pure magic.

Credit for all Production Photos Charles Osgood

Click here for ChiIL Mama's past coverage of The Elephant and The Whale including ticket links, show times and plot points as well as more show footage & stills.

Check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for loads of original content, fabulous happenings and great giveaways.

**Final footage footnote: It took me longer than I'd hoped to don my editor's hat and finish the interview above. There were so many insightful comments in the interviews that I tried to chop it to about 20 minutes for days, and finally surrendered, and decided that this needs to be published as a longer piece... at least once.

We also got caught up in crazy busy parenting land over here, with two kids in and out of their own performances with CircEsteem, 2 Roller Derby halftime shows, a school variety show and 2 gymnastics team showcases. And I had a 4 day International film fest to cover, and a German filmmaker to interview.

Thanks for your patience.   It's worth the wait!

SPECTACLE IN MINIATURE TELLS THE TALE OF A GIANT FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE LARGEST ANIMALS ON OUR PLANET, APR. 10-MAY 26 AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER

This all-new family fable features sea voyages, wild mechanical objects, circus songs, panoramic paintings, exquisite shadow puppets and an innovative sound design. Performances through May 26, 2013 at Chicago Children's Theatre's new home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn, Chicago.

The Elephant and The Whale is recommended for all ages.

Schedule through May 26: Tuesday at 10 a.m.; Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.; Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Friday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2p.m.

Run time is approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.

FREE PIZZA PARTIES ON THURSDAYS & ART PARTIES FRIDAY

As if you need any more reasons to see this show...

Note: Family-friendly 6:30 p.m. Thursday shows are preceded with a free pizza party starting at 5:45 pm. Thursday evenings are $25 for dinner and show. On Friday evenings, families are encouraged to kick off their weekend at the 6:30 p.m. show, and stay after for a fun post-show craft party. Friday evenings are $25 for show and party.

Regular single tickets are $26 for children, $36 for adults. To purchase, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call (872) 222-9555. For discounted school, scout, playgroup, extended family and other group rates, visit GroupTix.net or call (773) 327-3778.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the fabulous folk at Chicago Children's Theatre for giving us family 4 packs of tickets to share with our readers. All opinions are our own.

Mooove Over Milk LACTAID Is In The House #LACTAID #giveaway #Ad

2013-05-10T22:32:00.000-05:00

Big Bro, Du-Jay, who is fine with dairy, said he would happily switch to LACTAID® if it meant Dad & little sister could enjoy dairy too!

Half of my family is lactose intolerant. My son and I not only tolerate dairy but adore it! My husband deals with his dodgy digestion by avoiding most dairy, but that wasn't the best option when my daughter inherited his fussy stomach.

It's been tough to see a bowl of cereal double my daughter over with stomach cramps, and organic chocolate milk make her queasy. We've tried soy and almond milk, but she hated the taste and texture. Her current solution is to eat things like chicken nuggets for breakfast, because they don't make her empty stomach feel ill, like dairy does.

When we were offered the chance to partner up with LACTAID® in a promotion over the next few months, we were elated! We ran out and got a gallon ASAP, and were pleasantly surprised. Sage likes it because it tastes like milk. That's because it IS real milk, with a handy extra enzyme to counteract lactose intolerance. It's slightly sweeter, but very similar, and our whole family thought it was pretty tasty.

LACTAID® is great for baking with, and a pretty delicious chaser for that baking, as well!

I just took part in an informative LACTAID® briefing session with celebrity chef Melissa d'Arabian and registered dietitian Michelle Harrington. Before the session, I had no idea that lactose intolerance is the worst on an empty stomach, which explains why dairy breakfasts can be brutal for my husband and daughter, but they can both sometimes handle some dairy later in the day, with little ill effect. It also never made sense to me that they can both chow down on sharp cheddar and yogurt just fine for lunch, till I learned aged cheese and Greek yogurt are low in lactose. The session was truly an AH-HA moment for me! If you want to learn even more, we've included further details at the bottom of this post.

If you have dairy sensitivities among your family and friends check out our giveaway below and some sweet recipes, too.

You can even check out a link to Melissa's TODAY Show appearance making lactose-free blueberry muffins (on April 15) by clicking here.

Melissa will be back on the TODAY Show again on June 25

Try LACTAID® out for yourself and your family. Then check back with ChiIL Mama over the next few months for more cool updates on LACTAID® including recipes, and more info on celeb chef and LACTAID® proponent, Melissa d'Arabian.

Mooove Over Milk... LACTAID® Is In The House

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and a cool coupon so you can check out LACTAID® FREE

Just click on the Rafflecopter link below and enter like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We'll send one of our readers a coupon for free LACTAID® Product (your choice) to try. Enter through midnight 5/28 and we'll announce a name on Winning Wednesday 5/29. You could even choose from 5 flavors of LACTAID® ice cream. How ChiIL is that?!

More LACTAID® briefing session Info:

Presenters:

Melissa d’ Arabian, LACTAID Brand Spokesperson

Mom of four girls

Author of NY Times best selling cookbook, Ten Dollar Dinners

Celebrity Chef & Television Host

Was on live segments on the TODAY Show with Kathie Lee & Hoda

April 15 – Breakfast recipes

June 25 – Entrée recipe

8 online videos available on food.today.com and youtube.com/LACTAID

Michelle Harrington , R.D. and LACTAID® Regulatory and Nutritional Affairs Manager

Pediatric Dietitian at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia
Passionate about helping families find nutrition solutions in today’s complex world

What is Lactose?

Lactose is the major carbohydrate in milk and other dairy foods
Lactose (milk sugar) consists of two simple sugars – glucose and galactose
Lactose must be broken down into glucose and galactose by the intestinal enzyme lactase before it can be absorbed by the body

What does it mean to be Lactose Intolerant?

Most people produce that natural enzyme, lactase, which breaks down lactose (sugar in milk). The amount of lactase your body produces will determine how much lactose your body can break down
Everyone has different levels of lactose intolerance
It is common for lactose intolerance to be progressive; many people develop a lactose intolerance later in life

What is LACTAID?

LACTAID® Products can help people who have a lactose sensitivity to digest dairy products without stomach discomfort so they can enjoy the creamy, delicious taste of dairy that they love
LACTAID provides the lactase that the body can’t produce enough of, which helps you break down lactose
LACTAID® Dairy Products are 100% real dairy, just with a natural yeast-derived enzyme added called lactase
LACTAID® Lactose-Free Products include Milks, Cottage Cheese, Ice Cream and Eggnog
LACTAID® is the nation’s #1 lactose-free dairy brand.

About LACTAID Milk

LACTAID is real milk – 100% lactose free – with the same nutrient profile
The lactase enzyme is added to the milk to break down the lactose, resulting in a slightly sweeter taste
LACTAID is ultra pasteurized and lasts longer under proper refrigeration – once open it should be consumed within 1 week
LACTAID products are calcium enriched
We need about 1000 mg of calcium each day

o LACTAID provides 500 mg of calcium in each 8 oz glass― you only need two glasses of LACTAID to get your day’s worth of calcium requirements
o A regular 8 oz glass of milk has 300 mg of calcium

LACTAID® Ice Cream

Available in 5 flavors:

Chocolate, Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Strawberries & Cream, Butter Pecan

All flavors of ice cream except for Cookies & Cream are gluten free
Half-cup of chocolate ice cream is 160 calories and 8 grams of fat
LACTAID suggests to eat half a cup with fruit

All products have nutrition facts listed on the website: http://www.LACTAID.com/products

Tips for eating with Lactose Intolerance:

Important note: if someone who is lactose intolerant consumes products containing lactose on an empty stomach, they will be more prone not to tolerate it. Eating lactose with other food will help you digest it more easily
Many lactose-intolerant people find that yogurt doesn’t bother them

o Yogurt has live and active cultures in it that help digest the lactose
o Greek yogurt has double the protein and fewer carbs, which means less lactose and easier to digest
o If tolerated, yogurt is a great way to get nutrients and calcium needed in an everyday diet!

Rule of thumb for eating cheese: the harder the cheese, the less moisture or whey in it―as a result, the less lactose in it

o Always choose the aged cheeses, as they are lower in lactose
o Aged Cheddar, Gruyère, Pecorino and Swiss cheeses will have less lactose in them
o Melissa suggests introducing these aged cheeses back into your family’s diets in small amounts to see how much they and/or you are able to tolerate

LACTAID cottage cheese is a flexible dairy product; since it’s a neutral cheese, you can go savory or sweet:

o Savory: add veggies or pesto to it; use in enchiladas or lasagna
o Sweet: add applesauce, peaches or other fruit to it
o Melissa likes to blend it up in the food processor with an egg to taste just like ricotta

People often don’t know that butter is low in lactose - no need to cut it out of your diet (unless you are doing it for health reasons!)

Cooking with LACTAID:

LACTAID does have a slightly sweeter taste, but typically no one notices when adding it in a recipe

o Melissa likes to put in in her coffee instead of flavored creamer or sugar

o Melissa finds that her kids prefer smoothies with LACTAID compared other milks, probably due to the slight sweetness

Melissa says she simply swaps LACTAID for regular milk in recipes, cup for cup
When substituting LACTAID for cream in recipes, work in a teaspoon of corn starch (this would be the same for any milk)
Substitute lactose-free milk for buttermilk by adding vinegar

Disclosure: Thanks to LACTAID® for sponsoring this post.

A Kendama For Your Mama? #toyreview #skilltoys #sponsored

2013-05-10T09:50:00.001-05:00

If you're still looking for a unique Mother's Day gift, that outlasts cut flowers, think about a fun game or skill toy!

Thanks to our friends over at Cat & Mouse Game Store we get to check out a cool, green Kendama (both of my kids' favorite color)! What's a Kendama? Glad you asked. The Japanese invented it ages ago, and it's still in play today. This toy's got staying power.

As a Montessori family and a circus arts family, we're particularly fond of wooden toys and low tech, high skill games. This one is easy to start with and challenging to master. We'll have a personal video & pixs once my kids get a bit better at it. So far, the only drawback for beginners is the ball is pretty solid and heavy. My youngest got overzealous and went a bit gonzo with it and got a bruise on her hand. So it can be a bit painful to miss. If you have tots in the house, any toy with a wooden spike on it is probably not a stellar plan. Other than that, my 9 & 12 year old kids think it rocks!

Cat & Mouse has a good range of gorgeous wooden Kendamas in an array of colors for spring. Pick one while you can!

Click here for more of ChiIL Mama's past, photo filled Cat & Mouse Game Store coverage.

Here at ChiIL Mama we dig Cat & Mouse Game Store for those hard to shop for tweens & teens. Sure they carry merch for little kids through adults, but most of the other small, local toy stores are far more tot centric. Cat & Mouse is the big cheese of the non chain, indie toy stores, for skill toys, brain building games, roleplaying games, and other fun stuff. They also have an on line site, so even if you're not in Chi-town, you're still in luck.

This was my go to spot when my son turned 12 in March and said "surprise me". Store owner, Linda, was helpful and knowledgable in pointing out a plethora of possibilities, so surprise me didn't turn into disappoint me.

We bought him a new, fast spinning diablo and some better sticks, and an awesome cooperative fantasy game, Castle Panic.

Here are a few of our family favs we've either bought, won, or gotten at ChiTAG to review over the years:

Spot It
Set
Chocolate Fix
Perplexus
Pentominos
Bananagrams (and their whole line)
Top Trumps

We highly recommend checking out Cat & Mouse's free, weekly workshops. Here's the scoop on their regulars. Check their website for special events and more.

YoYo University with Ben Conde (all skill levels)

Every Friday, 4-6pm

We're so happy to welcome YoYoJam team leader Ben Conde to Cat & Mouse, where he offers yo-yo lessons every Friday afternoon from 4-6pm. Ben is one of the most talented offstring players around, and brings a lot of style and energy to his performances and competitions. Whether you're completely new to yo-yoing or an advanced player who wants to work on some skills, Ben will be able to help you out. Just stop by the store any Friday afternoon to get schooled in the art of yo!

YoYo University (beginner and intermediate levels)
Every Saturday, 11am-12:30pm

Join us every Saturday morning when one of our yoyo experts (Ben Conde and Mikayla) will be on hand to give lessons to beginning and intermediate players. There's no need to RSVP and no charge for the lessons. Just drop by any time during the session and we'll have you throwing like a pro in no time! If you don't have a yoyo yet, don't worry. We sell many different styles of yoyos in all price ranges, and we'll be happy to recommend one that's just right for you.

YoYo University Incentive Program

Ben Conde and Cat & Mouse have teamed up to create a yoyo educational program that will help players of all levels advance their skills. >> Find Out More!

Monthly - Chicago YoYo Club

Cat & Mouse is happy to support the Chicago YoYo Club, a group of players who meet mothly at the Bucktown-Wicker Park Library

Over the past 80 years yoyo play has progressed to a level never imagined, and Cat & Mouse Game Store is happy to support a variety of events for yoyo enthusiasts. All ages and skill levels are always welcome; whether you're just learning the basics or progressing to advanced tricks, our gatherings are a fun way to get to know other players and learn something new. We hope you can join us for these fun events!

Join the Chicago YoYoers on Facebook for event reminders and announcements.

Weekly Events

Tuesdays - Game Night, 6:30-10 pm

Fridays - YoYo University with Ben Conde, 4-6 pm

Saturdays - YoYo University for Beginners, 11 am-12:30 pm

Upcoming Events

5/18 - D&D for Kids, 3-5 pm > details

5/19 - Netrunner League, 1-5 pm > details

6/1-6/2 - OFFSITE - YoYo Fun at Do Division > details

Disclaimer: Thanks to Cat & Mouse for giving us a Kendama to review. All opinions are our own.

Stages Sights & Sounds 2013 Kick Off Party Photo Filled Feature #originalphotos

2013-05-09T23:01:00.001-05:00

Paige in Full and Kick Off Party for The Chicago Humanities Fest's Stages, Sights & Sounds 2013 at the MCA.

It was a true pleasure to mix and mingle...

We were even given a thought provoking "homework" assignment to go on our name tags. It proved to be a good ice breaker and conversation starter. We were asked to provide the first theatre-music-art-or event that "sparked" or inspired your love of the arts. (even if the love of my life did write Evel Knievel)...

We met the masterminds behind the fest...

And we got to catch a sneak peek at the excellent Paige in Full show...

We were sent home with sweet goody bags full of tasty treats from another of our Chi-town favs, Vosge's Chocolate!

Click here for full listings and more of our past coverage on the fest. Shows run for the next two weeks.

ACT OUT OPENING: Stages, Sights & Sounds 5/7-19 and FLASH Ticket Giveaway for Augusta & Noble #review #giveaway

2013-05-08T17:35:00.000-05:00

ChiIL Mama was elated to be invited to the special VIP kick off party for the Humanities Festival's Stages, Sights & Sounds 2013 and the "final rehearsal" for Paige in Full last night at The MCA.

Over the next two weeks we'll be checking out two more performances from the Stages, Sights & Sounds Series, H.G. and Murder on the Midwest Express as well. We highly recommend you take advantage of this stellar, family friendly 6 show lineup. Loads of school groups will be expanding their brains in the coming days, with school matinee shows, and the nights and weekends are open to the public.

Click here for tickets and complete listings.

The fairy tale theme is exciting and compelling, and these world class productions have come to us from Switzerland, Scotland, Canada, Mexico, Maryland, and right here in sweet home Chicago. This year's overarching Humanities Festival Theme is Animal: What Makes Us Human, and these productions fit right in.

Shows are selling out quickly, but there's still time to purchase tickets.

Pictured: Lisandra Tena as Mujer Azul and Miguel Nunez as Coyote

We were also super stoked to check out Augusta and Noble at Adventure Stage last weekend (CHF Partner Event)

Adventure Stage Chicago presents: Augusta and Noble

through May 16.

It's an incredible staging based on real stories from the hood, skillfully interwoven with traditional Hispanic folktales.

**FLASH TICKET GIVEAWAY**

ChiIL out with 4 free tickets from ChiIL Mama to your choice of remaining Augusta and Noble shows! Be the first to comment below and you're an instant winner. Tell us "What fairy tale do you think most closely resembles your personal story?" and what time/date do you want to see the show, and the tickets are yours!! It's painless and easy.

(WORLDS COLLIDE ALERT: Our friend, Laura K, Co-owner of Matty K's Hardware in Lincoln Square designed the costumes! I would seriously wear the coyote's rockin' hoodie and/or the flowing dyed robes of Blue Woman!)

We were moved by the story line, the excellent acting and by the commitment of Adventure Stage to embracing community and a sense of place. This must see production brings forth stories of the underrepresented and gives them a voice.

Paige in Full was old school and contemporary at the same time, with an overarching Mixed Tape theme as an expression of personality and individuality.

Paige is candid and charismatic, and her voice is a great addition to the series. In the post show Q & A she confided that she began to write her own shows because she didn't see her life, culture, clothing styles and music represented in the plays she was seeing. We're elated her reality's finally being seen and heard... loud and clear. Highly recommended!

Paige in Full

From Baltimore

Writer and performer Paige Hernandez brings us her unique coming-of-age story, a 21st-century not-so-fairy-tale about Everygirl's search for acceptance, meaning, and her one true love. For ages 12+.

Using the language of hip-hop—dance, rhymes, and beats—Hernandez retraces her life growing up in Baltimore, recounting the joys, losses, and big bad wolves (who turned out to be heartless young men). Blending humor and honesty and embodying more than a dozen characters, she reveals (and helps us remember) not only the perpetual absurdity but also the universal struggles of adolescence.

Mixing live on stage for Paige In Full is Chicago D.J. Sadie Woods.

h.g.

From Switzerland

Part exhibit, part experience, h.g. is an extraordinary retelling of Hansel and Gretel andre-imagines what fairy tales, and theatre, can be. For ages 10+ (*absolutely nobody under 10 admitted--walk through exhibit/performance*).

Murder on the Midwest Express

From Chicago

Last year's Stages favorite (and Chicago's own) Theatre Un*Speak*Able returns this May with its latest physical comedy gem, this time a whodunit about a murder on the high-speed rail tracks between Chicago and Toronto. For ages 10+.

Under the Stars

From Canada

Montréal's L'Illusion, Théâtre de marionettes (puppet theater) uses the original Hansel and Gretel tale by the Brothers Grimm to reflect on poverty, fear, imagination, and change. For ages 6+.

Sleeping Beauty Dreams

From Mexico

Marionetas de la Esquina's humorous storytelling and whimsical puppetry awaken this sleeping princess as never before in a contemporary take on the classic tale. For ages 5+.

Cloud Man

From Scotland

This highly visual, gentle story tells the tale of Cloudia, a cloud expert whose lifelong dream is to see the Cloud Man, a rare creature who lives a quiet life up in the sky. For ages 4+.

Want more? Click here for the Behind the Stages: Guide for Educators and Families