​With three almost grown daughters and a full time and part time job, my free time is sparse! One of the weekly duties I always enjoyed was grocery shopping. I would rally up the girls and we would head out every Saturday morning. We would talk, laugh, yell, and tell stories as we walked the aisles. I looked forward to it. I enjoyed planning our meals and talking with the girls about trying new things. It all worked....back then! 
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Not so much anymore. Now, it is something I dread each and every week. No one wants to go with, but yet I have a list of what they want! My grocery budget has been shredded and there is no control anymore. That is until I discovered Walmart Grocery which is Walmart’s online grocery shopping and pickup service! This has transformed my weekends and my sanity! 

Sitting on the couch last weekend while enjoying a nice cold beer (sorry I’m not a wine girl) I was making my grocery list with my youngest, Jessi who is 16 years old. My smart cookie, Jessi suggested I look at this online grocery pickup craze. So, I thought, why not. I am on the couch with my beverage and am in my pajamas. Why not give it a go? My life is changed forever! Walmart - how did I not know about this sooner?! 

As I was searching each Walmart Grocery online department trying to get a hang of this new found glory, Jessi suggested I just search the product. Duhh... why did I not think of that? So, I type French onion dip and up pops every type of French onion or similar dip they sell. You can see the prices and the sizes which makes it so easy to compare and analyze before adding it to my cart! 

As I work on staying in my budget I am able to watch my total and add or take out of my cart. No more standing in the check out lane asking the nice girl to remove items as I realize I doubled my budget!!
 
Ok, so I finished my shopping, I got everything off my list and stayed in budget! No last minute impulse buys that I don’t really need, but must have as I am strolling through the store trying to stay sane!! 
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Now, I select Sunday morning pickup between 8:00 am and 9:00 am at Walmart. My order is confirmed via email, I opt for text message alerts. And that’s it! I finish my drink and go to bed, confident that my shopping is done and I will not have to get up early to beat the crazy crowds at the store. 

I receive a text message at 7:55 am Sunday morning stating “Your Walmart Grocery order is ready. Save time and check-in when on the way!” 
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I sign into the app and check in that I am on my way. They reply to follow the signs to the pick up area and park in an assigned parking spot. Ok, I do as I am told and pull into parking spot 6 and think now what. Within 2 minutes a nice young man was walking to my car with a cart full of groceries!! I get out of the car and he says, "Ma’am you don’t have to help, I am happy to load them for you! Would you like your eggs and bread up front with you?" I take a sip of my red bull and think yes, yes I would like my eggs and bread up front with me. Such a simple non descript question and I feel like I am going to cry! He is doing it all for me. He brings over my receipt and a little gift bag with samples in it. I hand him a $5.00 tip and he says “Sorry, we cannot take tips”. Come on, just put it in your pocket no one will know, but he would not take it. He says, "Just happy to make your Sunday that much easier ma’am! Have a great day!" 

​I was back home within 20 minutes total. I had groceries put away and was relaxing within 45 minutes. It normally takes me at least 2 hours to do my shopping and organizing. You have to try Walmart Grocery! This has made the little time I get off work that much more relaxing and easy! Now to find a liguor store that will do the same!! 

​Kim

Meet the new messy mommies - Kim and Kara! We are so excited that Kim and Kara will be blogging with us! ​

I've known Kim since grade school! We know life can be messy but Kim has helped us find the joy in everything over the years. And, when I say joy, I mean she has kept us rolling on the floor laughing. She is one of the hardest working, resourceful, and determined people that I know. She is an awesome mom, wife, and friend. Kim has raised three incredible daughters - Rudi, Sara, and Jessi and Kim is a fantastic cook! With Rudi and Sara in college and Jessi a busy senior, Kim is in a different chapter than me with my crazy six-year-old Tort twins!

Kim and I were recently talking about the different phases of life with juggling work and kids and I loved her thoughts. I told her she should blog with the Messy Mommies! At first Kim was like no way but I kept bugging her and know that she has a lot to say! Her friends know she does too! From amazing dip recipes, to family bonfires, to budget hacks, Kim knows how to bring people together in fun ways. Get ready friends - you are going to love Kim's blog posts! 

Kara is a delight to all her family and friends and lights up every room. Kara and I became close friends when she first started dating JJ who is my husband, Tony's cousin. The years have flown by with weddings and family celebrations. Kara and I love getting together with her three-year-old daughter Scarlett and three-month-old Ella and Sophia and Stella. The girls run around playing while us moms catch up on family life, work, and girl time. 

As a special events planner in the Park Ridge area, I love hearing about how Kara creates such memorable events. With her optimism and passion for a sparkling life, she adds such special touches to every element of her life. I recently asked Kara to join our blogging tribe of Messy Mommies as I thought our family and mom blog friends would love her easy tips and clever suggestions for parties and events. We know you will love Kara's posts and can't wait for you to see her sparkle!

​Meg

The Windy City is packed with amazing restaurants and iconic locations for wedding showers, birthday parties, and corporate gatherings. If you are planning a special event, searching for the perfect spot in Chicago can be a little daunting. I know I was in awe of the dizzying array of Chicago choices when my husband, Tony and I were recently planning a wedding shower for my fabulous sister-in-law, Sam and her awesome finance Jason.

​If you are like me, you might google “best restaurants for a wedding shower in Chicago” or “best private event spaces in Chicago.” Chances are you would then scan the lists and pour over pictures and potential menus. I narrowed options down to three places and chatted with the bride. Sam was so easy going and said she trusted me with whatever I thought was best. All I knew was that I wanted the shower to be a joyful event in a place that was different and could help us create some special memories for the wedding couple.

​If you are looking to create a similar type of event, no matter the occasion, we know where you need to go – Little Goat Diner! Here are four reasons why we love Little Goat Diner and their private event space on the second floor!

1. The Food
​I have been to many wedding and baby showers, birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, and tons of corporate events over the years. While the food was great at many of the events, it does tend to blur together. Stephanie Izard is the incredible executive chef and mastermind of Little Goat Diner, Girl and the Goat and Duck Duck Goat. OMG – the food was epic for the wedding shower! 

​My sister-in-law, Holly and I went to Little Goat Diner as I was planning the shower. We wanted to try some of the brunch options and check out the special event space. We tried out the spiced apple pancakes and the little piggy went to china biscuit sandwiches – so incredible! Holly is such a good friend and a party planner whiz. She helped me select the menu. I was going back and forth on the sides on if we should do the pork belly home fries or the LG mac n' cheese. Holly smiled at me and said, “Meg, this is Stephanie Izard’s restaurant – the LG mac n' cheese is incredible! With her recipes you know it will be amazing. There is no option on that one.” I had to agree with her and Holly shared that it is a favorite of my niece Eleanora. I also liked that the adults and kids would like this pick! Holly was right - the LG mac n' cheese was amazing!

​We loved the brunch menu options and had so many choices. Little Goat created so cute personalized menu cards for each place setting that showcased the wedding couple and the incredible food. Sam watched Stephanie on Bravo’s Top Chef and is a fan of her cooking which made the shower even sweeter. We all loved the food and everyone raved about each plate that was passed. Each item was so fabulous that it is hard to pick our very top favorites but if you are planning a brunch go for the spiced apple pancakes, the pork cemita sliders, the LG mac n' cheese and you simply must get the little piggy went to china biscuit sandwiches! Add on the fruit as well! This spectacular brunch will be something we definitely will remember for many years to come!

​2. The Venue
I’ve been to a lot of work functions over the years and when I was looking at options for Sam and Jason’s shower I really wanted to find a space that felt special and different from dark wood paneled rooms. When I found the Little Goat special events page I immediately adored the space. I adored Stephanie’s message on the event page even more. She talked about how she invited people to buy tickets with the proceeds going to charity for a dinner in her home. She shared how she spent the evening in her living room and kitchen eating and drinking and having fun with her guests. This sounded special and like the feel I was looking for our shower. Stephanie went on to talk about how she created the Little Goat private dining to be that same kind of space that feels like home. It does feel like home! You feel like you are in Stephanie’s kitchen and dining room with her friends taking care of you. 

We loved the great bar and it was so fun that you could walk over to the kitchen space and talk with the amazing team while they were creating our spectacular brunch. 

3. The People
The people you work with are a key ingredient to a special, memorable event. How Stephanie talks about creating a private event space that feels like you are in her home hints at how she has fostered a work culture that feels like you are with your family and friends. From my first e-mail with Tiffany, the private events and catering coordinator I knew I was looking at someplace special. From phone calls, to e-mails, to visiting the Little Goat Diner, Tiffany was so helpful and provided great insights on this unique space. Her quick work, passion for Little Goat and Stephanie's restaurants, and attention to details was fantastic! She made the planning process a breeze!

The day of the shower we had the opportunity to work with Erik and Mike who were awesome! They took such great care of our event and were fabulous to work with. Erik was fantastic as we set-up for the shower and constantly checked in with me. We also had the opportunity to chat with our chef Chrissy and her teammates Fabian and Eli during the shower. It was very cool to see them prep and cook our delicious brunch. You could feel their pride in being a part of the Little Goat family and their talent is insane! ​

4. The Cake
When you are planning a special event, whatever the occasion, I know it can be tough when working through your budget. You think about what your priorities are and where you want to spend your money. For Little Goat, we loved that flowers were included, that we could use the outdoor space, and how they approach the bar. Little cookies were included but I also wanted a special cake. Little did I know that the Little Goat cake would be epic! Words cannot even describe this amazing cake! Not only was the buttermilk cake with seasonal jam and buttercream icing huge, it was sooooo good. Once again you knew you were in a Stephanie Izard restaurant. You must order a cake! The cakes are reasonable in the realm of specialty cakes and there are so many amazing flavors!

Sam and Jason loved the cake! And, the gorgeous cake was one of my favorite things from the wedding shower! 

Check out Little Goat Diner and Stephanie's new cookbook!
From wedding showers, to birthday parties, to anniversary celebrations, to work gatherings and everything in between, you should go to Little Goat Diner for your special event! Check out the private event details on the Little Goat Diner website and email Tiffany today! Tell Tiffany Meg said hi! 

But wait, there is more! Stephanie Izard has a new cookbook out! The other day I was working on my laptop in the kitchen and had the Today show on. I looked up and saw Carson and Stephanie Izard making chicken which looked delicious! And then, Stephanie shared that she has a new cookbook, Gather & Graze: 120 Favorite Recipes for Tasty Good Times! This is so exciting and I can't wait to have friends over to gather and graze on some new dishes! Oder your Gather & Graze cookbook today!

Thanks to Stephanie, Tiffany and the team at Little Goat for helping create a very special shower for Sam and Jason and our family and friends. Thanks to Sam and Jason for being such an amazing couple! You inspire us and we can't wait for your wedding day!

​Meg

That's a wrap on Easter! And, now we turn to spring party planning! First communions, Mother's Day and graduation parties will be here in a flash! If you are like me and a gazillion other busy moms, you'll turn to Pinterest and Etsy for party ideas, quick hacks, and super cute treats.

I must admit I dream of being crafty and wish I could pull off so many of the very clever and very cute ideas on Pinterest. Yet, often my attempts end up with a #momfail. I love a good party though and keep trying.

I have though mastered ordering very cute cookies as desserts and for party favors from Etsy. From Doc McStuffins to Paw Patrol to Minions, I have loved the cookies I have ordered over the years. I must confess that I often stress out a few days before the parties in fear that my cookie delivery will not arrive on time. It always does and the cookies are always great.

My friend Kerry recently gave me a sweet party connection and I no longer have to worry about on-time deliveries! Kerry shared Elizabeth's Sweeties Facebook page and told me how she has ordered great sweet treats from Elizabeth. I decided to try out Elizabeth's so cute "peeps" bunny cookies for Easter!    

The above pictures are my orders from Easter! As you can see, Elizabeth's "peeps" cookies are darling! And, they taste delicious! The cookies were a big hit at our family Easter celebrations! She lives near us in Chicago in the Edison Park neighborhood. I took my sweet 6 year-old twins, Stella and Sophia with me to pick up the cookies. I love the idea of supporting local businesses and loved the pictures of all the amazing cookies on Elizabeth's Facebook page. So, when we went to pickup our cookies I asked if I could take a few pictures of her orders so I could write a post about her. Elizabeth was a bit surprised and I hope I didn't sound crazy. Her so nice friend was encouraging and all their kids were racing around. I couldn't coax in Sophia and Stella inside and they were giggling on the porch as a toddler was trying to make a break for the outside. I snapped some great pics and then asked Elizabeth if I could take a picture of her too! Her friend helped me persuade her to take a pic and I was so glad.

As we often say on our blog, life is messy and you find the joy in it all. I knew we were a hot mess at our house getting ready to host our family for Easter. Elizabeth and her friend had their kids running around and were getting ready for their own holidays. Yet, Elizabeth carved out time to make some gorgeous treats to help others celebrate in a special way. When I wanted to take her picture she said her hair was a mess and threw on a baseball hat. She looked darling and was clearly finding joy in it all. Her sweet cookies are so joyful too!

I'm so glad we ordered from Elizabeth for our Easter celebrations and know we will order from her again. So, if you are planning a First Communion party, a Mother's Day celebration, or are having graduation parties I hope you order from Elizabeth's Sweeties! And, of course you can order for showers, weddings, birthday parties, and so many other events. This is an awesome way to support a great local business and entrepreneurial mom! You will have some delicious, special treats for your party and I know your family and friends will love it!

Check out Elizabeth's gorgeous cookies, cute cupcakes and cake balls on the Elizabeth's Sweeties Facebook page! When you order, tell Elizabeth the Messy Mommies said hi!

Enjoy your cookies!

​Meg