Over the past week the International Women's Day hashtag has been all over social media and there have been powerful commercials on TV. This inspired me to think about who has impacted me and who has helped me be a better leader, teammate, and friend. 

I immediately thought of June Holmes and she is my #internationalwomensday2019 hero! June is the Chief Operation Officer for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, formerly PCI. I had the opportunity to work for June and she has been a mentor to me for more than 10 years! Following are 3 key lessons I learned from June.

1. People First
June demonstrated that people always come first. She instilled in me the importance of putting people at the center of your work. As a membership trade association, June built meaningful relationships with the executives of the member companies that have spanned her career. Her strong relationships helped the association be in tune with what mattered most to the members, to have insights on what kept them up at night, and knowledge of what resources the companies needed to succeed. June invested in cultivating relationships which made members feel valued. She genuinely cares about the members, their companies and also their personal lives. It is inspiring to see June in action with the members and the solid friendships inspire me to make time to build strong relationships with others. 

June also showed me the importance of keeping employees front and center in our daily work. June constantly thought through how initiatives, projects, and changes would impact employees. She had the short view, as well as the long view on how any company actions could play out and impact employees. She taught me the importance of viewing impact on employees from so many different angles. When I worked at PCI, June's insights were critical for strong employee relations and engagement. ​

2. Power in the Details
With multiple board meetings, many conferences, and countless political engagement events, the days flew by at the trade association. The amount of content generated could feel like an avalanche. June is a master of creating plans and execution to ensure outstanding products and services are delivered to incredibly busy executives. June taught me so much about keeping the trains running while also creating valuable content. Her ability to organize strategic plans and activate the team to produce results inspired me and taught me valuable skills. She also taught me the importance of working the details, staying focused, and remaining calm despite any fire drill. 

3. Pursue Your Passions Everywhere 
June encouraged me to pursue my passions at work such as encouraging insurance companies to embrace social media and working on talent challenges with the Insurance Careers Movement. When I had my sweet twin girls, Sophia and Stella, June taught me so much about pursuing your passions with your family while having a demanding career. As a working mom, June taught me about the importance of weaving in time to go to things like a music class with the girls or popping home for lunch with the twins. I learned from June on how to juggle work and home and how to have a meaningful impact in both places. June is an amazing role model on how to pursue your passions and make in impact in every aspect of your life.

#IWD2019
As I celebrate #IWD2019 and think about Stella and Sophia's future, I hope to inspire them like June Holmes inspires me. I'm grateful for the tremendous impact June has had on my life, both professionally and personally. June is my International Women's Day hero! 

We LOVE Charlotte from Henry Danger on @Nickelodeon and she is our superhero! As we celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to share some love with Charlotte Page who is played by the highly talented Riele Downs! 

My almost seven year-old twins, Stella and Sophia love watching Charlotte and her friends on Henry Danger! We are superfans of Charlotte and watch Henry Danger all time! The girls count down to the new episodes and love going back and watching shows from the previous seasons. I can look at a picture and know the episode immediately.

Here are four reasons we love Charlotte! ​

2. Super Friend
Charlotte is a super friend to Henry, Ray, Jasper, Piper and Schwoz. No matter the villains, no matter the crazy situations, no matter the funny outfits, Charlotte is a super friend to the entire gang. She helps her friends when they are in trouble (every episode), cheers them up when they are down (Bianca), and is willing to do just about anything to help them out (spelling bee and wearing Jasper's retainer).

​I have been friends with the incredible Rhonda Houston for more than twenty years and it is important for me to have the girls see friendships that look like Rhonda and I on TV. To help create positive change kids need to see people of all colors being friends on TV. Nickelodeon is doing an awesome job with Charlotte, Henry, Ray, Jasper, Piper and Schwoz and the rest of the gang. We love that Piper and Charlotte are close pals too.

I am a better person because of my long, amazing friendship with Rhonda. She has taught me so much, inspires me, and is an incredible friend. Thank you Charlotte and Nickelodeon for showing my girls meaningful and fun friendships on Henry Danger. 

3. Super Plan
I love that Charlotte is always asking Captain Man and Kid Danger, "What is the plan?" She is the voice of reason among the constant, funny chaos. As Ray, Henry, Schwoz, and Jasper go back and forth, Charlotte figures out the plan. It could as simple as pulling the plug to prevent the end of Swellview to using the computers to figure out the riddles, she makes a plan. I love that my girls get to see a strong girl make a plan and take action to help save the day. 

4. Super Fashion
We love Charlotte's clothes. Charlotte is a bit edgy and my girls love that. Stella and Sophia think Charlotte looks cool! Stella took a hip hop class last summer and that is more her vibe. No pink in their closets! The girls like to check out what Charlotte is wearing on each show. And, they love Piper's outfits too!

Thank You Charlotte, Riele, & Nickelodeon
Thank you Charlotte, Riele, and Nickelodeon for inspiring Sophia, Stella and I! You all are our superheroes! We are celebrating Black History Month and are cheering Charlotte's amazing talents, wonderful friendships and work to help save the day. Thank you Riele for giving Charlotte such passion, wit, and inspiration! You are teaching my girls wonderful, lifelong lessons. And, thank you Nickelodeon for leading the way with such an awesome show that is filled with strong values! We are your superfans and can't wait for more Henry Danger adventures with Charlotte, Henry, Ray, Piper, Jasper, and Schwoz and the rest of the team.  

Brewers fans - I get it. Change can be hard. Change in Major League Baseball can be hard and when it comes to things the fans care deeply about, like beer and naming rights, it can be very hard. In this social media era, Twitter can tell you immediately just how hard it can be. I know firsthand and I would like to ask you to give @AmFamJack Jack Salzwedel and American Family a chance at the plate. I had the opportunity to work for the Texas Rangers for almost five years and it was amazing. I now work in insurance and it is amazing, seriously.

​I started as an usher for the Texas Rangers in 1995 and joined the Front Office at the end of the season. This was back in the day when Doug Melvin was our General Manager and Pudge Rodriguez was leading the team to big wins. The same strong values of the Brewers and Doug Melvin can be found in the American Family team. I’m passionate about America’s pastime and appreciate the deep loyalty of fans to their teams. I had the opportunity to work on Nolan Ryan’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. When you walk the streets of Cooperstown and are in the presence of baseball giants, it is an awe inspiring time. Every detail matters in baseball. From the players to the uniforms, from the beer to the hot dogs, to the name of a ballpark to fan promotions. Every detail is interwoven into the fabric of a team and their fans. So, I get it that it might be difficult to imagine Miller Park with a different name but I know you love the Brewers and I want to share why I want you to give the Brewers and the American Family partnership a chance at the plate.
 
Through my work in insurance I have had the opportunity to work with Jack and the American Family team for almost 10 years and they are awesome.

​The Team
Jack and American Family are a team with strong values and a passion for building strong relationships. I’m not surprised that American Family was on a list of potential partners for the Brewers. I appreciate that the Brewers were looking for a company to join their crew that would positively impact the team and the larger community. American Family Insurance is the fourth largest Wisconsin-based company. The American Family group of companies has 12,000 people on their team including 4,375 in Wisconsin. And, they sell their products in Wisconsin through 300 independent contractor agents. The American Family team works hard to help people dream fearlessly which is what every baseball team is all about. I especially love dreaming fearlessly on opening day. Everything is possible in that moment! The American Family team is committed to being innovative, caring, agile, trustworthy, transparent, and passionate. Brewers fans, I just want to highlight how in this naming rights moment you can see the AmFam transparency in action. I worked for Tom Schieffer, the president of the Texas Rangers and one day during a bad losing streak I asked Tom if he was going down to the dugout to talk with the press. He said that you have to show up not only on the good days, but the tough days. Jack has shown up on Twitter to answer questions about the new partnership and to talk about why they are excited to support the Brewers and the Milwaukee community. These are the kind of people you want on the field with you. 

​The Resources
From being an usher to working in the front office, I had an opportunity to see behind the scenes on what it takes to run a major league team. I’m sure costs have continued to soar for baseball teams over the years and now there is such an enormous competition for how people spend their time and money. From player salaries to maintaining the ballpark to seasonal employees to insurance to promotions and a million other line items, major league baseball is expensive. In this highly competitive era, partnerships are critical in helping ensure a club can field the best team possible while providing the best fan experience possible. For more than 90 years American Family has helped inspire, protect, and restore people’s dreams. With their financial strength, in 2017 American Family also helped local communities with $11.7 million total combined philanthropic giving. This is major league giving and with their growing footprint I am sure they are already helping in your communities as well. In the Brewers and American Family announcement, they shared that together they would also support community projects and would help refurbish youth and high school baseball fields. This is a win for the team, American Family, the fans, and the community. American Family is stepping up to the plate with a 15-year partnership with the Brewers which will help the team succeed on and off the field.
 
Brewers fans, I know the beer will still be cold on every opening day. And while the name may change, the dream to win the World Series will remain the same. I hope you will give AmFam Jack and the American Family team a chance a plate. I know they will hit it out of the park. 

Sears made headlines again last week when it survived through a bankruptcy action. Eddie Lampert, the chairman and largest shareholder of Sears saved the company with his $5.2 billion takeover bid. Under his proposal, Eddie will keep about 400 stores open nationwide and will save as many as 45,000 jobs. I was glad to hear this iconic 126 year-old company would remain in business, at least for now.

I was so sad last August when Carson Pirie Scott closed its final stores after 160 years in operation. Carson’s had begun liquidating its 212 stores last April after it couldn’t find a buyer. Over the summer I was a frequent shopper at Carson's and picked up many great liquidation deals. While I was glad to save money, I was incredibly sad each time I saw the enormous going out of business signs.

I get it, the retail landscape is radically changing and as an Amazon Prime member I’ve been quick to order online. The disappearing stores and retail jobs are staggering. In 2017 there was a record high of nearly 7,000 retail stores closed and it appears that in 2018 nearly 5,000 bigger stores closed. My kids and I were so sad when Toys-R-Us shuttered last year.

But the Carson’s closing, as well as the closings of other iconic bricks and mortar stores is about more than just losing another place to shop. It’s about people and jobs and leadership and opportunities. I know that tech and innovation are creating those things in other ways but I just can’t lose sight of the enormous value that takes place in physical stores across the nation. 

More than 20,000 people nationwide lost their jobs with the closings of the Bon-Ton chain including the Carson's stores. National retail job losses are staggering and apparently more than 66,000 retail jobs vanished in 2017. According to retail reports, these job losses tend to hit the young, elderly, women and minorities the hardest.

My mom, Bev Murer went back to work when I was in junior high. I was so excited that she was working at Carson Pirie Scott in Joliet and thought it was so cool to go visit her in the men's department when she was working. My siblings, Sergie, Missy and Matt and I would dash about the store and loved to check everything out. Throughout my career I have reflected many times on my mom's career at Carson's and have tried to emulate her leadership, teamwork, resourcefulness, and positive attitude. When Carson's closed last August I kept thinking about 3 specific lessons I learned from my mom. As the future of big box stores and potential store closing continue to be hot topics I wanted to share my favorite lessons from my mom and her working in retail. 

1. Work Hard At Every Job and Have A Positive Attitude
From the day my mom joined Carson Pirie Scott until the day she retired 24 years later, she gave 120% towards everything she did. My mom started in the Men's department and I learned how to work hard and hustle from her. I learned retail can be chaos and my mom worked hard to bring order and exceptional service. My mom would share stories about work with us kids and she would talk about the importance of working hard and doing a good job at every task. 

From the home front my siblings and I only added to the chaos. My dad was also working hard at his job but we never bothered him at work. We would call my mom at Carson's and would all be fighting and screaming at each other. I look back now and am mortified at our behavior. I do not know how she did not throttle us when she got home. We were horrible and she would address our issues over the phone with a pleasant, crisp voice. My mom is a saint.

My mom enjoyed working with the customers and the employees as well as the operations of retail. She worked very hard, continued to learn and develop her talents. She embraced career opportunities and was promoted throughout her career at Carson's. Mom become the Human Resources Manager in Joliet and then at Lincoln Mall in Matteson. Retail provided a career path for my mom as it does for countless others. 

2. Be A Problem Solver
As the manager of HR my mom had a red carnation attached to her name tag. When she walked the floor this helped identify her and the other managers as problem solvers. When we were in high school we would stop in the store to say hi to my mom when we were out shopping. I loved going into her office and loved seeing her interact with the other Carson's employees. I thought it was so interesting to listen to them talk about schedules, upcoming sales, and events going on the store. I could see their collaboration and attention to detail. Sometimes I would go walk the floors with my mom. I loved this. My mom would talk with the other employees and was quick to help resolve problems for customers. I loved watching her defuse a situation and help take care of the customers. Retail can be crazy but my mom never seemed to be flustered by any situation. She would work through the problem, would help the employee, and would send away a happy customer. At Christmas time it would be super crazy and my mom would still be calmly focused on the problem and helping improve the situation. I learned so much from watching my mom in action. And if you are wondering, I think housewares is the craziest department and has the most issues! Retail provides opportunities for people to develop critical skills and help the company succeed.

3. Treat Every Person Exceptionally Well
There is such a focus on diversity and inclusion and treating people well right now but my mom has always been doing this! I've watched my mom work in the departments, interact with the management team, and help customers and no matter the person, no matter the situation my mom has always treated every person exceptionally well. She is kind, thoughtful, and inclusive in her work and I have always tried to follow her lead. I could tell others appreciated how much she valued each person as we walked the floors. Other employees were quick to chat with my mom and she always asked about their families and lives. Each person was important. I could tell in how they responded to her that they appreciated my mom too. My mom led the Sunshine Committee for years and always tried to brighten the work experience for the employees. I loved hearing her stories about the latest Sunshine Committee events. I tried to do similar things in my jobs too. My mom wanted people to enjoy their work experience, to find value in their contributions and to provide outstanding service. She led through example and it made a difference at Carson's. In retail you have an opportunity to interact with so many different people and it is so important to treat everyone exceptionally well.

Next time you need to shop...
I'm grateful for Carson's and other physical stores for the opportunities they provide for people to work hard, to develop their skills and to grow their careers. It's also an opportunity to interact with others and treat each other well. And, it's an opportunity to earn money and provide for your family. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to see my mom in action at Carson's and I learned so much from her at work. 

So, next time you need to do some shopping I hope you'll do a mix of physical stores and on-line. And, go into Sears, I know 45,000 people that would appreciate it.

Love you mom!

​Meg 

* You may see the Carson's brand on-line. The company name was purchased in the fall of 2018. 

Where did the Messy Mommies go for the last six months? Well, sometimes life is messy and the "to do" lists run long! There are so many things I didn't cross off my lists the last few months! Good thing 2019 is right around the corner and it's time for New Year's resolutions! More blogging for sure!

My messy Christmas cards are the perfect example of what life has been like lately. Tony, Sophia, Stella and I moved from Chicago to Joliet in August and are so glad to be back home. I knew I needed to do my Christmas cards early so we could share our new address and ordered them on Shutterfly in early December. I also ordered from Shutterfly presents including photo Christmas ornaments, photo water bottles and a photo puzzle. Once ordered I didn't give the orders much thought. I few days before Christmas my Messy Mommies partner-in-crime, Holly and I were talking about Christmas cards and I realized my order had not yet arrived. Holly asked if I was sure I had sent my order to the right address. Oh no, I immediately thought and quickly jumped on the computer. Sure enough, I had sent everything to the old house. I tracked down the new owners and dashed off a pleading, cheery email to see  if I could pick up the packages. Thank goodness they still had my packages. Tony was a champ of a husband and drove up to the old house to pick up the items. I had our cute photo gifts just in time for Christmas. Hooray! But most of the Christmas cards are still on my kitchen counter! Life is messy! Dear friends, our Christmas cards will be late! LOL!

So this is how my messy life has been over the past six months! I way, way, way, way underestimated how much was involved with building a new house, selling a house, packing, moving, saying good-bye to awesome friends, starting a new school, making new friends at school, unpacking, and the holidays. It's not just messy - it's chaos! The messiness is all worth it and I'm thankful that we moved back home and are now closer to Tony's parents, my parents and so many life-long friends.

So many times I thought about sitting down for a few minutes and blogging. I had so many things I wanted to write about but every moment just flew by! Here are a few things I wanted to write about and you just might see these posts in 2019:

• Building a new house with M/I Homes (awesome experience)
• Selling a family home, so many special memories 
• Saying good-bye to wonderful friends, tearful
• How sad I was at the closing of the Carson's stores and leadership lessons I learned from my mom, my mom inspires every day
• Starting a new school for my twins and being the new mom in the pickup line, so nervous
• Baking Christmas cookies with Sophia and Stella, so fun and so messy
• My #LoveActually video for insurance on LinkedIn, so crazy with over 8,800 views

And so many more thoughts. Hopefully more writing in 2019! In the meantime, we hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying the holidays! Thank you for reading our blog and being a part of our messy lives! Happy New Year and we look forward to connecting with you in 2019!

​Meg
 

Calling all #4thofJuly #hotdog fans! Come on out to @MistwoodGolf Course on the 4th of July at 2:00 pm to help Mistwood Golf Course and @ViennaBeef break the Guinness Book of World Record for the longest line of hot dogs! Help bring the title back to America on #IndependenceDay and enjoy some free hot dogs! #ViennaBeef hot dogs will be lined up from tee to green! We love the Mistwood Golf Course and the @McWethysTavern! Come be a part of history and see what 2,000 hot dogs line up on a gorgeous golf course look like on the 4th of July! What a great way to help @ViennaBeef celebrate 125 years of amazing hot dogs!

The record currently stands at 1,157 feet and is held by Nakakyushu Kubota of Japan. This awesome event is free and open to the public! 

Come on out friends in #Joliet #Bolingbrook #Romeoville #Shorewood #Naperville #Chicagoland area! What a great way to celebrate the 4th of July and be a part of a #GWR! 

P.S. we love #ViennaBeef hot dogs so much that we wrote about @ViennaBeef last 4th of July. You can check out that post here ​http://www.messymommiesinthecity.com/home/why-you-should-have-a-viennabeef-hotdog-this-4th-of-july

​Summer is in full swing and the Messy Mommies love heading to the lake with our messy families! Last week I called Holly, my sister-in-law and fellow Messy Mommy blogger, Holly and shared that we were headed to the lake. I asked Holly if she and my niece Eleanora wanted to join us to kick off the summer at the lake. Holly quickly said yes and my twins, Sophia and Stella were so excited that Eleanora was coming along. 
 
My parent’s lake house is a couple of hours outside of Chicago near Starved Rock and is the perfect place to disconnect from devices and have fun with the kids. We run on lake time and the kids’ focus is on spending as much time at the beach, pool, or down at the dock as possible! We agree with our messy kids and try to plan easy summertime meals so we can be outside!

​The weather was cloudy but the girls didn’t care! Eleanora had received a giant unicorn float for her birthday which we blew up. Holly was a champ and walked the unicorn down the hill to the beach as we drove over. Thunder clapped in the distance and the lifeguard wouldn’t let us swim so we did relay races with the unicorn floats. 

Suddenly the sky darkened and we jumped in the car with the unicorn hanging out the back. Rain poured down as we dashed back to the cabin. We got soaked as we sprinted inside but the girls didn’t care. They pulled out Twister, Candy Land and other board games. The rain eventually stopped and we headed down to the dock for fishing. ​

​Stella, Sophia, and Eleanora kept grandpa jumping as the fish were biting! The girls would scream with excitement over every bluegill they pulled from the lake. I screamed as I tried to help my dad take the fish off the hooks and the fish flipped around. The bluegills were so little but the girls didn’t care. They loved it all. I loved that they were having a blast outside with their grandpa. Once the girls collectively caught 16 fish Holly and I decided it was time to go up to make dinner.

Lake time means easy summer meals and we try to be a bit healthy when we can to combat all the s'mores! The Messy Mommies are excited to try out the new salads from Taylor Farms. We had reached out to Taylor Farms on social media and shared that we loved their salads and were excited for the new salad kits. Taylor Farms so kindly shared the new chopped kits with us to try out! I love bacon and was excited to try the Maple Bourbon Bacon salad! Taylor Farms had me at bacon. 

The Taylor Farms Maple Bourbon Bacon chopped kit includes romaine lettuce, broccoli, red and savoy cabbage, green onion, carrots, uncured smoky bacon, golden almonds with a maple-bourbon vinaigrette. 

I loved the smoky bacon and the golden honey almonds added a great, sweet crunch to the salad! The Taylor Farms Maple Bourbon Bacon chopped kit was so easy to toss together for a quick, easy summer dinner. We served the delicious salad along side the sweet potato medallions and chicken sausage. We also diced some of the sweet potatoes and toped the Taylor Farms Maple Bourbon Bacon salad with the sweet potatoes. This was a perfect summer lake meal!

We also love that the Taylor Farms Maple Bourbon Bacon chopped kit is 100% free from artificial ingredients! You will love this salad and the maple-bourbon vinaigrette is so good too! The new Taylor Farms Maple Bourbon Bacon chopped kits are hitting stores in the Chicagoland area! Huge thanks to Taylor Farms for sharing the new Taylor Farms chopped kits with the Messy Mommies in the City!

Try the Taylor Farms Maple Bourbon Bacon chopped kit today for the perfect easy summer dinner! You will have a wonderful dinner and more time for family summer fun like unicorn relay races! 

​Meg 

P.S. Check out more on Taylor Farms - we love companies that make a positive difference and give back! See Bruce's comments below!
"From an early age my mom and dad, Joanne and Ted Taylor, ingrained in me the imperative of leaving the world a better place. One of the greatest pleasures of our success since I started Taylor Fresh Foods, has been the opportunities afforded to us to make a positive impact on a larger scale.” 
– Bruce Taylor, Founder and CEO.

We wait all winter and it feels like it will never be hot out again and then bam… ITS HERE! 

Summers have definitely changed now that my kids are older.  I promised myself that this year I am going to make a determined attempt to get my kids to do some of the things we used to do together as a family.  It is so hard to coordinate work and school schedules and everyone's plans that we forget to make time to do things that makes mom happy!!

We have always loved festivals during the summer, and living in Joliet every weekend some church or organization is having a fest somewhere.  I have given my children 3 weekend dates that I demand they open up just for us!!  Each fest holds special memories for me and I hope my girls! And, darn it they are going with me this year!!

One of our favorite fests is Taste of Joliet @TasteofJoliet!  Taste of Joliet is held at ATI Field at Joliet Memorial Stadium.  It is always held at the end of June, this year it is the weekend of June 22, 2018.  I have so many memories of the carnivals and the bands – wow the bands!  We would get there early to find  a spot on the field and put our blankets down.  The girls would always need an elephant ear immediately!  Luckily, it always seemed our blanket was near the beer tent!  What a coincidence!  After a quick snack and beverages we would head over to the carnival. One of the best parts of this fest is that you can not walk 5 feet without seeing someone you knew, friends from gradeschool, an old work friend or ever a cousin you haven’t seen in ages!! 
​
On to the carnival! We would purchase a weekend bracelet and the girls would ride every ride a million times. There always seems to be one ride that they just loved and would go on it again and again. Funny thing is I offered to buy them each a weekend bracelet this year …. the looks I got! I guess at 21, 19, and 17 that is no longer enticing!  

​This year it is all about the music and the food.  So, after researching the bands I found out that Chase Rice and Brothers Osburne @brothersosborne will be playing on Saturday, now that excited my girls!   I am looking forward to not having to chase them around the carnival and I am missing not having to chase them around the carnival! Time is flying by fast - we need to make more family memories!

Food… So many options, form corn on the cob from the Joliet Firefighters, to a porkchop on a stick from Annabelles.  The festive atmosphere makes everything taste like heaven!!  There is something for everyone from veggies, to Mexican to sweets to pizza!  If you leave here hungry it is your own fault!!

I have an image in my head for #TOJ18 of sitting on the blanket listening to music and eating some great local food, my girls are all there laughing and we are having a great time!  The sun is shining, the drinks are cold and friends stop by the blanket to visit. It is a perfect summer day!!
​
Next weekend, come on over to Joliet with your family and check out the Taste of Joliet! You will make memories to last a life time! Be sure to stop by our blanket and say hi! And, I know you will have a perfect summer day too!

​Kim

​Taste of Joliet Hours and Admission 
Taste of Joliet Purchase Tickets
Taste of Joliet Parking & Other Maps

​​Whoa - it’s Memorial Day Weekend already! I’m still finding pine needles around the house from our Christmas tree removal back in December, so it truly is a surprise to be approaching the weekend that unofficially kicks off summer! There are many celebrations throughout the city and suburbs to honor and remember the men and women who died while serving our country.  We have the pleasure each year of meeting up with Meg, Tony and the twins to view the Memorial Day Parade in Norwood Park.  This year, on Monday, May 28th the parade will kick-off at 11am. You can find more information about the event as well as the parade route at http://www.norwoodpark.org/memorial-day-parade/.
 
While it truly is important to take time to remember those who have served our country during the upcoming holiday weekend, many also look forward to this weekend to spend time with family and friends!  I know many of us in Chicago will be setting up our outdoor furniture, planting gardens and getting our grills ready to start enjoying the arrival of summer!  
 
If you don’t have plans for the weekend yet, and want to venture out for a few hours with the family, I suggest checking out Southport Corridor.  Often times this area on weekends is bustling – and if the Cubs are up to bat at home, it’s even more festive!  If you don’t happen to have tickets to any of the games this weekend, but want to be a part of the baseball fun, I have a suggested itinerary to fill a morning or afternoon this weekend with a bit of fun!
 
First, head over to Margaret Donahue Park at 1230 W. School Street.  If you and your kids are Cubs fans, you will love this place due to the large turf area showcasing the Cubs logo!  The playground equipment is awesome, and if the temperatures rise, the splash zone will be a great place to cool off. The playground honors the work of Margaret Donahue, one of the first women executives in major league baseball. You can check out her story here
 https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/margaret-donahue-park

After playing for a bit, the kids will probably be ready to eat! Head west on School Street to arrive at Southport Avenue.  One of Eleanora’s favorites for lunch or dinner is locally owned and operated by 4 Star Restaurant Group, Tuco and Blondie!  EVERYTHING on the menu is great and all kids meals are only $6 and include a drink, fruit and an ice cream cone for dessert. If you end up at Tuco and Blondie between 4:30pm and 6:30pm, your kids will eat for free! Eleanora is a big fan of the guacamole made with avocado, lime and pico de gallo.  Moms and dads should definitely try one of the margaritas! Tuco and Blondie is located on the corner of Southport Avenue and Roscoe Street.  http://www.tucoandblondie.com
 
However, if Mexican food isn’t what you are hankering for, Eleanora also gives a big thumbs up to Crosby’s Kitchen located at Southport Avenue and Cornelia Avenue. This is another super kid-friendly restaurant owned and operated by 4 Star Restaurant Group where you will find outdoor seating allowing for the fun pastime of people watching. I love the Wrightwood Salad made with the restaurant’s rotisserie chicken. The menu also offers great options for kids, and again, if you dine here between 4:30pm and 6:30pm, kids eat free. When we eat here, it is a must to end our dining experience with the skillet cookie! ​

So now that you have played with the kids and had a bite to eat, there is one more thing visitors to Southport Avenue experience – shopping. It isn’t always easy to shop with kids in tow, but you may want to pop into M2 Boutique and have them help you pick out a Father’s Day gift or grad gift you may need. This cute little corner shop owned by Melissa Nelson, is a great place to find unique and affordable gifts.  With Father’s day around the corner, you may find something for your sports fan hubby, accessories for the traveling dad, or fun bar accessories for the thirsty guy! However, if Father’s Day shopping isn’t on your radar yet, I am sure you can find a little bauble for yourself!  ​

Calling all friends of the Messy Mommies! Do you have ninja kids flipping around your house? Are your kids climbing over furniture? Do they turn your backyard into an obstacle course? Well then, Stella, Sophia and I think you should brave your adventure and join us at the awesome Chicagoland Kids Obstacle Challenge on June 16th at Busse Woods! And, we have an awesome, muddy deal for you!

Sign up today for the epic Chicagoland Kids Obstacle Challenge! Just click on this Kids Obstacle Challenge link and use the promo code MESSYMOMMIES10 to receive 10% off your registration! 

Stella, Sophia, Tony and I did the muddy Kids Obstacle Challenge last year and it was awesome! And very muddy - which was awesome! This was our first family obstacle course and we were not sure what to expect! Tony and I thought it would be a good family adventure and it far exceeded our expectations!

Stella is our brave, adventuresome daughter that loves to climb high, leap over any object, and is drawn to anything messy. Her 6-year-old twin sister, Sophia is such a sweetheart and is a deep thinker, assesses the situation, and bravely charts her own course. I love 5k races and my husband, Tony thinks I'm crazy. I really wasn't sure how our family outing was going to go. 

We picked an early morning wave time and hydrated with our favorite Body Armor sports drink. We packed up extra beach towels and headed to the course. The Kids Obstacle Challenge team was so organized! After we checked in we powered up with our Clif Bars! Then the kids stretched and tested their skills in the warm up area. It quickly was time for our race!

The Kids Obstacle Challenge folks are fantastic at spacing the participants which was great for my cautious Sophia. Yet, there was plenty of room to run for my gazelle like Stella. The course is filled with obstacles from jumping up to hit bells to climbing over fences and walls. As we kicked our challenge into gear we encountered rope walls,  ball water pits, and spider web challenges. It was a blast working with the girls. I was enchanted with watching them assess and decide how they would bravely navigate each obstacle. Sometimes Stella went over a challenge while Sophia opted for climbing under. Other times we all helped each other maneuver around. And there was mud - lots and lots of mud! It was awesome!

As we dashed through the course I could see Stella and Sophia's confidence build and we were all laughing as we splashed through more mud. Tony was a champ as he helped Stella swing across the mud pit. Stella then went bravely into the army crawl mud pit!

I was so proud of the girls as we rounded the last part of the course. The girls were laughing and cheering each other on as we dashed to the finish line. They LOVED getting their very first medals and thought it was awesome that we were muddy! 

The Kids Obstacle Challenge is an epic way to kick off summer with your family and friends! Sign up today and be sure to use our special code MESSYMOMMIES10! ​

Here are a few tips for the day!
1. Wear old gym shoes! The course is muddy, muddy, muddy!
2. Bring towels. There are spray hoses so you can get some of the mud off before you get to your car. Towels help!
3. Bring a change of clothes for the kids. It is muddy!
4. Bring or purchase on site a plastic case for your cell phone so you can take pictures along the way!
5. Travel light for the race, it is muddy!
6. Have an awesome time with your family and friends!

The Messy Mommies hope to see you and your families on June 16th at the Kids Obstacle Course! Look for us, we'll be near the mud!

​Meg