Category: Girls Just-a-Wanna Have Fun

Remember when you lived at home and your income was yours to spend as you liked? Remember back when you two were jealously referred to as DINKs by your straddled coworkers and clothes shopping was considered to be a leisurely pastime? Remember all those beautiful designer shoes your closet used to be loaded with but you can no longer afford to shop for? Well buck up! This is the best time of the year for getting a new wardrobe, for you and even your kids, and your wallet won’t even complain!

First off, the department stores are all trying to lure you in with their various sales, because they know many of you have your tax returns on hand, and you also need to start stocking up on a lot less layering. If you want to go that route, Carsons should be your first stop, because they’re having their annual Goodwill sale. For every item you donate, you get a coupon for a new item for 20% off, even if it’s on sale, and of which there is a lot of! You do good for someone else, and you get treated for it. Not bad! The other stores of its caliper, like Macy’s and Kohl's, are also having big sales right now, so you might want to explore all three.

Now if you’re like me and want to go vintage and retro, your first stop should be the Village Discount Outlet, especially if you’ve never tapped a store like this before. Hey! You there! Stop your moaning and eye rolling! Yes, thrift store clothes are used, and yes they have that weird smell to everything, but they’re also fun, cool places to shop and have really nice stuff if you know where to go! I like the one on Elston when driving, and the one by Diversey and Halsted has some pretty high end stuff to check out.

Now, once you get broken in to how the system works, you might just be ready for the smaller boutiques and theme shops. Shangrila Vintage in Roscoe Village is just so fun to check out, and the people working there are awesome! A Ragstock location is another place you’ll want to check out if you’re of the 20-30 year old persuasion, because they always have a sale going on, the stuff is so friggin’ cool, and they’re even a happy medium between new and used. I like the store on Belmont the best, even though the parking is pretty scarce.

So definitely get your shopping freak on and enjoy your new duds! Just remember to bring cash to the vintage joints!

For many, Daylight Savings Time is one of those indicators that summer isn’t too long off, and with that is the looming dread of how many pounds have been accumulated over the winter. Well, buck up and buckle down! There are a lot of places around here that cater to your overall betterment, especially when it comes to fitting into that swim suit!

Galter Life Center: Looking to avoid the standard meat market mentality and want an affordable, accommodating and an attitude free atmosphere? Then head to Galter up on the north side. Besides the fact they offer a wide range of classes, machines, a lap pool and a track, their customer service is definitely something to tell all of your friends about! Not only will they remember your name and what you’re there or, but they don’t try to sucker you in on a bunch of add-ons you don’t really need. Oh and yes, this place is very clean and organized, too!

Bucktown Fitness Center: Two major great things that strike a cord with me are:
a) NO CONTRACT! Really! You get three free days to check it out, and you set up how you want to pay afterwards. Even if you want to pay by the day, that’s fine by them! How cool is THAT?

b) Free weights downstairs, machines upstairs. How nice is it for us ladies to peddle, peddle, peddle - without some meat head grunting behind you and staring at your keister? Seriously, this place is designed for getting into shape, not getting hit on!
I also like it for the simple fact that it’s a neighborhood gym and fitness center, where everybody and (body type!) are welcome. No real space for stretching unfortunately, but definitely worth the bucks.

Hapkido and Tae Kwan Do: Hiyeeee-YAH! Kick your butt back into shape the fun way, and you won’t even need a form fitting yellow jump suit to do it in! This place has been a mainstay in the city for generations, making it no surprise it’s also one of the most popular places to get your moves on! Try it out – the first week is free! And ladies, a third of the people here are women, so don’t be shy about getting a little extreme! An added plus is your “workout outfit” is comfy and can be very flattering and sexy to boot! Besides, that back of the mind worry you might have walking to your car in the dark will definitely become a distant memory. Now for those of you who think getting fit means you need machines to do it on, they have those too, and showers to match!

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of months, you're well aware Illinois is now a smoke-free state. However, there are still plenty of places you can go where you are more than welcome to light up. Just keep in mind, they probably won't be selling food or alcohol, as 80% of their business needs to be coming from tobacco. Even so, here's a quick list of places to check out:

House of Hookah: Right on the corner of Belmont and Broadway, this hookah lounge offers 80 flavors of tobacco, along with specialty cigarettes for the world traveler in you. Oh and yes, while hanging out and chillin' with your friends, be sure to order up an espresso or tea! Or, go ahead and bring something in with you, because they're also BYOB!

Guess Hookah: Another place to hook up with a hookah and BYOB, this time in the Wicker Park area! This place is also a full scale retail shop in all that is sweet tobacco, just in case you want to revel in the ambiance in the comfort of your own home. The lounge also offers free Wi-Fi as well as plenty of games to while away the hours.

Sigara Lounge: This place is also in the Wicker Park neighborhood, but the difference here is, besides the tobacco, the coffee and tea, this place has beautiful belly dancers on Thursday through Saturday nights after 10:30! Not only is this place is the first of its kind here, but it's also the best: you can reserve a private booth, or lay back on the big throw pillows scattered in classic Persian ambiance!

Iwan Ries: Unless it's Cuban, you can get it at this downtown location, because these guys really do have everything! They're the oldest tobacconists in the entire country in fact! Their website really doesn't do this shop justice; you really need to see it for yourself! If you want a lunchtime break from the ordinary, come on in, do a little splurging and feel free to light it up right there and then... whatever "it" may be!

Capitol Cigar Store: Located on the corner of 63rd and Pulaski, this place is really hard to miss. The shop itself is nothing special, but trust me - you might want to bring the camera, because old White Owl will be sure to greet you! And ladies, that giant Indian (errr.. Native American!) likes it when you scope out what's under his loin cloth! (Your best viewing angle is from looking northeast from the front of the flower shop across 63rd!).

Find additional Hookah Bars & Lounges

Ladies, it’s time to go out for a night on the town. You’re gonna meet up with the girls and hopefully, later on, meet up with some guys. So you throw on your black stiletto boots, tight jeans, strappy low-cut shirt and accessorize with sparkly, dangly jewelry. Right?

Wrong. It’s time to spice things up. You want to stand apart when you go to the bar, am I right? My advice is: head to store B in Wicker Park. This upscale antique/thrift shop is full to the brim with classy accessories and rare clothing finds that will have you looking like an old-time movie star at a glamorous premiere.

I stopped in there a couple of weeks ago and the glimmer of style from an era past caught my eye with every unique handbag, cute hat and sophisticated fur coat. This is where you go when you want to liven up your wardrobe in a way that is completely new as well as old.

Beautifully decorated, this place gives me a vibe that I don’t usually get in antique stores. No stinky, dusty smell, no junk, nothing that made me cringe. Just upscale, good quality clothing in a soothing, relaxed environment. The exposed brick, pendant lighting and elegant chandelier certainly bring a modern feeling to the space.

Trying on a couple of hats, I thought back to a girls night out I had a few years back, where I loaned out some of my vintage hats to some friends before we ventured out and painted the town red. Sporting our unique style, we got plenty of interesting looks and lots of compliments. Store B has a great collection of hats, so grab your girls and try some on.

You’ll also find plenty of gift items here, like unique glasswares and captivating knick-knacks. Personally, I can’t keep my hands off the adorable handbags, some in shiny patent leather and some with intricate beadwork. You’ll only find the best of the best here, but expect to pay a hefty price for it. A vintage handbag in good condition will set you back between $50 and $100 dollars.

Ever thought of wearing a vintage party dress to a dinner party? Check out their dress racks and see if you can find something that you can pair with an old handbag or a awesomely gaudy necklace. Since a lot of the newer styles are throwbacks to the fashions of past decades, you won’t look outdated at all, just vintage chic.

When you’re shopping with the girls in Wicker Park, make sure to stop by Store B. It may make you change your mind about antiques.

Next time you have a whole day set aside for shopping, head over to Buffalo Exchange in Wicker Park, but don’t expect to go anywhere else. This store has everything you need, and chances are, you’ll find yourself unable to leave.

Trendier than a typical thrift shop but full of the one-of-a-kind items that only thrift shopping can turn up, Buffalo Exchange is a fabulous new addition to Wicker Park’s line of second-hand shops. This particular store opened in October of 2007 and is part of a larger national chain, although you definitely don’t get that feeling when you walk in. Right away, a jewelry counter overflowing with colorful, sparkling treasures will call out to you. And sprawled out before you are clothing racks that are just waiting to be explored. Tons of different styles are intermingling in this shop, and I guarantee there’s something for everyone. Putting an entire outfit won’t be hard; they have purses, hats, shoes, boots, coats, jeans, belts, sunglasses and other accessories in abundance.

The walls are decked out in the vibrant red paint color that has become popular as of late, a nice touch with the classic high ceilings and the thoughtfully tasteful displays. And when your arm is about to give out from the huge stack of clothes you’ve picked out to try on, you’ll be glad to know that this unique store has a wonderfully not-so-unique feature: eight, count ‘em, eight oversized dressing rooms! This is not your neighborhood Salvation Army, that’s for sure.

Not used to thrift shopping? No worries. This place doesn’t even really feel like a second-hand shop, with its friendly staff, wide aisles and laid-back vibe. As long as you have an eye for fashion, you’ll feel perfectly at home.

Of course, once you’ve sifted through the racks and compiled a mound of new additions to your wardrobe, you’ll undoubtedly feel that sense of apprehension as you head to the register. But the best part about Buffalo Exchange is that this sense of worry will dissolve once you’ve been rung up, thanks to the amazingly affordable prices. You’d be surprised at how much bang for your back you can get at this place, compared with some of the pricier shops in the same neighborhood.

And if you really don’t have much in your budget for shopping, keep in mind that this shop will actually buy your clothes from you, for either cash or store credit. So whether you need rent money or a new dress, this place can hook you up and will keep you coming back for more. Happy shopping!

Sometimes my plan for a girls’ day out centers on cake and coffee rather than cocktails. For a sweet treat, take your mom, sister, best friend or any chocoholic or coffee aficionado to Julius Meinl’s Café.

Julius Meinl (the name rhymes with ‘vinyl’) was the name of the first Vienna merchant to sell roasted coffee in 1862. Before that, coffee drinkers roasted their own beans over woodstoves. The Meinl logo shows a boy in a red fez, a reminder of the Turks who first introduced coffee to Vienna. The Meinl coffee business has prospered in Austria for five generations. Their cafe on Southport in Chicago serves the same roasted coffee, imported tea and traditional cakes and dishes as the original in Vienna.

Meinl’s imports tea and makes its own coffee and hot cocoa. Lattes and espresso here are identical to their Italian counterparts. The unique Viennese coffee drink is the melange , a big sweet espresso drink with equal parts steamed milk and foam, topped with chocolate shavings. For true luxury, order this with a shot of your favorite flavor (mine is orange). Your tea drinking friends can enjoy a wide selection of imported tea from chai and lapsang souchong to Earl Grey and strawberry. Drinks arrive on elegant silver trays with tiny teaspoons.

Unique Austrian cakes here include Vienna torte, flourless chocolate cake with marzipan, apricot jam and chocolate, Cardinal Schnitte, ladyfingers with lemon mousse and strawberry jam and gugelhupf, a marbled chocolate and vanilla cake. Meinl’s own creations include mousses, cookies and Mozart torte with chocolate and pistachios.

If you and your friends want a light brunch, the croissants and jam or baked eggs with toast taste great with coffee. You can order your eggs with smoked salmon, cheese or vegetables. Breakfast lasts until noon on weekdays and two on weekends for late risers. For lunch, try the crepes with cheese and ham or asparagus and mushrooms, which come with a mixed green salad. Imported cheese and Hungarian goulash round out the menu.

Julius Meinl's is a great place to meet before a movie at the Music Box. If you take the Brown Line El, the Southport stop is closed for construction, but this is well worth the walk from Paulina. In warm weather, you can sit at a table outside and watch the world go by. In winter, enjoy the cheerful yellow interior of the café and pick out a cake from their opulent display case. Servers treat you very well here and never rush you. At Julius Meinl's, you can invite your friends to Vienna without leaving the city.

Humboldt Park is a neighborhood that is in a constant state of change, but there are some things that never will. One of its many main stays is the California Clipper, a place that has really rolled with it but firmly holds onto its roots. And hey – where else are you going to find a bar that has grape soda on the fountain gun and has a bingo night? Seriously! That cool grape goodness makes for some fun vodka and gin mixes!

This place screams retro, but it's really not, because all that vintage red decor and lighting has been around about as long as that rusty lighted sign out front. It's about as jazzy as the Green Mill but with a mix of rockabilly and other fun styles blended together to make for a fun night. This is one of the few places where you can order something from the way back machine like a Tom Collins or a bourbon mixer and the bartender can do it without dusting off a recipe book, and yet are equally talented to whip up a flirty Cosmo all the same. People who frequent the lounge come from all walks of life, from hipsters to And since its location is right by the huge park itself, those wanting to start off when the sun is still out can chill out there, too. Snack on some tamales or corn from the outdoor vendors beforehand and go with it.

Now yes, granted, Humboldt Park still has its very seedy side to it, so it's probably not a good idea to go wandering off California Avenue after dark, unless you travel in packs. Parking can be tricky later at night as well, but nowhere near as hard as around other popular hangouts. But fifteen years ago, locals said the same thing about neighboring Wicker Park and Bucktown, so the general synopsis states the trend towards a better neighborhood will definitely follow. I say, embrace that state of flux and revel in it while you still can!

Take everything you think you know about relaxing gyms and day spas and chuck them out the window. That includes the notions they should be overly frilly, overly priced, latent in testosterone and / or only women who have stunning figures are welcome. Now imagine a place where only women are permitted, where the focus is on truly letting the worries of the day slip away, where a mere $20 can score up to three full hours soaking and where no specific body type is required. Oh Thousand Waves, how can women ever repay you?

Whether the visit is for a good, long soak, a well deserved massage, a deep, cleansing herbal wrap or a combination of all of the above, this spa is sure to welcome even the complete novice a day in paradise. The overall cleanliness of this spa helps to ensure everyone will feel comfortable dipping their toes into the water. Swim suits are optional for the baths, but everything else one could possibly ever need is already supplied. (Yes, this is a very open environment.) For those booking an appointment for a massage, be sure to get there an hour early to get in some complimentary Jacuzzi time!

While they may not offer as many services as their higher priced counterparts, what they do offer is very exacting, with top notch service by well trained staff. It actually seems to work in their favor, since it helps their clients zero in on what it is they really need. One of the nicest things about Thousand Waves is their particular care for women who are pregnant or are dealing with cancer. Free treatments are available with doctors’ referrals, including stress management, as they strive to make each woman feel well cared for, no matter how much is being spent. This is genuinely one place where everyone is an equal.

It should also be noted that while this establishment is strictly for women, it doesn’t mean it’s heavily geared for lesbians. All women of all types are welcome, including moms and girlfriends, from the extremely modest to the most empowered. Therefore, those who have even an inkling of insecurity can let it all flow down the drain with those toxins and other impurities. This is truly a haven no price tag can be attached, perhaps deserving of a Mastercard commercial!