Liven Your Walls With Art

One of the easiest ways to bring your walls to life besides painting is with a little artwork. With a different ranges of scales and colors, art work and photography can easily brighten the dullest wall taking it from "Whoa." to "Wow!".


Here are a few easy trick to work with when trying to decide which art will work for your home.

Black and White

You can easily make any photo look classic by having it printed in black and white. Many cameras and cell phones even have it as a function in the settings. 

You can have them printed cheaply at Walgreens and not only can you get them in different sizes but you customize them with borders and lettering.

Large Print

Don't be afraid of scale. A large piece of artwork can not only fill up a wall quickly but can add a bit of simplicity as well.

Having one large artwork with a simple subject matter can draw focus to an area without being overly distracting.

Don't be afraid of patterns

In apartments where you don't have the ability (or time) to paint a new color on the wall, you can add interest by investing in artwork that has great patters and color. 

Bring the city indoors

You can never fail with a nice photo, either in color or black and white of a cityscape.

It could be the city you live in or the city you dream to visit, but with a great scaled photograph of  a lit up downtown area is sure to please.

Make Your Kid's Room City Savvy

Living in an apartment in the city can be not only costly but you are more than likely subjected to limited space for your family. So how can you make a room stand out without spending crazy amounts of money? Here are some tips how to make a modern kids room creatively and without breaking the break.

Use bold colors

This kids room from Freshome is littered with great ideas for modern kids room. They note that colors like sage green, yellow, red, and chocolate brown can be paired with neutrals white, black or tan to give a modern take on kid’s décor. By using gender friendly colors like this mandarin orange paint with accents of pink keeps it girly without going over the top. Typically using large scale furniture can make a space look and feel smaller but if you only use only a few key pieces they will stand out without dominating the space.

Get the look:

• Buy large bookshelves that are multi-functional
• Invest in a sleek comfy chair

Mix old with new

This kids room from Ohdeedoh showcases a blend of old and new, using modern and simple colors by using the pea green and white and loft bed and adding vintage toys and accents.
Smart Deals on Looks the Kids will Love only at Target.com

Get the look:

• Shelving system is available at Ikea or the Shelving Store (use link below for discount!)
Save 25% Off Storewide During The "Back To School" Sale
• You can get a similar paint color at Glidden
• Purchase simple bins for storage at the Container Store
• Get a cool vintage looking lamp like these from Lamp in a Box

Opt for alternatives to picture frames

By using simple furniture with storage and adding accents to the wall you not only increase the height of the wall but you add an element of originality!

Get the look:

• Invest in a crib with storage at bottom or one that turns into a toddler bed.
• Buy cool wall decals. There are some available at Toys R Us that are a great price!

How to Tour Your City Without Looking Like a Tourist

When I was a kid I remember walking in Manhattan with my parents and brother and looking at how beautiful the buildings were. It was that same night that my mom said something I'll never forget: "Stop looking around like that or people are going to think you're a tourist!". Didn't even make sense to me. First off I was a kid and second I was born and raised in NY, why would people think I'm a tourist just because I'm enjoying the buildings? Ever since I have had a hard time participating in touristy things (thanks a lot mom!) as there is the underlined fear of crossing the thin line of city fun to full blown tourist.

I do have my regrets for letting this affect me. Had I have seen more sites when I still lived in New York I would've been able to enjoy the rooftops of the World Trade before September 11 occurred. Well you live and you learn, right? Now that I live in Chicago I want to appreciate and take advantage of the city it's landmarks, but how can I do so without looking like a damn tourist? Over the years I have devised some very helpful ways to work this out so whether you are visiting a new city or if you want to explore the one you live in, you can do so like a pro.

Do your homework. 

Visit the city website or resource websites like Metromix, Yelp(or the Moms in the City calendar) and see what events will be taking place for you to take advantage of.

Travel in small groups. 

There is no point in taking up the whole sidewalk, train car or bus with a huge group of people.. If you happen to be traveling with a lot of people it would be best if you travel in smaller groups so that you can have a more intimate experience. Try to travel in increments of 4 or 5 and for fun give each group a separate location to explore then share photos at the end of the night.

Don't carry maps!

Not only are they bulky but they are outdated! Depending on your cell phone you can easily access Google Maps and figure out anywhere you need to go at the push of a few buttons. Leave the maps at the gas station.

Visit tourist attractions on weekdays. 

By visiting attractions during the weekday you won't not be overrun by mobs of people and there are usually great deals such as half price off fares during the week.

Visit local staples.

Everyone knows of and has visited famous skyscrapers and restaurants but there are many local venues that are unique and that would be worth checking out. Try visiting local coffee shops, hole in the wall restaurants and independent clothing stores. You are almost guaranteed not to find a duplicate any where else!

Go to bars and hot spots on non-busy days. 

City bars and clubs are always busy on the weekends but generally are a low-key hangout spot on days like Tuesdays or Wednesdays. By visiting a bar on a slow day you can not only almost guarantee that you will get a place to sit but you won't have to scream or yell to have conversations.

Take advantage of free city events. 

One of the best concerts I've ever seen was at the Taste of Chicago and I got to watch Stevie Wonder play for three hours...for free! There are many events that cities host for free such as music concerts,  movies in the park, free days at the museum to street fests. Of course this works well with the first trick of doing your homework to see what events will be taking place on the days that you want to hit the town.

Join Meetup Groups.

Not only can you join groups on Meetup for free but you can get to know moms from any different areas and they all just want to get out of the house and have a good time too. If there is a place that you've always wanted to check out but can't get one of your friends to go with you can list it as an "Idea" on the groups site. There is bound to be a mom or two in the group who will tag along. And if you can't find someone from one group, join another! The best part about it is that you have options and what girl doesn't love variety??

Have fun!

Volcanos, Tornados and Quakes! Oh, my!

With last nights tornado warning for New York it makes you think how wacky and crazy the weather has been lately. Here are a few instances of some wacky city weather that makes you go "Whaaa?"

Miami - Tornado

This photo was taken on May 12 in 1997 at downtown Miami. USA Today reported that
the tornado swept past the station and Miami's high-rise condominiums, smashing windows and damaging roofs and cars in a two-mile path as people scrambled for cover.

No one was killed and only five injured, including a woman who suffered a heart attack.





Chicago - Earthquake


I was witness to the earthquake of April 2008.  As per Associated Press A 5.2-magnitude earthquake centered in southern Illinois rocked people awake across the Midwest early Friday, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a powerful tremble. This quake is the strongest one ever recorded in IL.

As recently at June of this year an earthquake was felt in Chicago.



Milwaukee - Flooding

There have been severe flash flooding instances over the last week.CNN says flash flooding occurred Thursday evening as severe thunderstorms developed and moved over the area, dumping up to 8 inches of rain in some locations, according to weather service officials.





New York - Tornado

Apparently this is not the first time New York has had a tornado warning recently.

The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for portions of Staten Island and Brooklyn at 6:28 am. Tornado warnings were also briefly issued for Manhattan, Queens and  Nassau County on Long but no tornadoes were reported in those areas.







 Iceland - Volcano

Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull (not a misspelling) volcano erupted twice in April this year causing huge floodwaters and much panic among locals. The ash cloud from the volcano was so extreme that it delayed approximately 300 flights in Europe for many days.

What could be next??? Maybe a little bit of this....

Daa- da- dum- dummm.......(courtesy of The Day After Tomorrow..horrible movie, btw)