Ideal Bite

12 Days of Christmas Stockings

Wanna play your true love's Santa by giving fun, not spendy presents? Five golden rings might be out of the question, but check out a few of these planet-friendly picks for the lucky lords and ladies in your crew.

1. Bomb Diggity

Milwaukee, 53202

I had family in from CA this month, and since there's way more to the Midwest than meets the coast-dweller's eye, I decided to retrace the path of one of our Chicago city breaks.

Rub a Dub Dub

Daylight Savings Time, you are so depressing. It's dark at 4:30 now, which just makes me feel sleepy. So, to help myself focus on the positive when it comes to the approaching winter snooze-fest, I've decided to hit the bath tub - the best antidote to a cold dark night - with my fave lavender-honey milk bath recipe.

Dress Up, Up, and Away

I had this really great Tina Turner wig when I was a kid. I wore it practically every Halloween, whether I was going as a rock star, a cheetah, or a sad punky clown. Though I’m guessing it was pretty non-eco in terms of material, I did reuse the hell out of it.

Coming of Age Stories

Where were you ten years ago today? I was in faraway city, in a relationship that seemed destined for greatness but that was soon to fail, with no furry friends to purr in my lap while I read the Bridget Jones Diary...and I had bangs. In short, I was basically unrecognizable.

Our Scariest List Ever

Wanna pull a great costume outta your hat? Abracadabra: Just reach for healthier Halloween makeup and better-for-the-planet getups. Plus, nonscary sweets and cocktails. Ta-da.

Got a little devil? Check out last week's Mama Bites for all things cute 'n' creepy.

Lights, Camera, Climate Action

The UN's meeting about a global climate treaty, and you're invited. Sort of.

(No) Meat Market

Full disclaimer: I'm not vegan. But, this weekend's Chicago Vegan Mania is right up my alley anyway, because it's like one-stop shopping for some of my fave Chicago foods.

The Whole Nine Yards

It's a day of nines. Not as special as 9/9/09 of course, but that was a Wednesday and we do the Chicago blog on Tuesdays, so… I know, lame excuse, still, a bunch of nines is kinda a big deal in numerology.

Heart and Solar

I recently moved - just 1.5 miles away from my old Chicago pad, but it feels like another world. For starters, I can't keep the fire alarm from going off every time I make toast and there's a handle on the shower that seems merely decorative - what's that all about? This type of stuff makes me wish I was a miracle handywoman, and could rebuild the whole place from scratch without breaking a nail.