Reminder: This blog has moved

Hey everyone -
I know it's summer and everyone is busy but I just wanted to send out another reminder that my blog has moved! It has a gorgeous new home, full of graphics and pretty colors and boxes!

I even started a review blog over there so I can share fun restaurants, products and other things I enjoy.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

Then hop on over!

The new URL is: http://www.myeverydayadventures.com

There is even an easy link to add the new URL to your Reader! How cool! Seriously, going to see if for the cool design is enough too. It's seriously awesome.

You know you want to :)

Everyday Adventures is moving!

Say what?

That's right, I promised in my vlog that some big things were coming up and that sh*t is going down NOW.

Starting today, Everyday Adventures has packed its bags for a new home, including a new URL (custom domain!), new blogging platform (Wordpress!) and just overall more awesomeness.

Go and check it out!

http://www.myeverydayadventures.com

I know it sucks, but your feeds will need to be updated too, but I promise to make out with you if you move with me :) Isn't that enough of a reason to do it?

Note: RSS subscribers, just hit "refresh" in your Reader and it should update. Yes, I'm working on the partial feed issue too. For non-RSS readers, just copy/paste the new URL into your Reader's subscription box and it'll pop up!

If you have any problems with your feeds, e-mail me at: myeverydayadventures@gmail.com.

It's super awesome.

Go, go, go, go go!!!

Talkin' about love

That's right, today I'm talking about love. And dishing my thoughts and advice on it. I know, I'm so unqualified for it, but it's for a good reason.

My Vegas/Chicago/blog buddy Renee is getting marwied (said in Princess Bride tone) in a few short weeks and several of us are throwing her a virtual bridal shower.

Which means I get to impart to Renee on this blog two things: my congratulations and some love/wedding-related thoughts.

So I thought I would post about what NOT to have at your wedding, staying on the Princess Bride theme. Because really, that is the best example of how not to have your wedding, minus the castle.

Here we go:

1. Make sure you marry someone you love (no brainer, although that prince title is attractive) and that that person isn't trying to torture your true love to death (the forest is very scary)
2. Have an officiant who can speak proper English (marwiage is what bwings us togewher today - hilarious)
3. No dueling at the reception (although it can be very hot)
4. Do not get married under the pressure that your true love will be storming the castle with his merry me to save you (that is so much pressure)
5. Have an awesome dress (I'm sure this is already secured!)
6. Ride off into the sunset with one helluva kiss

So Renee, I'm sorry I don't have the best marriage-related advice or experience but I did want to put together something silly and sweet for you.

I'm so happy for you and Joe and I wish you all the best in the future. I cannot wait to see pictures of the wedding and hear all about it from Erin and Rachel.

Oh and keep an eye on the groomsmen's grabby hands. Seriously. Note to them: Ask me before pinching my butt. I am a lady and buying me a Miller Lite from the bar is not a free pass for those hands. And just because I'm in a dress and you're in a tux, that does not mean we're automatically hooking up, even if that suit does make you look better in beer goggles. Kthanxbye!

Food crack

I love food. I can't cook, but I sure love it. And I always make sure my pantry is stocked and of course, try to stock it with food that is healthy.

But there is some food that I cannot resist. Food that I swear is laced with crack because once I get near it, I cannot control myself.

It's like "When Animals Attack." I've talked about my love of candy but I wanted to take a moment and reflect on the wonderous food that I have trouble saying no to.

And yes, some of them are healthy (but not all of them!)

Some of these food crack vices may include some kind of popcorn and candy and yes, there is a fruit option.

So go over to my Vegas/BlogHer buddy Katelin's site to check out my list and let me know what foods you can't resist either.

An ode to cupcakes

If it came down to cake or pie.....it would be a tough call but I'd probably go with cake. I mean, I love some sweet apple pie but I do really love cake a lot.

And because I can't walk around eating a piece of cake on the street (it would look really nasty), I can eat cupcakes outdoors and in Chicago, cupcakes are queen.

I get spoiled by all the cupcake options in Chicago because Wisconsin doesn't have a formal cupcake shop! I know, trust me, I looked and was shocked at that realization.

But, I have thoroughly sampled several cupcake options in Chicago and here are my feelings on them:

Must visit:

• Sugar Bliss (Loop) - The best red velvet cupcake I've ever had. Period. Frosting sticks to your lips and the chocolate mint cupcake is also great. It's like a Thin Mint, but in a cake form! Also, my parents LOVE this place.

• Molly's (Lincoln Park) - Another great place for a quick stop. With free glasses of water, swing chairs and make-your-own cupcake selections, it's got something for everyone.

• Southport Grocery (Lakeview) - Very affordable ($2/each) but few flavors to pick from. Doesn't bother me though, I love everything I've had there.

• Swirlz (Lincoln Park) - Humongous cupcakes with a ton of varieties to pick from. Also, very blogger-friendly. They supplied cupcakes for the BlogHer Chicago meet up and the owner was SO sweet to us when we visited last summer as a group. Also offers gluten-free cupcakes that are very tasty.

So close:

• More (Loop) - The only place in Chicago I know with savory cupcake (like B.L.T.) but the last few I've bought here have been dry, and expensive. Two things I don't like.

• Sweet Mandy B's (Lincoln Park) - This one is the "doll" of Chicago, very well known, and a group of us bloggers visited it last year. The cupcakes are good, but man that frosting is sweet. Like stomach ache-inducing.

• Bittersweet (Lakeview) - Awesome atmosphere but it only serves the "cupcake of the day" flavor. So if you don't like the selection, there's no other cupcake options available. Fortunately, there are other sweets to pick from :)

• Phoebe's Cupcakes (Lakeview) - I was thrilled when a cupcake shop opened right near my house and the staff is so nice whenever I go in but the last few cupcakes I've had there have been dry and the frosting has tasted a little off. But I won't write it off just yet.

So those are my thoughts on the cupcake shops in Chicago, as you can see, I've done my research. Oh and one cupcake company even delivers? That is dangerous.

Whenever I go to a new cupcake place, the two I always get are: red velvet and chocolate with vanilla frosting. Those are my favorite :)

What's your favorite flavor?

Also, so you don't think I'm just cupcake snob, I'm guest posting over at my friend Maris' blog In Good Taste. My guest post includes a recipe and photos from my cupcake-making adventure.

Trust me, they're really good!

Date recap #4: Pick your movies wisely

Wow. I had a lot of people ask me about my date so here is the official post/recap. Sorry to keep you guys waiting!

It kills me to say this but my date Saturday night with JohnBoy gets a B grade. Maybe it was an off night for us both and it had been a week since we saw each other and he just got back a day earlier from his trip, but something seemed....off.

Rather than have a big date production this time (sorry no picnics in the park,) we opted for a more laid back date: dinner and a movie.

And as per usual, I was insanely nervous before we went out, pacing and wondering, "WTF am I doing?"

Yes, I'm still a little insecure. But I'm the kind of person who obsesses and gets super nervous before a date and then when it starts, I'm totally fine. It's all my neurosis about the build up. And because it was over a week since we really saw each other, the beginning of the date was a little awkward, getting comfortable with one another again.

So anyhow, back to the movie, which is honestly why I think the date vibe was a little...off. Because I'm a movie buff and have movie buff friends, I've seen the majority of the new releases so that left slim pickings behind for a date. So we settled on The Proposal and I felt pretty secure in that choice....until we arrived and found out it was sold out. Shit. So that left.....Ice Age or Bruno.

Please guess what the answer was........still waiting.......oh come on you know the answer......Bruno.

Here's what we were thinking: "Hey yeah that'll be fine we both agree, we know what we're getting into, hey it won't be too awful."

O-M-G. No it wasn't awful, parts of it were actually really funny, but the sex and constant male anatomy on the screen definitely....killed the mood a little bit. I wanted him to hold my hand, but when two guys are ball gagged in bed on the screen, that doesn't say, "aww look how romantic this moment is." That's more for when they're wearing harnesses (KIDDING!)

So after a few post movie awkward pauses and some awkward laughter, it was dinner time, where I hoped alcohol would me loosen up. And it did. Wine always delivers for me.

We went to Bandera, which was awesome and as always, he was a perfect gentleman, telling me how nice I looked and holding doors, helping guide me through the crowd. But I still think the movie buzzkilled any romance for the date because there was no hand holding, arm around the shoulder or anything. I was a little disappointed, but maybe that's a sign for me to be more forward.

And after paying a ridiculous amount in parking to drive me home (instead of me taking the bus home), the evening ended with a few hugs and kisses.

Now I'm bummed I won't see him for over a week because of BlogHer and work stuff coming up, but he said when I'm done, he'll take me out to celebrate.

That, I can't wait for.

So I guess I learned a few things from this date: yes, I want to see him again and we've already made plans to see another, funnier movie together, and that while I definitely respect him for taking it slow with me, it's time for me to take the lead on a few things.

Have you ever had these awkward moments on a date? How do you overcome them? And yes, we're still e-mailing so everything is good. But I need some PDA action :)

Weekend recap: Girl time and movies

Happy Sunday everyone! Right now, Chicago is feels more like fall than July. Not only was I in jeans all weekend, but also the practice of carrying around a jacket is getting to be more of a tradition. Yes, a jacket during the day...in July. WTH?

Anyhow, let's talk about the weekend.

I'm fortunate that I have good girlfriends in the city. I had a good group before I started blogging and since then, I've been able to meet and make more good friends here. I'm really fortunate.

So before the BlogHer insanity starts this week, I engaged in one of my favorite things: girl bonding time.

That's right, lots of friend time that consisted of hanging out, catching up, gossiping and shopping. You know, the things we all love to do with our girlfriends.

On Saturday, Liz, Sarah and I went to Yolk in River North (new location) to have some brunch and catch up. Things are so crazy right now that I haven't had time to sit and really chat with them about what's new with everyone, how work is going, etc. All while indulging in some of Yolk's lovely strawberry-orange juice. Seriously, I would drink that stuff by the gallon.

Then it was off to Nordstrom for its Anniversary Sale. Seriously, I love Nordstrom so much, it's my happy place. And while basking in the joy of some of my favorite things on sale, I was also happy to not go above my budget. So I stocked up on MAC and Mario Badescu and treated to a pair of Kate Spade aviators (bad a**) and Diorshow mascara. I cannot wait to try it.

Then today, TC and I went to see 500 Days of Summer because I haven't talked to her a lot lately either. Seriously summers are just too busy!

Yes, the anticipation for the movie was so strong I nearly lost my mind, especially all the positive stuff I heard about it this week. I will say this, overall, I did like it, but it was not at all what I expected. I was muttering the word "b*tch" a few times and one part actually broke my heart a little bit but it was definitely good. That said, I am currently obsessed with the soundtrack and my have to start dancing around to Hall & Oates one night. So classic.

So in the end, I got to spend some good time with some of my friends, which always helps keep me sane and in check. Trust me, the know how to put me back into my place. And fortunately, I get to hang out with more awesome bloggers/ladies this week at the conference!

Oh and I also went on a date Saturday night, which was...interesting. Promise I won't keep you waiting too long, I'm working on that post now for tomorrow night!

How was everyone else's weekend? Did you see any movies? Or what are your favorite things to do with your girlfriends?

Note: Wow there are a lot of passionate Harry Potter fans out there! Holy cow. Erin is in the process of recruiting people to force me to start reading the books. I look forward to watching her fulfill this quest :)

The Twilight Club

Are you a member?

It amazes me how books can really bring people together and form little groups of people who have and haven't read the books. And if you haven't read them, you feel a little...left out.

I have not read ANY of the Harry Potter books, so I definitely know I'm not in that club but I am a proud member of the Twilight club.

But while we were in Vegas, Jamie and I were obsessing over Twilight, talking about our likes/dislikes about the series, our favorite books, thoughts on the movie and agreeing to disagree about Team Edward vs. Team Jacob.

And then I realized our roommate Allie was not contributing to discussion. Why? Because she hasn't read the series. For a moment I was shocked. Hasn't....everyone read those books? Or at least one?

But after further questioning to confirm she hasn't read it, Jamie and I clammed up and told her she had to check it out. The conversation immediately ceased because we also didn't want to ruin it for her, but deep down inside, we were bursting at the seams to keep the conversation going.

With the Twilight series, I've noticed that once you read the books and find others that have read the books, you LOVE to talk about anything and everything about them. And now that the New Moon trailer is out, it's time to start talking about it again.

The day after the trailer premiered, a co-worker and I spent 15 minutes on our lunch break dissecting it, in fact, I left a lengthy comment on one of my favorite blogger's post about the trailer, commenting on everything from the level of Jacob's buffness to the werewolf morphing. It's insane the amount of effort I put into that comment. I used bullets.

Yes, I'm a member of the Twilight club. In fact, I'm tempted to go back and re-read the first and last book because I know I missed pieces.

So while I will not be seeing Harry Potter in the near future and joining that club, I'm more than happy in my Twilight zone, basking in teenage love, angst and hot men with no shirts on that sparkle.

Oh and now that Allie is part of the club, we gave her the official Twilight club initiation. Trust me, it only hurts for the first minute. Give into it :)

Do you find that you obsess about and talk about books or movies that you love with friends or anyone else who had read or seen it? It definitely is a good ice breaker!

Or if you had to pick between Harry Potter or Twilight, which would you choose?

Those magical butterflies

Lately, I've been thinking about a question that my homey Alexa asked me when we dished about date #2 with JohnBoy one day on Gchat.

She asked me if I felt any butterflies when JohnBoy and I kissed (several times) and it took me a few minutes to respond.

My answer: I don't know.

Butterflies? Wow, I haven't really felt those in a LONG time. And do they feel different as a jaded adult trying to date?

I remember the old days of "butterflies," feeling totally lovesick, so much that you can't wait to see someone or just the thought of them makes me go all giggly inside. That feeling where when someone touches or kisses you, you feel like an explosion is going off in your stomach and the butterflies could just take you over until you see that person again. Or that feeling where you try to pick up the phone to call but you're so nervous you hang up after one ring. Done that.

But when you come from a divorced family, who has made the idea of love a little...difficult to stomach, can you still have that feeling?

I'm not saying butterflies won't be there one day with a guy or even JohnBoy but is it kind of weird that I don't feel those sparks?

It might be because it's been so long since I've kissed a guy (I know, lame), but I felt very....uncomfortable for a moment when we were on our date. But then again, I usually feel uncomfortable from male attention since...guys don't really go for me. And my friends, who are so sweet like all of you, who are excited for me, wonder why I'm not more excited about this and the reason is: I'm not used to it, I need to take it slow.

So after I told Alexa, "I don't know," I did say, "I didn't feel butterflies yet but he makes me smile, laugh, holds doors open for me and tells me that I'm pretty. And I like the way he makes me feel."

Maybe for now, that's something right there.

So I'm not ruling anything out, but are "butterflies" really important? Or do they come with time?

Note: I'm so glad I'm not the only one stocked with weddings this summer. Holy cow, there is something in the air. But I will try to stock up on "squeaky" cheese curds for everyone. Squeaky cheese, you guys crack me up!

Summer wedding fever

That's right, last week I got an invite wedding #3 this summer. I was incorrect in my previous tweet, this was invite #3 not four. I may have to tape them to my wall so I can keep track of which ones I'm declining and which ones I'm able to attend. I mean, traveling to three weddings, plus gifts, gas and possible hotel adds up!

It's still hard to believe I'm at the point where friends are getting married and some even are having babies. WTF is there something in the water?

Well if it is, I filter my water so I won't catch it. In fact, I have a picture at my desk that says "No Way Baby," I think my uterus status for babies is pretty clear.

But anyhow, back to weddings.

I had a sick feeling I was going to be invited to the latest wedding, set to take place a week before my big birthday. Awesome. But it's in Madison so I can pick up some cheese curds before the reception.

Don't mock the cheese curds, that stuff is awesome.

And while I had a momentary twinge of, well maybe I won't go, I opened up the invite and it was SO gorgeous, OMG. Definitely one of the nicer invites I've received lately.

The bride/groom are two good friends from college and between the Internet and me, the groom is my "one that got away." But I'm thrilled for both of them, honestly.

Plus, the reception is bound to be open bar and crawling with the groom's former frat boys.

And let's be honest the math is pretty simple:

Ex-frat boys + wedding + open bar = someone for Jess to make out with

Ka-ching!

I like those odds. And to quote my buddy, they'll be "clean" so they're my kind of guy. I smell the opportunity for a tie to be tied around my waist, bosom or head.

Let's party!

Am I the only one getting slammed with wedding invites this year? How many do you have or what is the busiest wedding summer that you've ever had? Do you say yes to all of them?

Weekend recap: True Blood and No Doubt

Happy Sunday! First, I cannot believe BlogHer is two weeks away, um where did summer go? I'm so excited about it and spending time with some of my awesome bloggy friends.

Well let's get started with the weekend recap!

Red Wine and Vampires

Because I don't have HBO (stupid cable companies), I don't get to watch and enjoy the "cool" shows, like True Blood, so Friday I met up with Sarah and Liz to indulge in this guilty pleasure with pizza and red wine (or beer for me). To be fair, I was pretty beat after a long day at work, so my mood may have been off but the show was...meh okay. Sookie kind of got on my nerves.

I may be tarred and feathered for these comments, but from what I've seen of the show, I give it a C. Maybe it has to just grow on me more.

NO DOUBT!!!!

I don't talk a lot about music here because well, I'm not very "cool" when it comes to music. I like my iPod classic rock mixes and mostly mainstream hits. I don't know a lot of indie/alt rock bands and I would be awful to have on your musical trivia team. Honest.

But like everyone else, I have 2-3 bands that I go ape-sh*t crazy for, and one of them is No Doubt.

No, not Gwen Stefani via Hollaback Girl, I'm talking about No Doubt, her group before she came a solo star.

I have fond high school memories of Tragic Kingdom, dancing along to "Just a Girl" and screaming (privately) "F*CK YES I AM" along with those lyrics. Yes, there is a little punk/ska girl buried behind my preppy/clean cut exterior. I still daydream about dying my hair pink or wearing a crapload of heavy make up for no reason than to show I'm pissed off and rebelling against "the man."

So when I heard No Doubt was going on tour this summer, for the first time in almost seven years, I nearly lost my mind with excitement. But my indecisive nature kept me from doing anything because the venue was in the suburbs...and I have no car. FAIL. But after some very good blog karma, I got a ride thanks to Rachel and her friends and a ticket off of Craigslist for a very good price. I even got to see Molly there too! Hey, hey Chicago bloggers represent.

As you can see, everyone was excited to be there (I'll be wearing that next time)

And with the help of a 22 oz. beer (which I could legally buy, as opposed to last time I saw No Doubt), I was a screaming, dancing, hip-shaking, arms waiving, jumping up and down fool. For real. You would have been SHOCKED by my actions, given that I'm a pretty reserved, laid back person. My hips were shakin' like Shakira on a good day.

I love you Gwen!!

Oh and the girl I bought the ticket from, yeah we got upgraded VIP seats from a drawing we entered at the venue on a whim. I completely had a holy-shit-I-think-I-might-pass-out moment. And I got to see Gwen really close, and scream my love for her. GREAT NIGHT.

Fall into the Gap

Oh and my final piece of good news for this weekend, I found out I was selected to be a Gap brand enthusiast from Brand About Town. My super awesome "Born to Blog" shirt that the other ladies have been posting pictures of isn't here yet :( but my inner event planner is out in full force getting logistics set up for the party. I'll keep everyone posted on the details!

How was everyone else's weekend? Anything fun or exciting happen? Or what performer/band would you LOVE to go see if you had the chance?

I am SO excited that 500 Days of Summer comes out next weekend. I have already texted TC to discuss getting tickets.

Note: Thank you everyone for your sweet comments about my second date with JohnBoy. Really you guys are so sweet and I'll definitely keep you posted about date #3!! We've been texting while he is on vacation so we're staying in touch :)

Join me on a recap of my date

Normally, I'm not a nervous wreck before dates, but before date #2 with JohnBoy, I was seriously freaking out.

Yes, our first date went well and yes, I do like him, but I haven't made it to date #2 with a guy in a long time so the fact that we made it to the second round, made me feel a little self-conscious.

So I obsessed over the weather all day, wondering if our wine/cheese picnic in Millennium Park with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as the background music would be ruined and what was a suitable plan B. The reason I also obsessed over plan B is because JohnBoy told me he had one but wouldn't tell me what it is, which of course makes me want to know ALL THE MORE.

And despite some drizzles, we still picnicked for a while, enjoying good conversation and some nice music. Seriously the concerts at the Pritzker Pavilion are nice.

Oh and I happened to accidentally spill wine all over my flip flop (classy) and JohnBoy decided to just kiss me early so it wasn't awkward at the end of the nice. Um.......yeah I'm okay with that. And it was nice. So I went back for another one and then grinned like an idiot when he said he'd been thinking about that all week.

OMFG who says stuff like that? I've never had a guy be this nice and respectful to me....ever?

So when the rain picked up, I took my Chardonnay-soaked flip flop with me and we headed to Gioco in the South Loop for dinner. More good conversation, plus ricotta and spinach tortellini followed and then suddenly it was 11 p.m. and I couldn't see out of my left eye because my contact lens decided to quit working on me, without notice.

That was the sign that it was time to go home. And after another awkward moment in the car (because car hugging/kiss goodbye can be uncomfortable), he walked me to my front door. And went in for another kiss. Nice work, way to lock that evening up. And he had the "stop-talking-because-i'm-going-to-kiss-you" look all over his face :)

This is a man ladies. A man who makes plans and goes for the first move. Helllllllo!

So we plan to meet up when he's back from his week-long vacation and take it from there. So yeah, I think there might be a date #3 coming up!

Oh and he told me more than once how nice I looked. Tee hee.

So the question for tonight is, what is your idea of a perfect date? Feel free to "plan" it here!

Scenes from a bar

I'm not a sociologist. In fact, I almost failed that class in college, but I report on what I see and what I saw lately was a classic male mating ritual around women at the bar.

Let me begin by saying that getting a table at a rooftop bar on a nice summer day, even for a group of girls, requires military-like precision. You do the awkward walk around, checking out if people are just chatting or snooping to see if they're signing the bill. You stare at strangers, giving them the "eye" that says "boy it would nice if you left so I could sit down and enjoy my multiple beers in peace."

Then, when someone finally does give up a table, it's a mad dash to secure it. This can happen with one member from the group breaking from the pack to claim the table and screaming "TABLE!" out loud and rushing for it, letting a friend hold their drink. Or depending on your alcohol consumption, throwing yourself on the table while placing a licked finger on it and saying, "dibs, dibs, I called dibs," rather loudly. It happens.

So now that you're enjoying the table, at some point in the evening some guys will try to take it because the real estate value of that table has increased twofold. At this time, more drunk women are up on the roof so men need to have that table in order to increase the change that women will flock to them. Yes, it happens. And as available table and counter space for pitchers declines, men with tables become more attractive. It's easy math.

And while enjoying a rooftop bar table with friends recently, two men approached our table and just sat down. I must have blacked out when I "invited them" to join us. Anyhow, while making little conversation, the alpha male cleaned his glasses, combed down his mustache hair (and no I don't want a mustache ride) and proudly showed off his shirt that said, "Middle School, Class of 2003."

Are you f*cing kidding me. You wear THAT out to a bar. Where there are women. THAT shirt, you had NOTHING else in your closet that wasn't as pedophile creepy? Guess not. When I saw that, one thought enters my head, "To Catch A Predator." He looked like one too.

He proceeded to let his wingman buddy sit there and stare at us, while the alpha finally entered into a friendly dialogue.

"I can tell [said to me] that you're a cool chick."

"F*ck yes I am! I'm the coolest chick you're going to meet, who isn't on pay-for sites online [am referring to adult material, Match.com does NOT apply]."

"I'd like to shake your hand."

And he gave a weak handshake. P*ssy. Not even a cheap offer to kiss it? Weak.

His friend finally entered the conversation, getting up the courage to talk to us and said, "well we have a pitcher of beer coming."

Free beer? I'm listening.

"I like guys who are givers," I said as a joke.

Now the wingman REALLY gets interested in the conversation, obviously misreading what I was saying.

"I like women who are givers."

Grossed out and getting the odd look from my friend, I realized we would have to sacrifice the table because a) I was not in the mood for banter and b) I needed to stop drinking beer and go get some food. So with a snort, I picked up my purse, looked the guy right in the eye and said....

"I bet you do and I'm sure the female givers you know take personal checks too."

Thank you and goodnight!!!

What have you seen guys do at bars that makes you sick? Too much attention to Golden Tee? Or what have you had happen to you at bars that drives you insane, from girls or guys?

Fortunately, I don't think this will be happening on my evening out with JohnBoy tomorrow. Very nervous. But it will be fine :)

The solution for a bad day

I had a pretty rough day last week from start to finish. It was my first day back from a long weekend and it was already a short week because of the 4th of July, so the cards were already stacked against me.

Oh and let's add major hormones on top of that too because that always helps you relax and think rationally.

And for the final cherry on top, I paid my credit card bill, which had some charges from my vacations. I nearly passed out after hitting the "make payment" button online. It was tough.

So I thought about how I would turn around my lousy day and asked Twitter the following question:

Today's the kind of day that requires one of the following:

• Alcohol
• M&Ms (love cold plain M&Ms)
• Coffee cake in the dark (soothing)
• All of the above

And here were some of the responses:

It is official, I have awesome Twitter friends.

To avoid getting too drunk, I ended up going with the M&Ms in the dark. Next time I will have coffee cake, alcohol and cigarettes in a glass box in my apartment to break in case of emergencies.

I just have to remember to replenish the emergency reserve. I always forget that part.

So what would you choose from that list to help you unwind? Or what do you do to help relax after a bad day?

Weekend recap: The 4th of July, Wisconsin-style

Hello and happy belated 4th of July!

I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend. I took a few days off after my little vlog adventure to relax and chill in Wisconsin, where is it so quiet, it creeps me out sometimes.

I find that now, whenever I go home, I miss the Chicago urban hum. What? No drunk person stumbling around or horns honking at night? I should record the Chicago "hum" and bring it with me to soothe me to sleep. Or get a nice little mobile for above my bed. Sad.

Anyhow, outside of getting a much needed/deserved mani/pedi at home, the big activity of the weekend was my hometown parade, which I chronicled here last year and was dying to photograph again.

Wisconsin loves the 4th and it loves our country. I see this displayed in several ways at home, from interesting outfit combinations to pride in our parade.

In fact, our local parade is so big and popular that the city had to pass an ordinance a few years ago to keep people from putting out their parade materials too early, thus monopolizing the good places. Clever. And I can guarantee you that people woke up early and waited outside until it was officially 6 a.m. to start roping off space. We're that hard core.

You don't f*ck with America and you don't f*ck with our parade spots. I even started stretching before the parade so I could be more limber to get candy instead of kids. Yes, that's what I do, please don't pretend you're surprised.

So here are some highlights from our parade, from sh*t to camels to kazoo bands to enjoying the parade with bistro tables, wine and a feathered mullet. It's better than what people used to do which is drink openly and ignore their children at the parade. Guess that was cracked down on too with the new ordinance. I cannot wait until next year!

Saw this on the hood of a car en route to the parade - yes, I'm immature

Celebrating the Civil War heroes

My favorite picture of the day. Bistro tables, feathered mullet and wine (forgive the grainy image, I had to zoom almost all the way to capture it)

Yay, a camel...in a southeastern Wisconsin parade...yay, a camel!

Kazoo band drummer. Yes, he's pointing RIGHT AT ME *faints*

Parade outfit - Wisconsin loves America and keeping its legs warm on a cool July day

Cleaning up sh*t from a horse-drawn carriage. We're givers

I was also home this weekend because tomorrow is my dad's 61st birthday. I mentioned here last year that I risked increasing my chance of skin cancer to help him ring in #60 and this year, he's keeping the celebration much more low key and unfortunately I can't be with him on the big day.

I know he doesn't read this blog (thank god, although I think he's hunting for it), but I want to say in closing, happy birthday dad. I know I'm not always the easiest person to love, but you do, and I love you back a lot.

How was everyone else's fourth of July? Is there anything you do every year or that your family/city is really hard-core about?

Note: Thank you everyone for the sweet comments about my vlog last week. I was so nervous in recording it and making it public. Your comments definitely made my day and made me smile. I'm so lucky to have you guys :) Oh and yes, big things are coming up! I can't wait.

My first vlog: Life as a twenty something

That's right, today we're talking about chicks, specifically, this chick....me.

Francesca and the ladies at Three Bay B Chicks invited me to participate in the Chick Chat vlog series on the topic of "Life as a Twenty Something."

This is something I definitely know a lot about!

In fact, Ben, Cheryl, Severina and Lilu and are also taking part in this episode.

So below is my first-ever vlog. And cut me some slack in the comments please because it is my first one and I went through 14 takes to finally get to this video. Oh and yes, that is the sound of my kitchen timer softly in the background because I kept going over time and needed it to keep me on track. I'm a total nerd.

Oh and I put a little note at the end (if you can hang with me for three minutes) with a little blog announcement. Nothing big but definitely exciting.

And thus, I close my first vlog entry. Again, be nice in the comments everyone, it was filmed on my iSight camera in my lovely living room. You can tell it's an apartment because of the yellow walls...that was not my decorating decision.

So the question for tonight is, what do you like best about your life as a twenty something or what did you really like about your 20s?

Note: I also just wanted to thank everyone for the great tweets, e-mails and comments on my recent dating adventures. I really appreciate it, you guys are helping me stay back out there!