Her Tasty Life

Being a new mom has brought with it a ton of firsts… baby’s first bath, first smile, first walk to the park, and my not-so-favorite first, first time being stuck in the house ALL. DAY. LONG.

Let me tell you, the struggle is real. With our new little guy at home it hasn’t been easy to find family-friendly – or specifically baby-friendly – places to go that lend themselves to giving new moms the peace of mind in a comfortable environment that alleviate the stresses we all worry about. Will there be parking? Is it safe? What if I have to change baby? Feed him? All of these questions compounded led to a lot of time spent at home indoors for me. I felt overwhelmed and figured it was just easier to stay put than to venture out into an unknown situation. And you know what? That’s positively zero fun. I needed a new mom outing and I needed it bad.

I packed up the car, filled the diaper bag, and got Blake ready for a day of hitting up Roosevelt Collection Shops in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. From visiting this lifestyle center previously, I knew it was a fab place to hang and let’s be honest, who loves shopping and eating more than this girl?

Getting there was super easy and because they have dedicated parking on-site I was able to comfortably get Blake there and enjoy staying as long as we wanted without worrying about street parking and meters (ugh, city life).

We made a day of it which was beyond easy. Roosevelt Collection Shops has an awesome mix of everything for an idyllic new mom outing… tasty restaurants, retail shopping, boutique fitness, a killer movie theater (the kind with those amazing recliner chairs), a kids play area and more. I had options galore while Blake mostly snoozed in his stroller – hallelujah! – it was the answer to my stir craziness and then some.

First, we stopped at Mago for lunch because food is always top priority with me. The center also has Nando’s, one of my favorite chicken joints, and Porkchop, whose bar I love for swank cocktails… but Mexican sounded ultra delish and I couldn’t wait to dive into their tableside prepared guac and a few gorgeous libations.

The foods and drinks at Mago were exactly what the doctor ordered. Fresh flavors, expertly prepared in a lively, upbeat environment… I sampled tacos, empanadas, a mole flight (don’t miss this), a tasty salad and dessert (duh). I kind of can’t wait to go back and try their brunch — chilaquiles and chilled margs? Yes, please!

Now that I was feeling awesomely satiated, it was time to work off those tres leches cake calories with a little bit of my favorite cardio — shopping! Roosevelt Collection Shops has a “greatest hits” assortment of retailers with a little bit of everything for everybody. Clothing, cosmetics, kids, household and decor… SCORE!

I popped into a few of my favorites, Z Gallerie and Ulta, for that makeup and home decor browsing I love so much.

Self-admitted product junkie right here. Meandering the aisles of Ulta has got to be one of my favorite ways to kill an hour… or two. The product lineup there is so insane and they are always stocking up with new products for me to play with.  These Buxom glosses called to me immediately and how could I say no?

Z Gallerie was next since I’m always on the hunt for new, fabulous pillows. Does anyone else have a fuzzy pillow obsession like me? I hoard them like cats. Seriously.

This furry blush pink stool I tried to walk away from… twice. I actually ended up going back to buy it. It was one of those “I don’t think I can live without this” items. I always say, if you go home and you’re still thinking about it days later… you NEED it. Z Gallerie, you suck me in every single time.

After a hefty dose of retail therapy it was java time! A little pick me up at Bridgeport Coffee was the perfect way to cap off this lovely day.

All of this incredible activity and never once did I feel uncomfortable having the baby with me or worry about where we could go or what we could do. Walking the center promenade was super relaxing and we even stopped by their cool mural wall to grab a few snaps — the blogger in me couldn’t help it!

What a great way to spend a day with Baby Blake. Hanging in a hot ‘hood, shopping, eating, walking… so lucky we have Roosevelt Collection Shops to enjoy! Can’t wait to be back soon.