Archive for December 2012

27 December 2012

Single solo dates

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Random

What’s that? Yes, Single Girl Confidential is back! Pre-holidays, Arielle and I were chatting and suddenly, magic was happening and we were lining up posts on our ongoing series.

This time we’re tacking the idea of single solo dates. You can check out Arielle’s post on this over here.

So, single solo dates. I love them.

Just because I don’t have a plus-one on a Friday or Saturday night, that doesn’t mean I don’t like going out to dinner or to a movie. Sure, I can do these things with friends, but when they’re busy, it’s time for a single lady night out.

And I treat myself right. If I’ve had a long week or rough Friday, I will just grab dinner on the way home, put on Netflix or clean out the DVR and put my feet up. I don’t mind a quiet Friday night in so, this sounds like a perfect lady date.

But when I want to treat myself and get a little fancy, well, that requires some planning. It involves a little make up, maybe some pre-activity drinks and then a nice stroll to the theater or concert of play. And then, I put myself in a cab home. Just because it’s a solo night out, doesn’t mean I skimp on getting home safe.

This may sound like just a regular night out or something that doesn’t need a “solo date” label but I find that thinking of it that way just keeps me in a positive frame of mind.

When I go on a date, I just, try harder. I put in the extra effort, put on the nicer outfits and jewelry, put on full eye make up and just get out there. Sometimes, that first step is the hardest.

And just because a guy won’t see it, doesn’t mean I should not do it for me.

So what about you? Do you do single lady nights out or solo dates?

 

 

 

6 Comments

19 December 2012

JB’s Life List

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Random

Recently, I started helping a coworker plan her honeymoon to Italy and it got me thinking. While I’m Chicago-bound until spring (when the next set of adventures begin), revisiting my big Italy try made me ponder about my bigger plan and the things I want to do, see, experience before I die.

Morbid? No. Inspirational. The Life List is not anything new, Maggie Mason started it at Mighty Girl and it’s inspired many others to create one too.

So I decided to sit down and take a start at my own list. This is not finished and will continue to grow as I am inspired by more things and by people in my life. And in writing this, I realized Maggie, as well as other blogger’s lists have inspired mine.

So here we go in no particular order or preference.

JB’s Life List

  • Walk on the Great Wall of China
  • Hike a glacier and volcano (separately)
  • Sleep in a tree house hotel
  • Zip line
  • See the rain forest
  • Run a race (starting w/a 5K)
  • Learn how to dance
  • Have something I wrote published
  • Go skinny dipping
  • See the Northern Lights
  • Drive from LA to Portland
  • Speak French
  • Wear a bikini to the beach
  • Leave someone a $50 tip
  • Teach a class
  • Host a dinner party
  • Go camping (not glamping)
  • Live in Europe for 30 days
  • Be a movie extra
  • Go on safari
  • See the Taj Mahal
  • Learn to drive stick shift
  • See the pyramids
  • Take my dad on vacation
  • Visit at least one place on every continent

What about you? Is there anything on your Life List?

8 Comments

17 December 2012

That certain click

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Random, Relationships

This weekend while talking to a friend from out of town, we got on the subject of relationships and how you know if you’re in love.

I may be bad at relationships but I am good with advice.

And what I told her is this: there is no one way you know. You just….do. And how you know comes in many forms, from a lightening bolt to slow realization to it feeling like it’s second nature.

When I was in love, I was fortunate enough to have a lightening bolt-like realization. I just knew. And while it hurt like hell when it stopped, I remember that clear distinction that the guy I was seeing changed in to the guy I loved.

And this lightening bolt realization has come with friends too. There is a small handful of people I’ve felt an immediate click with, knowing I had to get to know them because somehow, they’ll be important to me, even if they leave my life down the road.

And hearing my friend unsure how to express if she had a similar situation, I gave one more piece of advice, which I also gave to someone else years ago.

In my opinion, knowing if you love someone isn’t always about one moment. But maybe it’s about the sum of those parts. It’s realizing that while this guy may not be the best lover or funniest guy you’ve dated, that he makes you feel complete more than anyone else has. You can’t wait to see them or tell them something and you always think of them when you have news to share.

Or maybe that’s just me.

Have you ever just “known” or had a connection with someone?

8 Comments

11 December 2012

Why I love Michigan Avenue’s lights

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: Chicago, Random

So, work has been a little (a lot) crazy which is why I have been on a blogging hiatus, but I’m back and ready to talk holidays!

I love celebrating the holidays in Chicago. Even when it’s bitter cold and covered in snow, I love, love, love the city at the holidays.

And my favorite part of it isn’t the magical Christmas train or Christkindlmarket in Daley Square, it’s the lighting of Michigan Avenue.

I know, I make it sound like it’s the greatest thing ever, but really, it’s just the trees down Michigan Avenue being wrapped in white Christmas lights.

It’s literally just that. But to me, it’s more because it’s my first real Chicago memory.

Growing up in Wisconsin, going to Chicago was a treat. You were going to the city and it was a treat. You got to go shopping on Michigan Avenue, which has the same stores as back home, but it was different. Because it was the city and they had different stuff or you just felt a bit cooler because it wasn’t bought in Wisconsin, it was bought in Chicago.

And every year, after the holiday, we would come down to Chicago for a day. Go shopping, grab something to eat, and maybe hit up a few sites. Depends what we were in the mood for.

But along with the holiday shopping, we made it a point to walk down Michigan Avenue to see the lights. We would walk from the Wrigley Building to the Hancock Building and just soak in the view and the glow they emitted. I don’t know why it felt so awesome and so holiday but it did. And I looked forward to that visit every year.

Now that I live here, I get to see the lights any time I want, and while it may sound cheesy and I complain about the tourist clogging up Michigan Avenue to shop and clog up the sidewalks, I still love it as much as I did as a kid.

I mean, look at this.

And starting this week, I’ll walk down Michigan Avenue and just let myself take in the scene and enjoy it. It’s nice to relive those memories, even as an adult.

What’s new with everyone else?? What are your favorite holiday memories?

10 Comments