My second baby wasn’t much of a sleeper. I spent many, MANY nights awake with him, scrolling instagram. Luckily for me, blogging had become pretty popular at that point and there was plenty to keep me reading through the wee hours! At that time, there were very few women bloggers who focused more on food & everyday life rather than fashion, and I loved that about The Chicago Good Life. It made the blog stand out & I started following which restaurants Christine was visiting each week. I loved living vicariously through her while home with a newborn. Don’t get me wrong, Christine is beautiful and fashionable, but also very relatable and her style is accessible- which is why I think so many women who started following her years ago still do. She’s gone from girl about town to raising her family in the city, and many of her readers have made the transition along with her.
These day you’ll find Christine posting city adventures with her littles, date ideas, local finds, and recipes. Below she shares a little about mom life, Chicago favorites, and she was even nice enough to throw an easy recipe our way.
When did you start The Chicago Good Life and what was your inspiration behind the blog?
The account was started in 2016, with the blog shortly after that. I was teaching full time up until 2018 and really saw the blog more as a hobby. I took some breaks with both kids and was very inconsistent, but now I am more focused on it than ever. Or at least trying!
Before kids, my husband and I would always be out exploring the city. Whether that was a restaurant, a neighborhood, or festival, we were always out. So that’s kind of how it got started. Just living the good life!
Now with two kids, things are a little different but we are still trying to go out and about and explore the city with them.
How has your life changed in the time that you started the blog? Major milestones have been hit through that time!
When I first started, I was pretty active in the food blogging world. Foodie events, going to the latest restaurants, etc. Once I had Noah, some of that went away and now I share more family-friendly places to visit in Chicago.
It’s been an interesting transition in the blogging world once I had kids because many people (and brands!) want to put you into a category. You have to be a “food blogger”, a “fashion blogger”, etc. I don’t really want to fall into just one category. That’s probably why it has taken me a while to grow, but I wouldn’t change that. I am more interested in making connections and building a community of other women that just like living the good life! I’ve met some awesome people in Chicago and beyond and that’s been such an experience.
A major blogging milestone was hitting 10k. Having that swipe up is a game-changer. Another one was having the opportunity to have a meet up at Eataly with 130 people. Unfortunately, it was postponed due to COVID-19 and I am hoping we can it again someday. It would have been amazing meeting so many people in real life! Plus, they have some of the best happy hour deals in the city. 🙂
What are a few of your favorite local take out options right now as we all try to support the industry?
I love, love Forastero tacos in Old Town. It’s immigrant-owned, Korean Mexican fusion, and the family is the nicest! The food is delicious.
L’Patron in Logan Square is family owned and my personal favorite steak tacos in the city. They are doing take out.
Little Meatball in LP has curbside pick up and l love the Italian and Greek meatballs. So good. They have a kids pizza making kit too we plan on ordering. The couple that owns it has been in the restaurant business for generations. They are great people!
The Jabarito Spot in Pilsen has some of the best Puerto Rican food! It’s also women-owned and been around for a long time. Highly recommend.
I am also a HUGE coffee shop junkie, so I am trying to support local coffee shops. Some that are open right now are Necessary and Sufficient in Logan Square, Printer’s Row in LP, and Heritage Bicycles in Lakeview.
How are you feeling about city living with kids through a pandemic? Has it given you the urge to move to the suburbs or are you taking it in stride?
Although I do wish we had a huge backyard right about now, the thought of moving any time soon with this pandemic seems beyond stressful. Not sure I could handle it. Haha. We will stay put for a while. We also have a few schools we’d like Noah to go to kindergarten for, so there aren’t any plans to move right now.
Tell us about a few Chicago favorite restaurants and outings you look forward to after we move on from quarantine.
The lakefront, the Riverwalk and getting a big glass of wine at Eataly will be our first day out. I’ve thought about this day many times! We plan on just walking outside from morning till night. I’d love to do a patio like Parson’s, Park & Field, or Big Star too. Just to be out with people will be nice.
Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 3 green peppers, seeded and sliced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 chipotle pepper (you could use more, but it can make it spicy for the kids!)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeeze lemon
- 6 flour tortillas
Instructions
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Spray crockpot with cooking spray.
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Add chicken, onions and all seasonings.
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Add 1/2 cup of water to cover the chicken and seasonings
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Cook on high for 3 hours.
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Shred the chicken. It should easily be shredded after cooking for 3 hours.
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Add green peppers for one additional hour. Cook on low.
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Add toppings like salsa, hot sauce or sour cream.
And that’s it! Enjoy!