Chicago – Page 2 – The Inspired Parent

Great Plants for Spring Color

Lilacs getting ready to bloom at a local park and Lady's Mantle in our yard after the morning rain. — Lilacs getting ready to bloom at a local park and Lady’s Mantle in our yard after the morning rain.

Ah, spring has officially sprung and all of the lovely plants are blooming and the buds on the trees are popping open. I love seeing all of the new growth this time of year (even if it makes my allergies kick in a bit). Seeing those pale greens and yellows at first…then all of a sudden some happy little daffodils & tulips start popping up and it’s so nice to get outside and start exploring.

Late last week we had two mornings of overcast skies & a light drizzle — perfect for capturing some of these early spring plants — so I threw on my rain jacket & went on a couple of rainy morning strolls with my camera.

Love the different colors when planted in a large group.

We live near a pretty park that is known for growing many varieties of lilacs. A few lilacs like the ones in the cover photo were just starting to show signs of deep purple blossoms getting ready to pop. Masses of daffodils were blooming and some of the tulips were just starting to say hi. 🙂 I will definitely head back there over the next couple of weeks as more tulips & lilacs begin to bloom.

Found these little treasures at the park - so pretty! — Found these little treasures at the park – so pretty!

Last fall we planted some daffodil bulbs in our backyard — two pretty varieties to add some cheerful color to the areas where our purple coneflower and shasta daisies will bloom later this summer. We’ve really enjoyed having the early-season color from the daffodils in that bed this year.

One of the varieties that we planted in our backyard. It's a long wait when you plant the bulbs in autumn, but such an exciting treat once they bloom in spring! — One of the varieties that we planted in our backyard. It’s a long wait when you plant the bulbs in autumn, but such an exciting treat once they bloom in spring!

A little early for the wonderful lilac scent, but that will be happening very soon by the looks of these!

Lady's Mantle - one of my favorites! | theinspiredparent.com — Lady’s Mantle – one of my favorites!

The photo above is of one of my favorite perennials — Lady’s Mantle. I shot this image last week during our morning rainstorm. I first noticed this little gem many years ago in Toronto at Casa Loma where they have a huge bed of it — the sprinklers had just gone off and I was intrigued by the water droplets on the leaves. When we moved into our house, Lady’s Mantle was at the top of my list of plants I wanted to add to our yard. I still love the way the leaves look after it rains — especially on the baby leaves that are just starting to sprout.

These are just a few of the happy plants I saw the other day. I also adore magnolias, but the timing wasn’t quite right to capture those the other morning since it was quite windy. Hoping to get some new shots of those very soon and will definitely keep shooting more of our plants as they start to bloom so I can post more of those throughout the season.

What are some of your favorite spring plants?

Nature Quotes to Inspire You this Season

I shot that photo during our latest trip to Maine. My family had walked ahead a bit and I watched them as they carefully hopped from one tree stump step to the next. The water was still ice-cold since it was mid-spring so our little one was a bit hesitant at first about falling in. I remember my husband telling her “It’s okay. Just go slow and be patient…you can do it!”

While researching nature quotes this week, I read one that reminded me of that day & this particular image I captured…and it’s a wonderful reminder to slow down a bit. Great advice for all of us in this hectic world we live in:

Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here are several other great quotes — hope you all find something fun to do outside this week!

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
— Albert Einstein

All good things are wild and free. — Henry David Thoreau

Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. — Robert Frost

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. — Lao Tzu

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.
— Vincent van Gogh

The Earth laughs in flowers. — E.E. Cummings

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.
— Margaret Atwood

Flowers at the Chicago Botanic Garden…looking forward to seeing more of these this season! — Flowers at the Chicago Botanic Garden…looking forward to seeing more of these this year!

What adventures do you have planned for this season?

Almost Spring in Chicago!

I am a total autumn & winter gal — but waking up today with the bright sunshine, blue skies and hearing the early-morning chirping of the birds that were out and about definitely put me in a springtime mood!

After visiting the Shedd Aquarium, walk along the lakefront for a couple of blocks & make sure to see Buckingham Fountain! The fountain is turned on in early-April and stays on until late-fall.

We’ve been planning some upcoming outings, especially since the wee girl has her spring break from school in a couple of weeks. They will most definitely include the Chicago lakefront & downtown areas…so many options.

There's a lovely view of Chicago's skyline from the terrace of the Shedd Aquarium. We usually pack a lunch and eat outside when the weather permits. — There’s a lovely view of Chicago’s skyline from the terrace of the Shedd Aquarium. We usually pack a lunch and eat outside when the weather permits.

We’re a short car ride or quick train ride from all the wonderful things Chicago has to offer, so we frequent this great city of ours quite regularly. Our 7-year-old has her favorite museums, zoos & aquariums & we’ve held family memberships to several of them for many years — much more cost-effective than paying the admission fees upon each and every visit. Best part is that we get the added benefit of not waiting in the long, general admission lines since we can use the “members” lines instead. It’s also super convenient that two of her favorites happen to be right next door to each other.

We typically visit the Shedd Aquarium in the morning, have lunch and then walk over to The Field Museum for the afternoon.

I’m planning to go more in-depth in future articles about the various museums in the Chicago area, but for now, here’s a taste of a few of our favorite photos from recent visits to the Shedd Aquarium & The Field Museum.

One of my favorite jellyfish photos that I shot at the Shedd Aquarium - they are such mesmerizing creatures! — One of my favorite jellyfish photos that I shot at the Shedd Aquarium – they are such mesmerizing creatures!

Every kid seems to love "finding Nemo" in the Clownfish (a.k.a. Anemonefish) tank. This little fellow was a treat to watch last time we were at the Shedd Aquarium. — Every kid seems to love “finding Nemo” in the Clownfish (a.k.a. Anemonefish) tanks. This little fellow was a treat to watch last time we were at the Shedd Aquarium.

Seahorse is the name given to 54 different species - you'll find several types at the Shedd Aquarium - they're all a lot of fun to watch! — Seahorse is the name given to 54 different species – you’ll find several types at the Shedd Aquarium – they’re all a lot of fun to watch!

These little ones were masters at camouflage…then they finally swam out where we could get a better peek. — These little ones were masters at camouflage. They finally swam where we could get a better peek.

After our mornings at the Shedd Aquarium, we head next door to The Field Museum. Kids are so used to being told where to go and what to do, so we typically let our daughter guide the way during our museum excursions and decide which exhibits to see. We’ve found that this decision-making factor during our adventures has been a great way to pique her interest in the exhibits, even from toddlerhood. It’s been cool to see what she gravitates toward during each visit. I’m so glad that we’re raising a museum-lover!

Her favorite exhibit at The Field Museum is the Evolving Planet. This wonderful section takes you through 4 billion years of life on Earth and all of the various Mass Extinctions. Since she was about 18 months old, we cannot tear her away from this area.

Just one of many dino displays - makes every kid (and adult) dream of becoming a paleontologist! — Just one of many dino displays – makes every kid (and adult) dream of becoming a paleontologist!

Daspletosaurus display at The Field Museum.

Close-up shot of the tail of a Triceratops at The Field Museum's Evolving Planet exhibit. — Close-up shot of the tail of a Triceratops at the Evolving Planet exhibit.

I've always loved this Charles Darwin quote - the display of this quote is stunning in person when you come to the end of the Evolving Planet exhibit at The Field Museum. So cool! — I’ve always loved this Charles Darwin quote – proudly displayed in the last room of the Evolving Planet exhibit at The Field Museum. So cool!

Hope you’re planning some fun upcoming adventures with your friends & family! If you’re in the Chicago area, make sure to head to some of our wonderful museums this season. You won’t be sorry!

Brunch at Frontera Grill

We’ve been fans of Chef Rick Bayless for many years. His long-running TV show Mexico: One Plate at a Time has been a family favorite of ours — it is not only informative about regional Mexican cuisine, but also teaches various cooking techniques that we’ve incorporated into our daily lives. Season after season, we’re still learning as we watch. We’re also huge fans of his wonderful restaurants here in Chicago — Topolobompo and Frontera Grill are both phenomenal.

We were overdue for a visit so we headed downtown for the Saturday brunch at Frontera Grill to celebrate my husband’s birthday. Awesome food as usual!

Frontera Grill opens at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and we made reservations ahead of time since we know the line can get quite long. We arrived a bit early and took advantage of walking around the city for a bit. Our six-year-old got a kick out of watching the boats sailing by on this unseasonably warm, late-autumn morning.

Tourists cruising along the Chicago River past Marina Towers

Frontera Grill - 445 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654-4682 — Frontera Grill – 445 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654-4682

After our brief walking adventure, we arrived back at Frontera just as they were opening – we were seated immediately and our daughter had a blast coloring the cool Mexican-art-inspired sheet they gave to her to pass the time.

Food choices for this particular trip did not disappoint (they never do — we’ve always had great experiences here).

Our starters included side dishes of the Frontera Hot Cakes – Three Sisters Garden corn pancakes with whipped goat cheese & one of the best maple syrups we’ve ever had.

Our other starter was a side dish of the Jicama Street Snack (jicama/pineapple/cucumber salad with fresh lime and crushed guajillo chile… WOW)! The serving size was way larger than we expected and was a combination of chilled yumminess. We all fought over the last bite. The six-year-old won.

Onto the entrees – I had the Yellow Mole Enchiladas. Holy “Mole” these were great! Fresh corn tortillas with a wonderful filling of braised kale, turnip & mustard greens and topped with an Oaxacan amarillo mole sauce. The dish was served with a side of black beans & topped with crispy onions.

The birthday boy chose the Sopitos – three Xalapa-style corn masa cakes each with a different topping – scrambled eggs on one, grilled chicken on another and chorizo & plantains on the third. Topping things off with the chipotle – black bean sauce and wow!

Sopitos - awesomeness! — Sopitos – awesomeness!

The wee girl selected the Quesadillas with Rice. We also ordered a bowl of black beans for her, too. Not your run-of the-mill quesadillas by any stretch – more of a turnover pillow of cheesy goodness. Regarding the beans, her quote was “wow, Chef Bayless sure knows how to cook awesome black beans!”

Kids' Quesadillas & Rice — Kids’ Quesadillas & Rice

Add to the mix the unbelievably awesome Mexican Hot Chocolate we had…seriously, we could drink gallons of this lovely stuff…and our next visit can’t come soon enough!

Mexican Hot Chocolate - yum! — Mexican Hot Chocolate – yum!

The bar area when you first walk in & the display of some of Rick's wonderful cookbooks other products. — The bar area when you first walk in & the display
of some of Rick’s wonderful cookbooks other products available for purchase.

If you love traditional Mexican food, great service & a relaxed atmosphere, be sure to make time for a visit to Frontera Grill the next time you are in the Chicago area – you may even see Chef Bayless while you’re there. For a fancier experience, check out Topolobompo – both restaurants share the same main entrance at 445 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654-4682. Reservations recommended: (312) 661-1434