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Dear Cinnamon is a monthly column based on the idea that all of life's questions can be answered by art, because, after all, art is the spice of life. To submit your own anonymous questions, fill out this form.
Dear Cinnamon,
I want a good old fashioned full-day-of-festive like in the movies kind of holiday. What is my itinerary?
I don’t mess around when it comes to holiday fun and neither should you. Here is your packed day of holly jolly goodness. First hit up the Christkindlmarket downtown, grab yourself a new ornament, a melty stinky cheese sandwich, and your mug of gluhwein. Next, you’ll be feeling like you can conquer anything especially if that bartender put a bonus shot of booze in your mug. Lace up your skates and hit the ribbon at Maggie Daley. Skyline views while holding mittened hands will make you feel the spirit of the season down to your cold toes. Before your next destination take a selfie with the wreathed lions at the Art Institute of Chicago, then head to Athenaeum Center Theatre for It’s A Wonderful Life, where you can cry and get warm for a while. Fingers crossed you snag a holiday train on the way. Your grand finale will be the Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo. Nothing says tis the season like colored bulbs aglow.
Dear Cinnamon,
My family is so hard to buy for and I’m done getting the usual sweater, tie, or pajama set for them. What are the memberships that I can gift that will be better than a jam of the month club?
Experiences are my favorite gifts. One, they force us all to leave the house and try new things. Two, they create warm and fuzzy memories. Three, they don’t take up space. The best of the best of include:
For the kids: Swedish American Museum Membership. I must admit I have never looked around the museum but have frequently taken my children here for the play space. It is the best I’ve ever seen and includes a farm, a spaceship, a town, a house, a boat and beyond. All to be climbed on, played with, and cause imaginations to scream with glee.
For beer lovers: Begyle offers their version of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with a CSB (Community Supported Brewery). There are options for length of time and how much beer you want, which is perfect for gifting at different price points.
For culture junky or someone who desperately needs quiet time: The Art Institute of Chicago is not a place for a group outing. If you haven’t found the joy of going to a museum by yourself with headphones in and wandering aimlessly and without having to make sure you stare a proper amount of time or have a smart or witty comment about the art you are viewing, then you are missing one of the simplest sources of pleasure in life.