“I just wanted to create a deal that people knew they were getting a great value out of” says Will Glass, founder of Drink Deck. In a nutshell, the Drink Deck looks like any normal deck of cards with a big difference. Each card also serves as a $10 gift card to a bar, restaurant or even a bowling alley! The name of the participating venue is printed on the card. With the savings totalling $520 it sure is a great deal and worth the $30 price.

After selling 1100 deck in 5 months, Will decided it’s time for the 2nd edition of Drink Deck to come out. There was a launch party at Trader Vic’s in Chicago where guests had a great time playing Black Jack and hearing Will Glass talk more about why he loves this product “Drink Deck never expires so you remember it when you want and if you don’t then you’ll never have to worry about an expiration date”. What I thought was a cool idea is putting up a map on Drink Deck’s website with all the participating venues so if you want to plan a night out then it’s a prefect place to see what’s close to what. With all these great add-ons you really can’t go wrong! Go on, check out Drink Deck‘s site and say hi to them on twitter. Big thumbs up for the dynamic duo @Pavlovic and @Nduhoski for organizing such a great event! Follow them to learn more about them and why they say “Social Media Strategy and PR is our game”.

Like it so far? Well, you might be able to get your hands on a Drink Deck sooner than later. I have 3 Drink Decks that I’d love to give to our readers. It’s easy to participate. All you have to do is comment below with your favorite spot in Chicago for a tasty cocktail and why. The top 3 unique comments win! You can enter as many as you’d like for a bigger chance at winning but note that you can only win one Drink Deck per person.

You can also attend a Drink Deck party on September 8th at Motel Bar. Details can be found here.

Things to note:

Price of Drink Deck is $30.

You must be a resident of the Chicago metropolitan area to be eligible for the prize.

Contest ends September 10, 2010 at 11:59PM Central time.

Winners will be notified via comments reply or/and email if available. Tip: To protect your privacy don’t leave your email in the comments!

Chicagonista reserves the right to withdraw or terminate this contest at any time without prior notice.

Good luck!

90 years and one week. That is how long women in the USA have had a constitutional right to vote in elections AND have them counted.

Yes, in some parts of our fair country, women were allowed to vote, but they didn’t count.

And for women of color, especially African American women, the right to vote wasn’t fully realized until Jim Crow laws were off the books in 1965.

Last week I attended two celebrations of the 19th Amendment. One showcased many Democrat women running for office including current Attorney General Lisa Madigan. At one point in her speech she mentioned that she is the only woman to hold state-wide office. She got a lot of applause for that, but she responded to the supportive crowd with, “I know you appreciate my work, but I was hoping for the opposite reaction.” Not only would Madigan like some company, but some political reporters have already discussed the lack of diversity on the state-wide ballot on both sides of the aisle.

The last time I talked about you running for office…Yes, YOU…I talked about the White House Project. Illinois has its own training programs for women. One for Dems and one for the GOP. Each program has an application to submit. I couldn’t find the application for the Lincoln Series, but it’s due in October. So reach out to them if you need one. The IWIL application asks for two endorsements from an elected official, Democrat party leader or labor leader.

But are those the only ways for Illinois women to get on a ballot?

In an op-ed at The New York Times, Anna Holmes and Rebecca Traister chastised the National Democratic party for not having “A Palin of Our Own.” Jill Miller Zimon, a friend of mine, contends that Sarah Palin, while a Republican, is not a creation of the Republican Party. Much like Jill, who recently won her own election, is not a creation of the Democratic Party.

Lesson? Women can not wait for the party to come to them. If you are a huge supporter of your party, go for it. Sign up for a training session. If you get in, report back! Share what you learned! If you aren’t, don’t fret. Jill muscled her way into office without a party training or support and so can you.

And what do you know! The Chicago Municipal Elections are just around the corner! You can find out how to file petitions (well once the petitions get posted anyway…oh, Chicago) at the Chicago Board of Elections website. So far four Aldermen have said that they will retire — All four are women.

Who will we replace them with?

A lot of families are scrambling to pack in the fun before all the kids go back to school and a lot are planning their last Great America visit, but did you know that this is the last weekend of Six Flag Great America’s Hurricane Harbor? Well, it is! If you miss it this weekend, then you’ll have to wait again until next summer. The new schedule has kicked in and after September 1st Great America will only be open on weekends. They will also take off the last 2 weekends of Sept to prepare for October’s Fright Fest. You can check their schedule here.

You should also know that a few weeks ago we told our readers about Discover’s partnership with Six Flags Great America. Discover has prepared an awesome Family Four-Pak Value $99 and not to mention the 5% off on all your purchases within the park if you use your Discover card.

But wait, Discover also gave us an opportunity to give away 2 family passes (4 admission ticket per family)!

So, take a moment to comment below and tell us – What would you like to “Discover” at Six Flags?  We will contact you directly on Thursday so you can take advantage of the tickets for this upcoming weekend!

By the time you read this post, we will be less than 40 days away from the Chicago Marathon. It doesn’t seem that long ago when we were 100 days from the race, scheduled for October 10, 2010. Last week, marathon banners appeared on the race course throughout the Loop. Several tweets including ones from Whitney M. and David P. expressed excitement with an accompanying photo. The photo shown in this post is courtesy of Francesco S., who is a Twitter and Dailymile friend running his second marathon this year.

Though I am eagerly anticipating the race on 10-10-10, I am battling fears and possible disappointment. Am I training enough? Am I training too much? Am I eating well? Am I getting enough sleep? Will I finish 26.2 miles in the time for me to qualify for Boston? Will I finish in less than four hours hours? Will I finish at all?

I think it is common to have these questions and concerns but not have immediate answers. Not only have I invested a lot of time, money and energy into training, but I’ve become emotionally involved. I have met several fellow athletes through Twitter and Dailymile who share my zeal for running. I have become closer to friends after logging long runs together. During a 19-mile run last week, I stopped for a few moments to soak in the beautiful weather and surroundings as I ran along the lakefront. I felt truly blessed to be healthy and happy while I ran.

Though I am counting down the days until October 10, I will continue to train smart and trust in my ability. I am enjoying the journey before arriving at the destination. The marathon is a distance to respect and not rush.

The kids are back in school, and so MOMS can get herself back! Chicagonista partnered with Mom Renewal on an upcoming ReVamp Project and we’re inviting other Chicago Mom Bloggers to join us and secure a spot. We are gathering 10 mom bloggers and we only have a couple spaces left.

This 2 month long project will come with fitness, finance, health & nutrition, style & beauty components. This could be the first step ( a big step) into getting your self back, or maybe, make this as an extra step to feel even more fabulous. Do it for yourself, because we all know that a good mom is a healthy mom! Don’t worry, you don’t need to weigh in or divulge any size etc. That is completely up to you. What we want is that you’ll document and write about your journey and hopefully inspire more women / moms. You can even bring your lil’ ones if you have to.

We will have field experts to help guide us on the following: (All our experts will be announced by next week)

• 1 month of Fitness Bootcamp (3x a week – 4 weeks total)
• A beauty event (a one time – 2 hour session)
• A finance event (a one time – 2 hour session)
• A dental / health event (a one time – 2 hour session)
• A fashion / styling event (a one time – 2 hour session)
• A nutrition event ( 2-3 hour session)
• Possibly a contest for the best all-around result in the end…depending on the sponsorship prizes we gather.

All participating bloggers has to blog (video would be great too) at every event in Chicagonista that can be cross-posted to your own blog and at the end you must have an original recap piece in Chicagonista.

Interested? Fill up the Interest Form here. DUE Sept. 3rd!

* Fitness Bootcamp will start mid ( or maybe late) September starting with the Fitness Bootcamp, daytime by expressway, west of loop ( Eckhart Park – really good parking!)
M, W, F – 1 hr. for 4 weeks
10-11am or 6-7 pm

* All other events will be scheduled during the weekend or evenings.

Hope you’ll join us!

It’s crunch time for a lot of parents with kids heading back to school but how about one last family hurrah before the kids hit their books and pencils?

In case you haven’t heard yet, Discover Card and Six Flags teamed up to bring us exclusive Discover perks and values for all card members. We recently revisited Six Flags in Gurnee again and thanks to Discover, we had the best time ever!

Additional benefits of the partnership for Discover cardmembers include:

• A family four-pack of tickets for $99 (to mid-October 2010)

• A Discover-branded gate providing cardmembers an expedited entrance experience

• Discover-branded family meal packages at significant savings

• Exclusive access to “Coasters After Dark” events for Discover cardmembers, allowing them to
enjoy the parks after regular operating hours on select dates throughout the season

• 5% off on anything you purchase with your Discover card inside the park from the parking, to games, to food, gifts, etc.

Being a mom of three and with ages ranging from 3 to 10, I’m happy to see that there are many options for my youngest one. We also had the opportunity to try the “Flash Pass” for the first time and I can say that we will probably never visit the park without getting one again. The park also boast to be the “cleanest park in the country” and I have to say that we were not disappointed.

This is also the first time we made it to Hurricane Harbor and it will definitely not be our last. Good thing that Discover and Six Flags have teamed up for 3 years, because we’ll be spending even more time in Six Flags Great America in Gurnee using our Discover Card!

I never thought to stay in a downtown Chicago hotel. After-all, I live 5 minutes away – why would I need to do that?

Then my son became of the teen age where friends began having “Birthday Slumber Parties” downtown.

The idea became really attractive. Having an affordable suite close to all of the summer fun is an awesome treat for all!

When it was  my son’s turn to enjoy a party, I secured an affordable weekend at The Wyndham Chicago on St. Claire. The suite was huge. There was PLENTY of room for rambunctious tween boys to play video games and relax. They swam, we visited all their haunts, and it was a pleasant treat.

In doing so, I became more attuned to the treasures usually taken advantage of!

Since then, I have enjoyed getaways with, and without children, right here in my own downtown.

The Wit is a very posh, upscale place with a first class lounge on the rooftop.

Then there is the classiness of The Comfort Suites Chicago and the funkiness of The Hard Rock Cafe.  Nestled where the Magnificent Mile begins, these incredible views, and the spacious suites – some with washer and dryer – are fierce!

So when I was invited to uncover the wonders of The Hotel Indigo, I was so excited!

Formerly The Claridge Hotel, The Hotel Indigo Chicago, 1244 N Dearborn, is a vibrant respite.

The lobby is cool and inviting. The Bill Olendorf art displays perfectly and they even have The Golden Bean to satisfy your need for a quick bite.

Keep reading! Hotel Indigo is offering a new promotion! Morgan Cook, Director of Sales, 312-416-5809, who indulges visitors with his charm and knowledge of Chicago, made this sound incredible!

Chicagonistas, simply submit your own local story  at The Locals Know Best Contest for a chance to win a trip to New York City, and  be featured in People Magazine and receive an intimate concert by Natasha Beddingfield.

Hotel Indigo is seeking to embrace Chicago areas and neighborhoods to promote Chicago’s charm.

Summer is not over Chicagonistas – so get out there and treat yourself to a getaway downtown!

It’s August people. Let’s get real. It’s Back to School time.

This Back to School season is a little bit different than the ones in the past though.

First off, I’m also going back to school. I’m starting a PhD program at UIC. I’m doing it part-time, very part-time to start in fact. So as I prepare my daughter to head off to second grade, I’m making sure that I have my own notebook, text book and pens ready to roll. And honestly, they’ve been ready for a year since I’m a school supply addict.

That brings me to the second reason this year’s back to school season is different…We’re all getting a tax break!

…a new Illinois law that waives the state sales tax for 10 days next month.

While back-to-school shoppers won’t have to pay the 5 percent state share of the sales tax, they will still be charged the county and city portion. In Chicago, that means the sales tax rate will be 4.75 percent for clothes and school supplies from Aug. 6-15. [link]

Our friends in the Quad Cities get it even better as Iowa also has a tax holiday, which is a better deal than this side of the Mississippi. In fact Illinois’ modified tax holiday is the 18th in the country.

But is it a good thing?

For someone it is. The debate rages on whether or not this is a good thing for consumers or for retailers. But unless those of us shopping are also buying computers and other things not on the approved tax-holiday list [read all seven PDF pages!], the state seems to be the loser in this gimmick.

State Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley) said the tax holiday will create a projected revenue shortfall of at least $50 million, and perhaps as much as $60 million. That money will have to be cut from some other area in the state’s operating budget. [link]

In the same article, State Sen. Gary Dahl notes that Wal-Mart heavily lobbied for this law which causes him to wonder if the holiday will help the every day taxpayer instead of just pad the profit margin of stores.

Georgia skipped a tax holiday this year for the first time since 2002. The state faces an estimated $371 million deficit for 2011. Its tax holiday last year, on clothing and school supplies including computers, cost an estimated $13.2 million in lost revenue, according to the state.

Policy analysts at both ends of the political spectrum say tax holidays are stunts that don’t boost the economy and hurt state budgets. [link]

No matter what, the tax holiday is happening. I really do hope that it helps those who need to save as much as they can, I hope it encourages those of us who can spend more, do spend more and in the end, in my ever Pollyanna-ish ways, that everyone comes out on top.

A few days after traveling back from the San Francisco Half Marathon, I attended the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Health and Fitness Expo.  The expo was a two-day event that was open to the public at no cost for admission. I didn’t run the Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon but was planning to meet with friends as they picked up their race packets. As a bonus, I got to meet and take photos with elite runners Kara Goucher and Meb Keflezighi!

When I ran the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon last year, Kara won the race by 19 seconds ahead of the first male finisher in a field of over 14,000 finishers. At the expo this year, it was exciting to hear Kara speak about her competitive spirit, her aspirations of “dreaming bigger” and her realization that though she’s had more failures than successes she still perseveres. Now that Kara is eight months pregnant with her first baby, she has reduced her training schedule but is still keeping very active and fit. It was so inspirational to see Kara healthy and happy as she continues to be a role model for runners young and old. I was touched to hear Kara say she’s built many friendships because of running. She said many things that rang true to me and she was so relatable.  When my friend Kathleen and I took a photo with Kara, she sweetly said “You guys are adorable” to us. I think she is the one who is adorable. What do you think?

Meeting Meb was also a highlight during the expo. Last year, Meb became the first U.S. runner since 1982 to win the New York City Marathon. I watched the race on TV and cheered for Meb from my living room. At the Sony exhibit in the expo, Meb patiently answered questions and gave autographs. The first thing I said to him was “I follow you on Twitter!” It was exciting to briefly chat with him and he even said he liked my name!

In between meeting the professional athletes and being star struck, I visited exhibitor booths that sold the latest in running apparel, nutrition and gear. I even received a free Garmin water bottle after meeting the tweeter behind the @Garmin_Chicago Twitter account! I can spend several hours at a health and fitness expo sampling foods, listening to speakers and contemplating purchases.

Even if you are not running the race, consider attending an expo – such as the Chicago Marathon Health and Fitness Expo – to meet other runners and exhibitors promoting races and products. The expo is free and open to the public. Remember to bring your camera and a big smile.

On Wednesday, August 4^th, our Chicagonista writers along with sister site NYmetropolista writers gathered together on an Afternoon Tea @ The Plaza sponsored by Dyson. We were also joined by friends and supporters of our sites such us America’s Fitness Expert, Andrea Metcalf , BlissdomPartners Alli Worthington and Barbara Jones, and of course Duong Sheahan and Beth Rosen of ChicagonistaLive.com

NYmetropolista’s Managing Editor Carol Cain, and The Chicago Moms‘  Co-Managing Editor Vanessa Druckman were also there to celebrate this wonderful gathering at a historical NY landmark, The Plaza.

Our tables were donned with Dyson’s State-of-the-Art bladeless fans, the Air Multipliers. Classic Afternoon Tea menu of scones, pastries, mini sandwiches, and canapes of Maine Lobster, Sturgeon Caviar, Truffled Quail Egg Salad, and more.

All our guests are receiving an Air Multiplier, courtesy of Dyson.

Featured photo above is courtesy of Duong Sheahan.