Hello December! It’s the month of crazy holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, happiness and joy!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with #AskAwayFriday it’s an amazing way to meet new bloggers, make friends and ask some questions to get to know them better! 10 questions are exchanged and answered on your partners blog, you can get as creative as you want and even get into our purses!
As always, tried and true we have the partners in crime, the ladies who created #AskAwayFriday…the wonderful Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County and Amber from Bold Fab Mom!!
Our co-hosts for the month of December are here as well! All new ladies who have been wonderful additions to the #AskAwayFriday week after week! Show them some love by stopping by their blogs!
This week I swapped questions with the lovely Deanna from Chi City Mom. We “met” on a blog hop and I reached out to her because was so excited to connect with a fellow Chicago-area blogger! I’m sure glad I did because she has tips on restaurants, activities, fashion, and raising a kid in Chicago. If you ever plan on going to Chicago, or just want to read about being a fab mom in Chi-Town – check her out!
I asked Deanna 10 questions and you can find her answers here. Now, here are my answers to Deanna’s questions:
1. You have great fashion sense-where do you get your inspiration from?
Thank you! My inspiration has come from the girls that work at Francesca’s – they taught me how to layer basic pieces with tights, boots, scarves, and accessories to make it my own. I hosted a girls’ night out with my girlfriends and they actually shut down the store for a personal styling event where they pulled outfits and helped us our individual styles.
2. You are from the Chicago area like me so I must ask you-what is your favorite restaurant in the city?
This is so hard. There are too many to choose from! I’ll have to go with tapas at Cafe Babareeba. You can’t go wrong with small dishes + sangria + city vibe! The last time I was there was with all my girlfriends and their significant others on my twenty-something-th birthday. I associate that restaurant with fond memories of that night!
3. You are a full time career mom and as a full-time career mom myself I must ask-how do you do it all!
I don’t sleep! Seriously, my average bed time is 1 or 2 am on a weeknight. On Sundays, I cook up a storm – 2 or 3 entrees so I don’t have to worry about dinner ready through Wednesday.
4. What is your favorite type of music?
I hate saying this because it sounds so cliche: Everything except for country and heavy metal. I’m mostly a pop/top 40s kinda girl. Bruno Mars is my favorite artist right now.
5. Chicago is a shopping mecca, not as big as NYC and LA but still has a pretty decent fashion scene, where are your favorite places to shop?
Woodfield Mall. That’s like my shopping mecca – it’s not too far away, and they have the huge department stores like Sears (had to throw that in there because I work for SHLD) as well as fast fashion stores like Forever 21, Love Culture, Antropologie and most recently my sis and I discovered Dry Goods and had a blast trying on the latest trends. This one was my fave:
6. Between work and family, tell me how you fit blogging into it all?
Blogging is time consuming! I mean, the actual writing only takes 30-45 minutes. It’s the photo editing, sharing, engaging, blog hopping, etc. that take a lot of time! I try to blog only after my kids are sleeping, and on Saturday mornings for #SITSSharefest. If my blog goes silent for a while, then that probably means that there’s something up with my family or work, because those take priority. I wish I had more time for blogging, among other things.
7. How did you and your husband meet?
When I was a junior in high school, I had friends at the neighboring high school where Jeff had graduated the just year before. He stayed friends with them and saw this exact picture in one of their planners and said, “Oooh! Who’s that girl? Is she single? Tell her my name is Jeff and I say ‘Hi!'” 
A few weeks later, us girls went to Old Orchard Mall where Jeff and his buddy were hanging out. We met at Bebe’s and he creeped up on me and said “Hi!” I just remember thinking, “Who is this short kid with dimples? He’s kinda cute.” So he passed along his pager number, and a few weeks later I asked if he would go to Junior Prom with me and he agreed. The rest, as they say is history.
8. What is your go to quick meal when you are short on time when you come home from work?
Spaghetti! It’s the only 30-minute meal that actually only takes me 30 minutes for me to make. Damn you, Rachel Ray, for making me think that all meals should turn out perfect and tasty in under 30 minutes when it really takes 45 minutes to an hour or more to prepare a decent meal. Spaghetti is easy, but I don’t just heat up sauce and cook noodles. I saute ground beef with garlic, onions, tomato and add a few extra spices and brown sugar to make the sauce my own. The kids love it!
9. Where would you like to vacation next?
The Philippines! I’m supposed to call it “home” because that’s what my parents call it, but I’ve never been there before. I would love to go there with Jeff and my kids and visit my grandparents, go island hopping, and experience what “home” is all about.
10. I read one of your posts on how you switched from auditing to the social media field. As someone who is considering working in this field and doing a career switch as well, what is the best advise you can give someone who wants to work in the Social Media Industry, given they may not have a marketing or communications background? Where should they begin?
Social media marketing is relatively new and changes so rapidly, that even if you don’t have a marketing or communications background, it won’t be too hard to play catch up. My advice is to connect with other social media professionals either within your company or on Linked In. I had informal discussions with those folks and asked what skills were required to be a social media professional. Then I listed out the skills that I had (analytics, project management) versus the skills that were lacking (content management, community engagement). I stayed on top of social media websites like Social Media Today and Mashable to make up for the gaps. At the end of the day, it was my passion and willingness to learn that allowed me to switch careers. If you’re in Social Media, you’ll never stop learning as the platforms continue to evolve and new social sites pop up, which makes it a very exciting industry to be in right now!
Thanks for swapping questions with me this week, Deanna! It was a blasty-blast!
If you participated in #AskAwayFriday, link up here. Or, click around and check out other bloggers:
xoxo // gracielle.
Wow! I can’t believe they closed down the store for your Girls Night Out! That sounds like so much fun!
I love your that you add brown sugar to your spaghetti…that sounds so interesting and like it is absolutely yummy. I may have to try that!
Tiffany recently posted…#AskAwayFriday W/Dean From Mrs.Aok, A Work In Progress {FINALLY}
It was so much fun! Did I mention that they let us bring wine, too? I brought moscato champagne and we killed that bottle as well as our budgets! I might just post a recipe for my spaghetti since others have commented on that, too!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
Mmm..now I want spaghetti! And I am awake at nearly one am so I understand about not sleeping when you’re a mom and you work. Although I work at home so we have messy boundary issues here.
Love the story of meeting Jeff! You have known each other for awhile!
Tamara recently posted…The One In Which Honesty Is An Understatement..
11:51pm here and I”m still up and at it! I do have the opportunity to work from home, but I actually set up my cubicle like a little condo so I actually like going into work. There are boundary issues when the kids see me working from home – there are no boundaries as far as they are concerned!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
I am going to have to try the brown sugar in the spaghetti, that doesn’t sound bad at all. 🙂 Those definitely sound like my hours and I am a SAHM! LOL! Of course, when I did work, it was much the same. I love making bigger meals on the weekends to eliminate the need to cook so much during the week. Have a great weekend!
Stacey Gannett recently posted…#AskAwayFriday 19 with Jodi from The Noise of Boys!
2tbsp of brown sugar should do the trick. It’s good, probably not healthy, but the kids eat it!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
I love the story of how you met your husband! Aw!! (and seriously…did you ever have an awkward phase? THAT was your junior high photo? Wow!!) I need to do cooking on the weekend that we use throughout the week. I always mean to get my act together that way, but I don’t. I’m going to make that a 2014 resolution!! –Lisa
You are too kind, Lisa. I was awkward during the entire decade of the 90s. Just ask my mom!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
I love your style! Thats awesome that the ladies in the store taught you how to pair stuff together! Francesca’s has some beautiful accessories, I LOVE going in there! Even though I am a SAHM I try to do the same on Sundays…cook for a couple of days so I don’t have to worry about it later on during the week, because I am also in school for my Masters so its a lot easier that way!!
Carissa recently posted…#AskAwayFriday with Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County
I actually enjoy spending my time in the kitchen on Sundays. Kind of calms me before the hectic week starts over again! Kudos to you for working towards your Masters! I let go of that goal a couple months ago knowing that I work full time and have small kids. I would probably miss a lot more than I already do if I decided to pursue it.
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
I have just recently begun to understand how blogging could be a full time job! The actually writing doesn’t take too long for me, but all the other “stuff” that goes along with it is quite time-consuming!!
Rabia @TheLiebers recently posted…Ask Away Friday with Melissa from Home on Deranged
It’s time-consuming, but I love it! Sometimes I’m just consumed in writing or reading other blogs that I completely lose track of time.
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
Love that you stay on top of fashion even as a busy working mom! It’s just such a luxury to even get to look for new t-shirts at Target these days, so kudos to you. And I’m fascinated that you have a career in social media. You’ll have to give me some tips on how you did that!
Melissa @ Home on Deranged recently posted…‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and elves are on the loose
Feel free to pick my brain on social media any time! I haven’t been part of that team in over a year, but just taking the leap and trying something new has opened so many doors for me. 🙂
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
Look at you two gorgeous ladies! What a pair you make! I agree, with Deanna, you have great style, Gracielle! I love the layered look, with boots and scarves. That restaurant you described sounds fabulous, I fell in love with tapas in Spain and I have long loved sangria. I so hope you get the chance to go “home” to the Philippines one day.
Stevie recently posted…Ask Away Friday with Tamara of Tamara (Like) Camera
Thanks, Stevie! The fun part about layering is that I can take stuff I already have and have a new look by adding a new scarf or colored leggings. I would love to go to Spain one day! I could totally use a sangria right about now. Sounds so yummy!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
I agree Rachel Ray is so misleading with her 30 minute meals. If we only had someone else to do all the prep work then we could also actually prepare 30 minute meals, but it takes time to wash and chop veggies and actually cook your meat to avoid getting poisoned. I enjoyed learning more about you.
Sonya K recently posted…JCPenny Coupon $10 Off $25
Thank you! I was worried that I was sounding too grumpy with that Rachel Ray comment. Once I let that go, I was actually able to enjoy cooking again! Did I already respond to your comment? I’m having crazy deja vu right now!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
I need that spaghetti recipe! It sounds so tasty! I’m always looking for quick and simple go to meals!
I don’t know how you work full time, take care of full time mama stuff, and fit blogging in! I tried that once, and it was a complete FAIL! Bravo for doing it all so well!
NJ @ A Cookie Before Dinner recently posted…Ask Away Friday With Sarah From Redemption Diary
Thanks, NJ! I might just do a blog post on that recipe since others commented on that as well! It’s getting easier now that the babies are a bit older. Also, I’ve learned to manage my workload a lot better. The sleeping super late thing is killing me though. I should really give myself a proper night’s rest!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
Aww… I ♡ your love story! How adorable were you in Junior High 🙂
Oh the days of the pager…
Rachel Ray is my daughter’s cooking hero, we have almost every RR cook book.
hope you get to visit the Philippines!
XOXO
I totally dated myself when I mentioned the pager, huh? I had a feeling that I was doing that as I was writing the post. LOL
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
Thank you for introducing me to a new blog! Visiting from Sits
Tanya recently posted…National Hot Chocolate Day! {A Round Up of Great Hot Chocolate Recipes}
Hi Tanya! Thanks for stopping by! Heading on over to check out your round up of hot cocoa recipes. I loooove me some hot cocoa!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
Great questions and answers! I hadn’t realized you were in the Chicago area – I live just across Lake Michigan from you in the southwest corner of Michigan! 🙂
We have spaghetti about once a week at our house, too. I will make my own sauce in the crockpot and make a big batch, then freeze some.
Loved your info about transitioning to social media management! I’m just starting to explore that switch myself!
Great getting to know more about you!
Beth at Structure in an Unstructured Life recently posted…Ask Away Friday with Ophelia!
Hi Beth! Are you guys getting as much snow as we are over here? It’s beautiful, but sheesh – it’s cold! I freeze the spaghetti sauce, too! Then I don’t feel rushed to have to heat it up right away if it’s just sitting in the fridge. Let me know if you have any questions on switching to social media. I have since moved from that specific team, but it has opened lots of doors for me!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats
WOW!! I am impressed with your planning and all the roles you take on. And your fashion is super gorgeous. Way to set priorities mama!!
Sarah recently posted…#AskAwayFriday with NJ
Cooking on Sundays helps level-set the week’s amount of work 🙂 Now if only I could find a little more time to sleep…Thanks for stopping by, Sarah!
Gracielle recently posted…{Infographic} Toddler Stats