Happy Summer, Friends!

Ok, but seriously, HOW is it already almost halfway through July?? Everyone I talked to recently feels like this summer has gone by at warp speed, and I’m already starting to get back-to-school reminders - and to that I say absolutely not. Let me enjoy every single last drop of summer - tanlines, grill nights, a yard full of lightning bugs, and the slower pace of life before I’m ready for anything remotely spooky, or chilly.

If you missed it, I shared my Bougie Kids' Guide to Summer in Chicago for those (rare) empty weekend days when you want to splurge and play tourist in our amazing city and soak up every last bit of summer.

I am writing this from San Diego (Encinitas, to be exact) where my family and I travel several times throughout the year to visit relatives. It's one of our favorite cities, and we truly never get bored here. There's SO much for families to do, and each trip we create a new itinerary based on our kids' ages and interests. In our rotation: San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, Legoland, Hotel del Coronado, and Balboa Park with its numerous museums. Just north of downtown San Diego, you'll find charming beach towns like Del Mar and Encinitas with plenty to explore and great public beaches. You can take a ferry to Catalina Island (which was once owned by the Chicago Cubs owner and served as their spring training location), catch a Padres game, or drive just 90 min to Disneyland in Anaheim. If you haven't visited, I highly recommend considering San Diego for your next family trip - and I’ll be sharing a reel on Instagram on all my favorite insider spots.

It feels like literally everything on the internet is on sale right now - but TBH I already have fatigue from all the Prime Day content (and I don’t think Bezos needs any more of my $$$.) The only thing I have worth sharing is my 3 in 1 charger, which charges my phone, AirPods, and Apple Watch. I love this because it looks good on my nightstand and it’s amazing for traveling. Just unplug and roll up one chord for all your devices.

Lastly, for those who are new—hello and welcome! Every month, I share a range of fun stuff I find around the internet, helpful links, and things to do in Chicago with kids. You can read all past Funletters here - and your support and sharing of this newsletter means the world! So that I can keep this thing going, if you know someone who would like this email in their inbox, you can share the link below. 💌

🎱 July Top 8 🎱

What I gift to new moms and babies

My friend group had a bit of a baby boom this Spring/Summer and I love finding unique gifts for fellow moms that’s beyond their registry wishlist. As someone who has done the rodeo a few times, here are my favorite gifts for growing families.

🧴 Tubby Todd Essentials: I discovered Tubby Todd All Over Ointment 6 years ago when my daughter was a newborn with terrible baby acne and it was the only thing that worked. Ever since, I’ve been a devotee of their brand and love how they are always evolving their products, like this spray-on diaper rash cream (genius).

🖼️ Gold Aerin Frame: I love the Aerin wave frame collection because it feels timeless yet has a kid-friendly aesthetic with its scalloped edge. I have one in my daughter's room with a black and white picture of us, and it's the perfect gift for a new mom who likely just had newborn photos ready to be framed.

🍼 Chicago Baby Fits: Local brand Mini Wonder makes the cutest Chicago apparel for kids (and moms), and their Chicago-themed baby prints in onesies, jammies, or blankets are the perfect gift for a fellow windy city mamma.

📚 Bob Shea Books: I Am a Baby is one of my favorite baby books from author Bob Shea, perfect for new parents - it’s sweet, funny, and likely one they don’t already have in their collection.

🎂 Heirloom Birthday Plate: This is a spin on the “you’re special today” plate that I know is popular with family traditions, and I love the idea of a hand-painted Birthday plate as a thoughtful heirloom gift.

👝 Monogrammed Everything Pouch: I received these as a gift after my second daughter was born, and they are the perfect size for everything. I’ve used them as diaper bags, snack bags, change of clothes bags, and its a sweet, personalized gift for mom of siblings who will now need 2 or (or more!) of everything.

🦪 Mother of Pearl Name Necklace: Like almost every other millenial mom i’m the owner of many delicate gold necklaces with my kid’s initials which I still love - but lately i’ve seen these adorable mother of pearl name necklaces that would be a unique statement jewelry piece for personalizing for a new “mother” - as the name implies.

🥡 Doordash Giftcard: The most generous and welcome gift we received after having our second was multipe Doordash giftcards sent from friends and family so whenever we have friends welcome a new baby it’s a quick and easy way to help out and send some love to you’re exhausted parent friends - because let’s be honest those freezer meals you prepped didn’t hit the spot like they thought they would. 🤪

🏙️ Around Town

🇫🇷🥖 🎆Celebrate Bastille Day

I studied abroad in Paris the summer before my Senior year of college, so obviously I’ve made it my entire personality ever since. I’ll take any excuse to celebrate a holiday - especially one that involves picnics and copious amounts of baguettes, cheese, and French macarons. If you’re looking to add some Euro flair to your summer, here are some kid-friendly Bastille Day events around Chicago.

🎶🍷 Bastille Day at Polk Bros Park @ Navy Pier
Sunday, July 13, 3PM - 6 PM
Pack a French-themed picnic (don’t forget the Trader Joe’s macarons) and enjoy live music and family-friendly entertainment celebrating all things France at Navy Pier’s free Bastille Day celebration.

🎶🥖 Old Town Bastille Celebration
Saturday, July 12, 2025, 10 AM - 10 PM
The Old Town Triangle Association is hosting an all-day Bastille Day celebration on Saturday, July 12, that includes French-inspired crafts, kids’ activities, French music at the Near North Library, and a screening of "Hugo" at Ella Jenkins Park.

🥐 🇫🇷 Bastille in the Burbs
Alliance Francaise Du Page is hosting a family-friendly Bastille picnic in Wheaton, and Le Tour in Evanston is hosting a Bastille Day patio celebration that would be perfect for a date night.

✈️ Get Outta Town

Summer Day Trip Ideas:

🎉 Bastille Days in Milwaukee July 17–20
If you want even more Francophile celebrations, Milwaukee is home to the largest Bastille Day celebration in North America - with live music, global eats, a 5K night run, and Eiffel Tower light show. The Kids Day is July 19 with music, crafts, and French-themed fun designed for families.

🌊 New Buffalo, MI - If you time traffic correctly, you can totally do a day trip to downtown New Buffalo. Leave Chicago early in the AM (remember you lose an hour to EST). Set your GPS for downtown New Buffalo. Start with coffee and breakfast sandwiches at Davids - then walk around a bit and explore the shops. Grab lunch at Postboy’s patio, then head to the public beach (the parking lot fills up fast on weekends so you will want to secure a spot early) After a day at the beach grab a quick slice at Beer Church and head home in time for Central Time bedtime.

🏊 Pool day at Grand Geneva: The Grand Geneva in Wisconsin is available to book as a day pass on ResortPass - so no hotel room needed - which would be a fun and easy day trip for a change of scenery from your local swimming spot - and you can tack on some Lake Geneva restaurants for dinner before heading home. (Here’s $20 off a ResortPass booking for being a Big Weekend reader)

🗓️ Mark Your Calendar

All month 🥀 Beauty and the Beast @ Cadillac Theatre

All month 🎭 Arthur and Friends @ Marriott Theatre

Every Sunday in July: 🕸️ Super Sundays @ Griffin Museum Science Industry: Explore the entire museum until 8 PM - including Marvel’s Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing exhibit 

July 11 - Aug 3 🎪 Circus Abyssinia @ Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

July 11 - 13 🪕 Square Roots Festival @ Lincoln Square

July 11 🐒 New Primate Exhibit - Bramsen Tropical Forest - opens at Brookfield Zoo

July 12-13 🖼️ Southport Art Fest 

July 19  🎨 Mini Fest Hands-on workshops, crafts, and fun for kids and families

July 18-20 🍑 Peach Festival @ Windy Acres Farm

July 20 📖 Story Art with the Author of Umami @ Bash Kids Club

July 20 🍦 National Ice Cream Day!

July 20 🌭 Family Sunday with Chicago Dogs $3 bottomless popcorn and fountain drinks, plus pre-game player autographs and kids activities

July 27-28 🎶 Wicker Park Kids Fest Sat and Sunday 12-6, Corner of Milwaukee/Wolcott

July 27 🏀 Chicago Sky vs Indiana Fever at United Center

July 31-Aug 3 🎸 Kidzapalooza kids section of Lolla open 12-6PM every day of the fest @ Grant Park

📣👩‍💻 Small Business Shoutout

🍨 Meet the family behind Cafe Castemila

If you have been to Europe, you know there is something special about the gelato there that we can’t quite replicate stateside. Thankfully, there is now a family-owned and operated European gelato and coffee shop, Cafe Castemila, at Old Orchard Mall. All their gelato is house-made from Italian imported ingredients, which you can definitely taste.

They also offer gorgeous European pastries like fresh croissants, desserts, and a full-service European coffee bar. Give them a follow on Instagram to get updates on their latest menus.

Their pistachio and biscoff gelato combo is probably the closest you can get to a Dolce Vita summer without a passport, and you can feel great about supporting a woman-owned and family-run small business.

Next time you’re dining or shopping at Old Orchard, make sure you stop in for a sweet treat. And just for Big Weekend subscribers, mention this Funletter for 1 free small gelato through the month of July! (limited to 1 small gelato per family)

Want to promote your business in the next Funletter? Respond to this Email with your advertising inquiry.💖

📮 But wait, there’s more!

If you want even more Big Weekend content, follow me on Instagram where I will share more content and resources like this, and be sure to tag me if you find yourself doing any activities from this list! If you know someone in your network who would like this content, you can forward this email or have them subscribe here.

Keep an eye on your inbox in August for the next Funletter - I aim to send these out at the beginning of every month.

P.S. While I do my best to highlight as much as possible, I may miss an event or two (or have a typo or three) since I am a one-woman show.💃

Feel free to send me any leads or ideas for future Funletters by replying to this email.

XOX

💌 Kaitlyn

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