We made it!

This week is the last week of school for us as we close the chapter on our very first year of Kindergarten. It’s a bittersweet time for sure - and while I wish summer break was also for adults 😜 - I am still looking forward to long evenings at the park, “Summer Fridays” at work, and a few fun vacations on the calendar. While I don’t feel like life will slow down as a working mom and my kids in allllll the camps - my goal is to try to embrace a somewhat slower pace and enjoy the sunshine and all the extra trips for after-dinner ice cream.🍦

There are still things that make me feel so nostalgic when summer hits, one being summer reading at the local library. I’m picking up a few summer novels that I hopefully have time to enjoy - The Wedding People and Maine Characters, which was described as the adult version of The Parent Trap (count me in). My daughter and I also started a new series called Ava Lin, a cute chapter book series for early readers. Goodreads also has a good list for kids’ summer reading broken down by age. I also wanted to shout out some Big Weekend readers who are also children’s book authors! My friend Laura Bean wrote an amazing book, The Magic Flashlight, and my girls think it’s the most exciting thing to turn out all the lights and read the book by flashlight! (perfect for summer!). And if you’re a Western burbs dweller, check out this Goodnight Series from local author Taylor Tomlinson.

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! If you know someone who would like this email in their inbox, you can share the link below. 💌

🎱 June Top 8 🎱

✨Summer-Ready Favorites✨ 

🩳 Pull On Shorts: Say it with me, “buttons and zippers are cold-weather problems.” But seriously, my entire family lives in pull-on shorts all summer - truly a lifestyle at this point. I always stock up on a few of these linen pairs from J.Crew, and i’m a sucker for cabana stripes. I picked up a few pairs from Vineyard Vines for my husband, and J.Crew Factory has a great assortment for girls and boys.

🧴 The best smelling SPF: Vacation SPF got on my radar last summer, and it’s now the only sunscreen I buy. I love the nostalgic branding, and it goes on easily and absorbs quickly. (There is a reason it has over 500 5-star reviews!) Their shimmer oil with SPF would be fun for vacation, and I love their retro-flavored lip protectors.

 🌊 Cool Coverups: Hannah has some really good summer stuff this season, and I love that these coverups have matching shorts and a cool little bucket hat.

👙 Swimsuits that last: Of all the swimsuit brands that I’ve tried, Rufflebutts (terrible name - great product) have held up year after year and been passed down through multiple kids and they NEVER pilll! I love their classic seersucker suits for girls and the guys.

🧖‍♀️ Cutest Trike: We got this adorable trike for my daughter’s 3rd birthday as the sweetest gift, and it is just the cutest. The quality is great, down to the little wicker basket, and now I am a huge fan of this brand. They also have stylish big kid bikes.

👙 The perfect summer bag: The most valuable item in my closet may be my perfectly worn-in J.Crew woven tote. It goes everywhere with me - pool, beach trips, plane rides, restaurants and can fit an absurd amount of kids’ gear, toys, books, and all the things. I will buy these until they stop making them.

🌞 Easy summer dresses: Quince has a great selection of easy summer dresses that are giving European summer vibes - here’s a link to my favorites. I also just discovered that Quince sells kids clothes - in sizes 3M - 9, which would make outfits for family pictures easy to coordinate with their matching patterns and selection of neutrals.

🌈 Fun Water Toys. The old metal sprinklers of our youth could never. I have this Rainbow Sprinkler in my cart, and this giant dino looks so fun. For the pool, this treasure box of pool gems was the hottest toy at the pool during our Spring Break. These will probably result in some water to the face, (sorry!), but these water gun rafts also look super fun.

🏙️ Around Town

👨🏻‍🍼Father’s Day Experience Gift Ideas

With Father’s Day this month, here is a list of experience gift ideas for dad since he probably doesn't need any more golf balls, bourbon glasses, or coolers. 🤪

🥩 Grill Class @ The Chopping Block Lincoln Square
My husband and I did a Grill and eat class for a date night a few summers ago and still talk about it. Whether you’re a beginner or grill master - this class is made for all levels. They have unique grilling cuisines to choose from, like Korean BBQ or street tacos and you get to eat your creations for a fun interactive dinner date night.

🎮 Arcade Day at Elston Electric
The newly opened Elston Electric has been on my list to check out and would be a fun Father’s Day outing. It’s a massive new arcade inside the Salt Shed with everything from old-school pinball and skee-ball to VR games and even a claw machine that spits out concert merch. If you're there for a concert or date night, check out Three Top Lounge—an upstairs bar with skyline views and cocktails.

🎩 Date night with a Magic Show
If you need to mix up your date night, the Magic Parlour is a fun way to change up “dinner and a show.” It’s a 90-minute magic act with classic sleight-of-hand, mind-reading tricks, and audience participation in a cozy, cabaret-style setting in the basement of Petterinos. It's designed for adults but welcomes guests aged 12 and up.

🏺 Gift a pottery class - Last week, my daughter and I did a family mug-making class at Made Chicago, and we both loved it! Their family workshops are for ages 5 and up and include mug making, beginner wheel throwing, and planter making - perfect for a DIY-loving dad!

✈️ Get Outta Town

Quick Summer Travel Tips:

🪪 Real ID is in effect - If you haven’t already got your Real ID - make sure you bring your passport, even for domestic flights! Also, I have never once regretted my membership cost with Clear - especially traveling with kids, and it has majorly saved us with long TSA lines.

🚗 Road Trip Ideas: I saved this blog post with a great list of road-trip destinations from Chicago (shoutout to my hometown of Springfield for making the list 🌽). If you have a huge crew, a follower of mine shared their INSANE Airbnb - made from a restored dairy farm near Raging Rivers Waterpark and looks so fun for families.

✈️ Airline points for kids - I am working on a longer post about this, but a friendly reminder to make sure your kids all have airline loyalty points so you can start earning miles for them. Especially now that some airlines like United let you pool them, making them even more valuable to rack up.

🗓️ Mark Your Calendar

Through June 22 🐇 Alice and Wonderland @Joffery Ballet (note this is 2 hours and 45 min with 2 intermissions, so definitely for older ballet fans)

June 6  🍩 National Donut Day! Free Donuts @ Dunkin, Stan’s and Voodoo Donuts

June 6-7 🎡 Winetka Children’s Fair

June 7 🦖 Dinopalozza and Dino Derby @ The Field Museum

June 7-8 🎨 Oakbrook Artisan Market  

June 12 🏃 Danny Go @ Rosemont Theatre

June 12 & 19 🔬 Free Day @ Museum of Science and Industry

June 13-15 🇸🇪 Andersonville Midsommer Fest

June 14-15 🖼️ Old Town Art Fair

June 15 👨 Father’s Day!

June 20 🐒 Super Zoo Picnic, an after-hours event for LP Zoo members

June 20-21 🎸 Winnetka Music Festival

June 21 🎶 The Wiggles @ Rosemont Theatre

June 21  🦁 Roaring Nights - Brookfield’s Zoo Concert Series

June 27-29 🍓 Long Grove Strawberry Fest

June 28-29 Summer Vintage and Artisan Market @ Logan Square

📣👩‍💻 Small Business Shoutout

Meet JJ of Restorative Reset!

JJ came up with a brilliant solution to a problem so many moms face: we crave a weekend away for self-care, but the plans never make it past the group chat.

Restorative Reset offers professionally coordinated 2-night staycations in Chicago where you can finally exhale with fully planned itineraries that include catered meals, uninterrupted alone time, enriching self-care workshops, calming yoga sessions, pampering manicures, and the deep rest we all deserve! The best part - zero planning on your part, and Retorative Reset takes care of all the details.

Mark your calendar for their next retreat: Sept 5-7 in Irving Park, Chicago.

Want to learn more or join in? Give them a follow on Instagram!

📮 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 for July 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

This newsletter may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thanks for supporting!