Chicago's Christkindlmarket (Daley Plaza), Chicago, IL

This was a chilly, outdoor treat on a sunny Tuesday. We avoided the after work rush and shopped in the afternoon. Though I hadn't been back in at least a decade, I was pleasantly surprised by the offerings and amount of handmade items, many from Germany (as the name of the market would imply).

If you have a chance or desire, go check it out. You'd certainly place some gifts under the tree that someone will cherish.

Van Buren Street Pedestrian Bridge, Milwaukee, WI

2000 words

Kyatchi, Minneapolis, MN (Kingfield)

After a quick stop at the chiropractor  (aka, back-cracker), I needed to delay heading out in rush hour traffic and decided this 9-month old newcomer would fill the bill.

I don't have the whole story, but one of the brother-sister co-owners, Sarah, gave me a good amount. She was very conversational, like I've never experienced in the Twin Cities before. In the long run, Kyatchi is hoping the neighborhood's face lift helps lift the commerce all around.

I don't know about that, but I can say for sure that I loved everything I tried and NEED to go back.

The menu sticks to the Japanese theme of their name and offers a wide variety of dishes, including: sushi/sashimi, yakitori, donburi, and even their take on hotdogs (recently awarded best dog in town).

I loved the menu and had a hard time picking just a couple items. I settled on two yakitori (traditional Japanese grilling) items and a donburi (rice bowl). I had Japanese peppers and beef on the grilled skewers, then light a fluffy chicken meatballs in the rice bowl. It was all delicious.

As a small thank you,  I also was given two saki tokens for my next visit - who wants to go?

How do you spice up Thanksgiving?

Beer!

CôV, Wayzata, MN

Very delicious mushroom-swiss burger with fries, busy night, great energy. Post-dinner walk in the crisp night air was a nice ending.

The World's Best...lipbalm

It's hard to explain why... wait, I can explain why:

- Smaller height to fit better in pocket/purse, but wider at the same time to cover lips fast

- Pleasant, non-gender specific, non-cloying scent, almost unscented but not quite

- Twist mechanism is pretty hard to twist... which is perfect so it doesn't spin up in your pocket while walking

- Smooth formula that goes on easy and lasts

- It has a cool Euro-vibe

See, it's true. It also helps to have friends in Scandinavia, which is where it's sold. Tack så mycket.

"Metamorphosoup" / Bare Bones Puppets, St. Paul, MN

It's a little hard to explain, but in a nutshell, each Halloween local puppeteers, artists, musicians,  performers, and volunteers spend three months putting together a performance celebrating the changing of the season and remembering loved ones lost.

Is held on the St. Paul side of the river front, south of Minnehaha Falls. It's all outdoors, with straw bales for seating and the night sky for added ambiance.

This was a sight to behold and pleasant music for the ears. I tried my best with the pictures, but I'd highly recommend going instead.

Nothing like a little fire on a Saturday night...

This was a portion "in the deep sea", with the little bit of light only coming from those creatures that made it themselves - it was really cool

Do you see the man in there?

There's two men in the Triceratops

Yeah, they kind of fought each other

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These guys were maybe 8-12' tall, on stilts, on uneven ground

Can you make out the stag? Kinda?

You can learn more about attending or being involved HERE.