Sip With Me

It’s Christmas of long ago, your house is covered in fresh snowfall, and the bright, warm glow of your incandescent Christmas lights peaks through to light up the winter cold.In this festive episode, we meet Tru-Tone Christmas Lights, the company bringing back the nostalgic glow and timeless magic of vintage Christmas lights.Learn how partners David Andora & Sean Hunt created their bulbs to capture that vintage glow so prominently featured in your most nostalgic Christmas movies and memories. A heartfelt founding story inspired by childhood memories and Christmases in Chicago!Dive into what’s trending in holiday lights and hear some of the science behind Christmas lighting!We end with a lit round of rapid fire, learning their favorite Christmas light color and the best gift they’ve ever received! SHOP: https://tru-tone.com/SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/trutonebulbs/CHICAGO VENDORSFESTIVE COLLECTIVE​5 N Milwaukee AveINSIDE HOME1942 W. Chicago AveDISTRICT CHICAGO5430 N Clark St

What do Santa, Suites, and Serenity all have in common? They’re all at Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook Chicago! We’re staying in their signature “Santa Suite” and chatting the holidays with Michelle Marvin, Director of Sales and Marketing!Michelle tells us about the scenic property, which is surrounded by forest preserve, and has rich historic ties to McDonald’s former headquarters! Hear about the property’s amenities, such as their absolutely insane indoor pool (perf for winter staycations), a full-service spa, and incredible wedding packages (Michelle even likely sold Aaron on scheduling his wedding)! We also chat about why they are the must-do location for winter and Christmas fun in the suburbs. This year’s fun includes their famous holiday pop-up bar “Prancer’s Pub”, the family-friendly “Deck the Halls” crafting & cocoa events, and of course - THE SANTA SUITE - a North Pole Suite which includes a special surprise from Santa and stunning lake views.Check out the links below to book a stay, explore the property, and plan your own suburban holiday fun!HOTEL RESERVATIONS: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/chilo-hyatt-lodge-oak-brook-chicagoHOLIDAY OFFERINGS: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/chilo-hyatt-lodge-oak-brook-chicago/holidaysPRANCER’S PUB MENU: https://www.hyatt.com/content/dam/hotel/propertysites/assets/hyatt/chilo/documents/en_us/dining/hearth-lounge/389115_Prancers_Pub_Menu_Card.pdfWEDDING INFO: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/chilo-hyatt-lodge-oak-brook-chicago/weddingsSPA: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/chilo-hyatt-lodge-oak-brook-chicago/spa

And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it, and I stop at Transit Tees for all my holiday shopping!Transit Tees takes visuals from Chicago’s metropolitan landscape, iconic brands, and cultural landmarks and turns them into the most epic products, clothing, and decor! We chat in-store with Tim Gillengerten, Owner and Creative Director, who in 2001, founded the business and is still creating local treasures to this day! We hear the founding story, which includes inspo from Chicago’s “L”. Plus, discover how he and his team of 23 create stunning products, like a map of all our Chicago neighborhoods and a Malört drinking game!Hear what it’s like to collab with famous brands like Portillo’s and discover the stories behind their most popular products! Tim also shares some great advice for other entrepreneurs and small businesses! We take the express train to end with rapid fire, learning Tim’s dream collab and his favorite holiday gift ever!SHOP: https://www.transittees.com/SOCIAL: http://instagram.com/transitteesWicker Park1371 N. Milwaukee AveAndersonville5226 N. Clark St

Tucked away in Chicago’s Chocolate Temple is a wonderland of tastes, sights, and indulgent delicacies. Vosges Haut-Chocolat is our sweet treat pick for the 2025 holiday season!Known for truffles, iconic flavor pairings, and an absolutey HUGE advent calendar, Vosges has been treating Chicago & the world to sumptuous crafted treats for almost three decades!We dipped into the chocolate world of wonder with Ash Mishler & Jen Hockey, learning the history of Vosges, what makes their chocolate unique (they have their own proprietary blend cacao, so cool), and we heard about how they land on some of their exotic flavor pairings! From olive oil, to curry, to ginger, customers can travel the world by chocolate!Discover the newly released collaboration with ‘The Smashing Pumpkins’, which includes vegan chocolate bars crafted to pair with specific songs for an experiential tasting- a “sensory symphony” as they call it! We discuss what it takes to pull off an epic collaboration like this!To end, we bite into rapid fire, discovering Ash & Jen’s favorite Vosges chocolate of all time and what they didn’t expect when they signed up to work with chocolate!Gift Vosges now, including their signature “Exotic Truffle” box, The Smashing Pumpkins collab, and their 2025 Advent Calendar now at the links below!SHOP/GIFT: https://www.vosgeschocolate.com/ADVENT CALENDAR: https://www.vosgeschocolate.com/products/a-chocolate-calendar-of-adventSOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/vosgeshautchocolat/

We’ve got a lot to be frankful for this holiday season! And it all starts with our love for Chicago Icon, Vienna Beef! Today, we hear the story behind the Chicago-style Hot Dog and more from this absolute Windy City beast!We’re joined by Maizy Lind, Marketing Coordinator, who serves up the bunbelievable history of Vienna Beef and the Chicago Style Hot Dog! Hear about its roots to the Chicago World’s Fair and the poppy seeded popularity boom that came from the Maxwell Street Market. Maizy talks about how their dogs are made, why so many ma & pop joints trust Vienna Beef, and what’s in their catalog of products beyond hot dogs!We end with “Let’s Be Frank” where Maizy tells us her favorite hot dog topping, how she likes her french fries, and what she most loves about Vienna Beef!Serve up Vienna Beef this holiday season! Order delicious snackies & treats at the link below!We also want to thank everyone at Vienna Beef for welcoming us into their family on a tour of their manufacturing facility! It was truly impressive to see Chicago eats being made!SHOP & SHIP: https://www.viennabeef.com/VIENNA LOCATOR: https://www.viennabeef.com/find-vienna-beef/SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/viennabeef/HOT DOG UNIVERSITY: https://www.viennabeef.com/hot-dog-university