Judy Sutton Taylor

A coupe glass instantly makes whatever you’re drinking seem festive — something we all need this holiday season. The ribbed bowl and flat rim of this one from CB2 add a touch of extra flair to the classic design, and the price should leave enough in your budget to pop for some extra bubbly. À votre santé! $7.95. 800 W. North Ave., Lincoln Park

Looking for a meaningful way to pledge your mutual devotion this Valentine’s Day? Winifred Grace’s Love Linked “permanent” bracelets help express long-term commitment with a significant other, relative, or BFF. Choose from a variety of gold chains and charms, and have the jewelry fitted to you — then quickly and painlessly welded with a tiny jump ring in place of a clasp. Way less stress-inducing than matching tattoos, promise. Chains from $16 per inch. By appointment at Winifred Grace, 5632 ...

Part of a collaboration with the home decor brand Yellowpop, Jonathan Adler’s neon LED Golden Eye sign is a nod to the designer’s iconic ocular motif. It’s also the perfect design element to brighten up your home during winter’s darkest days and to ring in the new year with good vibes only. The eye is made with neon flex, constructed of PVC piping and LED lights, making it more durable and less expensive than traditional neon. $1,390. Jonathan Adler, 676 N. Wabash Ave., Near North Side

Boots to boost your style and your mood.
In 2018, Sebastian Malczewski, a former Wicker Park shoe store owner, founded his own men’s footwear brand, Marc Nolan (borrowing the first names of his mentor and son), with an eye toward fresh takes on classic designs. His Aiden combat boots, which come in invigorating color combos (including the blue upper and white sole shown here, as well as a camo-and-red one), are now available at his store at Oakbrook Center, which opened last fall. They’re jus...

Many of Orbitz’s trusted airline partners are waiving change fees for eligible new bookings. Find an updated list of airlines here, and stay informed about your flexible travel options.
Even when people can’t agree on much, they can agree on a mutual love of pizza. As the saying (sort of) goes, even when pizza is bad, it’s pretty good. But why waste your time on bad pizza when there is so much really, really good pizza out there? Whether it’s deep dish, a folded over slice or something more i...

As a parent of twin 17-year-olds, I’ve realized this week that if there was ever a time to make lemonade out of lemons with teenagers, it is now.
Parents of this age group know teens are already masters of social distancing — at least from us, thanks to hours out with friends, locked bedroom doors and headphones practically glued to their ears. I have spent the last few months beginning to steel myself for the not-so-far-off future, when my two will further distance themselves by leaving for ...

Important coronavirus travel update: Many of CheapTickets’s trusted airline partners are waiving change fees for eligible new bookings. Find an updated list of airlines here, and stay informed about your flexible travel options.
Student travel is pretty much synonymous with budget travel: Making every dollar count is essential. Fortunately, there are plenty of discounts available to students who want to travel near or far from wherever they are.
Flights and hotels
Cheaptickets.com has loads o...

Europe! Yosemite! Disney World! What parent doesn’t dream of experiencing these iconic destinations with their children? But family vacations are as much about rest, relaxation and togetherness as they are about making memories. That’s why timing specific types of vacations to the ages when they’re best suited for your kids can make or break the experience. Here are 8 bucket list trips every family should take together—at exactly the right time in your child’s life.
Newborn to Age 5
The Resor...

African safaris are an ultimate bucket list trip for many people, but are often difficult to do and with good reason: They cost a pretty penny, require a great deal of planning and involve far-flung travel. They also generate a lot of questions. Following are answers to some common ones that will help ensure your big investments in both time and money are well spent.
What are the best countries to visit?
The great news is that there are so many options. The bad news is that that makes it hard...

It used to be next to impossible to find a good slice of thin-crust pizza in the city where deep-dish long reigned supreme. But no more. These five spots will satisfy your slice craving, no knife and fork required.
Jimmy’s Pizza Café Jimmy Kang opened this Lincoln Square joint because he likes to work with dough, and his crispy Neapolitan crusts prove he’s got skills. Try Jimmy’s Signature White Pizza, which starts with olive oil brushed on that killer crust before it’s topped with garlic, mo...

Gift buying for 11- to 14-year-olds can trigger memories of that classic complainer, Goldilocks. You can almost hear the moans and groans ahead of time: "This gift is too old." "This gift is too young." "This gift was popular, like, five minutes ago." Don't stress. Our mix of sporty, techy, pretty, trendy, sweet-smelling and plain, old classically fun gifts are sure to elicit smiles -- however fleeting -- from the tweens and teens on your list. -- Judy Sutton Taylor

Diners want options that sneak in good nutrition without sacrificing taste or value
The post “Super Size Me” era is officially here: Rather than seeking mega extra value meal deals at restaurants, diners are opting for reasonable portions of healthier fare.
“Consumers are hungry for restaurant meals that won’t expand their waistlines,” says Hank Cardello, author of “Stuffed: An Insider’s Look at Who’s (Really) Making America Fat and How the Food Industry Can Fix It.” “Operators need to respon...

5 common restaurant design problems—and how to fix them
When it comes to design, it’s easy to be seduced by the come-hither flicker of sexy lighting or the alluring legs of a chair.
While modern lighting and boho accent pieces can look stunning in a studio setting, choosing the wrong design element can impact the flow of service, or worse, dampen a customer’s experience with unappealing ambiance. To save you from finding out the hard way, hospitality designers offer solutions to some of the m...

Enthusiastic public announcements aside, sometimes the check doesn't arrive as promised. So put down that champagne and heed the advice of entrepreneurs who've dealt with the disappointment of disappearing capital....