Okay, so I am now on a mission to purchase a little trinket from every city I visit and while…read morevisiting Chicago we dropped by Pop Mart. Our hotel was only a 10 minute walk from Pop Mart so my friends and I knew we had to drop by. This store is a lot larger than ours in San Diego so there was ample space to walk around and I didn't feel super pressured by others. The team here greeted us right away and asked if we needed a shopping bag, I was only getting one and I knew having a shopping bag would definitely cause me to add more. They had so many options for Cry Baby I really want them all but only chose one. Obviously they're blind boxes so I ended up opening it in store and immediately latching it to my purse. Again there were so many options, I even saw the tempura shrimp Labubu ipod case. I would have snagged it by my friend bought it for me for my birthday. If you're in Chicago and shopping I'd definitely drop by here and pick up a little trinket instead. The prices do range depending on what you purchase but I think mine was $32? So worth it for me.

Feeling playful at this fun place to visit, especially now when it is a hot trend. But the store…read morewas super crowded and very warm inside. The store is well lit and laid out so you can shop by collections but be prepared to spend some dough on a pop collectible or a trendy gift. I needed a cool cocktail after the busy store so we headed past Nordstrom to Lao Sze Chuan on MI Ave for a Lycheetini. (And I think my Labubu appreciated the lovely tone of my Lycheetini)!

Because we missed their usual drop, we were extra excited to catch their collab at Allez - a coffee…read moreshop we really like. That said, the bagels weren't quite New York-style to us. They leaned more airy and soft on the inside, bread-ier, and less aggressively chewy than a classic NYC bagel. The sandwiches, though? Very good. The standout for me was their house-made, slightly sweet jalapeño jam cream cheese -- honestly wished every bite had more of it. Overall, a great collab experience, and we'd happily go again for their next pop-up.

So excited we finally have phenomenal bagels in Chi!!! Picked up 2 everything bagels and 2 rosemary…read moreand salt bagels with scallion cream cheese and it was an incredibly easy pick up! The bagels drops are a bit hard, so definitely keep an eye on their instagram stories and set notifications if you want these! The bagels themselves are incredibly fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. Easily has become my favorite bagel spot in chicago and can't wait to be back and try more flavors

A smaller Squishable store, but still a fun stop while you're in the Water Tower Place. There…read moreusually is a buy one get one half off deal when you go into a Squishable brick and mortar store, which is better than buying an item online. A bonus when we went in is that they had a $5 bin which had some retired squishables, beach towels, and Doctor Plague backpacks (this would've been a good buy if my kids were younger)! We ended up buying one of the stuffies from the deal tin this round... usually we end up buying something bigger. The person at the register was very nice and friendly. Store was in order and easy enough to find items that you would see on the website. If you are vertically challenged, bring a tall friend as you will need assistance to get to things on higher shelves.

I really enjoyed Squishable and didn't realize it was just a pop up shop from the online retailers…read more The stuffies were honestly the cutest stuffies I'd ever seen. It was comparable to the kawaii stores you see photos of from Japan. I'd never seen a bacon stuffie or an avocado one either. They had so many different food options, color options and even cute dogs in little outfits that look like other animals. I ended up getting a dog in a froggy costume because I just can't say no to a frog. The only draw back is they are on the pricey side. They are worth it in my opinion but considering just one medium sized squishable was $30, it is easy to rack up a bill if you need multiple items. If you love stuffed toys, check out their website because they have almost anything you can imagine. It's a truly adorable store.

Blew my mind. I…read morenever knew Poetry could wrap a stick Han Solo Frozen in time Love captured Waiting, ever-patient To reveal herself to me Unwrapped: I cannot help but be present As dreams kiss my tongue

Just had my second Its A Pop when their pop up came to Revival Food Hall. These are hands down THE…read moreBEST POPSICLES I've ever had. And, huge bonus (for me) they're all dairy-free! The Hot Cocoa was smooth, rich and so deliciously chocolately (even w/o the dairy!) and the Watermelon Lime was refreshing and not too sweet. So well done! I will be returning.

What a cool place! I came for an evening event hosted by Luna Bay featuring Jedidiah Jenkins. It…read morewas a really fun space for an event like that. With a ticket, you got a few drinks, so I was able to try a few flavors. Honestly I hadn't been a big kombucha gal prior, but I really loved the flavors! The Ginger Lemon was my favorite for sure. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for these in stores. Overall, the way they repurposed this space is so cool. It has a modern, chill California vibe that was so fun and relaxing. I also loved that it's a women-owned business -- can't go wrong there! Such a fun place I'll definitely be back to, either for an event or just for a drink!

This is a pop-up that's open for a year. This is women owned and there founded and still based…read morehere. They have six flavors. It list five days a week for the hours but their open on the weekends per event basis.

Found this little shop walking down Damen today and am so excited about the things I found! It is a…read morecute little pop up featuring local artists/businesses (most of whom are women) with jewelry, plants, and home decor. It's the perfect place to stop for a gift for someone (I got my sister a housewarming gift!) or treat yourself. The owner (Anna) was super friendly and sweet, and introduced me to their featured artist of the day who was selling super cute acrylic products. I got a couple pairs of earrings! I'll definitely be back and would reccomend anyone in the area to stop by and check it out!

What a fun pop up store to get personalized Converse sneakers. These will always be a thing and I…read morelove the cat one! Parking is not good here. Take public transport or Uber or Lyft. There are parking garages nearby and street parking but you have to pay. Park Chicago mobile app says $4.75 per hour to park on the street. Garage parking is about $15 in by 5pm and out by 1am.

Cool concept. A popup that's only here for summer '24. Come in. Pick your shoe on the wall…read more Approach the counter and get them customized. -Laces, custom embroidery, and patches. It's done on-site while you wait. You can only get the canvas ones customized. No leather. High-tops are easiest since there's more space on the shoe. Canvas shoes are generally around $75 then add between $5-$15 per element. I'm a simple gal. No bling for me. But I love the concept. Only negative is that there are tons more color options online, but then you miss out on all of the customizations