Persevering Momma

Taking The Day One Spoon At a Time

5 Family Friendly Activities Near MommyCon Chicago

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Are you looking for extra family friendly activities in the Rosemont area during MommyCon weekend? If so then you have come to the right place. As a local I have enjoyed many different activities in the area and these are my top 5 activities I recommend for families when they are coming in for a quick visit.

1. Kohl Children’s Museum in Glenview, IL

If you are looking for a fun and educational place to go then Kohl Children’s Museum would be a great option for you.  It is approximately 20 minutes from the convention center and hotel in Rosemont and is easily driven to.  They have a wide variety of activities for everyone in the family and offer great hours.  They currently are offering a great travelling science exhibit that young children will have fun participating in as well as a large selection of permanent exhibits.

All infants 12 months and younger are free.  It only costs $12 per person and they offer Military & Veterans a Buy One, Get One Free option for the entire party.  If you are looking for more information check out the Kohl Children’s Museum website.

2. Fashion Outlets of Chicago

If you aren’t from the area or just want to get out of the hotel and convention center for a little while you might want to check out the Fashion Outlets of Chicago that are just minutes away.  I will admit that if I am near an outlet mall I HAVE to go.  It is a serious problem, but having a child is expensive and if you can find a great deal I don’t want to miss it.  They have a few of my favorite stores in their outlet mall like: Gymboree, Carter’s, OshKosh B’Gosh, and Janie and Jack.

3. Visit the Lincoln Zoo

Take a 30 minute drive into the city for a free zoo trip to the Lincoln Zoo; just make sure you bundle up!  It might be the beginning of March, but in Chicago that does mean chilly weather and some super chilly winds!  The weather doesn’t stop us from visiting the zoo.  We love seeing all of the animals and who can say no to a free visit to the zoo when you are that close to one?  Lincoln Zoo is open all year round from 10am – 4:30pm.

4. Drury Lane Theater

If you love musicals and you don’t mind a 30 minute drive then you will want to check out Drury Lane Theater that is currently running Mamma Mia.  I am a lover of musicals and would be willing to bring my young son to a production like this one.  They are offering two shows on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday as well as one show of Friday so you would have options to chose from as well.

5. iFly Indoor Skydiving

You might think I am crazy for including indoor skydiving, but seriously it is a family friendly activity.  They offer indoor skydiving for people ages 3 and up (as their website says 3-103) and they even offer the ability for those with disabilities to have the opportunity to skydive.  I believe that this would be a great little activity for the family because it is exciting and something new and different to do while on a mini vacation.  The iFly Indoor Skydiving facilities is only minutes from the convention center and hotel which also makes it an ideal activity for the family to partake in.

Don’t forget to check out all the extra special activities at MommyCon!

Of course there is always plenty of activities at MommyCon to keep you busy as well, but I know sometimes it’s nice to do something as a vacation activity!


MommyCon Chicago 2019! Only 8 More Days and Counting!

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I don’t know about you, but I am pretty damn excited for MommyCon Chicago to hit us here. I am especially excited this year because it will be my first year being able to attend a day with no child in tow. I am excited to experience it with my son as well as just with a friend. I feel like I will be able to experience MommyCon on two different levels this year.

MommyCon Chicago 2019

MommyCon Chicago Sessions I am dying to see!

Every year I am excited for different speakers because I am prepping for different aspects of parenting each year. This year with my son being a toddler the topics have again changed. You can find the detailed list of sessions on MommyCon’s website.

Friday’s Sessions

To start Friday off I am excited for the 2:00 session “How Onbuhimos Inspired Naked Panda Designs.” I am excited to learn about Onbuhimos because while I don’t use babycarriers any longer I still help many of my friends find one that works well for them. I like to know as much as possible about a variety of different carriers. I have never gotten my hands on this style carrier and that makes me all the more interested to learn about it.

At 3:00 I am excited for the “Building Healthy Brains Are a Matter of Heart, presented by KinderCare” session. This session covers how important the developing brain is during a child’s first 3 years of life and while my son will be 3 by the time MommyCon hits I still want to learn. He is delayed and I would like to help him out as much as possible. I am hoping that this session will help me to understand his brain a little more.

At 4:00 I wish I could be joining Xza in the VIP session, but I did not score a VIP ticket this year so instead I will be attending the “Delivery, Decisions, & Doulas: How to Prepare the Team for Birth Without Freaking Out” session. Going to this session will be beneficial for me because I would love to learn how to be more of an advocate for myself when I have my next child. Things can be overwhelming and because I have scheduled c-sections I often feel like I have no control over the situation. I am hoping to learn how to regain that control the next time around. (Third times the charm, right?)

MommyCon Chicago 2019

Saturday’s Sessions

My Saturday plans are a lot more lax than Friday’s plans. I do not have a session I am looking to attend every hour of MommyCon (which is good because I will have my toddler on Saturday and he will need time to get some energy out of his system).

My first session of the day will be at 11:15 where I am looking to attend the “City Babywearing: Expectations vs Reality. Smoothing the Way for Easy Days, presented by Cybex” session. Again I am looking to learn more about baby wearing even though I don’t currently baby wear. This session I am interested in because as someone with a physical disability I struggle with muscle strains and finding ways to do things comfortably. I am hoping to be able to baby wear even more often when the next little joins our family.

My 1:00 block is a tough one because I would like to attend the “Babywearing 101: From SSC’s to Wrapping, presented by Ergobaby” session, but I know that I need to attend the “Got a Picky Eater? (Babies 12 months – 8 Years), presented by ezpz” session for my son. While I do not classify him as a picky eater I do know that he has a rough time with new foods due to his Sensory Processing Disorder. He needs help learning to try and accept new foods and that is what I am hoping to learn in this session.

The next session I will be sitting in on will be for the 3:00 session where I have two different sessions of interest, but will ultimately sit in on the “Managing the Motherload” session because I am hoping that it will give me a little bit more insight on managing my time with a special needs son and with my blog. I want to learn and become better at what I do.

Sunday’s Sessions

Sunday has a lot of amazing sessions, but I will not be attending on Sunday. I wish I could, but I am the scatter-brained mom that planned her son’s birthday party for MommyCon weekend. Haha. I have to get back from the city and get the house ready for his birthday party by 4pm. We will see if the house looks as spectacular as I am hoping it does. (I doubt it will.)

Photographed by Samie | © 2017 TK Photography | www.tkphotographychicago.com

MommyCon isn’t just about the sessions!

This is true. Sessions are amazing and you learn butt loads of new things, but the Exhibitor’s Hall is also a huge hit! Everyone loves a little shopping, especially when you can talk with the people who have a passion about their products. Of course many of the booths also have special deals and/or exclusive MommyCon prints or items.

My Must-Hit Exhibitors List

  • Crane
  • Green Lil Bums
  • Peepeepants
  • Replay
  • Safari Ltd

There are many other amazing brands/stores that will be attending, but these are my must-have stops this year. I personally want to get my son a special new toy for his birthday at MommyCon this year. I am also looking to stock up on some Mommy Cloth, possibly more toddler dishes, and a new humidifier.

Get Your Tickets for MommyCon Chicago!

If you haven’t scored your tickets to MommyCon Chicago yet then I recommend you grab them now! Tickets must be purchased ahead of time and cannot be purchased at the door. This means you need to think ahead and be prepared for some fun! If you are looking to attend on Friday you will need to purchase either the Premium Toddler ticket or the Premium Baby Toddler ticket. If you aren’t attending on Friday then you can grab a General Admission ticket. The General Admission ticket does not come with a gift bag, but MommyCon isn’t just about a gift bag. It is about the sessions, the community, and the fun that you will have.

Purchase your tickets on Eventbrite and use the code: MTAP19 to save 10% at checkout. Last year I wrote some tips for traveling to MommyCon with kids in tow. Check it out if this is your first time going to MommyCon Chicago.

MommyCon Chicago- 2018 Must See Sessions

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For the third year I am a MommyCon Blogger Collective member and for the second year I am a MommyCon Parent Squad member and I want to share with you my top picks for this years MommyCon Chicago event! The event is only days away and I can’t be more excited. Grab your tickets at MommyCon.com now before they are gone! Of course make sure you use my discount code: PRESERVINGMOMMA18 as well. Now on to the good stuff!

MommyCon Friday Sessions (only accessed with VIP or the 3-day pass)

When you look at this session list for Friday you will see that there are two VIP sessions. If you purchase(d) a VIP ticket then I highly recommend you going to both of these sessions because they are special sessions that you won’t want to miss out on. With that being said I will now go into my picks without VIP tickets.

Session 1:00-1:45pm

There are two top picks for me. I would say that my top pick would be Building Community through Facebook Groups with Xza Higgins. I would choose this because I am always looking to meet new moms and learn ways to keep in touch with my community. Xza is also the founder of MommyCon and I love hearing her speak. So, if you are a mom looking to get involved with your community like I am then you might want to select this session.

My second pick for this time slot would be Got 6 Minutes? Let’s Make Dinner! This is my second choice because if I wasn’t struggling with community so much I would say the next biggest struggle I go through is figuring out fast meals to make that are healthy. I am always down to learn more about good dinner routines.

Session 2:00-2:45pm

As much as I love Matt York I would select Let’s Talk about Sex (after) Baby. This would be my choice because I feel like so many people are scared to talk about sex after having a baby and it’s an important topic to discuss. MommyCon is also a safe venue where if you have questions you can comfortably ask them without being judged.

Session 3:00-3:45pm

While you usually wouldn’t catch me suggesting a session like this I will say that I would select Parent and Child Yoga. I selected this because I think it’s healthy to create a fitness routine with your children. Yoga is often difficult for someone like me who is physically disabled, but I like to challenge myself and work on my flexibility and balance even when it’s difficult. I also know my son will never judge me or hurt my feelings when I struggle.

MommyCon Saturday Sessions

Session 10:00-11:00am

I chose my topic based on the age of my son and the fact that sometimes you need some me time. I would choose Turning Red to Green because it is a topic I don’t know a lot about, but feel is important. I would love to learn to use reusable menstration products.  I know they will keep me healthier and they are better for the environment.  Before disposable pads and tampons existed women used reusable products and I feel like I’d like to get back into that.

Session 11:15-12:00pm

This next topic is one I feel is necessary for me. I chose the From Weaning to Nursery School.  My son is 2 years old and we are discussing preschool in the fall.  There is so much that needs to be done in order to get him to that point and I believe that this session will really help me to know what steps to take to get him there.

Session 1:00-2:00pm

This one is tough for me to choose I always want to sit in with the Sleep Consulations because my son has sleeping problems and I love learning as much as I can to help aid him in better sleep.  The problem is that the Potty Training session is happening at the same time and that is a must have stop for us.  We will be potty training this year and I am a nervous wreck about it.

Session 3:00-3:45pm

Crouching Mommas, Hidden Cameras is my final stop in the sessions. I seem to get terrible photos or no photos at all and I really want to change that. I can’t afford to constantly get professional photos taken and I want to step up my mom photo taking game.  I think this session will be a game changer for me.

What sessions are you planning on attending?