4 fun ways to playfully kick off 2016

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has been wrapped and tied and stored away for another year. Now it’s time to set our intentions and make the most of the next 366 days we’re calling 2016.

Play with your Pajammies

From January through the beginning of May, many Chicagoans spend a whole lot of time complaining about the cold and gray chilling us to the bone. If you could use a big dose of warm and cozy with a splash of whimsical fun, then you must nab yourself a pair of PJ Salvage flannel jammies. I bought a pair for my mom and myself for the holidays (so we could match).

These flannels are super-soft and warm, but also lightweight with the most playful patterns imaginable.

Mine are covered in French macaron cookies. Yummy indeed.

Play with your tootsies

Last year my mom got both of my boys a one-year subscription for socks. Yep, SOCKS! The thing kids never want to get as a gift, right? Wrong.

The company, Foot Cardigan, has taken socks from boring to brilliant! FC is home to the silliest, grooviest, most awesome line of socks there ever was. Each month my boys receive a mystery sock bomb. From lobsters and monkeys to robots and popcorn, they never know what playful pattern their podiatric package will reveal. And they’re super comfy too!

Play with your sweet tooth

I recently attended the grand opening of Gigi’s Cupcakes in Wilmette and it completely changed my concept of what a cupcake is capable of.

We had a back-bakery tour and got a taste (literally) of what cupcakes are like when made with heaps of the freshest, finest ingredients, big dashes of creativity, and a whole lot of love.

I particularly loved the minis, which are just the right pop of playful indulgence as we all try to maintain our New Year’s fitness resolutions. With unique flavors like white midnight magic, Scarlett’s red velvet, and even tiny, perfect cheesecakes with cherries on top, Gigi’s is your answer to “what’s for dessert?”

Play with your family

One way to survive our long winter is by taking advantage of the creative staycations hotels create to help us hibernate in style. My son, Maxwell, and I recently took advantage of the Loews Chicago Hotel’s new “Snowed Inn” package as part of our yearly get-away. We had a ball enjoying hot chocolate and cookies upon arrival, free in-room movie rentals and 20 percent off at the spa, restaurant and mini bar. The package also includes a custom pillow fort in your room! Now that’s how to survive the tundra months.

“Snowed Inn” at the Loews runs through March 31.

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