From one of our favorite towns, here is Chicago again with a lovely babymoon at the Fairmont Chicago. Below, the offer straight from their lips (website) to you…

Baby on the way? Time to get away. The Fairmont Chicago offers soon-to-be parents the perfect romantic getaway in the heart of the city for one last getaway, before the baby arrives. Addressing everything from swollen feet to late night cravings, The Fairmont Chicago’s Babymoon Package is the perfect romantic getaway before two becomes three.

Package Includes:

• Overnight accommodations for two
• A copy of Belly Laughs, by Chicago Author Jenny McCarthy
• Private consultation with Chef Noah, and the chance to design your own flavor of gourmet ice cream
• 24 hour in-room dining menu
• Personal shopping and a gift from Macy’s
• 24 hour in-room foot massager
• Optional consultation with Chicago jeweler Kristin Amato to design your own “push present”

This package is available year-round, subject to availability at time of reservation. Rates start from $229 USD plus applicable taxes and are subject to availability. For more information on the Fairmont Chicago, click here.

We haven’t posted since last Wednesday - not what we intended, but with good reason…

We have another little baby!

You may have noticed in some of our previous posts (Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall, W Hotel Union Square) a reference to a pregnancy.  Well, said pregnancy was due to end on July 5th.  As most of you know, pregnancies rarely end on the exact due date, but ours did.  We actually had a false alarm the day before (maybe not so false in hindsight, just the beginnings of labor), and that didn’t help us when it came to posting either, since we spent a good part of Wednesday in the hospital instead of on the computer as usual.  Then late Wednesday night when we were at home, contractions started in earnest, back to the hospital we went, and Thursday morning our son arrived.

We’re a little tapped out on energy but will try to get our butts back in gear with posts.  Also, we’ll be traveling to Chicago in 3 weeks with the baby and 3-year old so you’ll definitely read some reviews either along the way or when that trip is done.  So keep checking in!

You know what day it is - Wednesday Web Roundup Day. Check out the links below, which will help you plan your luxury vacation and in one case, make you glad you can afford one:

• MSNBC.com asked readers to send in photos from their worst hotel stays ever. See the horrifying results - which makes us realize that when we said luxury wasn’t about necessity, we were oh so wrong.
• Hmmm…we seem to be on a gross-out spree today. We saw Forbes.com’s feature on America’s Most Polluted Beaches and, given that the beach is such a natural choice for a family vacation, we thought we should pass it on - particularly since it includes beaches in vacation hotspots such as Hawaii, California, and even the USVI.
• We might be into luxury, but there’s nothing wrong with getting stuff gratis - especially if it helps round out the vacation. National Geographic Traveler did a nice feature on free things to do in Chicago that includes arts, dance and theater and a section specifacally about attractions for children.
• If you don’t know the Smackdaddy, get to know him - click here and find yourself in a very addictive online shopping auction world with themed shopping “shows” a la HSN.  Prices go down not up - the key is to snag a good deal before your fellow shoppers do, since there’s often only one of each item.  Find handbags, luggage, car seats, you name it…and joke around with fellow “addicts” while waiting for something of interest to turn up.
• Remember our passport drama back in February?  Turns out we were lucky - what people have been going through since then has only worsened. Read this L.A. Times feature on an editor’s quest to get her passport - and remember, if you need to renew or apply for a new passport for an upcoming trip, do so far far far in advance.  As in if you’re traveling in December, start the process now, and maybe you’ll get it in time…maybe.