Oh, ho, the mistletoe, hung where you can see.
But how many gifts are ready under your tree?
With two weeks to go ’til Christmas, if shopping remains one of the bigger – and less jolly – projects on your to-do list and doing so online just isn’t your thing, might we offer some tips to make it more bearable?
How about shopping small? Or places near the malls to eat, drink and be merry?
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Shop small
If mall crowds turn you into a Grinch, perhaps a quaint downtown area with boutique and specialty shops within walking distance, such as Lemont, Lockport or Frankfort, is a better option for checking your list not once but twice. Plus, you’ll likely find unique, vintage or handmade gifts and definitely be helping small businesses thrive.
Special events offer extra hours and savings.
More than 30 merchants, including shops and restaurants, will offer discounts during the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce’s 20th annual Midnight Madness from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Dec. 11 (815-469-3356, frankforthchamber.com or shophistoricfrankfort.com).
“Midnight Madness has better deals than Black Friday and more food, drink and fun than your best holiday party,” said Corielle Heath, a longtime Frankfort resident and founder of LiftUpLift.com, an online marketplace of women-owned businesses.
SidsGraphs, a sports memorabilia store located at 11 S. White St. in Frankfort, will “make your shopping more ‘bearable’ this holiday season by meeting an actual Bear Hall of Famer Dan Hampton from 8 to 9 p.m.,” owner Dennis Sidler said.
Kids can burn some energy at the KidsWork Children’s Museum, which also sells educational gifts for infants to teens and is among the businesses located inside the Trolley Barn where there’s “plenty of parking to make shopping enjoyable,” museum director Janice Ricker added.
“The majority of shop owners are local residents who have chosen to live and operate their small business in town. Their warm welcomes are genuine,” Frankfort Historic Business Association spokesperson Rachel Gilmore said. “Downtown Frankfort is just downright charming in December with its twinkling holiday lights, greenery and winter planters. Your holiday shopping experience will become one of the highlights of the season.”
Mall merriment
Do you pity those miserable-looking husbands plopped down on wooden benches with shopping bags surrounding their feet while their wives bustle about the mall? Or do you pity yourself looping around looking for a parking spot and then walking in the cold?
Create a team approach.
Ask your spouse to drop you off at the mall entrance and send him or her on their merry way to a nearby restaurant or sports bar.
If your teenagers or college kids are at home already crying “We’re so bored!,” ask them to provide curbside service and then point them in the direction of something to do such as playing arcade games or seeing a movie.
Or maybe your kids and significant others want no part of it. Instead, grab friends and carpool in whichever friend’s vehicle is the largest with decent trunk space. Go separate ways inside the mall to tackle your list and then have a meeting spot for food and drinks. Better yet, start the day with food and drinks.
And then there are the men who wander the mall in search of gifts for their beloved. Well, misery loves company. Men who shop together survive together, especially when there’s a light at the end of the tunnel … like a cold beer or chrome-covered machine.
Here are some places to be merry in or near the malls:
“Orland Square is an ideal holiday destination for the entire family to shop, dine and relax together,” said Kevin Caulson, general manager at Orland Square. “In addition to taking advantage of Orland Square’s more than 150 popular stores, shoppers can enjoy dining and entertainment at The Cheesecake Factory and Dave & Buster’s.”
Indeed, who doesn’t deserve a giant slab of cheesecake after all that shopping? Or start your Sunday with brunch at the Cheesecake Factory (708-873-3747 or thecheesecakefactory.com), located between Macy’s and Carson Pirie Scott at Orland Square, 151st Street and LaGrange Road (708-349-1646 or simon.com).
Or eat, watch sports, step inside a Star Wars Battle Pod, drive a virtual Batmobile or play arcade games, billiards or shuffleboard at Dave & Buster’s (708-428-2100 or daveandbusters.com) located on the outskirts of the mall. Games are half-price on Wednesdays from open to close. All ages are welcome, with a guardian required for kids under 18. Dave & Buster’s opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at midnight Sundays to Thursdays and 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Boys like their toys so send them to – or join them at – Chi-Town Harley Davidson, 17801 S. LaGrange Road in Tinley Park (708-623-6000 or chitownhd.com), where you may get away from mall traffic and ask Santa for something shiny, fast and loud when he’s on hand for photos from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13.
Maybe a glass of wine makes shopping and spending go down smoother. No reservations are necessary for a tasting at Cooper’s Hawk Winery, 15690 Harlem Ave. in Orland Park (708-633-0200 or coopershawkwinery.com).
Send your driver to a movie or relax yourself after shopping with a flick at Marcus Orland Park Cinema, 16350 S. LaGrange Road (708-873-1900 or marcustheatres.com).
At Chicago Ridge Mall at 95th Street and Ridgeland Avenue in Chicago Ridge (708-499-0840 or shoppingchicagoridgemall.com), eat, drink and watch sports on multiple TVs at Buffalo Wild Wings located between Aldi and Sears, or send your valet-driver kids to see a movie at the 6-screen AMC Theatre (888-262-4386 or amctheatres.com).
For a venue a bit farther from mall traffic – and a Guinness and a boxty – check out Jack Desmond’s Irish Pub at 10339 Ridgeland Ave. (708-857-7910 or jackdesmondsirishpub.com).
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Shop early morning or late evening to avoid crowds.
Starting Dec. 14, Chicago Ridge Mall opens at 8 a.m. daily and closes at 10 p.m. through Dec. 17 and at 11 p.m. through Dec. 23. This weekend, hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13.
Orland Square is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. to Dec. 11; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dec. 12; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 13; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dec. 14 to 18; and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dec. 19 to 23.
No time for Santa’s lap yet even? Save time and avoid a line by reserving your spot with Santa at Orland Square (upper level near Carson’s). Appointments are available through Dec. 24 at simon.noerrsanta.com. A $10 deposit will be put toward a photo package.
Vickie Jurkowski is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.