Moms never get too old to rock

Last week, following a two-day trip to Key Lime Cove and then Six Flags Great America, I had another big day planned. A few weeks ago, I saw that Bon Jovi would be performing at Soldier Field. Since my 16-year-old is a Bon Jovi fan, I offered him tickets as a birthday gift. He was excited and we got a ticket for my sister to go along.

I love that my son loves the music that I grew up on. I know I have Guitar Hero and Rock Band to thank for his fondness of 80's music. If you scanned through his iPod, you'd find that a big portion of the music he has downloaded is from long before he was born. Most of it is from when I was his age. So, in the Bon Jovi concert ticket deal, it was a win-win. I got to spend a memorable evening with my son, rather than buying him a material possession. I also got to see one of my favorite bands from my teenage years. My son would get to enjoy his first concert in a venue that large and would get to see a band he liked as well. I would find out that he was way more familiar with Bon Jovi's music than I was, since he had all of his CDs, including his most recent release, which I hadn't really listened to in its entirety.

It turned out that my sister had a super busy week and when I mentioned the concert to my 17-year-old nephew the week before, he said he liked Bon Jovi, also, and wouldn't have minded going. So, my sister opted for a quiet night and decided to give up the ticket and have us invite my nephew. She dropped him off at my place that afternoon and we headed for Soldier Field. On Facebook, I'd seen many of my childhood friends posting that they had been at the concert the night before or were planning to go to the show that night.

I hoped for my son and nephew's sake, that there'd be more in the crowd than a bunch of 30-something moms screaming over their teenage crush. Seeing that the opening act was Kid Rock, I think he drew a whole different crowd and a younger bunch of fans. I only knew two of Kid Rock's songs when I got there: All Summer Long, which is one of my absolute favorites and Picture, a duet with Sheryl Crow that had been played on the country radio stations and that I really liked, as well. I knew that some of his other recordings were profanity-laced and more on the hard rock/rap side. I was pleasantly surprised by his performance. He sang the favorites I hoped to hear and did a great job on some covers, but even those songs I didn't know, I enjoyed seeing his passionate performance. And then when he started in with jokes about being from Detroit and the hockey rivalry, the crowd went nuts when three members of the Blackhawks brought out the Stanley Cup and Kid Rock raised it up.

Once Bon Jovi came out, I might as well have been a screaming, dancing 15-year-old again. I loved everything about the show and was amazed at how much he put into it, singing non-stop for about three hours. I probably embarrassed my son and nephew a wee bit, but well, that's tough. Why should the teenagers have all the fun?

Nothing rejuvinates mom like spa time

It's been an unusually busy week and I'm just winding down and catching up. A week ago, I was up in Gurnee, Illinois with two of my boys. I had been thinking about paying a visit to the Six Flags Great America theme park and decided to try and add in an overnight at Key Lime Cove, since I write/post about a lot of water parks.

The Key Lime Cove water resort has a Caribbean theme with a decor and atmosphere meant to duplicate Florida's Key West. We enjoyed our short stay in our two-bedroom suite where the theme continued with pastel-colored walls in the hotel hallways, flowered bedspreads and shampoo that was scented like a tropical drink. In the indoor water park, we floated in the lazy river, jumped around in the wave pool and sailed down the water slides.

As part of my press trip, the GM arranged for a complimentary pedicure so that I could experience the resort's spa. Knowing it would be a quick, busy trip I was initially inclined to decline. However, since it had been months since my toenails had been touched by a professional and I figured my feet would appreciate the pampering after the grueling drive, I accepted. And boy am I glad I did!

At the Paradise Mist Spa, which has been named "best spa" two years in a row by the Daily Herald, you just can't help but feel a wave of calm come over you as you walk in the door. Before your service, you're taken to the relaxation room to chill a bit before your service. Besides the area where nail services are done, there are eight additional rooms for massages, couples massages and facials. Clients should arrive about 15 minutes before service time to get into relaxation mode.

I was treated to a Pure Fiji Pedicure, which lasted about an hour and included an adjustable massage chair, warm neck wrap, hot stones and refreshing sugar scrubs from the Fiji Islands. A shout out to my excellent nail tech, Julie, for a wonderful spa experience that any mom would savor. The spa is available for Key Lime Cove guests and also open to the public. Browse the lobby area before you leave for a great selection of reading material and spa products. To learn more about the spa, visit http://www.paradisemistspa.com/.

Some links for Moms...

Just sharing some sites for the other Moms out there. Here are a few links you might enjoy:

http://www.nameberry.com/

http://www.mothering.com/all-things-mothering/

http://www.mummydeals.com/

www.quotegarden.com/mothers.html

http://www.wirelesstrips.com/

http://www.paradisemistspa.com/

And visit my page as Chicago Family Examiner at www.Examiner.com/x-25349-Chicago-Family-Examiner