Baby-Sitters Club

“The idea [for the salon] was centered around allowing a mom to feel like herself again, without needing to rely on a babysitter, nanny, husband, or partner to help out,” says Valerie Weisman, co-owner of Urban Mom Salon (2143 N. Damen Ave.; 773-687-8346, urbanmomsalon.com). The salon, which opened in October, provides childcare services in addition to beauty services such as manicures ($10 to $40), pedicures ($34 to $42), and haircuts ($60 for women, $30 for men). Through a partnership with Chicago Nannies Inc. (chicagonanniesinc.com), which recruits childcare professionals for the salon, kids are under a babysitter’s watch ($7 for one child, $4 for each additional child) in a playroom with toys, games, and activities. Clients have the option to keep an eye on their children from the salon with the help of a video monitor or a two-way mirror—as well as take advantage of Urban Mom’s free coffee, Wi-Fi, and selection of magazines.

 

Top Sales This Week

Shop IN Chicago, a local design showcase hosted by events company Cece & Melinda, returns with clothing, jewelry, accessories, and beauty products at The Drake Hotel (140 E. Walton Pl.; 312-787-2200, thedrakehotel.com) on Tuesday, December 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. The event includes complimentary makeup applications for guests. RSVP is required; register at ceceandmelinda.com.

The Project Onward holiday sale (projectonward.org) features hand-painted holiday ornaments, decorative cards, and other unique gifts at Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.) on Friday, December 9 from 12 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, December 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In conjunction with the holiday sale, which supports artists with special needs, Project Onward also holds a Portrait Slam. Shoppers may request custom charcoal, colored pencil, or glitter portraits (from $20; e-mail info@projectonward.org to schedule an appointment).

 

The Best of the Rest

  • Moroso (moroso.it), an Italian sofa, armchair, and home accessories brand, celebrates its 60th anniversary with a traveling furniture exhibition that makes a stop at Hotel Sax (333 N. Dearborn St.; 877-569-3742, hotelsaxchicago.com) on Wednesday, December 7 and Thursday, December 8 from 12 to 4:30 p.m.
  • K.Amato (k-amato.com), a Chicago-based jewelry line, holds its annual holiday sale Wednesday, December 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Omni Hotel (676 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-944-6664, omnihotels.com) and Thursday, December 8 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. at the K.Amato boutique (1229 W. Diversey Pkwy., 312-882-1366). The brand takes up to 30 percent off full-price jewelry and offers clearance items from $5.
  • Kryolan Professional Make-up (2034 N. Halsted St.; 773-248-1419, kryolan.com), a German makeup manufacturer, hosts makeup artists from Illamasqua (illamasqua.com) and provides cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and complimentary mini makeovers Thursday, December 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. RSVP to kryolan@jklspr.com.
  • Shhhhhh. . .opping Highland Park (downtownhp.com), a holiday shopping festival, features specials at Highland Park stores, as well as chestnut-roasting stations, horse-drawn carriage rides, Nutcracker dance performances, and other winter activities Thursday, December 8 through Saturday, December 10.
  • Bernacki & Associates (424 N. Oakley Blvd.; 312-243-5669, bernackiconservation.com), a local furniture and object conservation and restoration firm, offers studio tours and refreshments during its open house and unclaimed inventory sale—including furniture, lamps, and art, among other items—on Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10.
  • Greer (1657 N. Wells St.; 312-337-8000, greerchicago.com) hosts a “Good Taste, Small Packages” holiday shopping event with treats from Truffle Truffle (truffletruffle.com) on Saturday, December 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests who spend more than $50 receive a custom “wandering cake” (a cake in a jar) from Truffle Truffle.
  • Lissa (750 N. Franklin St.; 312-563-9470, lissachicago.com), a contemporary women’s boutique, takes 20 percent off all full-price merchandise and up to 60 percent off the original price of marked-down inventory through Saturday, December 10. Purchase any two items and receive a third item from a previous collection (up to a $570 value) for free.
  • Facets Multimedia (1517 W. Fullerton Ave.; 773-281-4114, facets.org) holds its holiday warehouse sale on Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The non-profit film organization takes up to 90 percent off thousands of rare, out-of-print, and popular movies on DVD and VHS and offers discounts on movie stills and other collectibles.