Chicago World's Fair Exhibit at The Field Museum

Over Thanksgiving, we went and visited my sister who lives in Chicago. While we were there, we had the opportunity to visit The Field Museum and specifically, Chicago World's Fair Exhibit that recently opened. I was really interested to go because I had never been to the Field Museum before and didn't really know anything about the Chicago World's Fair. 

To help in your visit to the museum, there is a The Field Museum Tours mobile app you can download to tell you about the different displays & exhibits. All you have to do is scan the QR code on the display and info will pop up to tell you more about what you're looking at. 

One of the first things in the Chicago World's Fair exhibit is this accounting ledger. You'll notice a green QR code in the corner of the glass. 

I hit the green 'Discover' button on the app, scanned the code and this is what popped up:

As some of you know, I am a CPA, so I found this display so interesting. The accounting ledger was so large and contained so much information in it. It helped keep track of the expenses for the 200 buildings that were built for the Fair. Makes me appreciate having computers to keep track of all of this stuff nowadays! 

Another neat exhibit, were these 'stuffed' animals that were displayed during the Chicago World's Fair. It's amazing how well they are preserved even after 100+ years. 

One of the most interesting facts I learned from the exhibit are the foods that were introduced at the fair. Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum, Cracker Jack, and Shredded Wheat all made their debut at the Chicago World's Fair. I had no idea those products have been around for so long!

Another cool aspect of the exhibit were some of the interactive displays they have. The table above gave you a chance to 'play music' using instruments that were on display from other cultures within the exhibit. 

The exhibit also featured large screens with images from the Fair projected onto them that were semi-animated (kind of like a GIF). It was a really neat way to feel like you were stepping back to the Fair in 1893. 

As you can see there are a wide array of items on display in the exhibit and it helps illustrate how diverse the Fair was. From Peruvian Mummies to musical instruments from around the world to plant artifacts, the Chicago World's Fair brought such a wide range of items together in one place for patrons to view and learn about.

I was so sad to learn that most all of the buildings that were built for the Chicago World's were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire. But they were able to save lots of the artifacts and pieces from the Fair and this is where The Field Museum grew from. 

The Field Museum is still learning more each day about the items that were displayed during the Fair and working on preserving the artifacts so they will be around for years to come. 

I had a great time at the exhibit and learned so much about the Fair. The displays really helped take you back in time and get a sense of what the Fair was all about. 

If you're in the Chicago area, I encourage you to visit The Field Museum & the Chicago Worlds' Fair exhibit. You will not be disappointed. And don't forget to download the The Field Museum Tours mobile app before you go. 

And there's even this great view of the city from the north side of the museum! So pretty (and you can't even tell how cold it was!)

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, however all content and opinions expressed here are my own.

My Favorite New iPad App

I love discovering new apps - especially when it's an ad that will make it so much easier to read my favorite magazines. In the past few years I've subscribed to a few different magazines - like Martha Stewart Living and Glamour, but I can probably count on one hand the number of magazines I've actually sat and read. I tend to only sit down a read a magazine when I'm traveling or laying out by a pool. Instead, I have a piles of magazines in a few places around my house where the magazines stack up collecting dust.

So enter the Next Issue app for iPads and tablets - it's a digital subscription to your favorite magazines. I subscribe to a digital movie & TV service and to a digital music service, and Next Issue works very similar to services like those. You can download and the read magazine straight on your tablet. 

With Next Issue you have unlimited access to over 90 magazine titles - and it includes the current issue as well as back issues. I was really impressed with the magazine selection. They were ones I have or do subscribe to currently (like Real Simple, Oprah, and HGTV) and they even have weekly magazines like People & Time - how awesome is that?

You customize the library to what titles you want. One tap adds your picks to your personal library and new issues of your selected magazines automatically appear in your library. Tap any cover to open that magazine or browse the back issues.

With one account you can read titles on up to 5 devices - so you only need one per family! And I love that it eliminates all the paper to help you go green. I always felt bad throwing away old magazines, but I don't have to worry about that with Next Issue. 

If you're still not convinced, they offer a 30 day trial so you can try it for yourself and see what you think. 

I do wish the app was available for iPhone and Android because I would probably use it even more if it was available for my phone (think, standing in line at the grocery or waiting at Doctor's office) because I don't always have my iPad with me. 

The pricing is pretty reasonable and since there are titles that my husband likes too it seems like something we would get regular use out of. And I won't have magazine all over the house collecting dust anymore :)

• Unlimited Basic: $9.99/month (access to all 84 monthly titles including current and back issues, e.g., Cooking Light, Esquire, Real Simple, Vanity Fair, Wired, etc.)

• Premium: $14.99/month (unlimited access to all monthly and weekly titles including current and back issues, e.g., The New Yorker, People, Time, etc.)

I love this app and will probably actually read magazines if they are on my iPad...now I just need to get a waterproof case so I can read by the pool on our next vacation. Enjoy! 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Cool off with Fruttare Fruit Bars - Sponsored

If you've been reading The Pink Flour for any length of time, you've noticed I have a strong affinity for all things sweet. Although, I know this isn't the best stuff to be eating all of the time, I try to have it moderation. That's where Fruttare frozen fruit bars come in - they're a frozen fruit bar that are heavy on real fruit flavor, but light on the calories. 

I picked up two boxes of the Fruttare frozen fruit bars at my local Walmart. They had a few flavors to choose from including strawberry, black cherry, lime, mango, strawberry & milk, and coconut & milk. I decided to go with the mango and strawberry & milk.