Country Vs Town: Shauna Phelan

Shauna Phelan grew up in Northwest Indiana and attended Indiana University, graduating with a psychology degree. She then moved to Indianapolis where she was a sales rep for a web-based marketing company. Shauna met and married her husband, Damon, and they had their oldest son, Dillon (8), which is when her focus shifted from career to family. Shortly thereafter, Damon’s job took this stay-at-home mom to St. Louis, where her son Cade (5) and their love of all things Cardinals/Blues was born. In 2017, another job transfer brought the young family to Chicago, where they “inadvertently fell upon … and in love … with a quaint little Norman Rockwell-ish town called Hinsdale,” she says, adding: “I spend time with my family first and foremost, but always love my time with girlfriends, volunteering at the boys’ schools, being involved in Hinsdale Junior Women’s Club, book club, and shuffling my boys around town to all their sports and activities. One of the things my husband loves most about Hinsdale is that for the last 30 years, he’s worked hard at building a substantial professional brand, yet in the two short years we’ve lived here, he’s simply known as ‘Shauna’s husband’ or ‘Dillon’s Dad’.” Here are a few of this busy mom’s favorites around country and town:

Mantra? Give unconditionally, without expectation, and with no strings attached.

Best grooming tip?  Two words: eyebrows and teeth.

Guilty pleasure? Bravo TV.

Favorite foods? Caprese salad, any kind of pasta, and cheese … lots of cheese!

Music you love? Growing up, my mom exposed me to lots of genres of music so because of that, I appreciate most but end up defaulting to today’s hits.

Best advice ever given to you? All relationships are based on a series of debits and credits. Always be mindful of how much you invest emotionally when you get sideways with someone, based on those debits and credits.

Best advice you’ve given? Talk less; listen more.

Earliest memory? I remember my dog Cinnamon jumping out of a box for my 5th birthday!

When you wake up, you? I’m very routine-oriented, so Monday through Friday, my mornings look the same. I put on workout clothes, head downstairs, and have a cup of coffee before my boys wake up and the chaos of the morning begins. I drop them at school and head to SHRED or Lifetime. I try to be very disciplined about working out. It is a non-negotiable for me.

Before bed, you? I always give my sleeping boys an extra kiss, apply a good night serum, and catch up on all things social media while lying in bed.

What’s on your bookshelf? If I’m being honest, its mostly picture frames, silk flowers, and candles … but you’ll see some autobiographies alongside, including Mitch Album and Malcolm Gladwell.

You can’t live without? The obvious answer is my family but Chapstick and a bottle of water are always nearby.

Love to escape to? The beach.

Advice you would give to your younger self? Spend more time with your mom.

WHEN IN THE COUNTRY

Your style is? Athleisure during the day. Otherwise, I’m a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl and can always find a way to dress that up or down.

Can’t leave the house without? Chapstick (or some version of “lips”), a bottle of water, my Apple watch and Airpods.

Transportation? Yukon Denali.

Driving music? When my 8-year-old is in the car, he controls the music so it’s likely Marshmello and Kane Brown “One Thing Right” or Maroon 5 “Memories” on repeat, otherwise I’m back to my pop hits.

Place to eat? We love Il Poggiolo.

Shop? I’m a Nordy’s girl at heart, but online shopping is a very real thing in my house.

Best thing about country? Hinsdale is a very intimate village. We love always running into familiar faces.

Worst thing about country? Too many Cubs fans. (Go Cards!)

The perfect day is? The perfect day for me is very much an ordinary Saturday. It begins with a workout (hopefully before my boys wake up), followed by cooking breakfast at home (Damon does the eggs; I do the bacon), and then we’re off to some sports activity for one of our boys. We have lunch on the fly, date night out, and then any bottle of Orin Swift wine.

WHEN IN TOWN

Your style is? All things girly-girl … usually a dress and a fun pair of heels.

Can’t leave the house without? Lipstick and a bottle of water.

Transportation? We normally take the train into the city and Uber home.

Driving music? Lately my go-to is Ed Sheeran’s No.6 Collaboration Project.

Place to eat? Damon and I are creatures of habit so when we’re in the city you’ll likely find us at Steak 48, Tavern on Rush, or Gibson’s Italia.

Shop? I don’t do much shopping in the city. We are always there for an event or to eat and drink.

Best thing about town?  Everything! The energy, the crowds, the hustle … not to mention that there’s always something going on.

Worst thing about town? All the things you would ordinarily dislike about the city are the very things we love. The constant buzz is everything.

The perfect day is? Seventy degrees and late afternoon cocktails on the River Walk, apps and a dirty martini at Tavern on Rush, dinner in the bar at Steak 48.