Live Auction Cake Sale Benefiting Barrington Relay for Life May 9

Talk about some great, old fashioned fun while helping a worthy cause! Norton's U.S.A. is holding its 4th Annual Live Auction Cake Sale on Saturday, May 9th. All of the proceeds from the lively event benefit Barrington Relay for Life. To participate in the event you can bake a cake, buy a cake or both! Cakes to be donated must be to the store by 12PM on the day of the event. The auction begins at 3PM. In its fourth year, the event is welcoming professional auctioneer Steve Feldman for the first time! If you have never witnessed a professional auctioneer before, Steve will be sure to make the event an even more animated affair! Sounds like such a fun time and the event totally reminds me of a day at an old time county fair! You can find further details about the event below:

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Feeling the Magic at Trim Castle and Relaxing in Drogheda

Our Celtic Day Tour did not end with touring Celtic sites. We also visited one of the places that was on my ultimate to-do list for Ireland: Trim Castle!

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Ireland Vacation: Tara, Loughcrew and Monasterboice

Loughcrew's spectacular view.

While we were in Ireland, we took a Celtic Day Tour and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Before the trip, I was a bit so-so about heading out to Tara. I had read a few opinions encouraging us to switch out Tara from our itinerary in favor of another location. In the end, I could not imagine going to Ireland without visiting the Hill of Tara!

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Dublin Castle: A Gem of a Surprise in Ireland

We visited Dublin Castle later in our trip but we passed it during our many crisscrosses through the city. Dublin Castle began as a Norman castle originally founded in 1204. Throughout the centuries, the castle has undergone many changes and only one of the Norman towers still remains today. Since we were in Ireland, we were really set on seeing some of the older sites. So, we were not really sure how Dublin Castle would rank among the other sites we would have to visit. I am glad to say that the castle is stunning and we were quite impressed by the beauty of some of the rooms.

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Family Vacation in Dublin, Ireland in the Spring!

Woo hoo, we're in Dublin!

Over the past couple of years, we have been trying to hit our bucket list destinations. When thinking about our next big adventure, Dublin quickly came into the running. So this year, we checked another one off of the list and visited Dublin over Spring Break. Normally, we plan trips like this during the summer so one during the spring was a bit of a departure from habit. We quickly learned that a big trip in the spring was certainly a welcome break! Frankly, I am not sure I can go back to taking the big trips in the summer or maybe it is just that I loved Ireland so much!

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Celebrate Local Artists with a Self Guided Art Studio Tour in Racine and Kenosha April 24-26

There is nothing like a trip to a working art studio to show you the creativity and innovation thriving in our country. I love to support local artisans and they really add a particular uniqueness to a community. Whenever I travel, I bring back something that was created in the place that I visited. That way, I bring a piece of that place home with me!

Our neighbors in Wisconsin, Kenosha and Racine have a neat weekend celebration of their local artists coming up April 24-26. The 2015 get bEHIND the aRTS Studio Tour will give visitors access to over 48 studios featuring 90 artists in 22 locations. This tour sounds like pure heaven for all of us that support local art!

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1865 Street Festival to Bring Old Time Fun to Barrington April 25th (RAIN DATE APRIL 26)

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

UPDATED DATE AND TIME DUE TO RAIN ON APRIL 25 ALL EVENTS MOVED UP 1 HOUR:

This year, Barrington is celebrating 150 years! As part of their celebration, there will be a lively 1865 Street Festival at the corner of Cook and Station Streets in Downtown Barrington from 3PM-10PM on April 25th. Admission is FREE and this festival will certainly be quite a unique experience for families. Some of the entertainment from 6PM-10PM will be around a bonfire which sounds super cool!

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Operation Smile and CampusBookRentals Change Lives

Sidonie from Madagascar lived with a cleft lip for 7 years before Operation Smile changed her life.

**Disclosure: The following post is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

From time to time, we like to share information about charities. Today, we would like to talk a little about Operation Smile and its partnership with CampusBookRentals.

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Enlightened Balance Feeds the Spirit and Supports Local Artists in Crystal Lake

Sometimes a conversation can lead to finding a true treasure! Several months ago, a friend and I discussed a shared passion for local businesses and artisans. She clued me into one of her favorite small businesses that truly nourishes heart and soul, Enlightened Balance in Crystal Lake. Crystal Lake is quite a bit of a drive from me, so winter did slow down my ability to make a visit. Fortunately, last week afforded me the opportunity to drop in. Right away, I felt at home and marveled at how much there was to look at!

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Mayberry in the Midwest Returns to Danville, Indiana

Image via Hendricks County CVB.

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Last year, we had the pleasure of attending the first ever Mayberry in the Midwest Festival in Danville, Indiana! There has always been something comforting about The Andy Griffith Show and I was delighted to find a way that my daughter could experience that "Mayberry feeling." Life is definitely quite different than that in Mayberry. These days everything seems to go so fast and we are all constantly multitasking--so different than the calm pace of Mayberry.  Mayberry in the Midwest was a fun way for us to slow down a little bit and enjoy some nostalgic pieces of Americana.

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Local Job Opening for a Preschool Teacher at Faith Lutheran Church

I just learned that Faith Lutheran Church is hiring a preschool teacher so I wanted to forward this information on in case any of you were interested in applying or if you knew some one who may be. Here is a short description and contact info from Jori Reuter, the Preschool Director at Faith:

Lambs of Faith Early Childhood Center in Arlington Heights, IL is looking for a part-time Preschool Teacher (2/3 and 3/4 year olds) to provide a warm, nurturing, Christ-centered, safe and loving preschool environment where children’s faith is nurtured and where self-concepts are enhanced, independence is encouraged and individuality is respected.  Monday-Friday mornings, late August-late May.  Approximately 20 hours per week.  Bachelor’s degree in education from an accredited college or university required.  Early Childhood Education preferred.  Must have the DCFS mandated Early Childhood Education credits and experience teaching in an early childhood program.  Contact Jori at 847-253-4859 or visit www.faithlutheran-ah.org for a full job description.  Please send resumes to faithlutheranpreschool@ymail.com.  Thank you.

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Trailside Museum of Natural History in River Forest, Illinois

Yesterday, we opted to venture away from our usual round up of nature preserves and try another Cook County Forest Preserve--the Trailside Museum of Natural History in River Forest, Illinois. Before arriving, I was already impressed that the museum itself has been a nature education facility since 1931. I have only heard about the museum a couple of times, so I was pretty surprised the facility has been in action since 1931!

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Happy Easter and What to Do Today!

Wishing you a Happy Easter today! Some things are closed today but we have always found Easter a perfect day to enjoy nature--if the weather is conducive! With bare trees, you will be able to see the birds more easily! Here are some ideas on how to enjoy nature today:

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Reboot Your Life: A Chicken Soup for the Soul for People Navigating a Life Change

**Disclosure: As a Chicken Soup for the Soul blogger, we received a copy of this volume in order to bring you an accurate review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Sometimes we need that extra little push, a little extra incentive to take that leap to change our lives. Often, we are inspired by circumstances and life hiccups that we could not predict--the birth of a child, the downsizing of a company, the death of a loved one, a chance meeting. Other times, this inspiration comes from a fire within us. Life changes and challenges are things we all share and we each approach them in different ways.

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