Art Walk Throughout Naperville

Naperville Riverwalk

On its own, the Naperville Riverwalk provides for a charming meander along the DuPage River. While walking along the Riverwalk, you will quickly discover more of Naperville's charm. Threaded throughout the village are works of art including mosaics, statues, reliefs, murals and more. These pieces comprise Naperville's Century Walk, a public art initiative which began in 1996.

Read More

Combine Theater and Nature During Theatre-Hikes at the Morton Arboretum

**Disclosure: We will be attending a complimentary Theatre-Hike this summer to provide an accurate review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Last year, we found ourselves with a free weekend and decided to attend a theatre-hike at The Morton Arboretum. We visited on what had to be the hottest day of the year to see The Three Musketeers. We were totally blown away by the entire performance and barely noticed we were dripping in sweat! I will forever be in awe of the fact that the actors were able to sword fight in the 90+ degree weather! We thoroughly enjoyed the splendor of a summer's day at The Morton Arboretum while being engaged in a quality production. Theatre-Hikes are great ways to enjoy nature while immersing yourself in a bit of the theatrical arts.

Important things to know about theatre-hikes:

• Theater-Hikes enrich our lives by combining theater, exercise and appreciation for the environment.
• Hikes are low impact.
• Walks are less than 2 miles and incorporate about 6-9 stops with about 1/4 mile of walking between stops.
• The hikes are open to those with strollers and/or wheelchairs.
• You will need a blanket and/or chair, water, sunscreen and insect repellent. We also found that having a mister may be fun.
• The free format and wonderful space allows for distracted children to move away for a bit and then rejoin the performance later on. Some parents take their kids off to the side for a bit for a little game of catch or even to blow bubbles. Then, they rejoin the hike a little bit later!
• Shows are family-friendly and avoid strong language and adult situations--parents can breathe easy!
• Theater-Hikes is a non-for-profit organization and relies upon donors. Theatre-Hikes honors the talent of their actors and makes sure that they are properly compensated for their work.

Performance information:

Theatre-hikes will be held on Saturdays and Sundays, July through October. Performances in July, August and September are at 1PM. In October, performances are at 3PM. In addition to the weekends, there will be a performance on Columbus Day {October 13}. Each month features a different performance. This year's season opens with Alice in Wonderland in July. Alice's adventure is just so perfect for an adventure around part of the Arboretum! August will feature You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown will be a little different than the other theatre-hikes this year in that it will be in one location. Since you will still be out in nature, you will be able to take the kids to the side if they need to stretch out and return to the show a little later. September will bring Enchanted April, a story about four very different women in England in the 1920's who take a trip to Italy. This event sounds like it would be a great Mom's Afternoon Out yet the production is still appropriate for kids if you want to bring them along! To round out the season, Theatre-Hikes will bring several spooky Chicago tales to life in Resurrected in October. I love that Theatre-Hikes brings something a little spookier to the Arboretum during October and it is totally related to Chicagoland!

If you are looking for something new to do this summer, I highly recommend a theatre-hike. A theatre-hike is an excellent way to enjoy a glorious summer day while appreciating a wonderful performance! Tickets for Arboretum members are $5 per child, $10 per adult. For nonmembers, tickets include Arboretum admission and are $10 per child, $20 per adult. You can find out more about Theatre-Hikes and register for tickets on The Morton Arboretum website.

Theatre-Hikes does have some other performances in Chicagoland. You can check out other venues on the Theatre-Hikes website.

Later this summer, I will bring some more details about Theatre-Hikes. Thank you to Artistic Director Bradley Baker for some inside scoop about Theatre-Hikes!

Read More

A Taste of Hendricks and Morgan Counties in Indiana {A View of What is to Come}

Last weekend, my family and I spent a weekend discovering the places, people, creations and food of Hendricks and Morgan Counties in Indiana. While only 4 hours away from Chicagoland, we really felt whisked away from the humdrum of our regular lives and came back recharged and renewed. We were able to pack in a lot in a short weekend but had a blast the entire time. We experienced nature, art, history, celebration, nostalgia and more. Everything we found not only delighted us but inspired us as well. Next week, I will be beginning a more in depth series on our discoveries. However, I wanted to give you a little bit of a sneak peek of what to expect. I am sure that many of you are busy planning summer trips and Hendricks and Morgan Counties are truly worth the drive!

On our trip, we learned about glass blowing:

Hot Blown Glass by Lisa Pelo

Read More

We'll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Adventure {And Book Giveaway 5/11/14}

Paris from the Eiffer Tower

**Disclosure: I received a complimentary book for the purpose of this review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

There is nothing in the world like climbing the Eiffel Tour. Looking down at Paris is definitely an exhilarating moment that is frozen in time. Last year, my husband and I took our daughter to Paris to fulfill an important wish on our family bucket list. After a series of health issues for my husband and myself as well as others close to us, we decided to seize the moment and take our opportunity to go to Paris without regret. In truth though, our personal travel story actually began long before visiting Paris. When my daughter was born, my husband and I were determined to not let her hamper our travel aspirations. So, we have embarked on many adventures near and far with the little one in toe and have not looked back. Together, we will always have Paris........

When I received the opportunity to read Jennifer Coburn's We'll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Adventure, I jumped at the chance. While reading, I immediately felt a bond with Jennifer and discovered we are truly kindred spirits.  Jennifer in some ways was haunted by her father passing away from cancer at a young age and thought that she in turn would pass away way too soon. Her loss inspired her to go on some grand adventures with her daughter, making memories that would last--just in case. My own father passed away early in my daughter's life--when she was one. These losses can truly be a source of motivation. I almost lost my grandfather to a heart attack when I was in my early twenties. While he was recovering from bypass surgery, he advised me to travel for myself--scale those mountains that I had planned to for so long. The words of my grandfather stuck with me. I mean, here is this guy who just had five bypasses (yes, five) and he is telling me to travel! My husband took a little nudging, but we began traveling in whichever direction was available to us at the time. We did not stop when our family became 3.

Fact: Jennifer Coburn is a USA Today best selling author of six novels and contributor to four literary anthologies. This is her first memoir.

Throughout the book, Jennifer adeptly weaves the story of her remembrances of her father into the travelogue of her adventures with her daughter. Jennifer is able to embrace her relationship with her father while strengthening her relationship with her daughter through creating special moments. In some ways, her book is melodic and flows naturally during the course of her life. During the book, both Jennifer and her daughter, Katie, grow. I really loved seeing each relationship unfold and evolve.

We'll Always Have Paris--A Book We Can All Relate To

We'll Always Have Paris is a book we can all relate to. The book celebrates the joys of life and discoveries, the little stumbling blocks we find here and there, the tragedy and realization of mortality that we all must face and the spirit to find our way through and survive. The overall message encourages us to seize the moment yet savor the time we are with those we love. Towards the end of the book, Jennifer becomes less concerned with checking the items off of her list and has really settled more in to enjoying time with her daughter.

Read More