Gifts Galore at Within Reach in Long Grove

Unique Gifts and Friendly Atmosphere at Within Reach

What fun I had yesterday when I popped by Within Reach in Long Grove! My plan was to make a quick stop to purchase a onesie for my first grandchild (it’s a boy!) who will arrive in June. I ended up staying almost an hour looking at all the beautiful, unique items that owner, Marian, has on display. Gifts for baby, Mom, girlfriends and things for yourself and your home can be found at Within Reach.

Marian has done an artful job of displaying items in her store. There are unique, adorable baby gifts arranged pleasingly in several areas. From soft, cuddly blankets to organic booties, you’re sure to find the perfect baby gift. Soft goods not what you’re looking for? Choose from a vast array of photo frames and cute wall hangings for yourself or a gift.

I loved the selection of really stylin’ handbags. What girl doesn’t love a new purse? Within Reach also carries Willow Tree Angels and a line of sweet greeting cards. Home décor items that suit different styles can be found here. I found many items that will be perfect for my clients as real estate closing gifts. There’s so much to offer in this store that you’ll just have to stop by several times to see everything!

What really warmed my heart is the owner herself – Marian Ward. She’s delightful, fun and helpful. She remembers her customers. She recalled my friend who had stopped by to purchase a gift for my daughter’s baby shower and even had a cute story to tell about it. It showed how much she really appreciates her customers. She made me feel welcome and valued. That’s how I treat my clients and I really appreciate it when business owners convey that you are special and important.

Within Reach is located at 302 Old McHenry Road in Long Grove. Stop by, say “hi” to Marian, and tell her Terry sent you!

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Long Grove Chocolate Fest This Weekend

A Weekend of Chocolaty Delights and Entertainment  

One of my favorite things about Long Grove life is the festivals throughout the year. This weekend, April 29th through May 1st, Long Grove hosts its annual Chocolate Fest. Not only will the streets be filled with food vendors offering rich, chocolate confections, but there will be loads of entertainment as well.

Live entertainment will be provided throughout the weekend in six different areas. Performances include singing and dancing by professional groups along with the Kildeer Countryside Chorus and the Long Grove Performing Arts Academy. For a full schedule of events, click here.

The fun doesn’t stop there! Stop by the Chocolate Demo Tent where demonstrations will be given by Oh Fudge, Long Grove Confectionery, Sweet Whimsy and Sunset Foods. I wonder if they’ll be giving out samples?!

There’s something for everyone at the Long Grove Chocolate Fest. Eating, drinking, dancing, and entertainment. What a great way to spend a spring day!

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Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce Expo 2011

Lake Zurich Area Community Event March 19th

The Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce (LZACC) is hosting the 2011 Business and Community Expo on Saturday, March 19th from 10 am to 4 pm. Lake Zurich High School’s Tonelli Gym and Fieldhouse will be filled with 116 booths representing local businesses. There will also be entertainment and drawings for some great prizes.

As a Realtor in the Lake Zurich area this will be another great opportunity to meet other local business owners. I am committed to shopping locally and what better way to find out what’s available in the Lake Zurich area? Recently I became a member of the LZACC and have had a chance to interact with local business owners. We are committed to the success of our local economies and I urge you to lend your support.

Entertainment at the Expo will be provided by local choirs along with local businesses. Among the featured entertainers are the Lake Zurich High School Bare Voices and Chris Misik’s Voice Students. There will be storytelling by the Ela Theater Company and dancing by the Lake Zurich Park District Dance students. Stop by the performance areas and get a glimpse of the talent from our communities!

Many businesses are offering discounts and drawings for prizes during the Expo. Play Expo Bingo for a chance to win an iPad. Stop by the Avalon Salon & Day Spa booth where they’re offering $10 chair massages. Pop by the Sharp Auto Body booth and enter to win a free car detail. Pick up the day’s program which includes coupons for additional offers.

The Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce serves local communities of Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Deer Park, Kildeer and North Barrington. For a complete listing of members, visit their website  - you’ll find me there!

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Lake Zurich Culver’s to Provide Thanksgiving Meals

Culver’s and 6 Local Churches Team up to Feed Those in Need

For the seventh year, Culver’s in Lake Zurich has teamed up with six local churches to provide a home cooked Thanksgiving dinner for those in need. Volunteers from the churches (including me!) will prepare food in their homes and deliver it to Culver’s on Thanksgiving morning. When I told my son Michael about it, he volunteered to deliver the food on Thanksgiving morning so I don’t have to leave home.  He said that he can’t cook but that delivering will be his way of helping out. I’m proud of him! 

The churches involved are St. Francis de Sales, Harvest Bible Chapel, Peace Lutheran Church, Alpine Chapel, Long Grove Community Church and Northwest Family Church. I saw the list at church yesterday and it’s all set to be a traditional Thanksgiving feast with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, salads and desserts.

Perhaps you know someone who may be alone on Thanksgiving. This dinner will provide not only a great free meal,  but also someone to share it with. If you’d like to help out, email Culver’s at culvers_on_Thanksgiving@yahoo.com. Culver’s is located at 645 N. Rand Road in Lake Zurich. The meals will be served on Thanksgiving Day, November 25th, from 11:30 am to 3 pm.

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Buffalo Grove Area Didier Farms Pumpkin Fest Begins Saturday!

Fun Fall Activities for the Whole Family!

 Saturday, September 25th, begins a Buffalo Grove area tradition – the Didier Farms Pumpkin Fest. For many years, my family and I enjoyed a visit to the farm stand, a hayride and picking the very best pumpkin. The pumpkin picking could take a long time as they each searched for their favorite.

 Over the years the Didiers have expanded the fall event to include pony rides, children’s mechanical rides, Sunshine Crafts painting activities and the Inflatable Pumpkin, a bouncing moonwalk. But that’s not all! Birthday parties are also available during the Pumpkin Fest.

My kids are grown now and we still talk about the fun of pumpkin picking. A visit to Didier Farms makes for some great memories. Didier Farms is a very popular place in the fall. That’s the one thing I’m not looking forward to – the traffic as I travel from my home in Long Grove to my Coldwell Banker office in Buffalo Grove. But it’s worth it as I think about all those families making memories.

 Didier Farms is located at 16678 Aptakisic in Lincolnshire. For more information, visit the Didier Farms website and have some fun this weekend!

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Claudia Winter is a Local Artist You Should Know!

Jewelry and Bags from CW Collections

Claudia Winter is an artist you should know! Last week I had the pleasure of meeting her and visiting her overflowing workshop in Mundelein.  I experienced a little bit of sensory overload as I looked at all of the gorgeous works in progress along with her bins full of items waiting to be created.

Along with her partner, Claudia also creates fabulous handcrafted bags. They scour the resale shops for wool goods, felt them and craft bags of all sizes and shapes. They appealed to me for several reasons. First, they are repurposing items and you know how I love that! Next, many of the bags feature polka dots and I am partial to the dots!

The collections will be available this weekend at “Art Around the Square” in Palatine. This is a juried art show held today and tomorrow (9/11 and 9/12) from 10 am to 5 pm at Smith and Palatine Road. Next weekend they’ll be in Vernon Hills. For more information, visit their website.

Start your holiday shopping early by picking up a unique and handcrafted gift. If you visit Claudia, let me know what you think!

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Pick a Lake County Beach For a Fun Day in the Sun!

Lake Zurich, Wauconda, Spring Grove and Volo Beaches

Did you know that Lake County is home to Illinois’ largest concentration of natural lakes? Located in its heart is Chain o’ Lakes State Park  in Spring Grove. I’ve lived in Lake County for many years and didn’t know all that it had to offer! The park is bordered by three natural lakes – Nippersink, Grass and Marie along with the Fox River. You can camp, fish, boat and hike among the 6000 acres of the park. My son, Michael, was excited to hear about the park and plans to take his wife, Alissa, there next week. I’ll ask them if I can share some pictures here.

Another fun Lake County beach is Fish Lake Beach  in Volo. Spend the day swimming, picnicking, and fishing. There’s also mini golf and an arcade. It’s a great way to spend a sunny summer day. If you’d like to stay longer, there’s a campground.

If you’d like to stay a little farther south in Lake County, there are the beaches of Lake Zurich and Bangs Lake. I’ve written about these before but they’re worth another mention! Friends and family have enjoyed many a summer day at these beaches. No matter where you live in Lake County, if you’re looking for fun things to do during August, visit one of the Lake County beaches! If you have a favorite Lake County beach, I’d love to hear about it!

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Barrington Fourth of July Festivities

#30 of 30 Things to Do In and Around Lake Zurich in June

Barrington’s getting a jump start on Fourth of July celebrations! The Barrington Fourth of July festivities begin today at 5 pm! Tonight you can try Adrenaline Rush, an obstacle course sponsored by Pepsico. Food, music, a parade and fireworks will provide entertainment for the entire family throughout the week.

The Barrington Festival is packed full of fun things to do. Just a few things are the Euro Bungee, face painting and a rock climbing wall. What kind of music do you like? Each night there’s a different style including rock, R&B and country. The festival ends on July 4th with fireworks at dusk.

Barrington Fourth of July is held in the North Train Commuter lot at Spring Street. I have a client who just had her Barrington real estate closing yesterday. She probably won’t mind if I park at her house and walk downtown!

With a schedule of events like this, there’s sure to be something that you’d love to do at the Barrington Fourth of July festival!

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Lake Zurich Family Day with Fireworks!

#28 of 30 Things to Do In and Around Lake Zurich in June

Well, it’s not in June but it is an exciting and fun-filled day for the whole family! On Saturday, July 3rd, head over to Paulus Park in Lake Zurich for the Independence Day/Family Day Celebration. There’s been conflicting information on various websites regarding the event, so I went straight to the source and called the village of Lake Zurich. Here’s what I found out.

The event begins at 9 am. There is a fee for residents 18 and over ($2.00) and for non-residents 4 and over ($7.00). The day will include A Taste of Lake Zurich with lots of fine foods from local area vendors. Live music will provide entertainment throughout the day and there will be boat races.

If you aren’t too tired from a full day of events, stick around for the fireworks. They’ll begin, like always, as soon as it gets dark. Every day’s a great day to own a piece of real estate on Lake Zurich and this weekend is especially fun as you watch the festivities from your own back yard!

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A Weekend Full of Activities

#25, 26 and 27 of 30 Things to Do In and Around Lake Zurich in June

There is SO much going on in Terry’s Towns this weekend that I don’t want you to miss a thing. Today I’m going to post a short commentary on some of the happenings and you can make your weekend plans! I know that the numbering is a little off and I’ve written about more than 30 things,  but in this case more IS more. Here’s what’s going on:

Long Grove Strawberry Fest: Opens today and runs through Sunday evening.  Every inch of available real estate in town is filled with booths offering delectable treats and crafts. There’s live music, too! Located at Old McHenry and Robert Parker Coffin Roads.

Buffalo Grove Farmers Market:  The BG Farmers market finally opens on Sunday, June 27th! It’s held in the parking lot in front of the Buffalo Grove Park District’s Spray ‘n’ Play – 951 McHenry Road. Hours are 7:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Wauconda Fest: Opened yesterday and runs until Sunday night. Live music, Taste of Wauconda and carnival rides. According to the publicity, we missed the wine tasting – it was last night!

Long Grove Farmers Market: Sunday morning 8 am to 12 noon across from the Village Tavern. I went last week and not only did I get some great veggies but I met some really nice people. I’ll be writing more about them next week!

Lake County Forest Preserve Forest Fitness Hike: Saturday, June 26th from 8 am to 9 am. Meet at the Millennium Trail off Fairfield Road.

If you still have a few minutes free, there’s always the beaches, parks and trails. Get outside and have a great weekend!

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