A Day on the Farm with Illinois Field Moms

This past Saturday, I traveled with more than 20 Illinois Farm Families "Field Moms" from the big city to the small town of Mazon, llinois, where I had the chance to learn more about the lives of Illinois Farmers. In particular, corn and soybean farming, as Paul and Donna Jeschke welcomed us onto their beautiful home and farm. 

The Jeschke Farmhouse

As a city mom that encounters most of her food in the aisles of a grocery store, I have much to learn about how our food is planted and harvested. 

Here's what I learned while visiting the Jeschke farm:

• Farming is hard work, and farmers are dedicated to their craft. It truly is a craft, and a job that permeates your entire life. There are stretches where farmers work almost nonstop. 
• Farming is high tech. Donna's nephew, who works on the farm and holds a degree in engineering, showed us some of the farm trucks and machinery: everything works in tune with GPS and high tech systems that baffled me. High techonology aptitude is a must for today's farmers. 
• The work that our Illinois farm families do has a worldwide impact. You know those shipping containers you see rolling on the train tracks near your home? They carry goods from China into the U.S., and carry Illinois-grown grains back to China. The Jeschke's have also hosted farmers from around the world, and in turn have visited farms in other countries, hoping to learn from one another and work together to improve farming for all. 
• Farmers care about their product and do their best to make sure that it's healthy and nutritious. The Jeschke family has been farming in northwestern Illinois since the early 1900s. For generations, they have been committed to raising crops to provide not only for their own family, but also families near and far. "Farming is our lifestyle and our business. We work diligently to grow the crops that help put food on your family’s table," explains Donna.

Throughout the summer and into harvest time, I'll be following along with my very own acre of corn grown at the Jeschke Farm. Will it be knee high by July? Let's hope for a bumper crop!

To learn more about Illinois Farm Families, check out 

www.watchusgrow.org

www.facebook.com/illinoisfarmfamilies 

http://twitter.com/ilfarmfamilies

#makesmesmilemondays Summer in Chicago

I lived in Rome for a few years, in London for two. I've spend lengthy amounts of time in Paris, Edinburgh, New York City and Tel Aviv. But they say home is where the heart is, and my home is sweet home Chicago.

This past weekend's warmth and sunshine reminded me that summer in Chicago has unofficially arrived.My garden is finally in full bloom, my kids were begging me to go for a bike ride for Italian ice, and my daughter's kiddie pool opened for the season.

Summer in Chicago is the best: Nothing beats spending a day at the beach with my family, or hanging out in our backyard with a neighborly BBQ.  I love being able to ride our bikes to the Lincoln Park Zoo, stopping for cupcakes and at a Wizard of Oz inspired park on the way home. I love our neighborhood, Logan Square, which manages to be both trendy and urban and sometimes downright smalltownish. I love traveling the world via the restaurants, cultural events, neighborhoods, and festivals in Chicago. I also appreciate raising my kids here (Check out my top 7 reasons why I'm thankful that I'm raising my kids in Chicago).

I have been blessed with the opportunity to write about all things fun for families in Chicago for the Chicago Visitor's Bureau. If you're looking for fun things to do with your kids in Chicago this upcoming summer and beyond, visit me at Choose Chicago.

Fall Registration Now Open for Italian Language Kids Program in Chicago! Insieme a Chicago

Insieme a Chicago is an Italian cultural program for children from birth to 5 years old. “Insieme” is Italian for “together” and as the name implies “Insieme a Chicago”gathers Italians, Italian speakers and Italianophiles “together”, in a space specifically designed for their little ones. Children will enjoy playing age appropriate games, singing songs and lullabies, listening to storytelling and participating in fun activities with their peers in a 100% Italian environment enriched with authentic Italian materials.  

Director Barbara De Bernardi teaches kids Italian with a fun and creative
method that makes every child - even those that don't speak Italian
at home - feel welcome 

The “Insieme” children are divided into two age-based groups hosting a maximum of 8 students each: “Il Nido” for children 0 to 3 years old and “Il Volo” for children 3 to 5 years old. The program for the little ones is structured around the same fundamental learning topics and goals taught at Italian daycares; while “Il Volo” is based on the Italian Preschool Curriculum and Objectives.

The goal of Insieme a Chicago is to provide kids with a place to share their Italian heritage and/or our love for Italy. 

FALL 2013 REGISTRATION

12-week season:  September 26th-December 19th

Location:

St Michael Church

1633 N Cleveland Ave  Chicago, IL 60614

Il Nido (1-3 years old)

Thursday 10-11am Saturday 9.30-10.30am

Il Volo (3-5 years old)

Thursday 2-3.30pm Saturday 10.30am-12pm

Il Viaggio (5-8 years old)

Thursday 4-5.30pm

Insieme a Chicago Tuition-12 week Season:

Il Nido: $240 (60 min per class)

Il Volo: $360 (90 min per class)

10% sibling discount

Registration:

Registration begins May 15th

To register contact Barbara at:

ba.debernardi@gmail.com

Guest Post: Choosing the Perfect Venue for a Special Occasion

The venue for your corporate event, wedding, conference, party or other occasion sets the tone for the entire event. You may have a multitude of options from which to choose, but will quickly find that only some are suitable because of the facilities they offer, tone that they set and the atmosphere they create. You will need to ensure you have sufficient budget to secure a great venue. Venue hire often represents the greatest category of expense for any event and it is possible that additional venue hire costs are incurred. Be sure to discuss all charges with a representative of the venue and account for the fact that a great venue can prove the difference between fabulous and mediocre events. You should choose a venue according to the number of guests that you expect to attend. Your venue should not be so small that a feeling of claustrophobia results, but also not so vacuous that the space seems empty and people are overwhelmed. Think carefully about whether the venue is appropriate and well-suited to the type of event you are organising. A great way to do this is to find out about past events held at the venue — this will provide you with insight into why people have chosen a venue for their wedding, conference, seminar or even Mother's Day.
In choosing a venue, it is imperative that you thoroughly check out the facilities on offer and make sure they parallel your needs. For example, car parking provision, catering facilities and a stage or platform may be critical to the activities and ultimate success of your event. All encompassing venues such as Ballara take all these things into consideration. The success of any event is heavily influenced by the level of service provided at the venue. Any staff that will be appointed to assist with the event should be familiar with the venue and, if staff are provided by the venue itself, it is important that they are familiar and confident in working at the type of event you are hosting.
The selection of a venue is definitely one of the most important decisions to be made when hosting an event. By choosing a great venue that offers the facilities required, sets a wonderful tone and meets the needs of you and your guests, you are very likely to deliver an event that is an incredible success.
- Isabelle Riley

Disclosure: I received compensation for editing and posting this guest post. 

Guest Post: Search for the Sun

Looking forward to and planning a holiday is a particular highlight of the year, especially when we have had such a long and hard winter, as we have had this year. Everybody feels in need of a little bit of sun yet just as we get a hint of some warmer weather, the rain sweeps in again. As ever, package holidays seem to represent the only fail-safe way to secure a bit of sun.

Choosing where you want to go is probably the most difficult part of booking your holiday as there is so much choice. Many countries now offer excellent package holidays with great beaches and facilities, so you can decide whether you want to visit the well-worn paths of Spain and Greece, or up and coming destinations such as Bulgaria.

It really is pretty simple and inexpensive these days to travel abroad for a holiday. In fact by the time you have factored in fuel and accommodation plus meals and activities, it can be cheaper travelling abroad than it can be staying at home. Obviously there are extremes of holidays and depending on whether you are a luxury cruise kind of person or a bargain hunter will determine how much you need to pay. However, these costs can be drastically reduced if you shop around and look for some special offers.

Search through some of the travel websites offering package holidays and you will find some good deals and online specials, although it is wise to make sure you are choosing a reputable travel agent. There is plenty of choice available and the main agents such as Thomas Cook offer good value as well as tried and tested package holidays. After all, it is in their interest to make sure that everything runs like clockwork, as this is most likely to keep you coming back year after year!

Disclosure: I was compensated for sharing this guest post. 

My Miracle Gro GroProject! #MiracleGroProject

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

This spring and summer, I have worked hard to transform little, neglected patches of dirt in our front and backyards into lovely urban mini-gardens, with a little help from Miracle-Gro. 

Our little front garden

Miracle-Gro came up with The Gro Project as a way to simplify gardening for a whole new class of gardeners and show that it can be easy, fun and enjoyable! These simple, fun garden projects are easy enough for preschoolers - my daughter, age 3, even helped out with my project. 

For my Gro Project, I constructed a window box out of simple plywood (with a little help from a carpenter...), filled it with Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix (an ideal filling for container gardens since it absorbs 33% more water than ordinary potting soil and protects against over and under watering) and then planted it with bright yellow and white pansies. I love looking out my front window and seeing my happy pansies. 

 I also had installed a simple raised garden in our backyard, filled it with Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix and planted basil, parsley, tomatoes, strawberries, sunflowers and kale. My kids, especially my daughter, had a ton of fun planting this simple garden with me. The sunflowers, kale and basil are grown from seed, which we had initially planted in an egg carton and then transfered to the raised garden. We're looking forward to watching our garden grow and perhaps even eating some of our garden goods come harvest time. Stay tuned!

Our dog checking out our urban garden

 If you would like more tips and information from Miracle-Gro check out these links:

• Scott’s Miracle-Gro online (video and article library)
• The Gro Project
•  Miracle-Gro Facebook page
• Miracle-Gro on PinterestThe Gro Projectfun garden projectsMiracle-Gro

Win a Free 2-month Trial Subscription to IndieFlix.com

We don't subscribe to cable tv in our home. Instead we rely on Netflix for movie-watching. Just as I was growing tired of the selection on Netflix, IndieFlix approached me and asked me if I'd like to give their online streaming site a try. 

IndieFlix is a community of independent filmmakers and fans. Through its membership-based streaming service, IndieFlix helps filmmakers translate artistic vision into commercial success, and gives film lovers access to high quality independent films not otherwise available. IndieFlix’s mission is to champion filmmakers, rethink traditional approaches to distribution, and celebrate the artistry and impact of independent film. 

I am working my way through the IndieFlix selection and I really enjoy the quality and variety of movies. Two documentaries that have moved me so far are This Way of Life, about a family living off the grid in New Zealand, and Finding Kind, another documentary, about the sad culture behind girl/girl bullying (an increasing issue in schools everywhere). I am so inspired by Finding Kind that I'm thinking of launching a Kindness Team at my high school next year!

I have ten 2-month subscriptions to give away to ten lucky readers! You won't be required to enter any credit card number or otherwise obligate yourself to continue after their trial period is up. To win, enter via Rafflecopter below! 

Thanks for entering and good luck!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway