Category: Conversation

Wonder Woods Mini Golf – Lisle, IL

June 29, 2024

Last week, we had the distinct pleasure of experiencing the new interactive Wonder Woods Mini Golf at the Morton Arboretum. This charming, unique 9-hole golfing adventure is accessible for all visitors and the perfect outing for players age 4 and up. Wonder Woods Mini Golf is an unexpected summer treat.

—Jenn

When: Now to September 2, 2024

Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m., last tee time 5:00 p.m.

**Please note that Wonder Woods Mini Golf will close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 2. The last available tee time will be 3:00 p.m.

Tickets

Members
Child (ages 4 through 17): $6
Adult (age 18 and older): $8

Guests
Child (ages 4 through 17): $8
Adult (age 18 and older): $10

For those who are not members, Wonder Woods Mini Golf tickets must be purchased in addition to Arboretum general admission. Children aged 2 and older require a general admission ticket to enter the Arboretum; infants under the age of 2 are admitted for free.

Location

4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532

Wonder Woods Mini Golf – Morton Arboretum

0

Cabanas Ice Cream, Michigan

After a day of sunshine and waves, make certain to stop by Cabanas Ice Cream and indulge your sweet tooth. Cabanas serves up the ultimate ice cream; pastries; pies; cakes; milkshakes & smoothies; coffees and candies. Warm temperatures are no match for the family friendly seating and service.

Hours: Monday thru Friday 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Location: 512 Broad St, St Joseph, Michigan 49085

Instagram Link
0

LITapalooza 2024: July 25-26, 2024

Anderson’s Bookshop is bringing K-8 educators & #kidlit creators back together in the Chicago suburbs for a day-and-a half of community, learning, and celebration of all things literacy! Anderson’s Bookshops gives a 20% discount to items educators purchase for their classrooms or libraries, and this will be honored at LITapalooza. As an added bonus, educators will earn CPUDs.

Hope to see you there!

—Jenn

Who’s coming to LITapalooza 2024?

Keynote Speakers: Minh Lê and Dan Santat

**Your ticket includes a free signed copy of Built to Last, written by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat.

Guest Authors:
Vera Ahiyya, John David Anderson, Cale Atkinson, Tracey Baptiste, Bethany Barton, Cece Bell, Ashley Belote, Tadgh Bentley, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Valerie Bolling, Jessica Burkhart, Nidhi Chanani, Johnnie Christmas, Ben Clanton, Abby Cooper, Lindsay Currie, Sayantani DasGupta, Cori Doerrfeld, Antwan Eady, Vicky Fang, Saadia Faruqi, Josh Funk, Alyson Gerber, Chris Grabenstein, Andrew Hacket, Nathan Hale, Kate Hannigan, Mary Winn Heider, Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm, Alan Katz, Lisa Katzenberger, Supriya Kelkar, Lily LaMotte, David LaRochelle, Kari Lavelle, Jarrett Lerner, Loren Long, Stephanie V.F. Lucianovic, Kekla Magoon, Laurie Morrison, Jamar Nicholas, Rex Ogle, Jarrett Pumphrey, Jerome Pumphrey, Rekha Rajan, Jean Reidy, Mae Respicio, Michael Rex, Barb Rosenstock, Katherine, Roy, Blythe Russo, Sarah Sax, John Schu, Stephen Shaskan, Sheetal Sheth, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Esme Symes-Smith, Ruth Spiro, Elly Swartz, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Jana Tropper, Refe & Susan Tuma, Colleen AF Venable, Jasmine Warga, & Kaz Windness!

Schedule

**Lunch – A variety of food trucks will be available to purchase lunch and snacks throughout day 1. You can also have lunch on your own.
Morning (located right outside the auditorium):

​
​Lunch Food Trucks

  • Tacomotora – delicious and fast tacos, bowls, and salads!
  • SpoonBurger – burgers, fries, and mac & cheese
  • ​​EJ Pierogi – dumplings and sandwiches​
  • ​Billy Bricks – pizza by the slice or full individual pies

Location

Where: Neuqua Valley High School, 2360 95th Street, Naperville, IL

LITpalooza Registration

0

Brookfield Zoo Teaching Safari: Fall 2024

As a Teaching Safari Alum, I encourage K-12 educators to participate in the upcoming fall workshop. Brookfield Zoo Teaching Safari is a free professional learning opportunity for teachers that consists of four full-day, onsite sessions at Brookfield Zoo (two weekdays and two Saturdays) and two 60-minute virtual sessions. In addition to attending and participating in these classes, participants will engage in ongoing reflection on professional growth, and create and revise a lesson plan applying program content to practice. Content and strategies explored on the Teaching Safari are informed by Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and the Danielson Framework.

Attendees can earn 2 semester hours graduate credit (Dominican University) or 35 professional development hours.

The application window for the Fall Safari 2024 is opens May 20 and closes August 22. 

Seats are limited so apply early!

Brookfield Zoo – Fall 2024 Teaching Safari Application

0

Flying Saucer – New Location

May 2, 2024

Greetings Earthlings!

Our favorite coffee shop has taken flight and expects to “land and open the hatch this Friday (May 3).”

Load up your spaceship, fly on over, and enjoy a conversation over coffee that will be truly out of this world.

413 Phoenix Street, South Haven, Michigan

0

Arbor Day – 2024

Tuesday, April 26, 2024

Save the Date: Friday, April 26 ARBOR DAY

Dearest Tree Hugging Readers,

It is with TREE-mendous excitement that I am sharing Arbor Day literature and resources.

My love affair of trees dates back to my earliest childhood memories. Our family planted and cared for a variety of fruit trees. Apple, peach, pear, cherry, and plum trees provided shade on sunny days; fresh juicy snacks; and sweet confections that were canned or baked. As we grew, so did the trees.

When my daughter was younger, we became members of the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Our summers were spent under the shade trees beside Meadow Lake. It was there that we played cards; drew pictures; ate picnic lunches, and escaped the noise of the world.

May this Arbor Day bring your family back to the forest.

—-Jenn 🌳

Literature for Young Sapling 🌱

Literature for Mature Trees 🌳

Resources

Arbor Day Foundation
Chicago Botanic Garden – Chicago, Illinois
Morton Arboretum – Lisle, Illinois 🌳
Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center – Forest Preserve of Cook County, Illinois
History of Arbor Day
Virtual Tours in the Redwoods: Redwood National & State Parks
Exploring Giant Sequoia Groves
0

The Bard

February 10, 2024

We are off on another adventure! Drunk Shakespeare in Chicago. I simply can not wait! Today we are riding the rails into the city. I had planned on writing but I managed to snag a pen that ran out of ink. So, I sit here over caffeinated and words racing through my brain. My daughter is my traveling companion for the day. She wisely grabbed a short novel and stowed it into her city bag. Still no working pen. I prefer pen and paper. There’s something therapeutic about writing and scratching out words and the editing process. I had planned on doodling in the margins and free writing on the train ride. Instead I sit. Typing on my phone. Wondering if my thoughts will last longer than my phone battery.

Our destination is Union Station and from there we walk to the theatre. She wants to take a bus. I could use a walk. Clear my mind. Listen to the city. Bus rides are well it’s a bus. I had the misfortune of sitting in a mysterious liquid last summer. I’ve convinced myself it was a leaky Stanley cup. Pssst. We all know it wasn’t.

The Bard. Shakespeare. Libations. Live theatre. It poses to be an entertaining evening. This past week has been draining. My soul needs to laugh. To be surrounded by strangers. Yes.

Next stop, Hollywood. This stop always makes me giggle. We live in the Midwest in a town that is not glamorous. No celebrities. Not even Pedro Pascal. Maybe, Jeremy Allen White in the city. I read an online article that filming is set to begin in the city. Probably not likely today. Again, we live in a town where nothing really ever happens.

Down to 88% battery. Thoughts still racing. Intruding thoughts of a never ending list to do. Lesson plans, laundry, nuts…,family conferences. There’s more. The train car is silent. It’s not a silent car. I imagine most are drafting mental to do lists. She’s still reading. So jealous. I grabbed my journal to write. Conductor prerecorded message watch your step and caution the doors are about to close.

86% battery. Mental battery -42%.

Less than zero percent attention span today. Again. This past week was draining.

Thoughts are now tuned to I should paint the kitchen. Oooooh new light fixtures and curtains we be sweet too. Is it curtains or drapes? Same thing or different? Is there a difference? Coffee would be nice. Still on the train. Coffee and a pastry. How is she still reading? I should have brought a book to read.

84%

Bouncing and bumping along. Conductor making another pass.

83%

Another stop. I miss the express train. There’s something to be said about zipping along and arriving sooner. Less time for random thoughts and lists of procrastinated things to do. I used the last beach towel this morning. Laundry. Milk. Why didn’t I buy milk last night? Target. Go figure. I’m so distracted lately. More coffee would be helpful? Coffee has become my comfort food.

Yes! I can see the city!!!

Post Trip Notes: Drunk Shakespeare exceeded my wildest expectations! It’s for the 21 and over theater goer. Arrange for a sitter and click the link below to purchase your tickets!! There’s a cozy Starbucks nearby and a parking deck adjacent to the theater. What more could you ask for?

Cheers!

—Jenn 🍷

Children’s Literature (to leave with the sitter 😉)

Drunk Shakespeare Tickets
0

Time Travel

February 27, 2024

A chilly fog covered the highway as we traveled to our next adventure. Stopping at Starbucks in Springfield, we picked up coffee, pastries and the new Dragon Lunar New Year tumbler. We returned to the interstate and counted down the minutes to the Saint Louis Science Museum. Shoutout to Google for answering our call to The Doctor. The Saint Louis Science Museum has a free Doctor Who display.

It was drizzling rain as we walked from our car to the science museum. Parking was $15.00 and well worth the cost. Admission to the museum was free. There is a plethora of family friendly exhibits for children of all ages and a food court. After taking the elevator to the upper floor, we walked a short distance to an indoor walkway over the highway. Fun fact…there are cut outs in the flooring where you can watch the cars pass under your feet. As we approached the planetarium side for the museum, at the end of the walkway, there it stood.

TARDIS.

Safely tucked behind a clear barrier. Yes. It was then that I began to let my inner nerd out.

Eeeeeeek!

Now for those of you just joining, I am a massive David Tennant fan. It borders on embarrassing. Doctor Who fans are able to view the exhibit through March 2024. Pack the family, snacks, road trip tunes and set your GPS to the Saint Louis Science Museum.

Next up on our time travel tour, we drove to the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis. The rangers were extremely knowledgeable and super friendly. The museum exhibits are informative and offer something for the entire family. When you are finished exploring the museum, make time for the free short video and guided tour of the grounds and buildings. I highly recommend the taking the guided tour. At the end of your visit, remember to take a moment at the museum shop and browse their souvenirs and book selection. Oh yes. There are books.

As we said farewell to St. Louis, we traveled past the Saint Louis Arch. Due to the dense fog, we decided that the Arch would have to wait for another day.

—Jenn

Saint Louis Science Museum
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
The Gateway Arch

0

January

January 24, 2024

Once again, it’s January. Fourteen years have passed. In those fourteen years, I have graduated with an Elementary Education Certification with Endorsements and honors; taught elementary school for nine years; sold my home and downsized; relocated to my childhood town; and raised a beautiful daughter. I have been called a “Rising Phoenix” by those closet to me. Others, who were not part of our journey, have told me I have “baggage.” Apologies dearest friend. I do not have baggage. You’re mistaken. I come with battle scars. I make zero apologies. Those battle scars were won fighting for my child, my life, and survival.

Battle scars take time to heal. In January, the scars tear open just enough so you feel the sting. It reminds me of how far my daughter and I have risen. It reminds me of how incredibly blessed we are.

Fourteen years ago I lost my husband to an unexpected heart attack. In a moment, our lives were forever changed. He was my lobster. My best friend. We promised each other forever and I wholeheartedly loved him. After his passing, we were embraced by family and friends. My daughter’s school and dance community extended words of encouragement and love. We will forever be grateful for that outpouring love.

On the first anniversary of his passing, I wrote and posted the following “Pearls of Wisdom” on Facebook. Wisdom should be shared. Stories should be shared.

Pearls of Wisdom

  • Tell your spouse and kids how much they mean to you. Hold them close.
  • Love and laugh with your kids.
  • Meet with an attorney and have a comprehensive estate plan drafted. If you have kids select a guardian.
  • Become an Organ Donor. Make your wishes known to your family.
  • Review your Life Insurance Policy and Beneficiaries.
  • Share the location of your passwords and legal documents with those closest to you.
  • Take time for your friends.
  • Re-evaluate what is taking priority in your life. Nothing is more important than family.
  • Pray and trust that God has a divine plan for you. This plan may not always be what you have in mind. That’s ok too. There is something to be said about the road less traveled.

Our story has infinite plot twists that are best discussed over a strong cup of coffee. Such details are not for a blog, but a close friend. I share our story not for sympathy. All of us have experienced loss at some point in our lives. I share our story so others will be inspired to live a less cluttered and complicated life. My story has many chapters that have ended and countless yet to be written. I am excited to see where this year will take us.

—Jenn

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑