I don’t know about you, but the Fourth of July always sneaks up on me. It seems like the kids have been out of school for like, a day, when all of the sudden we’re hearing the familiar booms and fizzles of fireworks in the night sky.

We’ll be in Boston for the Fourth this year - always a good time, but we’ll kind of miss our usual gig, which is to hang out on our rooftop deck and watch almost every single North Shore fireworks event. But for all my friends out there, I thought I’d give you the lowdown on where to go this year. Have a blast!

July 3rd:
Deerfield - 1959 N. Waukegan
Wilmette - 9:30 p.m., near the Harbor

July 4th:
Evanston - Clark St. Beach, 9:15 p.m.
Glenview - 800 Shermer (Glenview Park District Golf Club), dusk
Highland Park - Wolters Field, 1080 Park Ave. West
Lake Forest - Deerpath Community Park, 9:15 p.m. (in conjunction with a Lake Forest Symphony concert)
Northbrook - Meadowhill Park, 1479 Maple
Northfield - Sechler Park, dusk
Skokie - Niles West High School, dusk
Winnetka - Duke Childs Field, 9:15 p.m.

Technorati Tags: fireworks, North Shore fireworks schedule, Glenview Fireworks, Northbrook fireworks, Wilmette fireworks, Winnetka fireworks, Skokie fireworks, Evanston fireworks, Lake Forest fireworks, Highland Park fireworks

I’ve blogged earlier about this, but it “bears” repeating - Glenview’s “Bear-Foot in the Park” series on Wednesday nights is a winner.

Put on by Glenview Park District and sponsored by Foodstuffs, Glenview State Bank and Chestnut Square at the Glen, this rousing series of Wednesday night concerts is a great chance to reconnect with neighbors, eat a picnic dinner, play cards, let the kids run around and chase down a few fireflies.

Tonight was the second concert of the series this summer, with 215 West, a cover band that played a little bit of everything. Kids were dancing, adults were tapping their feet and cicadas kept the chorus.

I like to think of it as a “Mini Ravinia” - an hour-and-a-half of good music on the lawn. And there’s even a matching Metra stop right next to the park:) Next week? An ABBA tribute band. Oh, baby. It’s not Steve Miller or Wynton Marsalis, but it’s free.

Insider Tip? Sneak over to the Dairy Bar on Lehigh afterwards for a baseball hat sundae. Yummers.

Bear-Foot in the Park
Wednesdays, 7 - 8:30 p.m. ( No concert July 4th.)
Jackman Park gazebo
Just north of Glenview Rd. on Lehigh, Glenview

Technorati Tags: Glenview, North Shore concerts, Glenview music, Wednesday concert series, Jackman Park

I’ve had a thing for outlet malls since I was a teenager. My college years included many a trip to Michigan City, seeing as we passed by it every time I went back and forth from college to home and back to college again. I was just too cool in my outlet Ray-Bans and Ralph Lauren polos. Hee.

The older I got, the more I “got” it. Most outlets are really just a marketing scam to make you’re saving a bundle, when a good old fashioned Gap sale at Old Orchard is much, much better. In fact, I hardly every make it to outlets anymore, unless Josh has a hockey game at Gurnee, in which case I will sneak into abercrombie. Some habits are hard to quit.

There are only two outlets I make any effort for – Crate and Barrel on Clybourn (quite simply my fave!), and the Land of Nod, here in the ‘burbs in Northbrook.

I stumbled upon the Land of Nod outlet quite by accident. I had mentioned to a group of moms at Chloe’s ice skating class that I was debating making the trip to Naperville to check out the annual sale, and they looked at me like I had set my hair on fire. A collective “Um…why don’t you just go to the outlet? It’s two minutes away from here.” was uttered in my direction. What? Here? Northbrook? Suh-weet.

The best part about Land of Nod’s outlet is it really is an outlet, and things are priced accordingly. Furniture can either be slightly nicked, or may be really banged up. I keep eyeing those schoolhouse armoires - I just need to figure out the right place for it. There’s always a great selection of their great play furniture for kids - those fridges and stovetops, drawing tables and such.

If you’ve never been, but think your little prince or princess may need that matching desk or bureau for the bedroom set you bought last year, this weekend is a great time to check it out – the Sidewalk Sale is going on this Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Extra furniture will be on site, with prices 30 - 80 percent off retail. There’s also an extra 10 percent off non-furniture items. Oh, yeah. I’m all over that.

You can find the Land of Nod outlet at:
2177 Shermer Rd. (one-half mile north of Willow Rd. on the right)
Northbrook
847-656-4720

Technorati Tags: Land of Nod, Land of Nod outlet, Northbrook shopping, outlet sales, Land of Nod sale