The end of the school year is approaching. It’s already mid-May. QUICK! HIDE! You’re not safe anywhere in the North Shore! It’s the attack of the last minute prom dress shoppers! That’s right ladies, prom season is rapidly approaching (in some cases THIS SATURDAY!) and if for whatever reason you haven’t found that perfect Cinderella ball gown yet check this out: B Beautiful (4149 Dundee Rd Northbrook, IL 60062)

This Northbrook boutique has a huge selection of THE HOTTEST prom dresses around! I know what you’re thinking…if they have the best dresses, girls from your school already went there! (GASP!) To be caught dead in the same prom dress as someone else?? What a nightmare! Don’t fear ladies, this potential humiliation will never become a reality for you! B Beautiful promises to never sell the same dress to two people of the same high school. But how is this possible one might ask? Simple. The infamous WALL!! At B Beautiful they keep an entire wall filled with the top secret information of which dresses have already been sold to the different high schools in the area. (PHEW!) (more…)

So – I’ve had more than one person tell me that Northbrook has a beautiful library. And the book lover I am, I thought I would blow off my weekly visit to Glenview’s digs to check it out.

As Borat would say, “Very nice!”

I know that come the next year or so, Glenview will have a fabulous new building – which is desperately needed. I took the kids last Sunday only to find the Children’s section closed due to flooding. And given that just a couple of years ago I was visiting a small branch library in mid-Michigan, my initial impression of Glenview’s facilities was one of sheer giddiness. But I have to say, for now, Northbrook is so much nicer. Airy, well -lit and set up beautifully. The kids’ section was phenomenal. Of course, it was leaps and bounds ahead of our usual haunt for the simple fact it wasn’t in the basement. The staff was very gracious as well – so helpful setting the kids up on computers, actually, dare I say it, happy to help us.

And I so like the fact my Glenview card can be used anywhere. The hard part will be making sure I don’t return the wrong books to the wrong library!

Afterward, the family and I were starving and needed to grab a quick bite. We headed over to Little Louie’s on Shermer – a great place for a quick bite! And another place we could take the kids without worrying about spilling a pop or being a little on the loud side. I bet it’s really nice in the summer, as it’s located right across from the park downtown. (Note: Will have to remember that!)

A heads up, too – Winestyles is opening a Northbrook location just down the street, on Shermer. Look for it in the next couple of months - a great place to grab a bottle of vino!

Technorati Tags: Northbrook shopping, Northbrook library, Little Louie’s, Winestyles

I meant to post this Friday evening, but I was whooped. While I wasn’t surprised I got the call at 5:30 a.m., I wasn’t able to get back to sleep, imaginary voices beckoning within my brain to “Take Me Sledding!” That, and one of the new kittens decided it was a great time to tap dance on my face.

I’d escaped the call to sled so far, in that really, there haven’t been that many suitable days for it, even if the almanac says it’s one of our snowiest winters in recent history. Either it was too little, too slushy or melted too darn fast. Our ruler-in-the-snow trick said we got 11 inches overnight on Thursday, and there was no way I was going to fool anyone - there was definitely enough snow.

We took advantage of the day off to hit a slope that required a brief car ride, rather than just walking across the street. So we headed north to Techny Prairie Park in Northbrook:

The boys had a great time, and there was a lot to watch – especially the teenaged spawn snowboarding on the side of the hill, clearly ignoring the “no sledding” sign posted. Yeah, I know – they were snowboarding. I was a smart aleck once, too. The boys were enthralled with one young gun, claiming to be Sean White’s cousin, Blake. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know. But if it is, then I am Uma Thurman’s sister.

It is a really nice set up, though the parking leaves something to be desired. And truth be told, having the older kids gallavanting off on the side of the hill kept the main run fairly harmless for younger kids. It’s also lit up at night, which means Daddy (or Mommy!) can take the kids after dinner!

As for the snow tonight, I am hoping it does taper off – I have to head downtown tomorrow for jury duty. I’m edgy enough as it is, without having to deal with crappy roads. Wish me luck!

Technorati Tags: North Shore Chicago sledding, Chicago area sledding hills, Techny Prairie Park, Northbrook sledding hills