Any swim fans out there? Catch the North Shore’s own Matt Grevers this weekend at The Chalet Nursery! Matt’s dad, Ed, is a longtime landscape architect at The Chalet, and Matt – a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, will be there to sign autographs and offer free t-shirts to the first 50 fans.

Come check it out this Saturday from 1 - 3 p.m.! The Chalet is located at 3132 Lake Ave. in Wilmette, at the intersection of Lake and Skokie.

Phone: 847.256.0561

Technorati Tags: MattGrevers, Olympic swimmers, North Shore Chicago Olympic events, The Chalet nursery, North Shore Chicago landscapers and nurseries

There’s something about water – I can’t quite put my finger on it, yet every time I walk by a pool, a fountain, a lake, a pond - I am tempted to at the very least, dip my toes and avail myself of its calm, soothing affects on the soul. I’m not surprised the U.S. crop of Olympic swimmers come off as very calm and cool under immense pressure.

I have been glued to the TV the last few nights, watching the swimming finals - and was thrilled to see Lake Forest’s Matt Grevers pull out the silver behind Aaron Piersol last night. Even my kids have become enamored with the sport, as I am sure a lot of little kids do every four years. the next thing on their to-do list is to figure out underwater turns.

Out of curiosity, I was poking around on the Internet for local swim teams (of which there are many!) and found this, from the New Trier Swim Club site:

NTSC Team Tryouts
New Trier Swim Club will be holding tryouts for its Short Course season. Tryouts will be held at the Northfield Campus of New Trier High School on August 26 & 27 and September 2 from 7:00-8:30 pm. The Northfield Campus of New Trier High School is located at 7 Happ Road, Northfield, IL 60093
In order to tryout, a swimmer must be six years old by April 1, 2009. Swimmers should bring a suit, towel and goggles to tryouts. All swimmers must be able to swim 25 yards Freestyle and 25 yards Backstroke. Prior registration is not required to tryout, and a swimmer need only come on one of the listed tryout days. Membership to NTSC will be offered on a space available basis. Priority is given to any swimmer living in the New Trier High School District. Please call the NTSC Hotline at 847-784-6399 with any questions.

Technorati Tags: Matt Grevers, North Shore Chicago swim teams, swim team tryouts, New Trier Swim Club

Like to mix your shopping pleasure with great deals and spectacular outdoor weather? Here’s a rundown of upcoming sidewalk sales this summer:

Evanston (Central Street): Thursday, July 10 – Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
What to do: Kids’ activities, Budding Artists Art Fair, Storybook Mom, Antique Fire Truck

Evanston (Downtown): Friday, July 25 - Sunday, July 27, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Glencoe: Friday, July 18 – Saturday, July 19

Wilmette: Friday, July 11 - Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
What to do: Music, kids’ activities

Lake Forest: Friday, August 1 - Saturday, August 2

Winnetka: Friday, July 18 and Saturday July 19, 2008
What to do: Jazz music in all three business districts, food, clowns, games, balloons, face painting, etc.

Highland Park: Thursday, July 24 – Sunday, July 27, beginning at 10 a.m.
Where: Central Avenue from Green Bay to Sheridan Road (and First and Second Streets, and Elm Place)
What to do: Prices at 50 - 75 percent off in most places, kids’ activities, etc.

Technorati Tags: North Shore Chicago sidewalk sales, Highland Park sidewalk sale, Glencoe sidewalk sale, Evanston sidewalk sale, Wilmette sidewalk sale, Winnetka sidewalk sale, Lake Forest sidewalk sale