Mark your calendars and check the temperature for the upcoming 11^th annual Lakeview Polar Plunge! You may think it’s crazy taking a diving into the lake at Oak Street Beach at the end of January, but it’s to help two families in need and other people will be doing it too! Participants should arrive at the beach by 11am because at Noon you will be running towards the water for you’re plunge!

When you’re finally done with your dip, I don’t think you’re going to want to stay in there and “get use to the water” so you can warm up at the after-party at Sedgwick’s Bar & Grill. For just $30.00 you will get all-you-can-drink beer, liquor, wine, and appetizers and a raffle with prizes from local companies!

If you’re thinking about taking the plunge here are some helpful hints and if you’re not you should come cheer others on!

-Rhea Drougas

If you’re anything like me, you can find yourself in the liquor store on any given night spending as long as ten Chicago minutes to decide what the heck you actually want. You walk in, look around for something appealing in the front first, you’re feeling adventurous so you wander over to the import beers, no sales, and you quickly talk yourself out of to drinking a beer you can’t pronounce all night. You shift to the domestics where you start calculating ounces to dollars, looking for that hidden sixer of tall boys that saves you a buck from the 12 pack… college budget. Then, next thing you know, you’re sitting on your couch watching a game with the usual Budweiser in hand… real adventurous.

To my boring beer drinkers, and craft brew connoisseurs alike, this Saturday, January 21^st at the Local 22, a perfect pint sized event is commencing. Alpha Beer VII: The Chicagoland Edition, is a 3 hr tour of all the lagers, ales and frothy brews you can drink. I’m talking about a total of 26 different beers, one for each letter, to satisfy all your taste buds’ needs and leave you feeling for a lack of a better word, well…drunk. I am SOLD. The best part about this event is that the focus of these beers will be on Windy City (and surrounding area) breweries. Chicago has seen a kegs worth of new small craft breweries, and specialty liquor stores in the past few years and the scene seems to constantly grow among Chi-towners, you have to respect that. California, you can keep your wine scene, were starting our own over here that doesn’t require any ridiculous glasses!

Guiding all of you enthusiasts will be Chef Jill Houk, who certainly knows a thing or two about the naughty water. A former smuggler of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (before it was sold in the 2^nd city), and home brewer who has hosted multiple beer appreciation events, she will be as entertaining as she is passionate. It should be an epic night! Get your tickets in advance at the link below and save $10 off the $50 price at the door. Eat, drink, and be merry!

For more info on the event you can click here.

- Cheers
Bryan

I found the perfect lunchtime getaway!

Most of us have less than an hour to chow down on whatever Chicago grub we set our eyes on but with this good find you can literally “Eat to the Beat”.

On January 12^th, The Harris Theater for Music and Dance continued the 3^rd season of its celebrated Eat to the Beat lunchtime series with a one-hour performance by DanceWorks Chicago and featured guests for only FIVE DOLLARS! DanceWorks Chicago’s commitment is to “Community” not “Company”, the Participatory, rather than the Proprietary. Touche!

This crowd-pleasing series, Eat to the Beat, is aimed towards those Chicagoans who work, live, shop, or just find themselves in the vicinity of the Harris during the workday lunch hour. It’ll take your mind off the workday still ahead and add some excitement in your lunch break that I guarantee you didn’t have before!

DanceWorks featured multiple dances within the hour:

Paradigm by Christian Spuck

A preview of Addio Amore by European choreographer Nelly van Bommel

Western Michigan University’s dance department

& last but certainly not least, James Gregg’s Nocturnal Sense

So instead of sitting in your cubicle, come enjoy your lunch during the Eat to the Beat performances! If you didn’t bring your lunch to work then no worries, food will be available to buy from Chicago’s finest food trucks that are on-site during performances outside the Theater on Lower Randolph Drive.

For just $10 more you can buy an “all you can experience cultural buffet” Lunch Pass that allows you to enjoy the full Eat to the Beat performance series for only $15 (there are two upcoming events in March & one in May).

Individual tickets and lunch passes are available at the Harris Theater box office located in Millennium Park at 205 E. Randolph Dr., by calling 312-334-7777 or by visiting www.harristheaterchicago.org

-Amanda Rivera

I heard the news on the radio.  Taste of Chicago is going to be revamped (again) for 2012.  The Taste will be chopped from 10 days to 5, and moved from the 4^th of July week to mid-July (July 11-15 to be exact).  I had always thought that the excitement from the Taste came from its grand proportions – of food, music and crowds. Yes, I said it, the crowds.  The immense, hungry crowds walking their way into Grant Park, bibs tied on to catch the drool, in anticipation of sampling the flavors that make Chicago the dining capital of the world!  The Taste was the thing to do leading up to the 4^th of July.

So why make these changes?  The organizers want the focus to be put back into the food – with renowned chefs coming in, featuring not only Chicago favorites, but also “offerings from Chicago’s new and emerging culinary scene” – - less festival and more “foodie”.  And the reason for the change in date? It would mean less competition with other festivals that take place during that busy and bustling summer holiday, like Naperville’s Ribfest and Milwaukee’s Summerfest.

For me, the Taste of Chicago was the big kickoff to summer.  It was the turkey leg in hand, triple scoop of ice cream, and deep dish pizza enjoyment, while waiting for Elvis Costello one night and the spectacular fireworks production on another, simply feeling that sense of awe to be there.  That is now a thing of the past.  We’ll have to wait until the middle of summer to see just exactly what the new Taste will look like, but I’m sure I won’t be the only one who’ll still be heading there, with drool bib in hand.

Click here for upcoming details on Taste of Chicago 2012.

- Jocelyn Flojo

When life throws you lemons, what do you do?  Make cupcakes, of course!

As children, sisters, Kathryn and Laura Pekarik, shared a passion for baking.  Always thinking they would eventually start some kind of business their idea was put on hold when Kathryn was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma cancer in May 2010.

While trying to keep their minds off the cancer and divert attention away from the effects of the treatments Kathryn and Laura began to invent their cupcake recipes and continue the dream of one day starting that business.

Later that year, a benefit was held in Kathryn’s honor to help defray the costs of her medical care.  To  contribute, Laura baked 250 of their own recipe cupcakes to host a bake sale at the event.  With such rave reviews, the brain child of these two sisters, Kathryn and Laura Pekarik was born; Cupcakes for Courage!

While Kathryn  continued treatment, Laura took Cupcakes for Courage to the next level.  Little did they know these little  delectable cupcakes would take her to Hollywood.

Cupcakes for Courage is one of the contestants competing for $10,000 this Sunday on Cupcake Wars.

Upon Kathryn’s persistence, Laura pulled out all stops and took the steps needed to get them there and created a Cupcake Wars application video.

As Laura says, “we don’t hope, we do! …and that is exactly what Cupcakes for Courage is all about; doing and giving back by providing Chicagoland these wonderful little cakes while raising money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Research, Ride Janie Ride and others in our community and beyond.  We also strive to protect the environment for generations to come in using biodegradable, recyclable and sustainable packaging.”

The “Green Machine’s” weekly schedule makes frequent stops Tuesday thru Friday in the city…also catering cupcakes to weddings, parties and special events.

By Andrea Pekarik Welch “Cupcake Mama”

I moved to Illinois from New Jersey a month ago with big plans of starting my young life in Chicago. Almost every day a Chi-town veteran asks me one question, why Chi? You would think that having been so close to New York City I would get sucked into its gravitational pull, but no, I found asweet escape from those filthy streets. Coming from the NYC area few peoplerealize how delightfully overrated NYC truly is. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking my tri-state, but I certainly had a few clear reasons to leave the city that never sleeps for its Midwestern equivalent. Here are my top ten reasons to move to Chicago!

#10 Super Speedy Service – I ordered a sandwich for lunch today and as soon as she handed me my receipt the chef handed me my sandwich. Nice.

#9 Gorgeous and safe parks – No doubt you’ll find a park that fits your recreational needs in the largest park district in the US!

#8 Travelling with the Chicago Grid System – It’s impossible to get lost when the street signs tell you how far you are from your destination. Who needs a GPS when you’ve got the grid?

#7 Reasonable rent – Seriously I pay $550 a month and have a gorgeous room, gigantic closet and excellent roommates. This must be heaven.

#6 Swimming in Lake Michigan! – Clear water, hot beach bods, endless sunshine and waves

#5 Beautiful and clean streets with an amazingly clear skyline – With everything that Chicago has to offer I’m not surprised that it looks like a Winter Wonderland in January and a Shore side Metropolis in July.

#4 The food will make your taste buds dance – There’s no need to be fearful of where your fish came from or how long the veggies have been out. Food here is fresh and delicious, from subs to soups to brie sandwiches, you’re pallet will thank you.

#3 Summer festivals – What beats Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago, Chicago Air & Water show, Chicago Jazz and World Music Festival?

#2 Endless labyrinth of night activities – Besides bar/club hopping, crazy last minute suggestions from friends will lead you to a verysuccessful night

#1 Reason to move to Chicago: The amazing Midwesterners who always seem to have time for a conversation – This is an excellent way to find out what’s going on around the city and make cool new friends.

Having never been to Chicago prior to now I had no idea what to expect of the city, but what I found was something I wasn’t willing to let go of any time soon. Chicago is a gorgeous, clean, whimsical town full of quality entertainment and class A people. Why would you ever leave?

-Wanjiku Kairu

‘Tis the season for holiday parties and sippin’ on spirits – but it is also a great time to give to those in need during this Holiday Season. Here is your chance to combine the two! From December 13-18 at Marigold, a unique Indian restaurant in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, they will donate 25% of its sales from customers who take one of two simple steps to show that they are supporters of Care For Real.

Care For Real strives to help their neighbors in the Edgewater community by providing food, clothing, and counseling services to those in need. Help them with their efforts.

1. Print out the “I support Care For Real” flyer on Marigold’s Facebook page and show it to your server.
- OR -
2. Show your server that you have “Checked-In” on Foursquare or Facebook to Marigold.

Also, keep an eye out for special deals at the restaurant for Care For Real supporters, such as half off all bottles of wine. Cheers to that!

- Evan Jones

Many of us use buses to navigate our way throughout the city, either going to school or work. We pack them full of people trying to avoid the blistering cold at the bus stop. This year help over 700 families by filling a bus with toys, blankets, coats, clothing, and canned goods. Starting December 8, 103.5 KISS FM, AT&T, Taco Bell, and The Salvation Army are teaming up to Stuff-A-Bus in Arlington Heights on the corner of Palatine and Rand Road.
Come out and join others as they celebrate the holiday season by helping those in need. You’ve already stuffed a turkey and are planning to stuff stockings – now is your chance to Stuff-A-Bus! Take a look at the schedule below to see when donations are being accepted.

Thursday, 12/8 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12m w/Special K.
Friday, 12/9 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12m w/Special K.
Saturday, 12/10 – 12p–12a w/ Special K.
Sunday, 12/11 – 12p–12a w/ Special K.
Monday, 12/12– 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12a w/Special K.
Tuesday, 12/13 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12a w/Special K.

Learn more here: http://www.1035kissfm.com/pages/StuffABus2011/

- Evan Jones

Highwood might be a small city in the North Shore, but what we lack in size, we certainly have in heart. Take our second annual Great Pumpkin Fest into consideration to get an idea of what I mean.

Last year, our first attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record for most jack-o-lanterns lit in one location at the First Annual Great Pumpkin Fest went belly up due to inclement weather and major rains. However, we came close and this Saturday, October 22, we’ll go for the record again- this time lighting jack-o-lanterns simultaneously with previous world record holders, Keene, New Hampshire. Did I mention there will be 32,000 of them!?

Fun fact: Whether Highwood bests Keene and breaks the Boston record, one thing is certain: The city will hold the record for grinning jack-o’-lantern per capita. Keene, with 22,000-plus residents, is four times the size of Highwood. Boston proper – 617,600 – is almost 124 times as big.

Our Fest begins tomorrow, October 19 and runs through Saturday night. Fun for the whole family we’ll have a 5k run, pumpkin land regatta, parade, trick or treating, costume contest, rides, a petting zoo and more. We have plenty of parking to accommodate City folk so make your way up to the best kept secret of the North Shore!

For more info visit www.highwoodpumpkinfest.com!

- Tali Hylen, guest blogger

Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood and his wife, Sarah, are holding the 6^th Annual Kerry Wood Strike Zone Celebrity Bowling Tournament. Over the years with this fundraiser, they have raised over 2 million dollars for children in and around the Chicagoland area!

There will be 24 corporate-sponsored teams along with a celebrity captain on each one. This event takes place on September 18^th at 10Pin and is hosted by Eric & Kathy of 101.9fm THE MIX. If you want to get involved with this fundraiser you can! There is a silent auction taking place right NOW and closes at 10pm on Saturday, September 17^th.  Online bidders will be represented by proxy at the event and notified about their winning bids. Definitely go take a look at what’s available- there are autographed baseballs, tickets to Saturday Night Live, and so much more!

The Wood Family Foundation is really dedicated to raising funds for children’s charities and causes, and overall just improving their lives. Take a look at what they do here www.WoodFamilyFoundation.org and for more information on the Celebrity Bowling Tournament!

- Rhea Drougas