Happy Friday!
I feel like Fridays this summer have been coming fast and furious. Why does that only happen during sunny weeks in July and not the dreary ones in February?
One thing that has become painfully clear this summer is how close I am to having an empty house with grown-up kids doing grown-up things. The summer started off with a couple of weekends where Friday and Saturday nights would roll around and my husband and I were the only ones left at home with no plans. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and I made a bunch of reservations for four people at restaurants I’ve wanted to try over the next few months. It’s been so great to have plans, catch up with friends who we’ve been meaning to see forever, and try new places.
Last weekend, we went to the newly opened Jimoto in Winnetka and it was so much fun. While they have a bit of a limited menu, we had the most adorable waitress and you couldn’t beat the ambiance. The windows at the front of the restaurant opened completely to the outside, making us feel like we were dining al fresco on Oak Street. I ordered their haru poke bowl with tuna and it was super fresh and delicious.
After dinner, we made a trip to the Oberweis store in Glenview so I could try their Peanut Butter Sundae. Did you even know they had such a thing? This sundae is made with their signature chocolate peanut butter ice cream, topped with Reese’s peanut butter cup pieces and peanut butter sauce ,and served in a chocolate-dipped waffle bowl. I’m not going to lie. It was pretty awesome and I ate every last bite.
In addition to rediscovering how fun it is to have our own plans on the weekend, here are a few more favorite things from the last week.
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March Fourth: In case you missed it, the most incredible group of women rallied hundreds of people to join them in Washington DC on Wednesday to meet with legislators to influence changes to our current state and federal gun laws. In one week, this hard-working crew launched an incredible campaign that united survivors of the Highland Park and Uvalde shootings. I have learned so much this week, primarily that doing things like calling/emailing your state representatives makes an incredible difference. A week ago, there was a bill on the floor of the state legislature advocating for gun reform that had one sponsor. In less than a week, as a result of thousands of calls, 55 new sponsors have signed on, taking this bill much closer to implementation. There is so much strength in being an active member of our electorate. We have to be part of the change that we want to see. It takes effort, but not much time. There’s a newly formed chapter of the Moms Demand Action advocacy group for Lake Forest/Lake Bluff/North Chicago. Click here to join their facebook group. Additionally, as all of this all continues to unfold, my hope is to break it into bites that is easy to understand and act on. Stay tuned.
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A cute green dress: It was so fun to get dressed up for dinner last week. It was the perfect excuse to wear this darling dress from the Printfresh-Pencil & Paper collaboration. Printfresh has long been one of my favorite female-owned brands and I have several pairs of their pajamas. And now I have a dress made from the same soft material that feels like a nightgown, but is super polished (and has pockets!) for a night out. This dress is very roomy. I’m wearing a small, but think I could have gotten away with an extra small. Enter the code ANNMARIE at checkout for 15% off.
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“Queen of the Con”podcast: I was looking for a little distraction while I was out walking this week and stumbled across this “Queen of the Con” podcast. This podcast has two binge-worthy seasons of red flags, gullible friends, and unlikely sinister villains. Very fluffy listening if you need a break from the news.
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Beacon Place Walk With Your Neighbor Event: Beacon Place’s annual Walk With Your Neighbor is next Sunday, July 24. With everything in the news, I’m afraid their event hasn’t gotten the exposure it deserves. Beacon Place is a neighborhood community center in Waukegan with programs for children and families that focus on academic growth, improved health, and building the skills that individuals and families need to see their own path to a brighter tomorrow. I think the official deadline to register for next week’s event has closed, but you can still join in or help sponsor the event. Click here for details.
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Camp Hope is Back: After two years of hosting camp virtually due to Covid, Camp Hope will be live and back in person starting next week. Camp Hope is a five-day recreational and residential summer camp in the Chicago area for teenagers and young adults with developmental disabilities. There are still a number of openings for volunteers of all ages. This is an especially wonderful place for high school students (groups of friends) looking for service opportunities. If you or your son/daughter might be interested, please email me at annmarie@annmarieontheshore.com and I’ll put you in touch with those you need to speak with.
Thanks for hanging in there with this long post. I guess I had a lot to say!
As always, I’m here for you. Have a great weekend!
xo,
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