Not a day goes by where I don't see a Buffalo Grove Bills sticker on a car. They're everywhere. After speaking with Buffalo Grove resident Annette Wax, general manager and concessions director for the youth football program, I can see why. First of all, there are 300 kids in the program, made up of 17 teams and two cheerleading squads. Every child who tries out for the Buffalo Grove Bills Football program will make a team based on weight, age and ability. Annette's two oldest sons, Taylor, 26, and Jonathan, 14, were both Bill's players. Her youngest son, Lucas, 12, is one of only three …

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to check out some of the kids at Stevenson High School who were in rock bands. I was in awe at the talent that these kids possessed. I wondered if any of them would end up with a full-time music career or if this was a passing phase to fulfill their inner "rock star" dreams. Brian Swislow, a 1988 Stevenson High School alumnus, is living his dream. He was in a rock band called Reliance during his years at Stevenson. He also played in the school marching band as a drummer. Now, as an adult, he lives in Humboldt County, California, where he is a full-time …

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), current underage alcohol use among high school students has decreased from 50% to 42% in the past 10 years. I know a decrease is good, but still, I'm alarmed. In 2009, the CDC reported that 24% of high school students have had episodes of heavy or binge drinking. Most frightening however, is the 10% of kids that reported driving a vehicle when they had been drinking and the staggering 28% that were a passenger in a car driven by someone who had been drinking. Scary, right? Having a 16-year-old myself, I am overwhelmed with these numbers. Aren…

Most of us, I hope, have some type of interest or hobby. Whether its photography, knitting, fishing or gardening, it's comforting to have some type of outlet for your creativity, stress levels and sanity. For Ken Van Mersbergen, Stevenson High School computer technician, pinball is his passion. He owns four different pinball machines and loves the challenge of the game. He explains, "Each time you play the game, there is physics and skill involved so every game is different from the one before." The Pinball Expo, which is being held at the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling from Oct. 20-…

Yesterday, at Twin Groves Middle School in Buffalo Grove, a bee stung me. I've gone 42 years without meeting a bee up close and personal.  Not only was I stung on a cool September day, which is odd, but also I was stung through my pants, even odder.  Two things happened. First, I screamed, "Ow, ow, ow, I was just stung by a bee!" and not a person heard or reacted. One reason is that on one side of me sat a woman who has limited hearing in her right ear and second was the amount of cheering going on at the game. Sadly, I had no idea what to do. I panicked. I just kept saying, "a bee stung me" …

My daughter says her friends all have cell phones; they're in second grade. I feel like I'm the only mom who says NO. Do you give allowance? How much should I give? How often? My kids always bicker. How do you handle it? When did you sign up for kindergarten? What can I expect? My son wants a Facebook and I say he's not old enough. When is the right age? Luckily, District 96 has an amazing group called the Parent-to-Parent Network that can help you weigh any of the above questions and so many more. Monthly, they offer enticing programs that are current and pertinent to today's kids. Licensed …

It's high school football season and it's awesome. The weather hasn't turned ugly yet; the kids are still fired up and not completely buried in homework. Even better are the upcoming Homecoming games. Stevenson High School will take on Lake Forest High School on this Friday, September 24, followed by the dance on Saturday, September 25. Buffalo Grove High School will be matched against Hersey High School on Friday, October 1, with the dance to follow on October 2. Really though, I don't know much about football. What I do know about is what happens before these football games in preparation …

Gleeks everywhere united last night to watch and sing along to the season premier of Glee.  In case I've already lost you, Glee is a runaway hit on FOX TV that follows a group of high school kids who are all part of the school Glee Club/Show Choir. Of course, as with any good musical comedy-drama, this glee club is not popular even though there are some popular kids in it. Each group member is incredibly different from one another, which makes their love of show choir the glue that holds them together. The show has some Chicago roots as one of the writers, Ian Brennan, first conceived the …

Nutmeg, Toe Bash, Upper 90, Far Post and Sweeper are all terms you could possibly hear while shopping at Buffalo Grove's only specialty soccer store, Soccer Madness. In fact, it's the only specialty soccer store 15 miles in any direction. Lisa and Mike Mathis of Buffalo Grove say the impetus for the store was a "strong desire to do something they both had a passion for." With Lisa's background in retail management and Mike's love of sports, they took a leap of faith and opened Soccer Madness last January. Mike spent 23 years in the corporate world and found the timing perfect to open the …

There's Monday night football, Monday night carpools and now there's Monday night Manicures and Merlot at The Best Salon and Spa in Buffalo Grove. Owner Marilyn Wagner is hosting a "fun and fabulous evening to raise funds to help find a cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease." On Monday, October 4th, from 5-10 p.m., The Best Salon and Spa will be the place to enjoy spa services, good food and wine, boutique vendors, live music and raffle prizes.  All profits will be donated to the ALS Les Turner Foundation. ALS, also know as Lou Gehrig's Disease, has touched Marilyn's life directly as she has a good …

Saturday night was the traditional Breaking of the Fast, which ends the Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur. There are many symbolic meanings of the fast. It's not only the most solemn day of the year; it's also the most joyful as Jews have atoned and sealed their fate with G-d for a new year of life, good health and happiness. Fasting isn't easy. I know. I fasted from the time I was 13 until I was 19, when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I was excused from fasting from then on as health issues supersede the fast. I decided at that time that I would always host this traditional meal because I …

Stevenson High School was transformed into a giant carnival yesterday as the National Honor Society hosted an amazing fundraiser for the Saving Tiny Hearts Society. Some of the highlights of Spirit Fest included sack races, face painting, bozo bucket ball, ring toss, scavenger hunts, hula dancing, tiki-toss, henna tattoos, tug o' war games, slides, bungee racing and a Velcro wall. I met so many families with young children that came out to support Stevenson as well as Saving Tiny Hearts. The first people I encountered were Buffalo Grove residents Debra and Jason Kaplan who were there with …

Yesterday was the second soccer game of the week for the seventh- and eighth-graders who play interscholastic soccer. Six middle school teams from Buffalo Grove, Lincolnshire, Long Grove and Mundelein will compete against each other for the next eight weeks in co-ed soccer. I attended Thursday's game at Aptakisic Junior High in Buffalo Grove against Woodlawn Middle School from Long Grove. The cool breeze was a welcome addition for the kids as they ran, dribbled and kicked the ball. The parents, however, were wrapped in blankets to fight the cold air. At the game, I met Buffalo Grove residents…

There's no doubt about it, shoes are a good thing. Not only do they offer protection to your tootsies, but they keep your feet warm and dry. Even better, you can gain a size or drop ten pounds and still, your shoes will fit. A mother and daughter team, Christine and Alexandra Galanopoulos have created a warm and inviting shoe salon, Stiletto's, right here in Buffalo Grove.  Alexandra is a 2004 Stevenson graduate who then majored in Apparel Merchandising at Indiana University. She's been in retail since she was 16 and felt like this was the perfect time to open a store. Her mom was right on …

It's true. The students in the National Honor Society at Stevenson High School are smart. Not only do they have an almost perfect GPA, they also have to accrue leadership hours as well as community service hours. The other thing they do extremely well is host Spirit Fest. Spirit Fest is a day devoted to the families of District 125 in an effort to raise money for charity. This year the funds raised will go to the Saving Tiny Hearts Society, which donates 100 percent of its general donations to funding research on congenital heart defects. The founders of the group are Brian and Francie Paul. …

While driving on Buffalo Grove Road this week, I saw a boy about 10 years old with an outstretched arm, holding what looked like a radar gun. I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen him giving drivers a thumb up or down based on their speed. Certainly this isn't the typical way most kids spend an afternoon. I can barely get face time with my son on some days between homework, soccer and Xbox. So I imagined this boy to be the ultimate rule follower. In my mind he not only checks your speed, but also makes sure your recycling is done properly and of course, he's watching your water usage …

If you recall the star-studded hours spent watching the Jerry Lewis Telethon, you would've loved the program that aired on last Friday night called Stand up to Cancer. It featured an incredible array of Hollywood actors, comedians and music performers all helping to raise money for cancer research. Luckily, we have local heroes helping to raise money for cancer as well. Jeff Lipshultz, a 1985 Stevenson high school alumnus, is riding for a cause. An avid cyclist, Jeff, and a team of eight others, are bike riding across the country for the Livestrong Foundation. Livestrong is an organization …