Party On!

Today was the last day of school for my children who will have the next few weeks off for the holidays. They celebrated with class concerts for us family members as they took on the likes of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," and other holiday classics. Now it's time to plan the many ways to keep the kids occupied until the school bell rings once again. When is that again?

I Vant Your Blood...

Giving blood is so simple and yet, so critical. We all need it and right now there are serious blood shortages. My dear friend Jennifer Naida has a background in the medical field and was asked to be part of a blood drive through Life Source. It was outside the Illinois Nut and Candy Company in Skokie which has amazing treats. And in spite of blizzard conditions, people came out and donated. You never know who you may touch as I was told my donation alone would help 6 others in need. So, this giving season, consider giving a little bit of you!

Good News!

Johnny's nursery school is always teaching the children to think outside themselves, which I LOVE. So today Johnny's pre-k class made cookies from scratch to then give to the Good News Mission in Chicago. Whether it is keeping them from eating the raw dough or keeping hands away from hot surfaces, it can be a tricky feat when you have more than a dozen 5 year olds "helping." But we all survived, safely!

Zipping, Tying and Gluing

This week several of us chaperoned the Miss Illinois USA and Miss Illinois Teen USA pageant. This was my second year, but for most of the others, they have chaperoned for years. It was a privilege to be part of a weekend of dreams. 200 young women from all over the state found themselves undergoing quick panel interviews and then on stage for swimsuits and gowns. There has to be something in the water because these ladies were stunning and sweet. And charitable! They brought over 700 coats that are now in missions around Chicago just in time for our winter weather. One contestant brought over a 100 coats! Even though Trump may want the focus purely on looks and sex appeal as we heard over the weekend, these girls have much, much more to offer and I hope they never negate that.
Congratulations to Miss Illinois 2011, Angie Sparrow and Miss Illinois Teen USA 2011, Paige Higgerson. We'll be watching for you at nationals!

1) With Jennifer Naida...Mrs. Illinois America 2010 and Mrs. Illinois International 2010. Yes, we are friends;)
2)Some of the teens lined up for opening number
3) The BEST chaperones ever!!
4)A few of the Miss
5)Load of coats

Community Baby Shower for MOD

In honor of Prematurity Awareness Day and Prematurity Awareness Month, the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter hosted a Community Baby Shower at Rush Medical Center and I was invited. After collecting baby clothing, toys and baby products for expectant families, the gathering of items was then distributed to organizations assisting low-income and/or high risk pregnant women in the Chicagoland area. Sorority, Zeta Phi Beta, organizes the Storks Nest which does just this for high school students. As sweet as it was to organize those itty bitty baby items and even buy a few for the day, it is also a reminder that many families find themselves grappling with the sudden arrival of a premature baby and all the complication that can bring.
The day was spent listening and learning from experts on advances concerning prematurity and meeting mothers who had survived a lifetime of heartbreak including one mom who had twins at 25 weeks. Seven weeks after their early arrival she lost her newborn son, but his twin sister is healthy and thriving today. And there are some advances on the horizon to help understand prematurity and ways to prevent it with even talk about pro biotic foods etc that may be more important than we realized.
When I went into preterm labor at 29 weeks, John and I were told very clearly of the issues at hand. But then we were very quickly we informed about brain bleeds, developmental delays etc, and we were told every week was so very important to our unborn child. So, we found ourselves heading to Prentice. There was nothing worse than being stuck in heavy traffic on the Ryan (construction) in absolute silence. We were very lucky with some extra time. My water broke at 37 weeks which is now considered late preterm.
But there are doctors out there who will induce labor for women before 39 weeks. Granted, our strong willed daughter does not stop talking/singing and has a fierce opinion about her clothes already, but that is not always the case for even babies born at 37 weeks. So the March of Dimes is working hard to encourage states and doctors to hold off until 39 weeks gestation unless medically necessary as it is still regularly done elsewhere. Let me tell you, my Gynie is AMAZING and is apparently even Oprah's Dr. Her practice will NOT induce until 39 weeks unless there is an amnio first. So to learn of women electing to have babies a few weeks early to get it over with already is...insane to me as I know we were freaking out a bit with Ali. Given family and friends have weathered MUCH more difficult situations, we were fortunate. So for that, I am eternally grateful and I am eternally hopeful for those we love and their children.

CASAblanca VII

It was an honor to serve as emcee for CASAblanca VII this year. As appointed court advocates for abused and neglected children, CASAs are the eyes and ears for the judges who must make tough decisions when it comes to where a child should live or not live. Although almost EVERY state gives millions of dollars a year to their CASA programs, Illinois DOES NOT. Yet, CASA programs save millions of dollars a year and they help take off just a little bit of the burden placed on social services. Most importantly, CASA's are there to always and only look out for the best interests of a child and make sure a child gets therapies, treatments and support. This is critical when you consider what some of these beautiful beings have already endured.

So! It was a humbling honor to emcee the event which raises much need money for these kids who deserve a chance to dream big and reach those dreams.

1)With Jeremy and singer Debra Romer who was a finalist on this past season of America's Got Talent. Both were children who grew up in foster care. Both have incredible stories of success.
2)The enormous ballroom as the gala got underway

Burrr!!!!

...and from Hoffman Estates to Burr Ridge. It was the annual Jingle Mingle parade and tree lighting. It is also a yearly tradition for Mrs. Illinois. This year, Miss Junior Teen Illinois All-American (and 2nd runner-up to Miss Junior All-American)Taylor Anne Marie Ignoffo was also part of the evening. There was a parade, tree lighting and story telling along with train rides and reindeer! I would have loved to stay for it all, but I had to be 45 minutes away to emcee the annual gala for CASA in Wheeling. Thank you to the Aceto's for arranging a Corvette for the night time parade and for braving the bitter cold. Thank you to Taylor for handling the night with such poise and polish.
1)With Marcie before the parade
2)With Taylor, Miss Junior Teen Illinois.

Wear What??

Today began in Hoffman Estates for the Barrington Junior Women's Club's Fall fundraiser. Former Mrs. Illinois contestant and 2009 runner-up, Darby Hill, was the event chair! I was asked to stroll the catwalk in fall fashions which apparently also includes some lycra courtesy of Lululemon. Now, I love Lululemon, but that was an extremely LONG runway to do in spandex and flats. But, all for a good cause. Darby, your event was a huge success and thank you to Tracey Tarantino of Zzazz Productions for including me.

A True Treasure

It's here!!! Each year, Mrs. Illinois is given a medallion necklace with the Mrs. America trademark on it. This has been a Mrs. Illinois tradition for 30 years and I am told Illinois is the only state allowed to do this. James and Williams designed a one-of-a-kind piece for me with diamonds and they even had hand made cut outs done on it. They really outdid themselves. They told me someone used very small tools for the carving of those letters! Bill, thank you again for your vision and your generosity as it is a true treasure.

Worth the Trip

This afternoon Marcie and Julie Aceto and I went to Worth, Illinois to the long standing boutique called, "That Girl." They are a sponsor of Mrs. Illinois and it was terrific being able to meet the owner, Ann. She has such a great selection of dresses for homecoming, prom and other such events in life.

Making the Holidays Merrier!

Here is a great way to spread some cheer AND help out Children's Memorial Hospital! You can order your Holiday cards, calendars, mugs and such through Children's and tinyprints.com and a portion of the proceeds will go to the hospital here in Chicago that creates miracles everyday for families in crisis.

Dream A Little Dream for St. Jude

St. Jude has done extraordinary work for children and their families for nearly 50 years. This afternoon was a testament of that. Some of the Mrs. Illinois America family gathers each year to attend the annual St. Jude luncheon in Chicago and it was sold out this year! More than 1300 people were a part of the fundraiser for the research hospital to help it treat, cure and prevent pediatric cancers and terminal diseases. I was asked to select and announce the winners of the grand raffle and found myself seated with Marlo Thomas. Her famous father,Danny Thomas, started St. Jude and is quite the star and author herself AND very funny!
We were also seated with the day's emcee Allison Rosatti from NBC5. Through my work in news, I had not met Allison as she is an anchor and therefore rarely outside the studio for stories, so it was about time we met in person! Just as I had been told before, she is a doll. We three had the good fortune to spend the afternoon with St. Jude Special Guest, Marget Graham. At only one year old, Marget was diagnosed with a rare inoperable neuroblastoma tumor which brought with it, only a 10% rate of survival. St. Jude stepped in and after a year of treatments, she was able to return home as the only survivor or her age group. Today, she is a mom to a little girl (who is PRECIOUS) and she has twins on the way this spring. And thanks to another 30 years of research, neuroblastoma now has a survival rate of 55% which is a big improvement.
It was a wonderful and inspiring afternoon. Thank you St. Jude for asking me to be a part of it!
1)Aren't they adorable?
2)The ballroom
3)Love her skirt!
4)with Marlo Thomas and Allison
5)Marcie Aceto, Julie Aceto, me, Michele Barber (Mrs. IL '03),Krista Cline,and Karen Lea Cline (Mrs. IL '98)
6)With newly re-elected Secretary of State, Jesse White

Walking and Talking

This morning I was part of a walk in Libertyville for breast cancer through the American Cancer Association. I, along with about 40 others, were part of the team, "Walking For the Girls." There were well over a thousand of us who walked five miles and raised more than a hundred-thousand dollars!! A shout out to Maureen Quaid. She has done both the Komen and Avon walks for more than a decade and has raised well over a 200-thousand dollars. She was the captain and organizer for our team and as a 4-year breast cancer survivor, she is always an inspiration with such positive energy.
1)Team "Walking for the Girls."
2)Maureen and Jill
3)Some of us on the journey

Falling Into Fashion

Today I found myself walking a very long runway with T's at both ends in an enormous room filled with hundreds of women...AND with some very tall and very slender women who really know how to strut their stuff. They were so kind in giving me tips on how to work it, or attmept to. We were in Lombard at The Carlisle for an afternoon of fall fashion and fundraising through the Holy Apostles Philoptochos which exemplifies the true spirit of philanthropy. The annual benefit helps the degenerative neurological disorder called Batten Disease which affects children and young adults. It reminds me of a darling little girl in Indianapolis named Emily who lived such a beautiful and impactful life with Batten. Her parents have done everything they can to combat the disease and gave her every shot of living her life to the fullest. I had the chance to see her on stage as the ballerina she wanted to become someday. Thank you to Julie and Marcie for being there and Happy Birthday Marcie!

Thank you to Tracey Tarantino who organizes some of the biggest fashion shows around the Chicago area. She has also been a great friend of the Mrs. Illinois America family!

Celebrating Years of Hard Work in Elgin

My husband and I spent the evening in Elgin at the Grand Victoria Casino. I was honored to emcee a night which celebrated the hard work of people and businesses that are a part of revitalizing Elgin's downtown neighborhood. You always hear about the spirit of communities, but rarely do you have the chance to experience it. The people of Elgin really do support their city and work diligently to keep Elgin progressing. Elgin has recently been in the midst of a rebirth and with the grants and the efforts of Elgin residents and businesses, it is coming alive again. The DNA President Tom Brockner and his wife were lovely as was the DNA Executive Director Tonya Hudson. And of course I must give a huge thank you to Promotions Coordinator, Jason Pawlowski, for inviting me to be a part of the 1940's gala.
1)Jason Pawlowski and super cute cigarette girls who sold raffle tickets
2)talking with some of Elgin's finest
3)And the award goes to...

Surprise!!!

We flew to my parents' home in Arkansas as a surprise for my dad's 65th birthday. It was a great weekend spent with them and the kids had a great time exploring the yard and house. I swear, Johnny and Ali have never slept so well and I am sure Grandma Nana and Papa (and Duffy the dog) have never slept so well after we had gone. Happy Birthday Dad. We miss you all!

Shopping with Purpose

Today we spent time at Lord and Taylor in Oakbrook for a day of FUN-raising. Shoppers were armed with special coupon books and there were also some really great sales offered to those who came to cash in on the day of deals. At the end of the day,wracking up all those charges paid off for local charities. Julie and Marcie Aceto were with me and Joe even stopped by for a bit. Julie is like the ambassador there as she knows just about everyone! After meeting some really great people, we headed off for an early dinner together.

Fall Has Arrived

As the leaves fall, there is alot of cleaning out the closets here. Seems as if my children were busy playing and growing this summer as nothing fits. So, seven bags of clothes later, we were ready to make a trip to the YWCA and their shelter for women and children. It was also time to go find Ali her first ballet wear. The store was directly under the apartment where my husband once lived as a single bachelor fresh from law school! How strange to think years later, his baby girl would be back there getting ready for dance class.

An Invite for a Great Night

Friday, October 01, 2010
Deadline to RSVP for 2010 DNA Awards Gala Extended

Last call!

If you have not yet submitted your RSVP for the 2010 Downtown Neighborhood Association Awards Gala - Presented by TranSystems, JCT Services, Inc. and Landmark Contractors, Inc., please do so now! Deadline to submit your RSVP or remit payment has been extended to Friday, October 8.

Individual tickets are $60 each ($50 for current DNA members) and sponsored tables of 8 are $600 each ($500 for current DNA members).

CLICK HERE TO RSVP > > >

It's going to be the Cat's Meow!

Please join us for a hotsy-totsy night on the town at the Downtown Neighborhood Association's Awards Gala on Thursday, October 14 from 6-9 PM at the Grand Victoria Casino at 250 S. Grove Avenue in downtown Elgin.

In typical DNA fashion, we will be celebrating in style with a 1940's-themed night of fun, festivities and fundraising. There will be a live jazz band, ballroom dancers, cocktail dresses (and cocktails), black ties, awards, accolades, an art gallery, and after-parties in downtown. Cocktail dresses and tuxedos are encouraged, and the best-dressed 1940's guy and gal will be rewarded.

Speaking of style, the DNA is also pleased to announce that our Special Guest Emcee for the Gala is Mrs. Illinois America 2010 Amy Gregorio.




Amy was crowned Mrs. Illinois America this past July. She recently returned from Tuscon, Arizona where she competed at the 2010 Mrs. America Pageant and finished 2nd runner up.

An Emmy nominated TV journalist, professionally known as “AJ Sterling”, she was voted ”Best Reporter,” by the Associated Press. Her stories have appeared on CBS, CNN, and Fox while working in Nashville, Indianapolis and Chicago. She has been honored to meet four US Presidents and a multitude of other leaders while reporting on many historical events.

Covering Super Bowls, riots and flying with the Red Barons have been good practice for life as a mom. She and her husband, John, have a 4 1/2 year old son and a 2-year-old daughter and live in Northfield with their cat Mac. When not running after the kids, she runs for charity and climbs Chicago ’s tallest buildings. Amy is also a court appointed child advocate for abused and neglected children through CASA and involved with other child-centered organizations

Photo Scavenger Hunt Contest

Join in the photo scavenger hunt contest for Save Abandoned Babies Foundation of Illinois
October 1 – November 30, 2010

Contest participants will take a photograph of a Safe Haven sign already in place at a hospital, fire or police station. The picture may include multiple people, and/or appropriate costumes and props. Pictures will be uploaded to the Save Abandoned Babies Facebook page.
Five winners will be selected based on effort, creativity, and the number of “like” votes the photo receives on Facebook. Each winner will receive $100. Interpretation of the contest rules and the final determination of winners remains the sole discretion of the Foundation. Winners will be notified by December 15th, 2010.


Entries must be submitted to: photocontest@SaveAbandonedBabies.org

For more information, visit: www.SaveAbandonedBabies.org

www.facebook.com/SaveAbandonedBabies


Tell a friend. Talk about it. You might save a life.