We are now halfway through winter and I feel like we haven’t been outside in ages. The kids could definitely use some fresh air, however, it’s too cold to be out there for me! Last Friday, though, I decided it was time to bundle up and spend some time outdoors at Frosty Fest which is held outside of Viking School in Gurnee…luckily it was a milder night!

I was surprised at the turn-out, there were a lot more people there than I anticipated. Right as we walked into the area where the festivities were being held, a horse drawn sleigh went by us which was all it took to get my family excited. There was a long line for the sleigh ride, so we decided to check out some of the other activities.

We started out roasting marsh mellows over a fire pit and then watched a professional carve a big block of ice into a horse. I never gave much thought to how that is done – they use a chain saw to carve out the design, it’s really neat. They had several other ice sculptures around this area as well. After that we checked out a big group of people participating in a snow man building contest, everyone seemed like they were having a great time.

By this point we were getting pretty chilly so we went inside Viking Dance Hall where the junior high band was performing (they are VERY good by the way) and they had hot cocoa and animal crackers for the kids. They also had some crafts set-up for the kids to work on. We thawed out for awhile and then headed back outside to see the snow sled dogs. There were a lot of dogs there and many were up for adoption. They had a dog sled all set-up and in motion. It was fun to watch. Those dogs are amazing.

We ended our night with a sleigh ride. This was the highlight of the night for us. They had three sleighs going so the line moved quickly and the ride was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed ourselves and ran into several people we knew which was fun too. It was nice to actually enjoy the winter weather a little for a change!

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This past Sunday my family and I decided that instead of watching the NFL playoffs at home, we should go out somewhere new. I picked Bill’s Pub North because we all had a taste for pizza and we have never been there before. It is located right off of Washington Street in Grayslake, right by the College of Lake County. So it is really easy to get to.


Bill’s Pub North is a great pick for a place to watch different games. The dining area is all open so you can see the score from almost every seat in the restaurant. The atmosphere is really relaxed, so it wasn’t too loud. It is nice to still be able to have a conversation during the playoffs without having to yell across your table.


When the hostess seats you, she gives you your menus and a basket of peanuts. After you eat the peanuts you throw the shells on the floor. This really added to the great atmosphere of the restaurant.

Bill’s Pub North has a variety of items on their menu, but it is also nice and compact. It doesn’t take forever to decide what you want to order. If there are a ton of picky eaters, like in my family, you can always split the pizza toppings in half.


We ate so much pizza that we didn’t have enough room for dessert. Next time we go we have to save room because their chocolate chip cookie sundae sounded amazing!

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My friends and I are always looking for a place to go that is close to home and that has great drink and food specials. Anastasia’s Restaurant Sports Lounge North is the perfect place to meet with friends to hang out or to watch sports. It is located off of Lake Street in Downtown Antioch so it is very easy to get to.

At Anastasia’s Restaurant, all of their prices are very reasonable. My friends like to go on Thursdays for the all you can eat pizza for only $4.95. There are good drink specials that day too, so it ends up being a very cheap night out.

The servers and bartenders are always in a good mood, and they do everything they can to make sure that your experience there is a good one. I have not been to their other location in Waukegan, but I am sure the restaurant is great too.

The atmosphere at Anastasia’s is nice because it isn’t too dark or noisy so it is a perfect place to go to with friends. If you do go alone, there are always people at the bar that are probably watching the same game and rooting for the same team as you are.

I would say that the best time to go is in the summer. Wintertime is good because there are so many games on, but the summertime is great because Anastasia’s has outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is nice because they have a server that goes outside and it is accommodating when you are with a large group.

I am looking forward to this summer and spending time at both Anastasia’s and shopping in the historical downtown Antioch!

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This year, like every year I did most of my Christmas shopping at Gurnee Mills. It is the perfect place to get your shopping done for everyone. There are stores that even your strangest relative would want a gift from.
Most of Gurnee Mills’ stores are outlets, which is perfect when you are looking for deals. The best is when the outlets even have sales, which most of them do. I went shopping there on Black Friday, and I do have to say that it was not even necessary. Most of the stores in the mall have the same if not better deals all month long.

This year I felt like Gurnee Mills was definitely ready for the holiday rush. All of the stores that I went to had plenty of people working the registers and enough people there to help you find what you need. That is so helpful, you can go into the store that what you want and move on to the next store without any hassle.Aside from Christmas shopping, another great deal time is the week after. All of the stores have their spring stuff out, so all of their winter clothes are so cheap! Gurnee Mill’s keeps adding stores to keep up with what their customers want, and I know for me, they are definitely making their customers happy! Keep the shopping coming!

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