Can a change of season provide the inspiration for a change of style?

The stereotypes regarding men and shopping for clothes are as old and worn-out as the frayed jeans and ill-fitting sweatshirts that are starting to once again emerge from closets and dresser drawers as the weather begins to turn. In other words, many of the assumptions and generalities are, …

Our Kids: Paige Guiden, 17, moves from an exciting summer to a busy senior year

Some college applicants find it difficult to piece together a truly thorough and diverse academic and extracurricular resume, but Whiting High School senior Paige Guiden may instead have trouble narrowing her astounding range of experiences to fit within the limited space at hand.

Our Kids: Miah Bruns, 9, is bouncing her way to the top

While plenty of young children spent part of this past summer watching the London Olympics and dreaming of competing in one of the many exciting events someday, Miah Bruns was already living a version of that dream.

Our Kids: Attia Gray, 15, spends summer studying marine life

With all due respect to the actual parameters of the potential assignment, Hammond Academy of Science and Technology sophomore Attia Gray can probably wrap up one of those tried-and-true “What I Did On My Summer Vacation” essays with just one simple word: water.

Our Kids: David King, 17, has political ambition

Even the most conscientious and civic-minded among us tend to get political fatigue over the course of an election year like this one. But David King isn’t most people.

GRandJazzFest celebrates maiden voyage in the heart of the city

Whatever their size, genre or inclination, music festivals like to lean on their histories. With a quick “XXth Annual” tacked in front of their names, they instantly exude historical credibility and a track record of past success that can be helpful in drawing new attendees who prefer some g…

Build your own itinerary for the 34th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival

While the Chicago Jazz Festival’s abundance of free live music over Labor Day weekend means that almost everyone is sure to find something they like, picking out exactly which sets to catch from among the dozens of performers spread across multiple stages each day and evening can be a diffic…

Hessville father, mother and son celebrate their college graduations

The Ploense family of Hessville has always been a tight-knit group, but even they hadn’t planned to take it to this degree — make that these degrees. Thanks in equal parts to sheer scheduling coincidence and pure academic happenstance, dad Carl, mom Vivian and son Steven all wrapped up their…

Last Resort: A killer app and some angry, angry birds

Being the perpetually behind-the-times digital Luddite that I am, I only recently became fully aware of the mindless phenomenon that has been enveloping the mobile gaming world for quite some time now. I'm speaking, of course, of Angry Birds, the time-wasting yet highly entertaining smartpho…

Manicuriosity: Who says a day at the spa is just for the ladies?

It may not have been as blatantly obvious as a doorbuster shoe sale at the mall or the opening weekend of a Nicholas Sparks movie, but somewhere along the line the notion of a day at the spa became inextricably cast as a distinctly female pursuit.

The livin' is easy—A summer jazz playlist

Nothing goes better with a bonfire on the shoreline, an evening on the back patio or a relaxing top-down drive to no place in particular than a good soundtrack. But if the nostalgic rapping of Will Smith, the sun-and-sand harmonies of the Beach Boys or the boozy anthems of Jimmy Buffett are …

Isa Ballarini and Emmi Doty are fledgling philanthropists

The lemonade stand may be a staple of childhood summers, but two young friends in St. John are doing more than just turning lemons into lemonade — they’re turning lemonade into a little bit of joy for some local pediatric patients.

Illiana Garden Pond Society hosts upcoming Waterscape Weekend

For all of the high-end accoutrements and little extravagances that have worked their way into everyday home landscaping discussions in recent years — from simple fire pits to elaborate outdoor kitchens — water features such as fountains and ponds still meet with a fair amount of skepticism …

12th Annual Antiques & Garden Fair in bloom this weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden

While garden and plant shows are a dime a dozen at this time of the year, the Antiques & Garden Fair sets itself slightly apart by appealing to both gardening and antiquing enthusiasts with a wide array of vendors and displays.

Illiana Garden Pond Society hosts an upcoming Waterscape Weekend at Lake County Fairgrounds

For the 11th consecutive year, prospective pond owners will discover what's new and noteworthy in water features at the expo, designed to showcase the many ways water can work its magic in a variety of garden settings.

Blooming interest: the 12th Annual Antiques & Garden Fair at the Chicago Botanic Garden

If you looked around the neighborhood a few weeks back during our unsettling but glorious mid-March warm spell, you likely saw a number of eager homeowners ignoring the odds and taking advantage of a rare meteorological happenstance to get out in the yard and start exercising their cabin fev…

Ellis Marsalis headlines Valparaiso University's annual jazz fest

Most casual music lovers probably recognize pianist Ellis Marsalis most for his role as patriarch of one of the most prolific musical families in American history.

Swing daddy: Ellis Marsalis headlines Valparaiso University's annual jazz fest

Most casual music lovers probably recognize Ellis Marsalis not so much for his deeply swinging feel at the piano or the long list of accomplished jazz musicians who have learned under his tutelage (including trumpeter Nicholas Payton and singer/pianist Harry Connick Jr.), but more for his ro…

South Shore Arts' 'everykid' program continues to grow

Launched in 1995 as an after-school scholarship class for 30 fourth graders, the program of art classes and activities has grown over the past two decades, serving more than 20,000 area students in the last year alone.

Filling the gap: South Shore Arts' everykid program continues to grow

Pay attention to the news and it seems almost inevitable these days. Whenever a local school district finally decides that it simply can no longer balance the budget and painful cuts need to be made, those cuts almost always seem to target art and music programs first. Whether this is due to…

Sao Bend: The warm breeze of the bossa nova blows into Northern Indiana

Bundled-up Midwesterners can take comfort in the musical equivalent of a one-night heat wave when singer Luciana Souza brings her Brazilian-inspired repertoire to chilly Notre Dame.

INTERVIEW: Paul Stermer of Fair Food Matters shares his origin story

For many people, confirming that the food on their plates didn't come from the dreaded "back of the fridge" is enough to satisfy any curiosity or concern about its origin. But the organization Fair Food Matters (fairfoodmatters.org) believes that the question of where our food comes from and…

Sao Bend: The warm breeze of the bossa nova blows into Northern Indiana

While actual meteorological warmth may yet be a few weeks (or, gulp, months) off, bundled-up Midwesterners can at least take comfort in the musical equivalent of a one-night heat wave when singer Luciana Souza brings her Brazilian-inspired repertoire to chilly Notre Dame. A product of the "s…

Dyer's Matthew Keilman is a leader on the field and in school

Matthew Keilman has found that helping other clubs and groups with their fundraising and organizing activities has come as something of a natural extension of his personality.

Shaunie Beasley, 14, keeps a busy schedule in perfect harmony

Homewood-Flossmoor High School freshman Shaunie Beasley can't recall what exactly about the violin drew her in when she first took to it in the fourth grade.

Dyer's Matthew Keilman, 18, is a leader on the field and in school

Matthew Keilman has found that being a member of the Senior Leadership Class at Mount Carmel High School is a lot more challenging than he expected. But it turns out that helping other clubs and groups throughout the school with their fundraising and organizing activities has come as somethi…

Shaunie Beasley, 14, keeps a busy schedule in perfect harmony

Homewood-Flossmoor High School freshman Shaunie Beasley can't recall what exactly about the violin drew her in when she first took to it in the fourth grade. But given the focus and determination she's demonstrated in becoming so proficient a musician, athlete and student in the intervening …

Award-winning effort: local teen demonstrates 'Power of Children'

For Munster High School sophomore Jill Osterhus, a family vacation to Jamaica a few years back meant stumbling upon a whole new calling in her young life.

Award-winning effort: local teen demonstrates 'Power of Children'

When most Americans head down to Jamaica, the idea is to escape the responsibilities and concerns of the "real world" for a while. But for Munster High School sophomore Jill Osterhus, a family vacation to the popular resort island a few years back meant stumbling upon a whole new calling in …

The Cooperative Special Recreation Initiative offers opportunities for individuals with special needs

CSRI aims to provide at least one activity or outing every month for individuals with special needs and their families. The idea is for each member town to offer what it can in terms of support or facilities, with the goal of ending up with a diverse array of opportunities.

Exotic orchid inspires respect and devotion of growers

They come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but their experiences are eerily similar. They start out simply as amateur gardeners or flower enthusiasts -- some on the lookout for something new, others just kind of minding their own business -- but once exposed, nothing i…

Children's theater productions take center stage

With all due respect to the fine slate of offerings geared toward the elementary set down at the local multiplex on any given weekend, most parents can probably agree that children's movies are more or less just glorified cartoons -- television writ large, albeit with a side of hot buttery popcorn.

Children's theater productions take center stage

Movie theaters aren't the only exposure to the arts available for kids as more and more theaters add live plays and musicals aimed at young patrons.

Imperial Flavor: New exhibit unveiled at Heritage Museum

If one were to run across, say, a saber-toothed tiger roaming the quaint towns of Southwest Michigan these days, it's probably fair to assume that the encounter would draw more intense local interest than your average stray cat sighting. Suffice it to say that the staff at the Heritage Museu…

Grappling with grief: what to do when children are affected by loss

Like serious illness, the grieving process is one of those necessary elements of human life that nevertheless feels completely wrong and out of place when visited upon a child.

Seeing the spectrum: Increasing autism awareness in Northwest Indiana

In recent years, the drip-drop of autism news and diagnoses has developed into a strong and steady rain. Yet as more and more kids whose behavioral issues were previously marginalized as attention deficits or extreme flightiness get placed on the autism spectrum -- the wide range of diagnose…

The mission continues: Challenger Learning Center

While the end of the shuttle program was a bittersweet realization for the staff of Hammond's Challenger Learning Center, most see it not as the closing of a book but simply the turning of a page to a whole new chapter of space exploration.

Major fun: Try a minor league baseball game for an affordable family outing

From convenience to affordability to general fan-friendliness, minor league baseball such as a Gary SouthShore RailCats game at U.S. Steel Yard stadium is proving to be a major hit for many families.

Children's museums a great alternative for a rainy day

When conditions call for taking the party indoors this summer, consider it a great invitation to visit one of the fun, educational children's museums in the area.

Research shows laughter really is the best medicine

There's a growing sentiment among some medical and psychological professionals that the old saying "Laughter is the best medicine" may, in fact, be rooted in some scientific truth.

Estate planning is critical for parents of children with special needs

Despite incontrovertible evidence that good oral health can prevent a whole host of future problems, very few well-adjusted people in this world get excited about a trip to the dentist's chair -- discomfort, unease and potential pain being things that most of us would rather understandably a…

Have we reached the final chapter for the independent bookstore?

Scan the shelves of the business/finance section of your local independent bookstore and try to find a few how-to titles on opening and running your own independent bookstore. It's not as easy as it sounds.

What does Dad want this Father's Day?

No two dads are exactly alike, which means that even the standard gift-giving guides can offer only so much help. The best bet, then, is to get a few thoughts straight from the horse's mouth.

Planes, trains and automobiles: affordable family day trips

While scheduling conflicts and budgetary concerns may put the kibosh on that dream week at the beach this year, a good old-fashioned summertime day trip can be a great way to spend some quality time together without draining the college fund.

Learning enrichment for children during summer break

A three-month hiatus during the summer may be a great time for kids to swim and ride bikes and catch fireflies, but most of the time, this period also becomes an unfortunate interruption in the flow of education for many kids. Summer school classes through the local district are a perennial …

When it comes to grad parties, pay attention to the details

A graduation party can certainly be a lot like any other family-and-friends gathering, but just the right flourishes and thematic details can help make it something special for your outstanding grad.

Create a graduation party with class

It's graduation season: a time to reflect on years of hard work, listen to the thoughts and insights of exemplary students, and look ahead to a bright future. Most of all, though, it's simply a time to celebrate.

Fair Oaks Farms educates and entertains visitors

Fair Oaks Farms has been a full-scale dairy farming operation, with the herds of hard-working cows and prodigious output to prove it, since 1998. But with the addition of a Cheese Factory and Adventure Center, the farm now draws crowds of curious visitors that total close to 450,000 a year.

Special events at Fair Oaks Farms

Most visitors will find plenty to see and experience on a trip to Fair Oaks Farms with just the regular array of daily dairy doings. But the calendar also features a number of upcoming special events and attractions that might be worth seeking out.

The art of sand sculpting

For most adults, the concept of summer vacation is but a shadow of its former self. The cruelly brief five-day sojourns that working folk manage to carve out of their hectic schedules may indeed share a name with those long-ago three-month spans of blissful freedom and frivolity between acad…