There’s nothing that can warm up a cold…
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3. Barrington EATS: A Raspberry Resolution
It’s our first Barrington EATS post of 2013…
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221. 10,000 Monthly Visits Surpassed at 365Barrington.com
We recently reached a big goal here at…
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173. Welcome the New Season with the Summer Wine Walk
We have a libation theme going this weekend with a number of beverage-centered specials and events taking place in Barrington. With the first day of summer only five days away, merchants downtown are getting a jump start on the season by hosting the first ever Summer Wine Walk, a compliment to the well-attended Winter Wine Walk they hosted in March.
The FREE event will be hosted by participating businesses surrounding Cook and Station Streets from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 16th. Each merchant will have a wine map for you to grab so you can see what’s available for sipping before you move on to your next destination. Participating merchants will be offering a total of 14 wines to sample along with appetizers from Cooper’s Pizza. And to add a little summer sizzle, Park Avenue Restaurant will feature live music with Brian Saltzman from 3 to 6 p.m.
More merchants have joined the downtown wine walk for tomorrow’s event. Here’s a look at who’s participating and what you will enjoy as you power your way through the town……

163. Barrington Pinners Talk Shop About Pinterest
A new social networking site has recently found its way into the hearts of Barrington business owners and individuals of all ages. Pinterest is now the third most popular social network on the web, behind Facebook and Twitter. That’s according to a 2012 digital marketing trend report recently released by marketing service Experian. If you spend time on social media sites, it’s hard not to notice that the popularity of Pinterest seems to be growing at warp-speed right here in Barrington.
Pinterest is a pinboard-style social photo sharing website that allows users to create theme-based image collections of favorite events, interests, hobbies and more. People use the tool to plan parties, save recipes and collect pictures of things like favorite books, hairstyles, fashions, home decor or ideas for crafts and other do-it-yourself projects.
We’ve hopped on board the Pinterest bandwagon here at 365Barrington.com. Every post we publish has a little “Pin-it” button by the title so you can add our images to your own Pinboards. If you’re new to Pinterest, please join us because we’re just getting started, too. You can find and follow our Pinterest pages at Pinterest.com/365Barrington and you’ll see all of our pins to date at Pinterest.com/365Barrington/pins.
We love Pinterest because the highly visual service is FREE, it’s easy to learn, the possibilities are endless and the Barrington business community is getting on board, big time. So we decided to catch up with five local Pinners to find out how they’re using this hot new tool……

149. Go the Distance with Mom this Mother’s Day
Flowers, shmowers! Instead of giving your mom that ‘same old’ spring bouquet this Mother’s Day, why not give her a pair of running shoes and a spot in this weekend’s Mother’s Day 5K Run/Walk ;). It’s happening Sunday morning on the streets of Barrington and it’s a fun experience you can share while helping a non-profit raise $8,000 for cancer research.
The Gateway for Cancer Research’s 3rd annual Mother’s Day 5k Run/Walk is expected to be even bigger than last year’s event. Gateway donates 99 cents of every dollar raised towards research for cancer cures, and they’re focusing Barrington’s May 13th event on raising funds specifically for breast cancer research.
The event will begin and end at 200 Spring Street in Barrington……

142. Don Your Derby Hat for Barrington Children’s Charities
Dust off your derby hats and spruce up your seersucker suits, Barrington Children’s Charities’ second annual Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby party is coming up this Saturday and we’re all invited. Barrington Hills resident and Children’s Charities founder, Darby Hills (seen here on left), says there are fun new details in store for this year’s festivities, thanks, in part, to Kathleen McLaughlin, the local event planner behind the party.
Kentucky Derby-style hats in all shapes and sizes will be a big part of the entertainment at this Saturday’s event, held to benefit Barrington Children’s Charities and the national Blessings in a Backpack campaign. All proceeds from this weekend’s party will directly benefit Barrington School District 220 families who are part of the free and reduced lunches program……

114. Share the Secret Password During “March for Meals”
Pssst! Did you hear about the secret password that you can use at several Barrington restaurants this month? If you use the password when placing your order, participating restaurants will make a donation to help fund two programs that feed senior citizens in the Barrington area. The password is “BACOA”. It stands for the Barrington Area Council on Aging and this is one case where you’ll pay it forward when you pass it on.
Each year in March, the Barrington Area Council on Aging partners with local restaurants to promote the March for Meals campaign. The initiative is sponsored by the Meals on Wheels Association of America and is a nationwide effort to raise awareness about senior hunger and nutrition programs for older adults. Did you know that, in 2011, volunteers from local churches and organizations delivered almost 3,600 meals to the homes of close to 50 senior citizens in Barrington? These are seniors who are unable to go grocery shopping or prepare meals on their own. These daily visits also serve as a well-being check, in the form of a friendly face and a hot noon meal five days a week.
“Sometimes it’s the only person they’ll see that day.” BACOA’s communication director, Sarah Hoban, says Meals with Wheels makes a big difference in many daily lives. “If seniors are home bound, if they have moved here to be with family, if their friends have moved away or are on assisted living or are no longer living, it’s very easy to become isolated and that’s not good for anybody.”
Bringing seniors together socially is the purpose of another popular BACOA meals program that happens each Monday at the Barrington Park District. Dozens of seniors meet weekly with friends for lunch, games and special presentations. 1,438 lunches were served to 85 people with BACOA’s Senior Lunch and Activity Program at the Park District in 2011.
Helping support these programs is as easy as choosing the right restaurant this month. Mention BACOA when you place your order on the following dates at these Barrington restaurants and they’ll make a donation to Barrington Area Council on Aging thanks to your purchase:…
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113. Visit Barrington’s Sunday Open Houses, March 11
If you’re up for checking out the Barrington homes for sale with scheduled open houses this Sunday, March 11th, I put together a list to make it easy for you. And if you’re not in the market for a new home, hopefully these weekly open house lists here at 365Barrington.com will help you get a feel for what’s for sale and where!
There are sixteen open houses scheduled in Barrington for Sunday, March 11. The open house times for each address vary, so the first list includes the properties based on the hours they’re open. Then, we have the good stuff, a full list of open houses with photos and links. If you click on the blue property addresseses, that’ll take you to the even more listing details and dozens more photos for each home……
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112. Spice It Up at the District 220 Chili & Music Fest
Looking for something to do for dinner TONIGHT?…
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108. See The Lorax to Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ 108th Birthday
Today is March second, you know what they…
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106. Say Hello Dolly
Students at Barrington High School will be singing…
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105. Warm Up at the Winter Wine Walk
Nothing takes the chill out of a cold…
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104. Help a Family with Wishes for Scarlett
In the weeks prior to this past Christmas, a fourth grade teacher at Hough Street Elementary School and a friend of mine here in Barrington, Rachel Sepe, sent an email requesting prayers for her eight-month-old daughter, Scarlett. The severity of Rachel’s email was startling. Because of a hand tremor present at birth and difficulties rolling and bearing weight on her feet, Scarlett’s doctors had ordered tests for a genetic disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. In that late November email, Rachel wrote,
“SMA is a terminal disease that causes muscles to deteriorate which eventually leads to respiratory failure. The life expectancy varies, but for a child Scarlett’s age who is already showing symptoms, it isn’t very long. As you can imagine, Mike and I are filled with fear and grief over the magnitude of what may lie ahead. We are asking everyone to please pray specifically that this test comes back negative.”
The waiting period for those test results was an excruciating two weeks. As we all hung ornaments and prepared for Santa’s arrival, the Sepe family mailed their annual holiday card and prayed for a miracle.
But on December 14, Rachel and Mike Sepe received the news they most feared. Scarlett has SMA, a disease for which there is no treatment or cure. Their smiley, bright eyed and perfectly beautiful baby girl faces a lifetime of physical challenges as the disease weakens the muscles she needs to crawl, walk, eat, swallow and breathe. I recently sat with Rachel on her family room couch and asked how she was doing. There was a long, silent pause before she wiped away tears and whispered, “There are no words.”
Since the diagnosis, Rachel and Mike have spent hours with Scarlett and specialists at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. They’re still adjusting to a new world of unknowns which includes medical tests, sleep studies and questions that can’t be answered. When will Scarlett’s more serious symptoms appear? Will they be able to protect her from common colds that could threaten her life? Will she have trouble breathing in the middle of the night?
And as the reality of Scarlett’s condition sinks in, there’s no quieting financial concerns about how they’ll afford all the needs that medical insurance may not cover. A child’s wheelchair alone can cost up to $40,000 and their car and home both need to be made accessible. It’s uncharted territory for any mom, let alone one who prides herself on being organized, in control and prepared for anything.
Two months after Scarelett’s diagnosis, Rachel has put her thoughts into words and is sharing her story publicly. This week, the Sepe family introduced a website at WishesForScarlett.com. It’s a way for them to explain the disease and let others know what’s happening with updates about Scarlett’s condition and the latest SMA research. I know it wasn’t easy to write, but I want to share a few excerpts here because you can’t help but be moved by the words Rachel shares about the experience and their wishes for Scarlett……
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103. Barrington Real Estate Market Checkup – FEB, 2012
Though winter won’t change to spring until March 20th, as Realtors in Barrington, it’s at exactly this time of year when we see the first signs of accelerating real estate activity and the unofficial start of the spring selling season. People who want to buy a home start contacting us for more info about available properties. People who want to sell a home call us for guidance about preparations, pricing, next steps and our recommendations for the best timing. One of the biggest things we’re hearing from sellers today sounds something like this:
“Because of the state of the economy, we’ve been sitting tight for a while now and waiting to sell our home. But we’d rather not wait any longer. Our needs have changed and we’re ready to make a move. So when is best time to put our home on the market? Should the For Sale sign go up now or should we wait?”
To answer this question, all we have to do is share the numbers in Barrington because our local real estate statistics speak volumes. To give you a quick overview of the data, here are a few simple visuals depicting some exciting new trends here in Barrington……
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