April 27th is Love Thy Neighborday and I am totally celebrating it!

This will shock you - according to Pew Research the average American moves 11.7 times in a lifetime. Turns out I am NOT the only gypsy out there! I'm normal! But it also turns out I don't know my neighbors very well or very much. Although I do know at least nine families around our area, I should know more and that's why I am celebrating Love Thy Neighborday on April 27th.

Here's what I learned reading the Life Edited newsletter today:

The average American moves 11.7 times in a lifetime. One out of six Americans move once a year. This high mobility may have turned the institution of neighborly relationships from marriage to long-term dating or even brief fling. This situation was verified by a Pew Study that found fewer than half of Americans know most or all of their neighbors.

Neighbors are good (at least the ones that don’t blast music at 2am). They feed our cats, lend us ladders and cups of sugar and provide easy companionship. A strong tie with a neighbor is worth 1000 Facebook friends on the black market. But it’s tough to love our neighbors when we don’t even know them.

And you can actually, officially, sign up and celebrate the day in style at http://www.good.is/neighboring or you can just wing it and talk to your neighbors.

So if you live by the Dempster Street CTA stop in Evanston, I look forward to meeting you on April 27th, neighbor!

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog devoted to covering my family's move from El Paso, TX, to Evanston, IL, in 2011. We arrived in June 2011 and several people have pointed out that I am no longer a "newbie" and should start some other blog. But I disagree and want to keep the "newbie" status for a while longer, maybe five years and for several reasons. #1 - there are many Evanston families who have lived here for generations since the town incorporated in the late 1800s, so in comparison to them, I am very much a "newbie". #2 - I firmly believe this blog is a good branding tool for the city of Evanston and it's the least I can do to thank our new town for being so AWESOME! If you have any questions or need to get in touch with my about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com.

Job Opening: Seasonal Farmers Market Assistant

From the City of Evanston website:

Job Opening: Seasonal Farmers Market Assistant

The Farmers’ Market Assistant is a seasonal position responsible for supporting operations of the Downtown Farmers’ Market. This position will last for approximately 29 weeks from May – November 2013, and requires a work schedule of every Saturday from 6:00 am to 1:30 pm and on Mondays from approximately 9 am to 4 pm. This position performs work under the direction of the Program Manager or designee. The Farmer’s Market Assistant is responsible for assisting the Farmers’ Market Manager in the following duties: ensuring that Market day activities are performed efficiently by monitoring vendors and their compliance with Market rules. Assist the Farmers’ Market Manager in the opening and closing of the weekly market, securing the facilities and the storing of all equipment. Maintain and distribute necessary supplies and materials to the market vendors. Assist Market Manager in addressing questions from vendors and citizens and resolving problems as they arise.

Click here to visit the City of Evanston employment opportunities page for more info.

Save the Date: Evanston Children's Theatre presents "The Wizard of Oz" April 12-14

EVANSTON, IL - Evanston Children's Theatre will present "The Wizard of Oz" at the Levy Senior Center the weekend of April 12-14. Performers age 8 through eighth grade will share the story of little Dorothy Gale of Kansas, who dreams of what lies over the rainbow.

One day, a twister hits her farm and carries her away over the rainbow to another world. Come join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion and Toto as they travel the universe of Dorothy’s imagination.

Performances will take place Friday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, April 13 at 3:00 and 7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, April 14 at 3:00 p.m.

The Levy Senior Center is located at 300 Dodge Ave., Evanston. Tickets are $6 and may be purchased by phone at 847/448-8250, in person at the Levy Center and at the door.

Save the Date: Tuesday Toasters at Wine Styles on April 9

Friends, neighbors and Rotarians are invited to share a glass of wine, eat some cheese and enjoy some relaxation and conversation at the next Tuesday Toasters at WineStyles in downtown Evanston.

When: Tuesday, April 9, 5 - 7 p.m.
Where: WineStyles, 1741 Sherman Ave, Evanston
Cost: FREE

First two bottles are courtesy of Maggie & Dean Noonan of WineStyles. Rumor has it that Karen Kring will be the cheesemaster.

Tuesday Toasters are typically held monthly on the second Tuesday of each month at WineStyles. Consider marking your calendar for the rest of the year.

Save the Date: March 18 the Roadmap for the Arts to be Presented at City Council

The City of Evanston, the Evanston Community Foundation and the Evanston Arts Council have been collaborating since last year to gather public input on the arts in Evanston and to generate recommendations for policy, programs and infrastructure.

The collaboration is called “evanstARTs,” and more information on their efforts can be found at www.evanstARTs.org. The group aims to use these recommendations to foster a more dynamic and coordinated climate for the arts in Evanston for artists, the creative economy and the city’s residents.

This cross-community collaboration has generated many recommendations for a “roadmap” for the arts in Evanston. Their findings will be presented to the Evanston City Council at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 18 in Council Chambers, Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. The public is encouraged to attend this meeting. Those in attendance will get a free “evanstARTs” button.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Evanston Arts Council and an advocate for the arts. I also love dark chocolate.

Photos: Parmageddon 2013 at Whole Foods Evanston South

Sunday, March 10, 2013, I was one of the official witnesses (for the very first time) of a Guinness World Record competition - Whole Foods was going for the record of cutting the most Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rounds at once. Stores all over the United States participated in the contest and Whole Foods South in Evanston had Justus and Sam the cheese mongers compete against one another for fastest cut. You'll see in the photos below that the rounds were huge, weighing up to 80lbs. each and were tough to cut open. But these cheese mongers cut cheese very well, both quartering in under 10 minutes. As soon as the World Records results are in, I'll be in touch with news.

Thanks to the crew at Whole Foods Evanston for hosting such a fun event!

Click here for more information on the contest.

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog devoted to covering my family's move from El Paso, TX, to Evanston, IL, in 2011. We arrived in June 2011 and several people have pointed out that I am no longer a "newbie" and should start some other blog. But I disagree and want to keep the "newbie" status for a while longer, maybe five years and for several reasons. #1 - there are many Evanston families who have lived here for generations since the town incorporated in the late 1800s, so in comparison to them, I am very much a "newbie". #2 - I firmly believe this blog is a good branding tool for the city of Evanston and it's the least I can do to thank our new town for being so AWESOME! If you have any questions or need to get in touch with my about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com.

Backyard Birding: The birds are back in town!

Sitting on my back porch this weekend enjoying a cup of coffee I noticed a veritable cacophony of bird-related noise. Chirps, whistles, screeches and songs were all coming from the trees and with my naked eye, I spotted at least three different birds only recognizing grackles and cardinals. My binoculars and bird guide have been missing since last spring and I've got to dig them out so I can get back to backyard birding, one of my favorite spring activities in Evanston.

So that I know what to look for, I asked the experts at the Evanston North Shore Bird Club what birds are in town this time of year and am sharing the list so you too can get birding. Thank you Jennifer Schmidt for the list.

These days I'm seeing Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinches, American Robins, House Finches, Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, the occasional Cooper's Hawk and of course House Sparrows. The Red-breasted Nuthatches that were here the past few months seem to have moved on. Expecting more sparrows soon - Fox, Swamp, Song, White-throated - early warblers coming in April. - Jennifer Schmidt

If you happen to see any of theses birds, can you send an image to thelisadshow@gmail.com so that I can create a slide show and share the images with readers, I will totally give you credit. Thanks and visit Evanston North Shore Bird Club at www.ensbc.org for fun birding field trips and facts.

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog devoted to covering my family's move from El Paso, TX, to Evanston, IL, in 2011. We arrived in June 2011 and several people have pointed out that I am no longer a "newbie" and should start some other blog. But I disagree and want to keep the "newbie" status for a while longer, maybe five years and for several reasons. #1 - there are many Evanston families who have lived here for generations since the town incorporated in the late 1800s, so in comparison to them, I am very much a "newbie". #2 - I firmly believe this blog is a good branding tool for the city of Evanston and it's the least I can do to thank our new town for being so AWESOME! If you have any questions or need to get in touch with my about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com.

This Weekend: Whole Foods attempts to regain Parm Crack Guinness World Records® Title

This Saturday at all Whole Foods Market locations worldwide – they are try to break the Guinness World Record for number of wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cracked at one time. The record is 378. Whole Foods previously set the record in 2008 and needs to reclaim the title! The event is at 2 pm. CST, and Whole Foods will offering free samples direct from the wheel, along with wine and probably beer, too.

There is also an Instagram contest: WF will provide a $250 gift card to one winner, selected at random, from the pictures posted on Instagram from the event identified with #parmcrack.

Of course I'll be there taking photos and eating parm from a freshly cracked wheel. And if I can pull it off, my children might even MC the countdown and be a part of setting a world record. Stop by and below is the official press release with more background.

From Whole Foods:

Cheese of thrones: Whole Foods Market® attempting to wheel home Parmigiano Reggiano Guinness World Records® Title Grocer aims to crack 500 wheels of the “king of cheese” simultaneously at live, in-store events

AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 19, 2013) – In its fifth year of celebrating Parmigiano Reggiano, Whole Foods Market will “crack away” in order to take back the crown for the largest number of wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano simultaneously cracked. The organic and natural foods grocer previously set the record in 2008 and will sharpen its knives to attempt it again on March 9 at 2 p.m. CST.

“Whole Foods Market welcomes the opportunity to win this honor once again. For years, our shoppers have trusted us to provide the highest quality Parmigiano Reggiano on the market, and through the strong relationships we have with Italy’s best producers, we have done just that,” said Cathy Strange, global cheese buyer for Whole Foods Market.

During the crack-off event in stores across North America and in the United Kingdom, shoppers can share their love of Parmigiano Reggiano for a chance to win big with an Instagram contest, Cheese lovers attending any one of the events are invited to simply share a photo tagged with #parmcrack on March 9, for a chance to win a $250 gift card to Whole Foods Market.

Whole Foods Market is also hosting a “Parmigiano Reggiano Palate Blogger Challenge.” Bloggers are invited to share personal stories about how their palates have evolved over time and how Parmigiano Reggiano was a part of that transformation. They are invited to share a recipe featuring Parmigiano Reggiano that showcases their culinary talents. The winner will receive a trip for two to New York City to attend an exclusive cheese and wine media event on May 15, 2013. Details are available here: http://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/press/join-whole-foods-market-in-a-guinness-world-record-attempt-and-celebrate-pa.

Whole Foods Market’s cheese buyers travel to Italy’s Parma region to visit authentic producers and select wheels based on the highest quality flavor profile. Those wheels are then carefully aged 24 months to achieve the toasted, salty and nutty flavor and subtle crystal-like texture Whole Foods Market shoppers crave.

To learn more about Whole Foods Market’s Parmigiano Reggiano and the cracking events at its stores, visit wholefoodsmarket.com/department/cheese. For recipes and hi-res images, visit http://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/press/join-whole-foods-market-in-a-guinness-world-record-attempt-and-celebrate-pa.

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog devoted to covering my family's move from El Paso, TX, to Evanston, IL, in 2011. We arrived in June 2011 and several people have pointed out that I am no longer a "newbie" and should start some other blog. But I disagree and want to keep the "newbie" status for a while longer, maybe five years and for several reasons. #1 - there are many Evanston families who have lived here for generations since the town incorporated in the late 1800s, so in comparison to them, I am very much a "newbie". #2 - I firmly believe this blog is a good branding tool for the city of Evanston and it's the least I can do to thank our new town for being so AWESOME! If you have any questions or need to get in touch with my about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com.

Help Evanston Reach 150,000 Volunteer Hours in 2013

From cityofevanston.org

2013 marks the 150th anniversary of Evanston’s founding. In honor of Evanston's legacy of civic engagement, Volunteer Evanston encourages community members to celebrate by taking a pledge to help meet the community's goal of reaching 150,000 volunteer hours in 2013.

The City of Evanston and several community partner organizations have teamed up to kick off Evanston's 150th anniversary year and unveil the yearlong theme of “Volunteer. Celebrate. Engage.” at community events taking place during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday weekend, January 19-21. Participating community partner organizations include Music Institute of Chicago, Northwestern University, Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.) and YWCA Evanston/North Shore.

Evanston is a community which is rich with a vast network of non-profit organizations and residents with the true spirit of volunteerism. Volunteer Evanston wants to capitalize on that spirit during this milestone anniversary to give back to the community 150,000 hours of volunteerism. People who live, work, or study in Evanston are invited to take a pledge to help meet the community's goal.

Volunteers can can participate by creating an organization or individual volunteer profile at www.volunteerevanston.com.

Volunteer Evanston is a collaborative effort with the City of Evanston, Northwestern University, Evanston Community Foundation, School District 202 and School District 65. It strives to promote and support community services and programs through volunteerism community-wide. The mission of Volunteer Evanston is to connect volunteers to opportunities in Evanston and assist local organizations that serve the Evanston community.

Volunteer today at http://www.volunteerevanston.com/

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog devoted to covering my family's move from El Paso, TX, to Evanston, IL, in 2011. We arrived in June 2011 and several people have pointed out that I am no longer a "newbie" and should start some other blog. But I disagree and want to keep the "newbie" status for a while longer, maybe five years and for several reasons. #1 - there are many Evanston families who have lived here for generations since the town incorporated in the late 1800s, so in comparison to them, I am very much a "newbie". #2 - I firmly believe this blog is a good branding tool for the city of Evanston and it's the least I can do to thank our new town for being so AWESOME! If you have any questions or need to get in touch with my about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com.