Water Therapy: Fitness For Mind and Body

Paddling is often portrayed as a peaceful, serene activity, a means of relaxation and soaking in the natural beauty around us. Certainly, it can be that. What is missed or perhaps dismissed, by a big chunk of the fitness-chasing public, including a lot of gym rats, road warriors and trail fanatics: Paddling is a tremendous […]

by Pete Gauvin

Olympics Are Cancelled? No Problem.

No one knows when the next official Olympic games will take place. Originally scheduled to get underway in Tokyo, Japan this July, the absence of the competition this summer means it’s time to get creative. As various facilities, businesses and programs find their footing and re-open alongside government guidance, things will, by necessity, be notably […]

by Zack Ruskin

Front Porch Sessions: Snapshots During Our Stay-at-Home Order

When COVID-19 hit and the Illinois stay-at-home order was put in place, life was put on hold. Among the many industries that took a big hit, the wedding, event and photography industry saw their work for the foreseeable future essentially disappear overnight. But, as many of us have seen, a lot of good has come out […]

by Macaire Douglas

The Front Steps Project in Marin County

The Front Steps Project started the day shelter-in-place took effect in the Bay Area on the other side of the country, in Needham, Massachusetts. Boston photographer Cara Soulia and her friend Kristen Collins wanted to highlight the faces of their community during a time when they would otherwise not be seen — within 24 hours, […]

by Kasia Pawlowska

Got Quarantine Hair? Time for Some Pandemic Pampering

Some of our pressing concerns du jour — relating to job loss, mortgage or rent, and of course, health — are clearly important, but it doesn’t mean other less crucial mat- ters haven’t been keeping us up at night. We’re talking about the beauty stuff, or lack thereof. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that hair […]

by Kasia Pawlowska

Giving Birth in the Time of COVID-19

Pregnancy and birth are momentous for parents at any point in time, but having a baby in the middle of a pandemic presents its own unique set of circumstances and challenges. As Dr. Scott MacGregor, DO, an obstetrician specializing in high risk obstetrics at NorthShore University HealthSystem notes, “Not many people can say they were […]

by Shannan Younger

Better Together: Voices From the Community

At every turn, we tell ourselves 2020 can’t possibly get worse—and then it does. Before the pandemic, times already felt tough for so many families. COVID-19 has exacerbated their challenges, bringing widespread unemployment and food and shelter insecurity, and underscoring the inadequacies of our health care system. The most recent examples of police brutality have […]

by Susan Noyes