Birthday parties, holiday gifts, goodie bag stuffers and just good old fashioned FUN is what's inside these "Party in a Tube" kits.

With J.C. Penney’s marketing homage to “The Breakfast Club” as it hawks its trendy back-to-school clothes to the Jonas Brothers singing the catchy “Hello, Goodbye” in Target commercials, stores are replacing lawn chairs and beach towels for notebooks and protractors. The changes are a less-than subtle signal that school is right around the corner.

Andrew James, a former Wilmette resident and North Shore Country Day School Graduate (1991) has returned from Seattle to serve 150 homeless people at the Good News Community Church with his parents, Thomas and Helene James, current Wilmette residents, and his siblings Stefan James and Heidi James Baravalle and their families, on August 1.

The summer months are a great time for picnics, so pack up some sandwiches, grab a blanket and cut open the watermelon. We at NeighborhoodCircle.com scoped out some of our favorite picnic spots in the North Shore and compiled a handy picnic guide.

Residents looking for entertainment this weekend don’t need to leave their furry friends out of the fun. The Wilmette Pet Center is transforming its parking lot into a barking lot pet-friendly fairground July 12 in celebration of Wilmette Pet Fest.

When it came to practicing her walk, Allie would not be moooooved. The little calf dug in her hooves while 13-year-old Cody Slivka and 9-year-old Cassidy Price pushed and pulled. Allie soon relented, allowing her young handlers to show her off to a small audience.