New Year, New You
Forego the usual resolutions and instead set realistic goals for improving diet, fitness and embracing a more healthy lifestyle.

By Denise Linke

Like many area residents, I wake up on Jan. 1 brimming with high hopes and plans for my New Year fitness program. Curled up in front of the TV in my robe and slippers, eating Christmas cookies and leftover mixed nuts for breakfast — hey, the holidays aren’t over yet! — I plan my new, failure-proof diet and exercise regimen while watching the Rose Parade floats pass by.

My intentions are sincere and for the first few weeks, I actually follow through on my plans to live a healthier lifestyle. But after several consecutive January days of dreary grey skies and icy temperatures, I slip right back into my old habits, indulging in favorite comfort foods and skipping my workout, rationalizing that I’m probably going to have to shovel snow in a day or two, anyway.

(For the full story, see the January/February issue)

Riverside Town Focus
Layed out by the same landscape architect who designed New York’s Central Park, this quaint, historic community is at one with its natural surroundings.

By Lynn Petrak

As you pass the welcome sign and start to wind your way through the streets of west suburban Riverside, you can’t help but notice that here, the land is what guides you.

The streets, for instance, are all curved and somewhat sloped, viusally making them seem to disappear into adjacent parks and parkways. Those green areas are, in turn, well cared for, in keeping with the town’s slogan, “Village in a Forest.”

Throughout the year, residents of this community about nine miles west of downtown Chicago take to the land within the village limits. In winter, you’ll see families sledding down a hill near the charmingly-named Swan Pond, circling around the resident-funded skating rink in the center of town or quietly trekking through the snow on cross-country skis. In the warmer months, you can see folks strolling across the historic “swinging bridge” over the river or lined up along one of the curvilinear streets to watch fleets of fire trucks roll past red-white-and-blue festooned families during the village’s notable Fourth of July celebrations.

(For the full story, see the January/February issue)

Financial Strategies
In an uncertain economy, tips on investing for the future and ways to protect your long term assets through estate planning and wise stewardship.

By Brittany Clingen

Aesop, in his book of fables, tells the story of an ant and a grasshopper. The ant works hard all summer gathering, saving and storing food. Meanwhile, his friend the grasshopper, prances about the field singing his days away. Come winter, the grasshopper is starving. He goes to the ant, begging for food, but the ant rebukes him and says he should have been doing more saving and less singing over the summer.

For many Americans — and the country as a whole, for that matter — “winter” came almost four years ago with the near collapse of the financial markets and subsequent economic downturn. A decades-long societal spending spree — funded by over-leveraged assets and predicated on unsustainable growth expectations — came to a crashing halt.

(For the full story, see the January/February issue)

Q&A
With Author and Inspirational Speaker Mawi Asgedom

By Lauren Dixon

From humble beginnings in Ethiopia, Mawi Asgedom has overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to become a renowned author, educator and motivational speaker, publishing five books and sharing stages with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey and Colin Powell. After leaving a refugee camp in Sudan as a young child, Asgedom and his family were relocated to Wheaton, where they struggled to adjust to their new life.

Despite living in poverty and facing the tragic loss of both his father and brother, Asgedom excelled at Wheaton North High School and went on to graduate from Harvard. Encouraged to share his remarkable story, he self-published his memoir in his early twenties and hasn’t looked back since. Now a husband and father, Asgedom continues to motivate and inspire people throughout the world. He will be the featured speaker at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast Jan. 16 at Benedictine University.

(For the full interview, see the January/February issue)

Charitable Events Planner

Welcome to our 2nd annual Charitable Events Planner, a resource we hope serves as the most comprehensive guide to non-profit and charitable fundraising activities and events.

For those of you who are regular readers of West Suburban Living, this booklet is a natural outgrowth of our commitment to helping the many organizations in the area that support important programs and serve worthy causes.

(For the full planner, see the September/October issue, view the entire planner online here or search for events by date and location on our Out & About page under "social & charitable" here.)

Best of the West 2012
Don't forget to vote for your favorites!

It's your turn. Tell us what you like best about the western suburbs - shops, place to go, restaurants, things to do, etc. You could win gift certificates to top area restaurants or other prizes. Your answers will also be combined with those from other readers and summarized in a special "Best of the West" feature in our March/April 2012 issue.

The more questions you answer the better, but you don't have to answer them all. Just the ones you want. But don't delay.

See the November/December 2011 issue for the Best of the West ballot (page 31) or download a printable version here. Fill it out and drop it in the mail. We look forward to hearing from you!

Archives
To read past issues, click on the appropriate links below.

Nov/Dec '11	Sept/Oct '11	July/Aug '11	May/June '11	Mar/Apr '11	Best of the West '11	Jan/Feb '11
Nov/Dec '10	Sept/Oct '10	July/Aug '10	May/June '10	Mar/Apr '10	Best of the West '10	Jan/Feb '10
Nov/Dec '09	Sept/Oct '09	July/Aug '09	May/June '09	Mar/Apr '09	Jan/Feb '09