Weight Loss Tips, Housing Markets and an Eagle Safari

Written by Marcia Sagendorph.

Here is a roundup of the unique blogs found among our 23 Patch sites in the Chicago suburbs. Click on the headlines below to get the full story from some of our bloggers. Then get inspired and start your own blog!  

Support your cause, promote your organization or share your expertise. Contact Senior Community Editor Marcia Sagendorph at marcia.sagendorph@patch.com to get started.

The IzzyFit Weight Loss Manifesto. Or My Top 5 Tips on How to Start Rewriting the Script

Here’s the thing: We get so hung up on this idea that we need to weigh a certain amount (and we all have that exact number, right?) or fit into those high school jeans or we run ourselves crazy just so our thighs might no longer touch...Instead of pouring all of your energy into deprivation and loss, what if you focused on positive gains and milestones hit?
- Posted by Isabelle Libmann for IzzyFit: Making Healthy Living Fun on Evanston Patch

Celebrate the New Year with an Eagle Safari in January

With 800 eagles reported in the viewing area, residents are invited to take bird watching to the next level and join McHenry County College’s Trips and Tours program on an Eagle Safari from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 4, 2014.
- Posted by McHenry County College on Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch

The Chicago Lighthouse North Upcoming Events - Social Group

The Chicago Lighthouse is a not-for-profit agency committed to providing the highest quality educational, clinical, vocational and rehabilitation services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Children will have the opportunity to build long-lasting friendships through organized play that aims for positive group interaction.
- Posted by Travis Hague for The Chicago Lighthouse North Upcoming Events on Skokie Patch

Lake Forest Housing Market Showed Strength in November

The North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS® (NSBAR) represents more than 3,300 practitioners in residential and commercial real estate. The fall market continued to show tremendous activity in the communities of the North Shore and Barrington regions as units sold and median pricing across increased in November.
- Posted by Cynthia Greenwood for News from NSBAR on Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch

Helping Children Cope with the Loss of a Father

Dr. Michael Clatch describes how sons that experience the loss of a father can experience emotional turmoil that can last a lifetime. Young sons may feel as if they did not have the time needed to connect with their father, to learn what they had to teach. Adolescent males may have abandoned their fathers in search of more exciting experiences outside of the home. Failure of fathers and sons to connect can leave a lingering sense of loss.  
- Posted by Courage to Connect Therapeutic Center  on Lakeview Patch

Why Do Christians See Christmas As Jesus' Birthday?

Many Christians recognize Christmas as the birthdate of Jesus. But is that correct to do? What's really being celebrated on Christmas by Christians, why on December 25th, and why does it matter?
- Posted by Pastor Andy Gehron on Libertyville Patch