Libertyville Savings Bank

I’m a person who likes to find something positive in almost everything.  There are few things I can honestly say I dislike, except one, cooking.  I grew up with homemade meals and desserts cooked with love by Mom.  There were no precooked or boxed anything that came out of her kitchen – 100% from scratch always. My older sister Lori has the same cooking/baking talents and there are few places she would rather be than in the kitchen.   I, on the other hand, would rather spend my time doing anything but cooking.   I dislike grocery shopping, have zero culinary skills, don’t do well at planning meals, and there is nothing more frustrating than spending time making a dish and have it turn out mediocre at best.   The whole process induces stress for me. Tired of take-out and looking for alternatives, I decided to try a “meal kit by mail” company and there are many to choose from.   Some have pre-cooked meals while others send ingredients to make the meal yourself. I went the make yourse

For years, our family has been blessed to be able to take some wonderful vacations. Since we have been married, my wife and I have taken a trip every year.  Our goal has been to visit multiple states and see various sites. Our somewhat cheesy end goal is to visit every state. To date, we have been to 32 states, so we have plenty of traveling left to do. Last year our two boys got to experience their first taste of live Major League Baseball and they loved it. While at one of the games, our oldest son spotted a Stadium Passport. Inside of the passport was a listing of every MLB stadium, along with fun facts, that could be time stamped by ballpark attendants validating your trip to each stadium. We made a deal with the boys that we would make an effort to visit all of the ballparks. Last year we took the boys to visit Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia, Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, and the historic Wrigley F

Shopping for the holidays can be a stressful experience, but it doesn’t have to be. Planning ahead can help make sure that you don’t overextend yourself when shopping for loved ones. Check out these steps for a holiday season that won’t break the bank. 1.        Make a list. Write down the names of everyone you wish to buy a gift for this holiday season and the items you would like to purchase or the amounts you would like to spend on each one. 2.        Set a budget and stick to it. Decide how much you can afford to spend on gifts for your loved ones this season, and make a pledge to not go over that amount. 3.        Research. Start checking prices on the items you listed in Step 1. Go window shopping at stores and check prices online. Add them all up and compare this amount to the amount you budgeted for in Step 2. If it exceeds the total you want to spend, it’s decision time. Go back to Step 1 and either cut some items off your list or choose less expensive gifts for certa