Lifestyle
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Chopping chives as competitive sport? Chefs are chasing a perfect score.
Dec 30, 2025 5:17 am - Chives — and the pursuit of perfection in their chopping — are having a bit of a moment. The Instagram account RateMyChives judges the quality of chefs’ and home cooks’ piles of minced herbs, while on Reddit a user named F1exican posted a daily picture of a pile of chives he has minced, asking people to find flaws.
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Start the new year with self-guided meditation and prayerDec 30, 2025 12:22 am - Would you like to begin the new year in a meaningful way? Come join others for a time of quiet reflection with meditation and prayer. “Release & Renew,” a self-guided p...
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Aurora Kwanzaa celebration marks 25 yearsDec 29, 2025 10:48 pm - The Aurora Kwanzaa celebration marked its 25th anniversary with over 100 attendees. The event featured a free dinner, African American vendors, candle lighting ceremony, and explanations of Kwanzaa's seven principles.
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‘You will be missed’: Retired Des Plaines police dog Bane has diedDec 29, 2025 7:34 pm - A retired Des Plaines police dog died Saturday, the department announced.
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Bartlett church honors Christmas pageant founders at this year’s eventDec 29, 2025 5:40 pm - Living Lord Lutheran Church in Bartlett celebrated its 35th annual Christmas pageant, “Arrest These Merry Gentlemen!,” with a cast of nearly 70 people. It was extra special this year as the two sisters who started the tradition were honored guests.
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Aurora animal control division to launch pets-for-veterans programDec 29, 2025 4:25 pm - The city of Aurora’s Animal Care and Control Division will launch a Pets For Vets Program to waive adoption fees for Illinois veterans to adopt one cat or dog every two years.
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Get to know yourselfDec 29, 2025 4:21 pm - Annettee Budzban says we need to know our own strengths and weaknesses.
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Cheese balls are back. How to make this classic party dish cool again
Dec 29, 2025 11:45 am - The cheese ball is a cliché. And like the pig in a blanket and the baked potato, the cheese ball is so cliched it has actually become cool. Socially acceptable or not, when this dish is put out at a party, people hover over it like it’s a crystal ball.
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A choose-your-own adventure cocktail, with or without booze
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Best bets: Local live music to warm up cold winter nightsDec 29, 2025 11:39 am - Guitarist Scott Tipping celebrates the release of his second album at The Venue in Aurora, the annual Women’s Jazz Festival returns to Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, and Brookfield Zoo offers free admission through Feb. 28.