COUNTRY LOVES: HEATHER KIESER

HEATHER KIESER and her husband, Ryan, were high school sweethearts from Belvidere, Illinois. After living in downtown Chicago and Austin, Texas, five years ago they moved to Barrington. Here they were thrilled to find a small town with a caring community to raise their children. Heather was a Marketing Director who worked with AARP (the largest nonprofit in the U.S.) for more than seven years. She took a break from her career to focus on her three young children, Everett (6) and twins Finn and Liam (almost 4). She enjoys creative hobbies and has a small shop called SweetLittleSuns, where she makes a variety of personalized gifts for family and friends. While being a stay-at-home mom, she is actively involved in the community. This past summer, she was the Barrington Junior Women’s Club (BJWC) co-chair of their Summer Fundraiser for local scholarships and grants that benefit women, children, and seniors. This fall, she is BJWC’s co-chair for family engagement and also social and fundraising co-chairs of St. Michael’s Little Angels Parent Advisory Board.

HEATHER LOVES

Gadget: Solawave Skincare Wand. This has been a simple upgrade to my skincare routine this past year and makes my skin feel great. Scent: Rosie by/rosie jane. This brand has clean, safe ingredients and all of their fragrances smell so good! Barrington spot: Cook Street Coffee, Hampton Social, and True Bleu Boutique Hostess gift to receive: Anything thoughtful. I love to hear why someone thought of me with a gift they picked out or a hand-written note. Gift to give: My love language is gift giving, so I usually try to give something thoughtful or personalized, like a personalized bracelet or their favorite treat. When in doubt, a bottle of Cooper’s Hawk Super Tuscan (my personal favorite).

What actress would play you in a movie? Natalie Portman. She is someone who people have often said I resemble, and I admire her classic, timeless style, her business sense, and her passionate work towards women’s rights. She also seems like a genuine and sweet person I would love to meet in real life. Where do you look for inspiration? Instagram, Pinterest, my tribe of mom friends, and my own amazing mother (she is such a patient listener, offers good advice, and is one of the most creative people I know). Favorite book? Cloud Atlas. I love a good thought provoking book. This book in particular focuses on how all of our decisions (past, present, and future), not only affect our lives but also those of everyone around us, for generations to come. While it’s a science fiction novel, the concept is something I’ve often thought about for years after reading this book—our decisions matter. Most beloved cookbook? I am an avid cookbook collector and love healthy and easy recipes for weeknights. One I’m using a lot right now is AllRecipes 30 Minute Meals. I also love cooking with my kids and In the French Kitchen with Kids is one of our favorites. My newest obsession though is using an app called Intent. It aggregates weekly recipes for you based on your preferences and then auto-generates the grocery list to Whole Foods for easy delivery and pickup. It’s truly amazing and has saved me so much time on meal prep and shopping for the week. Best dinner party hack? Start planning as early as possible and cater the larger dishes of the meal to focus more on only one or two fun signature dishes or cocktails. It eases the stress of the evening to enjoy with your guests. What’s in your bag right now? Phone, keys, JLab Mini JBuds, Touchland Glow Mist Rosewater Hand Sanitizer, Doctor Rogers Restore Lip Balm, and a random rock (i.e., treasure) one of my kids found at the park.