NewsTribune_IV Woman_052822

woman ILLINOIS VALLEY

May 2022

GETTING A

BUZZ OUT OF

BEEKEEPING ALSO: n Home birth options with

Catching Joy Midwifery n Dr. Nicole Norris discusses

cosmetic procedures n Ways to use your dandelions

instead of spraying them

publication

It’s an exciting time to be a woman Looking at the worldwide and U.S.based headlines each morning can feel a little overwhelming these days. It seems like disasters, crimes, war, and financial worries are the majority of the stories out there right now. Seeing non-stop bad news can make you forget about the great things happening all around us. That’s why I love this magazine so much – it’s a bright spot in my day, and I hope in yours as well.

We love to share stories about the positive, inspiring women who live in our little corner of the world. Meeting the remarkable women who live in the Illinois Valley always manages to put a smile on my face.

Hearing from all the incredible local women makes me think about how far women have come even in my lifetime, and I feel much more encouraged about the future of the world. I love being able to look my smart, hard-working teenage daughter in the eyes and tell her she can ac-

complish anything she dreams of – and mean it. More than ever before, at any point in history, women have the opportunity to reach any goal they envision if they’re willing to put in the work. I Shannon Serpette hope the youngest generation realizes how lucky they are and doesn’t squander the opportunity they have in their grasp.

We still have a long way to go in some areas of gender equality and women’s rights, but it’s encouraging to see how much progress has been made in recent years. No career field is out of the question for women, and even typically male-dominated fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math are seeing more

women joining the ranks. Extraordinary women, including Dr. Sally Ride, Maya Angelou, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong, are being featured on U.S. quarters – an honor overwhelmingly given to males in the past.

I hope the next generation of women continues to build on the great strides we’ve made. In the meantime, I love sharing stories about the accomplishments of our local women, whether they’re shaping the future of the Illinois Valley, have an unusual hobby, or have led a fascinating life. If you know a woman with an extraordinary story who wouldn’t mind being featured in this magazine, send me an email at sserpette@shawmedia.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Best wishes, Shannon Serpette Niche Editor

Contents Illinois Valley Woman Book Club 4

Our analysis of In Hot Water, A Misty Bay Tea Room Mystery by Kate Kingsbury.

Pesky Weed or Valuable Herb? 6 Dandelions have surprising benefits.

Busy as a Bee 10

Bureau County woman loving her role as a beekeeper.

Giving Women More Options 14

New midwifery business offers home births and more.

From Family Practice to Medical Spa Owner 19 Dr. Nicole Norris switched gears to pursue her passion.

Illinois Valley Woman 426 Second Street La Salle, Illinois 61301 (815) 223-3200 (800) 892-6452 www.newstrib.com Publisher Dan Goetz Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com

Regional Advertising Director Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com

Writers Goldie Rapp Shannon Serpette Photographers Goldie Rapp Shannon Serpette Designers Liz Klein Sheryl Liss

On the cover: Angela Bornemann suited up in protective gear to see if her hive’s queen was still present.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON SERPETTE

2 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

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A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 3

om Mist y Bay Tea Ro

W

hen choosing In Hot Water

by Kate Kingsbury for this magazine’s latest book club selection, I was sure I had picked a crowd-pleaser. Cozy mysteries like this with female lead characters seem like a good fit for our magazine.

In Hot Water is set in the charming town of Misty Bay, and the three amateur women detectives we’re introduced to work in a tea shop.

Tearoom owner Vivian Wainwright and her assistants Gracie and Jenna need to clear Jenna’s name as the number one suspect after someone is murdered.

Without giving away too much in case you haven’t read it yet, here’s what we thought of this bestselling author’s book.

4 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

ste ry by Kate Kingsbury

W ot nH Our analysis of I

at er ,A

In My Book

y M

JEANETTE SMITH, REGIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR This had such promise – a cozy mystery series set in a tearoom on the Oregon coast – but was not well executed. Unfortunately, within a couple of chapters, I knew who the murderer was and quickly lost interest. I enjoyed the setting, but I didn’t feel like the characters were well-rounded enough to be believable. They were bland, the story wasn’t that engaging, and the pace seemed very slow at times.

I ended up skimming most of the book. I do not plan on reading the other books in this series.

SHANNON SERPETTE, NICHE EDITOR Let me start by saying I’m no Sherlock Holmes. I love mysteries, but I don’t usually correct

guess who the murderer or culprit is. That being said, like Jeanette, I also figured out who the murderer was in the first few chapters. That’s a forgivable offense in a mystery as long as the book is entertaining. But, unfortunately, I would say this is one of the most boring books I have ever read.

It was a huge disappointment for me because it had everything I love – tea, a mystery, a quaint setting, and women characters who aren’t constantly in competition with each other. I thought I was going to love it, and instead, it became a real chore to finish it. I had to give myself pep talks just to find the strength to start the next chapter. The writing was subpar, the dialogue was awkward at best, and in all honesty, I hated everything about this book.

Want to join us?

The book we’ll be discussing in the next issue of Illinois Valley Woman is The Homewreckers: A Novel

by Mary Kay Andrews.

To have your thoughts and observations on this book published in our next Illinois Valley Woman magazine, email sserpette@shawmedia.com

by July 15. Please include your name and city of residence along with your comments, and let us know why you liked or disliked this book. And if you have any future book suggestions, we’d love to hear them.

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www.simplythefinest.net A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 5

RECIPES

Pesky Weed or Valuable Herb?

Dandelions have surprising benefits Story by Shannon Serpette

T

o some, the much-maligned dandelion has an undeserved bad reputation – it’s been used for centuries in traditional medicine and as a nutrient-dense food source. To others, dandelions are the bane of their existence, popping up in well-maintained yards and costing hundreds of dollars per year to eradicate through chemical lawn treatments.

But embracing, instead of removing, dandelions can come with some benefits. They make an excellent and free addition to your diet and are great sources of vitamins C, A, and K. They also contain other helpful vitamins and miner-

als, such as vitamin E, folate, iron, potassium, calcium, and more.

While dandelion greens have a distinctive bitter taste, they’re delicious if you prepare them well. If you’re allergic to dandelions, it’s best to avoid eating them, but everyone else can give them a try. You should harvest them in the spring for the most tender leaves. And if you’re picking them from your yard instead of buying them at a farmer’s market, make sure they haven’t been sprayed with pesticides.

Here are some great dandelion-based recipes for you and your family to enjoy.

Spicy Dandelion Greens INGREDIENTS Two teaspoons salt One pound dandelion greens, cut into three-inch pieces Two tablespoons olive oil One tablespoon butter 1/2 onion, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Two cloves garlic, minced One tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

6 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

DIRECTIONS Soak the dandelion greens in a bowl of cold water with one teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes and then drain.

Bring a large pot of water to boil with one teaspoon of salt. Cook greens until tender for about four minutes.

Drain and rinse with cold water until chilled.

Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in onion and red pepper flakes and cook until onion is tender. Stir in garlic and cook for one minute. Increase heat to medium-high and add dandelion greens. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, which will take about four or five minutes. Season as you’d like, and add Parmesan cheese if desired.

Dandelion Shortbread Cookies INGREDIENTS 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 to 1 cup dandelion petals (yellow parts only) Two and 1/2 cups flour One pinch of salt DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add dandelion petals and beat to incorporate. Slowly add flour and salt, beating until well mixed. It will be crumbly at first, but it will start to come together.

Once all the flour is added, beat on low another minute or so. Then knead gently with your hands until the dough comes together. Roll the dough and cut it out with your favorite cookie cutters.

Bake cookies for about 20 to 25 minutes until they begin to brown on the bottoms and are fully cooked on the top. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool before eating. These are excellent when served with your favorite tea.

If you like lemon, try adding one teaspoon for a fun variation.

Dandelion Pasta INGREDIENTS Salt 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Six large cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/4 cup pine nuts Six cups dandelion greens, trimmed and cut into one-inch lengths One tablespoon balsamic vinegar Freshly ground black pepper 12 ounces of your favorite pasta Three ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano DIRECTIONS Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook the oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat, occasionally stirring until the garlic is golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the garlic to paper towels to drain.

Add the pine nuts to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to the paper towels with the garlic.

Add the greens to the skillet and cook, stirring until wilted, which takes about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.

Boil the pasta according to package directions. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water and drain. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss with the greens. Add the garlic, pine nuts, and half of the cheese, and toss to combine, adding some of the pasta cooking water to moisten, if necessary. Top with the remaining cheese.

Recipes continue on page 8 A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 7

Recipes continued

Dandelion Wine INGREDIENTS One quart of yellow dandelion blossoms (no greens), rinsed well One gallon of boiling water One .18-ounce package of wine yeast Seven cups white sugar (use six cups if you don’t want a super sweet wine) One sliced orange One sliced lemon DIRECTIONS Put the dandelion blossoms in boiling water and let them stand for 10 minutes. Remove and throw away the blossoms, and let the water cool to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the yeast, sugar, orange slices, and lemon slices.

Pour the mixture into a plastic fermenter and put on a fermentation lock. Allow the liquid to ferment in a cool area until bubbles stop, which will take 10 to 14 days. Siphon the wine off the lees (leftover yeast particles) and strain it through cheesecloth before bottling it in sterilized jars or bottles. Let it sit for a minimum of one week for best results.

Dandelion Salad INGREDIENTS 1/2 pound torn dandelion greens 1/2 red onion, chopped Two tomatoes chopped A few Kalamata olives, chopped Feta cheese, your desired amount Salad dressing of your choice DIRECTIONS Wash, chop, and add the dandelion greens, red onion, and tomatoes together in a bowl. Stir in the olives, feta cheese, and top with your favorite salad dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. This is excellent with crumbled bacon over the top as well.

8 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

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A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 9

BUSY AS A

Bureau County woman loving her role as a beekeeper Story and photos by Shannon Serpette

W

ith a full-time job as a speech pathologist, a huge house to keep up, and a small farm to tend to, Angela Bornemann wasn’t looking for a new hobby. But she found one in the form of an apiary, and now she enjoys her queen bee role as a beekeeper.

Both Angela and her husband, Chad, grew up in the Illinois Valley. For 13 years after leaving the area, they lived in Chicago before moving to a 26-acre farm in Peru on the edge of Bureau County five and a half years ago.

“We were ready to settle down and have a more relaxed lifestyle,” she said. “This is our little slice of heaven here.”

Right before the pandemic hit, Angela’s brother, Luke Tomsha, who lives in LaSalle, suggested they begin beekeeping together on her property.

“He’s a lover of nature, as we are,” she said.

“That Christmas, he bought me my first beekeeping book, Beekeeping for Dummies,” she said.

Before Tomsha had mentioned beekeeping to Angela, it hadn’t been on her radar.

“I didn’t even think about beekeeping,” she said, adding that she was fascinated by the book once she started reading it. “I couldn’t put it down.”

She learned more about the plight bees are facing and decided she wanted to do her part to help solve a big ecological problem – the decline of the bees.

“It’s a lot to do with the loss of the habitat for the bees,” she said, adding that their decline can also be partially attributed to pesticides and insecticides being used on farms, as well as issues with diseases.

The one obstacle to her plan of becoming a beekeeper was a sizeable one.

“My husband is allergic to bees,” she said.

Despite his allergy, Chad encouraged Angela to follow her dream.

“He loves every aspect of it,” she said. “He knows how much joy it brings me.”

The 10-acre field located near their house was planted with alfalfa, which is a plant that attracts bees.

“We didn’t want to use pesticide or insecticide,” she said. “With alfalfa, you don’t necessarily have to spray it.”

After reading the book and considering all See BEES page 12

10 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

Who’s Who in a Hive

As Angela Bornemann pursued her hobby of beekeeping, she quickly learned about the role each bee plays in its hive.

The queen bee: “She is the most important bee in the colony,” she said.

The queen is the largest bee in the hive and the only hive member who can lay both fertilized and unfertilized eggs. While queens may have an easier life than worker bees, they’ll live almost entirely in the hive.

“The queen only leaves her hive typically twice during her lifetime,” Angela said.

One is when she goes on a maiden mating flight where she mates with drones and the only other time she’ll leave the hive is if the colony were to swarm to find a new home.

Worker bees: Worker bees are all females, but they can’t reproduce. They do most of the work in any hive, doing tasks such as finding pollen, maintaining the hive, protecting the queen, and raising the young. Most of the bees in a hive are worker bees.

Drones: Drones are male bees, and they make up about 10 to 15 percent of the bees in any given hive. “Their only job is to mate with a queen,” Angela said.

Angela Bornemann points to the queen bee in one of her hives. The company she buys bees from offers customers the option to have their queen tagged. That way, she’s easier to spot when they’re checking over their hives.

Angela Bornemann said beekeeping is a passion of hers, and she learns more about it all the time. She’d like to eventually get a glass observation beehive that she can take to area schools to educate children about bees and beekeeping.

A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 11

Angela Bornemann shows off some of the honey that her bees have produced at her farm, which is located in Peru in Bureau County.

Bees

we went back, and it was empty of honey.”

Confused about what happened, Angela tapped her resources to figure out what went wrong. She FROM PAGE 10 quickly found the unexpected answer.

“The hive was robbed,” she said.

Robbing occurs when one colony steals factors, Angela decided to try beekeeping. honey from a weaker colony. The robbing bees “The following spring, we bought our first set of packaged bees and started our hive,” she said. will go into the weaker hive, take as much as they can, go back to their own colony, let the Now she and her brother are in their third other bees know about the honey hotspot, and year of beekeeping, and they have learned a other bees will go to the weaker hive to take lot along their journey. Some of it has been honey, too. from consulting the books they’ve read and At that point, Angela and her brother hadn’t reading information from online sources, but another essential resource has been the Illinois heard of robbing.

“We didn’t even know it was a thing,” she Valley Beekeepers Association. With monthly said. “There are ways to prevent that from hapmeetings, she’s been able to learn from any pening, so you learn from your mistakes.” mistakes and get through setbacks.

They also learned about other hazards along “It’s a great club to be a part of,” she said. the way, such as overwintering their bees.

“We have met a couple of mentors who have Winters can be problematic for beekeepers been huge for us.” because so much can go wrong. This past year, While being a beekeeper sounds dangerous she started the winter with four hives – two of to those who don’t do it, if you follow certain them were weak, and two were strong. precautions, it’s a safe hobby.

“Our mother hive survived, but the other So far, she’s not had any significant safety inthree did not,” she said. cidents from the estimated 80,000 to 100,000 One of the big perks of beekeeping is having bees she keeps, although recently, she did skip wearing the proper gloves one day and put on access to a lot of delicious honey, and Angela said it was exciting to extract their first batch. a different pair instead.

They had ten frames of honey when they ex“I got stung eight times on my hand – the tracted, which was about 60 pounds and was most ever,” she said. “I had to go get a shot.”

As a beekeeper, she’s run into plenty of chal- enough for approximately 70 bottles.

“I sold out of that pretty quickly,” she said. lenges.

“You’ll see different shades of honey. Ours is “Last year, one of our hives was flowing with honey, so many bees were in there. A week later, light because of the alfalfa.”

12 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

Although she can’t take a headcount, Bornemann estimates her hives might house anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 bees.

The main beehive at Bornemann Farm has lasted over the winters so far, which can be a major milestone for beekeepers.

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A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 13

Giving women more options New midwifery business offers home births and more

A

Story and photos by Goldie Rapp

t a young age, Angela Reidner knew she wanted to be involved in helping people deliver their babies in a good way. She’s unsure what sparked the aspiration, but it stuck with her all the way to college at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

During her studies there, she discovered midwifery and thought it might be what she’d want to do someday. After graduating from Wesleyan, she went into labor and delivery nursing and followed a path of high-risk obstetrics. She was a maternal transport flight nurse for a while before becoming a critical care OB nurse.

While working in the midst of OB trauma and emergencies, it was women of normal, healthy pregnancies that Reidner worried about most. She said these women were not getting a “just service” under the overbearing hospital policies and procedures that regulated how their babies were delivered.

“We were treating everyone like they were a potential disaster. There was something that could potentially go wrong and they were sick,” she said.

“When something is wrong, having that skill level, that knowledge, those services is ideal. Unfortunately, 80 to 90 percent of women don’t fall into that category. They’re normal, healthy, and all the stuff we’re doing to assess their labor progress just causes trouble, causes problems.”

After seeing enough of this, Reidner returned to school in hopes of helping these mothers. She became a certified nurse midwife at the University of Illinois in Chicago, which kick-started a 30-year midwifery career spent in local hospital systems. Reidner said wise use of interventions has always been her primary goal as a midwife.

“Use it when it’s important to use it and don’t use it to cause problems when it’s not necessary,” she said.

Angela Reidner, CNM, stands inside one of two exam rooms at Catching Joy Midwifery in Princeton.

14 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

The waiting room inside Catching Joy Midwifery and Collective Family Health offers a calm and inviting space for families.

Throughout her career, it was a goal of Reidner’s to eventually move on to working with home births. The time has never been better for her than now, with her own children grown and having moved on in their own careers. After many talks with her husband, Reidner decided to open Catching Joy Midwifery in Princeton this past January.

“It was a big leap to say this needed to happen in our community,” she said.

Reidner admits she knew she was a great midwife, but running her own practice was all new territory for her. But with the support of key members in the community, many of them businesswomen who mentored her through the process, her dream was born, you could say.

“I couldn’t have done this without the support of the community,” she said.

WHAT EXACTLY IS MIDWIFERY? “When people choose midwifery care, they choose a healthcare provider that’s licensed, certified, and committed to providing care to a woman that’s highly personalized, individualized, and evidence-based,” Reidner explained.

She describes midwives as being team members in the healthcare system.

“We have a scope of practice that is not inclusive of all the care that women might need throughout pregnancy, so we like to work in conjunction with healthcare systems and other providers to help women secure all the levels of care they might need outside the scope of midwifery,” she said.

Midwives consider themselves experts on what’s normal in a pregnancy.

“When things are no longer identified as being normal, we try to course-correct and try to treat within our scope.

When it’s no longer in our scope of practice, we refer, consult, and collaborate,” Reidner said.

See MIDWIFERY page 17 A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 15

Angela Reidner, CNM, removes OB utensils from the sterilizer as they are prepared for the next home birth.

16 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

Midwifery FROM PAGE 15

HOME BIRTHS ARE TRENDING The timing of opening Catching Joy Midwifery perhaps has never been better.

Most recently, due to changes in local hospital systems, Bureau County lost its last area obstetric unit. The change forces families to drive 30 minutes or more to seek OB services, which is not always deemed convenient for mothers and families.

Also, the trend of home births is on the rise. More women are choosing to stay home to deliver for a couple of reasons. Reidner said the pandemic has been a huge factor. At the start of pandemic, women didn’t want to be exposed to COVID in a hospital environment, they didn’t want to wear a mask during delivery, and they didn’t want to be separated from their loved ones.

According to the CDC, the percentage of home births in the U.S. reached 1.26 percent

in 2020, which was a 22 percent increase from 2019 and the highest level since 1990.

In Illinois alone, 1.35 percent of births were chosen home births in 2020.

“Women want a sense of autonomy in their case,” Reidner said. “They want individualization. They want personalized care.”

Women also want to be able to labor at home in their own environment where they can eat and drink the food of their choice and not worry about driving to a facility that will implement their own procedures and policies regarding the birth.

Working in the home, Reidner said she conducts her assessments in a manner that’s conducive to the mother while she’s laboring and does so in a way that does not undo the vibe the family has going on during that time.

Reidner said she once came across a saying that has stuck with her throughout her career: “The hospital is the doctor’s house. The birth center See MIDWIFERY page 18

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Midwifery FROM PAGE 17

is the midwife’s house. The home is the family’s house. Depending on whose house you’re in, they’re in control.”

“It made perfect sense to me,” she said. “And that empowers women.”

MORE THAN JUST BABIES When we think midwifery, we think babies, but Reidner provides services for women at any stage of life. Reidner offers a cumulative approach to women’s health, including family planning, wellwoman health care services, and she is also a certified menopause practitioner.

“I think it’s important for women to have providers who are committed to listening and providing great care to them as a woman, as a community member,” Reidner said. “I raised my children here, I consider Princeton my home, and I think that adds another level of care that I bring.”

As Catching Joy continues to expand its patient case, one thing

Reidner would like everyone to know is that she is actively working to get credentialed by insurance companies. Right now, she can take Meridian, Multiplan, Medicare, Health Alliance, and United Healthcare. She is working on certification for: Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, TriCare, and Humana Military.

“I would ask people to be patient as we’re waiting to get credentialed. We’re actively working to get all insurance providers to credential us,” she said.

If an insurance company does not credential Catching Joy, a cash fee is charged for services.

WORKING ALONGSIDE COLLECTIVE FAMILY HEALTH Catching Joy Midwifery also works in conjunction with Collective Family Health, which is led by Family Nurse Practitioner Kendra Poole. Poole provides care to the entire family, including newborns, well and sick child visits, well and sick adult visits, school and sports physicals, geriatric care, well women gynecologic care, and more. Collective Family Health shares an office with Catching Joy Midwifery.

Catching Joy Midwifery and Collective Family Health is located at 334 Backbone Road East in Princeton and is now accepting new patients.

Committed to Community.

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with help from the kitchen experts

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Serving the Area for 42 Years!

• Unique Full Service Floral Shop

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• Fresh And Silk Flowers and Plants • Home Decor • Gifts • Delivery Service

811 E Peru St • Princeton • flowersbyjuliaprinceton.com 18 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

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Dr. Nicole Norris was a family practitioner for 12 years before leaving that field to open her own medical spa that offers injectables, facials, chemical peels, teeth whitening, laser procedures, and more.

From Family Practice to Medical Spa Owner Dr. Nicole Norris switched gears to pursue her passion Story and photos by Shannon Serpette As a family practitioner in the Illinois Valley, Dr. Nicole Norris had reached a level of success many people would envy. During her 12 years as a doctor, she helped many patients with their medical issues and had a steady, well-paying job.

“I enjoyed it. I had a great experience,” she said.

But after having a cosmetic procedure, she decided to change the path she was on to do something more fulfilling and to fill a need she saw in the Illinois Valley.

“About eight years ago, I turned 35 and I

got Botox,” she said. “The procedure took five minutes.”

However, the drive was a different matter.

She had to drive to Chicago for the Botox injection, turning that five-minute procedure into a whole-day excursion. That long drive got her wheels turning in a different way.

“I thought, I could learn to do this and save myself a trip,” she said. “I took some courses and learned to do it.”

See NORRIS page 20 A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 19

Visitors to Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa should enjoy the elegant, upscale décor and the warm welcome they’ll get from the staff there.

Norris

“My dream was to do it full-time after I started doing it,” she said.

FROM PAGE 19 She decided to pursue her dream – not only for herself, but for the good of her family.

She knew she couldn’t be “I decided to do it because the only one in the area who I wanted a better lifestyle wanted access to that type of procedure without having for my kids at the time,” she said, adding that she didn’t to drive to Chicago. Norris decided to add it to her exist- want to be on-call all the time any longer. “I gave my ing practice, offering it once a week. Some of the patients four months’ notice and took out a big loan at the bank. she had been treating for years opted to get injections, It was hard because I don’t have any formal background and she saw what a differin business.” ence it made for them.

She rented an office, gave “In one episode of injecit a facelift, and opened the tions, they acted happier.

They had better self-esteem,” doors of Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa in Peru on June she said.

20, 2016. She got another To satisfy her growing job to pay her bills as she interest in cosmetic procespread the word about her dures, she kept learning.

“I learned how to do filler,” business until she felt comfortable drawing a salary she said. “That was also from her medical spa. life-changing to many of my “I didn’t pay myself from patients. I could make people this business for 18 months,” happier without one pill.” she said.

Once she began offering Now with a thriving praccosmetic treatments in her tice, she has clients that family practice, she realized that was what she wanted to range in age from their 20s to their 80s. be doing.

20 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

“When patients come in for a new patient consultation, we take pictures,” she said.

“Everybody’s got something they don’t like.”

They take multiple-view pictures from three different angles and show underneath the skin so they can look at things like inflammation and pigmentation. The before-and-after pictures show the clients how much of a difference their procedures have made.

“It’s amazing to see the transformation,” Norris said.

“Patients are always like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”

Sierra Vaessen of Sublette, a licensed esthetician at Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa, also loves to see people’s transformations because she knows how it feels to struggle with one aspect of her appearance.

“I always had skin issues growing up. I had acne. It made me self-conscious,” she said.

She said it’s great to see people’s reactions when they see their results, and she also enjoys working with Norris.

“I absolutely love it. It’s a very positive work environment,” Vaessen said.

One of the features a medical spa should offer is a good explanation of each service, as well as any risks involved.

Education is a crucial part of what Norris does, and it’s a role she’s comfortable with.

“In family practice, I was an educator,” she said.

See NORRIS page 22

Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa in Peru offers high-quality makeup that customers can buy.

A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 21

Norris

services such as injectables, facials, chemical peels, teeth whitening, laser procedures, FROM PAGE 21 and more. Customers can book procedures such as derWith this practice, she’s just maplaning, which is an antieducating clients about differ- aging procedure they do with ent topics. all facials.

“A lot of people didn’t Chemical peels are a popknow what a medical spa ular procedure offered at the was,” she said. medical spa. Since they are She said the difference bea medical spa rather than a tween her medical spa and day spa, they’re allowed to do day spas is that she has exten- deeper chemical peels. sive medical training. Since “If you do peels monthly, some of the procedures have your skin will be transrisks, she said it’s better to go formed,” she said. to someone who is qualified The hydrafacials she offers rather than someone who ofare enormously popular. fers cheaper services or more “It’s good for all skin types,” convenient procedures, such she said. as those who offer Botox parShe enjoys teaching and edties and don’t do a follow-up ucating her patients, but she’s with the patient. also starting to do more of “Trust your face to someone that within the industry. She who is qualified,” she said. goes to conferences and does At her medical spa, Norris some speaking as well. informs people about prod“It’s neat to be a part of a ucts and procedures that bigger thing,” Norris said. might make a difference in Now, a few years into her their appearance and how role as a business owner, Northey feel and lets them make ris couldn’t be happier with an informed choice about her career path. what’s best for them.

“My favorite thing is that She offers subtle changes every patient who comes in with fillers and other procethe door comes in happy, and dures. With fillers, most last they leave happier,” she said. approximately a year, although “It’s very satisfying and fulfillsome can last for two years. ing. You’re improving other The effects of an injectable bot- people’s lives and mental ulinum toxin, such as Botox, health without any pills. I’m will last three to five months. very happy. I don’t feel like I Her medical spa offers go to work anymore.”

22 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication

ADVERTISEMENT

Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa 6 Year Anniversary Celebration Vegas Style!

Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa feels so lucky to be celebrating six years of providing non-surgical cosmetic procedures to the area! To show their appreciation, they are rolling out a brand new NNMD MedSpa Elite Membership program and a Las Vegas-style Party on June 23rd from 12-7:30! They asked us to share the details with our readership!

HERE’S THE DEAL: Be a High Roller and join NNMD ELITE our newest All-Inclusive Medspa Membership Program in June 2022!

• Join the membership in June and you will be automatically entered in a drawing to win your membership free!!

• Also, for signing up in June, spin the Wheel of Fortune for a 5-25% coupon to use toward our PCA Skin medicalgrade skin care products!

• New patients who join in June will get 50% of their new patient consultation fee credited back to their account.

• Current patients who join in June will get their membership facial service $25 off only in June!

Membership cost: $199 to Join, No Monthly Fees, 12-months of Benefits!

Optional Membership benefits: • Choose a Monthly NNMD Classic Custom Facial with Dermaplaning or No Peel Peel with Dermaplaning $75 (reg. $100) • Botox/Dysport $250/area (reg. $290) (includes frown lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet, facial shaping) • Filler $50 off one syringe (choose 1 syringe for lips, lines, cheeks, jawline or tear troughs during your 1-year Membership) • 15% off one package of 3-Microneedling treatments during your 1-year Membership • 10% off any one Radiofrequency Skin Tightening Procedure for Face, Neck or Body during your 1-year Membership • Exclusive Elite Member-Only promotions on skin care products, medical-grade services, and early access to new procedures!

• Concierge scheduling and appointment reminders for Botox and Dysport! * Our current Botox/Dysport Membership members may upgrade their membership for $99 only in June and will be good 12-months from date of upgrade!

Get Lucky and Join us at Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa 6 Year Anniversary Party Vegas-Style!

Thursday June 23, 2022 Where: Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa Noon-7:30pm by appointment only Please call us to reserve your 75-minute time slot to join us on Thursday, June 23 between Noon and 7:30pm.

You will be able to meet our medical spa team in an intimate setting, learn about all that we do from experts in the aesthetic industry and play games of chance for fabulous prices! By attending, you may win free non-surgical cosmetic procedures and medical-grade products! Bring a friend who is a new patient to us, put on your party clothes, and you each get a $25 credit on your account to use on another visit! Refreshments, including champagne will be served! There will be exclusive promotions for purchase offered only June 23rd-24th and announced the week of the party!! Call us at 815-780-8264 to reserve your appointment time! Check out our party details at NicoleNorrisMD.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to be in the know!

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A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Woman | May 2022 23

Hazel Marie Boyle Women’s Health Center & Its Providers

Have Relocated to Peru

Jennifer Maschmann, MD | Norah Toraason, MD | Craig Whatcott, MD

Effective March 14, 2022, patients of our three Hazel Marie Boyle Women’s Health Center OB/GYN providers are being seen in Peru.

(815) 663-2300

aboutsmh.org 920 West Street, Building B (Lower Level) | Peru SM-LA1978125

24 May 2022 | Illinois Valley Woman | A NewsTribune Publication