Gull Lake

by Meredith

This past weekend two of my best friends from college and I spent the weekend at Gull Lake, near Baxter, Minnesota. We used it as a mini escape from our real world in the Twin Cities.  It was fantastic and I came back rejuvenated.  Besides having some great conversations, we spent a lot of time drinking wine, checking out downtown Nisswa, taking time to watch a movie and some TV, painting, going for walks, sleeping in and eating some really good food. Everyone deserves a weekend like this multiple times a year.

"Life is all memory, except for the present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going." ~ Tennessee Williams

{Megan's family cabin}

{Some of the gorgeous scenery}

{Downtown Nisswa - The Chocolate Ox}

Fall Colors

by Meredith

Autumn is in full swing in Minnesota.  This is one of my favorite times of the year.  The weather is calm, the temperature is right and the trees are gorgeous - to me they look like fireworks across the sky.  These pictures were taken by a friend of mine from church as he walked along the Mississippi River this week near St. Thomas.  Watch for the peak of fall foliage in your area on The Weather Channel's website.

Bachlorette Shenanigans

by Meredith

August 30, my friends and I had a great time cruising Lake Minnetonka, swimming and stopping at local bars to celebrate Sarah Glover's big wedding day.  It was absolutely awesome and I would do it again just to have a good time.

Bascillica Block Party

by Meredith

The Basilica Block Party is a Twin Cities, summer favorite that I had never been part of - until this year! Now, I'll be back again soon!

St. Patrick's Day in St. Paul

by Meredith

St. Patrick's Day in St. Paul is a long standing tradition this Minnesota girl has never been able to attend because of school or work. But not this year - it's on a Saturday and they are predicting a high of 77 for the 17th! I'm excited for the parade, green beer and enjoying the wonderful weather.

February Walk

by Meredith

This past weekend I shared a beautiful February morning walk around Lake Harriet with my family. Perfect Saturday and had breakfast at a South Minneapolis favorite, Zumbros.

The St. Paul Winter Carnival

by Meredith

The St. Paul Winter Carnival is a tradition that has been around since 1886 when citizens of the Minnesota tundra wanted to plan something fun during the dead of winter.  It's always held in our state capital during the last week of January/ first week in February and runs for 12 days.  This year it runs January 26 through February 6.

The celebration entertains thousands of people from Minnesota and beyond - revealing man-made ice sculptures, an ice skating rink, ice bar, stage for music, fireworks, multiple parades, a coronation selecting each year's large royal court and more - all within a few blocks of each other.  Definitely a must see if you're here this time of year.  Last week I strolled through Rice Park and took some pictures of them working on the ice sculptures and gearing up for the first big weekend.

What do you think of the Cheeseburger Bill?

This week, a Minnesota House panel approved legislation that would block consumers from suing fast-food chains and other food companies for weight problems. The Civil Law Committee approved the Personality Responsibility in Food Consumption Act on a voice vote. The proposal is also know as the "cheeseburger bill."

The bill would prevent consumers for suing the food industry for weight gain, obesity and other health problems caused by long-term consumption of fattening foods and non-alcohol drinks such as soda.

The sponsor, Republican Rep. Dean Urdahl of Grove City, says the bill would prevent frivolous lawsuits. Urdahl has been pushing this legislation since 2004. So far, this bill has been passed in 24 states.

I'm a fan of the cheeseburger bill. I think it promotes personal responsibility and I agree, it prevents annoying lawsuits. McDonalds has been brought to court numerous times for being the problem for many consumers obesity, ever since their 2002 New York court case. It is still pending and I think it's silly. Eat something different, don't eat a cheeseburger and french fries everyday!

Cool PR/Fundraiser Idea From Minneapolis Based United Way

A new fundraiser website lets donors grin while giving. In a way you can call it a way of "turning that frown upside down."

The Happiness Exchange website shares depressing statistics - "32 percent of people living in poverty are children," and "1 in 5 American adults can't read enough to get by" - and allows donors to replace them with a smiling video or photo of well, you.

I heard about this fundraiser being managed by the United Way of the Greater Twin Cities and thought it was a neat idea. The site, (http://www.happyexchange.org/) allows donors (it's attracted those who are pretty tech savvy) to post a snapshot or snippet of their grinning faces over a sad fact that they are helping change with their gift. Further, the idea is that benefactors can 'look around' and see other fellow givers, resembling the title sequence of the classic show "The Brady Bunch" in which anything but good cheer was frowned upon.

Know of any other neat fundraisers? Please share!

High School Yearbooks Become More Personal

High school yearbooks have been designed by a team of students and staff for a long time, but this year some Minnesota schools are allowing all students to design their own sections.

Yearbook giant, Jostens, is allowing students at 40 Minnesota schools the chance to create their own yearbook pages to be bound in their own yearbooks.

For $15 students can upload their own pictures to their own eight pages that will be attached to the back of their yearbooks next to the pages set aside for autographs.

The website, www.yearbookyourself.com, provides layouts, backgrounds, stickers and shapes to be incorporated into their own design.

Schools that are participating are letting students know about it now, but students who want to get more personal pages also can go to the site to see if their school is involved. (Registration is required to access the site.)

Nationally, the program is being rolled out to 1,000 schools. Eventually, more schools will be added.

What do you think of this idea? Would you do it? I think it's pretty cool. I was part of the yearbook staff senior year of high school and we really tried to diversify shots and who was in them, but sometimes students would think they weren't featured enough or wanted to capture something else about their time in high school. This allows those who want to the opportunity to create their own pages to help them keep their happiest high school memories around.

Oh Farve...

In the two to three months since Brett Favre has decided to play another season on the Vikings, he has gone from hero to zero, making the PR buzz Minnesota football and the NFL had going become a PR nightmare. The word going around now is that Favre's devotion to his self-glorifying consecutive games-played streak is stronger than his devotion to this teammates and to winning a game - that he is keeping the Vikings back from their full potential.

Many football fanatics will still argue that Brett Favre is one of the best QBs in history, but I hope for his sake this isn't the way he goes into retirement. Who wants to be remembered for leaving their all-star athlete career by being hauled off the field, having a broken ankle, throwing numerous interceptions and just being looked at as the 'old' guy on the field?

From a PR standpoint, it's hard to say what should be done or said. I don't want Favre to play because he looks like he is in so much pain and I feel like he could get hurt severely at any time. However, the entire idea of his coming back has been blown so out of proportion that I feel he must play for the rest of the season and just keep saying he's giving it all he's got.

I'm sad to say I don't like to watch Vikings games anymore - they're too painful. I really like the team overall, even Favre, but they aren't playing well together. After yesterday's loss, putting them at 2-5, I'm not sure if they're even eligible to be in the playoffs. Every week it's a back and forth debate whether or not Favre will play the following week. I feel like this summer never ended because all we heard on the news in sports was whether or not Favre was coming back for another season. Don't worry though - next weekend's status is already clear because Favre made a statement, he'll be back next week to play against the cardinals. "I'm ready for next week's game, no body knows my body like I do. I think I'll be alright, ready to play next week. I'm shocked I was able to play and move around the way I was. ...my prayers were answered I expect to play (all season). I made my decision to come back, and I feel like this team is close."

Social Media Use at the Workplace

Local companies are shutting down Facebook access for employees because it's believed they are spending too much time connecting with friends than doing work. The ban of Facebook, along with other social networking sites, is taking affect at TCF Bank and law firm Fredrikson & Byron. No more will employees be able to share news, information or pictures online while a work.

As Facebook reaches 500 million uses, the website has become a conundrum for employers. The behemoth of social media offers and intriguing way to make business connections, but it can also be a major distraction. On recent survey by Network Box found that employees click on Facebook at work more than any other website, including Google.

Google "Facebook at work" and you'll turn up more than 1.2 billion hits. This just shows what a hot-button issue this is. Further, as other social networking sites come about, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, employers are re-evaluating how to manage social media at the workplace.

Some employers are completely open to the likes of Facebook and Twitter and even encourage their use. Others are using the social network strategically to recruit employees, market their brand and serve customers. A third group is trying to figure out what are appropriate interactions on Facebook in the workplace.

Some employers debate whether or not to create guidelines to using social networking sites at work rather than ban it all together. However, debaters on the topic agree it needs to be all or nothing.

Other companies actually greet the use of social media at work, such as Campbell Mithun. There, Facebook and social media networking are greatly encouraged. The idea is that it helps employees understand the engagement on brands they represent, gain firsthand knowledge of the dynamics of these markets and overall understand consumer needs better.

Some workplace development experts believe that the decision comes right down to what kind of environment you want to create, and that the social media debate is the exact same debate businesses had over email at work a decade ago and personal telephone calls at work two decades ago. The question that needs to be asked is, do you want to create a climate of trust and empowerment or do you want to create a climate of distrust, monitoring and control?

I believe that just because companies have the authority to block social media doesn't mean they should.

There are More Unmarried Couples Living Together than Ever Before, Why? Is it the Recession or just a New Social Norm?

Recently, more and more young couples are living together and not getting married and the reason being seen as is the economic downturn. Further, this number is rising faster here in Minnesota, but why?

New U.S. Census estimates show the number of unmarried couples living together has spiked nationally during the recent recession and rose even faster in Minnesota. Demographers believe the increase is couples delaying marriage because of the cost, avoiding marriage altogether or moving in without a long-term plan because of short term financial pressures. While cohabitation has increased over the last 30 years, the recent uptick has surprised most experts. The Current Population Survey showed an increase nationally from 6.7 million unmarried couples living together in 2009 to 7.5 million couples in 2010. That's a huge jump!

The reason for this increase is unclear. Joblessness might be one of the reasons why couples say 'ok, do we really need two addresses?' It was determined that couples who recently moved in together were less likely to have jobs than couples who lived together more than a year. Beyond economics, a major reason for more cohabitation is couples who have children, but don't get married. Many couples today just see moving in together as a natural extension of dating. First, you have a toothbrush, and then maybe some clothes, and then eventually it doesn't make sense to pay rent on two apartments.

It's unclear why cohabitation is rising faster in Minnesota. The state has more married couples living together fewer divorces and separations, and fewer multiple-generation households. Who knows, this could create a new social norm in which unmarried couples also want to live together if it hasn't already.

The negative stigma surrounding unmarried couples living together has lessened in the last three decades, but hasn't disappeared. The old "living in sin" idea has changed since the time when landlords would deny apartments to unmarried couples, but instead today some couples find it a challenge to find a church to perform their wedding ceremony unless they first get legally married or agree to move apart. It is common for most unmarried couples living together to split up or get married within two years. It's been concluded that only 14 percent of couples are unmarried live together after five years.

Really, there are pros and cons to living together before marriage, the debate is still on. Time will only tell if this pattern becomes the norm and if it improves the stats of divorce. It's an interesting situation. Why do you think this is happening and what do you think the future will be for unmarried couples who have decided to try living together?

For the Love of the Fair: The Great Minnesota Get Together is Still Great

I have gone to the Minnesota State Fair every year of my life. Even when I was not even a year old, my parents stuck me in a stroller and carted me around the grounds. It's been a yearly tradition ever since. Before me, both of my parents went - every year. I guess you could say this tradition has run in the family since my great grandparents moved to Minneapolis from Iowa many years ago.

Every year, my day at the fair consists of the same things, it's almost like a 'yearly routine.' This doesn't mean I find it boring, I actually still enjoy it year after year. I find it comforting almost. Through the entrance off Como Avenue. Past the raft ride. Right, to the corn dog stand. Left to the French fries. Back across the street to the Dairy Building for milkshakes. Kitty-corner to the Agriculture Horticulture Building to look at the biggest vegetables. Out the other side to the Food Building, where the cheese curd stand is. Then outside to watch the parade and shop at the Bazaar. Then do the Skyride and Midway...

Nearly 2 million people are expected to attend the fair this year and most like me that keep coming back each year have their own approach.

Some will go for the long day, sopping up enough of the deep-friend, sugar-coated, high-volume, shoulder-rubbing experience to hold them over for another year. Some will visit in several short, four-to six-hour bursts. Some will go early in the day. Others won't show up until late to hit the midway and watch the fireworks.

Regardless of how you 'do the fair,' the event is nice because you don't have to do anything in a specific way. It's a day without rules. You can eat the greasiest food item at 10 in the morning, wear a goofy hat in the shape of a pickle, pig, etc, or watch a concert in the middle of the afternoon, and that's OK. At the fair there are no set meal times. You can do whatever you want.

Check out the Minnesota State Fair here for more information!

Connected and on Vacation

A year ago I camped in the Boundary Waters area for four days and didn't miss my phone or Internet connect one bit. I didn't even think about it! However, this year the a new debate has sprung up about how 'connected' one should be on their vacation - and the resorts Minnesotans love are trying to decide.

A few boulders are among the most popular sports at the YMCA's Camp du Nord on the southern edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It's not because of the views. The added elevation gets better cell-phone reception. A few miles north at the Lodge of Whispering Pines, the sauna is the only place that gets a signal, making for a lot of hot conversations.

All of us long to escape the weekly grind, but because of job pressures or a need to stay connected, many of us just can't seem to turn our cell phones off. Then, if we do make an escape, we want a lifeline, a place where we can tap into the world we left behind, even if it means hopping into a car and heading to the nearest town.

This need to stay connected has generated debate among resort and campground operators in Minnesota: How can you balance making visitors feel like they're escaping when they're really not? For the most part, resort owners are accommodating their guest's needs because they realize that vacations aren't what they used to be. And it's becoming evident that vacationers who do want that lifeline don't want to have to go to the lodge to wait in line for a common computer.

Today, jobs are more demanding and some employees 'feel bad' taking vacation time, especially since some worry they may not have a job to come back to if they don't try staying on top of their work while they're gone. Others just like the choice to 'check-in' or not. Regardless, I think we'll see some changes in this area. It will be interesting to see if one campground or resort jumps in offering phone and WiFi service first, and see how they do compared to the rest!

Minnesotans Rate Best in Volunteering

A new national study confirmed that the Twin Cities residents volunteer more of their time to their churches, charities and school than folks in any other metro area in the nation.

More than 900,000 Twin Cities residents, in the city and suburb, volunteered an average of 44 hours a year in 2009, according to the annual report by the federal agency overseeing national service programs. The rest of the state of Minnesota isn't lacking either. More than 1.5 million people volunteered in 2009, the third-highest ranking in the nation.

I think that Minnesota has a couple of things that push it to the top of these rankings. First, we have our "Minnesota nice" personalities. Regardless of the rude person you came across on your way to work today, generally the opinion across the nation of Minnesota people is that we're nice and care about one another and second, we have a strong nonprofit sector funnels volunteer energy.

For years, Minnesotans have ranked near the top nationally on volunteerism, voting and other forms of civic engagement." In fact, the Twin Cities area has topped this same survey for the past four years. The latest study showed that statewide, 1.5 million people volunteered their time, to the tune of 171 million hours last year.

The report showed that 37 percent of Twin Cities residents and those outstate volunteered in 2009. That civic spirit crossed all age groups, from seniors to 20-somethings. Baby boomers were particularly energetic: 40 percent reported volunteering in their communities.

Nationally, volunteerism is on the rise, said the report. More than 63 million Americans over the age of 16 volunteered at least once in 2009, an increase of 1.6 million. This could be because of the high unemployment, people are trying to fill their time while they're looking for work and want to try and help while they have the time.

The increase was fueled by higher volunteer rates among women, especially those age 45 to 54, as well as Americans who were working.

Minnesotans donate their time for many causes, but the top four are projects involving food for the disadvantaged, fundraising, teaching and "general labor," the report said. Roughly a third do their volunteer work at religious organizations and/or schools.

To see the full report, Volunteering in America, go to http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/.

Minnesota Nurses Negotiations: The Importance of Good Communication from Both Sides during a Strike

The 12,000 nurses that represent the Minnesota Nurses Association at 14 Twin Cities hospitals are threatening to walk out June 10 unless talks produce an agreement about pay increases of three percent for each of the three years, pension contributions and more flexibility in scheduling. Nurses claim to be stretched to the limit and don't have enough say in staffing levels. This is causing a low nursing morale and stressed out.

In this strike there are spokespersons from both sides stating their side of the disagreement. It's important this is, so that the clearest messages are communicated to one another and the press in hopes of reaching a settlement. I think that both defenders are doing a good job representing their sides' wants.

I side with the Minnesota Nurses Association, but still I can see both sides. The hospitals are struggling just like any other business during this downturn. They don't want to guarantee higher wages and pensions and other benefits if revenue is not growing. Also, hospitals want to be able to move nurses around hospital units depending on census numbers, even if a nurse is unfamiliar with their new surrounding and may not work as efficient.

Hospitals are an important part of society and nurses are a big piece of their operation. Patients are nervous that their care will be affected by the strike and hospitals are trying to prepare. Hospital communicators are making it clear that the strike will not affect their patient's care, which is vital. There is hope that the strike can be averted all together before 10 arrives.

Affected hospitals: Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, Unity, United and Phillips Eye Institute (all owned by Allina Hospitals and Clinics), St. John's, St. Joseph's and Bethesda (owned by HealthEast Care System), North Memorial, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Park Nicollet Methodist, Fairview Southdale and the Riverside campus of University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.

The Twins Home Opener is Here! Here's why the new stadium and this day are so special

Target Field represents the dawning of a new era of competitiveness for the Twins and vibrancy for downtown Minneapolis.

Target Field is a size challenged ballpark - wedged into downtown Minneapolis, but ranks among the best of the new ballparks. This is awesome since we live in an era when most every city that wants one owns a beautiful new ballpark. Target Field lacks a body of water to add atmospherics and a sense of place for those sweeping cityscape camera shots you see on national broadcasts, but wins for its architecture, integration into its city and for possessing the kind of artful touches that make fans proud.

Statues of Twin hall of Famers greet visitors to the games at Target Field. The Hall of Famers themselves, as well as more recent Twins stars, will welcome fans at various gates.

Minnesotans will not only see the sun for the first time since 1981 while attending a Twins game in Minnesota, but they will encounter homages to franchise history everywhere from Harmon Killebrew statue on Target Plaza to the old Met Stadium flagpole on the right field plaza.

Target Field powerfully evokes Twins history, but even though the stadium pays homage to the Twins past, it stands as a reminder that the Twins as a ballcub never has been more relentlessly competitive than they've proven to be in the last decade, and that the Twins as a franchise has never been healthier or more promising than today.

Some of the exciting home opener happenings today are:

• Unveiling of the Kirby Puckett statue
• The raising of championship flags by Twins stars: Jim Kaat, Jim Perry, Bert Blyleven, Frank Viola, Jack Morris, Eddie Guardado, Corey Koskie, Shannon Stewart, Brad Radke and Bill Smith
• Unfurl of giant U.S. flag
• The raising of the Twins Territory flag
• The debut of viewing of the Target Field
• An appearance from some special guests
• An induction of the Twins retired numbers
• The ceremonial first pitches
• The first time the Twins will take the field