Blogs

POSTED Tuesday, January 1

It’s no secret that White Bear Lake and the surrounding communities have an abundance of terrific people, places and things that make them great places to call home. So, in effort to give a shout-out to all those people, places and things that make our lives so much richer and fuller, we are launching our inaugural readers’ choice survey, Best of White Bear Lake. With a myriad of categories, including Best Boutique, Best Caterer, Best Pet Grooming, Best Place for Live Music and Best Breakfast, just to name a few, well, you will have the opportunity to cast a vote for all your favorites.

 
POSTED Friday, November 16

Looking forward to that juicy turkey with all the delicious fixings on Thanksgiving? Well, if you participate in the “Fast Before the Feast” run put on by Tri Fitness, you can help make sure lots of other folks will eat well, too.

 
POSTED Friday, November 9

Tiger Oak Publications is seeking web and social media interns to work in our Community Lifestyle Magazines group, which includes titles geared toward the Edina, Woodbury, Lake Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, White Bear Lake, Plymouth, Maple Grove, and Southwest Metro communities. Our raft of CLMs are fresh, engaging, and entertaining titles that offer interns and writers a broad range of experiences, including fact-checking, proofing, and writing. See the job description below for a detailed look at the position.

 
POSTED Wednesday, October 31

By Sandy Swanson

Well, it’s started.

I just purchased my first holiday home décor item for 2012 during a road trip to Hayward, WI. My best friend is a fantabulous interior designer, and one of her clients hired her to completely furnish and decorate their new log home! Being the loyal friend that I am, I have recently clocked more time in boutiques and furniture stores than ever before. So who could blame me for buying a hand-embroidered satin tablecloth with holly berries for my great room coffee table? Nobody, right?

 
POSTED Monday, October 22

There are people in life who, as a pastor from my old church used to say, “carry their own set of lights.” They are illuminated from within and needn’t have anything other than their own greatness to make them shine. Eden Prairie High School graduate and Stanford University freshman Brandon Hill is one of those people.

A young man who writes with such passion, such clarity, such intellect, that I am reminded of my own foibles and shortcomings.

 
POSTED Wednesday, October 17

Tiger Oak Publications is seeking print interns to work in our Community Lifestyle Magazines group, which includes titles geared toward the Edina, Woodbury, Lake Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, White Bear Lake, Plymouth, Maple Grove and Southwest Metro communities. Our raft of CLMs are fresh, engaging and entertaining titles that offer interns and writers a broad range of experiences, including fact-checking, proofing and writing. See the job description below for a detailed look at the position.

 
POSTED Sunday, September 30

Last Thursday evening, over 100 people came to the beautiful Kellerman’s Event Center (look for a terrific piece about the talented Terry Kellerman and this historic building in the January issue) to celebrate the launch of White Bear Lake Magazine. There was terrific food (thanks to all the food vendors!), wonderful music, networking and a whole lot of fantastic folks just happy to be there. As editor of the magazine, I felt like a proud mama showing off her new bundle of joy.

 
POSTED Wednesday, August 29

With about two-thirds of school children overweight or obese, the Mahtomedi Farm to School program has worked to tighten our youngsters’ belts.

Mahtomedi has built its offering of fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers to about 25 percent of its menu during fall, says Linda Nordgren, the district’s supervisor of food service and purchasing.

Kids have noticed. When Mahtomedi serves apples from Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear Lake, they get gobbled up.

 
POSTED Wednesday, August 22

August of 2009 is the anniversary of when I became a homeowner. It also, not so coincidentally, marks when I began noticing all things house-related wherever I went. Before moving into my tiny 1950’s one-and-half-story home, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you the difference between eggshell and matte paint, what is so special about stainless steel appliances, or how some glossy white trim can really make the color on the walls pop. But when my husband and I bought our first house, I quickly started learning and forming my opinions.

 
POSTED Monday, July 23

Some people, if they’re lucky, have one passion they dive into with whole-hearted, unbridled abandon. And others, who are really, really lucky, have many passions that overlap and fill in the spaces of a life like the dabs of paint in a Monet. Dr. Reid Smith—Juilliard-trained pianist, accomplished cook, avid gardener, art devotee, revered teacher, world traveler—well, you could say he definitely falls into the latter category.

And I, being the lucky gal that I am, got to experience almost all of his passions in one delightful pasta-art-music-gardening-filled fell swoop.

 

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