Community Blog

Last night I made a quick trip down to the CVS pharmacy. As I pulled into a parking space, I noticed another car in the lot with its lights flashing and alarm screeching. I took a closer look and saw a young child, crying and panicked in the front seat. He was alone, probably about three years old and in near hysterics. He’d apparently tried to open the locked door setting the alarm off.

Needless to say, I made a scene inside the pharmacy to find the parent. It goes against my personality to draw attention to myself – and my demand for a parent did exactly that but, Hey! The situation warranted the action.

It really is tough when you have to run a quick little errand with children in tow. It’s very tempting to dash in and dash out – but things can happen and it’s simply not a safe choice for a child.

There are a ton of reasons to never leave a little one unattended in a car. If you see a child unattended, don’t hesitate to call for assistance.

I’m one of those women who loves to change her hairstyle often. I don’t … I can’t afford to nor can I grow my hair fast enough to accommodate the changes I’d like to make. But I still love a good ‘do’ or frequent change. When I’m contemplating a style, part of the fun of the whole venture is LOOKING for the new style – the one that will turn my whole life around. Is it a bob? A wedge? Maybe hair extensions? Whatever the final choice, the search is half the fun.

Good Housekeeping did a ‘before and after’ of the 5 Best Haircuts of All Time. Ok … the title is a bit over the top but the cuts are really cute and timeless!

How about you? Do you LOVE getting your hair done?

We’re headed down the home stretch toward Spring. With summer practically knocking at the door, most of us are waking up to the reality that we need to get back into the weight loss game. Soon enough we’ll be thawed out and back into our outdoor fitness routine – but things in the food department are going to have to change, pronto!

Reader’s Digest has outlined some great dietary tips in the article, 8 Dietary Downfalls and Solutions. As for me, I’m making a concentrated effort towards increasing my fruit intake as well as upping the amount of exercise I get each week.

How about you? What changes are you making to get ready for summer?

If you picked loneliness, you’re right. Harvard PhD Daniel Goleman says we’re, “wired to connect.” This hardwiring is the reason we fare in this life far better with each other than without. After much study and experimentation, he concluded that loneliness is of far greater risk to our health that smoking!

John Spayde says in his article, Why We Need Our Neighbors, “A strong sense of community adds real value to our lives.”

In this country, we take great pride in our independence and at times, take our desire to stand on our own two feet to such extremes that we place ourselves in danger. The classic Berkman/Syme’s study published in ‘79 revealed that people with few social ties were 2 – 3 times more likely to die of all causes than people with close and varied relationships. There is a direct correlation between our mortality and our isolation.

Bottom line: being a good neighbor and making friends is good for your health! Meet someone new here in our community! Connect with neighbors on our Greens at Edinburgh Facebook Page, meet up at a nearby coffee shop or invite a neighbor to go on a walk around the community. Take it from the PhD … human connections are good for you!

Do you know where you stand financially … where you REALLY stand? If you’re like me, it takes a thorough look at the bank statement every month to clarify where the money is going and if I’m hitting my mark. I am a very careful spender by nature but I made the decision a the first of the year that 2010 was MY year to get a handle of my finances in a more organized fashion. Part of that process for me was to create a filing and storage system that’s labeled and orderly. No more bills laying around the house like a tornado blew through! But I’m not done – there’s lots more to do!

This article, 10 Smart Money Moves found in Reader’s Digest has outlined 10 practical tips for regular folks just like me. Follow these 10 steps and you’re on your way to a healthier outlook on your own financial situation.

How about you? Do you have money management ideas you can share?

Ok, surrounding areas count as long as it’s reasonably close!

For Japanese, is it Mt Fuji in Maple Grove? The sushi rocks according to these reviews.

For home cooking, is it The 50’s Grill in Minneapolis? These reviewers rate it at a 5 stars.

For pizza, is it Marcello’s or maybe Papa’s Pizza & Pasta?

Sound off! What restaurant has you salivating?

Enjoy exhibits by local area artists Jeanine Kindlien (St. Paul), Sean Smuda (Minneapolis), Chris Mars (Minneapolis), Josh Blanc (Minneapolis) and Claudia Poser (Maplewood) at The Phipps Center for The Arts in Hudson. This exhibit will remain available through February 21.

Visit the Museum to celebrate the creative spirit!

109 Locust Street, Hudson, WI 54016 (715) 386-2305

Did you know that the color blue suppresses the appetite? That’s why you don’t see many fast food places dolled up in the color. Red, yellow and orange, on the other hand, tend to rev up the appetite so avoid those colors when it’s dinner time. Instead, serve food on blue plates or try a blue table cloth.

For 9 other helpful weight loss tips, check out this great article from All Recipes.com.

Do you have any helpful tips to share?

This library in Kansas City, MO made to look like a row of books is fabulous! I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s stuff like this that makes the world a better, more interesting place to live. These are some true architectural wonders!

This laugh brought to you by Reader’s Digest.

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