Girlfriends mar apr 2017

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MAR/APR 2017

Girlfriends

12 PROFILE

Susan Rost and Maria Gannon: Longtime business partners and owners of Sunset Salon & Spa

Spring fashion 22 trends for 2017!

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from the editor

This has been a really fun issue to put together for you!

Spring is always such a hopeful season, and we’ve gathered some ideas of how to get your spring going in the right direction. A little light, a little color – they push away the cold and darkness of the past season. We’ll show you some new fashions (and, once again, even the names of the new colors evoke fresh thoughts and hope – lapis blue, primrose yellow, pale dogwood, pink yarrow), some new ways to get your gardening in shape, some ideas for updating your house.

We also will help you remember that anytime is a good time to get healthy; resolutions aren’t just for the flip of the calendar. Making new habits can begin any day of any month.

We’re very excited about our “Careers” section. Talking to women around the region about the work they do has been interesting and inspirational. From traditional careers to those that have generally been male-dominated, we show you ways local women are blazing new pathways and making their marks on people in our communities.

The stories this month have been eye-opening for me to read. The women we have spoken with and written about are amazing.

We hope you enjoy this issue and the stories our neighbors have shared with us.

forkner Moe

Happy spring!

Beth Forkner Moe is the editor of Southern Minn Girlfriends magazine.

PS – Don’t forget to check out our new website (www.southernminngirlfriends.com) and “like” us on Facebook!

It’s never too early to plan your

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about us editor: Beth Forkner Moe

contributing writers: Kari Berit Lisa Cownie Rian Dicke-Michels Trent Jonas Elizabeth Lippman Rachel Minske Sarah Osterbauer Megan Proft Marianne Radtke Terri Schlichenmeyer Sara Schlueter Anna Vangsness Isabelle Wattenberg Grace Webb Karen West Workman

multimedia consultants: Kristie Biehn Ginny Bergerson Nicole Brandon Kathleen Davies Missy Daschner Pam DeMorett Joan Koester Per Kvalsten Becky Melchert Mark Nelson Lori Nickel Jay Petsche Erin Rossow Kyle Shaw Gayle Stelten Autumn Van Ravenhorst

graphic designer: Kate Townsend-Noet

ad designers:

Mary Jo Blanchard Nicole Gilmore Jenine Kubista Kelly Kubista Kate McGillen Kayla McMullen Jennifer Schoenbauer

Volume 9, Issue 2

Copyright © Girlfriends 2017 Published Mar/Apr 2017 by: Southern Minn Media 514 Central Avenue Faribault, MN 55021

southernminngirlfriends.com Send releases and story ideas to:

Beth Forkner Moe at Girlfriends magazine, bfmoe@southernminn.com

Find Southern Minn Girlfriends on Facebook

contents features

5 A dream and a winning business

concept come to life in Owatonna Straight River Rug Hooking and Fiber Arts owner Joyce Weese.

8 Women who judge

Minnesota’s Third Judicial District is not “business as usual.”

12 PROFILE: Sunset Salon & Spa

Where a haircut is more than just a haircut.

15 New Prague

A great place for a girlfriend getaway.

18 Pathways of careers for women

Mapping out a career that is satisfying and sustainable.

20 Using social media to build your career

Which Social media channels to use when looking for employment.

22 Spring fashion trends

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Making a difference in the community and around the world.

36 Dr. Mohiba Tareen

Expert dermatology medical reviewer and skin commmunity expert located in Faribault.

41 Mindfulness in the workplace

Four ways to reduce stress and re-center at work.

accessories

11 a man’s perspective

44 book review 3 from the editor 46 gf directory

33 simplify 42 unexpected caregiver 38 wellness

What are the “go-to” colors and trends this spring?

24 How does your garden grow? Early!

Early gardening is an option more and more are embracing each year.

26 Specialty gardens are blossoming these days

Gardens have now grown into whatever you want them to be.

28 Love! That Look

Confessions of a “Pinterest Addict.”

29 Housing trends

Trading in traditional options for cost savings, low maintenance.

31 Home Sweet (market-ready) home Tips for getting your home ready to put on the market.

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34 Women in the Northfield Rotary Club

ON THE COVER: Maria Gannon and Susan Rost, owners of Sunset Salon & Spa, located in downtown Faribault.

Photo by Deborah Quam Photography www.deborahquamphotography.com

A dream and a winning business concept

come to life in

Joyce Weese, owner of Straight River Rug Hooking and Fiber Arts, located in downtown Owatonna.

Owatonna

S

By Anna Vangsness

traight River Rug Hooking and Fiber Arts of Owatonna owner Joyce Weese knows all too well the challenges that face entrepreneurs looking to open their first brick and mortar store. Not only does it take time and energy to start a business from the ground up, but it relies heavily on up-front costs.

With open storefronts in its downtown area, Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, along with the MainStreet Owatonna Program, were also noticing the same issue. Wanting to help bring in businesses that would do well in a downtown setting, the two organizations offered a retail challenge with quite an attractive prize: an incentive package worth up to nearly $30,000. “It was essentially a challenge spearhead-

ed by [former employee] Melanie Sunnarborg for an entrepreneur or start-up company to design a business concept that would help spur economic growth in our historic downtown,�

Brad Meier, President of the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, said.

Business owners vying for the grand prize had to meet certain eligibility concepts including, be a new retail business, be a second or third satellite business from an existing location in another town, or have a significant expansion of a current downtown retail business that included an added business concept.

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Joyce Weese, owner of Straight River Rug Hooking and Fiber Arts, located in downtown Owatonna.

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Participants were required to supply a business concept and plan, as well as present a final pitch to a group of judges, which included individuals and business owners from around the community. Six businesses’ concepts continued on to the second phases of the competition before finalists were chosen.

The winner? That would be Weese, an Owatonna resident who had been hosting rug hooking events in the area for the past 10 years. She learned about the retail challenge just one day before the first deadline.

“I just applied on a whim,” Weese said.

“I’ve always wanted to open a fiber arts store and I’ve been rug hooking for more than 20 years. I thought my business concept would be an innovation to downtown because there’s nothing like this. My passion is in the arts, and I think that came through and helped me get the winning bid.”

Meier couldn’t agree more with Weese.

“Her business is unique; it’s a niche and a good fit for downtown,” he said. “Weese had been doing the business from her home and had a following. Rug hooking is really a destination business and one that people seek out so they can go to their store and classes.

Those were the pieces of the puzzle that we thought made the most sense for a downtown business.”

As winner of the inaugural challenge, Weese was awarded a $20,000 forgivable loan from the Owatonna Economic Development Administration (EDA) that will become a grant with the condition that Straight River Rug Hooking and Fiber Arts remains open for five years. In addition, Weese received nearly $10,000 of in-kind services from Owatonna business owners, which included legal and advertising services.

Meier said the money donated by the EDA was a large incentive for retail challenge participants.

“The money is used to bring the space they choose to operate in up to the standards that they want,” he explained. “They can put in new lighting, carpet and shelving so it’s ready to go and they are on the right foot as they begin their business.”

Located at 104 West Park Square, Weese’s business is in a beautiful brick and stone-front business that faces Central Park. Inside is a workshop area where she now has enough space to host groups and classes, a private studio, a small kitchen area and a large room that holds supplies available for purchase.

“With the grant, I was able to furnish the space, buy fixtures and equipment, paint the inside of the building and have carpeting installed in one room,” Weese said. “It’s a very comfortable store and very spacious.”

Because of the success of the challenge, the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and tourism and the MainStreet Owatonna Program are hopeful to offer the incentive in the years to come.

“It’s exciting and it brings a lot of energy to the downtown area,” Meier said. “These are home-grown business ideas, so it’s people living right here that are trying to make a go of it and it’s been a way we can support them.”

Straight River Rug Hooking and Fiber Arts is open for business and Weese couldn’t be happier with the new destination she has helped bring to Owatonna.

“Winning the challenge changed a lot of things for me and the money helped such a great deal,” she said. “Everything is going great and I am very happy with the store and I’m getting a lot of support through the town. It’s just been wonderful.”

Anna Vangsness works in the healthcare communication field in Mankato and is a freelance writer. She resides in New Ulm with her husband.

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Judge Carmaine Sturino

Judge Jodi Williamson

WOMEN WHO JUDGE – In their own words

Minnesota’s Third Judicial District is not “business as usual”

By Beth Forkner Moe

N

ot many little girls grow up knowing they want to be a judge. But Carmaine Sturino did. “My (childhood) memories include driving around downtown with my family seeing the large courthouse and wanting to work in there,” she said. “My uncle was a government teacher and I collected all of his old books and would play school with them.”

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She carefully plotted out her school and professional track to attain that dream. It came true when she was sworn in as Houston County Judge on October 30, 2015.

When you think of a judge presiding over a courtroom, what comes to mind? You probably picture a stern-looking older gentleman with white hair and a very serious manner. That usually would have been a correct assumption in most cases, until relatively recently.

Our region, though, is different. Of the 23 judges in Minnesota’s Third Judicial District

(which covers south-central and southeastern Minnesota), 12 are women. That’s not the norm; nationwide, about 33 percent of judges are female, compared to about 27 percent globally, according to an article in “America’s Quarterly,” a judicial magazine.

We visited with Sturino and two of her colleagues – Judge Jodi Williamson of Dodge County (who will be the District’s Chief Judge beginning in July) and Judge Christine Long of Rice County – to ask them about their experiences in this male-dominated field. (Their an-

JW: Sending people to prison. Because you’re taking their liberty away. This is the absolute last resort of the criminal process.

GF: What’s most important to you in the work you do?

CL: I hope that the people appearing in front of me feel that they had the chance to be heard.

CS: That people leaving the courtroom know that I heard them and if things didn’t go their way, they have an understanding of why I made the decision I did. My heart has always gone out to our youth. Outside of the courtroom I am thinking about ways to get more support for their families.

JW: Doing it right - knowing what I’m doing, knowing my cases, being adequately prepared. I’m not running for Miss America – I don’t care if I’m popular. I want to do it right.

Judge Carmaine Sturino and son Cole.

swers have been edited for clarity and brevity.)

GF: Why did you become an attorney?

CL: (I didn’t have a clear career path) as an English major. I wanted to continue to learn, and I chose law school. (Becoming a) law clerk for the Hennepin County Attorney’s office child protection division ignited my passion for that area of the law. That led to a job in the Steele County Attorney’s Office where I…. focused on child protection, juvenile delinquency and child support enforcement.

CS: The fact that there was a process for people to be heard has always intrigued me.

As soon as I could apply for law school (after college), I did. (I grew up in a divorced family and) always had the ability to step back and see the bigger picture of what was going on without taking sides.

JW: (I graduated with an education degree), but….there was a glut of teachers (when I graduated). So I told my parents I was going to law school. I enjoy(ed) being an attorney.

GF: Why did you decide to become a judge?

CL: I had the opportunity to help people and families move toward positive change in my job in the County Attorney’s Office. After 15 years I decided/wanted to expand the impact of my work.

CS: (As mentioned above, she always wanted to be a judge.)

JW: After graduation from law school, I moved to Rochester to take a job as a judicial clerk. I became aware of how important the judges are. I really liked being in the courtroom, so I pursued the litigation aspect.

GF: What’s the best part of the job?

CL: Unfortunately in this job, we often don’t see our “success stories,” because they

are the ones who don’t come back to court.

But knowing that you’ve helped people through some of their toughest times and given them an opportunity for positive change in their lives is gratifying.

CS: Working with the public. It is a privilege to have perfect strangers show up in my courtroom every day and tell me about (often) the worst day of their life. Adoptions are some of the most special times.

JW: Doing adoptions. Everybody’s happy.

It’s the nicest thing that you do; it’s a celebration.

I enjoy the people part of it. The people I work with are dedicated and work hard.

GF: Do you think female judges rule/ act differently than male judges?

CL: I think any difference has to do much more with personality than gender.

CS: No. JW: It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female. There’s no gender inequity in this job.

GF: How do you think the community/ defendants/juries see female judges vs. male judges?

CL: As we see more female litigants, defendants, attorneys and other professionals that come into the courtroom, I think it is important that they know GF: What’s that their gender the worst? doesn’t matter, just CL: Conas the gender of stantly changing the judge doesn’t gears can be matter. difficult. Some CS: I think of the human there was a preexperiences sumption that I that come into would be overly courtroom are sympathetic, since heartbreaking.

I’m female and a Every day is former defense Judge Jodi Williamson and her dog. different; every attorney. I do not story is different; know that has every person is come to fruition. different.

JW: I don’t think it makes a difference (ex CS: All the decisions that need to be made cept in occasional situations). I’ve never seen that have nothing to do with hearing court it as issue, personally. cases. It’s not just hearing cases and making decisions; it’s fitting all the pieces together.

Sometimes this distracts from focusing on the merits of the case.

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GF: Have you faced any specific challenges in being a female judge (vs. issues of being relatively young when you first became a judge)?

CL: I don’t know because I only know my own experience. In Rice County, three judges retired in three years. (They had all been on the bench for about 30 years and were all older males.) As regular practitioners got to know us and our ways of doing things (they don’t see our gender).

CS: It is an entirely new thing for most areas to have judges who need to be at basketball games by 5:30 p.m. on a weeknight or kindergarten screening in the middle of the day.

I think the appointment of younger judges (male or female), coupled with the transition to E-courts (where documents are scanned electronically), has brought a change to what it looks like when some of us are burning the late-night oil on case prep. Our car may not be in the courthouse parking lot at all hours of the night, but once bath time is over we are at our kitchen counters working on our computers.

JW: I never felt a difference.

GF: How do your male counterparts act toward you? Are they supportive?

CL: My judicial counterparts were immediately welcoming and supportive, both male and female. In Rice County we have two male judges and one female judge. We have remarkably open communication and work together very well.

CS: The judges in our District are absolutely phenomenal – male or female - and I could not ask for better colleagues.

GF: What’s it like working in a district with so many female judges? Do you all watch out for each other?

CL: When I was appointed, there were four female judges in the district. Back then, we made a point for the women of our district to go out to dinner together at judicial conferences. Now half are female and that kind of “support group” isn’t necessary. I have enjoyed having the chance to informally mentor some of the newer female judges, though I’ve offered the same types of advice to some of the newer male judges.

CS: Our district has a lot of women; I don’t know that we “watch out for each other,” as I think the collaborative group does that.

However, having females already on the bench made the transition from mom-attorney to mom-judge a whole lot easier. These ladies all know what it’s like to be at work and trying to keep an eye on the weather to see if school will close early, wondering if their child’s backpack had everything this morning or even what needs to be picked up at the grocery store that night.

JW: We all watch out for each other.

GF: What’s it like being in the community as a “regular person” when you’re a judge?

CL: I was an assistant county attorney in the town where I live for 19 years; I’m used to “living in a fishbowl.” Every so often I’ll run into someone who appeared in front of me at a difficult time in their life and they’ll want to tell me about the good things happening in their life, show me pictures of their kids, or give me a hug. That’s wonderful. I was very involved in community non-profits in the past, but ethical rules as a judge and my busy work days have curtailed much of that involvement.

I miss it.

CS: I love happy hearings about kids. I also love home projects which includes local hardware stores. (A couple months ago) I stopped in one of our local hardware stores.

It was mostly empty except for me, the two people working there and a young boy around 6 years old. As I checked out at the counter, (where I sign using my married name) and obviously did not have my robe on, the store clerk learned over and whispered, “You are our Judge, right?” I whispered back, “Yes!” She smiled and pointed to the boy and said, “You gave me full custody of him, and he is doing absolutely great!” Early on as a prosecutor, I knew if I was not comfortable in my own skin doing my job and being out in the community, then it was the wrong job for me. I have carried that over to being a Judge.

JW: It doesn’t matter. The people who recognize and know me are often jurors. (This was an exciting experience for them and they) want to talk about their experience.

GF: At the end of the day, what is most satisfying about your job?

CL: Knowing that I have the opportunity to help people move through difficult times in their life – sometimes by making the decisions that they aren’t able to, sometimes by ordering them to do certain things, sometimes by protecting them from other people who are abusive or assaultive.

CS: My career has always been in public service and the most rewarding part has always been trying to make a positive difference in someone’s life when they are having the worst day of their life or are about to give up hope.

As an attorney, I believe the positive outcomes were able to be seen a little quicker as I working with individuals. Now that I am a judge, I feel the positive difference takes longer to see, but it is all the more rewarding when it happens.

JW: I just like my job. I really like what I do. It’s good to get up in the morning and like what you do.

Beth Forkner Moe is the editor of Southern Minn Girlfriends magazine.

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A man’s perspective

Careering into a “career”

jonas Trent Jonas is a Twin Cities-based writer and divorced father of two. He is fascinated and frightened by women but is working through his issues.

Not surprisingly, given that this issue focuses a bit on careers, I’ve been thinking of my own, and trying to figure out just what it is. The good ol’ Oxford English Dictionary (OED) says the noun “career” is “an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress.” Looking back at the 30 years since I graduated from high school, I’m not sure I’ve had a career in the dictionary sense… not yet, anyway.

I’ve been -- at various times, and in no particular order – a dishwasher, janitor, graphic designer, publicity guy, insurance agent, realtor, lawyer, security guy, researcher, day trader, server, bartender, restaurant manager, door-to-door salesperson, and hospital maintenance guy. At some point in my life I did each one of these jobs for at least 40 hours a week, over multiple weeks. In some cases, more than a year. In no case, more than a few years.

It seems like my career is more like OED’s verb definition…to “move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way in a specified direction.” Up ‘til recently, I would’ve argued that the only specified direction in which I’m moving is toward the end of my life. While, at 48, I’m still tracking that general course, it appears that there may’ve been another destination along the way. These days, when someone asks what it is that I do, I get to say, “I’m a writer.” Period.

For the last seven years or so, I’ve been a server/manager/researcher/salesperson and a writer.

In October, circumstances aligned in just the right way for me to slip into my writing pants (which are cargo shorts) full-time. The funny thing is, I’ve wanted to be a writer since working on the school newspaper in 11th grade. I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in English writing and went to work immediately as a graphic designer (so I can draw a little, too). Despite all my workshops, and even doing some work for the Minnesota Daily (the U of M’s newspaper), I had no idea how to be a writer. So I took the paths of least employment resistance, including a stint in law school (law was definitely not my thing), until 2010.

The recession was in full swing and yanked my research job out from under me. As I was applying for new situations, I came across an ad looking for someone to write online content. So, I threw in my hat, got the gig, and have being doing some kind of writing on the side for “a significant period of” my life now. But I was never able to do it full-time – and clearly hadn’t done much of it all for 20 years -- until last October. I’m kinda hoping I’ve careered into the career I wanted in college. Funny how things come around, isn’t it?

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PROFILE

Where a haircut is more than just a haircut

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“It’s a family atmosphere. Susan and Maria are wonderful to work with, and so family-oriented.”

- Andrea Bauer, an employee since 2005

By Grace Webb Photos By Deb Quam

I

n this hectic world where everyone always has an unending to-do list and precious little time to complete it, getting something as simple as a haircut can seem like a frivolous hassle. It’s easy to keep pushing it back, even as we push the overgrown bangs out of our eyes, telling ourselves that our time is needed somewhere—everywhere—else.

When we finally carve out ten minutes of free time, we’re tempted to rush to the nearest budget salon for a cheap and easy snip… even if the end result isn’t exactly picture-worthy.

But when it comes down to it, a good haircut isn’t quite so cut and dried as that.

Susan Rost and Maria Gannon understand the importance of a good haircut—and it shows on every customer who walks out of Sunset Salon, located at 511 Central Ave. in Faribault. But more than that, the two co-owners understand the importance of a good salon experience, regardless of the customer or the service provided. And that’s where their expertise really makes the cut.

One chair, one dream When New Prague native Susan Rost graduated from high school, she knew the next step was cosmetology school—but she never anticipated owning her own business only years later.

Rost came to Faribault to study, meeting future husband Todd shortly after. For the next four years, she worked at a salon in Faribault, but eventually she decided to spread her wings and try to make it on her own. Utilizing her husband’s carpentry skills, she built a salon in her basement in 1988 and started her own beauty business.

When she began, all she had was one styling chair and one manicure table—but almost immediately, she found a loyal and ever-growing clientele base.

“I was so busy, I couldn’t handle the volume,” she said.

That’s when one of her clients recommended that she get in touch with Maria Gannon, a fellow cosmetologist who lived in Faribault but was working in Burnsville. Gannon, who hails from Northfield, had also moved to Faribault to study cosmetology, meeting her husband Mike soon afterwards. The women felt an instant connection—so much that Gannon decided to be a part of Rost’s quickly growing business.

“We worked really well together,” Gannon explained.

While Gannon was licensed as a full cosmetologist, her focus had mainly been hair before coming to work with Rost. However, at the time, Rost’s business consisted mostly of nail services, so Rost helped train Gannon in that area. Even so, Rost still works more with nails while Gannon works more with hair.

Growing up After three years in Rost’s basement, the business had grown so much that it needed more space. It was first moved to a spot on 8th Avenue, but business just kept growing. In 1995, it moved to its current location on Central Ave. While this new home looks permanent, there have still been some changes in the past fifteen-plus years, with a handful of renovations to add a spa, a pedicure room, a massage room and a facial room, to name a few.

Along the way, in 1992, Rost and Gannon became full business partners.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Rost said. “[She and I] were clicking right along.”

Over the years, the business has grown to 24 CONTINUES ON PAGE 14 u u u

Great gifts Besides services too numerous to list, Sunset Salon also sells everything from hair products to skin and nail care items. There are dozens of brands and pretty much everything for any hair or skincare need.

“We have clients that don’t buy anything, and we have clients that stock their whole bathroom with what we have,” Gannon said.

In addition, the salon has a boutique-like retail space filled with soaps, candles, jewelry and other gift items.

Gannon explained that customers made it clear how Faribault had a need for more gift stores, which is why the salon branched into offering more merchandise.

It’s the same reason Sunset Salon has such long hours, staying open until nine most weeknights—so folks can still buy gifts after work.

Contact info 511 Central Ave, Faribault 507-334-1714 sunsetsalon.com

u u u PREVIOUS PAGE: Maria Gannon and Susan Rost, owners of Sunset Salon & Spa, located in downtown Faribault.

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“This is therapy for me. I get to visit (sometimes a little too much), get things done, feel good… Everyone is so nice here, and I’m always happy with the services I get.” - Linda Foellmi, a customer since 1992 to cut and style naturally curly hair through the Deva Curl hair product line, resulting in Sunset Salon becoming a certified Deva salon. That line of hair product is now the salon’s biggest seller, and people have come from as far as Chicago just to utilize it.

One big family

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employees and two independent contractors, along with 14 hair stations, seven manicure tables, a makeup station and more. They offer everything from electrolysis to perms to pedicures. Rost and Gannon are working to add eyelash extensions to their list of services, and they’re always open to suggestions from clients to meet people’s needs.

“Any service that customers may be interested in, there’s always someone here who’s willing to learn it and provide that service,” Gannon said.

The two women also encourage their staff members to explore anything they’re interested in, placing a huge emphasis on education. In 2012, 12 staff members traveled to New York to learn how

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Rost and Gannon definitely have their hands full managing such a robust business—but they still find time to staff their own chairs, maintaining relationships with clients that they’ve had for years and even decades.

“We have a very loyal clientele,” Gannon said, adding that there are clients who have worked with them and their stylists for more than 30 years.

Yet, the salon also sees new clients come in all the time. And, Rost pointed out, there is no one “main” type of client. Sunset Salon serves men, women and kids of all ages, from 90-year-old ladies to babies getting their first haircut. In addition, the salon serves a wide range of southern Minnesota, from Rochester to Eden Prairie, Owatonna to Minneapolis.

The secret to their success: treating every client like they’re part of the family.

“It’s a personal career,” Gannon said. “Our clients become our friends and family. So do our employees. There are few other careers like this one. We touch people every day, physically and emotionally. It’s a gift.”

“You really get to know people,” Rost agreed. “For all the years that I’ve been a cosmetologist, I’ve always loved coming to work.

It’s always been a joy to come here and do what I love to do.”

That care for others extends to the rest of Sunset Salon’s staff.

One major way that Rost and Gannon watch out for their staff members is making sure no one has to choose between work and family. Instead, people have the freedom to build their schedules around things like their kids’ sports and after school activities.

“We’ve always had the standard that family comes first,” Gannon said. “[No one] has to miss anything important because they’re always supposed to work on Tuesday nights. If we need to change their schedule, that’s what we do. That may not always cover the hours that we need covered, but we think it’s more important to have an employee who’s happy and successful in their personal life and their work life.”

“We don’t want to miss anything special with our kids, either, so we understand,” Rost said.

Making the time count Whether it’s a simple trim or an elaborate pre-wedding makeover, Sunset Salon and its staff strive to make every appointment special.

“Many people tell me, ‘This is the only hour once a month that I have just for me,’” Gannon said. “We better make it count.”

“People love it when they walk out of here, and they tell us that,” Rost added.

Grace Webb is a wandering reporter whose home base is Mankato.

A Great Place for a Girlfriend Getaway

New Prague N

ew Prague, located 45 miles southwest of the Twin Cities, is a bridge between the metro area and the rural part of the state. According to its website, its motto is “A Tradition of Progress.”

The city of about 7,500 people was established in 1856 and has a rich history of Czech, Bavarian and Bohemian culture.

According to Debbie Kalousek, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, the city is a great place to visit.

“We have a great selection of specialty shops downtown, including boutiques, antiques, florists, clothing, jewelry, almost anything,” she said. “We also have nice walking paths, beautiful parks, and a downtown winery with a really cool vibe.”

Kalousek said that a group of stores and restaurants on and around Main Street work together to promote the community and each other. Shops on Main often holds events for people to come together and have the opportunity to do things. One such event, Sister Saturday, was held in mid-February. Activities included brunch, shopping and prizes.

Cheryl Skluzacek, owner of Mosaic on Main, said Shops on Main holds events throughout the year, including Crazy Days in the summer, Ladies’ Night out in the October, Deer Hunters’ weekend and Small business Saturday in November, and more. Check out their Facebook page – New Prague Shops on Main – to find out more. The group of participating stores, and the events held, can be found on the page.

“We work together as a group and try to promote all our businesses as much as we can,” Skluzacek said.

Some of the city’s main community events include: Run New Prague (half-marathon, 10K, 5K, and kids’ fun run) on May 6; Czech Out New Prague, a business and community event showcasing what New Prague has to offer, on August 3; and the Dozinky Festival and Classic Car Cruise (a Czech Harvest Festival patterned after the “Old Country” original, celebrated annually in the Czech Republic to give thanks for the bountiful harvest), on September 16.

“There’s a wide variety of things to do,” Kalousek said.

“There’s always something going on. New Prague is just a really nice smaller town.”

“We are a great little destination town,” Skluzacek said.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 16 u u u MAR/APR 2017

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Skluzacek’s Quality Meats 952-758-6328 400 Main St. W. New Prague, MN

119 West Main • New Prague • 952.758.2422 www.marquardtjewelers.com

MAR/APR 2017

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17

of Careers for Women

A

By Elizabeth Lippman

s millions of marchers recently demonstrated, women’s and workers’ rights remain at the forefront of human rights efforts across the country and around the globe. Even the most seasoned professionals still have difficulty navigating the complexities of issues like pay equity, childcare, healthcare, paid family leave, sick days, and healthy work environments. For women just preparing to enter the work force, for others contemplating a career reinvention, and even for parents and mentors seeking to guide others along their journey, such factors can make high-stakes decisions seem all the more intimidating.

Despite the challenges, women have access to a greater variety of career options than ever before, and possibilities for professional growth are continually expanding. With some flexibility and careful planning, you can map out a career pathway that is satisfying and sustainable. Below are some tips to consider.

Think outside the box.

“Women today have many career choices, but they often still choose fields of study based upon what they are most familiar with,” says Barb Embacher, Dean of Workforce Education and Training at South Central College, with campuses in Faribault and North Mankato. Even though there are good-paying careers and many women have found success in fields like civil engineering, technology, mechatronics, welding, agri-business, carpentry, information technology, and more, she typically sees fewer than three female students in each of these classes (of generally 30 students) at South Central.

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Fuel your interests and classroom learning with real-world experience.

Beginning in high school (and before!), seize opportunities to explore what motivates you. Let your hobbies, skills, and intellectual leanings lead you outside of your normal realm of experience or comfort zone - whether that means traveling abroad or deepening your relationship with your own neighborhood. “I truly believe that women can be successful in any career,” Embacher says. “They will be very successful if their career choice fits their interests, passion, and skills - and if they are supported.”

Utilize the career services available at your educational institution.

They often offer career interest surveys and can connect you with the regional, state, and national employment data you need to make an informed decision. “Explore career paths and high-demand, high-wage careers that match your strengths, interests, and abilities,” states Embacher. Staff are trained to help you interpret the wealth of information that is out there and how it aligns with your particular values and potential choices.

Know your place.

Don’t view college simply as a temporary getaway in a remote location. Start networking now, and capitalize on area connections and opportunities. It’s good practice, and the energy you invest locally will almost certainly expand your options elsewhere.

Job shadow people in professions that interest you.

Many businesses and organizations are eager to allow women to experience the day-to-day realities of various professions. High school counselors and college advisors are there to help connect you

APPLY NOW!

with the hands-on learning and on-site observation that often prove invaluable when deciding between one career or another.

Time will bring inevitable change, but an updatable list of goals will help keep you focused on what is important to you now.

Understand your worth.

“A lot of (both) young and older women don’t consider the higher-wage jobs,” Embacher warns. “It traps women from being financially independent, head-of-household earners.” Know that schools and instructors are placing great emphasis on recruiting females. And, even though women may be in the minority in some fields, “when you mix men and women in a team environment in the classroom, it’s a much stronger environment for learning,” she says.

Be aware that much work still needs to be done.

Unfortunately, some women still enter workplaces in traditionally male-dominated jobs and face challenges,” Embacher reminds us.

“So all of us need to be role models and mentors to our girls, granddaughters, friends and colleagues to encourage them to pursue the career they want.” She continues, “Once they get out there, they feel like they have to be tougher. Sometimes they are sexually harassed.

We need a multi-faceted approach. It’s not just exposing women to exciting career fields, but keeping them in the programs and making sure they’re not treated unfairly. Those mentoring relationships need to be deliberate.”

Find mentors, even early on.

Embacher emphasizes the tremendous importance of having access to professionals who have been there and can offer encouragement and perspective. “We do a lot of things at the college to excite young girls in middle school and high school,” Embacher says, describing camps and other activities South Central coordinates to help expose young women to the full breadth of possible careers.

“It’s imagining it for themselves and then having the confidence,” she continues. Having a mentor can help assure them that they can be just as successful as men are.

Set clear goals.

Have 5-, 10-, and even 20-year plans to serve as a compass as you manage your initial career decisions, and don’t be afraid to revise them as you grow to better understand yourself and your profession.

Remember you’re not locked into a choice forever.

Finding the balance between your interests and the career advantages you desire often lends itself to a winding path instead of a straight one - but that shifting perspective can be immensely rewarding. Continue learning and growing so you’re ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities down the road. “We need to give women confidence that they can really contribute and make a difference,” Embacher says.

Elizabeth Lippman is a freelance writer and editor based in Winona, Minn. She holds a master’s degree in literary nonfiction. A mother of four, she loves the Appalachian Mountains, her garden and honeybees, and much good music.

Nicollet County Bank's Board of Directors welcomed Mrs. Esther M. Gault as the first female director of the bank in 1963, after her husband L.J.(Bink) Gault's death. Prior to raising four children with L.J. Gault, Esther grew up on what's now the Schott farm in Gaylord, Minnesota. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1916, along with her brother Ray Highberg.

Esther taught Geometry and Mathematics before she became the school's principal in Warren, Minnesota. The photo of Esther on the soap box was when she was attending Gustavus, with a group of classmates. Esther was a woman ahead of her time, yet baked brownies that could rival our current bank president (Esther's grandson) Sam Gault's brownies!

A moment in history, with www.nicolletcountybank.com 220 South Third Street Telephone 931-3310 • St. Peter

MAR/APR 2017

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19

Using Social Media to

Build Your Career

By Isabelle Wattenberg

E

levator pitch memorized? Check. Extra copies of your resume, printed on heavyweight paper? Check. Lucky hair tie?

Check. When it comes to landing that dream job, interview prep is paramount, from company research to an injection of “conquer-all attitude.”

But often the first step is how you look “on paper” – and, increasingly, on social media. Twitter and Facebook might be your go-to platforms for posting vacation pictures and sharing pithy quotes. But they’re also often

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untapped - or overlooked - tools for connecting with potential employers and professional peers.

With 69% of Americans using social media - up from just 5% in 2005, according to the Pew Research Center - it’s becoming not just acceptable but even expected that job seekers and employees will connect with companies on social media.

Dr. Amy Jauman is Chief Learning Officer at the National Institute for Social Media, which provides social media education and certification for business professionals.

“Social media kind of is my professional life,” Jauman said. “People of any background and experience level have the opportunity to connect with and impress leaders in almost any industry and organization [through social media].”

Using social media, job seekers can share digital resumes, connect with fellow professionals, search for jobs and showcase their expertise in a given field. LinkedIn is a natural platform for networking: each user builds a profile that lists employment history, education and professional skills.

Users can share this profile information with fellow users to build a network of contacts, some of whom might know decision-makers at the very company you’re eying.

Jauman recommends keeping active Twitter and Facebook presences as well: sharing links and articles from your account demonstrates your own industry knowledge, while following company and industry leader accounts serves as a soft introduction to let them know you are interested in their

work and mission.

For those happy with their current jobs, social media is equally powerful. LinkedIn users, for example, can write op-eds and articles about their own experiences and share these articles with their networks as a way to build clout in their professional field.

“I’m very excited about the direction social media is going for business professionals,” Jauman said. “It wasn’t that long ago that the average leader in an organization was likely to dismiss social media as ‘kid stuff’ that doesn’t have a place in the business world. But today, more and more people value a digital presence.”

Which Social Media Channel Should I Use? • Use Twitter – to show you’re engaged with current trends and news in your career field. Share relevant articles and retweet links or posts from fellow professionals.

• Use Facebook – to follow and research companies you’re interested in. Many companies post updates and photos on Facebook, which is a good indication of the company culture.

You can interact with company pages by Liking, Sharing, or Commenting on their posts.

• Use LinkedIn – as an online resume and to network and job search. Your profile

provides a central location for sharing your professional skills, education, previous jobs and project successes. LinkedIn’s job search tool helps you pinpoint jobs based on skillset, position or company. And LinkedIn’s network feature helps you identify professional connections who can facilitate introductions and informational interviews.

Jauman’s Do’s and Don’ts for job searching on social media.

• Don’t use social media to directly contact someone if you don’t know them.

• Do find a mutual connection to introduce you to the contact you want to meet.

• Do be consistently active on social media. An empty or neglected profile suggests you aren’t involved or don’t understand how the platform works. Jauman points out that if you only update your profile when you’re searching for a new job, your connections (and even your current employer) might notice.

• If your work involves social media strategy, Do be willing to take on projects for free, but Don’t take them on unless the completed project will enhance your portfolio or lead to future paid business. Often, people will ask you to volunteer your skills and time without understanding the time investment required to create a successful social media strategy and.

Isabelle Wattenberg is a social media and data analytics specialist for MSP Communications. She spends her spare moments listening to opera, reading Alice in Wonderland, and writing about Minnesota happenings.

Stop by the mill store and discover our new cotton and LIGHTwool collections featuring our legendary quality and craftsmanship. While you’re here, take the mill tour* and discover one of the last operational mills in the USA. TM

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MAR/APR 2017

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21

Spring Fashion

A

Compiled by Marianne Radtke

s you know, PANTONE releases its top color trends several times a year. These colors are projected to be the “go-to” colors for fashion (both clothing and home products).

This spring, the organization forsees “a mixture of vitality, relaxation and the great outdoors.” According to its website, the colors will range from those “that are bright and vivid to those that convey a sense of earthiness and are reminiscent of the hues that surround us in nature.”

The spring 2017 PANTONE Fashion Color Report says the top 10 colors will be: • Niagara, a demin-like blue

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• Primrose Yellow • Lapis Blue, an intense blue • Flame, a red-based orange • Island Paradise, a refreshing aqua • Pale Dogwood, a quiet pink • Greenery, a tangy yellow-green • Pink Yarrow, a bold pink • Kale, a foliage-based green • Hazelnut, a neutral brown

Local retailers also have their take on what they think the big sellers will be this spring.

Ashleigh Moelter, owner of The Refinery in St. Peter, recently got back from Spring Markets in Atlanta and Dallas. She saw a lot of pastels, generally lighter than the typical spring pastel palette.

“Florals will be a huge trend this year,” she said. “And bell sleeves will be back in again as a big new trend.

Clothes will be comfortable, casual and flowy.”

Moelter joked that “everything old is back in again.” She said if you just hold onto your clothes long enough, they’ll eventually come back into style.

As far as home décor (which The Refinery also carries), she is seeing a lot of neutrals this year. Style is filled with whites, beiges and other neutrals that can be mixed and matched. The looks, she said, are very clean and often farmhouse style (think Joanna Gaines and Magnolia Market).

In general, Moelter said, she anticipates that people will lighten

n

up both their wardrobes and their homes, with fresh, clean looks and casual comfort.

Krin Finger, owner of The Rare Pair in Northfield, attended three trade shows in Las Vegas in late February (Magic, Platform and Project). We talked with her before the shows, and she told us what she was expecting to see and learn.

“Clothing trends will be synced with the PANTONE colors,” she said, adding that she expected to see two versions of color this year.

The first trend she anticipated was a lot of blues, from navy and chambray to teals and aquas. She also expected that jewel tones will play a big role in upcoming fashion styling.

“Jewel tones are in the eye of the beholder, so whatever the individual likes, goes,” she said. Those colors might include ruby red, emerald green, amethyst, or many other options.

She believes that blouses with prints will trend, with feminine, flowy, floral, small patterns. Often, the prints will be paired with solid bottoms.

Shoe styles, Finger said, will be going back to flats, including slip-ons, slides, skimmers and ballet flats. She anticipates they will be feminine, pretty and dainty.

No matter the styles that are in stores this spring, and whatever you choose to purchase and wear, they are sure to be lovely and make you feel beautiful.

Marianne Radtke considers herself a “hobby writer.” She lives in Northfield with her husband and their four children.

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How does your garden grow?

I

By Lisa Cownie t’s the time of year when many of us begin looking ahead in the calendar, anticipating warmer days and greener landscape.

And for some, it’s the time to start planning a garden.

Yes, even though the ground may be still be hard and in some cases covered with snow, you can be resourceful and get an early start to planting. Wouldn’t it be great to be the first one in your neighborhood with fresh veggies and blooming flowers when the season finally does turn to summer?

Early gardening is an option more and more are embracing each year.

According to Sara Johnson Malchow of Drummer’s Garden Center and Floral in Mankato, “I’d call this any type of plant care indoors rather than garden planting. It could include houseplants, terrariums, forcing bulbs, miniature gardens and seed-starting.”

For one thing, seeds are less expensive than plants. Not only that, but you can buy seeds for many more varieties than you can buy plants for sale. More variety will allow you to experiment with differ-

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ent flavors, shapes and colors.

“Absolutely anyone can do it,” Johnson Malchow said. “Starting a garden with seeds indoors is especially popular with anyone wanting to grow a particular variety that can’t be purchased as a plant.”

By getting an early start, you can harvest your favorite edibles over a longer period by planting varieties that mature at different times.

“It’s also popular with people who want to make sure their vegetables follow certain standards, like organic gardening, for example,” she said.

The first step is to prepare the seeds for indoor planting. Remember to not start them too early, especially tomatoes. Many annual flowers and vegetables can be sown indoors about six weeks before the last frost. Always read package instructions; some seeds may have to soak first.

“This is the time of

year when people get anxious to start, but you have to wait at least until the end of March. The only vegetables that are necessary to start earlier would be onions and certain flowers like impatiens,” she said.

Next, choose your container. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy; it can even be an egg carton or a yogurt cup. Make sure to thoroughly clean the container and poke holes in the sides near the bottom of the containers. Also, label your containers right away so you know what it is when it starts sprouting.

Finding the right indoor location is important. For most seeds and seedlings vegetables, lighting is important. Talk to your local nursery’s gardening expert to find out what lighting will be best for what you are planting. For flowers and other plants, lighting isn’t as important until they start to poke through the soil.

Speaking of soil, preparing the right soil is easier with indoor gardening because you are working with less space. You can even use a seed starting mix right from the bag.

Once your plants begin growing, don’t transplant them outside too early.

“The goal with indoor gardening is always

to get sturdy, strong plants to put in the ground,” Johnson Malchow said. “Think about it; you are taking the little plants from the serene, calm environment of the indoors to the outside where anything could happen. So you need sturdy plants for transplanting, not started too early or under the wrong conditions. “ Seed packages will guide “Absolutely you on the right anyone can do time of it. Starting a garden the year with seeds indoors is to plant especially popular with based on your anyone wanting to grow a region. particular variety that can’t If you’re be purchased as a plant.” not sure, ask a local - Johnson Malchow gardener or a University of Minnesota Master Gardener.

Lisa Cownie writes from North Mankato. Her work can be found at lisacownie.com.

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Help Your Imagination Grow

T

By Lisa Cownie

here was a time when a garden was just, well, a garden. A simple plot of ground where one could plant flowers, shrubs, vegetables even fruits or herbs. Boy, have gardens come a long way. They have now grown into whatever you want them to be.

Do you want to attract butterflies to your yard? There’s a garden for that. Do you want to grow the ingredients for a specific favorite meal, like pizza? There’s a garden

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for that. Want to attract fairies who, in turn, will help attract good luck to your home? Yes, there’s even a garden for that, too.

“The three most popular gardens this year will be container gardening, perennial gardening, and fairy gardening,” Julie Donahue Zweber, of Donahue’s Greenhouse in Faribault, said. “The young and the young at heart love to create fairy gardens!”

A fairy garden is a mini-garden complete with a variety of plants and structures. It is said to lure fairies - and with them good luck - to your home.

“I would describe a fairy garden as a

miniature landscape,” Zweber said. “You start with a large container. In it you can make hills and pathways, as well as plant tiny trees, palms, and ground cover like moss. Then the real fun begins! You can add cottages, barns or any other type of small building that suits your interest. And don’t forget to accessorize. You can add such things as miniature swings, arbors, wheelbarrows, fences or ponds. Finally, bring your fairy garden to life by adding fairies, trolls, farm animals, dogs, cats or bunnies.”

She says vertical gardens are also gaining in popularity.

“Do you have an area that you want to cover, like an old fence? Or, do you have a neighbor who always has a mess that you don’t want to look at anymore?” Zweber asked. “All you need is a bare fence or something for a plant like Clematis to grab on to and you will have a beautiful vertical garden.

Clematis is a perennial vine. There are many different varieties, colors, heights and blooming times, so it’s a good choice.”

Zweber said other good plants for vertical gardens include climbing rose bushes, honeysuckle, and silver lace vine, all of which are perennials. Annual vines you can use include black-eyed Susan vines, morning glories, passion vines, and candy corn plants.

Zweber said that, with guidance, you can develop any kind of garden you want. She offered a few tips to consider before visiting a garden center this spring. First, determine where you will be planting. Once you’ve figured that out, determine how much sunlight the plants will get in that location.

“Watch your space for a day. Go out and

look at the space during the different times of the day. Do trees shade the area at any time during the day?” Zweber said.

Consider how much space you’ll have and how tall you want the plants to be. This will help when you are selecting your plants and how far apart you will be spacing your plants.

“Height is an important thing to consider,” Zweber said. “You don’t want plants to grow so tall they block a window or cover a shorter plant that is planted behind another.”

Select colors you love and decide if you want annuals or perennials. It’s also important to know what your soil is like – clay, sandy or nice, black dirt – before you go to the garden center.

“If you have answers to the previous questions it won’t seem so overwhelming,” Zweber said.

“The internet is a great place to fuel your imagination when it comes to gardening.

If you are brand new and have never had a garden, look into community gardening.

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These are public spaces where you can typically rent a plot of land to plant ornamental, edible and medicinal plants. You can learn from those around you.”

Lisa Cownie writes from North Mankato. Her work can be found at lisacownie.com.

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I

By Karen West Workman t started innocently enough. In fact, it started with really good intentions. I went on a weight loss program but found my clothes becoming either too sloppy big or, as for my stashed favorites that I could finally fit into again, decades out of date.

What’s a girl to do? Go shopping, of course.

I began with consignment shops. That is where I developed a keen eye and taste for designer clothes.

Before long, I found myself at retail outlet malls and slid downhill from there.

I would get a lay of the land and spot potential targets on Pinterest, the world-wide, multi-layered bulletin board of everything. On that website, I could recognize the weaker, more pedestrian styles and zero in on the exciting garments worthy of a chase. I discovered the thrill of the hunt. With fashion trophies in mind, I would stalk my prey. Sale at Nordstrom? I was first in line. Designer clothing parties? Count me in. I even signed up for a personal shopper program to get suggestions from a professional.

That personal shopper thing was great fun. I would let a fashionista know what styles I liked by marking “Love!” on my favorite looks online and post them on my own Pinterest page.

Soon I would receive a small collection of my most loved tops, bottoms and shoes, creating a trendy look that would set me apart from commoners.

I got carried away with Pinterest. Soon I found myself mark-

ing “Love!” on pictures of women wearing everything from impossibly high red stilettos, to camo leggings paired with a furry white vest, to artfully tattered blue jeans topped with a zippered leather bustier. On Pinterest, I collected the coolest looks on the planet. Sadly, this didn’t help my fashionista shopper find outfits that I would really wear but I suppose it gave her insight at to what I might wear if I was much younger.

Sometimes I would keep an item, but I think my shopper has thrown up her hands with all my rejections.

I stand before you today and admit: I am addicted to fashion, shopping and Pinterest. I have to say, cruising through Pinterest is like good old fashioned window shopping. That is where I get inspiration. It gives me purpose when I go on a shopping mission. I get great joy from finding awesome clothes and even more excited if the price doesn’t rip the numbers off my credit card.

Note to self: Online shopping is a dangerous thing. Did you know there are websites where fabulous designer pieces are sold for practically free? Crazy. And very bad for someone who falls for all the wrong clothes. With just a few keystrokes, I can buy all the clothes I will never wear.

I can live with my husband’s raised eyebrows and disbelief that I really needed another pair of shoes, another pair of jeans, another jacket. I can wrap myself in my new designer sweater and window shop for beautiful clothes that I promise myself I won’t buy. Unless the price is right.

Karen West Workman is a freelance writer with a sense of adventure. She enjoys flying, sparkly things and good chocolate.

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Housing trends:

Granny pods are a cross between a recreational trailer and a tiny home.

(Flicker photo)

trading in traditional options for cost savings, low maintenance

T

By Rachel Minske

here are a number of housing trends sweeping through southeastern Minnesota and beyond. Many homeowners are trading in their lawnmowers and snow blowers for a low-maintenance lifestyle, while others are finding alternative options for caring for a sick loved one when space is limited.

One up-and-coming housing trend to keep an eye out for is an increased desire for townhomes.

That’s according to Debra Salmonsen, owner of Re/

Max in Faribault.

“With the senior housing being so expensive, I think it’s going to be the wave of the future pretty soon,” Salmonsen said. Townhomes offer the perfect blend of having a space of your own but with less maintenance work than a home, she said.

And townhomes are not only for seniors, Salmonsen said. The real estate expert predicted the housing option being a popular one for millennials who may not have the mechanical knowledge for what it takes to maintain a home.

Salmonsen referred to the current housing market as “fun” and noted that bigger is not always better these days.

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looking for the grandeur home,” she said. “They’re looking for something they can raise their family in and not bust the bank.”

Senior co-ops offer social environment, independence Doing away with the hassles of a Minnesota winter and the upkeep responsibilities of being homeowners, while still having something to call your own, are aspects of living in a senior cooperative community.

“Senior co-op housing is kind of an in-between step for people that are homeowners and like to be homeowners and have their independence, but want to get rid of some of the maintenance,” Brad Pfahning, Business Development Manager at Lasson Management, said. “They’re not at a stage yet in their lives where they need assisted living or nursing home services.”

Based in Owatonna, Lasson manages a number of properties throughout the state, including senior cooperative living. Those who live in the 55-and-older community pay a monthly fee which covers maintenance, insurance and some of the utilities, Pfahning said. Everyone living in the co-op owns a share of the building, which costs about a third of what a condominium would, he said.

The building often includes a large group kitchen and a large eating area where residents can host events, like a family gathering. The buildings often include an exercise room, a shared laundry space, a library and indoor parking, among other amenities.

Betty Hager lives in a senior co-op managed by Lasson and said she visited the property often to play cards with friends before she eventually decided to move in herself.

“My husband had been gone just about seven years when I decided the yard work was too much for me,” Hager said, who has lived in the co-op for nine years.

Among the things Hager enjoys about senior co-op living is the heated garage, the cheery interior design and the expansive library.

Plus, she has made a number of profound friendships within her community.

“You get to know the people and you have social events together with them,” she said, adding that a social committee plans a couple events every month. “You can do as much as you want to with a social event, or (you) don’t (have to) do anything.”

Granny Pods offer nursing home alternative Granny Pods are another housing trend making their way into southeastern Minnesota.

The small dwellings are a version of a tiny home, Northfield City Planner Scott Tempel said.

The Northfield City Council voted to opt out of Granny Pod legislation last year, but recently decided to give the concept a try.

The units are designed to be a healthcare pod and have heat and insulation while also being ADA-accessible. Many of the pods come equipped with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, within a small footprint.

In Northfield, Granny Pods must be 240 square feet or less and must be situated on a paved surface, like a driveway, Tempel said.

There is a six-month limit (extensions are available) on the Granny Pods, which are intended for those who are sick or elderly.

“If someone breaks a leg, they’ll have to bring a hospital bed into the (house’s living) room,” he said. “This could be a less intrusive method.”

One great appeal of Granny Pods is their affordability, Tempel said.

“For someone who has an injury or an illness and needs care it could cost $4,000 or 5,000 a month,” he said. “You could lease one of these pods from the company that builds them for $1,500 a month.”

Tempel said the city of Northfield is unsure of the need for Granny Pods; over the last few years the city planner said he’s received just one request for a tiny home.

“It’s kind of an experiment,” he said.

Rachel Minske is a multimedia journalist. When not writing, she’s usually drinking coffee and asking questions.

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(Market-Ready) Home

By Sara Schlueter

G

etting ready to put your home on the market? There is no need to do major home repairs or renovations to get the best price. Read on for some simple tips and tricks to get your home in tip-top shape!

First things first, “Sellers don’t need to spend a lot of money getting their home ready for the market,” Lynn Johnson, broker/owner—Coldwell Banker Home Connection (Albert Lea and Owatonna) and Coldwell Banker South Metro (Northfield), said. “However, different price ranges bring differing buyer expectations. A realtor can help sellers prioritize the issues that should be addressed to make their home as attractive to buyers as possible.”

Here are some quick tips you can do yourself that will help you as you get ready to put that “for sale” sign up:

1. Make it less “homey”

Potential buyers want to picture themselves - and their belong-

ings - in your home, so get rid of personal items in living areas and bedrooms and neatly arrange what is left. HGTV suggests putting one-third of your belongings in storage. Remove family photos from the walls and put up simple wall art. Arrange the furniture in a way that maximizes your floor space. Remove extra footstools, coffee tables or lamps and put them into storage.

2. CLEAN! “Clean like you’ve never cleaned before,” Johnson said. When getting your home ready to put on the market, making your home sparkle and shine is key.

Cleaning windows, dusting shelves and even increasing the lighting in rooms will bring a sense of “cheeriness” to the space. Buyers will look at every nook and cranny in your home with a magnifying glass. Clean the carpets, and dust off the walls. Finally, pull back those curtains and let the sunshine in! Bring in a vase of flowers to the kitchen table and a small plate of treats. People want to walk into a warm, inviting space.

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3. Show off the closets Women’s Health Center

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Something not to do? Do NOT throw all your personal belongings and extra clutter into one of your closets and shut the door. Closets are a key part of your home that should not get overlooked. Don’t underestimate the storage spaces in your home; people love their closets! HGTV even goes so far as to suggest you partially empty your closets and neatly organize in bins or baskets whatever is left. Buyers will look through the closets and cabinets, so be sure they are pretty enough to leave the doors open. Getting ready for a big move is the perfect time to go through those closets anyway. “Reduce the clutter and extraneous belongings. Pack it up, throw it away, donate it or put it into storage,” Johnson said.

4. Face lift You don’t need to spend oodles of money on replacing carpet or entirely renovating a room. However, you do need to take care of chipped paint, or major flaws on the walls. “Now is the time to patch, paint and polish as needed. Make it look sharp,” Johnson said.

Putting a new coat of paint on your living room walls will go a long way in making your home appear fresh and new. Repair broken windowsills, or patch up holes in the ceilings. While these are aren’t major flaws with your home, buyers will notice and latch on to those. “Take care of any deferred maintenance issues to remove any red flags for potential buyers,” Johnson said. It also is a good idea to replace any loose door handles, fix a squeaky faucet and change out any bad lightbulbs. If you are selling in the spring or summer, be sure the lawn is always mowed and trimmed. Replace any bad grass patches and plant a few flowers along the house. Keep it colorful and inviting.

5. No pets allowed When you have an open house scheduled, it is wise to put your beloved pets in a “pet hotel” for the day, or see if a friend or relative can take them for a few hours. Not everyone can tolerate dogs and cats, and not everyone wants to walk into your home and smell the dog or the litter box. Remove food and water dishes, and vacuum up pet hair from furniture, floors and carpets. Put air fresheners in areas where your pet likes to spend its time to reduce the animal odor. A stinky home with pet hair may give off the impression that your home is dirty.

6. Be ready When your home is on the market, you need to keep it looking “showcase” ready. You never know who might want a quick tour, and you wouldn’t want to turn away a potential buyer because your sink is full of dirty dishes. At the end of each day, do a quick clean up of your home. Vacuum, put away dishes and fold and put away clean laundry.

Best of luck with selling your home!

Sara Schlueter is a magazine editor in the Twin Cities with degrees in journalism and apparel merchandising from Iowa State University. She is passionate about telling people’s stories and being involved in the community.

SIMPLIFY

Making a Household Inventory

Why & How?

(Source: The Simple Dollar – www.simpledollar.com)

O

ne personal finance project that a lot of people overlook is the household inventory. It’s one of those “once in a great while” tasks that’s easy to overlook and forget about, but it’s not very hard and it can pay huge dividends if you’re carrying homeowners’ or renters’ insurance and something goes wrong with your living quarters.

A household inventory is a documentation of every item in your home so that you have this in the event of a disaster, such as a burglary or a house fire. It usually consists of a list of the items and/or a videotaped walkthrough of your home which captures images of the items.

Such an inventory can be very useful when dealing with insurance companies, as it provides documentation of the items that you own, thus helping your case for an insurance settlement.

Eight steps for making your own household inventory One can make an excellent household inventory in just a few hours on a weekend. I was able to do my own home in about two hours of steady effort. It’s not too hard at all – it just takes time.

Here’s the game plan.

Get a video recorder.

If you don’t own one already, borrow one from someone. A video recording is a great way to document all of the items in your home, even the ones you forget to list.

Get a laptop – or a very good note taker.

When we documented our home, we found it easiest to take a laptop from room to room in our home to jot down all of the information. If you don’t have a laptop, designate someone to be a note taker (maybe yourself, if you’re doing it alone).

Do one room at a time.

Go to each room in your home and document all of the significant items in it. It’s not necessary to document individual foodstuffs and individual toiletries, for example, but I’d document things down to silverware and plates – my rule of thumb is that if it’s worth more than $10 and easily replaceable, or if it’s not easily replaceable no matter what, it gets documented.

Record as much information as you can about each item.

Make, model, serial number, purchase date, and so on are all good pieces of information to have, especially for larger items. For smaller items, just list what they are and make sure that some video is taken.

Setting up a Excel spreadsheet is a good way to keep track of items.

Be sure to videotape or photograph any personal valuables.

Jewelry and family heirlooms fall into this area. These are items that are not easily described and are best noted with visual proof of their existence.

Store the list/video in a secure place not in your home.

This is a perfect item for a safe deposit box at your bank, for example. Just make sure it’s not in your home, as this is an item you’ll only need if there’s significant damage to your home or to the property in it.

Update the list semi-regularly.

There’s no need to do this monthly, but like keeping up with your home insurance policy, an annual updating of the list can be useful.

You can tack addendums on the end of your earlier lists or videos if you wish, covering any new purchases you’ve made.

Make sure that everyone knows where the list is, including a person or two who doesn’t live in your home.

That way, if a real disaster strikes and you’re incapacitated, others can retrieve the list and help with insurance issues while you’re recovering – or can help your survivors get the insurance settlement that they’re due.

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90th Anniversary photo (2015) – left to right: Judy Brown-Wescott, Teresa Tillson, Vicky Langer, Wendy Sivanich, Laurie Williams, Vicki Dilley, Jane Fenton, Elizabeth Child, Jayne Hager Dee, Karen Allawala, Jean Wakely, Michelle Lasswell, Jan Stevens, Hannah Puczko

W

By Beth Forkner Moe

in Northfield Rotary Club Making a Difference in the Community and Around the World 34

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hen attorney Paul Harris and several business colleagues gathered in Chicago in 1905, their goals were to share ideas, build relationships and work to solve community problems. They called their fledging organization Rotary, since they rotated locations for each meeting. They probably had no idea that 112 years later more than 1.2 million people internationally – in more than 35,000 clubs – would gather on a regular basis with one goal in mind: to better the world. Its motto is simple, yet powerful: “Service Above Self.”

Several years later, then-Rotary President Arch Klumpf proposed setting up a foundation/endowment with the goal of “doing good in the world.”

The first gift, from the Rotary Club of Kansas City, MO, was $26.50. Since that time, the Foundation has spent more than $3-billion on life-changing programs around the world, most notably on polio prevention. Through its efforts (in partnership with other organizations), polio has almost been eradicated.

This year, the Foundation marks its Centen-

nial, a cause for celebration and gratitude from individuals, organizations and global communities.

Jean Wakely, Northfield Rotary Club’s incoming president, is delighted to serve during the Centennial year and delighted to be able to be of service in a club that was not always open to women.

For its first seven decades, Rotary (like other service clubs) was for men only. Women were first admitted as members in 1987, which signaled the beginning of a new era and a new burst of energy.

Today, more than 20% of Rotarians are women; in some clubs – including Northfield – that number is much higher. Northfield’s Rotary Club boasts more than 40% female membership in a club of 138 people.

Northfield’s female Rotarians are a force to be reckoned with. They are active, committed and involved. The club has had five female presidents in the past 17 years, including this year’s president Michelle Lasswell. Wakely will be number six.

Lasswell has been a Rotarian for six years, joining her husband as a member. “I like the local and international angle. We make a difference all over the world,” she said. “I know so many people because of Rotary, and developed special relationships with people. The meetings are fun, and we have great people.”

Incoming president Wakely joined Rotary after her daughter came back after an exchange year in Poland. “(Rotary) took such good care of our daughter,” she said. “I liked the group so much, I

visited their meetings several times, and ended up joining.” Currently the membership chair, she is looking forward to her year as president and will represent the club at the 100th international conference in Atlanta this June.

Northfield’s Rotary Club is notable in several respects; it is the second-largest club in its district, smaller only than South St. Paul, but ahead of Rochester. Additionally, it has had the most foreign exchange students (both those leaving Northfield for a year and those coming in from other countries) than any Rotary club in the world.

Jan Stevens, Northfield’s first female Rotarian (she joined in 1994), has played a huge part in the success of the club’s Youth Exchange Program. The program is why she first became involved in Rotary and why she is still passionate about the club. Her then-17-year-old son didn’t want to go to college right away, she said, but she told him he had to have a plan. At that time, they didn’t know about Youth Exchange, so she and her family got involved in another exchange program.

They later learned about Rotary’s Youth Exchange, and she joined the club. “I fell into it,” she said. “I love it and still love it.” This year, Northfield is hosting six students, and 11 local students are living in other countries. There have been as many as 22 students involved during any given year. The club is so well-known for its love of the exchange program that they’ve become the “default” club to host if other clubs are not able to find families to host incoming students, Stevens said.

“We get outstanding kids,” she said. “We feel fortunate that we’re there.”

All three of her children have been exchange students and have gone on to be very successful adults who are passionate about international affairs.

“I can’t tell you enough about what Rotary does for kids,” Stevens said. “It allows them to meet people, learn various languages and gain the ability to meet anyone, anywhere.”

Vicki Dilley, who joined the club in 2007, has also been a significant part of the program. Among other roles she has taken on, she teaches the ins and outs of Youth Exchange to other clubs and districts.

Another program that the Northfield club is renowned for is the

ROTARY INFO (Source: Rotary.org)

The motto of Rotary International: “Service Above Self” Guiding principles These principles have been developed over the years to provide Rotarians with a strong, common purpose and direction. They serve as a foundation for our relationships with each other and the action we take in the world.

Object of Rotary The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster: FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service; SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

Jesse James Bike Tour, which helps raise money for the Mill Towns Trail. Peggy Prowe, who also joined in 1994, is one of the main advocates, cheerleaders and organizers of this ride which boasts more than 1,000 riders annually.

Prowe used to think Rotary was simply a businessman’s club. “That’s not true,” she said. “People from non-profits, the school district, the hospital and the city are also involved. For me, it’s a valuable way to get to talk with people about (the trail) and pedestrian safety. The ride is an activity that helps the club have a sense of community.”

When she first joined, Prowe served six years as program chair, making sure there was a speaker every week. “I like knowing everyone, and the payoff is having interesting conversation every Thursday noon,” she said.

The “Service Above Self ” motto is not just words to Rotarians and their clubs. In Northfield alone, the list of projects undertaken for the good of the community is long. Projects are often undertaken in conjunction with other clubs. Current international projects are Polio Plus and a clean water project in Guatemala. Local projects include donation of books to children, Musical Park in Way Park, Thursday’s Table, Meals on Wheels, Skate Board Park, Mentorship at The Key (Union of Youth), High School Ethics Program, Pavilion and benches at the new Soccer Fields, YMCA, Northfield Library and Booker Mobile donations, and the Mills Town Trail.

Funding for all these projects comes from the Jesse James Bike Tour and the Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot.

“There is such a power of women in this international organization,” Wakely said. “We’ve changed over the years from a businessman’s club to a group searching for strong leadership in the community. We’re continuing to show the area that Rotary is a growing, thriving and working leadership organization.”

Beth Forkner Moe is the editor of Southern Minn Girlfriends magazine.

world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

The Four-Way Test The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships.

The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings: Of the things we think, say or do: • Is it the TRUTH? • Is it FAIR to all concerned?

• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? • Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Avenues of Service We channel our commitment to service at home and abroad through five Avenues of Service, which are the foundation of club activity.

Club Service focuses on making clubs strong. A thriving club is anchored by strong relationships and an active membership development plan.

THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;

Vocational Service calls on every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society. Learn more in An Introduction to Vocational Service and the Code of Conduct.

FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a

Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people

in their communities and to serve the public interest. Learn more in Communities in Action: A Guide to Effective Projects and this Community Service presentation (PPT).

International Service exemplifies our global reach in promoting peace and understanding.

We support this service avenue by sponsoring or volunteering on international projects, seeking partners abroad, and more.

Youth Service recognizes the importance of empowering youth and young professionals through leadership development programs such as Rotaract, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Rotary Youth Exchange.

More information: Northfield Rotary Club: Meets Thursdays, noon-1:15 p.m. at United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall Non-member lunch is $10. Those considering membership may attend three free lunches to check out the club. www.northfieldrotary.org FB: northfieldrotary For information about Rotary International: www.rotary.org For information about other clubs in Southern Minnesota: www.rotary5960.org MAR/APR 2017

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Dr. Tareen

CAREER PROFILE

D

By Sarah Osterbauer

r. Mohiba Tareen is a nationally recognized physician with an abundance of credits to her name.

Hailing from Michigan where she completed her undergraduate education in Ann Arbor, she completed her residency at Columbia in New York. She wrapped up her dermatology education with a prestigious fellowship in Manhattan where, as the Faribault Daily News reported, she had the opportunity to work with “well-known individuals in the entertainment industry.” Sounds like ideal training for her current role, as WebMD’s national dermatology physician.

For the last five years she’s been their expert dermatology medical reviewer and skin community expert. It’s a role she considers an honor to have, one that began when she was working in Manhattan. As a doctor, she finds the internet can be as much a friend as it is foe; with the wealth of information available to patients, it’s difficult to know which sources are reliable. That is what makes a site like WebMD so valuable, because it can be a reliable source for anyone seeking a trustworthy first point of care. That said, Dr Tareen does not believe a computer can ever fully take the place of an in-person physician.

We now have many more implant companies in the market, lowering the cost of the “They have done studies in dermatology and it ismaterials, one which allow us to pass the savings on to our patients. By offering implant surgery in our practice, the of the most difficult fields to replace with a computer savings in time and money have made dental implants more affordable than ever. Call us for a FREE given you theare different of rashes, qualityinof skin, I would consultation. Whether replacingpresentations one tooth, all of them, or somewhere between,

love to help design a personalized treatment plan to change your life and also fit your budget.

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and distribution,” she said, “Medicine is not just a science, it is also an art. A human is needed to interpret the data and make it relevant and understandable to the patient.”

While she appreciates the accessibility of online information, it’s often important for patients to take that next step to get into the clinic for diagnosis. Dr. Tareen is not a fan of online diagnosis, especially for skin care.

“I cannot tell you how many people have come in for a seemingly simple issue like acne, and while checking the rest of their skin I have found a life-threatening melanoma,” she said.

Dr. Tareen recently opened her own practice in Faribault. After relocating from New York to Minnesota in 2011, she worked at a practice in Roseville. This year she found a need for her expertise in southern Minnesota. What drew her to the Midwest? Her husband, who is a urologist, is from Eagan and they still have family there. She is grateful for the help they provide in raising her four sons, three of whom were born here. Dr. Tareen has grown to have an affinity for her Minnesota patients; she loves to bake goodies for them with her boys. It’s that kind of friendliness she appreciates living here, that neighborhood feel she brings to her practice.

Dr. Tareen’s passion for her work stems from her interest in dermatology as a visual science and desire to help her patients.

“I love seeing the difference in patients’ lives when I give them relief from an itchy rash, remove a painful skin cancer, or make them feel more beautiful with a filler or laser treatment,” she said.

With her wide range of expertise, Dr. Tareen’s practice focuses on both medical and cosmetic skincare needs. She feels that both are important.

“We want the skin to be healthy with no skin cancers or rashes, but also at its most beautiful,” she said. “I cannot tell you the improvement in individuals’ self-esteem when their acne resolves or Botox gets rid of their lines.”

It is undeniable that most women would love to know the secret to keeping their skin youthful and healthy looking, especially if they can do it without breaking the bank. So what items does she say are key to healthy skin?

“My rule is simple steps and moderation,” Dr. Tareen said.

“Sunscreen, retinol, and an anti-oxidant are what most women need.

Topicals with these quality ingredients should cost less than $40 to $50 per month.”

And as far as her own skincare routine?

“Morning: shower, Tareen Dermatology Vit C serum, sunscreen, make-up. Night: Sulfur based face wash, Retinol, moisturizer,” she said.

Sounds basic enough! Dr. Tareen says the easiest thing we can do to take care of our skin is to introduce daily use of sunscreen. While most of us are conscious users in the summer months lakeside, it’s equally important to keep it up on days when the sun is out but we’re nowhere near the water.

Dr. Tareen’s commitment to the dermatology community does not stop locally or via the web. She also has invested in passing on her knowledge to students. She has taught at the U of M and mentored six women who have gone on to pursue medical school. She finds great joy in playing a part in developing the next generation of medical professionals.

Sarah Osterbauer is a freelance writer based in St. Paul.

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37

WELLNESS

T

By Megan Proft

he best part about healthy habits is that it’s never too late to start. We often make New Year’s resolutions to get and stay healthy but we very often break the resolutions almost as soon as they’re set.

We boldly set lofty goals, declaring we’ll lose 50 pounds, quit smoking cold turkey or go running five nights a week. Though setting goals isn’t intrinsically bad, they can sometimes set a person up to fail if they are too ambitious.

Northfield YMCA Executive Director Virginia Kaczmarek has seen this first-hand many times.

“New Year’s resolutions actually drive me crazy because so many people use January as a time of year to set aggressive goals to achieve healthier living or more time with family or changes of behavior,” she said. “Aggressive means that they are often not achieved.”

Kaczmarek said that in a 2014 YMCA survey, they found that fewer than a quarter of those surveyed kept their resolutions, despite 71% saying they gave it their best efforts.

Instead of setting aggressive goals, Kaczmarek said she’s seen more success for people who have small, manageable goals that

ultimately lead them to their long-term, bigger goal.

“Everyone is busy. Everyone has a wide variety of things in their life that are priorities.

Smaller goals make it much easier to make time for yourself and ensure your own health is also taken care of,” she said. “Re-framing that goal into multiple, more manageable and measurable goals is key and will likely make it much easier to be a lifestyle change.”

And lifestyle changes can come in simple ways.

Registered Dietarian and Nutritionist Louanne Kaupa of Eat Well Nutrition Therapy in Owatonna said there are many easy ways to set yourself on a path of wellness.

Kaupa said that because Americans don’t have enough fruits and vegetables in their diets, that’s a logical place to start.

“Have fruit and vegetables around the house so that while you’re waiting for dinner, you have something to snack on. Then you don’t grab the chips or cookies,” Kaupa said.

She said that if the fruits and vegetables are already cut up and readily available you’ll be primed for success.

The shift in diet doesn’t have to be drastic either.

“Try one new fruit or vegetable a week.

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CONTINUES FROM PAGE 38

duce and slowly add it into your diet you won’t suffer the “same old, same old” feeling and you’ll be eating the products at their tastiest, she said.

In addition to better nutrition, Kaupa said physical activity is key.

Even if you’re not a gym rat, you can always improve your fitness.

“Just adding steps every day can help. Park at the back of the parking lot,” she said. “Take breaks. Take the time to stand up and move about at work. It can even be as simple as walking around your office building.”

Kaczmarek echoed Kaupa’s statements about movement and working into your goals.

“If you are not active right now, maybe your goal is to do 20 to 30 minutes of walking or other activity that increases your heart rate, three times a week,” she said, adding that you can use your friends, family and your significant other to your advantage.

“Involve those around you. Your kids can cook with you, they can walk with you or they can play basketball with you,” she said. “Involving those around you also make your success rate much higher because you hold each other accountable. And it’s often fun to do it together.”

Healthy eating and fitness are crucial to a living a sustainable, healthy lifestyle, and they go hand-in-hand with another key piece – mental health.

Dorothee Ischler is the owner and clinical director of the Center for Human Resources Professional Counseling Services, which has served the Northfield community for more than 40 years. She said the connection between physical and spiritual health is an important one.

“Our mind and body are engaged in a reciprocal feedback loop, thus our mental health benefits from anything we do to improve our physical health,” she said. “For example, good nutrition and exercise

improve our mental health.”

When it comes to setting mental health goals, Ischler agreed that one of the keys is making them small and attainable.

“Using the yoga example, perhaps one should start with practicing yoga once a week. Once this habit is firmly established, a person can move to twice a week and so on,” she said. She also added that accepting who you are first will lead to more success than being self-deprecating as you move into improving yourself.

For women, Ischler said, life can be very demanding and lead to a lapse in self-care. And that means it’s important to take time for yourself and not feel guilty about it, she said.

“We cannot just add self-care to our already busy lives; we need to let go of some things that currently demand our time. Those decisions are difficult, but necessary,” Ischler said. “I do not believe that we can live less stressful lives without slowing down and taking more time for ourselves.”

“Time is a resource similar to money. To carve out more time, pay attention to where your time goes, just like you would create a financial budget. Notice where you are possibly wasting time and use it more intentionally,” she said.

Like with nutrition and fitness, there are some simple first steps for mental health.

Ischler said some easy ways to begin living a new mentally healthy lifestyle include getting at least eight hours of sleep a night, eating properly, practicing positive thinking and gratitude, spending time with those you care about, and engaging in mindfulness, meditation and spirituality.

If someone is looking for more than just some healthy lifestyle choices and is struggling consistently with mental health issue, Ischler said seeking help is the way to go.

“Of course, I am a proponent of psychotherapy and would encourage people to get counseling when they are experiencing mental health problems. Their physical health will benefit as well,” Ischler said.

Kaupa also encouraged people to be proactive in their nutrition, starting with incorporating the USDA food pyramid into your diet and considering help from a local dietician.

Above all, as you move into healthy new habits, Kazcmarek said to remember that sometimes you will slip but to focus on the long-term.

“Forgive yourself if you weren’t always successful. Forgive yourself, and get back to focusing on achieving that goal. It’s not about the New Year’s resolution. It’s about you always striving to work on being a healthier you. Always, not just in January,” she said.

Megan Proft is a regional freelance writer originally from Owatonna. She has a B.A. in English and has been writing professionally for more than 10 years as a journalist, editor and copywriter.

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Mindfulness in the Workplace: Four ways to reduce stress and re-center at work

W

By Rian Dicke-Michels

omen are notorious multitaskers. I don’t know how or when or why this became the stereotype. It’s just something we’re good at and it serves us well most of the time. The trouble starts when we lose sight of the “how” and start juggling: work, family, extracurriculars, etc., all the while driving down the street and simultaneously applying makeup. [Writer’s note: This is not safe.]

Though we are often Level Expert at being The Wearers of Many Hats, we must also stay connected to who we are. Women are especially powerful and full of a vitality that needs to be protected. The trick might be through mindfulness. Whether your job is a full-time gig at home or pulling 60 hours at the office, the secret to success is already within. Retraining your mind to focus will shift how you feel at work, because while some stress is okay, slipping into the stress vortex can be detrimental.

Organization is a Virtue. Clutter can have a negative impact on your brain; it overloads your senses, lowering your productivity. By bringing about change and getting organized you can create the environment ideal for your success. Label your files and put things away.

Keep a planner handy! Write everything down instead of logging it away “upstairs” and falling victim to jumbled thoughts and missed memos. Decluttering your surroundings isn’t just aesthetics – it fosters the space for you to feel more at ease and to think creatively. If you have your own desk, get a plant! (Even if you need a special artificialsun-light bulb, foliage is scientifically proven to be good for your brain.)

Think Outside the Box Breathing. Introducing box breathing into your day is the “get-rich-quick” way to becoming more aware of your body and letting go of unnecessary tension. Take your next inhaled breath, count to four, hold your breath for four more seconds, then exhale while counting to four, and hold for four seconds. Repeat this for two minutes. This will increase blood flow to your brain and also have a calming effect. If you got even the slightest positive result from this little exercise, next time you’re at work, allow yourself just

two minutes for box breathing and see how it changes your day!

A Little Chair Yoga Goes a Long Way. Did you know you can do simple postures while seated in your chair right now? For staying fluid in the body, the spine should be moved in six directions and the hips opened. Here are just some starters. For cat/cow: sit up straight, and exhale to arch your spine while tucking in your tail and chin.

Inhale to open your chest, tilting your tail up and gently dropping your head back (doing this for a few repetitions.) You can take a gentle twist: exhale as you turn your navel left or right, and use the chair for support. In half pigeon: bring your right ankle to your left knee, flexing your foot before inhaling long through your spine and then exhaling to lean forward, maintaining a flat back. Repeat on the second side. These are just a few examples of finding movement at work without completely disrupting your flow!

Keep Thy Break Holy. Whatever you’re allotted for break time at work, use it for break time. Exit emails and chat windows. If it feels good, take a few deep breaths with your eyes closed. Make a cup of tea. If you choose to have a meal, practice mindful eating by focusing only on that task and try experiencing your food. Consume what refuels the body and notice the smell, taste, texture, thoughts or feelings that arise while doing so. If you take a walk, try taking a different path than usual and be more aware of your surroundings. Drink water slowly and frequently. Maybe spend five minutes doing absolutely nothing. This is time set aside for you, so use it for you!

Mindfulness in the workplace takes a new approach to a huge aspect of your week. If it is true that Americans spend on average onethird of their life at work, your job is consuming roughly 25 to 30 of your years. Having a job is a main source of comfort in life; however, if you expect to be comfortable at work, applying mindfulness can refine the day in your favor. Mindfulness can improve your productivity and also your well-being. That way, by the time you head out to pick up the kiddos or straight home to make dinner, you aren’t feeling frazzled from the day you already had and can focus the rest of your day on what really matters to you.

Rian Dicke-Michels is a highly independent 24-year-old, an MSU Mankato graduate, a 200-hour certified yoga instructor, and the loving mother of a 4-year-old. Her goals in life are saturated with health, wellness, and loving oneself. “As a yogi,” she says, “I want to share this journey with you.”

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Unexpected CaregiveR

Berit Kari Berit, author of The Unexpected Caregiver (2016, Attainment Company), speaker and regular column contributor, Kari is known for her wit, energy, kindness and insight. She is, as KPNW radio hosts proclaimed, “bubbly, effervescent fun.”

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Your new job as the one who takes care of others

T

ag—You’re It!

You’ve landed a new career as a family caregiver. You may have seen it coming, or it may have broadsided you.

Welcome to quite probably one of the most challenging careers you’ve encountered. I’ve talked about my SANE Method as it relates to the holidays, but the original reason I developed it was to help you, the family caregiver.

Taking care of Mom and Dad may be your only job, but for many, it is an additional job on top of an already full career and family life. It can feel insane, trying to figure out the job responsibilities, especially when family dynamics haven’t changed. You may think you are helping, but your siblings think (and maybe tell you) you are being “your typical bossy self.” There are no clear roles when families need help. Having a method to lean on will keep you afloat in the murky waters of family dynamics.

The SANE Method — Supported, Appreciated, Not Guilty and Energized is meant to help you do your job better. This is the new method of caregiving: to put your own oxygen mask on before continuing down the path of depleting yourself while helping others. Whether you’re caring for parents, grandparents or adult children, the SANE Method is your guide.

Supported means turning the phrase “I’m here for you” inward. I do this on my daily walks or when I’m getting ready for the day. It’s a little weird at first, but it feels so dang good to hear positive words in your own voice vibrate through your whole body. We talk to ourselves all the time. Usually it’s a silent conversation in our heads and a lot of it is negative. So why not throw some encouraging words our way? Self-support also means I reach out instead of waiting for someone to ask if I need anything. I have a list of five easy things people can do for me and I simply hand them the list and say, “Any one of these would be great.”

Feeling Appreciated comes when my expectations of others are in check. When we got the diagnosis that my mom had little time to live, my sister could not understand why our brothers weren’t on the first plane home to Minnesota. I looked at her and said, “They don’t make decisions that quickly; never have.” Instead of being frustrated with your siblings’ lack of outward appreciation for the care you’re giving Mom and Dad, be realistic.

Yes, it’s nice when it happens, but don’t count on

others to thank you. Find ways to appreciate your own efforts. Appreciating yourself can be as small as taking yourself out for coffee or as fantastic as sailing in the Caribbean. I’m often told this is selfish, but what’s more loving than taking good care of yourself so that you can turn around and take even better care of someone else?

Getting to Not Guilty means I need to stop feeling like I’m not enough — not doing enough, not giving enough. There were times when I had only an hour to stop off and see my sister who suffers with Huntington’s disease. I wanted to see her, but knew that she would not be happy with such a “short” visit. I constantly felt guilty for not having more time and wound myself in knots trying to explain myself to her. She didn’t want excuses, and the short visit usually ended in harsh words and hurt feelings. And my guilt was not assuaged one bit.

I am not in control of my sister’s response to my availability to visit. We have control only over how we respond to situations. Understanding this helps release guilt. I also use a kindness mantra. Repeat the word “kindness” in the morning or during a stressful commute. This simple act helps me feel calm, centered and ready to give care.

I feel most Energized when I am not wearing a pug-like face, all scrunched up, agonizing over whether or not I did this or that “right.” Family caregivers receive no training and need creativity to do this kind of work. Recharge your energy levels by engaging your brain and body. If you’re anxious and need to move from your emotional brain to your logical brain, start adding up numbers. This small, seemingly insignificant trick helps turn off the outof-control emotions. I also find that getting outside or taking an 80’s-music dance break helps bring new oxygen to my brain, enabling me to feel reenergized.

Whether I’m wearing my professional or family caregiving hat, I keep in mind the healthy advice from my late Grandma Jo: “Let it out!” Her quintessential phrase jokingly referred to bodily functions, but it works splendidly for emotions, too. Don’t hold on to negative, guilt-ridden, or energy-draining feelings. The job of caregiving is hard enough. Put yourself on the gentle cycle and keep the acronym of S.A.N.E. in your back pocket as you continue caring for yourself while giving care to Mom or Dad.

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BOOK REVIEW Cradles of “Woman-Powered Farm”

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e has a farm, you’ll have a farm. On his farm, he has some cows and pigs and chicks, and your farm will have animals, too. The only difference is that MacDonald has had his farm since before your mother was a child, and you’re pretty green on yours – but you can catch up. You can read “Woman-Powered Farm” by Audrey Levatino.

So you’re getting your very own spread, or you’ve recently taken control of one you’ve lived on for awhile. Women have worked on farms for centuries, so you’re joining a solid sisterhood; in fact, recent studies show that over 13 percent of all farms in the U.S. are operated by women, and that includes women who are African American, Native American, and Asian.

There’s a lot to learn when you want to run a successful farm of any sort but, above all, you’ll need somewhere to do it. The best advice Levatino says she got when she and her husband first began farming: “too much land is

c u d o Pronstrations Dem Presented by:

never a bad thing.” And yet, finding a location may be premature if you’re unsure of what direction to take. In that case, you may consider an internship or apprenticeship. Soak up all the lessons you can find, query your local farm bureau, or talk to a county agent. As one interviewee points out, to learn on a farm, all you ever need to do is ask.

It goes without saying that different kinds of farms need different kinds of tools, but there are obvious requirements across-the-board, says Levatino. You may need a chain saw or tractor, and you’ll want to know how to safely operate both. In this book, you’ll learn the basics for maintaining a water system and a wood-burning stove, the overall differences Author Audrey Levatino in fencing, and which justin-case items to keep in your farm truck.

You’ll also learn that farming is for cities, too.

And then there are the animals because, really, what’s a farm without a cat or two, and a dog, at least? Levatino explains pros and cons for various livestock, how to keep them, and how she memorialized

Southern Minn

the inevitable harsh reality.

If you know your way around a barn or you’re already farm-experienced, you can stop right here. This book isn’t for you.

No, “Women-Powered Farm” is more for the newbies who have no idea what they’re getting themselves into, and who need the basics.

Author Audrey Levatino gives them that in a no-nonsense, reassuring tone that’s not condescending. She offers interviews, tips, and hints to help get many kinds of operations running, including safety reminders, ideas on bookkeeping, gardening advice, and enough info to empower even the most citified reader.

Established farmers might get a kick out of this book. They might learn something. It’s certainly no crime for them to read it, but its rudimentary approach is more for the neophyte who needs down-onthe-farm direction and a boost of self-assurance. If that’s you, then “Woman-Powered Farm” will quickly have you saying “E-I-E-I… Ohhh!”

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 12,000 books. For more information, visit bookwormsez@gmail.com.

MAY/JUN 2017 WATCH FOR: Relationships; Regional travel:

• Female funeral directors • Pole-dancing as exercise • Distinguished Young Women Owatonna • Resources for female vets • Cate Grinney profile Girlfriends • Developing a strong relationship with adult children Have an idea or • Open adoptions suggestion?

• Grandparents/grandchildren Contact Beth Forkner • Sibling relationships Moe at bfmoe@ • Developing close/appropriate southernminn.com relationships with co-workers (staff culture) • Multi-generational relationships (mother’s friends/friends’ mothers) • Northfield Harp Festival Find Southern Minn • Grand Rapids (sister publications) Girlfriends • Brainerd Lakes (sister publication on Facebook - Pequot Lakes) • Wisconsin Dells

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. .

ANTIQUES UPSCALE GIFTS SCARVES . .

ARTISAN SOAPS CLOTHING JEWELRY KITCHEN ACCESSORIES AND MORE!

Urban Finds & Bistro LOCATED IN THE MEDFORD OUTLET CENTER 5O7.446.O143 . FACEBOOK.COM/URBANFINDSECOFUNK MAR/APR 2017

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DIRECTORY

Financial Resources Castle Rock Bank

The Castle Rock Bank has been serving the women in this community for 96 years. To answer the question, “What do women want in banking?” We believe the answer is, “To be heard, understood, respected and valued.” 27925 Danville Ave Castle Rock, 507-645-7751 www.castlerockbank.net.

Food & Entertainment Legacy Golf & The Grill at The Legacy

The Legacy is a championship 18-hole facility offering value-added golf and a warm friendly environment for golf outings & casual dining. It provides a unique setting for meetings, reunions, groom’s dinners, banquets and bridal showers. The indoor Grill can accommodate 30-50 people & the openair Pavilion can accommodate up to 170.

1515 Shumway Ave, Faribault, 507-3327177 www.legacygolf.net.

Health & Wellness Millstream Commons Assisted Living

Millstream Commons Assisted Living is located in downtown Northfield. 44 Assisted Living apartments (studio, 1 and 2 BR) featuring three meals a day, supportive nursing care, respite care, & life enrichment activities. Pets allowed. Licensed Housing with Services provider. Part of the Three Links Community. Member of Aging Services of Minnesota. 210 8th St W, Northfield, 507650-9627, threelinks.org.

Northfield Urgent Care

Tired of waiting to see your doctor for simple problems like sore throats and earaches?

We provide walk-in medical care for all ages, from infants to adults. We are open 7 days per week and no appointment is needed!

Quick, easy and efficient! 2014 Jefferson Rd Suite C, Northfield, MN 55057, 507-664-9999, northfieldurgentcare.com.

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MAR/APR 2017

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Northfield Retirement Community

Situated on a 30-acre, beautifully landscaped campus, NRC was established in 1969 to provide housing and services specifically designed to meet the physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs of older adults. Housing options include apartments with a minimal level of services, as well as other home settings that make increasing levels of service readily available. Options include rental and owner-occupied living spaces. Units are available for both income-sensitive and market-rate income levels. NRC also provides a fully-staffed care center for those who desire a more traditional nursing home setting. 900 Cannon Valley Drive, Northfield, 507-645-9511, northfieldretirement.org.

Home & Garden ENDRES WINDOW CLEANING

Here at Endres Window Cleaning, we pride ourselves in having the best value in the Midwest. An often dirty and time-consuming job, professional window cleaning will protect your windows, boost the curb appeal of your home and allow you more time to do the things you enjoy. Family owned and operated since 1988, we offer residential and commercial services with quality that is guaranteed to shine through. Call us at 507932-5326 for your free estimate today.

Judy’s Floral Design

Whether your wedding is black tie/ ballroom or barefoot on the beach or somewhere in between! Beautiful, quality flowers and great ideas start with Judy Smith. “Specializing in fresh creative and affordable blooms for all the flower moments of your life” 507645-0008, 300 Railway St. North, Dundas, judysfloraldesign.com.

Simon Bros Cement Co.

Simon Bros Cement Co. has been serving the Northfield area since 1969. We specialize in quality concrete and masonry including foundations, driveways, epoxy garage floors.

Call for a free estimate. We will look at your project and use 40+ years of experience to share ideas and advice. Call Ray 612-3284591.

Insurance American Family Insurance Bart Jackson Agency

American Family Insurance offers home, automobile, atv, motorcycle, boat, commercial business, farm and life insurance. We are available to meet with you personally to review your situation and provide recommendations as to the proper coverage’s for your needs. Bart Jackson Insurance Agency, 408 Central Ave N, Suite D, Faribault, MN 55021. 507-332-6812.

Shopping The Paper Petalum

The Paper Petalum in the historic Archer House at 212 Division St., Northfield. offers friendly customer service and unique gifts for all occasions. Locally owned and operated since 1987 we specialize in Scandinavian gifts, Minnesota products, decorative napkins, Polish Pottery, Rothschild foods, and much, much more. Stop in and visit us.

507-663-0565.

Transportation Community Co-op

The Community Co-op is located in beautiful and historic downtown Faribault, MN. We were organized in 1925 and have been a cornerstone of this community ever since.

We specialize in fuels, lubricants, tires, and vehicle service, all for an affordable price.

Women live busy lives, our staff understands how important service and convenience are.

That is why we are the Company where our customers send their friends. 9 Central Ave, Faribault 507-334-2056, www.coopoilfblt. com.

Northfield Lines, Inc.

Have your group arrive in style when you pull up in one of our luxurious motor or mini coaches. Single or multi-day sightseeing trips, shopping, girlfriend getaways, dining, concerts, weddings, receptions, casino visits – you name the event and we will get your group there safely and on time. 32611 Northfield Blvd, Northfield, 800-944-2190, www.northfieldlines.com.

MAR/APR 2017

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InIn the Neighborhood? the Neighborhood?

Let’s Get toto Know Let’s Get Know Another FeelingOne like you paid too One Another to the area?

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Edward Jones way of doing business?

Edward Jones way of doing business?

Take an to hour or soabout to learn how we work Contact me today Take an learn hour or so to learn how we work with millions ofcould individual investors. investing strategies that with millions of individual investors.

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Heritage Place 404404 Heritage Place 404 Heritage Place Faribault, MN 55021 Faribault, MN 55021 Faribault, MN 55021 507-334-1666 507-334-1666 507-334-1666 48 MAR/APR 2017 southernminngirlfriends.com MKD-8821-A-AD

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