Edina, MN April 2024

Investment Issue

HEALTH + WELLNESS

MEET BE YOUR KIND

LOCAL SERVICES

FLOWERS FOR COMMUNITY

Whether you ’ re looking to create more efficient spaces or completely reimagine your home, our design-build team will handle all the heavy lifting. Schedule your complimentary design consultation today! Call

Prepare to Invest

What a strange winter we have had! It was nice to have a bit of a “break” this year, but as always, I am looking forward to spring. Longer days, sunlight, flowers, rain, more warmth and more green. Hopefully, we won’t have too many surprise blizzards along the way.

April marks the month for our Investment issue. Investment can mean a lot of things, but I like to think of it holistically. Investing in family, friends, community, local businesses, self-care and improving all the little things one can along the way – whatever category that might be for you.

You can’t go wrong by investing in your own health. Be Your Kind, new to Sunnyside Rd in Edina, is there to help you do just that. Their team specializes in everything from facials and fillers, acupuncture, nutrition and weight loss, to women’s health. Founder Blair Blanchette spoke to our team on her vision and passion behind this onestop boutique approach to healthcare.

We also highlight a new business that is making sure family fun and entertainment is a part of the community. Office Golf, located on the edge of Edina and Bloomington on Nine Mile Creek, is creating a new destination for this part of town. Their state-of-the-art golf simulators, restaurant, speak-easy bar and more are a source of joy and entertainment for all ages and all types of weather. You can even office here – while working and improving your golf game at the same time.

Our team caught up with Bluebirds & Blooms, founded by Laura Hogan and Karen Wooldridge, a non-profit bringing the joy of flowers to those living in care communities. Located right here in Edina, Bluebirds and Blooms spreads color, happiness and love to those who often need it most.

Being part of the Edina community means so much to me, our team, and the people who live, work and play here. We are all investing in our own unique ways to make this a great place to be. Edina Lifestyle magazine is prepared to grow and invest in helping to connect and create as much community as we can by spotlighting local people and businesses, hosting events, supporting charities, and bringing positive stories to your home each month.

Wishing you a Happy Spring!

April 2024

PUBLISHER

Alexandra Patty | alexandra.patty@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Sarah Knieff | sarah.knieff@citylifestyle.com

MARKET SUPPORT COORDINATOR

Kassi Miranowski | kassi.miranowski@citylifestyle.com

SALES SUPPORT COORDINATOR

Susan Shannon | susan.shannon@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sue Baldani, Sarah Knieff

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Andrew Vick, Danielle Nowicki, Lucy Hawthorne

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

DIRECTOR OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS Jennifer Robinson

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein

AD DESIGNER Whitney Lockhart

DESIGNER Kelsi Southard

ALEXANDRA PATTY, PUBLISHER @EDINA_LIFESTYLE

city scene

WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

connect community this past January.

Want to be seen in the magazine?

Edina Lifestyle and SuNu Wellness in Minnetonka hosted a wellness event to

business monthly

Brookies: Elevating the At-Home Chef

Brookies Fish Market not only offers fresh fish and seafood, but has many products that will complement your next meal and satisfy your culinary curiosities. Its variety of goods includes pastas, oils, marinades, stocks, seasonings, ramen broths, desserts, bao buns, kimchi, beverages, and much more. Whatever your foodie needs are, visit your friendly neighborhood fishmongers today! brookiesfishmarket.com.

Empowering Brides to Embrace Their Individuality

The team at Annika Bridal Boutique is dedicated to empowering brides to embrace their individuality. They understand that each woman has her own story and vision for her special day. By fostering a supportive environment, they encourage their customers to express their desires and explore their personal style. Everything at Annika Bridal has been carefully selected and hand-picked by the owners, resulting in a thoughtfully curated boutique built from the heart and with love. Visit them today. annikabridal.com.

New General Manager Named for Braemar Arena & Field

Jesse Buchholz has been hired as the new General Manager of Braemar Arena & Field. The 28-year-old grew up playing hockey in Michigan and has spent his career at ice arenas and recreational facilities. His resume includes hockey instructor, Zamboni driver, operations technician and director of scheduling at an indoor arena in Arizona, recreation coordinator at a Utah arena and, most recently, ice arena manager for the City of Janesville, Wisconsin. edinamn.gov.

A GREAT MIX OF WORK AND PLAY

COME TOGETHER TO SWING A CLUB, HAVE A MEETING AND ENJOY TASTY FOOD

Looking for a place to play some golf, enjoy great food, and linger over cocktails? No, it’s not a country club, but a great alternative.

Office Golf, located in Bloomington, opened this past January and has all of these options and more. The founders, Ernie and Katie Rose, wanted an all-inclusive environment.

“This is a place where groups of people can come together, socialize, and spend hours enjoying a vast variety of amenities centered around food, beverages and golf,” says general manager, Chris Wilson. “But, even if you're not a golfer, you're still able to have the same level of enjoyment and hospitality experience across the board.”

ARTICLE BY SUE BALDANI PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCY HAWTHORNE

Its technologically advanced indoor golf games are executed by 18 Trackman iO simulators, offering the look and feel of being on a real golf course. “It gives people the ability to do everything from playing over 200 national and international golf courses to really working on their skills and development,” he says.

One of its most popular courses is Interlachen, right here in Edina. “Being in Minnesota, where we only have anywhere from four to six months of good quality golf weather, this gives people the opportunity to keep their skills in check throughout the winter season.” It’s also a great choice during the hot summer months and all year round.

For those who can no longer travel or walk a golf course, these simulated games provide the opportunity to still play

anywhere they desire. It’s also a great alternative for children and beginners who may just want to play for fun or work on becoming proficient enough for a real course. The venue has over 30 sets of brand-name clubs on hand for customers’ use.

Golf is a very social game, and many important business deals have taken place on golf courses. “When you look at the last five years, one of the things that we identified is that the way we do business is shifting,” says Chris. “What people are looking for is an engaging and immersive way to do business, and that’s happening less in a suit or boardroom and more over a drink or a meal."

“So, we really wanted to offer an engaging opportunity for people to not only be able to get their work done in a space that is designed to cater to their needs from a working perspective, but to also provide

“OFFICE GOLF COMBINES THE ELEGANCE OF A COUNTRY CLUB ENVIRONMENT WITH THE ACCESSIBILITY FOR A VERY DIVERSE DEMOGRAPHIC.”

the opportunity to entertain clients who want to come in to hit balls for half an hour and/or have lunch.” The club offers conference rooms and corporate spaces for all types of business meetings.

Office Golf is also a wonderful venue for team-building opportunities. Many employers are invested in keeping their employees happy and feeling valued. “An employer can say, ‘Hey, let's all get together, have some great food, a couple of drinks, and play some golf.’ It’s really nice from an employee perspective.

“A successful workspace is more than just four walls – a successful workspace is really an immersive experience where innovation

meets leisure. We’re trying to redefine what the work-life balance is and making sure that people's business endeavors aren't just productive, but also enjoyable.”

The club has hosted everything from 15-person events to a hundred-person events. “We want to create strong, long-lasting relationships with both our vendors and our customers,” he says. “So, we're making sure we have someone available as the point of contact to really go that extra mile to ensure that their needs are being met.”

Its restaurant, The Board Room, offers delicious foods on its Sips and Swings menu. Right now, the selections include

flavorful salads, handheld sandwiches and pizza, but down the road, there will also be what they call “approachable fine dining.”

“We have a really great culinary team right now, and within the next six to 18 months we’ll be expanding our culinary program. We have very good food at a reasonable price that is able to be shared and enjoyed by everyone.”

There are also three full-service bars, each with its own theme. “Our main bar offers really good classic cocktails whereas our speakeasy focuses a little bit more on craft cocktails, really making an immersive beverage experience,” says Chris.

“Being able to pair these three – simulated golf, wonderful food and interesting beverages - and execute them at a high level, is really important to us.” In addition to golf, there are billiards, darts, and ping pong to enjoy.

While the club does offer memberships, which include club storage, underground parking, invitations to the U.S. Open and Masters’ parties, and an hour of free simulator time each day, it’s also open to the public.

“One of the things that we really want to create is a vibrant and inclusive community,” he says. “Office Golf combines the elegance of a country club environment with the accessibility for a very diverse demographic. Being able to make it approachable, yet elevated in the sense that everyone who comes in feels like they’re stepping into their own private club, is the goal.”

7807 Creekridge Circle, Bloomington OfficeGolf.com | 952-324-5236

General Manager Chris Wilson

ARTICLE BY SUE BALDANI

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW VICK

As a nurse and nurse practitioner, Blair Blanchette enjoyed helping patients feel better. But, there was something missing. “I had this idea of creating a holistic, one-stop shop for more modernized healthcare,” she says.

While in Calgary last summer with her fiancé, Matt Dumba, she was talking about it more and he encouraged her to just do it. Her healthcare clinic, Be Your Kind, opened on November 20, 2023, in Edina.

Hailie Hoschka, Dr. Blair Blanchette and Dr. Sonja Murray

The name, says Blair, takes into account the goal of creating an environment that's welcoming and inviting to all. “I feel like sometimes healthcare can be a very sterile environment and that was the exact opposite of what I wanted. I wanted something all-inclusive and a place where people feel comfortable. Our clinic is light, airy, and modern with good energy.”

Be Your Kind offers professional treatments for a wide variety of issues. “In one room, a patient can have acupuncture for infertility, walk over to another room to get labs drawn, and then take care of any skin issues after that. It’s all-encompassing and being able to go from provider to provider has been something that our clients really appreciate.”

She feels that when people are in a healthcare setting, they feel their most vulnerable. “You're talking about something that really matters to you and you want the person who’s listening to be an expert on that matter. That's been the basis behind who we hire. We have nurses, acupuncturists, and naturopathic doctors on staff who are all subject matter experts.

“Patients come in during times when they really need us. Being able to be a place of comfort for them and provide them with someone they trust is something we feel very fortunate about. I feel so grateful to be in healthcare and to be able to help people during those times.”

The Be Your Kind Team

Health issues are so unique to each individual, says Blair. “Be Your Kind really embraces that and works with individuals who struggle with different diseases and ailments, whether aesthetic, mental, physical, or emotional.”

She and her staff also take the time to explain to patients why their treatments can be an effective alternative to traditional medicine. “I went through that kind of skepticism too, but the thing that has helped the most is the scientific-based research data that we can show our patients.”

But the best advertising is through word of mouth. “That has been huge when patients tell their friends and family about us.”

To make costs more manageable, the clinic offers three different types of memberships. An aesthetic membership provides discounted prices on all aesthetic services such as fillers and toxins; a weight loss membership includes a consultation to assist with lifestyle changes, laboratory work – if needed – and a full assessment to determine if someone is qualified to go on weight-loss medication; and a health and wellness membership for clients who want to lose weight without medication. It includes one-on-one coaching and weekly meetings where you're part of a community.

“We've had patients who have been able to get off medications because they made some lifestyle changes,” says Blair. “We talk a lot about investing in your health, and that’s something that's lifelong. If you don't invest now, what is the price you’re going to pay later? We really want to take a more preventative approach that can help you avoid drastic treatments or medications for diabetes, blood pressure, or whatever the ailment is.”

She adds, “We also offer some really cool things for women's health treatments. For example, for patients who struggle with urinary incontinence, surgery is an option in severe cases and medications may or may not work. For so long, women just assumed it was something that they had to deal with once they got older, but it shouldn't have to be."

“Be Your Kind really embraces that and works with individuals who struggle with different diseases and ailments whether aesthetic, mental, physical, or emotional.”

“To combat this issue early on, we're very excited about a treatment we offer - I think there's only one other place in Minnesota that offers it – which is a radio frequency energy device. The patients who have come in and had it absolutely love it.”

Blair, who was born and raised in Minnesota, spends time in Eden Prairie and in Arizona, where Matt is currently playing with the Arizona Coyotes. “He’s been very supportive of this business,” she says. “With playing professional hockey – he played for the Minnesota Wild for years – and being an athlete, he prioritizes his health, and he’s been very helpful, sharing good insight.”

The couple also loves being outdoors hiking, walking their four dogs, camping, traveling or just exploring. “Spending time with family and friends also makes us feel better, and I honestly think that is our form of medicine,” says Blair. “Sometimes people underestimate the power of connections and just being out in nature.”

To find out more about Be Your Kind and how it can help you, go to BeYourKind.co.

3918

BLUEBIRDS & BLOOMS

Six years ago, on a cold January morning, two friends met for coffee to discuss how they could brighten the lives of their local elderly community.

The pair – Laura Hogan and Karen Wooldridge – had long wanted to give back to seniors because they had personally witnessed how lonely some can get in extended-term care facilities.

“Karen’s father had Alzhemer’s before he passed and Laura has a connection to hospice care,” Elizabeth Lind, executive director of Bluebirds & Blooms, explains. “They saw patients who didn’t receive visits, cards, or a lot of outside love. It saddened, but also motivated them.”

Then, right before the monumental coffee date, they heard a story about a woman in Idaho who used flowers as a way to spread joy and they were inspired to do the same right here in Minnesota.

Spreading Joy, One Bouquet at a Time

ARTICLE BY SARAH KNIEFF | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIELLE NOWICKI

“Launching from that idea, they decided to use flowers that were otherwise going to be thrown away and make arrangements for folks in memory and long-term care,” Elizabeth says.

And so, with a whole lot of empathy and even more hard work, Bluebirds & Blooms was born.

“The operation started out very tiny,” Elizabeth says. “Just the two of them would go to local grocery stores and ask if they had any extra flowers. Then they would bring the usable stems back to their kitchen tables to make about 20 arrangements. Sometimes a few friends or family members would get involved.”

After the bouquets were made, Laura and Karen would find a senior community they could visit to deliver their creations.

“Everything kind of snowballed from there and the non-profit grew rapidly,” Elizabeth says.

Now instead of it being just the duo and a few extra hands, Bluebirds & Blooms includes four paid staff members and over 100 volunteers.

“Our volunteers help us in so many ways,” she says. “They are tasked with picking up flowers from different stores, deconstructing donated arrangements for viable stems and composting the rest, arranging bouquets on Mondays and Wednesdays, and visiting patients with blooms. It takes a village and we are lucky enough to have a community full of helpers.”

Bluebirds also started partnering with floral retailers to be able to receive flowers on a routine, scheduled basis. Volunteers pick up flowers six days a week from different partners including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Bachmann’s and more.

CONTINUED >

“The interesting part is that we never know what we are going to get,” Elizabeth says. “We don't know if we are going to get three carloads of perfect flowers or two bins of what will become compost. Either way, we take the donation and are super appreciative of everything. If we didn’t have the floral partners, we wouldn’t be able to reach nearly as many senior facilities/communities as we do.”

To date, Bluebirds & Blooms has served over 64 facilities in Edina and the surrounding areas, and that number just keeps climbing.

“Since we visit so many facilities now, we have each on a scheduled day of the month,” Elizabeth says. “That way it’s more manageable for us and the seniors have a specific date to look forward to. We also do this because keeping to our sustainability mindset, we use mason jars and beautified tin cans as the flower holders. Each senior leaves out their old one before getting a new arrangement. We take the old holder and reuse it for another time.”

Although a lot has changed since its humble inception, Bluebirds’ goal has stayed the same: extending joy and connection.

“According to the National Center for Health Statistics, an estimated 60% of seniors receive no visitors and that right there is why we do what we do,” Elizabeth says. “We come in, bring them flowers, sit with them and listen to their stories. Sometimes they like to show us around their room and share their pictures.

“I have been with Bluebirds for four years now and it’s a wonderful thing to watch them lighten up. They just want someone to talk to and we are ready to listen.”

To support Bluebirds & Blooms, visit bluebirdsandblooms.com or call 952-452-9664.

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APRIL 2024

events

A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS

APRIL 4TH

Twins v.s. Guardians: Home Opener

Target Field | 1:00 PM

Attend the Minnesota Twins Home Opener. The first 10,000 fans will receive an Opening Weekend Beanie. mlb.com/twins.

APRIL 5TH - 7TH

ON YOUR FEET!

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

ON YOUR FEET! is the inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people who believed in their talent – and each other – to become an international sensation: Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Now their story is an all-new exhilarating original musical winning the hearts of critics and audiences alike. ordway.org.

APRIL 5TH - 7TH

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Luminary Arts Center

Reality and fantasy collide in a contemporary retelling of William Shakespeare’s spellbinding “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Witness the transformative power of desire come to life under the moonlight as lovers are driven by mistaken identity and magical enchantment. Inspired by astrological themes woven throughout Shakespeare’s text, linger in the chaos and beauty of love until dawn. balletcolaboratory.org.

APRIL 8TH

Solar Big Year – 2024 Eclipse

Bell Museum | 10:00 AM

Celebrate Minnesota’s partial view of the upcoming solar eclipse at the Bell. Throughout the day, the museum will have a plethora of solar-focused activities, a livestream of the eclipse, a new eclipse flipbook pattern, and expert astronomy staff to answer all of your solar questions. bellmuseum.umn.edu.

CONTINUED >

APRIL 13TH

Hot Chocolate Run

724 Sibley St. NE | 8:00 AM

The Hot Chocolate Run series is back for the 2023/2024 season! Join the chocolate movement that's taking over the country. This race has it all –two distances, premium swag and a post-race chocolate experience like no other. And, for the second year in a row, it’s partnered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to help end childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. hotchocolate15k.com /city/minneapolis.

APRIL 26TH

Arbor Day Tree Planting Celebration

Centennial Lakes Park | 12:00 PM

Celebrate Arbor Day by learning how to plant a tree and then helping plant them at Centennial Lakes Park and the Edina Promenade. The event begins with a tree-planting demonstration. Then people will be sent off in groups to plant trees. This is a family event, so bring the kids. Bring gloves and wear closed-toed shoes and clothes you don't mind getting a bit dirty. edinamn.gov.

Urgent Care

TCO Edina

Walk in 8 - 8

Ready to serve the Edina community. Set to be your first stop for sudden injuries. Go for more of what you need to keep your body moving. No referral or appointment necessary.