I’m an insatiable reader who’s been reading just for you! As summer reading suggestions pile up and e-readers fly off of store shelves, it’s time to try out Washington County Library’s new e-book offerings. I’ve been testing the service, and here’s what I’ve found so far. I have an iPad and a Kindle and have read purchased books on both. I have not yet used a Nook from Barnes and Noble. But I’ve encouraged my mother to buy a Nook as her first e-reader—because Barnes and Noble offers in-store booksellers to help reluctant technology adopters, like my mom, get started. Another advantage of a …

June is marked by cruising through the grad party circuit and shopping for the perfect gift. Graduation parties are great because I don’t have to cook. My family can hoover up some hot dish, salads and bars, congratulate grads with a slap on the back, then leave behind a gift or a card in recognition of their accomplishment. You may ask: What should I get a graduate? We typically give money inside a card. If I have several grad parties on the calendar, I’ll buy a box of cards. That’s a little more cost effective and then I’m not running around at the last second searching for a forgotten card…

School’s out this week for most Woodbury kids. Now the question is: “What to do this summer?” The big stuff may already be planned—family vacations, day camps and sports. But those in-between times during our sweet summer days can too easily slip away without a recreational plan of action. I’m not talking about more scheduling. I’m talking about a framework to guide summer priorities and get the most out of the days ahead. It’s been our summer rule that screen time is limited to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Otherwise, it’s too easy for kids to plant themselves in front of the TV until they’re…

Did the Lions Garage Sale give you the bug to host your own sale? Have you always wanted to have a garage sale but don’t know where to begin? Well, there are still plenty of garage sale shopping days left for you to make a few dollars from your pre-owned stuff. I’ve hosted several garage sales in Woodbury. With the help of friends, I’ve learned a few things about having a successful sale. First, plan ahead. Pick dates that give you at least two weeks to get ready, preferably four weeks. Once school is out, Saturdays and Sundays are no longer ideal. Too many people head out of town on the …

Memorial Day weekend is just ahead. A three-day weekend that for many marks the unofficial start to summer. Families schedule camping trips, cookouts and other recreational activities. What we don’t often do—at least I don’t—is take enough time to seriously contemplate the significance of Memorial Day. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day in the 1800s when people decorated graves of Civil War soldiers. It was proclaimed a holiday by General John Logan in 1868 and continued to be commemorated by placing flowers on the graves of both union and confederate soldiers. Since World War …

Minnesotans are sometimes lured into the garden by an early burst of warm temperatures… only to be driven back inside by blustery winds and frosty nights. We’re repeatedly warned to wait until after Mother’s Day before planting. And this year made that rule of the green thumb painfully obvious. But it’s official. Mother’s Day is over. That means gardening season is here. The grass is green. The trees are budding and the tulips have bloomed. So get outside! Dig in the dirt, plant some flowers and prepare to kick back on your porch or patio and enjoy the beauty of your landscape. Flower-marts …

Food prices are on the rise. And so are my growing kids’ appetites. An L.A. Times article stated that Americans spend 10 percent of their annual income on food and that food prices are expected to rise 3-4 percent this year. This confirms what I’ve suspected. I’m spending more in the effort to serve my family healthy meals. Fortunately, other local shoppers collect and share information about meal planning and grocery shopping that won’t bust the budget. Woodbury resident Denise Shettle is a grocery guru. She began “couponing” in 2010 when her family needed to save for a new vehicle. They’d …

In Woodbury, “cranky” doesn’t mean bad-tempered or irritable. Cranky has come to mean cool and charitable. A few years ago, I met Brian Livingston, a homegrown entrepreneur who graduated from Woodbury High School, married his high school sweetheart and together with his wife Dina is now raising a family here in Woodbury. But the cool part of Livingston’s story is his business. Along with partner, Jay Adams, Livingston owns an online auction site called www.CrankyApe.com. What makes CrankyApe so cool? The stuff they sell of course. This is no auction site for crocheted tea cozies or handmade …

Holy Week has come and gone. Meals were prepared and devoured. Eggs were hunted and captured. Services were attended. Leftovers were packed into little plastic containers and shipped off to an array of friends and relatives who will probably secretly nibble the kids’ candy instead. But what else will we take away from this past week into the next season? Holiday customs and traditions often bring our relationships into close orbit for a time. Hopefully that was a blessing to you. But maybe you were easily angered or annoyed by another’s behavior or comments. Maybe you felt guilted into …

While sitting in a lawn chair watching my kids sweep the garage, I noticed a variety of handy storage and organizational ideas my husband has incorporated into “his” outdoor space. Then I began to pay attention to the organizational habits of my neighbors. I realized that people are pretty clever and Woodbury Patch readers might benefit from this multitude of orderly inspiration. My favorite piece of garage genius is our sports equipment storage rack, an idea my husband gleaned from Handyman Magazine. (The Family Handyman is also great and available in an iPad version). The rack is a simple …

Underneath melting snow await piles of grit and gunk, an indication it’s spring cleaning time. Don’t get me wrong. I’m no Queen of Clean (although I recommend her books). I usually live by the motto, “A clean house is the sign of a life wasted.” But there are times when I can’t avoid taking up mop and broom. Spring is one of those times. Seasonal basics scream for attention. I usually gloss over the rest. I’ll start by packing away the mountain of boots by the door. I’m officially declaring an end to snow-boot season. (It’s Minnesota, so keep at a hat and a pair of gloves handy for each …

If breaking out the board games engenders groans from your family and friends, they may be the types who try to avoid interaction, conversation or any prolonged familial association. Or maybe you haven’t updated your board game offerings to keep things interesting. Each year I’m introduced to some new board/card games by fellow game lovers. I’m drawn out of passivity into a shared experience around the kitchen table. It’s always fun! Plus, playing games together creates special and often hilarious family memories. The benefits of board games aren’t strictly social. Cerebral benefits for all …

My family recently sampled some seasonal excitement while on vacation—the spring swing of baseball bats. Seated in the stands of Eddy D. Field Stadium at Pepperdine University, overlooking the beautiful coastline of Malibu, Calif., we cheered on our nephew, Nate Johnson (No. 24 on your scorecard), catcher for the Pepperdine Waves. Those couple of games ignited our anticipation for the upcoming baseball season back home in Woodbury. My sons played catch and practiced hitting baseballs in their cousin’s custom batting cage. Meanwhile, my husband explored coaching tips and drills to practice …

Artwork that captures the imagination and inspires the soul will be on display at Woodbury Lutheran’s 11th annual Festival of Christian Art, sponsored by the church’s visual arts committee. This free exhibit is open to the public March 23through April 17, everyday from noon to 4:30 p.m. at Woodbury Lutheran Church. When you enter into Woodbury Lutheran’s large and brightly lit sanctuary, you’ll see what Senior Pastor (and art lover) Dean Nadasdy describes as a place that begs for art—a place where visitors can come to contemplate 40-50 pieces of Christian-themed artistic entries in a variety …

As a kid, spring break meant TV dinners on TV trays in front of… you guessed it. The TV. Those were good times. Endless cartoons paired with Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and a brownie in a divided aluminum tray that prevented food from touching. Traveling during spring break was something people on TV did. Not something I did. But I didn’t grow up in Minnesota with its seemingly endless winters and brutal subzero temperatures. When considering our move to Minnesota 13 years ago, I phoned a colleague who lived here and asked how he liked it. He said he loved the Twin Cities and all that it…

Have you ever needed a moment to take a deep breath and regroup? After months of shoveling and shivering, balancing kids’ needs with work or community commitments, the winter routine begins to wear on me. I’m ready for change. Not just a change in the weather—a change in my frame of mind. This is the time that I renounce my vitamin D deficient snark for a rejuvenated stride toward spring. On Wednesday, March 9, I’ll be symbolically reminded of my mortality: marked by ashes to signify the dust of the earth to which my body will one day return. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, a …

Saturday was Derby Day! Cub Scout Pack 60 held its annual contest of velocity and novelty at King of Kings Lutheran Church. The Pinewood Derby is one of the most popular family activities in Scouting. The idea is for families to help their Scout design and build a derby car, a small wooden model that races down a track powered by gravity. Awards are won for speed and creativity. In the hilarious movie Down and Derby, over-enthusiastic dads get caught up in trying to build winning derby cars. In reality, my husband and other parents try to restrain themselves to the role of construction guide…

Imagine going to the airport to pick up family. Only it’s not your family. And they don’t speak your language, or have an education, a job or a bank account. And it’s your responsibility to help them adjust to life in America. That’s what Bob Lein agreed to do last spring when Woodbury Community Church (WCC), in coordination with World Relief and Refugee Life Ministries, offered to assist a Karen (an ethnic group that fled Burma to escape religious and ethnic persecution) family living in a refugee camp in Thailand. Four people stepped off a plane last April carrying one bag each: 60-year-old…

February is packed with celebrations. Groundhogs, Valentines, Presidents and Black History all get some well-deserved attention in February. But my favorite February celebration encompasses all of the above and more. I Love to Read Month is celebrated during February in schools throughout our district and around the country. I’m a reader. I love books. I have books stacked around my house like the little rock piles used to mark out hiking trails. I encourage my kids to read too because I believe literacy is a lifelong gift that provides job opportunities, improved health and better access to …

Valentine’s Day has almost all the makings of Christmas in February. Well, almost. The religious connection is vague at best. There are no extended family gatherings or holiday travel (thank goodness). And there are no long lines at shopping malls to have pictures taken with a Valentine mascot. Some say Halloween is a retail goldmine with its focus on costumes and decorations. But Valentine’s Day seems more festive and better for business because it’s a gift-giving holiday. Industry research says that an average person will spend around $116 on Valentine’s Day merchandise this year. Because …