Do you want to go green while doing your spring cleaning?
We've gone out and done a little reading and researching to try to put together a few helpful tips on how you can go green this spring while you are getting your life in order and gettng the clutter you've accumulated this winter into the trash! Here are a few basic "green" cleaning supplies you can use and how to use them: - Distilled white vinegar (sold in the cooking section of most supermarkets) - Baking soda - Olive oil - Borax (sold in a box in the laundry aisle) - Liquid castile soap (https://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=1073) (like Dr. Bronner's brand, found in most natural foods stores) - Essential oils (super concentrated natural plant oils found in natural foods stores, usually in the cosmetics section) - Microfiber cleaning cloths (check out Norwex (https://www.norwex.biz/pws/caitlineverett/tabs/home.aspx) for some great products) - Newspaper Here are a few ideas / recipies that you can put together and try out around you place. - Glass: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. Spray on glass and wipe clean with old newspaper or a lint-free cloth. - Countertops and bathroom tile: Mix 2 parts vinegar and 1 part baking soda with 4 parts water. Apply with a sponge, scour, and wipe away. - Floors: Mix 4 cups of white distilled vinegar with about a gallon of hot water. If desired, add a few drops of pure peppermint or lemon oil for a pleasant scent. After damp mopping the floors, the smell of vinegar will dissipate quickly, leaving behind only the scent of the oil. - Wood furniture: Mix equal parts of lemon juice and olive and oil. Apply a small amount to a cloth, and rub onto the furniture in long, even strokes. - Toilet bowl cleaner: Sprinkle a toilet brush with baking soda and scrub away! Occasionally disinfect your toilet by scrubbing with borax instead. Wipe the outside of the toilet clean with straight vinegar. - Disinfectant: Mix 2 teaspoons borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar, 3 cups hot water, and 1/4 teaspoon liquid…
Get the kids out to the Children's Theatre for the 2013 season
We have the upcoming schdule for the new season at the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis and they have some great stuff coming up for you and the entire family. Starting this month (March 12th) and running until April 14th is the play "Jackie and Me": Joe Stoshack may not be the best baseball player on his Little League team but he does have one unparalleled advantage: with the help of the old baseball cards in his prized collection, Joe has the remarkable ability to time travel! When he’s given an assignment to write a school report about a famous African American, Joe travels back in time to meet one of the greatest baseball players ever—Jackie Robinson—and learns what it was like for the man who endured more than his share of prejudice to break baseball's color barrier. Joe plans to write a prize-winning report but never expects a temporary change in the color of his skin will forever change his view of history and courage. Then coming on April 30th and running until June 15th is the childhood classic "Alice in Wonderland": This classic tale of rabbit holes and wonder has been loved by generations, and CTC brings it as a fully re-imagined production. From the Mad Hatter’s tea party to the Cheshire grin, Alice’s adventures in Wonderland are unique, captivating and, in Alice’s own words, curiouser and curiouser! Lewis Carroll’s classic will come to life with all the magic, mystery and mischief of the original novel. Get all of your tickets on the Children's Theatre website (https://www.childrenstheatre.org/index.php/plays/2012-2013-season)
Supper With Shakespeare
Ongoing now thru Sunday, March 31, 2013 Tudor Room (325) and Gallery 332 Free Exhibition Famed Food Historian to Visit the MIA "Supper with Shakespeare: The Evolution of English Banqueting" Feast your eyes on period culinary delights handcrafted by Ivan Day. The guest curator and world-renowned English culinary historian will create a full banquet in the Tudor Room, the museum's first period room. Related programs include "Supper with Shakespeare," a free public lecture by Day at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 13, sponsored by the Friends of the Institute; a private, Tudor-inspired feast; and Tudor Keg Party, on Thursday, January 31, 6 to 9 p.m., an opportunity to wet your whistle with Tudor-style ale brewed by Summit in honor of the MIA exhibition. Ivan Day is best known for his museum exhibitions of re-created historic table settings and is considered to be one of the foremost authorities in this field. Having started collecting antiquarian cookery books and culinary utensils when he was only 13, Day now has 40 years' experience of both cooking and making replicas of period food. He will re-create an intimate banquet, as the dessert course was known in 17th-century England, especially for the MIA's Tudor Room. Day will make artificial historic foods for display in the MIA's Tudor Room during the holidays, present a free public lecture at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 13, and co-host a private dinner featuring some of his favorite authentic recipes. See a short YouTube video of Ivan Day here:
Minnesota and the Civil War
The Civil War holds a pivotal place in the history of the United States. Citizens of the new state of Minnesota were a major part of the national story, from being the first state to offer troops through their dramatic role at Gettysburg to Appomattox and beyond. To commemorate the sesquicentennial of these events, the Minnesota Historical Society is offering a broad range of programs, publications and online content from now through 2015. Visit the Minnesota History Museum Website (https://www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/exhibits/minnesota-and-civil-war) for more information on this exhibit that starts on March 2nd, 2013
Venus In Fur
Directed by Joel Sass Playwright David Ives, inspired by the classic erotic novel of the same name, conjures a crackling and witty exploration of sexual control and desire. Billed as “the funniest, sexiest, most acclaimed new Broadway play” of the 2011 season, the Jungle’s Venus in Fur will star Anna Sundberg and Peter Christian Hansen. Showtimes: Tues-Thurs + Sun at 7:30pm, Fri + Sat at 8:00pm, Sun matinee at 2:00pm Tickets $20-38 GET YOUR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION HERE! (https://jungletheater.com/venus.html)
Painter Painter at the Walker Art Center
Visit the Walker Art Center website (https://www.walkerart.org/calendar/2013/painter-painter) Painter Painter presents new work by 15 artists from the US and Europe in a focused survey of emergent developments in abstract painting and studio practice. With an expanded series of public programs, it also considers the ever-shifting role of the painter in contemporary art and culture, which remains as fluid as the medium itself. The exhibition posits abstract painting today as a means, not an end. For these artists, painting is a generative process—one that is rooted in the studio yet open and receptive to the world. Here new languages of abstraction and eccentric methods of making are freely pursued, crossing paths with sculpture, poetry, film, music, performance, design, publishing, craft, and fashion. Thus painting becomes a conduit—a way to make contactbeyond the closed frame of their formal invention. The Walker’s first group painting show in more than a decade, the exhibition features Matt Connors, Sarah Crowner, Fergus Feehily, Jay Heikes, Rosy Keyser, Charles Mayton, Dianna Molzan, Joseph Montgomery, Katy Moran, Alex Olson, Scott Olson, Zak Prekop, Dominik Sittig, Lesley Vance, and Molly Zuckerman-Hartung.
Women of Red House Records: A 30th Anniversary Concert
Friday, March 1st, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets On sale January 4th! VIP/Orchestra Pit (includes reception!) $50 in advance/at door Tier One Adult $30 in advance, $35 at door SCU Alum/Faculty/Staff/Senior $28 in advance, $33 at door Tier Two Adult $20 in advance, $25 at door SCU Alum/Faculty/Staff/Senior $18 in advance, $23 at door Adult groups of 10+ will receive $2 off per ticket. **Special Offer for Students: Buy-One-Get-One tickets are available for this show! Call or stop by the ticket office to redeem this offer! Limit 2 per person, not available online. The O'Shaughnessy and Red House Records are proud to present a special 30th anniversary concert. Starring some of the Grammy-winning label's exceptional female talent, the event will feature solo and collaborative performances from Billboard-charting songwriter Lucy Kaplansky, hot vocal talent Heather Masse of the supergroup The Wailin' Jennys, and legendary folksinger Claudia Schmidt. Together, these three musicians will celebrate three decades of folk, jazz and American roots music in our first-class theater committed to showcasing women artists. Part of Women of Substance at St. Catherine University, this event will kick off Women's History Month. An event designed for acoustic music fans of any generation, the show will include everything from traditional folk songs to contemporary Americana tunes to jazz standards. You can buy your tickets at the following LINK (https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=77d26aeac0eea16bc412155bab59055a)
Need a last minute great idea for Valentines Day for your man?
Let's face it. There are a few things that guys always like and one of them is a new toy to play with. Here is an idea we came across that you will enjoy. Tuck the shiny new toy that he's been eyeing (like an iPod touch, shown) in the front pocket of a white collared shirt. He'll look smart and polished at the office -- and love having apps for just about everything at his fingertips. Make His Valentine's Gift Special: Preload the iPod touch with a few apps you know he'll love, so it will be ready to use right when he opens it.
Baby and Kids Expo on February 23rd in Mankato
Whether you are planning a family, expecting, or have children up to age 9, this is an event you don't want to miss! Featuring: Kids Activities by the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota Health Information including: - nutritional snack ideas from Mankato Clinic - Meet the OB/GYN departments - Meet the Pediatric Department and receive a free growth chart for your kids - Learn more about the Mayo Clinic Family Birth Center Over 30 exhibitors Back by popular demand - a Petting Zoo! Special appearances from your favorite mascots, including Viktor the Viking from 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. February 23, 2013 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Verizon Wireless Center Mankato