Category Archives: Weekly Digests

Why didn’t I think of that?

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Every once in awhile, I run across a blog that makes me think, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Rose’s Pin-Tests is one of those blogs: http://rosespintests.areavoices.com

The blog is written by a college student who takes ideas she finds on Pinterest then actually tries them out. Then she follows it up with a review.

I LOVE this idea. Maybe it’s because I’m the Queen of Pinterest. Or rather the Queen of pinning-things-on-Pinterest-then-never-actually-trying-them. That’s why I love this concept. She has “Made it myself Monday” for crafty pins and “Foodie Friday” for food pins (my favorite kind). And it’s a free for all the rest of the days of the week.

So check it out! Maybe, she’ll inspire you to actually make use out of all that stuff on your Pinterest boards!

 

 

 

 

 

After the week we’ve had we NEED these blogs!

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It’s always fun to welcome new bloggers to Areavoices. But in a week that’s been full of tension and conflict, (thank you Campaign 2012), it’s especially fun to welcome two FUN new blogs. Kayley Erlandson’s blog “Media Girl” is refreshing and well-written!

Dr. Melissa Baartman Mork is a psychology professor at Northwestern College in St.  Paul, Minnesota. Her blog takes a closer look at the importance of humor in life. Isn’t that nice to think about after this long week! Enjoy!
Mediagirl
mediagirl.areavoices.com

Kayley Erlandson examines pop culture and media in this fun and popular blog. This week she reviews “Wreck it Ralph!”
Live.Love.Laugh: Exploring Humor in Life’s Domains – Finding the value of humor in life.
lifelaughter.areavoices.com
Psychology professor Dr. Melissa Baartman Mork uses her blog to explore topics of humor; specifically, how humor is (or can be) used in life’s various domains — marriage, parenting, work, health and wellness, pain management and more.

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“Real Food” vs Processed Food – Areavoices Digest #89

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So as I sat the other day spraying cheese in a can on my snack crackers, I began to think “Can this be real cheese?”

Well the answer is “probably not.”  First clue: any cheese that’s spelled with a “z” is probably not the real deal. Second clue: When a dairy product gets loaded into an aerosol can it’s probably a red flag.

It’s not that it’s not good. But is it what’s best for you?

Study after study these days touts eating “real food.” The kind of food our grandparents and great parents ate. Think about what those people ate. They didn’t have fat-free this or fat-free that and most weren’t sipping on diet soda. It was the high octane stuff for them. And many of them looked great! I remember when I worked at WDAY-TV and the pictures hung up all over the building of early TV and radio personalities. What struck me most was the little itty bitty tiny waists these women had. How’d they get them?

Well one of our newest bloggers might have the answer.

In 2012, Char became more interested in “real food,” as she started to try and remove most processed foods from her diet. She’s learning as she goes and will use her new blog to document her experiences, successes and pitfalls. You’ll also get a recipe or two.

It’s just the first in our recommended blogs of the week.

 

Really Eating
reallyeating.areavoices.com
A blog dedicated to making, serving, and eating “real food” over processed food.

Images of Fall
fall.areavoices.com
The colors of fall as seen through the eyes of readers.

NIE Rocks
nierocks.areavoices.com
Newspapers in Education kicks off another school year with activities and fun.

Oh, Look a Shiny Thing!
shiny.areavoices.com
The weird and wacky of the web.

Music Moves
musicmoves.areavoices.com
Perspectives and Insight from a musical therapist.

Healthy Tidbits
peggysue.areavoices.com
Health topics from Peggy Anderson

Areavoices Digest #88 – Some top performers

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I decided for this week’s digest to offer up another look at some of our top performing blogs. They’re both consistent with their posts, and their posts seem to generate broad interest in everything from politics to food to money. If you’ve never read them – what are you waiting for?

She Says TV
shesays.areavoices.com
The video blog of She Says, including food and lifestyle segments such
as The Great Indoors, Hungry for More and Happy Body Hot Life.

New Plateaus
newplateaus.areavoices.com
Brandon Ferdig’s popular column on social behavior and more.

Capitol Chatter
capitolchat.areavoices.com
A Forum Communications blog about Minnesota government and politics.

Sundog
sundog.areavoices.com
The latest news in marketing and technology from the cutting edge firm.

Real Money
realmoney.areavoices.com
Financial guidance, money management education, and debt management from
The Village Financial Resources Center.

Countdown to Bison kickoff – Areavoices Digest #88

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For all of you Bison fans out there…the day is approaching:  the kickoff to Bison Football 2012.

If you’d like the latest info from the guys who know the Herd inside and out…check out Jeff Kolpack and Dom Izzo’s Bison Media Blog. They’ve been doing it for years now and it’s consistently one of the most viewed blogs on Areavoices. This year is promising to be even better for the boys. (Dom and Jeff, I mean. I wouldn’t dare call the Bison “boys.” I don’t want to offend them. Dom and Jeff, I’m not too worried about. Anyway, I digress.) Dom and Jeff are planning big things for their video blog this year. It’s always fun when they dissect the season, and this year is no different.

If you want the fan’s perspective, the Bison Fan Blog is a lot of fun.

Those are just the first of this weeks’ recommended blogs. Enjoy!
Bison Media Blog
bisonmedia.areavoices.com
The Forum’s Jeff Kolpack and WDAY’s Dom Izzo preview the kickoff to Bison football 2012.

Bison Fan Blog
bisonfans.areavoices.com
As long as we’re talking Bison, check out this blog for Bison fans by Bison fans.

Jeremiah Program Fargo Moorhead
jeremiahprogramfargomoorhead.areavoices.com
Changing Women’s Lives for Their Children’s Futures.

No Time to Be Cool
notimetobecool.areavoices.com
Just a simple dude trying to glow in the dark.

Middle Aged Plague by Carolyn Henderson
middleagedplague.areavoices.com
Carolyn tells us why she’s reluctant to buy cookies from children at her door, but what is definitely not off limits.

Getting your school news published the easy way – Areavoices Digest #87

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It’s close to that time. Some kids are chomping at bit, others are looking longingly at the backyard pool wondering where their summer went. Either way, it’s inevitable. Over the next couple of days (or weeks) the kiddos are back in the classroom.

And if you haven’t noticed it yet, Areavoices is a FABULOUS way to share your school news. Whether it’s a school district blog like some of the ones you see in this week’s recommended blog list, or a blog about one of the school’s teams or activities, blogging is a great way to get your news, photos and announcements published in the paper without having to beg an editor to include you. This puts the publishing power in your hands! Just start your blog, write your post, include a photo or two and post it. It’s that easy. If you know how to use Word, you can blog.

If you’re interested in what I’m talking about check out some of these school blogs. They’re good examples of what you can do. And if you have more questions, just go to the FAQ section of this blog or email me at tracy.briggs@fccinteractive.com.

Fargo School Talk
fargopublicschools.areavoices.com
News and information about Fargo Public Schools.

Community Edventures
communityedventures.areavoices.com
Events and activities from Community Education in Farmington, Minnesota.

ICardinals Campaign
icardinalscampaign.areavoices.com
Advancing the way we teach and learn at Willmar High School.

NIE Rocks!
nierocks.areavoices.com
Newspapers in Education with Sue Lindlauf.

Super Spud
moorheadareapublicschools.areavoices.com
The official blog of Moorhead Public Schools.

Moorhead High Theatre
moorheadhightheater.areavoices.com
Theatre news from Moorhead High School

Look where I found some quirky and fun cakes – Areavoices Digest #86

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What is this a picture of? It’s a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, right? Wrong. Look again.
It’s actually a peanut butter and jelly sandwich CAKE. How absolutely cute is this? I stumbled across this on Facebook and I proceeded to put in on my Pinterest board (where, let’s be honest, good recipes go to gather dust. As much as I love them, I seldom commit to making them. But I think I have to try this one!)

I noticed that the recipe came from Shannon over at North Dakota Kitchen.  Check out the recipe: http://www.northdakotakitchen.net/2012/08/peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwich-cake.html

I started thinking how great it would be to share Shannon’s very clever recipes with Areavoices and readers of Forum Communications papers.  Shannon agreed to start an Areavoices blog. Yay! I think you’ll love her fun recipes like Cookie Monster cupcakes or Cracked Egg Cupcakes (I’m doing those for Easter. What a hoot!) But she also has more mainstream recipes that look plain yummy.

We’re happy to have her North Dakota Vintage Kitchen on Areavoices. It’s the first of my recommended blogs of the week.

North Dakota Vintage Kitchen
Vintagenorthdakotakitchen.areavoices.com
A vintage collector’s love of home, family and food.

Fresh Mojo
freshmojo.areavoices.com
Kristina Pranke recently moved to Dickinson, North Dakota from the Twin Cities. Her blog
addresses what life is really like in Western North Dakota during the oil boom.

Prairie Fare
prairiefare.areavoices.com
Garden-to-table information to help you grow, store and prepare food at home from NDSU Extension specialist Julie Garden-Robinson

Courts Plus
courtsplus.areavoices.com
Committed to the wellness of the community we serve.

Oscar-Zero
oscarzero.areavoices.com
News about the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site.

Are you a Mamasota? Areavoices Digest #85

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I love the title of Heather King’s new blog (maybe because I’m a Mamasota myself. I only have two kids. But I’m with her on the minivan, hubby and kids). As a native of West Central Minnesota she’s  come home from the Twin Cities to talk about life as a Minnesota mom. (No we don’t all sound like Marge from the movie “Fargo.”)

She’s just the first in this week’s list of recommended blogs. Many thanks to Ashley White of the West Central Tribune for helping to get these fine bloggers featured.

Mamasota
mamasota.areavoices.com
After years in the Twin Cities, Heather King returns home to West Central Minnesota with a husband,
3 kids, a dog and a minivan.

Family Energy Faceoff
familyenergyfaceoff.areavoices.com
Jeff Vetsch and his family live in New London, Minnesota and are participating in the Family Energy Faceoff. They’ll use this blog to discuss the competition and energy efficiency and energy use.

Let’s Talk Kids
letstalkkids.areavoices.com
Giving you tools and tips to raise healthy and happy children.

Grub for Gratitude
grubforgratitude.areavoices.com
A healthy living advocate blogs about recipes, exercising and more.

Kari’s Food Adventures
karisfoodadventures.areavoices.com
A Willmar, Minnesota area baker shares her favorite recipes.

Check out what these ten year olds are doing on Areavoices! – Areavoices Digest #84

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I just love this idea! Matt and Graham are two ten year olds who love baseball. This summer they’re setting out on a six day six game six city baseball tour with their dads and they’re taking Areavoices with them. They’ve set up a blog to journal their adventures. It’s something we’ve seen a couple of times this summer. Remember the Nasello’s. They’re blogging as they travel through the state of North Dakota this summer.

This is such a great way to preserve the memories of your trip. Not only can your friends and family see what you’re doing, it’s a good way for you to look back years from now. Easier, than trying to find the time to put photos in a scrapbook or album. (I’m pretty sure I still have photos from a 1978 trip to Medora in an old Red Owl grocery bag lying around somewhere.)

Anyway, have fun Matt and Graham!

Check out all of our recommended blogs this week!

Matt and Graham’s Baseball Tour
mattandgrahamsbaseballtour.areavoices.com
Matt & Graham, two 10-year-olds are going on 6 day 6 game in 6 city baseball tour with their dads.

The Bakken Mama
bakkenmama.areavoices.com
“Bakken Mama” grew up an Army brat, but now she finds herself in the midst of the Oil Boom of North Dakota with her husband and five children. These are her adventures.

Sharehouse
sharehouse.areavoices.com
“We provide compassionate and innovative chemical dependency treatment services for those in need.”

Rape and Abuse Crisis Center
raccfm.areavoices.com
Brand new to blogging, The Rape and Abuse Crisis Center is a non-profit agency which provides advocacy, counseling and education.

Travel Mode
modetravelagency.areavoices.com
My life as a travel agent.

More from the Oil Boom, Junkfest and a Little Something for Teachers – Areavoices Digest #83

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I’m really excited about this week’s list of recommended Areavoices blogs. I’m excited to welcome news from Black Gold Boom,  a multimedia project exploring the oil boom in western North Dakota. Stories air on Prairie Public and are produced by Todd Melby. This blog is a supplement to their existing website www.blackgoldboom.com and should provide a peek at life inside the boom.

 

Cassie, Missy and Lynette call themselves “girls who love junk” so they created Junkfest (the event and the blog). “Now held at the Foster County Fairgrounds in Carrington, ND, the annual Autumn Junk Fest has become a festive gathering of Trash Talkers and Treasure Seekers!  You’ll find tons of refurbished and repurposed treasures for your home and garden.  JunkFest also hosts the best and fastest growing Flea Market in these parts!” Sounds like fun!

Back in April of 2009,  a self-proclaimed, “crazy 8th grade Language Arts teacher from St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin” came up with an idea to create a place for teachers to share their professionalism and passion for teaching. We Teach We Learn is the result.

Here are all of this week’s list of blogs you might want to check out!

Black Gold Boom
blackgoldboom.areavoices.com
How Oil Changed North Dakota.

Life in the Patch
patchlife.areavoices.com
A Forum Communications blog documenting the good, the bad, the ugly and the pretty in oil-rich Western North Dakota.

We Teach We Learn
weteachwelearn.areavoices.com
A place for teachers (and others interested in education) to share their professionalism and passion for teaching and learning.

Family and Living
family.areavoices.com
Your source for family-centered content, for all stages of your life.

Junkfest
junkfest.areavoices.com
Restoring elegance to roadside finds.

Areavoices Digest #82 – Hot days, hot blogs

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Here is this week’s list of hot blogs and some up and comers! Enjoy!

 

Capitol Chatter
capitolchat.areavoices.com
Minnesota Capitol Bureau chief Don Davis covers the Minnesota state government for Forum Communications.

Flickertales from the Hill
ndpolitics.areavoices.com
News and analysis on federal politics and government issues from Forum Communications reporter Kristen Daum

Home Builder’s Association of FM
homebuildersassociation.areavoices.com
The HBA of F-M is a non-profit trade association of over 800 members that has been in existence since 1956.

The New Forty
thenewforty.areavoices.com
“They saw fifty is the new forty….I’ll let you know.”

Mayor Oberloh
mayoralanoberloh.areavoices.com
Worthington, Minnesota mayor Alan Oberloh uses his blog to share thoughts and ideas with residents.

Areavoices Digest #81 – Tatted Lace and more

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Happy soon-to-be 4th of July everyone!

When you’re not out  barbecuing or watching fireworks, be sure to check out some of our newest and hottest blogs on Areavoices, including a brand-new-to-our-platform crafting blog that’s bound to get a little “pin” interest.

Have a great 4th of July!
Tatted Lace
ladytatslace.areavoices.com
Longtime blogger Jeanne Lugert is new to Areavoices and shares her talents in tatted lace and more. Welcome Jeanne!

Moorhead Library – Your Community Living Room
mhlibrary.areavoices.com
News and information from the public library in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Cultural Diversity Resources
culturaldiversity.areavoices.com
Building communities that value diversity through serving as the intercultural bridge that strengthens bonds and facilitates understanding among diverse communities.

Boomer’s Bliss
boomersbliss.areavoices.com
Writer Beth Bradley’s blog is “the place to be when your midlife crisis has expired.”

Outdoors with Sam Cook
samcook.areavoices.com
Summer is a good time to check in on Sam Cook’s popular blog  exploring the great outdoors in Minnesota.

A real life Eva Gabor? – Areavoices Digest #80

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If you’re over a certain age…ahem…you grew up not only watching this ridiculous show but singing it’s catchy lyrics.

Green acres is the place for me.
Farm livin’ is the life for me.
Land spreadin’ out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.

Green Acres ran from 1965 to 1971 and starred Eddie Albert as Oliver Wendell Douglas, a frustrated New York City banker who longed for simple country life. His pampered wife Lisa, played by Eva Gabor wasn’t as ready to chuck everything.

New York is where I’d rather stay.
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.

He convinces or rather drags (“You are my wife!”) Lisa to Hooterville,  USA to start farming. What ensues is 1960′s era hilarity as Oliver drives his tractor wearing a suit and Lisa parades around the house in silk robes and feather boas.

But in our midst on Areavoices we might have a real life Eva Gabor.

Cloey is a native New Yorker who now finds herself a farmer’s wife in rural Minnesota. Her fish out of water stories are a hoot (she was surprised when the movie theatre employee let her help herself to the butter).

Check out her blog and the rest of the recommended blogs in this weeks digest:


From NY Life to Farmer’s Wife
greenacresrevisited.areavoices.com
Cloey is a former New Yorker who now finds herself married to a farmer in rural Minnesota. You can take the girl out
of New York, but can you take New York out of the girl?

18 Holes with Jack…Daniels
fmgolfguy.areavoices.com
Corey Herlickson, head golf professional at The Meadows Golf Course in Moorhead, provides tips and advice for golfers.

Golf
golf.areavoices.com
Self-proclaimed “worst golfer in the region” Paul Stein writes about golf in the Twin Ports area of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Live It!
liveit.areavoices.com
A regional lifestyle magazine designed to take an up-close and personal look at the
people, places and things that make west central Minnesota a great place to live.

The Public Square
thepublicsquare.areavoices.com
Jay Milbrandt is an attorney and author from Worthington, Minnesota. His blog seeks to recreate
the old time town square where people meet to exchange ideas and participate in civil debate.

 

 

Areavoices Digest #79 – Movie reviews, Family Wellness, SheSaysTV and more!

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Here are this week’s recommended blogs. We’re welcoming a brand new blog from Sanford Health and the YMCA and we’re reminding you of the great video content you’ll find at SheSaysTV. Enjoy!

Words of Wellness – Stories from our Family Wellness Community
familywellnessfargo.areavoices.com
Family Wellness is a partnership between Sanford Health and the YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties. Together, we are dedicated to inspire healthy lifestyles by connecting people in a fun environment.

Eh? Plus
ehplus.areavoices.com
Offbeat tidbits and news you can use from the Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune.

Movie Reviews by Nate
duluthmovies.areavoices.com
“Do we need another person reviewing movies? No, but I’m gonna.”

Healthbeat
healthbeat.areavoices.com
A blog about all things health. One of our most popular Areavoices.com

Shesaystv
shesaystv.areavoices.com
The place to find She Says related video including The Great Indoors with Tracy Briggs, Hungry for More, and Happy Body, Hot Life with Chris Linnares.

Areavoices Digest #78 – Now this might make my garden grow

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We all must admit our shortcomings.

For example, I am not good at basketball, geometry or abstaining from chocolate.

I am also a really bad gardener. The picture you see to the left is not taken from my garden, but it might as well have been. After years of blaming my pathetic little plants on deer, rabbits and weed infestation,  I finally admitted it -  I’m just green-thumb challenged.

But there is help. Areavoices is home to several bloggers who aren’t green thumb challenged and who share their wisdome through every post.They’ll take you through how to successfully garden without wanting to pull your hair out or shoot those rabbits.

Check out their blogs in this week’s digest along with a brand new counseling blog.
The Dirt
http://thedirt.areavoices.com
The real dirt on gardening from  master gardener Sandi Paulson from Moorhead, Minnesota.

East of Weedin’
http://eastofweedin.areavoices.com
Emily Zimmer loves to cook and garden. In her blog she shares her successes and failures at both.

Garden Talk
http://gardentalk.areavoices.com
The official blog of the Master Gardener Program of Dakota County, Minnesota.

Life in the Slow Lane
http://gardeninguru.areavoices.com
A gardening and canning blog. The blogger writes: “If it can be dried, frozen, canned or jellied, I’m on it!”

Collaborative Counseling with Naomi Doriott
http://collaborativemn.areavoices.com
This blog is intended to provide information and resources to inspire you to make improvements in yourself and and your life.

Areavoices Digest #77 – I love this idea for a family summer vacation!

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Every year, families all over America start thinking about it (if they haven’t been dreaming about it since January). What are we going to do for summer vacation? We spend thousands flying (and with high gas prices driving too) to all kinds of summer hot spots.

But how many of us explore our own backyards? I’m not really talking about a “Staycation.” That implies you’re staying in your own home or city. What I’m talking about is touring your own state. Looking around at what’s just a few hundred miles away and seeing what outstate tourists see.

I think about this when I’ve traveled to the Washington D.C. area to visit my relatives and do some sightseeing. Often, after telling my aunts and uncles, who live in suburban Washington, that I’m going to check out one tourist spot or another in DC, they’ll say, “We haven’t even seen that yet.”

Many of us don’t bother looking at what’s close at hand.

Well, that’s what native North Dakotan Sarah Nasello and her family are doing. They’re taking the time this summer to immerse themselves in all things North Dakota. So not only will they see the tourist hotspots they’ll check those off the wall places as well,  Meet the people and walk down the mainstreets. She’ll be documenting all of it in her Areavoices blog.

It should be a lot of fun. Check out her blog and the other recommended blogs of the week.

Lost on the Prairie
http://lostontheprairie.areavoices.com
Sarah Nasello is a 5th generation North Dakotan who grew up in Fargo. After realizing she didn’t know enough
about her home state. She, husband Tony and son Giovanni decided to take a summer vacation to connect with “people who are passionate about food, farming, art and North Dakota in general.

Cute n’ Comfy
http://cutencomfy.areavoices.com
Jasmine Maki is a college student who loves fashion, photography and
writing, all of which come together in her new Areavoices blog.

God Tracks
http://godtracks.areavoices.com
Blogger Julie Holmquist recently received a national award of excellence for this blog where she explores the presence of
God in everyday lives.

Best Friends ND
http://bestfriendsnd.areavoices.com
Best Friends Mentoring Program matches adult role models with children who need positive adult guidance and friendship.Their blog
gives advice on family and children’s issues.

NDSU Extension
http://ndsuextension.areavoices.com
If you have a question, there’s a good chance NDSU Extension Service can answer it.  They specialize in information on strengthening agriculture and developing the potential of youth, adults and communities.

Areavoices Digest #76 – Running, Minnesota Vikings, and Season-Ending TV

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I decided for this week’s list of recommended blogs, I’d go with the real HOT TOPICS. What’s making news? What’s the buzz? What are you talking about around the water cooler?

At my office, it’s been a lot of chatter about the upcoming Fargo Marathon, which attracts 20 thousand runners from around the nation. We’re also talking about the newly-passed Viking stadium. And TV talk is always big:  “Who’s going to win American Idol or Dancing with the Stars?”

That being said these Areavoices blogs hit on those topics. Check them out! And if you’re interested in writing your own blog, don’t forget to drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you: tracy.briggs@fccinteractive.com

Fargo Marathon
http://fargomarathon.areavoices.com
The official blog of the Fargo Marathon written by race director Mark Knutson. This year’s race is expected to attract 20,000 runners from all over the United States.

Addicted to Running
runningspud.areavoices.com
Running enthusiast Steve Wagner talks about training, nutrition and more.

On TV
http://ontv.areavoices.com
TV talk from a TV lover. On TV covers the buzz from primetime and beyond.

Life in the Patch
http://patchlife.areavoices.com
“Life in the Patch” is a Forum Communications blog documenting the good, the bad, the ugly and the pretty in oil-rich Western North Dakota.

Minnesota Sports Shorts
http://louiestgeorge.areavoices.com
An overview of Minnesota’s often vexing sports scene with Duluth News Tribune copy editor Louie St. George III.

Areavoices Digest #75 – What’s life really like in the Oil Patch?

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We’ve seen the news stories and read the reports from the oil boom in Western North Dakota.  They paint a vivid picture of both the good and bad that come with an economic boom and population explosion. But what is life really like there for the people who live there now and have lived there for generations We wanted to find out. Introducing: Life in the Patch, one of the newest Areavoices blogs. It’s a community blog that allows contributors to weigh in with their stories from boomtown and beyond. If you’d like to be a contributor to this blog, just email Shane Mercer at smercer@forumcomm.com. Or if you’d like to start your own blog just let me know.

There is so much to say out in Western North Dakota. Are you the one to share it? It’s easy and we’re all waiting!

In the meantime, check out all of our recommended blogs of the week.

Life in the Patch
http://patchlife.areavoices.com
“Life in the Patch” is a Forum Communications blog documenting the good, the bad, the ugly and the pretty in oil-rich Western North Dakota.

Reel Quickies
http;//reelquickie.areavoices.com
Laurel is a popular movie blogger who not only reviews the latest movies (The Avengers) but gets her
readers involved through interactive movie quizzes.

Reggie Tales
http://reggietales.areavoices.com
Have you ever wondered about life behind the camera in a TV newsroom? Chris Regimbal, WDAZ-TV News
Director, takes you there in his blog.

Minnesota – More to Explore
http://exploreminnesota.areavoices.com
A must-see blog for anyone visiting or living in Minnesota.

Ag at Large by Mikkel Pates
http://ag-at-large.areavoices.com
Mikkel Pates is a highly respected and longtime agricultural journalist.
His blog adds depth and details to the stories he writes for Ag Week and The Grand Forks Herald.

Areavoices Digest #74 – Are you training for the marathon?

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Their numbers seem to multiply around this time every year. The snow is gone and the weather hasn’t yet turned hot. Runners are coming out of the woodwork, some to train for upcoming marathons (The Fargo Marathon is May 17-19th) and others simply to get their daily exercise.

There is no shortage of advice out there about what it takes to be a runner, but let me steer you towards one of the best. Steve Wagner, an editor at the Bemidji Pioneer, is an avid runner who started relatively late in life. But as the title of his blog suggests, he’s already hooked. In his blog, Steve offers training advice, nutrition and encouragement for runners of all levels.

He’s just the first in our recommended blogs of the week.

Addicted to Running
runningspud.areavoices.com
Running enthusiast Steve Wagner talks about training, nutrition and more.

Wag n’ Tales – Life on the Farm
wagntales.areavoices.com
Mommy of four boys, farm wife and blogger. Not in that particular order.

Father Knows Last
jimlindlauf.areavoices.com
The life of a Grand Forks husband and father.

Dakota Valley News Blog
http://dakotavalleynews.areavoices.com/
News and information from the Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative in Southeastern North Dakota.

Rummaging with Ryan
http://rummagingwithryan.areavoices.com
Enter for a chance to win a morning of rummaging with Ryan Bakken.

 

Areavoices Digest #73 – Capitalizing on the Pinterest explosion

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No doubt you’ve heard about the meteoric rise of Pinterest. In two short years, the digital bulletin board has become the third most popular social network trailing only behind Facebook and Twitter in the number of monthly users. In fact,  Pinterest doubled it’s number of users between January and February of this year and no other social network reached 10 million users faster than Pinterest. Although recent reports suggest that growth is slowing Pinterest is still a hot commodity for it’s millions of users (80% of them female). Now one of our Areavoices bloggers is making it easier for you to Pin without really pinning.

Her name is Jen Burris and she’s taking what she sees on Pinterest and trying it out for herself. And we get to read about it on her blog. It’s just one of the recommended blogs of the week. Enjoy!
Pin It
http://pinit.areavoices.com
Pinterest is the fastest growing social medium around these days. Follow as this blogger tries out
some of the pins she finds on the digital bulletin board.

Joe Fitness
http://joefitness.areavoices.com
One of our most popular health and fitness blogs. Joe answers real life questions like “Is Nutella
really good for you?” or “What is the cardio machine you should be using, but aren’t?”

MSUM
http://msum.areavoices.com
Follow the news and information from the campus of Minnesota State University Moorhead.

FM Ballet
http://fmballet.areavoices.com
News from Fargo Moorhead Ballet, a nationally respected regional professional dance company that presents a multidisciplinary repertoire from ballet, jazz, modern, and tap.

Father Knows Least
http://fatherknowsleast.areavoices.com
Hilarious stories from a man as he takes on the job of fatherhood.