


We had another great turnout for our National Night Out in historic downtown Chaska this year. It was our third annual event for the neighbors in West Downtown Chaska, and it’s been fun to see it grow year over year.
The Chaska Herald came out to snap some shots and WCCO-TV sent a camera guy to get some footage for their Good Question segment about if we really know our neighbors.

Per the topic, our neighborhood uses a combination of offline and online techniques to connect. Although our email list is getting to a substantial size and it’s been fun to watch the Facebook Group for the neighborhood grow, we still take time to chat to one another on front porches, festivals or at the park. We share tools, produce from the garden and schedule play dates for the kids.
Arguably, the people you live near have a more direct impact on your day-to-day life than national and global news. Knowing your neighbors is just the first step of contributing and living in a community. And National Night Out is a fantastic catalyst for creating those connections.
It’s finally been gorgeous enough to enjoy the patio at work…

We helped some friends move…




I attended the Alphabet Bash and ate something on every plate of this table…



MORE AFTER THE JUMP
National Night Out 2011 (more here)…


The kids got to visit the Minnesota Vikings Training Camp in Mankato…


MORE AFTER THE JUMP!
Took Grant to swimming class and admired this epic slide…

This dad brought his laptop, logged onto the community center wi-fi and was surfing GunsAmerica.com to purchase a new weapon — while at the pool…


More after the jump!
I actually enjoy this…
February 10, 2011:

July 18, 2011:

And by mid-November, we’ll have snow again! Bring on the jackets (and the pockets within said jackets)!

Just got this pitch from PrankPack.com with an Eden Prairie cutline:
Today, 30 Watt announced the second in the 2010 line of genuine prank gift boxes with the launch of the Pet Petter, a fully-automated animal petting device. The Pet Petter helps busy/germophobic/apathetic pet owners enjoy their animals while giving them the love and affection they deserve from a safe distance.
Prank PacksTM are gift boxes that appear to house the most ridiculous products imaginable. “The real gift is placed inside, then wrapped.” said Nordby. “Then you just sit back, watch them open it and revel in their half-hearted enthusiasm!” “And with six box sides of unique humor, it gets passed around and really helps move Aunt Linda’s party along.”
“We understand that most gift boxes are boring and that gift bags are just plain evil. Therefore, we decided to continue to make Prank Packs in 2010,” said Arik Nordby, Creative Director at 30 Watt. Previously, Mr. Nordby teamed with The Onion to design the first ever fake gift boxes.
Whoa – these are so great…



I’m just so impressed. And of course, wishing these gifts were real and available for preschool fundraising. Another example of super clever and smart thinking coming from the Twin Cities.
Get them here.