Saint Paul News

Kirstie Alley wants to lose weight, again. On the Kirstie Alley's Big Life episodes that aired August 24, 2010, Kirstie wants to come up with her own plan for losing weight. She asks Jim, her overweight handyman to join her. The night before they begin, they get together to eat a big meal. The next day, they weigh in. Kirstie also takes pictures of Jim with his shirt off and starts calling him her chubby buddy. One of Kirstie's assistants helps them find a personal trainer. Kirstie asks her stylist, Tracy, to find her some cute workout clothes, because the man she selected to whip...

Hyperfocus is when you focus so much on a particular activity that you neglect other important areas in your life. Adults with ADHD may experience periods of hyperfocus, and other bothersome effects of the disorder. You may want to seek help, because unlike those around think, ADHD is real, but your life can just as wonderful as anyone else that you know. You may even outperform that super organized co-worker in your office. Coaching and support groups can help address your concerns in work and life. Deborah Bollom is a certified and professional coach that facilitates a support group in...

Shelly is a real estate agent. She uses the money she makes selling houses to rescue dogs. On the Last Chance Highway episode that aired August 21, 2010, Shelly saved five male puppies. They all had mange and were scheduled to be euthanized. Shelly took the dogs to the vet. Then, she gave them to Diana, a foster parent who was instructed to give the dogs medication and a bath every other day. Diana named one of the puppies Joey, and Jeremy in Massachusetts is going to adopt him. Hope is a dog that Shelly trapped. The feral spent the last five months at the vet getting healthy, socialized,...

Reading is the basis of learning, so it is very important that kids are encouraged not only to read, but discover the joy of reading. Below are some tips to help you instill the joy of reading in your children: 1. Find books on topics your children will enjoy. Whenever possible, they should pick them out. 2. Model the enjoyment of reading by reading yourself. 3. When your child is interested in learning more about something, encourage them to look for the answer in an appropriate book. This demonstrates that there is a wealth of knowledge to be had from books. 4. Read out loud to your kids...

Traveling with infants and small children can be challenging. Between carseats and toys, snacks and bottles, and everything else parents have to remember for themselves and their children, the journey can feel chaotic and overwhelming. A great asset St. Paul can offer for visitors and travelers is the opportunity to rent most, if not all, of your baby and child equipment and gear. Whether traveling by plane, train, or car, visitors to the Twin Cities and statewide in Minnesota can have their baby/child gear delivered to their hotel, cabin, or home. Green Baby Travels www.babytravelsmn.com...

While surrounded today by freeways and a large urban population in St. Paul, Fort Snelling was once a lonely symbol of American ambition in the wilderness. Today it is a local historical site that provides visitors with a glimpse into Minnesota's past. The restored historic fort allows you to step back in time to the early 1800s. Costumed interpreters share the fort's story through conversation, demonstrations and in-depth programs. Beyond the main history center, thousands of locals and visitors enjoy the hiking and biking trails through the park. History By 1851, treaties had...

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, located just minutes from downtown St. Paul, provides an escape from the concrete for visitors to enjoy the peace and quiet of a formal garden with gravel walks and a topiary border. It is one of the largest urban sculpture gardens in the country. Forty sculptures made of natural and man-made materials depicting the pains and pleasures of human life are found throughout the grounds. The most famous, of course, is the Spoonbridge and Cherry, the centerpiece of the garden. A lovely conservatory and memorial arbor are also on the grounds as well as a walking...

The Mall of America (MOA), opened in 1992, is a super-regional shopping mall located minutes away from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport and downtown St. Paul. It is the second largest mall in North America, after the West Edmonton Mall, in Edmonton, Alberta. MOA features more than 500 stores, 50 restaurants, and a number of entertainment venues. The four anchor stores of MOA are Sears, Macys, Nordstroms, and Bloomingdales. A number of hotels located in the vicinity of MOA provide weekend travel and shopping packages with transportation to and from the mall. The packages are tailored for...

James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway, built a massive home of rugged stone--known as the James J. Hill House--to symbolize his great success on St. Paul’s historic Summit Avenue, named one of America's "Great Streets" in 2008. Completed in 1891, the mansion was the largest and most expensive home in Minnesota. It contained 36,000 square feet on five floors including 13 bathrooms, 22 fireplaces, 16 crystal chandeliers, a two-story skylit art gallery, a 100-foot reception hall, and a profusion of elaborately carved oak and mahogany woodwork. Sophisticated...

Nestled in the heart of St. Paul, Como Park, Zoo and Conservatory provides more than 1.9 million annual visitors with opportunities and adventures with nature, animals, and amusement. It’s mission: “Creating memories and inspiring appreciation of the natural world.” At Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, conservation is a part of their mission. Their goal is to take an active role in helping to conserve the planet’s resources – plants, animals, and whole ecosystems. The park, zoo and conservatory are owned by the City of Saint Paul and additional attractions...

A cannoli is the quintessential Italian dessert. With cannoli shells being sold in local grocery stores, it is now easier than ever to end an Italian meal with a cannoli. Creamy, sweet and ripe for additions, producing a cannoli couldn't be easier. The dessert hails from Sicily where they pride themselves in making fried desserts (the shells are fried). In Italy, sheep's-milk ricotta is used. But here in the states, we use cow's-milk ricotta which is readily accessible. The secret to a great cannoli is simple: fill your shells just before you serve them. Otherwise, the shells...

In his article, Why Growth is Good, Robert Reich explains "Growth is different from consumerism. Growth is really about the capacity of a nation to produce everything that's wanted and needed by its inhabitants. That includes better stewardship of the environment as well as improved public health and better schools." While the candidates for governor of Minnesota all agree that the first objective for Minnesota is to increase economic growth, they differ in how they define growth and how they would achieve it. Mark Dayton calls for government to play a vital role in economic...

Classical mythology geeks of all ages will be delighted by this book. The hero, Perseus “Percy” Jackson, is a modern day son of the ancient Greek god Poseidon. After all, in the old myths the gods did little but caper about the countryside having children, so why should they have changed their ways since? When Percy’s algebra teacher turns out to be a demonic Fury in disguise, Percy is sent away to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for the young offspring of Greek deities. There he is assigned a quest – to journey into the Underworld and retrieve the stolen lightning...

After many anxious nights and frustrating days you’ve finally made a decision: you need to find a new job. Over the last few months you may have gone back and forth, thinking and rethinking, questioning if you should just stick it out or is now the time for you to get your resume updated in plans for finding a new home for your talent. The perfect timing for you to start your search is before you begin feeling a desperate need to get out of your current position. One of the worst times to start a job search is when you feel like your back is up against the wall. Deciding to search for...

It’s 5pm, and the end of the work day has arrived. Your co-workers are ecstatic, and they beat you to the parking lot. You try to smile as they leave and you tell everyone goodnight. However, you are not so sure that you are going to enjoy your evening. The end of the work day has become your most dreaded part of the day because of the negative reports that you receive when you pick up your child from daycare. Each day you arrive only to see the exasperated look on your childcare providers face. She tells you all the wrong that your child has done during the day, and you feel so...

In the book, To the Rescue: Found Dogs with a Mission, Elisa Lufkin writes about rescued dogs who have jobs. Rita is a member of BARK, the Baseball Aquatic Retrieval Korps. When a baseball is hit into the water outside the Giants stadium, she jumps in the water and retrieves it. Jada, Marshal, and Mardi Gras look for bedbugs. Ally and Marvin have had books written about them. Ally's book is called, Ally's Busy Day' The Story of a Service Dog. Marvin's book is called, Marvelous Marvin. Marvin also paints pictures with his tail. Many of the dogs, photographed in black and...

Zucchini is very delicate. Filled with water, it does not usually preserve very well. As zucchini season starts to wane, you may see at the Markets the huge zucchini clubs that look more like a weapon than a vegetable. Each of those "clubs" is capable of making ten zucchini breads and an untold number of cupcakes. Peeling the zucchini and then pulsing them down to pulp allows you to freeze the insides that are good for most baking recipes. In December, you could be baking zucchini bread from the summer harvest. The frozen pulp keeps for six months in the freezer. Put them in bags...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that everyone over the age of six months be vaccinated for influenza this year. Seasonal flu shots, which include H1N1 protection, are currently available in Rochester at Walgreens and the County Health Department. Vaccines are available at both locations on a walk-in basis. Olmsted County Public Health Services offers flu shots for a fee that is dependent on insurance coverage. For uninsured or underinsured recipients fees are $12, based on a sliding scale. The Minnesota Vaccines for Children Program (MnVFC) offers free...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning not to consume frozen mamey fruit pulp sold under the La Nuestra and Goya brands. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrated a link between nine current Salmonella typhi infections and the frozen mamey fruit pulp products. Consumers who have the either of the recalled brand's frozen mamey pulp should discard the products immediately. Both products retail in 14-ounce packages. All lots of both brands are subject to the recall. Consumers are also advised to ask what brand of mamey products are...

Several days after the Wright County Egg recall, Iowa's Hillandale Farms announced a voluntary nationwide recall of an additional 170.4 million eggs distributed under the Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms, and Sunny Meadow brand names in six-egg cartons, dozen-egg cartons, 18-egg cartons, 30-egg packages, and five-dozen-egg cases. Loose eggs packaged under the Wholesome Farms and West Creek brands in 15- and 30-dozen tray packs are also included in the recall. The affected eggs have plant number P1860 imprinted on the label, with date codes ranging from 099 to 230, or plant number P1663...