Introducing: Diana with The Be Nice Box

hi everybody!

my name is diana and {like you}, i am a minnesota blogger!

i live in minneapolis with my cute partner blake and our really naughty {seriously, shes always paws-deep in shenanigans..} rescue pup, daphne.

i really love riding my bike, going to the library, eating dessert & listening to the backstreet boys.

also on my list of things i love?

being really nice.

{well, i try..}

they say we are 'minnesota nice', right?!

{cuz we are!}

i run a two-part business ; totally based around kindness.

part 1 : a blog ; called 'a year of minnesota nice.'

part 2 : a monthly-subscription box service called 'the be nice box.'

{want to hear more?!}

the blog : 

after the boston bombings last april, i made a commitment to complete 365 acts of kindness and then document them. you can check out the list, here. so far, i am about 160 days in & it has absolutely changed the way that i look at the universe. 

some of my favorite good deeds so far : 

we pulled a dog from doggy death-row {and then found her a forever family a week later!!}

held a kindness flashmob downtown {we handed out 60 bouquets of flowers to total strangers!}

and gave folks free bike rides

and the business!

the be nice box is a monthly subscription-box service, encouraging others to spread their own kindness! you can think of it as a 'random acts of kindness toolkit' that you receive in the mail each month.

every month, there is a new theme & we give $1 from each box to charity. each box contains a list of 12 good deeds you can complete throughout the month, 4 rad, handmade items to help you complete some of the tasks and a cool gift for YOU for helping to spread the good!

we also offer gift, 1, 3, 6 & 12-month subscriptions!

it has been so amazing to watch total strangers come together & create change! i feel so inspired every day {even on days when im crabby!} to complete a small act of kindness to brighten someone elses day!

you can check out our website here. {there will be 70 boxes in march & there are only 26 spots left!}

also, if you are an artist & would like to partner up, let me know! we are always looking for creative humans that want to help change the world!

thanks for reading, everybody!

Holiday party!

Hello!

Lauren here.

I am here to bring you some fun blogger holiday cheer!! Some of us have been discussing a holiday party, and we wanted to keep everyone in the loop on what we have up our sleeve. It will be at the home of Dawn on December 14th from 1-4pm. In lieu of a gift exchange we will be collecting hats and mittens to donate to Minnesota families in need.  Besides that, the only thing we need you to bring is yourself, your family (if you want), and a dessert to share. Nothing crazy fancy. Super simple. Be there! Please? Make sure you like the Minnesota Blogger Facebook page so you can RSVP to this fun, laid back get together. Feel free to comment on this post with questions, and Dawn  or I will get back to you as soon as possible. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Minnesota Blogger: Jen from Apartment Wife

Hi I'm Jen and I blog over at Apartment Wife. I'm a newlywed living in uptown Minneapolis and I'm new to the city! The husband and I got engaged in Chicago, and then 2 months later, his job relocated us to Mondovi, Wisconsin -- a town of 2,500. After 9 months, his job relocated us Minneapolis. We're living in Uptown and loving this beautiful city. The blog is about our adventures as newly weds, but also about Random Acts of Happiness. I try to commit a new random act of happiness at least once a week, but sometimes it ends up being more like 5 times :)

Here are five photos that describe me pretty well:

  

You can find me here:
Blog
Pinterest
Facebook

~Jen

Blogger Yoga!

Hey everyone, it's Katie! In case you missed my post this morning, I am here to invite you to a fun yoga class filled with your favorite Minnesota Bloggers!

When: July 21, 10:00 am

Where: Kenwood Park, Minneapolis (directions here.)

Who: You! Feel free to bring friends!

Other details:  I will meet you near the tennis courts and then we can find a good flat spot for our class.  They are easy to spot, if you are looking at Lake of the Isle Lutheran Church from the parkway, just keep looking to the right and you will see them :)  Make sure to bring some water with you as it will be hot!  I will bring some snacks for afterwards!

Hopefully we have good weather, check my blog if there is rain!

Please let me know in the comments if you plan to come!  

Minnesota Blogger: Cassi from Bright Forest

Hello, I am so excited to meet all of you.

My name is Cassi. I am a lifestyle blogger writing and posting lots of pictures at Bright Forest.

What will we talk about when you come for a visit?

Well, we'll discuss marriage

Why? Because its hard and we need support, help and pray.

Of course we'll chat about traveling, camping and geocaching all with pictures included.

Because that is where our passions live and how we build memories as a family.

Now we'll chat about parenting, the joys, the struggles and the blessing it is.

You will learn we call our little one Mouse and that she's had some struggles along the way. Doesn't community, even online, just make the those struggles seem more manageable.

Then we'll just talk. We'll chat about passions like photography, art, crafts and faith.

So stop on by and lets walk this thing we call life together.

Minnesota Blogger: Amy from Limit Reached

My name is Amy and I'm a blogger. I've been writing Limit Reached since 2004. The doodle is my brand or is it my logo? Either way, she works for me. Who am I, really? I'm an 8th generation Californian who is now living in St. Paul, Minnesota. I am writer who blogs. Or am I a blogger who writes? Yes, both.

 

Why am I here? Why not? Minnesota is awesome! Oh, and I fell in love. I met my boyfriend, Paul, via Twitter in August 2011. We chatted online (and text/phone calls) for a year. He came to visit me in California over Labor Day Weekend in 2012 and we've been in love ever since. Yes, it's been a whirlwind romance and I have never been happier in my life. Sometimes life doesn't fit into the molds society creates for us. Are you still with me or has the "romcom" aspect to this post totally turned your stomach? Sorry. Well, not really.

What can you find at my blog? My tagline is centered around frustration. I vent or just noodle through a few thoughts. Sometimes life is just confusing, but it's also amusing. I'm addicted to social media, nail polish and coffee. I love wine, both white and red. And of course, I couldn't live without cheese and chocolate. All of these are topics you'll find on my blog. One of my life goals is to visit all 50 states. I think I'm up to 23 now, so travel, especially road trips/day trips, are on my editorial calendar.

 

California was great. Most of my family still lives there and my roots run very deep...like my family settled most of the major cities in that state deep. Also, wine. Napa is nice, but I always liked going to small wineries in random regions of the state. If you are a wine lover, I encourage you to try wines from Amador, El Dorado and even Sacramento/San Joaquin counties. There are some great wines coming out of the Central Valley and the foothills. Need a recommendation? Just ask!

   

Some of my friends have likened my blog to stand up comedy. I really need to work on my elevator speech when someone asks me what I write about because when you say, "Whatever I feel like," this glazed look appears in their eyes. It's a lifestyle blog. I write about everyday things and seem to find the humor in it on an accidental basis. As for social media, I'm on the Twitter, the Facebook, the Pinterest, the Instagram, the Google+, and the Tumblr. Thanks for reading and feel free to check out my blog anytime. I try to write at least 3 times a week.

See's Candies Recap: #MNBloggersEatChocolate

Last night, the Minnesota Bloggers got together for a fun event at the new See's Candies store at Southdale Mall. It's safe to assume that we all had a great time being swooned with endless chocolate by See's adorably friendly staff, learning about some See's history (the chocolate factory episode of I Love Lucy was actually filmed in a See's factory!), and trying our hands at packing chocolate samplers too!

It was SO kind of See's Candies to invite the Minnesota Bloggers to the event. Their chocolate (which is packaged fresh and preservative free!) was amazingly delicious. We felt special, welcomed, and all left with happy bellies.

Back Row: Carolyn   Zhenya   Becky   Katie   Lauren   Jenn   Leah   Jenn

Middle Row: Kelly   Sarah   Melissa   Dawn's Adorable Daughters   Brittany   Andrea

Bottom Row: Meg   Jenn   Melissa   Dawn

Not shown: Lindsey

It was wonderful to see all of the ladies who attended the event! Carolyn and I hope that you all had a ton of fun and that you don't have a chocolate-induced stomach ache ;-)

<3 Kelly