If you’re looking for ways to celebrate the arrival of autumn weather, Northwoods Orchard is your one-stop shop for fall-time fun. I recently made a visit to the apple orchard, located about 90 minutes southwest of the Twin Cities in Oronoco, Minnesota, and was pleasantly surprised to find there was much more to do than “pick-your-own apples.”

This small, family-owned apple orchard also has pumpkins, gourds, fall ornamentals, corn mazes, hayrides and barnyard animals. The colorful—yet noisy—roosters and chickens are a sight to see, along with the friendly pigs, goats and rabbits, which kids are allowed to pet. Inside, Northwoods offers decorative Indian corn, homemade maple syrup and honey. However, the greatest treasure of this quaint place is the caramel apple. The extra large Honeycrisp apple sliced and covered with warm caramel sauce was by far the best caramel apple I’ve ever had. And at a reasonable price, it was worth going back for another!

Northwoods Orchard is open now through November 1, with times listed on their website. This is a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon picking apples or petting animals; be sure to check it out!

What are your favorite ways to celebrate fall?

-Jamie Shubatt

In light of recent controversy and chaos surrounding Miss USA runner up Carrie Prejean, I find myself wondering what happened to the pageants where contestants where chosen based on talent, personality and involvement in their community. Not long ago were the days when young women took an active role in bettering the community, raising awareness of social issues, fighting to find a cure and playing the part of role model for young girls in America.

Today, scandal has plagued pageants as contestants turn their focus to spray tans, breast implants, partying with Hollywood elite and posing nearly nude as a way of advancing their modeling careers. It seems as though these young women, caught up in the risqué and indecent ways of pop culture, aim to win a title based on superficial and shallow credentials.

However, it is not only the contestants for which the bars of class and dignity have been lowered—the pageants themselves have all been washed away of everything but silly commentary, petty questioning and drawn out choreographed group dances. Instead of judges asking questions on how a contestant plans to advocate for their cause, they ask whether or not she agrees with same sex marriage. Instead of being asked what they are passionate about and how they will incorporate that into their title, contestants are answering which celebrity they would like to have dinner with and why.

Recent drama aside, the fact is what started as a way to recognize young, respectable women who aimed to better their community and their country, has turned into a shameful spectacle of string bikinis and political agendas all for Nielson ratings. In a time when young girls need decent role models more than ever, is it too much to ask where all the beauty queens have gone?

-Jamie Shubatt

I recently took part in my first Walk for the Animals, one of the nation’s largest human and pet walks, hosted by the Animal Humane Society (AHS). When a co-worker mentioned the event and invited me along, I knew it was something I couldn’t pass up. I was eager to participate in an event that raises awareness and funds for animals in need.

This event was extremely well organized and ran very smoothly—considering I have never seen so many animals, or animal lovers, in one place at the same time. The walk, which was 5 miles long in Theodore Wirth Park, provided community water dishes (only for the dogs, of course), free treats and doggy bags along the way. There was also a festive half-way point that supplied walkers with complimentary snacks and drinks. While the majority of animals were dogs, there were also other critters including cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, iguanas, rats and goats. There were even rumors of a monkey somewhere along the trail!

I loved getting to see and pet all the cute and quirky animals, but I felt most proud that I was helping out an important cause. According to the AHS, in the past year alone they rescued over 10,000 animals from abuse or neglect; placed over 16,000 animals in homes; performed over 2,500 surgeries, and provided healthcare for more than 2,700 animals. In addition, the AHS provides adoption services, outreach, training and boarding for all different kinds of animals. The AHS is a private non-profit organization, therefore they receive no federal, state or government funding. They rely completely on donations and the Walk for Animals 2009 was an excellent way to generate support for the millions of animals in need!

Would you like to make a difference in our community? Click here to make a donation to AHS and be sure to mark next year’s walk (held on the first Saturday in May) on your calendar.

-Jamie Shubatt

I recently made a trip to Haskell’s after hearing rumors of their fabulous sales. Sure enough, the rumors were true—the store was full of discounts and deals at almost every turn. Feeling pleased about my inexpensive purchases, I made a Twitter post citing the great deals at Haskell’s.

Hours later I received an email notifying me that I was now being followed by Haskell’s, TheWinePeople on Twitter. I must admit, it was a bit of an eerie feeling to have TheWinePeople watching me so closely. I later discovered they actually replied to my previous mention about their discounts, tweeting “Sweet tweet! We appreciate it. When you come into the store, be sure to mention you tweeted us and pick up a free wine tote.” Eerie feelings aside, I was elated that on top of my discounted items I would also be getting a free gift!

With more and more businesses taking advantage of the Twitter phenomenon, they are seeking additional and unique ways to reach their customers. SCG has embraced this social networking tool as a way to enhance creativity and industry knowledge. While my Twitter use has continued to increase, this was the first time I saw the direct positive effect of this Twitter relationship. In fact, my trips to Haskell’s have been limited in the past, but an offer of a free tote via tweeting has me going back to visit my new friends, TheWinePeople.

-Jamie Shubatt

Growing up in Iowa I had virtually no experience with public transportation. It wasn’t until I moved to Minnesota that I had to seriously consider how I was going to commute every day from a southwest suburb to downtown Minneapolis. My answer was the SouthWest Station in Eden Prairie.

Created in 1986, SouthWest Transit (SWT) was formed by Chanhassen, Chaska and Eden Prairie to provide the three cities with public transportation. SWT has more than 60 buses and offers service to downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota and Southdale Mall, as well as service between Chanhassen, Chaska and Eden Prairie.

Besides avoiding heavy traffic, offering a comfortable ride in the luxurious Greyhound-esque style buses and being eco-friendly, perhaps the most enjoyable thing about riding SWT are the drivers. Each driver has his or her name plate above the wheel so you always know who is driving. My favorite driver, Al, never ceases to put a smile on my face when I board his bus. While getting his riders to and from their destination in a safe and speedy manner, Al is a cheerful presence. With positive phrases like, “Happy Hump Day” (referring to Wednesday), “It’s almost Friday”, and “You have a wonderful weekend,” Al is a constant source of encouragement.

With a no-hassle, easy riding system, a friendly face like Al’s is just one of the many perks of riding SouthWest Transit for a long commute. I encourage anyone living in the Southwest suburbs to try it—you’ll be glad you did!

-Jamie Shubatt

Insights for Search is an extension of the former Google Trends and is designed for more specific keyword tracking. While it is specifically designed for marketers, anyone can use it. In short, the tool has the ability to analyze search results in great detail. It can slice data into categories that would, for example, distinguish between Apple the company and apple the fruit. Insights for Search also has better capabilities for analyzing geographic data – an advertiser can now see how an ad does in Cleveland compared to Columbus. Insights for Search can also be used to forecast certain sectors of the economy. Upon visiting the Insights for Search page and doing a few trial runs, I found the tool very easy to use and understand. Try it for yourself at http://www.google.com/insights/search.

-Jamie Shubatt

When Twitter was launched as the newest social networking tool back in March of 2006, it was a type of micro-blogging to see what friends, family and co-workers were doing at any given moment. Today, Twitter has also become an important tool for marketers, as brands have the opportunity to connect with their audience on a more personal level and reach consumers in real time. Twittering about upcoming sales or building buzz about a new product can work to the marketer’s advantage. Companies such as Apple, GAP and Motorola are taking advantage of Twitter to connect with their customers.

There are now a couple of new tools that make Twitter even easier to use. TweetDeck is a desktop application that allows users to organize their main feed into several different criteria such as time, usernames, topic or keywords. This allows for more efficient use and better organization of Twitter profiles.

BrightKit is considered the “ultimate Twitter toolbox.” This application allows marketers to manage multiple Twitter profiles, add multiple editors, pre-schedule tweets and even measure success.

With TweetDeck and BrightKit proving that social networking is expanding at a rapid pace, it is in the best interest of business to join the conversations. Or in this case, get tweeting.

-Jamie Shubatt

Facebook says it now has more than 150 million users. Perhaps even more astonishing – it is growing at a rate of 600,000 new accounts PER DAY. With so many recent additions to Facebook nation, I thought it would be appropriate to create this list of the most common Facebook offenses:

1. Making plans on walls. Facebook walls are public. Social plans are generally private. Unless everyone is invited, you should make plans through private messages or emails.
2. Embarrassing pictures. Believe it or not, many employers now check Facebook to learn more about job applicants. If you see an unflattering picture of yourself on Facebook, untag it. Or better yet, kindly ask the person who posted it to remove it.
3. Allowing anyone to see your profile. Make sure your privacy settings allow only your friends to view your profile. This way, strangers can’t access your information.
4. Listing contact information. Your friends should already know how to contact you, so listing cell phone, home address and place of work can be a little excessive, not to mention unsafe.
5. Language. It’s easy to let words fly when talking with friends, but when making inappropriate comments on walls, keep in mind all who might see it.

-Jamie Shubatt

As the holiday season drew near, I began to hear a buzz about something called the Holidazzle Parade. As a newcomer to Minnesota, this was a name I did not recognize. When friends and co-workers raved about the wonder that is the Holidazzle, and plenty of media coverage promoted the affair, I began to wonder if all the hype surrounding this event was just that—hype.

However, I was soon faced with the opportunity to experience this seemingly beloved tradition first-hand, as co-workers made plans to attend one evening after work. The holiday spirit was in full swing downtown Minneapolis as a light snow began to fall and families found the perfect spot along Nicollet Avenue. There was a great sense of excitement throughout the crowd as the first sounds of music and bright lights appeared down the street.

As the colorful floats came and went, I couldn’t help but be caught up in the exhilaration of the Holidazzle Parade. Each float had its own unique touch—my favorite being The Wizard of Oz and the wicked witch covered in green lights. Lasting just under 30 minutes, the parade exceeded my expectations. It was a truly dazzling event for both children and adults seeking some holiday cheer.

-Jamie Shubatt

There is a new web tool aimed at keeping an eye on the media that’s generating all sorts of buzz. Launched in September, SpinSpotter is a toolbar that can be downloaded to your internet browser and spot red flags for news spin and bias.

SpinSpotter uses algorithms to search for phrases that indicate personal voice, passive voice, a biased source, disregarded context, selective disclosure and lack of balance—based on the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics.

Readers also have the ability to flag any bias they find on their own. By marking a keyword or phrase and explaining why it’s slanted, other readers can see the flags and make their own observations.

Although relatively new, SpinSpotter is already getting plenty of talk time on blogs. Some people claim it’s going to revolutionize media forever, while others argue that news without spin is not possible. Either way, this new tool is definitely something to check out.

-Jamie Shubatt