Chris Prescott - Minnesota

Looking for a unique activity this weekend? Head over to the Mall of America in Bloomington. There is a unique competition going on.

Called “Canstruction”, architect students are competing to see who can build the best structure. But these aren’t just any structures. They are made out of cans. Regular cans of corn, fruit cocktail, SpaghettiO’s, and everything else you can think of!

Beginning today, the competitors have 12 hours to create the most creative and intricate designs they can. Judging of the competition will be Sunday afternoon.

Here is a quick video I found on YouTube showing an entry in a similar Canstruction competition in Canada. Enjoy!

The designs will be deconstructed on Monday and the food donated to the Second Harvest Heartland food bank in St. Paul. Last year the competition raised nearly 20,000 pounds of food!

Want to contribute to the competition and the food drive? Be sure to bring along some canned goods with you when come. These can be delivered to the Sears Court stage throughout the event.

For more information on this competition, visit the Canstruction website.

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Looking for a home in the Edina area? Visit my website. When you are ready to visit any of these homes, or if you would like to list your home, contact me, Chris Prescott, at (952) 944-1728 or via email.

When purchasing a house, having a sizable down-payment has always been good advice, and with today’s tighter credit guidelines it is essential. However you need to keep in mind that you will need savings beyond the down payment of your home. Here is a list of the things that usually come up during a home purchase and subsequent move that will require some cash.

• Appraisal fee
• Professional home inspection
• Extra closing costs
• Homeowner’s association fees
• Repairs, upgrades, renovations. There are the obvious and the not-so-obvious. Your inspection may have suggested upgrading some of the electrical outlets, and you may already know you don’t like the paint color, but after you move in there are little things you will probably notice that will you’ll need some cash to rectify immediately.
• Moving van rental fees, boxes, bubble wrap, and mover’s fees. Even if you enlist the help of friends or family, you will need to feed them or at least provide them with refreshments. And don’t forget the gas for the moving vehicle!
• Termination fees for current services, deposits and connection fees for new services.
• Appliances. If your new home already has a full set of appliances, then you can scratch this off your list! If not, be sure to remember the extra costs involved with warranties, installation, etc.
• Household items. Invariably you will find that the stuff you filled your last home with are not quite right for the new one. This can turn into hundreds or thousands of dollars from runs to the home furnishings store and home-improvement store.
• Lawn-care equipment. If this is your first home with a yard you will be surprised at how much equipment you will decide you need. An alternative is to hire someone to do your lawn care for you, which will still incur a cost, although it will be spread out over the coming months.
• If you are relocating a great distance you might have air fare or other transportation costs for your entire family (pets included), a night or two in a hotel, and all the other expenses that can creep up.
• And don’t forget that for at least a few days you might be eating out while you search for that box of dishes!

Once you have that downpayment and the extra savings accumulated, be sure to give me a call so we can find the perfect Edina home for you!

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Looking for a home in the Edina area? Visit my website. When you are ready to visit any of these homes, or if you would like to list your home, contact me, Chris Prescott, at (952) 944-1728 or via email.

There is some spook-tacular fun to be had around Minneapolis and St. Paul this Halloween season. Get your little goblins and head out to some of these fun activities over the next few weeks.

ZooBoo at Como Park Zoo. Oct. 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 4:30-7:30 pm. $7 at the gate.

Apple Jack Orchard Corn Maze. Saturdays & Sundays through Halloween. Saturday nights are flashlight night until 10 pm. $6 adults, $5 ages 6-11, free ages 0-5.

Minnetonka Orchards. Lots to do! Open daily 9 am-7 pm. October theme days:

• CiderFest, Oct 17 & 18
• Bonfires and Hayrides, Oct. 24 & 25
• Dog Days of Fall, Oct. 31-Nov. 1

Autumn Unplugged at the Arboretum. All month! 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska. Admission is $9 for adults, free for members and children 15 and under. Activities include:

• Weekend Family Fun every Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 pm.
• Pumpkin Palooza, ongoing through Nov. 1.
• Pumpkin Palooza Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 & 25, noon-4 pm.
• Ar-Boo-return Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31.

Halloween Happenings. Three Rivers Park District Halloween events. Find one near you!

Special events at the Minnesota Children’s Museum. 10 West Seventh Street, St. Paul.

• Spooky Woods, Oct. 20-Nov. 1
• Halloween Spooktacular Parties, Saturday, Oct. 24, Sunday, Oct. 25, 6-8:30 pm; Monday, Oct. 26, 10 am-12:30 pm; Saturday, Oct. 31, 6-8:30 pm.

Pumpkin Patches and More. A comprehensive list of pumpkin patches, corn mazes, safe trick-or-treating, hayrides, etc throughout the state of Minnesota.

That’s a lot to do! But I’m sure there is more. Have you seen anything fun to do out there is goblin land?

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Looking for a home in the Edina area? Visit my website. When you are ready to visit any of these homes, or if you would like to list your home, contact me, Chris Prescott, at (952) 944-1728 or via email.

There’s an Extreme Home Makeover going on in the Twin Cities this weekend. The TV show’s crew and an army of local volunteers has demolished the crumbling home of St. Paul’s Sandy Morris and is building a new home that could house her family for another 100 years.

The old house had a crumbling foundation, sinking roof, buckling walls, and a mold problem. It is a much needed rebuild, but since Sandy grew up in the house it is a bittersweet blessing. In an interview with the Star Tribune, Sandy said “It’s going to be quite emotional.”

Sandy runs a successful and very popular day care center in her home, and the new house will accommodate an expansion of her day care as well.

As in many of the Extreme Makeover Home Edition shows, the mission is to improve the neighborhood as well as the family’s home. In this case, there is a food drive, a blood bank, and a neighborhood cleanup going on which will provide benefits to everyone in the vicinity.

The crew can use all the volunteers they can get to complete all the projects in their designated 96 hour time frame. They need qualified carpenters of course, but also anyone who can help with painting, cleanup, minor repairs, etc. According to their website, they “need 100-200 volunteers a day that will be used in traffic control, clean-up, catering, shipping, and other misc. duties.”

Volunteer shifts are running every 4 hours, beginning at midnight. They request check-in to be 20 minutes prior to the start of a shift. Volunteers are especially needed in the overnight hours.

While they might end up turning people away, if you want a chance to help improve the lives of a deserving area family and improve an entire neighborhood in the process, put on your steel toed boots, grab your hammer and head on over to the site! Well, first you need to head over to their website and read all the rules and find out just how to volunteer.

Oh, and don’t forget to donate blood at the associated blood drive. You can find more information on the Red Cross website.

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Looking for a home in the Edina area? Visit my website. When you are ready to visit any of these homes, or if you would like to list your home, contact me, Chris Prescott, at (952) 944-1728 or via email.

Bicycling is a popular sport in Minnesota. So popular that we have more bike trails than any other state in the country! Hennepin County has an extensive list of trails available for leisure, exercise, and basic transportation. While many of these are on-road routes, the number of off-road trails are growing as well.

The Minnesota River Bluffs Regional Trail follows the path of an old railway and runs from Hopkins through Chanhassen. There are plenty of entry points and stop-offs, beautiful views, and notes of history along the way.

One of the best treasures of nearby Eden Prarie is Birch Island Woods. It is 36 acres of protected sanctuary in its natural state with trees and wetland. Bike trails, along with hiking, ski, and nature trails, snake through it and are linked to the Minnesota River Bluffs Regional Trail.

Within the city of Edina, there is progress on improving the bike trail system with a comprehensive plan that is being implemented. The goal is to create a bike-friendly community conducive and safe to all kinds of bicycling. Follow the latest improvements, view the whole plan, and find upcoming bicycle events at Bike Edina.

Check out the list of frequently updated Edina bicycling events, maps, and comments from MapMyRide.

Want some more to do? There is lots of general info and social bicycle events on the Twin Cities Bicycling Club website.

On a final note, before you jump on your bike, help keep our bike trails safer by reviewing the rules of The Minnesota Share the Road Bicycle Safety Education Program.

Enjoy your ride!

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To begin your search homes in Edina, visit my website. When you are ready to visit any of these homes, or if you would like to list your home, contact me, Chris Prescott, at (952) 944-1728 or via email.