Positively Paradise - Visit Selby Botanical Gardens

If you are looking for a wonderful way to spend a weekend afternoon, consider visiting the Selby Botanical Gardens. The gardens have many different flowers, but the most fantastic are the orchids which come in several varieties.

One of our staff recently visited, and had these remarks to share:

I also love the fact that there is a darling Tea House where tea tastings are held every day (they have cookies and coffee too). The shop has lots treasures as well with potted flowers and lots of flower books. If you would like to take a watercolor class, a botanical drawing class or a watercolor class, Selby Gardens offers classes for all levels. As I was strolling around the gardens last Sunday taking pictures of the flowers, I noticed they had a small symphony orchestra playing beautiful music on the grass. Everything there blends together to create a perfect setting to lift your spirit. Selby Gardens is a must-see for tourists and locals alike. 

Admission is $17 per person, and although that seems costly, the yearly membership is only $60 and gives you reduced access to many other local museums. The Gardens are open every day from 10AM-5PM (except for Christmas Day).

Check out their website at http://www.selby.org for upcoming events: they have a Mother's Day Brunch coming up, yoga classes, and a juried photo exhibition among other things.

Free Ice Cream Hailed As A Better Idea Than Sliced Bread

Love ice cream? Want it for free? Then tomorrow is your day. Ben & Jerry's ice cream shops are giving out free cones tomorrow, April 9th, as a part of their Free Cone Day promotion. If you'll be near one of their shops tomorrow, stop in for a free treat!

To find out more about the Free Cone Day visit Ben & Jerry's website.

Watch Out, It's April Fools Day Today! Also, Here's Some Other Days To Note During This Month

April 1 - April Fools Day

Watch out for your friends today! Your loving and wonderful friends, yep they are the ones most likely to pull a prank on you today, so be prepared. April Fools Day has become a day to surprise your friends and family with a prank or joke. Hopefully they'll smile and laugh, and not be too mad at you, when you return the favor.

April 2 - Autism Awareness Day

Wear blue on this day to show your support for finding the cure for autism.
Autism Facts: 

• 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with autism each year. 
• Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. 
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding than many less prevalent childhood diseases. 

April 7 - No housework day

Kick your shoes off, put up your feet and enjoy the day. On 'No Housework Day' your only job is to relax. Not a bad idea, considering that now that it is warming up a lot of folks will be busy spring cleaning. So rest while you can, you’ll be glad you did!

April 15 - Tax Day

Hopefully your taxes are completed and in the mail, but if not, make sure you get your taxes in before the post office closes. All tax forms must be postmarked by April 15th. Some Post Offices are open later this day to accommodate the last minute filers, so check your local listings to see how late your post office is open. For those running very late, the St. Paul Post Office is open untill 11:00PM on this day.

April 24 - Administrative Professional's Day

A day to celebrate the unsung heroes of the business world. Formerly known as “Secretary’s Day”. Find a way to show administrative professionals how much you appreciate them.

April 26 - Arbor Day 

Plant a tree today and invite some friends to join you. It is a great way to get together and socialize with friends and neighbors, get some exercise and fresh air. You are also doing something good for our planet, and we only get one of those.