Otter Tail Country Tourism

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Well once again the weekend is over just as fast as it came. One highlight we had was Friday night at the Fargodome, where we attended the rodeo. Although the animals seemed to outsmart the cowboys this time around, it was still a good show. Other than that the weekend wasn’t much to write home about. I did find a good way to add some ambience to help freshen up your cabin this spring.

-Have Scents Appeal: Smells have the amazing power to dictate a mood. Boil some cinnamon sticks in water for a few minutes to get a warm, homey aroma. Or put some lemon, lime, and orange slices (with peel) in a cute bowl for an upbeat, citrusy fragrance. A fistful of fresh herbs like basil or rosemary in a small vase or jar will give off a sensual exotic perfume.

-Turn Up the Heat: A crackling fire generates a comfy feel anytime of the year. If you don’t have a fireplace—or it’s too warm outside for the real deal – pop in a DVD version, like Ambient Fire (firedvd.com).

-Add Some Playful Stuff: Ambience doesn’t have to be about getting intense. A string of lights will keep the tone in your place breezy and fun. Wrap it around a large picture frame, a plain lamp, or your mantle. Just take a pass on multicolored strands – they’re too Christmassy.

-Bring Nature Inside: Seashells or other natural elements like river stones are unexpected and give a casual feel. Fill a rough-hewn bowl with a bunch you collected on vacation, or prick up a bag at a craft store. Place it where you would normally display a bouquet of flowers.

-Encourage Browsing: A large stack of books on an end table invites guests to kick back and flip through them. Throw an old photo album or cool picture book into the mix for variety.

-Sound It Out: Make playlists for individual occasions. Chilling over dinner with your guy, having the girls visit for brunch and really consider what you’re craving in the situation. If you’re having a party, start with light tunes that you can talk over. Then segue into more upbeat dance songs as the night goes on and people get more wild.

-Go Big with Candles: Here’s a chance to add some drama to your place. If you want to stick with votives, put them in surprising vessels, like eclectic teacups or clay gardening pots. For a bold statement piece, add different-colored wax tapers to a thrift-store candelabra and feature it prominently on your table.

So while you’re hanging out waiting for the snow to melt, add a different touch to your cabin. It’ll sure to be noticed.

Tiffany, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

(Information from: Article from April, 2011 Cosmopolitan Magazine. VOL 250, NO 4, Page 212)

Labels: decorating, home making, lakes, otter tail country, spring, Spring cleaning, tips

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Happy first day of Spring!

The snow is melting fast and the water is rising! So guess what that means?! Yup, spring-cleaning. To me this always seems to be a fresh start after that long droopy winter, and cleaning the lake place is equally as important as cleaning at home. Just having the chance to have a window or two open for a few hours to let those darn dust bunnies out, or letting a rug hang out side to air out for a little bit makes a huge difference in houses and cabins. LET THAT SUNSHINE IN!

What I always like to start with is of course my living room and kitchen. I usually end up moving everything out of those rooms and just dust and sweet/mop/vacuum and scrub my walls! You would never expect to see that much dirt but man does it feel good to get it out of there!

From the living room and kitchen I move on to the bedrooms. Flip those mattresses and Febreeze those pillows! Don’t forget all those dust bunnies that may have gotten gathered under the dressers and in the back of the closets.

While you’re doing all this why don’t you send your man out to the garage and get him cleaning in there. Everyone knows that there is tons of sand built up in there from the cars over the winter! And he probably didn’t keep it all that organized over those months when it wasn’t that fun to be out there (Strange how that works out).

So get cleaning and erase that nasty ole winter out of your house. End your spring-cleaning by adding a nice bright bouquet of flowers to your kitchen. It’ll definitely light up the room!

Labels: Cleaning, Cleanliness, Dust bunny, otter tail country, spring, Spring cleaning

On Friday, the fifth and sixth grade classes at Battle Lake elementary school took traveled to Molly Stark Lake in Glendalough State Park to go ice fishing. Overall, they caught three perch, but the kids didn’t seem to mind. They studied their fishing holes intently and played in the snow cover on the lake, throwing snowballs and wrestling.

The day on the lake is in its third year, and the kids earned it by completing the school’s MinnAqua curriculum. MinnAqua is a DNR program designed to teach people of all ages about stewardship of lakes and water, as well as fishing safety and the ins and outs of lake ecosystems. This is the third school year that the Battle Lake school has used the curriculum for the fifth-grade class.

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