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POAP 6937660 at MNBlockchain - Holiday Party.

MNblockchain 2023 Happy Holidays circular badge with Minneapolis skyline, northern lights, snow-covered trees, and a reflective winter lake
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We are now a Ridwell house!

A few months ago while walking our neighborhood I noticed some of these white boxes in front of houses with a Ridwell logo on them. Tammy was far ahead of me and knew that it was a service to help you properly recycle and dispose of a bunch of household things that typically end up in the trash — particularly plastic but many other things too. Tammy is much more sensible about our environmental impact and I assumed that at some point we would have one of these too, and that time has come.

I got to see it all new when it showed up. Ridwell gave us a number of canvas sacks to put different products in. We place it all in the box and they will come on the next trip around and properly dispose or recycle the items. It seems like a pretty good service and certainly a smart idea. Tammy is particularly excited that they take styrofoam. They also handle a ton of other plastics that you cannot otherwise recycle. Combining recycling, organics, and Ridwell we think we’ll be able to reduce our landfill output to a very minimal amount.

If you want to sign up this invite link will give you a month free.

White Ridwell branded pickup box sitting beside a wooden front door on a stone porch against a stucco wall.
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First Visit to the Haberdashery

In 2022 I worked with a style coach and it was a transformative experience. It’s been about a year now, and I have had one piece of homework that I still hadn’t done — get a suit that really fits me. Nancy Dilts had told me to make my way to Heimie’s Haberdashery in St. Paul and they would take care of me. I’ve had it on my list for a year, and finally Tammy decided to give me a nudge and she just made the appointment for me.

I worked with Richard Shallbetter and he got me measured every way possible for a custom suit. My favorite part about getting a custom suit was that I got to pick out the specific fabric combinations. Now I wait and am eager to sport what I hope will be my favorite suit ever.

And this will not be my last time to Heimie’s. I loved the experience.

Interior of Heimies Haberdashery in St. Paul showing mannequins in sport coats, an Allen Edmonds shoe display, and hats mounted on a wooden column.
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It was an honor to be included in the Twin Cities Business 2023 Notable Leaders in Technology (detail page). Amazing to be part of a great company like SPS Commerce and a great team like #TeamSPS! See LinkedIn post.

Jamie Thingelstad, SVP and CTO at SPS Commerce, speaking on stage at a Twin Cities Business 2023 Notable Leaders in Technology event
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We had a great brunch and even more fun taking pictures in the Red Nose Room at Red Cow Uptown this morning. 🎄🧑‍🎄

Family of four in festive Christmas hats posing in a decorated holiday photo set with lit trees and a golden Santa chair. Two people in red elf hats pose in a festive Christmas photo set with decorated trees, wrapped gifts, and a red door with SC monogram. Person wearing an elf hat and fake beard draped in red tinsel sits in a festive gold throne marked SC surrounded by decorated Christmas trees
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After visiting the European Christmas Market we walked over to the Glow Holiday Festival at CHS Field. It was fun to walk amongst all the lights and there were many activities.

CHS Field baseball stadium transformed into a holiday light show with a glowing globe centerpiece, colorful light tunnels, and illuminated trees at night Three people peek through windows and a diamond cutout of a rustic wooden cabin prop surrounded by snow-dusted trees at a holiday light festival. Man in a black puffer jacket and beanie stands between large illuminated wire polar bear sculptures at an outdoor holiday light festival at night. Adults and children playing on illuminated LED seesaws at an outdoor winter festival at night, with a playground slide and string lights behind them. Six people in winter hats and scarves take a selfie among glowing light-covered trees at a holiday festival in a baseball stadium at night.
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We had a great time visiting the St. Paul European Christmas Market tonight. We had delicious food and checked out many different shops.

Crowded outdoor Christmas market at night with wooden vendor stalls, string lights, pine garland, and a glowing yellow star lantern. Man and girl in winter hats and scarves taking a selfie at a crowded outdoor Christmas market lit with string lights and gold star lanterns. Two wooden Christmas market stalls displaying colorful childrens jackets, lit by string lights and glowing Moravian stars, with shoppers browsing at night. Group of six people smiling for a selfie at an outdoor Christmas market at night with string lights and Moravian stars overhead.
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Excited to see Aladdin at the Orpheum!

Group of six people smiling for a selfie outside the Orpheum Theatre under the Disney Aladdin Broadway musical marquee reading December 5-10.
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We attended our first St. Olaf Christmas Festival at Orchestra Hall. This year was themed Love and Joy. This concert has been held since 1912. The mass choral arrangements with all 500 students were wonderful. Orchestra Hall was the perfect venue as well.

Program for the 111th Annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis with the Love and Joy stage display lit behind a full audience.
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First time stopping at Smith Coffee & Cafe and was very impressed with their coffee program and the pastries were great.

Three lattes with leaf latte art in white paper cups on a round wood table, alongside wrapped pastries