I love a lazy day at the lake capped off with a crackling campfire after sunset. That’s how I spent much of last weekend camping up north with the fam—a final getaway before the “school year” begins. Wah! Can summer really be winding down already? Perhaps the only consolation is that we sufferers of long MN winters really know how to squeeze every last ounce out of the sunny season.

Dear Red Stag Supper Club,

Thank you for hosting an awesome Zero Waste block party last Saturday. It was Sprout’s first event, and though we were looking a little green with our lack of event expertise (next time we’ll bring a tent), the crowd was very cool. We signed up a 100 new Sprouters, and one has a fat gift certificate to RSS coming in the mail.

Thanks again, SPROUT

I’ve been playing a lot of disc golf this summer. For those of you who don’t know, the sport is pretty similar to regular golf, minus the clubs, plaid pants, irrigation requirements—and the fact that “tee time” will only cost you about $10. You basically throw a frisbee across a 9- or 18-hole course into chain metal baskets called disc pole holes, like this one at Acorn Park in Roseville, a nice course that weaves in and out of the forest for frolfers (frisbee golfers) of all skill levels.

That itty-bitty crooner you see under the lights is “curbside prophet” Jason Mraz performing at the Xcel Energy Center last week. The folk-pop singer put on such a good show that I was out of my seat the entire time, even participating in a 10,000 person wave at one point. Another reason to cheer? The new solar system powering the avocado farm he calls home.

Golden Gopher football season is looming, and Twin Cities sport enthusiasts like me are waiting for the much anticipated TCF Bank Stadium to open its gates and light up its scoreboards. Even if you’re not a big football fan, you’ll be happy to know that the building has been designed with sustainability in mind—get this: 97% of the nearly 9,000 tons of steel used in construction comes from recycled steel—and the stadium is on track to be the 1st LEED Certified Collegiate Football Facility. Kudos to the U!

The Uptown Art Fair renewed my interest in an old hobby: painting. So I headed to Art Materials in the Lyn-Lake area. Passing through row after row of creative treasures—including my new obsession, Moon Sand, which captured me for a solid 10 minutes—I can see why local artists and wannabes like me crave coming here to get their creative juices flowing.

Wanderlust took me to a recent event at the Front Cafe hosted by PLAY it Forward Adventures where I learned about the company’s upcoming Guatemala and Costa Rica trips. Launched by MN native Jodi Nelson in 2007, PIF takes ecotourism to the nth degree. Each tour combines active exploration (e.g. trekking in the Andes) with humanitarian work (e.g. building energy efficient appliances for local families) and a Leave No Trace philosophy. I’m ready to book my ticket!

I consider my home-brewed morning latte a very good investment—and I have Coffee & Tea Ltd. to thank for roastmaster Jim’s Fair Trade coffee. I never leave his shop without lingering a little while, inhaling the rich aroma of fresh roasted beans. Jim is happy to share his vast knowledge about coffee and tea, and he’s a dog lover, so bring Fido with for a complimentary treat. Can’t you see why my caffeine fix means more to me than the average cup of Joe?

Free date idea: Take your honey for a stroll through the 1.5-acre Lyndale Park Rose Garden to see 100 varieties of these gorgeous blooms. This is the second oldest public rose garden in the U.S., and even a garden ignoramus will get what all the fuss is about. Yes, it’s that pretty.

Just because we don’t live in New York City doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a good bagel for breakfast. Common Roots Cafe in Uptown delivers the best chewy-soft baked-on-site bagel in town. I specifically recommend their bagel & lox platter for that East Coast fix; it includes all the extras: capers, sprouts, onions, fresh tomatoes… Find a sunny window spot and you’re good.