January 2015

At North Oaks Preschool, the teachers and staff care about cultivating your child’s joy of learning while providing a fun and educational experience.

The “Whole Child” Learning Experience

The “whole-child” learning approach gives your child opportunities to learn and grow with traditional academic studies, hands on exploring and visits from special guests like naturalists, fire fighters, police officers, dentists, and many other fun and interesting guests.

Field trips to the Tamarack Nature Center, an animal farm, a pizza shop, a grocery store, bird banding, and Minneapolis Orchestra Hall are all part of the preschool curriculum and give children a chance to explore their world while providing a fun way to learn.

The Two Year Curriculum

While the North Oaks real estate market doesn’t have quite the volatility as some of the larger cities in the Twin Cities metro, we do have our ups and downs. Looking back over the past year, it appears that 2014 was a good one for our market. Prices are evening out after reaching some pretty frightening lows a few years ago.

We have a ways to go to get back to the pre-recession list prices we enjoyed and if the economy continues to improve we have that to look forward to.

The latest North Oaks real estate statistics are from last month (December). The number of homes listed for sale in North Oaks increased 550 percent over December of 2013. Yes, it sounds huge, but in 2013 we had only four homes come on the market. This past December, 26 North

Located conveniently at 125 Village Center Drive in North Oaks, Suishin serves sushi and other Japanese cuisine. They also have a full bar, making Suishin the perfect place to go when you want to grab lunch with some friends or have a celebratory dinner with that someone special. This upscale restaurant is the first to bring the highly desirable Japanese cuisine to the community of North Oaks.

Healthy, Tasty, and Traditional Japanese Dishes

Suishin set about presenting the healthy and tasty dishes that signify traditional Japanese dishes to its customers by using only the highest quality ingredients to make each dining experience exemplary every time.

In addition to offering superb food prepared to their exacting standards, Suishin also

North Oaks is found in Ramsey County and provides the North Oaks Golf Club. However, this isn't the only golf course found within the county.

Those living in the North Oaks area have access to plenty of other fine course. Here are the golf clubs you can enjoy throughout Ramsey County.

Goodrich Golf Course - 1820 North Van Dyke Street, Maplewood

This golf course provides a fun choice for all to enjoy. With a large practice putting green, practice bunkers, a chipping area and even more, many golfers come here to practice. The course also includes the Goodrich Golf Dome for off-season practice. The range is open year-round for the serious golfer.

Island Lake Golf & Training Center - 1000 Red Fox Road, Shoreview

This family-oriented

Since North Oaks is found in Ramsey County, residents can enjoy all types of outdoor activities. From biking to skiing, there are plenty of fun things to do at the facilities and parks throughout the county. Here are some of the activities you can enjoy near North Oaks.

Biking

One of the most popular activities throughout the area is biking. There are plenty of trails to enjoy and plenty of paved areas for biking, as well. Some of the top areas include:

• Birch Lake Regional Trail
• Tamarack Nature Center
• Lake Phalen Regional Park
• Rice Creek Regional Trail
• Battle Creek Regional Park
• And More!

It doesn't matter what type of biking you enjoy, there's a place for it near North Oaks.

Boating and Fishing

With so many

If you have a basement in your home, the American Society of Home Inspectors has some scary statistics for you.       

• Even if you buy a newly built home you aren’t safe from basement leaks. Within 10 to 15 years of being built, most new homes will spring a leak in the basement 
• More than 60 percent of existing homes have basement moisture.
• Of those 60 percent, 38 percent will develop fungus and mold.

If you have moisture in your basement you’ll need to first find out where it’s coming from and then you can fix the problem.

What Causes Moisture in a Basement?

Any water on the ground outside the basement, whether it’s from rain or snow will find its way into the basement through even the tiniest cracks in the foundation. Once

Becoming a part of a non-profit club is a great way to give to your community There are several clubs in the North Oaks area. Here are some that you can consider becoming a part of.

North Oaks Garden Club

North Oaks Garden Club is a non-profit organization that focuses on improving the appearance of the community. Meetings are held monthly, and new members are welcome to join anytime. You do not have to be a gardening pro to get involved. This organization will give you the chance to share your gardening knowledge, or learn some new gardening tips while improving the community. There is an annual fee of $10.

North Oaks Soccer Club

If you are wanting to take your soccer skills to the next level, then you will want to become part of the

Peace, health and community are Lifecore Yoga’s focus. They strive to help you with your goals by providing a relaxing environment and highly trained yoga instructors. Lifecore is more than just Yoga. It is a place to unite with others who have similar goals as you do. Forming a special community that will give you the support you need to improve your overall health, while finding inner peace.

Lifecore Yoga offers a variety of classes that focus on different aspects, such as relaxation, flexibility, weight loss and fitness. It makes no difference if you are a beginner or a pro, Lifecore Yoga has a class for you. All classes are focused on Vinyasa yoga. This type of yoga combines the use of breathing, movement and strength techniques to reach a

Whether or not you’re planning on selling your North Oaks home, a kitchen makeover can be an inexpensive way to add value to your home. We’re not talking about a total remodel, here, just some freshening up.

 Before you start, clear away the clutter so you have some room to work, then hit the local hardware store for supplies.

 Paint First

 Fresh paint is probably the one DIY kitchen improvement that will garner the most return on your investment. It makes a room feel clean and fresh and makes it look updated.

 Painting the walls is the first step to take when you’re doing a DIY kitchen makeover – you can build the rest of your plan around the new color.

  Kitchen colors that are expected to be hot in 2015 include, believe it or

The Hill Farm Historical Society in North Oaks is a nonprofit organization with a volunteer Board of Directors. They provide many programs each year with tours of the North Oaks Hill Farm preserve. The society is also responsible for events throughout the year.

The Buildings

The North Oaks Historical Society provides three different buildings to see on their tours. These buildings include:

• The Dairy - A brick building with two-foot thick walls, double doors, marble floors and double-glazed windows.
• The Granary - This is a root cellar with a rock foundation. It was used for storing turnips, rutabagas and other crops.
• Blacksmith-Machine Shop - This is a fully operational building, which has been restored.

Along with these three