Only a few more weeks to enjoy whats left of summer.  Ann Arbor offers plenty of entertainment, from art shows to farmer’s markets to county fairs.  Be sure to make the most out of the nice weather we have left, Halloween is just around the corner!  ___________________________________________________________________________

7/28/2010 – 9/5/2010

Gallery Project Presents: Faux Real

Gallery Project presents Faux Real, a multimedia exhibit in which 26 artists play with the idea that things can be both fake and real simultaneously in terms of concept and materiality. The lines between real and artificial grow increasingly blurred, even to the point that one wonders what, if anything is still “real” in the 21st century.

The opening reception is Friday, July 30 from 6-9p.m.

Gallery Project 215 South Fourth St., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 997-7012 Full event info

When: During Gallery Business Hours Tuesday-Saturday 12PM-9PM Sunday 12PM-4PM
Cost: TBA
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Sep. 04, 2010 – Sep. 26, 2010

Planetarium Show: The Sky Tonight – Star Talk

Bright stars, constellations, planets, and telescopic objects in the current night sky will be discussed in this live “star talk”. Then leave Earth and “fly” out into space to examine the planets in the current sky.

The University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 764-0480 Full event info

When: During Gallery Business Hours Tues.-Sat. 12:00p.m.-9:00p.m. Sun. 12:00p.m.-4:00p.m
Cost: TBA
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Sep. 04, 2010 – Sep. 26, 2010

Planetarium Show: Expanded View

Explore beautiful deep space objects through the eyes of Hubble, Spitzer, and Chandra space telescopes. Each of these space-based telescopes operate in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, helping to reveal the secrets of these vastly far away and beautiful objects.

The University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 764-0480 Full event info

When: Saturday, September 4, 11, 18, 25 at 2:30p.m. Sunday, September 5, 12, 19, 26 at 2:30p.m.
Cost: $5-general admissions
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Sep. 07, 2010 – Sep. 11, 2010

Saline Community Fair

The Saline Community Fair is a longstanding tradition to showcase local talents from livestock to quilting. Carnival rides are always a favorite for families to enjoy each year. Also enjoy tractor and truck pulls, and the state Demo Derby Championship on Saturday!

Washtenaw County Farms Council 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 764-0480 Full event info

When: All day
Cost: Free
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Sep. 10, 2010 – Sep. 11, 2010

Kerrytown Concert House presents: Chard & Holland

The Chard-Holland team returns to perform their annual KCH benefit, which they have been doing since 1985. Roger and Maurita’s artistry, together with the variety of music on the program, create a gala evening. Enjoy extraordinary music: intense, simple, philosophical, passionate, tender and silly. Art and parlor songs, as well as opera and theater selections highlight an exciting and captivating evening. Music by Verdi, Porter, Gershwin, Legrand, Rodgers, Grieg and Schubert. This year marks the grand finale of their benefit concerts for KCH, but expect to hear them again at future events.

• Roger Chard, baritone
• Maurita Peterson Holland, piano

Kerrytown Concert House 414 N 4th Ave., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 769-2999 Full event info

When: 8:00 p.m.
Cost: $15-general admissions, $20-$30-assigned rows
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September 11, 2010

HomeGrown Festival 2010

The HomeGrown Festival celebrates the food, farmers and community of Southeast Michigan in a family-oriented atmosphere. This food-lover’s festival takes place at the beautiful Ann Arbor Farmers Market pavilion in the historic Kerrytown district. Come on down and taste the delicious food grown on our beautiful farms, prepared by our most innovative chefs. Sample some excellent Michigan beer and wine while you’re listening to the sounds of great local musicians.

Ann Arbor Farmers Market 315 Detroit St., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website Phone: (734) 619-0429 Full event info

When: September 11, 2010
Cost:TBA
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Sep. 17, 2010 – Sep. 18, 2010

Kerrytown Concert House presents: Parisian Soiree

This annual gala season opener is fun, full of surprises, and features a program that focuses on repertoire with a connection to all things Parisian. Champagne included! Appearances by flutists Jeff Zook and Sharon Sparrow, cellist Robert deMaine (Saturday only), pianists Michele Cooker and Kevin Bylsma, sopranos Jane Schoonmaker Rodgers and Elizabeth Major, mezzo soprano Deanna Relyea, singer and pianist Alvin Waddles (Friday only), plus a French horn quartet. Accordion player Julien Labro will perform Piazzolla and related music with his quartet, featuring a cast of area favorites (Saturday only). Don’t wait to make reservations!

• Emily Benner, soprano
• Kevin Bylsma, piano
• Elizabeth Major, soprano
• Deanna Relyea, mezzo soprano
• Jane Schoonmaker Rodgers, soprano
• Allen Schrott, bass-baritone
• Sharon Sparrow, flute
• Alvin Waddles, piano/vocals
• Jeff Zook, flute
• Sarah Nisbett, mezzo soprano
• Juan Pereira, tenor
• Michelle Mountain, actress
• UM French horn quartet

Kerrytown Concert House 414 N 4th Ave., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 769-2999 Full event info

When: 8:00 p.m.
Cost: $15-general admissions, $20-$30-assigned rows
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Sep. 18, 2010 – Sep. 19, 2010

Ann Arbor Antiques Market

In 2010, the Ann Arbor Antiques Market will continue its tradition as a mainstay in the field of antiques and select collectibles. The Market offers the public a vast selection of quality antiques in the comfortable surroundings of seven buildings and numerous tent canopies. Seven large shows are held from April through October.n 2010, the Ann Arbor Antiques Market will continue its tradition as a mainstay in the field of antiques and select collectibles. The Market offers the public a vast selection of quality antiques in the comfortable surroundings of seven buildings and numerous tent canopies. Seven large shows are held from April through October.

Washtenaw County Farms Council 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 662-0496 x207 Full event info

When: 8:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
Cost: $6
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September 25, 2010

Smithsonian magazine: Museum Day

The Exhibit Museum is joining with over 1,200 museums and cultural institutions nationwide to celebrate Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day! Smithsonian members receive free admission to participating museums on that day; the Exhibit Museum is participating “in spirit” because individuals admissions to the museum is always fee to everyone.

The University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 764-0480 Full event info

When: 9:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Cost:Free
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Sep. 25, 2010 – Oct. 31, 2010

Night Terrors: Michigan’s Haunted Thrill Park

Night Terrors – Michigan’s Haunted Thrill Park, features  SIX chilling attractions:  The Ultimate Haunted Barn, The Asylum, The MindShaft, Alien Caged Clowns, The Labyrinth and Hayrides of the Lost.  With over 115   live monsters, Night Terrors puts TERROR in your FACE. Single event admission is $15, or see all six for $29.99. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Night Terrors is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through October; also on Saturday, September 25 and Thursday, October 28. Check website for more information on dates, times, and admission prices.

Wiard’s Orchard 5565 Merit Road, Ypsilianti, MI Visit website

Phone: (734) 482-7744 Full event info

When: Doors open at 7 p.m., tickets sold until 11 p.m.
Cost:TBA
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Above was a sampling of the activities occurring in our community during the month of September. Please be sure to check out one of the many events being held during the month and have good time.

To view the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau,
click here and choose your own criteria and dates.

Click here to search all Ann Arbor Area Michigan
homes and condos with pictures and tours – FREE

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The Power Center for Performing Arts in Downtown Ann Arbor is a fantastic facility!

The Power Center for Performing Arts is a 1,381 seat theatre located on the campus of U of M that frequently hosts a wide range of performances including ballet, live music and plays.

The Center is heralded by the School as one of U of M’s most technically sophisticated performance spaces.

The building opened in 1971 and was designed in the “modern classical” style of architecture – combining massive concrete columns and mirrored glass.

The theater space itself is modeled after the Greek theatre at Epidarus, while the stage was an experimental combination of proscenium arch and thrust. No seat in the Power Center is more than 80 feet from the stage. The lobby features tapestries by the world famous Roy Lichtenstein and Pablo Picasso.

It is great not just for the arts but also for business and is a fantastic venue for sales meetings, presentations and more! There are always many events being hosted.

What is for sure is that it makes a great community resource here in Ann Arbor! Click here for location information.

Ann Arbor offers great access to the expressway to get to Detroit or beyond quickly.  A hop skip and a jump away is Zingerman’s Deli, Kerrytown, Kerrytown Farmers Market, U of M campus, Medical Center and University of Michigan football games. Drive to Veteran’s Park for figure or hockey skating, baseball, sledding, swimming, or enjoy fresh produce at Plum Market.  For some specialty items be sure to visit nearby Morgan and York with video. Ann Arbor is a great place to live – convenient for all, including the Detroit metro airport, which is around 30 minutes away!

Click here to search Ann Arbor Real Estate using our complimentary Ann Arbor Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Kathy Toth and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Ann Arbor Real Estate needs.

Kathy Toth and Team www.KathyToth.com Ann Arbor Market Center Keller Williams Realty

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Lindsey D. Toth

Dietetic Intern, Frances Stern Nutrition Center

M.S. Nutrition Communications Candidate, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

http://www.HealthyBlogSnack.com

Lindsey.Toth@gmail.com

So you’ve finally started your own website or blog. Congratulations! You’ve taken advantage of a wonderful marketing opportunity the www provides, and put your name out there as an expert in the field of dietetics. Getting started is half the battle. Problem is, the other half is getting people to read what you have to say. Let’s face it, blogging may be fun, but it just doesn’t seem worth it if there’s no one there to hear your cries of “Eat leafy greens!” So how do you increase traffic to your site?

A month ago, I was asking myself this same question. I finally had my first website and blog up-and-running, and couldn’t wait to start posting. Too bad I only had two subscribers – and I’m pretty sure mom and dad don’t count.

As I write this article, the one month anniversary of HealthyBlogSnack.com approaches. Within that one month, I went from zero readers, to over 1,200 site hits and 152 regular subscribers – all thanks to social networking. I experimented with every social networking site under the sun, tracked my site’s statistics, delved into the realm of social networking research, and played with titles and keywords to find the most effective ways to increase traffic. I’ll share some of the tips and tricks I picked up from my experiments and research to help you tweet, poke, and ping your way to increased site traffic!

1. Spread the Word

If you aren’t social networking, I think by now you know you should be. Get out there and make profiles on the big social networking sites. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace are good places to start. Others that may help you spread the word outside of your own social bubble are Reddit (one of my favorites) and De.lic.i.ous. Most of these sites offer a status update area, where you can let the world know what your latest post is about (Facebook, Twitter), or even applications that link your blog directly to your profile (LinkedIn). The more visible you and your blog are, the more traffic you’ll get.

2. Updating, Update, Update Your Status

Every time you post, let the world know! I found that on average, I had 70% more traffic on days I updated my social network status with a link to my latest post, than on days I didn’t. For ease of updating, use a service like Ping.fm to collectively update all of your social personas in one swipe. It will even automatically crunch your big links down into more manageable ones for you. Experts have found (and my experiments concur) that for optimal visibility, the best time of day to update your status is 3:00pm. This tends to be one of the busiest times of the day for social networking sites, as everyone is checking their favorite networks one last time before they head home from work. This makes it a perfect time to update your status with a link to your latest blog post.

3. Tits, Tots, and Terriers

Ok, so while this marketing trio may not be so applicable in what we do, the concept still applies. A post about those chocolate dipped strawberries you made titled, “Chocolate Dipped Strawberries,” is just not going to get the same amount of traffic as the same post titled, “Deliciously Decadent Berry Aphrodisiacs.” Sex, babies, and puppies sell. Remember this when choosing titles and keywords, people will be more likely to find you in a search, and more likely to check out your site because of your intriguing titles.

4. What’s in it for ME?

Remember, people didn’t come to your site to hear about your cute niece Suzie and the latest family BBQ. You are the health, wellness, and food expert, and they came to hear about what you can do for them. When writing, always ask yourself if there’s something in it for the reader. If not, chances are they aren’t going to stick around as long term subscribers. Recipes, diet tricks, power foods, etc. Make sure what you’re posting about is relevant to and useful in your readers’ daily lives.

Now let’s get out there and improve our social networking scene. Tweet me @NutritionTalk (c’mon, set up that profile – www.Twitter.com) to let me know how social networking has helped you. Your blog will be an online hot-spot faster than you can cry, “Eat leafy greens!”

For Ann Arbor Real Estate information, call 734-669-0337 or tweat us  @ AnnArborRealtor

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Kathy Toth & Team: Ann Arbor Area Real Estate Experts

www.KathyToth.com

Keller Williams Realty

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Every day it is important to be thankful and grateful for what we have or what is coming our way.  This is a diversion from the Ann Arbor Real Estate market and a super way to share in one of life’s great triumphs.

During times like this it’s more important than ever to reflect on the simple things in life that make us happy and bring us together as humans beings.  To surpass our fears and prosper despite the obstacles.  Perhaps stopping our busy commercialized lives for just a few minutes each day to savor those things we may have overlooked, those simple traits of pure human nature that bring us joy.

While the following story may be “off the beaten path” by way of Rochester, NY – it’s an inspiring example of such joyful human nature.  Please take a minute to watch this video. I admit I cried with inspiration. I’d love to share this hope and spread the desire to stay positive here in Michigan.  Take a look at Greece Athena High School’s enthusiastic new basketball hero – Jason Mcelway!  I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did

Since video embedding has been disabled by request, please just follow the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q9wSp8sdEI

Search all listings in Michigan with pictures and tours…Free!

Kathy Toth & Team: Ann Arbor Area Real Estate Experts

www.KathyToth.com

Keller Williams Realty

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NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955

NORAD, the North American Air Defense Command has been tracking Santa’s progress on Christmas Eve ever since a misprinted phone number was placed in a Sears Roebuck advertisement. This “wrong number” put boys and girls through to the Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline”. The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup had his staff use their radar to begin checking Santa’s progress from the North Pole and they have been providing this service to kids everywhere ever since.

This year you can also track Santa from your mobile phone using Google Maps for mobile. If you have an iPhone, T-Mobile G1, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, or Nokia phone with Google Maps, just search for “norad santa” to see Santa’s location. (Note that you’ll have to resubmit your query whenever you want to update Santa’s location).

If you have a supported phone but do not yet have Google Maps, you can download it for free at the Norad website or from the above Google link.

If you’d like also like to follow Santa’s progress on Christmas Eve go to this website http://www.noradsanta.org/ to follow the action.

Search all listings in Michigan with pictures and tours…Free!

Kathy Toth & Team: Ann Arbor Area Real Estate Experts

www.KathyToth.com

Keller Williams Realty

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Jeff Daniels has been doing a great job with commercials promoting Michigan and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  I hope to see him again live unplugged when my kids come home over Christmas break.  Besides his great acting, he actually is pretty easy on the ears with his guitar.

Once you have the privilege of hearing him unplugged at The Purple Rose Theatre with his wife Kathleen working behind the scenes, you recognize it is very personal and intimate experience – one worth repeating.

Below is a video of Jeff playing, courtesy of the Ann Arbor News.  Just leave it on while you read.

Jeff Daniels has written his own plays and productions including “Shoe Man,” “The Vast Difference” and “The Kingdom’s Coming”.  You can see many original productions at The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea. You can hear some more of his tracks/discography here.

For a schedule of 2008/2009 Onstage and Unplugged with Jeff Daniels showing from December 26 – January 4 just clich this link for more details.

Pictured below are my daughter Lindsey and I with Jeff following a previous show.

For more information on Jeff Daniel’s home town of Chelsea, Michigan please visit our tour. We our very proud to be a part of and to showcase this area.

Search all listings in Michigan with pictures and tours…Free!

Kathy Toth & Team: Ann Arbor Area Real Estate Experts

www.KathyToth.com

Keller Williams Realty

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