Cornelius Lakeside Living - Best Version Media

09/01/2026

As September rolls in and the weather starts to cool, we are excited to celebrate the beginning of fall as well as this month’s feature family: the Hoffmans! Glen and Sandy Hoffman are two educators from Illinois who now live in Cornelius with their dog, Gus, who is a micro-influencer on Google reviews. Their affinity for meeting new people and bringing them together seeps into the community through their love for games—they host trivia nights, music bingo, pinball tournaments, and more for their LKN neighbors.

This month, you’ll hear from our expert contributors like Trevor Filo of The Serve Pickleball + Kitchen, who answers commonly asked questions about their Topgolf Swing Suite bays; Annie Hanson of The Closet Niche highlights how acoustic wall panels are both stylistically sophisticated and conducive to organization; Bryan Vaughan of VACO Pest Management Co. explains the benefits of hiring a professional pest management company over do-it-yourself solutions; and Justin Adams of StruXure NC underscores the value in customized pergolas for unique home properties.

Our business profile this month features Home Theory, a boutique design and renovation company founded by professional interior designer Sarah Fiel. Working with her general contractor husband, Eric, Fiel started this company to make home renovation feel more simple and less anxiety-inducing for homeowners.

We’re also excited to welcome our new community partners and sponsors: 15 to Fit Method, O’Day Law Firm, PLLC , and Level Up Tailored Window Coverings.

David Judge of Cornelius Early Scholars explains how the nonprofit Christian preschool prepares children for kindergarten and lifelong learning. Paul Chickene of Lake Norman Wildlife details how the nonprofit, volunteer-based organization helps keep LKN habitats clean.

This issue also includes a list of North Carolina festivals, the best places for apple picking, and the differences between early action and early decision deadlines as college application season heats up. Mayor Denis Bilodeau introduces us to some of the leaders of the Town Hall of Cornelius, and Mary Curcione shares fun events and activities to commemorate Town of Cornelius Parks & Recreation's 30th anniversary.

We hope you enjoy the beginnings of fall!

Photograph by Words & Pictures by Jeannie DeSena

07/31/2026

The summer of ‘26 was a chaotic but memorable one—a record-breaking heat wave, a stomach parasite, The Odyssey, Canadian wildfires, the FIFA world cup, a Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup win, a Taylor Swift wedding, and a viral round racoon named Jimothy.

As we mourn this summer break's end and anticipate the start to the 2026-27 school year, we’re excited to celebrate the achievements of some amazing lakeside kids. From entrepreneurs to motorsports champions to world travelers to musicians to accomplished athletes, our community is bursting with talented students.

This month, you’ll hear from our expert contributors like Kim Sargoni of Four Corners Framing and Gallery, who explains the importance of custom framing and art galleries in small communities; Sarah Fiel of Home Theory shares the best material selections for your kitchen; Anna Austin of Huntersville Veterinary Clinic offers tips helping pets adjust back-to-school routines; and Nikki Calden of Calden Home Connections recounts the many reasons why people choose Lake Norman as their home.

Our non-profit spotlight this month features the Yay DAY Foundation, founded by rising college freshman Zoey Boukedes. Yay!Day is a nonprofit that aims to spread kindness and radiate positivity in the Lake Norman community. Boukedes hopes to continue sharing the importance of a positive mindset, and the foundation has raised nearly $400,000 so far to support its P.E.E.R.S. Scholarship Program and other local causes.

This issue also includes a list of North Carolina August festivals, area school ratings for the 2025-26 school year, easy back-to-school lunch ideas, and an ultimate dorm checklist for rising college freshmen from Swipe Right College Matchmakers. Mayor of Cornelius Denis Bilodeau shares some town management position updates and Cindy Johnston of the Town of Cornelius details the fiscal year 2027 budget. Further, learn how to safely boat in shallow water amid low water levels on Lake Norman with advice from Captain John Johnson and read why student reporter Tessa Rosenberg thinks IKEA is both the perfect place for dorm shopping and unconventional hiking. She may have even discovered the backrooms.

So enjoy August and the upcoming 2026-27 school year, or as all the kids are calling it, the year of 6-7.

Photo by Words & Pictures by Jeannie DeSena

07/01/2026

This Fourth of July isn’t just any Fourth of July—the United States is turning 250! As we celebrate our country’s independence milestone with fireworks, cookouts, and parties, America is just excited to be eligible for AARP, senior discounts, and Medicare. This may even be the year it moves into a retirement community.

Besides commemorating the birth of our country, this month we’re also excited to celebrate the Chrestler family, who reminds us of the importance of reading every email before sending it to spam. Adriana and Jesse, and their sons, Ethan, Adam, and Noah, live in Patrick’s Purchase, love traveling, and their story embodies the American Dream.

In this issue, you’ll hear from our expert contributors and community partners like Susan Newsom of Lake Norman Power Sports, who shares how to stay safe on the lake during peak boating season; Kim Serydynski of Race City Garage Door clarifies why a garage door overhaul over spring replacement is a better long-term financial investment; Lauren Davenport of Uplift Pelvic Health and Performance shares helpful movements to prepare for birth during pregnancy; Doug Lampert of Renewal by Andersen of the Carolinas gives tips on how to keep your home cool in the summer heat; Martin Conway of Homewatch CareGivers supplies advice for managing guilt when caring for a parent; and Harlan Cato of Beltone Hearing Aid Center helps us understand how insurance works when it comes to covering the cost of hearing aids.

Our Sponsor Spotlight this month features Uplift Pelvic Health and Performance. As a physical therapist and former Division II volleyball player, Dr. Lauren Davenport founded Uplift to combine athletics, orthopedics, and pelvic health after realizing the lack of specialized care for women within the physical therapy field. Davenport hopes to help women feel stronger and more confident in fitness and in life. We’re also excited to welcome our new community partners and sponsors: Haven Head Spa and ERX Emergency Restoration Experts.

We’ve curated a list of places in this issue where you can watch fireworks and celebrate the holiday in Charlotte and the Lake Norman area. Local resident Rob Cannon shares this month’s hometown heroes: the Davidson, Cornelius, and Mt. Mourne fire departments, who worked together to put out a fire on the Davidson College campus. Captain John Johnson explains everything you need to know about North Carolina’s free fishing day on July 4, Mayor Denis Bilodeau shares some important town financial and budget updates, and David Cole of the Town of Cornelius tells us of recent planning developments to manage the continued growth in the LKN area. Further, learn how rising seniors can prepare for the Common App before it opens on August 1 and read student reporter Tessa Rosenberg’s feature on fun at Victory Lanes in Mooresville.

We hope your month is full of fun with friends and family, and we hope you live July to its fullest—because you’ll be turning 250 before you know it.

Cover photo by Words & Pictures by Jeannie DeSena

06/19/2026

06/01/2026

We love a great feel-good story and the Brooks family delivers that in our June issue - not just a positive, overcoming-obstacles story but an absolute miracle. Rebekah and Derrick both graduated with their engineering degrees and now work for Wells Fargo in financial banking and they and their 2 children, Sydney (18-UNCCH) and Jeremiah (16-LNC), live in the Westmoreland community. In 2024, they experienced every parent's worst nightmare when a trip to the ER revealed Jeremiah was in heart failure. Quick action led to a successful heart transplant in the weeks that followed. This June we celebrate The Brooks' gift of life and want to remind neighbors of the importance of organ donation.

Our local experts share a wealth of knowledge on the following topics: Father's Day garage upgrades by Annie Hanson of The Closet Niche; mosquito management by Bryan Vaughan with VACO Pest Management Co.; summer safety tips for pets by Dr. Anna Austin of Huntersville Veterinary Clinic; pickleball trends by Kurt Jansen of The Serve Pickleball + Kitchen; planning for a 30-year retirement by Douglas Marion of Advanced Wealth Strategies; and outdoor living trends by Justin Adams of StruXure NC. Our business spotlight is on Geekspeoplelike.com, a local business specializing in IT assistance for small to large businesses and local seniors.

Lakeside Living LKN, in addition to our beautiful, monthly direct-mail community publications, is a full service marketing stop offering affordable multi-platform marketing solutions, including websites, SEO, digital ads for social media the web, Google profile and business listings assistance, and reputation management. We are honored to have ERX Emergency Restoration Experts and Bee Organized Lake Norman join us as local business sponsors and would love to help more of our area businesses connect in our LKN towns and build their businesses with us as sponsors or experts.

Also in this issue, our calendar of events helps you to take advantage of the sunshine and attend one of our many LKN events or travel to a nearby state festival. Toss up a new salad recipe from a list of many infamous recipes! Mayor Denis Bilodeau explains property tax and our favorite topic, traffic issues, and Tessa Rosenberg shares an inside look into a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game just in time to cheer them on to a Stanley Cup win!

Enjoy June at the lake & Go Canes!
Cover photo by Words & Pictures by Jeannie DeSena

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

It's that time of year! Lakeside Living LKN Publications are looking for local students to showcase in our Amazing Students Back to School issue! Send all your young scholars, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists our way! All ages welcome but must be Mooresville or Cornelius residents. Reach out to Joanie Baker at [email protected] with student nominations.

05/19/2026

We are elated to announce we were named as The Best of North Carolina for marketing firms!

05/18/2026

Marketing Minute: Multi-platform marketing increases ROI by up to 400%.

Lakeside Living LKN offers affordable marketing solutions like social media ads, web ads, monthly SEO & AI platform integration updates, and our award-winning, direct-mail community publications to tens of thousands of affluent homeowners in Lake Norman to give your business a HUGE edge over competitors. If you are looking to grow awareness & business with Lake Norman homeowners, reach out to Joanie Baker at [email protected] or 614-302-5154 to find out how we can position you to be THE company to call in Lake Norman.

Photograph by LakeView Aerial Photography