Health & Wellness
Cheers to a prosperous 2025!
Happy 2025! Whether the past year was one you were glad to see go, or one you'll forever cherish, the new year presents us with an opportunity to reset. There's new horizons to explore and goals to pursue!
Some revel in resolutions, setting goals, and facing them head on. I, for one, am not one of those people. I've never felt terribly motivated to do something simply because the calendar dictates it's time for me to do so. If I attempt it, I usually neglect my resolution by week two, and by early February, it's all but completely abandoned.
Instead, my goal each new year is to slow down and practice gratitude. After the hustle of the holiday season, perhaps we could all benefit from taking a step back to appreciate all we have to be grateful for.
We approached this issue of Elkhorn City Lifestyle from a mindset of not supplying quick fixes to check boxes in the short term, but rather, valuing what is sustainable over the long haul. We wanted to provide inspiration for making lasting, realistic, long-term improvements to your physical, emotional, and mental health and well-being.
When it comes to anything in life — business, finance, food, home, health –it’s not what you do some days that moves the needle. It’s what you do MOST days. For better or worse! So, here's to a successful, peaceful, and gratitude-filled 2025. And here's to you! We’re rooting for you.
STEPHANIE LEWIS, PUBLISHER
@ELKHORNCITYLIFESTYLE
January 2025
PUBLISHER
Stephanie Lewis stephanie.m.lewis@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Chelsey Juarez chelsey.juarez@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Melissa Minassian melissa.minassian@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Melissa Minassian, Angela Broockerd, Haley Gosch, Mande Saitta
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Cara Bresette-Yates, Nicholas Fisher, Lane Hickenbottom, Janie Jones
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT Erika Smiley
AD DESIGNER Mary Albers
LAYOUT DESIGNER Lillian Gibbs
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: Christmas comes alive at The Durham Museum’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. 2: Clothes Mentor staff and customers celebrating the holiday season at their Holiday Open House. 3: Festive sweet treats by Elite Aesthetics by Jackie at the "Small Business Saturday" celebration. 4: Shoppers enjoying the Clothes Mentor Holiday Open House event. 5: One of many giveaways at the Clothes Mentor Holiday Open House. 6: Weekly wine and liquor tastings at Bottles & Barrels in Elkhorn. 7: Women gather at the Women with Voices Power Up Women’s Retreat at Sonlit Retreats.
BOTTLES & BARRELS
CLOTHES MENTOR OMAHA
CLOTHES MENTOR OMAHA
CLOTHES MENTOR OMAHA
WOMEN WITH VOICES
ELITE AESTHETICS BY JACKIE
• Create outdoor comfort anywhere
• Louvered roof
• Water tight when closed
• Various mounting & freestanding options
• MagnaTrack self-tensioning avoids jams and hang ups
• Bugs, wind, & rain protection
• Increased privacy
• Mount to existing covered spaces MOTORIZED SCREENS
LIVING AMENITIES All Aluminum Construction Minimal maintenance; perfect for any residential or commercial space.
• Bring indoor conveniences outside
• Outdoor kitchens
• Fireplaces & heaters
• Lighting
• Televisions & speakers
NUCCA Chiropractic is a gentle, specific correction in the upper neck that takes the pressure off the brainstem so that it and the entire nervous system can function properly. Upper cervical chiropractors specialize in detecting and correcting misalignments of the top two bones in the neck. For many, this has provided natural relief for neck pain, chronic pain, dizziness, ear infections, asthma, allergies, headaches and migraines. Unity Wellness is about working together to restore movement, function and life.
Locally owned, rooted and operated. Medication management and therapy through one clinic. Children, teens and adults. No waitlists!
Uptown Java Opens in Olde Towne Elkhorn
Uptown Java recently opened in Olde Towne Elkhorn in the former Fala’s Coffeehouse space at 2627 North 205 Street. An upcycled coffee shop and bistro in the heart of downtown Elkhorn, Uptown Java offers food, premium coffee, bakery items, curated gift boxes, specialized merchandise, wine, and artwork. Owned and operated by Pastor Brad and Donna Hoefs, all profits go to support the work of local charity, Fresh Hope for Mental Health.
Omaha Supernovas Take the Court
The winter season for reigning pro volleyball champions Omaha Supernovas starts on January 10. The team will once again take to the court at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. Tickets are available now! For team or ticket information, visit provolleyball.com/teams/ omaha-supernovas
ARTICLE BY MELISSA MINASSIAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARA BRESETTE-YATES
THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY PRACTICE WHERE PATIENTS ARE MORE THAN A NUMBER
HONEST CHIROPRACTIC
Honest Chiropractic, along with founder Dr. Makenna Conway D.C., is a breath of fresh air. Nestled in a Gretna shopping plaza, upon entering, one immediately senses the shift from the bustling world outside. Here, it is calming and peaceful. A beautiful
chiropractors are Webster Technique Certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association to better serve women with prenatal and postpartum care, as well as pediatric patients. But the similarities go deeper than just that.
“NOT HAVING PATIENTS
JUST
BE A NUMBER... IT BECOMES A FAMILY.”
foyer and warm staff greetings invite you in. Soothing music plays as you take a moment to breath, pausing the day’s worries to make space to care for yourself.
This was always Conway’s dream: to own a company that’s a respite, a safe haven, a place to pause and reset, especially for women and children. She just didn’t know how it would manifest.
A prospective medical student planning to work in Obstetrics, Conway was preparing for her Medical College Admission Test when she ended up at Cleveland Chiropractic College’s open house.
“I didn’t originally associate chiropractic as something I could do with children,” Conway shared. “A doctor spoke who had a pediatric practice focused on women and children. I was like, ‘Wait. This! I’m in.’ I switched gears and signed up that day.”
Now a handful of years into her chiropractic practice, Conway has many families under her care and is already expanding the business, recently welcoming Dr. Piper Houlton D.C. Both
“She’s wonderful!” Conway lit up, reflecting on the addition of Houlton. “We’re aligned in our passions, our mission, our purpose, and why we love to do what we do. We’re both mamas. And we prioritize creating an environment that’s different than what else is out there. We want patients to truly feel part of ‘The Honest Chiropractic Family.’”
Conway loves the chiropractic modality for its emphasis on finding root causes versus putting a bandaid on symptoms through a quick diagnoses and a prescription or ten — a narrative sadly common in the mainstream medical community. She enjoys fixing problems, unraveling the riddles of a patient’s ailments, and watching lives drastically change for the better.
“I love chiropractic. I can totally nerd out on it,” Conway said with a laugh. “The body has an innate ability to heal itself but it has to have the right tools. We figure out the health roadblocks for patients and how to supplement their body so they can heal and function optimally.”
CONTINUED >
A pivotal tool used to help Conway problem solve is a thermography scan, a non-invasive procedure that captures heat variations in the body. From the scan, she determines where inflammation is, guiding her to root causes of a given dysfunction — something especially helpful with young children unable to tell parents where or how they are experiencing pain. From there, Conway adjusts a patient’s body — often tonally, a gentler alternative to the musculoskeletal adjustments most are familiar with.
“Not a lot of chiropractors practice tonal adjustments. With tonal, we’re working with and for a patient’s body versus having their body fight against it. It’s a lot more caring and nurturing, a reason I think we attract so many mothers and children,” Conway explained. “Especially when children come in, they’re not popped, twisted, and cracked. It’s a nervous system focused adjustment, so if a child presents in sympathetic overdrive, also known as fight or flight — the colicky babies, the constipated kids, some neurosensory or neuroatypical kids — we help them transition to a parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’ state. It often doesn’t look like I’m doing much, more of a massage, but
Dr. Makenna Conway D.C.
Dr. Conway is Webster Technique
Certified to treat pediatric patients.
“THEIR VICTORIES BECOME YOUR VICTORIES.”
I’m feeling to see where their nervous system is off so we can reset it.”
Conway gets emotional sharing stories of the families she’s had the honor of helping: Colicky babies who’ve never slept more than a few hours sleeping six hours through the night after a single session. Children with years of trauma from regular bedwetting or chronic constipation functioning normally after tonal adjustments.
And Conway’s expertise reaches beyond just mothers and children. She sees men too, helping entire families through pregnancy and postpartum care, breached babies, infertility, as well as typical chiropractic maintenance.
Said Conway, “No matter what you choose to do in life, you hope it makes a positive impact. Not having patients just be a number — really getting to know them and loving them — it becomes a family. You invest in them and their victories become your victories. I’m cheering them on. It’s crazy. It’s beautiful. It’s really fun.”
Chiropractic adjustments align the body so it can function optimally.
ELITE
AESTHETICS BY JACKIE ELITE AESTHETICS BY JACKIE
Non-invasive, effective & affordable full body aesthetic, wellness,and weight loss solutions
We are dedicated to guiding you on a transformative journey toward beautiful, healthy-looking skin. Beyond the ordinary, we believe in the alchemy of beauty a journey that delves deep into the essence of who you are.
ELITE AESTHETICS
BY JACKIE
MEDICAL GRADE OFFERINGS TO ENHANCE YOUR HEALTH AND BEAUTY IN THE NEW YEAR
ARTICLE
BY HALEY GOSCH
In a society that glorifies unrealistic standards of beauty, board certified Nurse Practitioner Jackie Arrick offers clients something refreshingly different through Elite Aesthetics by Jackie: honest expert advice, a personalized roadmap to optimized health, and a boost of confidence.
“We spend so much of our lives focusing on the negatives and picking ourselves
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARA BRESETTE-YATES
“ I WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOVE THEMSELVES AND LEAD HEALTHIER LIVES.”
apart. I want to encourage people to love themselves and inspire them to lead healthier lives,” said Arrick. “People think that injectables will completely change your appearance, but ultimately, my goal with treatment is to enhance your natural features and beauty.”
Arrick’s journey began when she noticed her own skin changing as she aged. The more she researched and learned, the more fascinated she became, influencing her current mission of helping others find the best treatment plans to live a more fulfilling life.
Arrick achieves this through two complementary modalities: wellness and
aesthetics. The wellness side offers programs and resources optimizing weight loss and overall health with consultations, Glucagon-like Peptide-1 medications (also known as GLP-1), and individualized therapies, while the aesthetics side focuses on services like microneedling, neurotoxin injectables, and medical grade skincare.
For weight loss, Arrick takes a holistic approach, combining medical expertise with lifestyle modifications to ensure sustainable, long-lasting results. After an individualized consultation, Arrick provides client’s with a personalized weight loss protocol and GLP-1 to jump start their weight loss journey.
“In regards to health, we have been misinformed for so long,” explained Arrick. “With weight loss treatments, my goal is to keep people out of the hospital and help them develop lifelong health changes.”
Certified in Microtox and Theratox, Arrick was trained by the pioneers of neurotoxin injectables. She is also well versed in dermal fillers to treat signs of aging, changes to facial structure from injury and health diagnosis, and to contour the face, medical grade microneedling to address fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars and improve overall skin texture, and medical grade chemical peels to minimize age spots and fine lines and provide a refreshed glow.
Arrick said, “When people hear about injectables or weight loss, they think it’s taking the easy way out. I want to break that stereotype and teach my clients the truth. I’m always honest with clients. If I don’t think a treatment is right for them, I’ll say no. It’s about trust and doing what’s safe and effective.”
To set up a consultation with Arrick, message her on Instagram at @ EliteAestheticsByJackie or visit EliteAestheticsByJackie.com .
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU WITH STYCH + HUE
ARTICLE BY MELISSA MINASSIAN
TRANSFORMING YOUR TRESSES
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
LANE HICKENBOTTOM
Brandi McDonald always knew she wanted to be a hairstylist. After 25 years in the industry, she’s now a hand-tied hair extensions specialist with her business, Stych + Hue, owner and proprietor of Salon Gallerie, and wife and mama to three littles. She juggles much to pursue her dreams, but wouldn’t have it any other way. Helping her clients is a large part of what makes it worth it.
“I just love making people feel better about themselves. Especially in my work with
extensions, the insecurities of thin hair really affect people,” said McDonald. “People cry happy tears. The before and after pictures are wild! Sharing that with somebody is cool.”
After cosmetology school, McDonald assisted Amy Heavican at Salon Tino, an expert of hair coloring and cutting short hair. McDonald claims this is where she truly learned to do hair — Heavican teaching her to formulate color with her eyes closed and owner Tom Constantino schooling her on work ethic.
After four years at Salon Tino, McDonald struck out on her own, incorporating the many lessons learned into her company Stych + Hue, offering hair extensions and custom color with downline dreams of creating her own extension line.
Whether to supplement thinning hair, add length, or rehabilitate damaged hair, hair extensions have become a favorable solution for many. An ever-evolving niche in the industry, even with her expertise, McDonald prioritizes education, her most recent mentorship being with hair legend Chrissy Rasmussen, owner of Habit Hair, extension expert and trainer with 1.3 million followers on Instagram!
“If extensions are applied correctly, it’s very hard to damage your hair,” explained McDonald. “As well, I incorporate a lot of education with every client in my chair. My goal is to improve their hair so maybe, someday, they don’t need extensions, they just want them.”
I just love making people feel better about themselves. Sharing that with somebody is cool.
McDonald utilizes techniques to prolong time between visits, providing clients with low maintenance, lived-in looks that grow out well while still looking luxurious — and save them money as touch-ups are only needed every 10 to 12 weeks!
“With years of doing extensions, you figure out how to make them more comfortable. How to place them to be undetectable, grow out well, and last longer. I’m always like ‘less is more.’ I use brands that allow clients to go much longer. It’s easier for them and myself.”
LIFESPAN COUNSELING’S COMMITMENT TO CUTTING EDGE SERVICE AND CARE
The Whole Lifespan
ARTICLE BY MANDE SAITTA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICHOLAS FISHER
We see all ages. We really mean the lifespan, it’s true. The whole lifespan.
If ever a mental health practice was aptly named, its Lifespan Counseling. From toddlers to seniors, seeking to heal from every possible life occurrence, Lifespan Counseling is sure to have a practitioner who can help.
“I suppose it sort of chose me,” said Laura Kinney, Lifespan Counseling’s founder and co-owner.
Kinney didn’t intend to work in mental health. She was pursuing a degree in social work when a seemingly fluke class for a degree requirement catalyzed her love for the hands-on work of therapy. Twenty years later, she’s a licensed mental health practitioner with a flourishing practice and a wide array of expertise, having cared for domestic abuse and assault victims, students in educational settings, and those in emergency scenarios with mobile crisis response teams.
Kinney’s time in community mental health was a prelude to opening her own practice. She made the leap with her husband David Dover, who, having a rich background in military service, oversees the operational side of things. The couple opened Lifespan Counseling in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, which was timely as their team was able to aid many struggling post-quarantine.
“We see all ages. We really mean the lifespan, it’s true. The whole lifespan,” said Kinney, adding about post-COVID care, “The biggest change — and it might not be what most expect — is that people are heavily gravitating toward in-person service. We’re done being quarantined. They want that human connection.”
Connection is a theme that’s woven throughout Lifespan Counseling’s company culture, attracting many patients and causing the company to quickly grow. An initial rented space didn’t last long before they moved their central office to a large space on
86th and Dodge in 2023. This past October, they again expanded with an additional office in Elkhorn.
The two locations employ over two dozen therapists, a medical team, clinical supervisors, and administrative staff. Today, Kinney has largely stepped back from patient care to better focus on training, mentoring, and developing others. She is passionate about searching for counselors to add to her practice whom are the best of the best. She manages a lot, but finds great value in connecting trained therapists to wise advisors.
“I do a lot with training and development,” explained Kinney. “I think counselors are formed by being surrounded by mentors in various stages of their career who can advise them. We are always investing in the training of our staff. We really want the best. That’s always our goal, to be on the forefront of results.”
The team-centered group model she utilizes — with both mental health practitioners and medical professionals working on the same team — has been largely successful, a comprehensive take to wellbeing that is well rounded and unmatched. Kinney leaves no stone unturned when it comes to therapies available to Lifespan’s patients, offering a vast range of cutting edge services for all ages, including Brainspotting and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a technique using eye movement to help process trauma.
For 2025, Kinney and the Lifespan Counseling team see only potential. Whether it’s more locations, adding to the therapy staff, or exploring new treatment options, Lifespan is solidly fixed in the Omaha community and here to stay.
For more information on Lifespan Counseling, visit LifespanCounselingNE.com
We are always investing in training our staff... to be on the forefront of results. “ ”
Some of the Lifespan Counseling team
Lifespan Counseling Clinical Director Jamie Johnson in session with a client
Lifespan Counseling Owners Laura Kinney and David Dover
MIXING HEALTH AND FLAVOR
A Delicious Mocktail to Savor Without the Alcohol.
ARTICLE BY ANGELA BROOCKERD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
ROSEMARY PEAR MOCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS
ROSEMARY SIMPLE SYRUP
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary ROSEMARY PEAR MOCKTAIL
• 5 tablespoon pear juice
• 1 tablespoon rosemary simple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
• sparkling water to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
HOW TO MAKE ROSEMARY SIMPLE SYRUP
Combine sugar and water in a pot and cook over medium heat. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off heat and toss in rosemary sprigs. Cool Completely.
HOW TO MAKE ROSEMARY PEAR MOCKTAIL
Pour pear juice, rosemary simple syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling water. Add ice and garnish if desired.
realty report
JANUARY 2025
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
JANUARY 19TH
Zenia Omaha’s Wedding Expo
Zenia Omaha | 11:00 AM
Don’t miss Zenia Omaha’s Boutique Styled Wedding Expo for wedding inspiration, ideas, and vendors to help make your big day extra special! Whether you’re looking for the perfect dress, stunning decor, or delicious catering options, you’ll find everything you need there! Mingle with other couples, chat with experts, and win prizes! Zenia Omaha, 450 South 193rd Street, Elkhorn
JANUARY 26TH
Women with Voices 3rd Annual “Unstoppable 2025” Summit
Zenia Omaha | 1:00 - 6:00 PM
Join Women with Voices for their annual summit event bringing together community leaders and women ready to discover their purpose and unleash their full potential. Be inspired by keynote speakers, dive into breakout sessions, engage in discussions that challenge and uplift, connect with like-minded women, embrace your “why,” and become genuinely unstoppable! Zenia Omaha, 450 South 193rd Street, Elkhorn
G . L E E H O M E S
D E S I G N B U I L D R E M O D E L
L E T ' S W O R K T O G E T H E R !
W e a r e h o n o r e d t o r e c e i v e t h e
2 0 2 4 M O B A S t r e e t o f D r e a m s , “ P e o p l e ’ s C h o i c e A w a r d ” .
I f b u i l d i n g a t r u l y c u s t o m h o m e o r h i g h - e n d r e m o d e l i s y o u r d r e a m , w e n e e d t o t a l k !
G . L e e H o m e s i s y o u r l o c a l f u l l - s e r v i c e l u x u r y h o m e b u i l d e r . W e c a n t a k e y o u r p r o j e c t
f r o m c o n c e p t t o c o m p l e t i o n a n d b u i l d o n o u r l o t o r y o u r s .
S c h e d u l e a n a p p o i n t m e n t t o s t a r t y o u r d r e a m h o m e t o d a y .
C O N T A C T :
K A T I E @ O M A H A S B U I L D E R . C
4 0 2 - 8 7 1 - 9 1 7 0
@ G L E E H O M E S
B e s t o f a l l , w e ’ r e r i g h t h e r e i n t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d !
