An awesome young family here in Southside Village told me it’s “the perfect place to raise a family”. Back in 2010 there was an empty lot on Arlington Street. Lauren and Eric Blomster saw more than just land. They pictured a big open space with a tropical feel, where the door is perpetually open to anyone who wants to stay awhile. They saw kids running and playing out in the back yard, jumping on a trampoline and climbing a playset. They envisioned listening to rain hit the tin roof and entertaining friends by a firepit. Today sits an olive green, Key West style home with all those things they dreamt of. Lauren, Eric, their three children, and a fluffy Golden Retriever now share this lovely space they call home.

 

I am convinced that all those pursuing husbands, wives and Sarasota lives should step foot onto Florida State University’s campus. If you read these articles each month, you know by now that it is where the magic began for a large portion of the couples who create families around here. Lauren and Eric were, too, those romance-crazed college kids, once upon a time. After a few years of the “just friends” scenario at FSU, they gave up and went with “boyfriend and girlfriend” come junior year.

 

Both graduated during the 2008 economic recession, when pickings were slim for job seekers in their early twenties. Lauren had a fresh degree in social work, which luckily meant widespread job availability, an advantage that most others did not have in times like those. Eric needed to come up with a good option. He was pleased to ultimately land a job in his hometown of Sarasota. Lauren found a position too, and they packed up and set sail.

 

The purchase of their first home on Bougainvillea Street, was largely inspired by the fond childhood memories Eric had growing up in Southside’s beautiful Harbor Acres. It just felt right to marry and start a family of their own in the same comfortably familiar area. Lauren and Eric married in 2010 in Winter Park, Florida, and shortly thereafter had their first son. With the baby and two dogs at the time, the smaller space became quickly outgrown. It was then that the Arlington Street lot was purchased, and building up their future first began.

 

A social worker with a big heart, Lauren realized somewhere along the way that one of her greatest passions and part of her purpose in life is helping children. Whether that has meant raising and loving her own children over the years or finding warm clothes and housing for children in need, it has been both the most difficult yet rewarding part of what she does. Back in high school, she had traveled to New Orleans inner city schools for a mission trip to remember. Sadly, there she saw the worst of the worst, from poverty to abuse. She remembers feeling the power of nothing more than a hug to one injured little boy in need. Memories like those never go away. Wanting to make a difference in all the ways she could, she has over the years found many ways to do just that. She has served as an advocate for children in the foster system, thrown birthday parties for the kids who would otherwise never have them, and brought broken households back together.  During our conversation, she shared that one of her happiest memories was when one time when an underprivileged foster child she was caring for was adopted by family neighbors. With a growing family of her own, the emotionally difficult and demanding work began to wear on her at some point. While her husband was traveling a great deal for his own work, the two realized that it was a better fit for Lauren to serve as a full-time homemaker for their family, also allowing her time to help Eric with his businesses. It has been nice to have this opportunity, just like her mother had with her family during childhood.

 

Eric has kept quite busy with a vast array of entrepreneurial endeavors over the years. With businesses in both the US and Canada, he has purchased, operated and sold several. Ventilation, heating and air conditioning, and commercial real estate describe just a few of these. During the pandemic, he scored a government contract for a clean air product he developed, which is currently being installed and tested in Canadian schools. He most recently purchased a local company, EZ Slider, which specializes in glass doors and windows

 

Interestingly, the family moved to Canada for a while in 2019, in effort to eliminate the back-and-forth business travel which had been difficult on their family. They had a car and house there. The kids started attending schools with just one English class per grade. They were soon speaking and writing in French. COVID-19, however, brought a sudden change in events as the world shut down… especially in Canada. The Blomster Family was stuck in Canada for an entire year and a half. This meant isolation from the rest of their family and no return to their home in the states. Lauren even had to dive in and homeschool the children. Turning lemons into lemonade, she explained that the situation did create some positive opportunities for personal growth in the kids.  She feels that they became appreciative when they saw the disparities which exist around the world, firsthand. Some of their school friends in Canada had never in their lives been on a vacation or stayed in a hotel room. “It made them realize how good Sarasota life really is”, she said. She recalls when the borders opened back up in June 2021. They sold Eric’s Canadian business, and the family was finally able to go home. “We saw an American flag when we crossed back over to the United States. The kids cried.”

 

Describing the little ones, Lauren said, “We have 3 children, 2 boys and a girl: Weston (13), Becks (11), and Charli (9). They were all born at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Weston attends SSAS, and Becks and Charli attend Southside Elementary. Weston is obsessed with football and fishing. For Becks, it’s football and soccer. Charli plays soccer and cheers. We are thankful for the Sarasota Sun Devils organization and to have all 3 of our children participating in their program. We are lucky to have multiple coaches who teach our kids life skills and love for the games, as well as coach at the local high schools and give back to the community.”

 

Now life looks like time on the field with the kids and their sports, travel to cool places like Sweden and Greece, and playing ping pong and darts. Eric plays golf when time allows, and Lauren enjoys walking and tennis. There is also a lot of time spent as a family on the beaches here and Lake Oconee (a favorite and frequently visited vacation destination of theirs). The family enjoys outdoor fun like skiing and four-wheeling too. With Swedish descent on dad’s side, Santa usually visits the house on Christmas Eve. At first this was rather terrifying to the kids, but those early memories are so fun and special now.

 

As a Golden Retriever owner myself, I had to ask about the dog. I learned that they sadly lost their seven-year-old one, another Golden Retriever, to cancer three years ago. Once the sting of that difficult time wore off, Lauren and Eric decided to surprise the kids with a Golden puppy in her memory. As they revealed her for the very first time, they asked the kids, “Well, what do you want to name her?”. The consensus? "Summer Sunshine”. Although fitting, it was a bit lengthy and atypical. What could they say? There was no choice but to go with it! Nowadays, she usually goes by her alias, “Summer”. She is the center of attention and socialite of the family. Her hobbies include early morning walks, swimming and sunbathing.  

 

Charli heard me ask her mom through the phone about any funny stories they might have to spice up their featured article. She chimed in with a pretty good one, I must say. Mom wasn’t sure if it was one to repeat to the masses, but naturally, I pushed it! “Come on, mom. Tell her about Compound”, she said. Compound is a little surf shop located in one of the shopping centers on Osprey Avenue, near the Publix supermarket. Long story short, Charli shoplifted! A few years ago, as she walked in the store with her family, a nice pair of Reefs caught her eye. She was so excited that she accidentally put those flip-flop sandals straight into her backpack for safekeeping. As she exited the store, the theft prevention alarm went off. The good news is this: she was little and most certainly cute enough to get away with it. Authorities did not press charges. Phew!

 

The Blomster’s also love frequenting all the other local shops and restaurants we know and love around here. Osteria was a favorite. They will miss it dearly, considering its recent closing. The workers and bartenders in the village are all familiar faces who know their names.

 

They can’t get enough of the hometown feel of the neighborhood and the good energy it exudes. They also like receiving Stroll in the mailbox each month, to read about all their friends and neighbors in the magazine and learn about the latest happenings in the community.

 

Someday soon when there is nothing to do, Stroll over to the Blomster residence and enter its open doors. Kick back and stay awhile!