Events & Holidays

  • A Date with My Princess

    Recently I had the privilege to go on a date night with my princess, Brina.  She wanted to do something a princess would do on our night out together.  It was “Dine Out For Mom” night where a portion of the proceeds goes to a great cause so we decided to eat out.  Brina chose to eat at the “ABC” restaurant (aka Atlanta Bread Company).  We split a Chicken Salad Sandwich meal and tea for about $7.  She decided to wait to eat the chips later in case we wanted a snack (smile).  I love seeing her think and plan ahead even at age 5.  We talked about our days and giggled together over our sandwich and sweet tea.

    After supper we had a few minutes in between events so we headed over to Aldi’s.  For those who have never shopped at Aldi’s it is a small discount grocery store.  We often get our staple groceries and fresh produce at Aldi’s.   If there is one in your area I recommend at least checking it out.  Brina picked out a beautiful bouquet of flowers for $3.99 to take with her on our date night.  She was excited to have the princess flowers and proudly carried them everywhere we went that night.  I am thrilled the flowers survived the evening despite being carried, squished, dropped, and well loved.

    After getting her flower treasure at Aldi’s we headed over to Virginia College to get her first pedicure.  Virginia College is a local college that has a Cosmetology School where you can get pedicures, manicures, massages, and your hair done for a great price.  Brina proudly carried in her flower bouquet and announced to anyone that listened that she was on a Date Night with her Mom!  Glad she gets excited about spending time with me, hopefully these precious memories continue as she gets older.  Brina received her first pedicure complete with a foot soak, foot massage, and candy while sitting in a massage chair.  She smiled like a princess the whole time.

    We made a quick trip by Goodwill on our way home to pick up a black shirt for her “cat” costume.  She picked out a little car toy for Karlie and a baby doll dress for one of her babies.  On the way home we were discussing our date night and she said “Mom, I LOVE my flowers! (pause) The flowers make me feel like the lady wearing the pretty white dress (bride) at a wedding.”  I smiled because she did feel like a beautiful princess that night.  Although the getting married part better not be in her near future since she is only 5!

    When we arrived home Daddy and Karlie were finishing up their Apollo 13 movie.  We discussed the exciting adventures and fun everyone had before bath time and bed.  It was a true joy having this fun and relaxing time with my precious princess.  I am thankful for the time we get together to create memories, talk, and laugh.  Life is too short so make sure you fit in time to have fun and enjoy the blessings you are given.  We had a blast spending time together without spending a lot of money.  Giving time and attention to my girls is more important than all the gifts in the world.

    My husband and I started taking our girls out on dates after one of them was in the hospital for surgery and we realized at that time they had never been a part for more than a few minutes.  Our girls are twins with very different personalities; we love them both and want to encourage them to grow up to be the people God wants them to be.  One is into babies, princesses, and animals while the other one is into rockets, planets, space, and sharks.   Having a date night set aside one night a month is something the girls look forward to and it gives us time to focus our attention on each child.  We are thankful for the children God has given us and look forward to seeing them grow.  A date night out with your child doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive the important thing is that you spend time one on one to listen and love them.  Creating one special memory after another together.

  • Easy Recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

    Jake made some amazing roasted pumpkin seeds during our evening carving the pumpkins.  Here is a super easy and great recipe for roasting pumpkins seeds:

    • 2 c pumpkin seeds
    • 2 T butter
    • Sprinkle Seasoned Salt (or substitute a 1/2 package ranch package mix)

    Rinse the pumpkin seeds.  Saute pumpkin seeds in the butter for about 5 minutes (until they start to turn brown).  Sprinkle the Seasoned Salt or Ranch Mix on the  seeds.  Spread seeds into a shallow baking pan and baked at 250 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy.  Stirring every 10 minutes.

    We made half with the sprinkled seasoned salt and half with the ranch package mix this year.  Delicious snacks for the whole family!

  • Fall Festivities – Pumpkin Carving

    Our family enjoys celebrating the different seasons, Holidays, and events throughout the year.  It has been a blast going to a variety of family friendly Fall Festivals in our area.  The weekends are full of horse back riding, playing in the leaves, hayrides, bonfires, pumpkin carving and all the other fun activities while creating wonderful memories with the family.

    The girls have been asking for over a month to carve pumpkins and since they were on sale recently ($3.99 for a 12 ++ pound pumpkins at BiLo) we decided to have a family night together.  We had a great evening of carving pumpkins, roasting the pumpkin seeds, drinking hot apple cider and eating caramel apples.  Daddy free handed the designs the girls drew out on the disposable table cloth.  Everyone had a blast!

    If you are wanting to find some great carving patterns that you can download here are a couple websites to check out:

    Most of the designs are kid friendly (however there are a few frightful designs).  There is a range from easy to difficult ones depending on what you want to do.  Enjoy time with together and make it a fun celebration while creating memories together.

  • Event: “Dine Out for Mom”

    There is a special event going on today called “Dine Out For Mom” which is a part of the “Let There Be Mom” organization.  As a Mom with small children it is important for me to remember that life is precious, sweet, and short.  We never know what joys and trials life will bring our way.  You may know of a friend or family member that has gone through serious illness and given only a short amount of time to live.   This event is to remind us to celebrate life, create memories, cherish our family, and help others because our life here on earth is not forever.

    What is “Let There Be Mom”? It is an organization that provides help to Moms when they or their spouse is diagnosed with a serious illness.  “Let There Be Mom” comes along side the family going through this difficult time to preserve memories.  They do this through a variety of services tailored to meet the needs and wishes of the individual families. Some examples of ways they are involved – photography, scrapbooks,  journals, videos, meals, errands, special events, care packages, family cookbooks, and many more wonderful activities.  The “Dine Out For Mom” event today is designed to help raise funds for this great organization.   When you eat at one of the participating restaurants today they will donate a portion of the proceeds to “Let There Be Mom” so they can continue to help families that are losing a loved one.

    Take some time out of your busy day to meet a friend for lunch or take the family out for supper.  What a great way to spend time with those you love while helping a wonderful organization that is committed to preserving family memories.

    For more information about the “Let There Be Mom” organization, their services, and how to get involved please visit their website.




  • The Joy of Giving – Operation Christmas Child

    The girls are really excited about participating in Operation Christmas Child this year.  As parents it is great when we find tangible ways to demonstrate to our children the blessing of giving to others. We want our kids to learn early the importance of helping people.  Brina is putting together a box for a little girl and Karlie is doing a box for a little boy.  Last week they took money from their piggy banks to pay for several items that they handpicked to put in the boxes.  Even though the girls are only 5 it is never to early for them to experience firsthand the blessing of sharing with people in need.

    Operation Christmas Child

    Here is a little background information on Operation Christmas Child for those who do not know what it is about.  Operation Christmas Child is part of Samaritan’s Purse Organization.  In 2009 they sent shoe boxes to 8 million children.  The shoes boxes have been sent to over 95 countries around the world since it started.  Their mission:  To demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

    The children who receive these boxes live in poverty and / or in crisis areas of the world.  You may not have the ability to travel to a foreign country but by sending a shoe box full of goodies to a child you will help encourage the families in these countries.  We are excited to be a part of such a wonderful ministry.

    It is always a blessing to have the opportunity to share with others both locally and all over the world. For more details how you, your church, and community to get involved in this great ministry go to their website at Samaritan’s Purse If you are looking for a way to spread the Christmas cheer and give to others I encourage you to check out this opportunity.

  • Launch Greenville 2010

    Launch Greenville 2010

    “Launch Greenville 2010” was a full day seminar packed full of information and connections for entrepreneurs, startups, small business owners, and professionals. On Saturday, April 17th we met at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, South Carolina to focus to Sales, Marketing and Best Business Practices for local businesses. “Launch Greenville 2010” was a team effort, special thanks to the sponsors, speakers, panel members, and attendees the event who made the beneficial for the business community.

    • Keynote Speakers – Marketing, Best Business Practices, & Sales
    1. Trey Pennington began “Launch Greenville 2010” discussing Marketing which is a hot topic for many businesses starting out. He discussed several ways to use Social Media and other marketing tools to get your name out.
    2. Jake Hayes continued the conversation on using best business practices. More specifically “The Greatest Idea Ever” and how we have beliefs that can hold us back in business. He gave several examples of how we can overcome those myths and be successful in our businesses. If you have the best product ever it doesn’t mean it will magically sell itself you have to have a sound business behind it.
    3. Dan Waldschmidt wrapped up the morning with an energetic keynote on explosive sales. “I am ALL I need to succeed” was a phrase he encouraged everyone to say to themselves. He reminded us that some days are harder than others but we need to continue being edgy and diligent in business.
    • Building Connections – “Launch Greenville 2010” was just as much about making valuable connections within the local business community. Each one of the keynote speakers, sponsors, and panel members were accessible the day of the event as well as after the event to the attendees. We want to the entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals to have the ability to connect with people that can help them not just for a day but to establish an on going relationship as they continue growing their businesses. We had networking time at the beginning of the day during registration and breakfast, at breaks, lunch and at the end of the event so the attendees could speak directly with the people who can help them.
    • Panel Members – Marketing, Sales, and Business Owners
    1. Marketing Panel consisted of Trey Pennington as the moderator and Olivier Blanchard, Kim Madden, Kamran Popkin, Jay Handler, and Amy Wood as the panel members. It was a dynamic panel and we noticed quickly that the “hot” marketing topic was Social Media based off the questions the audience was asking the panel. We received a lot of valuable feedback and ways we can implement marketing into our business.
    2. Sales Panel had Dan Waldschmidt as the moderator and Russ Davis, Brett Arp, Cass Tyson, and Robert Griffin as the panel members. The sales panel offered quality information on sales techniques and tactics that businesses and professionals can easily apply to their businesses. They spoke on a variety of topics from cold calling to networking and many more.
    3. Business Owner Panel was Jake Hayes as the moderator and Frank Mobley, Dan Wooster, Terry Weaver, Courtney Tessler, and Neetu Patel as panel members. They touch on a wide range of topics from setting up your company to training to customer service and many more insights pertaining to the business owner directly. Many businesses start small and as they grow the dynamics on the team change which means the business owners needs to adapt to those as well.
    • Sponsors – we are truly thankful for the sponsors who helped us make this event possible. Each sponsor has the desire to see the business community grow. We encourage you to check out the following companies as they are here to help you: Business Black Box, WORD 106.3, Infusion Web & Video, InSource Executives, Enterprise Launch, HubSpot, BizFilings, FranchiseMart, Edward Jones, Nimlok, Bit Tyrant, Immedion, Upstate Town Planner, Marks Family Services, and the Greenville Chamber.  A special thanks to  Sabadie Photo and Wilder & Associates for snapping the great “Launch Greenville 2010” event  pictures that are posted on our sites.
    • Giveaways – there were over $14,000 in amazing giveaways throughout the day at “Launch Greenville 2010”. The attendees won magazine subscriptions, business books, radio advertisement spots, products, online subscriptions, memberships, coaching sessions and many more incredible items that benefit the growing businesses within our local community. Giveaways were generously donated to “Launch Greenville 2010” from sponsors, speakers, and local businesses that sincerely want to help business in Greenville and the surrounding areas.

    What next? We received positive feedback from those that participated in the event from the attendees to the sponsors and speakers. The next “Launch Greenville” is already in the works. We are dedicated to helping businesses grow and look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event. If you would like to receive more information about our regular monthly events or be a part of the next “Launch Greenville” please contact us at info@EnterpriseLaunch.com

    It is exciting to see businesses grow in our community. Enterprise Launch will be at “The Grow Expo” on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at the Carolina First Center. We will be bringing back our Business Owner Panel for the event and they will be sharing more business insights with the community at 3:00 PM, hope to see you there. It is our goal to bring valuable insights and connections to local businesses therefore “Launch Greenville” will be a regular event in this area and we are looking to expand to other areas as well.

    As a business owner what is a hot business topic you would like to hear more about that will help you grow your company?