Want to be the hero your neighborhood needs right now? Bring a food truck!
We’ve figured out which food trucks are able to do this and all you need to do is make sure your HOA is cool with bringing a food truck, contact the food truck to arrange a date and time, and then tell alllll your neighbors. Most neighborhoods have a Facebook page or email list so that’s a good way to tell them. Or make signs – everyone loves signs. And food. Everyone loves good food, too.
(more…)Looking to buy some cloth face masks in Greenville? With dozens of businesses and cities, plus Greenville County Schools, now requiring the use of face coverings, you may be looking for local places to pick up a few masks.
We asked our readers where to get cloth masks locally and who is making them because we have no doubt about the amazing creativity and talent of people here in town who can quickly make these kinds of products. Here’s a list of where you can get cloth face coverings here in the Upstate. We’ve included both local businesses and moms selling on their own.
(more…)Who doesn’t love a baby giraffe? They are so cute! And when Kiden was born at the Greenville Zoo, everyone here just went crazy. It was so much fun to bring our families to the zoo to see her running around and acting all cute. But as is common practice between zoos, animals are often sent to different places around the country for breeding programs – and well, Kiden’s time has come to say goodbye to Greenville. All in the name of more baby giraffes (and conservation).
According to the Greenville Zoo, Kiden will be moved to the Oregon Zoo later this Spring.
“The move is part of the Masai Giraffe Species Survival Plan. Kiden will be paired with Buttercup, the Oregon Zoo’s five-year-old male Masai giraffe,” said the Greenville Zoo in an email.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, fans won’t be able to bid Kiden farewell in person. But the Greenville Zoo has come up with another way to say goodbye to the giraffe: a farewell Facebook LIVE virtual going-away party will happen on April 15 at 10 am.
So mark your calendars for this special event! And of course, we wish Kiden and Buttercup many happy years (and lots of babies) together.
Do you have a favorite moment of seeing Kiden at the zoo?
Looking for something to do in Spartanburg that involves coming into contact with no other people? How about an Upstate, SC bear hunt? Since almost everything is closed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, it makes it tough for parents to not only keep their kids entertained but save their own sanity. We love driving tours over here at Kidding Around (**ahem** Christmas lights…) so we asked our readers if they knew of neighborhoods participating in the viral Bear Hunt window challenge, where people put teddy bears in their windows for kids to find and point out.
(more…)Looking for something to do in Greenville? How about an Upstate, SC bear hunt? Since almost everything is closed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, it makes it tough for parents to not only keep their kids entertained but save their own sanity. We love driving tours over here at Kidding Around (**ahem** Christmas lights…) so we asked our readers if they knew of neighborhoods participating in the viral Bear Hunt window challenge, where people put teddy bears in their windows for kids to find and point out.
(more…)The lazy days of summer are right around the corner. That means lots of time at the neighborhood pool, heading to the beach, or checking out local swimming holes. But as a parent, the fun times around water are a little more stressful because accidents in the water are more common than need to be.
This post is sponsored by YMCA of Greenville.
Every year during warmer months, we hear tragic stories about accidental drownings involving children. Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children 1-14, but formal swimming lessons can reduce that risk by 88%. The YMCA of Greenville is committed to reducing the rates of drowning by providing water safety and swimming lessons to as many members of our community as possible.
With that commitment in mind, the YMCA of Greenville has partnered with Upstate Pool Management and Clarity Pool Management to offer a week of free water safety classes over spring break to help kids learn to swim and be more comfortable in the water. Water Safety Week, which runs April 13-17, 2020, also teaches parents what to do to prevent drowning accidents and how to keep a careful eye on the little ones around water.
Trained and certified instructors teach participants basic comfort and survival swimming skills while working toward building confidence around water. While lessons focus on safety, they are also a great time for children to have fun and be active.
Classes will be held at:
Morning and afternoon sessions are available, but spaces are limited for the free classes so be sure to register online. You don’t even have to be a member of the YMCA.
Have you heard of Pelvic Floor Therapy? This form of physical therapy address pelvic floor disorders, including those that occur from pregnancy and child birth. Kidding Around’s Kristina went to pelvic floor therapy at Zoan Physical Therapy and learned all about how this kind of therapy is helping women. Read on to find out what to expect at a pelvic floor therapy session.
(more…)How did Presidents’ Day sneak up on us parents? Seems like the kids just had a Monday off of school! To help you out on things to do, camps, or other entertainment, we’ve compiled this list.
(more…)Kayla Blood, a 29-year-old mom who lives in Louisiana, is fierce. She was in the Louisiana National Guard for six years and now drives a huge Monster Truck called Soldier Fortune on weekends. Oh, and she competes against her husband, Blake Granger, who drives Maximum Destruction in Monster Jam Triple Threat Series®.
Kayla is nothing but ordinary yet deals with the same challenges that most of us moms face just trying to do our best for our kids and family. She’s had to overcome vast obstacles to get where she is now, choosing to never let an opportunity pass her by where she didn’t make the most of it. Now she’s the first female National Guard veteran driver for Monster Jam, crashing through the glass ceiling with Solider Fortune.
You can cheer for Kayla at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena at the Monster Jam Triple Threat Series® shows on Friday, February 7th at 7 pm and Saturday, February 8th at 1 pm and 7 pm. We got a chance to chat with her about her son, how she got started as a Monster Truck driver, and what it feels like to leave all the boys in the dust.
Wondering what a Monster Jam show is like? See our Review of Monster Jam.
Kayla Blood: Before Monster Jam, I raced ATVs competitively. My husband and I were asked to do Quad Wars during a local Monster Jam show, which we just did for the fun of it. After doing New Orleans Monster Jam, I got a phone call from one of the guys that got the Quad Wars together and asked for the redhead who drove the ATV. They were looking for people who were athletically fit and capable who could compete. I fit that bracket! I trained at Monster Jam University in Illinois for about six months, learning every aspect of the Monster Jam Triple Threat show from driving to media training to gym training.
Kayla: Austin is 7-years-old and I have a 9-year-old stepdaughter, Riley. They love coming to the show and it’s a definite plus when they come. Sometimes shows don’t go the way you want but it’s so nice to have their hugs and kisses. Learning the balance being away from them is hard. When I’m home, my kids are my focus. Austin is really humble so it’s almost like he’s just shy about what I do. I’m the same way and like to fly under the radar.
Kayla: It’s hard to balance – from being in a show trying to whoop these boys to transitioning to mom mode. My husband is on tour with me all year [Blake Granger who drives Maximum Destruction] and his mom is our saving grace at home. Between her and his sister, they help us so much while we are on tour.
Kayla: I’m the only female on the floor and I want the guys to treat me equally. I want to win fair and square. There are times when Blake and I have gone head-to-head and I’ve beat him. I love it. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it feels great. When it comes to ATVs, he’s ridden them all his life and usually leaves all of us in the dust. It makes me so mad!
Going into the Washington, DC competition we were tied in points and it was so much pressure. It was a tough weekend and now I’m in third place but not far behind. I plan on giving everything I have in Greenville. He’s standing in the way of a champion. He better get out of the way.
Kayla: I was in the Louisiana National Guard for six years and worked full-time in Force Protection, which is like military police. Then I did administrative work for my colonel. My unit had orders to deploy to Afghanistan – which is when I found out I was pregnant with my son so I couldn’t go. I wanted to do a tour but I’m so blessed with my son and everything I learned from that experience literally led me to the next one.
Kayla: After driving my Monster Truck all weekend and coming home and getting into my car, I have to tell myself to be gentle. I can’t go all over and hit things! It’s definitely a transition. My husband says he gets so sick driving with me.
Kayla: I had to grow up at a young age and if I wanted to make anything of myself, I had to do it myself. Anything worth having in life isn’t going to be given to you – you’ll have to work for it. When you do that, you have to put yourself out there and you’ll fail. But everything that goes bad, it’s teaching you a lesson.
I was a track star in high school and went to college on a track scholarship out of state and it just didn’t work out for me. I got depressed and down on myself. I thought I was going to be this Olympic track star and it didn’t happen. When I was down, I got up and decided to join the military and do something with my life. So that’s what I did; I went to the recruiting office and before I knew it, I was in boot camp and going through crazy and amazing things that made me into the person I am now. I didn’t want to skip a beat in life, I wanted to take advantage of everything that came my way.
Never give up. When you’re a mom and working and taking care of your family, you’re doing enough. Don’t ever feel like you’re stuck – you can do something about it. Anything is possible.
Want to see Kayla drive Soldier Fortune in Greenville? Grab tickets to the Monster Jam shows in Greenville here or at the Bon Secours Wellness Center Box Office.
Shows are at 7 pm on Friday, February 7th and at 1 pm and 7 pm on Saturday, February 8th. Tickets start at $15. The Pit Party is on Saturday from 10:30 am – Noon and costs $15.
Have you been to a Monster Jam show?
Some parents may have noticed the indoor play area at Haywood Mall absent recently. Well, there’s a reason for that: a brand new play area is being installed and opening up on Saturday, November 23rd.
“As a community destination for families across the region, it’s important that Haywood Mall continues to evolve by developing a new, progressive area for children to create special memories,” said Jamie Wright, general manager for Haywood Mall. “Whether guests need a break from a busy day of shopping or visit specifically to explore the Play Area, our hope is that children will enjoy a fun, interactive experience while discovering new ideas and exercising their creativity.”
The new play area isn’t just for little kids. It’s designed to appeal to both toddlers with a zone just for them but also a more interactive area for the older ones. Interactive technology, educational elements, and multi-sensory experiences are the foundations of the new indoor play area.
Kids will be encouraged to create their own adventures with an LED lit crawl path, interactive stomping games, and a playcube slide. Lots of vibrant colors will make the play area easy to locate in the Dillard’s Wing of the mall.
And for parents, charging stations and soft seating will encourage them to hang around for a bit while their kids work off excess energy.
The ribbon cutting ceremony happens at 1 pm on Saturday, November 23rd. There will also be a balloon drop, games, holiday treats, balloon twisting, a photo booth, and music. The new play area is in the Dillard’s Wing of the Haywood Mall.