Have you heard of Kiawah Island’s Beachwalker Park? This park is one of the nation’s top ten rated beaches, and it’s just a few hours away off the coast of Charleston. Kidding Around’s Melanie took a trip to Kiawah Island recently, and it didn’t take long for her to see why that honor was warranted!
Have you ever seen a person and their pet and thought, “I WANT ONE!!”? I felt that the minute I saw the Instagram post from Gather GVL of a little piggie name Evie. She was so cute! But what is involved with owning a pig? I had so many questions! And thus was born the “Ask Me Anything | Pet Ownership ” series on Wagging Around.
All those burning questions you have running through your head when you see an animal that you would like to consider adding to your family but just don’t know enough about it. Evie’s Mom Abby was kind enough to tell us what it’s like to care for a pig.
Did you miss last weekend’s pet ownership piece on chickens? Local mom Maggie shared her knowledge about owning backyard chickens with us last week. Check it out HERE.
(more…)WAG knows that the people of the Upstate love brunch. What if you could have a pet that would help provide you with an awesome brunch at home? Chickens not only provide food for your table, they are quirky and charactered pets!
In our new Pet Owner AMA Series, we ask pet owners about their unique pets. They answer the questions you might have if you’re trying to decide if chickens would make the perfect addition to your family.
You may have noticed lots of changes happening at the Haywood Mall in Greenville. Stores closing, stores moving, and new retailers joining the ranks.
This summer, a new socially conscious retailer Lush Cosmetics will be expanding into Greenville by opening its second location in South Carolina at Haywood Mall.
The Greenville location will be opening for contactless pick-up only at this time, customers have two options to shop
Lush will have safety protocols in place that include:
If you’ve ever enjoyed a bath bomb, you can thank Lush Cosmetics. The retailer prides itself in providing consumers with eco-friendly products that “have the least possible impact on the environment while still producing beautiful and effective products”. This mission is reflected in a good deal of their items being displayed unpackaged in their shops.
The products Lush sells are never tested on animals, all of their products are vegetarian, 85% are vegan and they make an effort to keep items as preservative-free as possible.
Customers will be able to purchase skincare, haircare, bath products, and of course those famous bath bombs. The 1,350 square shop will be an exciting addition to Haywood Mall for both those who are already familiar with the Insta-worthy cosmetic company and those who have yet to be hooked! Elisa Torres, Lush’s director of retail says, “ We are so excited to throw open the doors to a brand new store in Greenville. Thoughtfully designed with the customer experience in mind, this new shop will provide more opportunity to demonstrate our brand ethics, to get to know our Greenville customers in person, and to present our new and ever-growing product range.”
If you can’t wait to see what they offer you can visit Lush Cosmetics online, or check out the hashtag #BathArt on social media to see what fans of the company are saying.
My family loves the Sleepy body lotion that Lush offers. This magic lotion is the perfect weapon against the nights when the sandman doesn’t show up! With the top ingredients being oatmeal, almond oil, and lavender, it’s a product I don’t worry about using on my children. I think this is going to be a great addition to the retail options in the Upstate!
The store hours are
Monday – Saturday from 11 am -7 pm and Sunday from 12 pm – 6 pm
700 Haywood Road, Greenville
What is your favorite Lush product?
Did your child receive free or reduced meals in school, or do you know someone who did? When School was canceled in March a lot of children were left without the school meals they depended on daily. Students who received free or reduced meals at school are eligible to receive a one time SNAP benefit to help families with food expenses. The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is a one time benefit that these families should receive in July.
(more…)South Carolina’s school districts are waiting to see how to proceed with public school re-openings in the fall. In response, State Superintendant Molly Spearman and the AccelerateED Task Force have released their Guidance and Recommendations for 2020-21 School Year for how to handle the back-to-school scenario. Some Upstate school districts have already shared possible options for returning to school, but everything hinges on the state’s recommendations.
We also have a summary of the AccelerateED Task Force meeting on Friday that discussed the feedback that the Task Force received and their responses and changes based on that feedback.
When Covid-19 hit the Upstate, lots of things happened as a result. One of the best things was the trend of bringing food trucks into neighborhoods, similar to the ice cream man. The neighborhood food truck trend has become so popular that most trucks are booked through the next few weeks already. We’ve caught wind of a new trend and if you act quickly, you could be the newest hero in your community.
If you want to contact a food truck and book them to come out to your community, we’ve got a list of all the Upstate food trucks doing that also!
Are you a lover of donuts? Have you heard that a new place is waddling into town? Greenville residents love their donuts and are going to have another donut shop to get their fix. Duck Donuts is opening its first location in the Upstate and people are excited!
(more…)Do you sometimes wonder if there is anything you personally can do to help those in need right in Spartanburg? Or maybe you know some kids who would benefit from a free breakfast and lunch program in Spartanburg over the summer? We’ve put together this list of local organizations helping out in Spartanburg – organizations that need your help too!
Did you know that Spartanburg county has the highest occurrence of food insecurity in the entire state?
Whether your family includes some of the over 40,000 people in Spartanburg who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or your family would like to find out easy (and fun) ways to help, we’ve got the info you’ll need. You’ll also find information on free breakfast and lunch programs for kids this summer in Spartanburg!
Did you know your food stamp benefits get doubled at the Hub-City Farmers Market? Read one local mom’s review of the market.
(more…)Does gem mining near Greenville sound like a fun adventure? While technically there are no places nearby where you can go mining for diamonds, there are lots of native gems that are just as beautiful and can be found not too far from the Upstate.
We aren’t talking about the kind of gem mining where you are handed a bucket and sit down at a sluice. If that’s the kind of fun you are looking for, you need search no further than Greenville Gemstone Mine in Haywood Mall, which is a fun experience.
Here, we’re talking about getting out in Mother Nature, getting dirty, and digging through mine piles for gemstones.
I’ll warn you, this is not an activity for the non-adventurous. There will be dirt. Lots, and lots of dirt. However, there will be lots of fun, and memories. Throw a tarp down in the car for the way home and just be prepared to deal with the dirt. Did I mention there would be dirt?
Aside from being prepared to deal with the dirt, you just need to have some tools to bring along. Most of them you’ll have at home already. If this is your first time doing this, I don’t think you should run out and buy anything.
Things you’ll need to bring:
My son was only three the first time I took him gem mining. He had a blast. I was not prepared to deal with all the dirt, which I’m sure you’ve gathered by now. But once you know what to expect, you’ll be good to go.
Diamond Mine Road, Abbeville | 864.934.3744
Rates: Adult (18 and over) $20, Teen (13-17) $10, Senior (65+) $10, Child (12 & under) $5, 6 & under are free
Diamond Hill Mine is very rustic. It’s private property that is fenced in, with dump piles from a mine. There are places to primitive camp and portable toilets. Aside from that, it’s just you, the dirt, and the hope of finding some beautiful uncut gemstones. It’s tiring work, but it’s not complicated. We left with two buckets full of promising finds the first time we went.
North Carolina is known for being a native sapphire, ruby and opal gemstone source. In the 1890’s Tiffany’s & Co. purchased the entire Cowee Valley to mine gemstones for their jewelry. While North Carolina is no longer a huge source of commercial gems, there are still plenty of gems to be found by visitors to local mines.
331 McKinney Mine Road, Spruce Pine | 828.765.6463
Rates: $20 per day digging permit
484 Emerald Hollow Mine Dr, Hiddenite | 828. 635.1126
Rates: Sluicing, Creeking & Digging Combination Permit-
Adult (12 & over) – $30, Child (4 – 11) $10
5315 Bryson City Road, Franklin | 828.524.4570
Rates: All Day Dig (9 am-5 pm ) – $40, 4 Hour Dig – $30
6961 Upper Burningtown Road, Franklin | 828.369.9742
Rates: Adult (18 and over) $35, Teen (12-17) $35, Child (11 & under) $15, 5 & under are free
115 Terrace Ridge Drive, Franklin | 828-349-3774
Dig-Your-Own from the mining tunnel: 2 for $10, all refills $5 (10 refills for $45). Minor miners, 8 & under can help adults
Just remember that the dirt will wash away, but the memories you create will last forever!
Have you gone digging for gems at a mine?