by admin | Nov 4, 2014 | From Our Contributors
Volunteer Opportunities in Forsyth County We’re getting lots of questions about finding local volunteer opportunities in Forsyth County and throughout Cumming. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s a great reminder to help our community (now & throughout the year). We started updating our list and then turned to Facebook for some help too. Below, we’ve linked to volunteer pages of some recommended organizations. This is just meant to serve as a starting point – definitely click on the links &/or call the organizations that you might have a passion for and see how you can get involved! Here are some organizations to check out: Abba House Act Together Ministries Age Well Forsyth Cumming Ministries & Thrift Store Family Haven Feed the Hungry Forsyth Food for Thought Project Forsyth County Senior Services Humane Society of Forsyth County Jesse’s House Meals by Grace (noted: School aged children are welcome to come with parents as long as they are healthy. Dress is casual, but appropriate.) Mentor Me North Georgia Next Generation Focus Looking for more? Be sure to check out Forsyth County Community Connection and our original Facebook Post for reader recommendations. Date Specific Events: (We know this list will grow as the holidays get closer – we’ll continue to add to it as events are submitted. Now through January 31, 2015 – Be Rich November 15th – Loving Generously / Day of Service at the Cumming Fairgrounds November 15th – Rise & Drive Community Collection & Festival – Donate, Volunteer & Have Fun! November 24th, 25th & Thanksgiving Day – Tryptophan Half Marathon benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with Totally Running. Email...
by admin | Oct 10, 2014 | From Our Contributors
{The following is part of a sponsored post for #FamilyForward – all opinions are my own and all photos are courtesy of Universal Orlando Florida.} A Quick Universal Orlando Getaway Last month my family slipped away for a quick, last hooray of summer. It was part of Mom it Forward’s Family Forward Orlando Adventure!! It was a four day trip for social media influencers & their families – I feel so blessed to have been able to go & most importantly go as a family! Why a Universal Getaway Makes Sense: A quick trip to Orlando from North Geogia is definitely possible over a long weekend – like the one coming up this weekend for Forsyth County schools. We’ve never done this before, but for the first time we actually left straight from school – so the kids got in their full day, we got ahead of traffic and rolled into Orlando for a very late bedtime. There’s something about vacation – everyone wakes up early anyways, and you can’t be in a bad mood when you’re headed to a theme park!! Planning Where to Stay: If you plan to visit a Universal theme park it’s definitely worth it to stay on site at one their deluxe hotels. We stayed at Loews Portofino Bay during our trip. Not only was it absolutely beautiful (like step into Italy beautiful), incredibly roomy, and had a gorgeous pool but because it was a deluxe hotel you are totally hooked up with your trips to the theme parks!! There’s transportation by way of the ferry to the park entrance, plus everyone in your...
by admin | Oct 9, 2014 | From Our Contributors
Disney On Ice presents FROZEN at Phillips Arena If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter, you might have seen that my 6yo and I went into “the big city” on Wednesday night. We stayed out WAY past our bedtimes and woke up tired the next morning, but it was all for a great reason – Disney on Ice FROZEN at Phillips Arena! If you’ve never been to a Disney on Ice show, then I’ll just say that I’m constantly amazed – the skating, the costumes, the songs, the production – it’s all wonderful!! And the FROZEN performance was no different. “Snow”, lights, pyrotechnics, amazing costumes – it was chill bump worth – and not just because it’s cold in there! Picture Philips Arena being FILLED with a family sing along. Little boys, little girls, moms & yes, even Dads were singing. I was one of those moms. It was incredible. The production retold the story – from young Elsa & Anna to Coronation Day, the “frozen” spell, Olaf, mean old Hans and more. All in the midst of amazing skating and yes, those songs that you just love (or drive you crazy at times), but we all know we really love them:). And it’s never a Disney production without Mickey & Minnie (who were adorably dressed for the “frozen” weather) and all their friends. There are still some seats left, if you get a chance to go you should definitely consider! Show description: Enter a fantastical winter wonderland beyond all imagination at Disney On Ice presents Frozen! The heartwarming, Academy Award ® -winning tale you love is now LIVE...
by admin | Aug 20, 2014 | From Our Contributors, Shop Local
After a crazy busy summer with lots of family time – both the good-relaxing-enjoying kind and the hair-pulling-sister-brother-constant-fighting kind, we’re slowly getting into our back-to-school routines. This means the calendar is filling up with commitments, ball games, practices, and homework too. If we’re not careful and intentional family time can become left-over time. Later this month, I’m actually headed to an event at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando with my entire family through Mom It Forward. It’s really got me thinking about practical steps I can take to help my family become a Family Forward Family – one that’s always moving forward. Together. Not in a bunch of directions without each other! Here’s a few steps to consider … Get Up Early – Wake up in plenty of time to get morning duties done before the kids wake up – this one usually makes me a MUCH nicer parent in the mornings! Unplug – After the kids get home from school until after they go to bed at night – it’s hard, but worth it! Track My Time – Certain things can consume MUCH more of our time than we anticipate (hello Pinterest?!) but setting a clock helps realize how long we’ve been distracted. Work Together – Whether it’s chores together at home, working in the yard outside or volunteering in the community, doing something hard or doing something for someone else is so good for the kids to see! Eat Together – Some dinners go better than others, but if we’re all home we definitely all eat together – no cell phones or tablets! It’s the...
by admin | Jun 17, 2014 | From Our Contributors
A Trip to Poole’s Mill Park in Forsyth County I can’t believe I’ve never written about a trip to Poole’s Mill Park – actually I can, because there are LOTS of things I’ve never written about … so much to do, so little time. But we spend a lot of time here so it’s about time I sit down and write a little. If you’ve been then you probably already know all about this little gem. If you haven’t, hopefully you’ll know more after reading this! Poole’s Mill Park is located in the far west part of Forsyth County – it actually has a Ball Ground address – 7725 Pooles Mill Road, Ball Ground GA 30107. It’s probably most famous for its old covered bridge – so much history (and tacky graffiti, what a shame). It’s an incredibly popular spot for family photos – my family included. But it’s also a great place to make new memories too. Poole’s Mill features include: Playground Covered Picnic Pavilion Outdoor Picnic Tables by the River River – for fishing or swimming and of course the famous “rock slides” A typical spring or summer visit for our family will include a visit to the playground, a picnic lunch down by the river and an hour or two at the rock slides. If my husband is with us then we’ll tack on an extra hour for fishing at the river. The following “Pros, Cons & Tips” are strictly from my (Mandi) perspective. They may look different for your family but hopefully, if you’ve never been before, it will help you with some of your...
by admin | May 21, 2014 | From Our Contributors
Yoga in Cumming GA Thinking about trying out Yoga? We did a Facebook post asking our readers and you can see that post by clicking here. Yoga is a great way to exercise with all the stretching, balance, and relaxation. But it does work up quite a sweat. It’s all about strengthening your core. And I know I need that! Maybe I will try it out too. Anyway, i’ve listed out all the recommendations. Hope you find one that works for you. Happy Yoga-ing! In no particular order: Yoga Selah Do Yoga with Doug Keller BodyPlex Fowler Park Rec Center Breathe Yoga Atlanta (Cumming location) Freedom Journey Yoga Central Park Rec Center Be Here Now Yoga South Forsyth Rec Centers Anywhere else you might add to take Yoga in Cumming GA? Photo...
