events

Smarties, we’re super excited to bring you the Scoop on the most anticipated Grand Opening to hit Ballantyne Village, The Cheeky Bean boutique. This is not just another swanky fashion boutique. As soon as you step foot in the store, you will notice a difference. You will feel like you’re hanging with your favorite gal pals, but you’ll spend a fraction of the price as traditional boutiques.

Owner and Smarty Mama, Justine Hundley, greets you with her infectious smile and treats you just like her own family. The best part about her store – you won’t find anything in the store for over $100. We Smarties bow down to Justine for that pledge! But don’t be fooled, the quality is not compromised one single bit, nor is the fashion statement you’ll make. The Cheeky Bean is an online women’s contemporary clothing boutique focused on bringing you the very best in all things fashionable, fabulous and affordable. What I loved most about this store is all of the stripes, color and patterns – everything in there made me feel beautiful!

By Dr. Andrew Johnson
Southpark Pediatric Dentistry

It’s that time of year again and Halloween is less than a week away, along with that never-ending bag of candy that finds its way into your home after a night of trick-or-treating. There are a few things that I typically tell my patients and their families in order to help minimize cavities:

• Separate out all of your chocolate/milk chocolate candy from everything else. This is the best selection to let kids have as it has milk (calcium) in it and melts quickly with no gooey residue on the teeth.

Smarties, don’t miss THE event of the weekend – the 5th annual Brookhaven Family Run for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy on Saturday, October 27 at the Brookhaven Clubhouse in Matthews. This is an AWESOME family event to benefit an incredible cause and a very special 8-year-old boy, Jake Pritchard.

This whole event is the brain child of Jake’s parents, Emily and Michael Pritchard. Emily and I met as newbie parents when Jake and my oldest were in the same playgroup together way back in 2004. I am so proud of the work Emily and Michael have done to fight for their sweet Jake and for the rest of the boys living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

This year’s run will feature a 5K run/walk, kids races, a pre-race breakfast, great raffle prizes, food from the Meat House, TCBY yogurt and a Kid Zone featuring crafts, inflatables, face painting and more. Sir Purr and Chubby Checker will even be there to cheer everyone on and might even show down in a race of their own – who would want to miss that?! They’ve also expanded the event to include a Family Fun Night on October 26, the evening before the race, where families can pick up their race packet and enjoy an outdoor movie, pizza and s’mores. What an awesome idea that the kids will love!!

Run. Walk. Hope.

Lace up your running shoes, Smarty Charlotte, and join thousands for the 17th Annual Hopebuilders 5K Run/Walk presented by Babson Capital. The premier family fundraising event benefiting Levine Children’s Hospital, Hopebuilders welcomes people of all ages and skill levels – many of whom are walking in honor/memory of special children in their lives. All proceeds from the event benefit the areas of greatest need at Levine Children’s Hospital.

This family-friendly event is hosting a new Stroller Roller this year. The Stroller Roller is the first 5K in Charlotte specifically designed for strollers, baby joggers, and even little red wagons. Children riding in strollers receive complimentary registration, so they do not need to be registered. Family and friends who would like to run/walk alongside you should also sign up for the Stroller Roller (even if they are not pushing a stroller).

The Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions 2012 is coming to Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday, October 26, 2012. And guess what, Smarties? We have a Family 4-pack of tickets just for you!

All four of my kids are super excited about this event coming off of a women’s gold medal at the Summer Olympics. My twin boys, who I truly believe could be future Olympians (save that for another blogging day:-), cannot contain themselves! They will be front row and center.

The Pajama Run, a charity run that raises money for research and programs for cancers below the waist, is hosting its second annual 5K race at the Promenade on Providence mall in Charlotte on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. All proceeds raised at The Pajama Run will benefit the Carolinas Ovarian Cancer Fund at Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Cancer Institute.

Smarties, don’t let the title “Scarowinds” scare you away from Carowinds if you have little ones. They have something for everyone of all ages in this fun-packed theme park right in our backyard. Last weekend, I took our fam to Carowind’s Howl-O-Fest’s Boo Blast and the kids had just that.

Howl-O-Fest’s Boo Blast is a way for kids to show off their cute costumes and celebrate the fun of Halloween without the scary. It brings Halloween themed shows, attractions, and hands-on activities to the plaza just outside the Carowind’s Paladium Ampitheatre every Saturday and Sunday in October. Costumes encouraged! Add this Halloween fun to the 12 acres of rides and attractions in Planet Snoopy and you’ll have some serious happy campers!

This morning, I had the privilege of walking side-by-side with the most amazing teams at the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure – Team GoJenGo and Team Patwa. Words cannot accurately describe the range of emotions I felt during the 2-hour walk. I laughed alot and cried even more – but what struck me most was the inner strength of all of these incredible women I like to call warriors. They are nothing short of heroes – the survivors, the friends, the families, and our community.

’tis the season to start thinking about the holidays! I know that’s hard to believe when it’s still 80 degrees outside, but this is your reality check! Our Smarty friends at Toys & Co are kicking off their annual Fall Sale with 20% off storewide. For those of you who just scored their Groupon deal this week, it’s time to cash that bad boy in and do some shopping!

Toys & Co has two convenient locations in Cotswold and Park Road Shopping Center. You’ll find everything on Santa’s list and more at this incredible toy store. Best part, they will wrap every gift BEAUTIFULLY and oh-so-expertly. Toys & Co carries a huge selection of fun brands including Lego, Playmobil, Calico Critters, nanoblocks, Zoob, Boogie Boards, Snap Circuits, Fat Brain Toy Co, Madame Alexander, trains – I could go on forever! Trust me, they are the true toy experts so they will help you source a gift if you are stumped.

A year’s passed since my last Smarty Blog, and what a year its been. 12 months of sports practices and games, homework, sibling squabble “management” and getting up way too early for school. A year of snuggles on the couch, bedtime stories, birthday parties, real wood fires, holidays and kissing boo-boo’s (although no longer called that and no longer in public, my boys are now 7 and 5, and have their tough guy images to maintain), milestones passed and sweetly savored.

But it’s also been another year of battling advanced, inflammatory breast cancer. Chemo three times every month without fail, without end. A year of soaring highs and and seemingly bottomless lows, the constant stress of trying to juggle being a wife and mom with all the extraordinary pressure of fighting for my life, of actually being able to see my disease spread (sometimes daily) across my chest, back, shoulder and arm. A year with time spent wondering which is worse, dying from the disease or slowly, bit by bit, dying from treatment. A year in which many women (some friends) were diagnosed with breast cancer, treated and blessedly pronounced NED (No Evidence of Disease, the new-ish term for remission). A year where others (wives and moms, some whose children are just babies, and all Smarty Moms lust like us!) continue to battle their ever, rapidly progressing cancers, some who now struggle just to breathe or get out of bed.