Premier General Contractors Since 1986
Beyond providing quality workmanship and comprehensive design/build services, we strive to build a relationship of mutual trust and confidence with each of our clients’ large and small. We accomplish this by putting your priorities first and conducting ourselves with integrity in every aspect of our business.
Letter from the Publisher
Welcome to our "Kids and Pets" issue, where we celebrate the special bond between children and their furry friends! This month, we're thrilled to bring you stories and features that highlight the joy and enrichment pets bring to our lives, as well as activities and places that nurture our kids' growth and happiness.
In this issue, we take you on a tour of Paradise Kennels and Spa, a local gem that offers top-notch pet grooming and boarding services. Discover their Play Yards, where dogs frolic and socialize, Purr Paradise, a cozy haven for our feline friends, and the state-of-the-art Dog Lodging, ensuring your pets enjoy a comfortable stay. The Grooming Center and Training Center round out the facilities, providing comprehensive care and training for all pets.
We also shine a spotlight on The Little Gym, an incredible place where children from four months to twelve years old can explore, learn, and grow in a nurturing environment. Their diverse classes help kids develop new skills, boost confidence, and make lasting friendships, all while having fun.
Additionally, we are excited to feature two remarkable, local kid entrepreneurs. Meet Bailey, who recently published her first book, and Lacy, who enjoys making beaded creations! Learn more about them on page 28.
Thank you for joining us in this celebration of kids and pets. We hope you enjoy this issue and find inspiration in the stories and ideas we've gathered for you.
JANA MORRIS, PUBLISHER @EVANS.LIFESTYLE
August 2024
PUBLISHER
Jana Morris | jana.morris@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Bailey Hall | bailey.hall@citylifestyle.com
PUBLISHER ASSISTANT
Michelle Parnell | michelle.parnell@citylifestyle.com
INTERN
Daria Terry
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Daniel Morris
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Bailey Hall, Daria Terry, Michelle W. Parnell, Nicolette Martin
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bailey Hall, Danielle Franklin Photography
Corporate Team
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Zach Miller
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsey Ragain
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1-3: Columbia County residents took a refreshing tour of the White Hills Farm lavender field. 4-7: Pet adoptions from Columbia County Animal Services.
business monthly
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Lawton!
We would like to wish the newlyweds many years of happiness! Kurt and Katie Lawton were married at the First Presbyterian Church of Augusta, which is also where they met, on April 20th, 2024! They were surrounded by family and friends and celebrated afterwards at the Enterprise Mill. Congratulations!
Save Local Lives
Donate blood today and save lives in our community! Local blood centers urgently need your help to ensure a steady supply for patients in need. Your donation can make a critical difference for accident victims, surgery patients, and those battling illnesses. It’s quick, safe, and you can give the gift of life. Visit your nearest blood center to donate and be a hero. Every drop counts!
Doggie Donuts
Our furry friends hold such a special part of our hearts, it's important to make sure they too feel special. Next time you're going for a ride with your dog, swing by Belair Donuts and get a treat for you and your pup! Their Doggie Donuts are the perfect treat!
CITY LIST
We have such amazing, innovative business leaders in our community who are proud to serve you, our residents, with class and quality. We’ve compiled some of our top company picks for the services that might be on your mind this month in an effort to make your lives a little easier.
Pet Boarding Facility
Quality K9 Concepts qk9c.com | 706.739.7592
Euchee Creek Dog Boarding ecdogboarding.com | 706.267.0650
Suggs Kennel Inc suggskennels.com | 706.736.6406
Paradise Kennels paradisekennelsga.com | 706.860.1977
All About Dogs and Cats allaboutdogsandcatsga.com | 706.284.6838
Veterinary Practice
Martinez Animal Hospital martinezanimalhospital.com | 706.863.1223
Care More Animal Hospital caremoreanimalhospital.vetsuite.com | 706.650.1839
Greenbrier Veterinary Services greenbriervetservices.com | 762.233.2380
Want to suggest a monthly pick?
Hill Top Animal Hospital hilltopevans.com | 706.303.4571
Hammond Hills Animal Hospital 803.279.4090
A Pet's Happy Place
A PEEK INSIDE THE AMENITIES OF PAWS IN PARADISE LUXURY RESORT & SPA
ARTICLE BY MICHELLE W. PARNELL
Each play yard is equipped with a camera, providing parents viewing access through the website.
Paws in Paradise Luxury Resort & Spa provides a fun, safe, and comfortable environment for pets to visit when they need to be away from home. This month, we take a virtual tour of the resort and spa to provide a peek into what pets experience each visit.
PLAY YARDS
Play groups made up of 5 to 10 dogs rotate through the yards and enjoy playing while being monitored by attendants. With multiple sectioned off play yards in the same area, dogs can see other play groups but not fully interact with them. Each play yard is equipped with a camera, providing parents viewing access through the website.
CANINE LODGING
Overnight boarders enjoy individual rooms with glass doors so that they can see activity in the main area but remain undisturbed. Accommodation choices include bungalow, villa, and suite sizes. Each room has a flat screen tv, a live video feed which parents can access through the website with a passcode, and a bed that feels like home. Boarders are integrated into play groups during the day.
PURR PARADISE
Created with cats in mind, these fourlevel condos are in a separate area from
dogs and provide plenty of room for cats to play and rest even while away from home. Cats enjoy one-on-one interaction with attendants and parents are encouraged to bring favorite toys from home.
GROOMING SALON
With bathers and groomers on-site 7 days a week, boarders and daycare guests alike can return home freshly bathed, groomed, and pampered. Pets enjoy the luxury spa treatment as the salon only uses high quality shampoos to ensure soft fur and offers extras such as blueberry facials, which is popular with both pets and parents.
TRAINING BUILDING
The recently opened training center offers basic obedience training to both board-and-train pets as well as in-home sessions. The trainer also works with pets on specific areas of concern such as reactive behavior, dealing with fear, and the tendency to guard food or toys.
Paws in Paradise Luxury Resort & Spa is located at 4319 Evans to Locks Road. For more information or to book services for a pet, visit www.pawsinparadiseresort. com or call 706-750-9042.
PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS
PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS
PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS PAWS
Check out The Little Gym of Evans and how they upgrade child play through gymnastics
Tiny Acrobats: The Magic of the Little Gym
ARTICLE BY DARIA TERRY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIELLE FRANKLIN PHOTOGRAPHY
Though the summer is coming to an end, your kids are still going to need some fun and productive after-school activities to engage in, and that is what The Little Gym is here for!
The Little Gym is the world’s premier enrichment and physical development center for kids 4 months through 12 years. And for over forty years, The Little Gym has helped millions of kids experience the excitement of achievement, new skills, and new confidence through a variety of gymnastics-based programs. Parent/ Child, Pre-K, and Grade School classes are all taught in a clean, fun, safe and nurturing environment, encouraging children to develop at their own pace, and there are age-appropriate development milestones associated with each age group.
Christina Ballard, owner of The Little Gym of Evans, wanted to build upon and influence the community she lived in. She was a special education teacher in Columbia County for seven years, and then she and her husband decided to make the jump into entrepreneurship. Christina first became aware of The Little Gym franchise eleven years ago when she took her oldest son, William, to The Little Gym of Fayetteville. She recognized the extraordinary community of people and felt how safe it was for her child to explore, fall, and learn. “When I look back on the time I spent with my son in the gym, I smile,” says Christina. It was like fate when, on their way to Florida for vacation, Christina’s family passed another Little Gym. That led to a phone call and then, eventually, a plan to bring it to Evans. The Little Gym is a great community business that brings a great experience to the youngest children in our area.
The Little Gym uses basic gymnastics skills to help kids become “Whatever Ready”. This means that the skills they learn can be applied to any life adventure.
The Little Gym uses basic gymnastics skills to help kids become “Whatever Ready”. This means that the skills they learn can be applied to any life adventure. They host regular classes, camps, and parties, but to get the kid’s extra excited, some of the parties are themed based off of popular children’s books such as Llama Llama and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It’s a membership-based program, and each week’s lesson builds on the ones before, accomplishing more complicated skills as you go. For Christina, “it’s amazing to see kids as young as nineteen months learning the structure and rules of the gym because of the repetition.” Even the youngest kids will learn routine and new skills.
If you become a member, you will be able to witness the pure joy, confidence, and independence radiating from each child.
Kids will not only enjoy themselves fully, but they will take the fun home with them! You may even hear a new clean up song ringing through the halls of your own home. Kids are greatly and easily influenced, and according to Christina, “we are the first introduction to a teacher for many of them [the kids], so it is important that they always feel support within The Little Gym.”
This fall, The Little Gym will be introducing a new program called WonderKids. It will run Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 1pm. It is a school prep program to help kids become “Whatever Ready” for school. For more information, visit www.thelittlegym.com/ georgia-evans or call (706) 417-8350. Furthermore, follow The Little Gym at @tlgevansga on Instagram or The Little Gym (Evans) on Facebook.
LEARN ABOUT TWO LOCAL KIDS WITH AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY BAILEY HALL
Kid Entrepreneurs
MAGNASIA’S REDEMPTION
Meet Bailey, a 14-year-old homeschooler with an entrepreneurial spirit! Starting with lemonade and ice cream stands, Bailey evolved into making and selling soaps, and face painting at the Arts in Hearts Young Entrepreneur Market. Bailey’s latest venture was publishing her first book, Magnasia’s Redemption , this past May. The story follows Amirah, a tween grappling with melancholy after moving overseas, who meets a 104-year-old witch, Lucille. Together, they must save Lucille’s world and get Amirah home. Beyond her book, Bailey runs a monthly book club, enjoys fencing, musical theater, and playing the ukulele. Magnasia’s Redemption is available at Tenpenny’s in North Augusta, MariBeth Books in Thomson, and on Amazon.
LACY’S CREATIONS
Lacy is the artistic mind behind Lacy’s Creations! This young entrepreneur crafts beaded pens, keychains, lanyards, cheese spreaders, and more. Inspired by the popularity of her handmade items among family and friends, Lacy turned her passion into a business. She loves making matching items and delights in custom design orders, saying, “It’s fun to make people happy.” Outside of crafting, Lacy enjoys riding horses, theater, playing the piano, and cooking.
To explore her wide range of item, visit her Facebook page, Lacy’s Creations.
GOING GREEN
ARTICLE BY NICOLETTE MARTIN
We’re saying goodbye to plastic wrap, Ziploc bags and aluminum foil, and hello to reusable wax food wraps you can wrap around anything your hungry (or full) heart desires.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN REUSABLE WAX FOOD WRAPS IN 4 EASY STEPS
SUPPLIES:
• Beeswax beads
• Fabric
• Pinking shears
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
INSTRUCTIONS:
01. PREHEAT your oven to its lowest setting.
02. CUT FABRIC into desired shapes. Using pinking shears so the fabric doesn’t fray, you can cut your fabric into any shape or size you’d like. Consider what size or shape of food you store the most and use that as a guide.
03. PREP + MELT. Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cut fabric on top. Sprinkle with beeswax beads and place in the oven to allow beeswax to melt for 5-10 minutes.
04. KEEP IT COOL. Remove fabric from baking sheet (careful, it’s hot!) and allow wax to harden and cool.
FOR REUSE, wash in cool water (you don’t want the wax to melt!) with mild dish soap and let air dry.
Tutorial adapted from ApartmentTherapy.com.
events
AUGUST 7TH & 21ST
Music Bingo at Rally Point Grille
Rally Point Grille
Dr. Factenstein’s Trivia will be playing four games of music bingo at Rally Point Grille on the first and third Wednesday! Sing along to your favorite songs as you use your phone, your friends, or your server for help figuring out the songs you don’t know! If luck is on your side, you’ll win some great prizes! Starts at 7pm.
AUGUST 10TH
Augusta Beerfest
The Bell Auditorium
Hosting over 100 beers from some of the best breweries in the country, Augusta Beerfest No. 10 will take place on Saturday, August 10, 2024 at the Bell Auditorium from 3pm to 6pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit AugustaEntertainmentComplex.com
AUGUST 17TH
COLOR Run 5K
Barton Field Softball Complex
The Color Run 5K is an event designed for people of all ages and athletic abilities. Runners and walkers alike are welcome to join in for a morning filled with COLOR and music. For more information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/MWRColorRun.
