Yes, I know what you’re thinking…another Festival? Baton Rouge is full of them. How does anyone have anytime for work with all of this fun going on? So, get ready for the Baton Rouge FestForAll Festival. Hey, say that five times fast! FestForAll has been a tradition since 1973. The Baton Rouge FestForAll Festival is going to be held on Saturday May 3, 2008 from 10 am-7:30 pm and Sunday May 4 from Noon to 6:30 pm. Come experience the arts first hand. You will be able to purchase line crafts and works of art from over 90 artists! Wow, that’s a lot of art! There will be wonderful pottery, wood work, stained glass, jewelry and much more.   What about entertainment? You know when it comes to entertainment Baton Rouge knows how to bring it. This year they have an awesome line-up including art... 03/29/2008

The first thing people look for when buying a home is the area/location. The next thing buyers look for is the neighborhood. I've heard many horror stories about Home Owners Assocations and Neighbors. These are both somewhat hard to get a feel for without living in the neigborhood yourself. It's not like you can go door to door and meet your neighbors. I mean you can but it's just like dating. People put on their happy faces for at least three months before the claws come out. Of course, you're not going to be dating your neigbhors but you get my point.  Well, guess what? Now there is a website where you can actually find out what kind of neighbors you are going to have. It's called Rotten Neighbors. Brant Walker designed this website after having a falling out with one of his neighbors... 03/29/2008

I’ve been on my own since I was 18. Being 29 (whoa, granny), I have lived is several different places. I can’t think of one place where I had bad neighbors. Now that I think about it, I probably wasn’t the best neighbor. Oh, I was friendly but I loved my music and I loved it loud. What college kid doesn’t, right? I’ve had many a notes on my door asking me to control the volume. At the time, I couldn’t believe someone would fuss about such a thing. Well, now I feel pretty ignorant. You live and you learn right? It’s funny because now I live between two older couples and I think they might be hard of hearing. Where were they when I was twenty? Are you having trouble with your neighbors? Are they blasting the music non-stop? Are they letting their dog go poopy in your yard? Are they consta... 03/29/2008

A year or so ago, I was watching Dr. Phil. It was an episode about hoarders. Do you know what a hoarder is? A hoarder is something that. It was wild all the hoarders that Dr. Phil featured. It was kind of sad. Some of these people had no room to live because all of the things they were holding on to. Would you believe that they even found a dead cat under the couch. “I was wondering where Pixie went to”. Yeah, well ole Pixie was under the couch. So, what about you? Are you living clutter free or are you surrounded by things you don’t know what to do with?   Guilt-Guilt is the number one reasons that a home gets cluttered. Are you afraid to throw away that frame that your Aunt Rosey gave you? You’re going to laugh at this but as a child I kept everything. I even saved a piece of gum that... 03/29/2008

One upon a time in my little world I wanted to go to hair school. As soon as I finished my bachelors I had planned to jump right into cutting hair and making people pretty. I researched a number of schools in Baton Rouge. I also joined a few hair forums on-line that kept me up to date on things and also answered a lot of my questions concerning school and well, hair. Well, I decided against hair school and fell into real estate, which I love. I thought I would share some info about Baton Rouge Cosmetology Schools. Picking a school is a big decision. You have to make sure you find one that fits your needs and one that is right for you.    Aveda Institutes in Baton Rouge: This is the “Big Kahuna” of hair schools. Everyone knows about Aveda. If you know anything about Aveda, you know that ... 03/29/2008

The Sherwood Forest Subdivision is one of Baton Rouge's established subdivisions with most homes being 30-40 years old. The subdivision is located off of Sherwood Forest Blvd. between Old Hammond Hwy. and Florida Blvd.This post provides and analysis of the real estate market in that subdivision. The analysis is based upon data extracted from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors MLS database and encompasses data for detached single family dwellings sold between January 1, 2003 and February 29, 2008 as well as active listings at the time of data extraction.The following chart tracks unit sales in the subdivision. We observe that home sales have slowed to near historic lows for this subdivision.We are just entering the peak selling season so unit sales should increase substantia... 03/29/2008

There are so many reasons I love living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. One of the best reasons is the food. Baton Rouge is full of fabulous foods. Believe me; it’s quite easy to gain a few pounds here because you can’t help put to sop everything up with a biscuit! It would probably take a few days to review and report on every single restaurant Baton Rouge has to offer so I just did a few of my favorites. It was really hard to narrow them down but I will probably do another review down the road. Everyone get your forks ready! On your mark…get set…   1. Albasha Green and Lebanese Food- I can remember in my younger years going to a Greek & Lebanese restaurant with my parents and proclaiming that I hated “lesbian” food. Silly me. It’s funny how it takes a few years for you to acquire certain ... 03/28/2008

It’s time to get involved in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If you have read past blogs, I’m sure you were excited by all the Baton Rouge Clubs & Organizations. The Baton Rouge Clubs & Organizations allow you to group with people that have the same interest as you and more. Well, now it’s time for something a little different. It’s time to give back, Baton Rouge, It’s time to volunteer. It’s easy to fit in volunteering into your busy schedule. Some Baton Rouge volunteer organizations might only ask for one or two hours a week. Volunteering is a great way to help others and a wonderful way to give back. Remember- it’s better to give than to receive.     Arts Council of Baton Rouge- The Arts Council are always looking for volunteers. Volunteer positions include: office assistants, artist recepti... 03/28/2008

I have spent a great amount of time researching all the clubs that Baton Rouge has to offer. I was really taken back by the variety of Baton Rouge Clubs. You are probably wondering, “Aren’t clubs and organizations the same thing?” Well, not really, you see, Baton Rouge Clubs are formed to meet the specific needs of Baton Rouge residents. Take the “Mustanger Club” for example; this club is made up of residents who all have a general interest in mustangs. So, what about organizations? An organization is designed to serve all of the Baton Rouge area. You will have many residents in an organization that have several different interests but they are all members for one purpose. Enough about that, let’s talk about all of the organizations in Baton Rouge. Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. B... 03/27/2008

Who’s ready for a round of beer? Do you like to come home from a hard day at work and pop one open? Do you appreciate different beers and their culture? Well, if you answered yes to any of these, get ready. The Zapp’s International Beer Festival is on its way to the Louisiana State University Rural Life Museum. Come and enjoy a variety of brew while you are entertained by “The Red Stick Ramblers“.The beer fest will be held on March 29 from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. Come sample of two hundred beers, swallow some great jambalaya and even sip on some non-alcoholic beverages. You must be 21 to attend. You also must have a valid id to enter! 03/27/2008

Well, I have to tell you I’m pushing 30. Eeeeck. I can’t believe it. Where have all the years gone? I tell you one thing about pushing 30, *cough my metabolism isn’t like it used to be. Gone are the days I could eat a bag of Oreos and still fit into my skinny jeans. I’m sorry but there is no longer such a thing as skinny jeans anymore. So, in honor of the bag of Oreos and my poor little metabolism, I am dedicating this blog to Baton Rouge Fitness. Baton Rouge Women’s Fitness, that is. You know, we are all looking for that fast fix, that instant gratification. Where is the magic pill? There are numerous diet pills that are available to us. I’m thinking that if any of them worked they wouldn’t keep making more. If there were a magic diet pill, everyone would know about it and everyone wou... 03/26/2008

I can remember as a child enjoying watching my dad fly a kite. I would always get so excited when he said it was "kite" weather. We would load up in the van and head to the store to pick out a kite. This was my favorite part. Of course, I liked the girlie kites. I loved the ones that were loaded with color and had numerous pieces attached. We had so much fun- my dad and I. We use to have a huge field behind the home that I grew up in. I remember being blessed with excitement as we headed out to the field and got ready for "kite" day. Dad would hand me the roll of string and allowed me to walk as far as I could....then I would scream "I'm ready" and up it would go and down it would come. I wasn't the best at flying kites but my dad was. I have so many good memories of that. I went downto... 03/24/2008

I’m so excited to call Baton Rouge, Louisiana home. Baton Rouge continues to amaze me with the wonderful food, fun and entertainment. So, guess what’s happening in April? You guessed it! The Baton Rouge Blues Festival! The best part of this festival besides the blues and the fun is it’s FREE! You can’t beat free! The festival will be held on April 26 from 10 am-10 pm in downtown Baton Rouge. It will be at Repentance Park. Repentance Park is located between the River Center and Old Capital by the fountain. This is festival is going to be filled with excitement and great blues. So, who is playing at the Baton Rouge Blues Festival? 10:15-11:10     The Baton Rouge High School Bulldog Blues Band11:30-12:30 Phil Guy & The Chicago Machine12:45-1:45  Larry Garner2:05-3:05  Marcia Ball3:25-4:45 ... 03/24/2008

Our Lady Of the Lake Foundation is holding their 23rd annual gala and guess who is coming? Yes! It’s Michael Mcdonald! Who is Michael Mcdonald?  He is an American R&B soul singer and songwriter. Remember that awesome group the “Doobie Brothers”? Well, Michael was a part of that famous group. I absolutely love the Doobie Brothers. He has performed and recorded with Steely Dan. Michael has also had several hits as a solo artist. But wait there’s more. As if Michael Mcdonald wasn’t enough to get you up and going to the gala, guess who else is coming? Chef John Folse & Company will be preparing some delicious food. Chef John Folse has had twenty-five years of culinary experience. Folse has received numerous national and international accolades. In November 1999, the Acadiana Chapter of the ... 03/24/2008

Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a great place to get involved. They have so much to offer children and the youth of today. Does your child want to make and meet new friends? Do you want your child to learn how to work with others? Do you think volunteering is a good idea for your child? Baton Rouge, Louisiana offers a variety of different clubs and organizations for your child and teen to join. Also, if you are interested in a club or organization in Baton Rouge, see all the Baton Rouge Clubs that are out there.   Istrouma Area Council Boyscouts of America- The Istrouma Council is divided into districts. Each district has a complete network of volunteers that run cub scouting, boy scouts and venturing programs. The Baton Rouge boyscouting district is the Red Stick district. This serves East a... 03/21/2008

Hello Baton Rouge, Louisiana...it's time to go GREEN! It's time to get eco-friendly. It's time to be sweeter to our environment and to recycle and reuse. If you are like me, you were probably unaware of the little things you can do to make Baton Rouge and even the world a better place to live. It's the little things, you know? Baton Rouge has all sorts of recycling programs that need to be taken advantage of. So, start reading and get informed on how you can make the world and Baton Rouge greener! Baton Rouge Round Up- If you do not have access to the curb side pick-ups then this is for you. If you life in an apartment or have a small business and are unable to take advantage of the curb pick-up, this is something you need to think about. This is a community drop-off. It is the third Sa... 03/21/2008

I had my first child in September of 2006. Wow, all the frequent trips to the bathroom, the backaches, the cravings and the stretch marks…it was all worth it. If I would have known that having a child was so awesome I would have done it years ago. Kids are the best and mine is so precious. God has blessed me with the cutest and sweetest baby ever. Don’t all mother’s think their child is the cutest? If you are new to Baton Rouge and pregnant, or even if you aren’t new to our town… I’ve gotten together some information to make your pregnancy a little smoother. Instead of searching for that perfect photographer or trying to find a doula, I’ve done it all for you. I’ve tried to find all things “maternity” for you. I wish you all the best in your pregnancy!     MATERNITY CLOTHES I remember t... 03/20/2008

    Woodlake at Bluebonnet is tucked away just off Bluebonnet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  This quiet, exclusive community is built around and behind a private lake with fountains and paths.  The home on the right, 10502 Myrtlelake, is one of several on quite cul-de-sacs.  This home sits on approx. and acre lot and sold in 2008 for $455,000.  Sales are rare in this neighborhood.  This home and some others feature pools and large yards for entertaining. This quiet subdivision is located just behind Boutin's Restaurant on Bluebonnet.  Boutin's is known not only for great Cajun food, but also for entertainmnet.  It is a total Cajun Music and Dining Experience. Just down the street to the south of the subdivision entrance, you will find the Bluebonnet Public Library branch with activities fo... 03/19/2008

Last year almost 1.1 million children were home schooled in the United States and the number is growing every year. Are you planning or thinking about home schooling your child in Baton Rouge, Louisiana? Here are a few things to think about before deciding to home school:Personal Sacrifice- Be prepared to have little or no personal time. Parents that home school are with their children 24/7. If you do home school, be sure to set aside time for yourself. Time Commitment- There is a good bit of time that goes into home schooling. It's not about just reading a book for a few hours. There are projects, field trips, lessons to prepare, lessons to grade, music lessons and more. Financial - Home schooling can be very inexpensive. It is usually done with one parent not being in the work force. ... 03/19/2008

Are you looking for a club to join in Baton Rouge, Louisiana? If you are looking to get involved in your community, Baton Rouge has a variety of clubs to join. I was amazed by all the clubs I found. I am sure there are several more! Be sure to check out these Baton Rouge Clubs and get involved! Have fun!Amateur Radio Club- A group formed for people who enjoy the hobby, educational and public service aspects of amateur radio.Amateur Radio Flying Pigs Club- Amateur radio operators specializing in communicating with low power. Archery Club- If you like to hunt and you like archery, this is the club for you!Auburn Tigers Club- This group was formed to provide Auburn Alum, prospective students and family of Auburn University a home where they can find out latest news, meetings and events in ... 03/19/2008