Henry County, a County of Growth.

Henry County has grown and developed so much in the past 5- 10 years. It is a beautiful county with lots of diversity of people, interests, shops, restaurants, stores, activities, etc. Having been in Henry County my entire life, it has been very different to research it like I have never been here. But I have found so many great tools online and in person because of it! For instance, Henry County has a tourist website, including any information you might need consisting of weddings, small town shops, large retail stores, exciting and unique attractions or options for life events.  At the Henry County Tourist Website, you can find anything you want to and it makes you feel so at home with all of the details at your fingertips.

One of the things you are wanting to focus on this month is shopping. I briefly listed some of the local shopping areas in Shop until you Drop in Henry County. But I did not go through the shops like the Tourist website does along with the South Point shopping center off of Highway 20.

South Point retail also gives us a yearly growth slideshow to exhibit how much Henry County is grown! It is incredible! And all of this has been created and sustained by our loyal Henry County Family supporting the stores and our economy. Please do the same! Test out all of our shops this Christmas and holiday season to support your future home and Move to Henry County, Ga.

Shop until you Drop in Henry County, Ga

Henry County as been developing so much in the past 5-10 years. So many new places to shop and eat have been brought in and been bringing in more people into Henry County which has greatly grown the economy here. That is so great for us in this upcoming holiday season. This means we do not have to travel as far (or at all with the help of the internet) in order to do our holiday shopping. Now that in the past 3 years Thanksgiving has been taken over by Black Friday and early shoppers, Black Friday “pre-shopping” has begun too. Some stores have found a way to give out tickets to open the store during off hours to have a select number of shoppers in while no one else is there and to have the same deals on the current merchandise. Many deals and sales are already occurring to help stores be able to sell more, keep inventory in, and lessen the Black Friday Craze. We all know that the Kohls, JcPenny, Academy, Hobby Lobby shopping mall, as well as Tanger Outlet, and the Target shopping area off of exit 221 will be hit hard by people from all over the Metro Atlanta area. So why shouldn’t we be wise pre-shoppers too? Some of us just enjoy pushing through the crowds for a good deal, its the experience that drives us, and for others they simply want the deal and not the chaos. Either way, there is one place we can go and see all the deals, current, upcoming, online, and in store. That place is www.theblackfriday.com. They have listed any store you can think of to have a Black Friday sale and pages upon pages of deals. You can get alerts and newsletters on the new items being offered and you can go ahead and order some items once you create a login. It is finally all in one place. You can successfully plan where you need to be when before Thanksgiving so you can enjoy the day with your family before everyone starts to get in line for the 6 PM and Midnight sales begin.  You will already have a plan. You can divide, conquer, and buy.

Shop until you Drop. Make Henry County, Ga your home, for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Your Child’s Educational Move

As a parent, moving your child into a new school district, new school, and new classroom is one of the most difficult things to do. You are pulling your child out of their familiar surroundings and into a scary, uncharted territory and you have no idea how this will impact them. This is why it is so important to know where your options for your child’s school system and there are plenty of resources to allow you to get to know the school system and what opportunities your child has in this wonderful new place! As we are based in Henry County and are Making Henry our Home I will take you on a tour through Henry County Schools web page by highlighting a few major features I see on the first web page followed by some needed to know information and helpful links to save you time and research.

On the Henry County Schools Homepage, the first item I see to date is a forum for Stopping Human Trafficking. This is such a large issue and for Henry County Schools to not only keep aware of the issue, but bring it to light for you as parents in the community and to create a public awareness. For a school district to show such compassion on a heartbreaking issue speaks volumes and concern for your children. The second item I see is the school calendar for the current year and even the 2016-2017 school year that has been approved. This shows organization, planning, and consideration for the county’s faculty and staff, as well as the parents and students. The third item viewed are the school session times for elementary, middle, and high school students which is excellent for you to know so you can be aware of transportation needs: if you need your children to take the bus, what times your children need to be taken to school, or to plan a carpool system with family or neighbors. The Homepage also lists so much needed to know information such as if there are dates coming up that you child does not have school and highlighting education professionals that deserve an acknowledgement for their hard work and compassion for their students.

In the upper left hand corner of the Henry County School Homepage is a scroll down menu that allows you to look at any school in the county and see what is going on at the school and any personalized information you might be looking for in order to make a better decision about selecting a home in a specific school zone.

On the column of links in the right hand section of the homepage are many links to make your research easier, even including how to enroll, enrollment zones, after school information, lunch information, etc. The website is so user friendly and allows busy parents such as yourself to save time and easily access what information you need.

There is also a map available to show you what school is located where in Henry county and  how close they are to other schools (Is the elementary, middle, and high right next to each other or will they be far apart if you have multiple children throughout grade levels?). I have provided the link to this in the list of links below.

I hope this post helped break down Henry County Schools for you, that you would make a great decision for your children for their education, and that you receive a great experience in Making Henry your Home as we have with Susan Carroll at BHHS Georgia.

Here are the links that I discussed:

Stop Human Trafficking- A Public Forum

2016-2017 School Calendar

Henry County Schools Map

Henry County Schools Homepage

Happy November!

Happy November, everyone!  Summer is officially over and Fall is in full bloom. The trees are changing color and school is in session. For some, this is a time to take a breath and work a little personal time into your schedule. For others, any personal time you might have had has been overcome with juggling the extra-curricular activities of students with your already busy work schedule.  Studies indicate that taking a few minutes each week to work out or review a schedule can help reduce stress.  They also indicate that you should write down or block out some personal time on your calendar each week and then actually take the time for yourself. You need to consider your time as a priority! Some people think they will find a little time for themselves and at the end of the week they are exhausted and realize they have done nothing for themselves. Every moment of the week was spent taking care of everyone else’s business or doing the chores that keep a household running (shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands, etc.)  If you don’t block the time on your calendar for yourself, other things will fill it!  Remember that you and your health is a priority too and just do it! Read a little, soak in the tub a little, and watch your favorite TV show, or do something creative with your time.

This month is also marked by a major U.S. Holiday – Thanksgiving! It is traditionally a time for gathering with family and enjoying a meal in a warm, cozy and inviting atmosphere. It is a time to give thanks for this wonderful country we live in and celebrate the end of Summer and the bountiful harvests that we have reaped. It is normally marked by a meal, football, parades and shopping.

At this time, I would ask that you set aside a little extra for those who are not as fortunate as yourself. If you are really interested in helping, consider volunteering at a homeless shelter for a day, a soup kitchen or even a nursing home. Just be friendly and take a little time to listen to them – many are starved for companionship and a little human kindness more than they are hungry.  If that level of involvement makes you uncomfortable, but you still want to do something to help, most grocery stores start donation bins that allow customers to buy an extra can or two of food or something else of value an drop it in. Make it a point to drop something in the bin every time you shop or at least twice a month. Local radio stations may be collecting donations as well. Be thankful that you can help!

I just wanted to tell all my family; friends; current and former colleagues; current, former and future clients; and anyone else reading this blog – Happy Thanksgiving. I wish you all the most wonderful of experiences, good health, and a sense of wellbeing and joy!

Making Henry our Home

Henry County is a beautiful, economically thriving, community oriented place that is centered around its residents. It is less than 40 miles south of Atlanta and the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, giving it a good foundation of public transportation availability, nice restaurants, inside and outside shopping malls, and plenty of entertainment venues. The homes here are beautiful and the community is close-knit, having fall festivals, Christmas light events, running events, festivals, parades, concerts, holiday services etc. hosted at the Atlanta Motor Speedway just out of the historical small city of Hampton and on the McDonough Square throughout the year. Henry County even contains Lake Spivey; a beautifully scenic lake community. Being apart of the old Confederacy, Georgia including Henry county has many historical sites including Nash Farm, the The original 1830’s Courthouse, 1920’s Welcome Center, renovated Old Jail, and many historic houses and properties that reflect our part in the Civil War.

Having a diverse culture and collection of people from all generations, Henry County has the genuine ability to make anyone feel welcome at any time. The different gatherings and attractions make it easy to get involved in the community and allow so many different ways to help those in need. There are always food drives going on, turkey donations, Christmas shoe boxes, feeding the homeless, celebrating Veterans, etc. that drive the community together and create something for everyone to do and enjoy.

Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to experience all that Henry County has to offer! Come join us in Making Henry our Home! If you already live here, appreciate it more and get more involved, if you do not live here, research our beloved county, and come visit or even better move here!