Salon Welcomes New Stylists There are some new faces at the All Me Salon on Kingsway Rd. in Brandon. Talented hair professionals Master Stylist Martie Webb, Advanced Stylist Rachel Weaver, Melissa Haynes and Joe Caglianone who has 30 years of experience, all recently joined the team at the upscale north Brandon salon. All Me Salon is located at 1263 Kingsway Rd. and can be reached at 651-1213. Hours are Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
TechPlayzone Plans Night Out Every third weekend TechPlayzone invites young people to participate in Parents’ Night Out from 6:30-11 p.m. Leaving parents with an evening off, young people are able to enjoy TechPlayzone’s computers, movie making, electronic kits and more. During the month of December, there will be two weekends of Parents’ Night Out so that parents may take advantage of additional time for holiday shopping, cooking and gift wrapping. During Parents’ Night Out, TechPlayzone staff orders pizza and provides drinks and popcorn. The cost is $30 per child per night, plus $15 for each sibling. TechPlayzone is a science and technology center conveniently located near Riverview, Valrico, Lithia and Brandon communities. TechPlayzone is pleased to announce that it is a finalist for 2008 Brandon Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award. Parents can find out more about TechPlayzone’s Parents’ Night Out, tech camps, after school programs and birthday parties by calling 684-7329 or visit techplayzone.com/techplay.
Rolling Pin Manager Recognized Kelly Bock, operations manager at Brandon’s Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, was recently featured in Gourmet News magazine. Bock started with the company in 1997 as a sales associate and works closely with owners Dave and Karen West. When asked by the magazine the most valuable lesson she has learned, Bock responded, “Never give up on an idea too quickly because the retail business is so unpredictable. In the past, we have been quick to jump to a conclusion about a promotion or an idea we had for the store before we really let it run its course.” The Rolling Pin features a 1,000 sq. ft. culinary center and approximately 3,000 sq. ft. of gourmet retail space, including a demonstration center, a coffee center and a cookbook library. For more information, call the store, located at 2080 Badlands Dr., at 685-3460.
Bug Busters Do It Yourself Pest Control Do you have a problem with roaches or spiders? Bug Busters Do It Yourself Pest Control stocks all the products pest control companies use to control pests from ants to termites, but it allows the customers to save money by servicing their homes themselves. In addition, Bug Busters, which opened in 1993, offers yard products that control sod for web worms, earwigs, chinch bugs, moles, crickets, fleas, ticks and all fire ants for six months at a time. With three family-owned stores, Bug Busters is open Monday– Friday, 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m. The Brandon store is located at 528 E. Brandon Blvd. and can be reached at 651-4477.
Chiropractor Hosts Block Party World Chiropractic, A Maximized Living Health Center, is hosting a Community Health and Wellness block party from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, November 8, at 920 W. Lumsden Rd. All Brandon and surrounding area residents will enjoy free health screenings, massages, kids’ fingerprint cards with McGruff the Crime Dog, the sheriff’s office, the fire department, free food and drinks, area business displays and much more. For more information, call 413-8465.
Lil’ Swimmer Aquatics Offers Swim Lessons Although summer has come to an end, it is never too late to teach your little one to swim. New business Lil’ Swimmer Aquatics teaches children from about 8 months, or as soon as they can crawl, to 5 years survival swimming skills based on the proven PediaSwim methodology in the Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Riverview and Brandon areas. “One of the unique aspects of this business is that I can actually go to the family’s home pool to teach their children to swim,” says Owner and Apollo Beach resident Korey Nielson, a graduate of the PediaSwim Academy. “All of our lessons are one-on-one with the child, so we can individualize the lesson and gear the lessons toward the child’s learning style.” Nielson is a member of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA), holds a bachelors of science degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Utah, is a certified personal trainer and is also certified through the American Red Cross for adult, child/infant CPR, adult, child/infant AED and First Aid. For more information, call 777-3373 or visit www.lilswimmer.net
Board Certified Neurosurgeon Joins Hospital Staff “We are excited to have board certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Philip Henkin, join Brandon Regional Hospital, to complement the existing neurosurgeons already on our medical staff,” announced Mike Fencel, CEO. “Dr. Henkin’s specialty is computer navigation-assisted cranial and spinal surgery, which is less invasive to the patient. We are in the process of constructing a BrainLab for Dr. Henkin and others to perform these high-tech procedures with state-of-the-art equipment.” Brandon Regional is located at 119 Oakfield Dr. and can be reached at 681-5551 or www.BrandonRegionalHospital.com.
Sprouts Open on Lithia Pinecrest Good news for parents and children throughout the Valrico area. Sprouts, a play, music and art facility, opened recently on Lithia Pinecrest Rd., just south of the intersection with Lumsden Rd. Sprouts, which opened in the area five years ago, encountered many obstacles while attempting to move into its own freestanding building which kept the business closed for just over a year. “Sprouts is back and stronger than ever,” says Rene Vojnovic, owner and operator. “The new building is designed specifically for the children.” According to Vojnovic, the little white cottage has wall murals throughout, thanks to the work of local mural artist, Ann Migowski and is designed for safe play. Classes are offered for children from 9 months to 5 years with parent/child Play-Music, colorful, soft play equipment and mats for structured, fun, kid-friendly classes and art classes in a custom made room with easels displaying the work of world famous artists. In addition to the Mommy and Me, Play-Music and art programs, Vojnovic obtained child care licensing, allowing Sprouts to offer a new Moms Morning Out each Monday. Children 3-5 years can spend the morning at Sprouts without a parent or caregiver and enjoy music, snacks and art. Sprouts classes are already underway. Visit www.sprouts kids.com for information including schedules, fees and to register for a free trial Play-Music or art class or contact Vojnovic at 653-2233 or 393-9084.
Chamber Hosts Business Seminar The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is hosting a seminar this month to help members find balance in their lives during these tough economic times. “Life Balance” is presented by Black Diamond Associates and will be held on October 28, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Chamber’s TECO Energy Board Room. The cost, which includes lunch, is $18 for members, $12 for Elite members, no charge for Platinum Elite members and $30 for prospective members. The following topics will be addressed in this seminar: Life balance truths, balance quadrants, formula for success and closing the balance gap. To register for this Biz Ed 101 Session, contact Amy at 689-1221 or via email at abelliveau@brandonchamber.com. Space is limited. Biz Ed 101 is a professional development program of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, sponsored by Sunshine State Federal Savings & Loan Association.
Dog Groomer Comes to You Does your dog get stressed out at the thought of a trip to the groomer? Then let the groomer come to you! Valrico resident Joy Simms, owner of Pampered Paws Mobile Dog Grooming, serves Brandon area dogs with services including baths, haircuts, ear cleaning and nail trimming. “Each dog is cared for one at a time, so that your pet does not sit in a cage for six to eight hours until we get around to them,” says Simms, who started her business at the age of 21. “Being in a loud, strange environment for several hours is very stressful for dogs. Our service is far less stressful. The best benefit is that you don’t have to take two trips to the groomer nor have to deal with the hassle of loading and unloading your pet.” For more information, call 562-PAWS(7297).
