Last Day to Vote - Please Help!!!

Today is the last day to vote for the Best of Denton County 2013 Awards. I wanted to share some of the nominees that are dear to my heart and if you have a moment, it would mean a lot to me if you voted for them. You don't have to register and you don't even receive a confirmation email, so your email is not recorded or kept. It seriously only takes a couple of clicks to vote.

I am very excited that Family eGuide is nominated in three categories, because they ROCK. They provide so many resources for parents that I personally have relied on for years. They offer coupons (including Legoland and Sealife), kid friendly recipes, calendar activities, parenting tips and tricks, things to do for free, and so much more!

***Please vote for them for Best Publication, Best Publication Neighborhood, & Best Online Publication.

Jenny Froh donates her time to capture the best portraits of cats and dogs for several local rescue groups. Please take a moment to vote for her in the Best Pet Photography category!

Here are some of my other favorites. If you could please take a second to vote for them too:

AquaKids: Best Swimming Instruction
Art House Studio: Best Art Studio
Best Gymnastics:  Best Gymnastics

Each of these businesses has had an impact in my family's life. The winners of each of these categories receives free advertising and the honor of being voted the best! Thank you so much for taking a moment to help out local small businesses!

Support Small Businesses Series - Best Gymnastics

Madison started taking gymnastics classes at Best Gymnastics when it first opened in Flower Mound, TX over two years ago. Best Gymnastics is an exceptional business because of the values the business was built upon and the amazing staff that carry out the vision of Best Gymnastics every day.

In Madison's first class, I noticed that she was being taught gymnastics like I had never seen it taught before. She was 3, and she was taught how do skills from beginning to finish. The coaches weren't just 'going through the motions' they actually cared that she learned how to do things the right way! She was really learning gymnastics while having fun. And she LOVED it! As she has progressed throughout the years, the quality of instruction has been extraordinary regardless of her level or coach. I have never experienced that with any other activity she has been involved in.

What do I love most about Best Gymnastics? There are many things, but the main reason is the feeling of being treated like family. The coaches are all very close and would do anything to help each other out. This extends on to their classes...they care about the kids as if they are their family too. All of the coaches want the very best for the kids in their classes and teach them correct gymnastics, exhibit an amazing amount of patience, are very encouraging, and work with them every week to help them master different skills. They go out of their way to give their all to every class they teach, every day. They are not there for 'just a paycheck', but because they love what they do and they want to make a difference in every child's life. That is why Madison takes classes three days a week and has gained such a sense of accomplishment and a high self-esteem. I am impressed with their emphasis on safety because they are very well organized and follow safety rules and have an age appropriate learning progression so my child is safe while learning gymnastics. I know that Best Gymnastics has the cleanest gym in Texas. That also shows how much they care. Best Gymnastics is also very fair to me as a customer and they don't charge 'member' fees for events or annually, or try to lock me into a contract. They don't have to. Best Gymnastics is a business with integrity.

If you love Best Gymnastics, please vote for them to be nominated for the Best of Denton County 2013 award HERE. Just choose Sports & Fitness, Gymnastics and fill in Best Gymnastics as the Nominee. You don't have to register and it only takes a moment.

If you would like to try Best Gymnastics, they offer a free trial class. They also have AWESOME  activities for kids and if you are interested in signing up for one of their camps, FamilyeGuide has a coupon HERE!

You can also check them out on Facebook!

Support Small Businesses Series - AquaKids

AquaKids is the BEST and ONLY swimming school in the area to take swimming lessons! We have only gone to their Flower Mound location, but they also have another location in Keller. My daughter, Madison, can't wait to go to each lesson and doesn't want to leave when her lesson is over. Also the pool is warm, so she doesn't have to take time to 'get used to it'. She just jumps right in!

I love AquaKids because I can trust all of their instructors. AquaKids has a great employee selection process which is very important to to me.

Madison has learned SO much more with the AquaSteps program.at AquaKids than she has with any other swimming instruction. The amount of skills and how quickly she learns while having fun is just amazing! I can say without any hesitation that the amount of skills Madison has learned is worth far more than the amount tuition we have paid for them! I am so glad we decided to give AquaKids a try last year!

The instructors at AquaKids are awesome and have instilled the love of swimming in Madison. Ms. Mackenzie was so encouraging and fun while she challenged Madison during lessons, now Madison wants to work her way up to be on their swim team!

If you love AquaKids, please vote for them to be nominated for the Best of Denton County 2013 award HERE. Just choose Sports & Fitness, Swimming Instruction (at the end of the drop down list) and fill in AquaKids as the Nominee. You don't have to register and it only takes a moment.

If you've never tried AquaKids, coupons can be found for them on FamilyeGuide and Flower Mound Family!

They also have an awesome special going on right now:

Check out the list of my favorite small businesses in the area HERE.

Next up is Best Gymnastics!

Support Small Businesses Series - ART house

My daughter LOVES taking art lessons at the ART house. She has the opportunity to learn many different art techniques and types of art, refine her fine motor skills and learn some art history too! The classes at the ART house allow her to express her creativity, which is very important for her development. She is beaming with pride when she brings home her artwork every week. I like the small class size and personalized attention she receives. Not only are the classes here fun, but she learned so much that she received an E (Exceeds expectations) on her report card in Art class for school!

ART house has two locations, one in Flower Mound and one in Southlake. If you love ART house then please nominate them for the Best of Denton County 2013 award! If you would like to try a class or camp at the Flower Mound location, Flower Mound Family offers a coupon HERE!

Why Small Businesses Are the Best!

Small business owners have a special place in my heart. In my opinion, not only do they give better service, they are the heart of what the American Dream stands for. My grandpa owned his own business for his entire life and was happy and successful. He left a legacy that will be handed down from generation to generation. Work hard-play hard. I truly believe in supporting small business owners that work so hard, day in and day out so that they can provide us with a quality like no other. Franchises loose the 'heart and soul' of quality and the 'hometown' feel.

Here are the small local DFW business in alphabetical order that I am going to write posts on that I believe are exceptional. If you have the opportunity to nominate any of these for the Best of Denton County Award 2013, thank you in advance! You don't have to register and it only takes a moment. Right now with the economy, it is more important than ever to support them! If they are nominated and win they are given free advertising and a prestigious title. This means a great deal to each of them. This is an easy way to give back to your community and make a difference! I am not affiliated with any of these businesses or paid for these posts. All opinions are my own. If you are not familiar with any of the businesses below, please take a moment and check them out.

Art House

AquaKids

Best Gymnastics

Cross Timbers Animal Medical Center

Enzo's NY Pizzeria

FamilyeGuide

Studio B Theater