🌴 TAX FREE Weekend is Here!

Hi there, Palmetto Parent!

Happy August! The final days of summer are officially here.

For those of you with school aged kids, we’re officially in the “back to school” segment of the summer with school supplies shopping, back to school bashes, and finishing off those summer bucket lists. We’ll be giving you all the info you need about upcoming back to school events over the next couple weeks so you can get your kids excited and ready for the 2024-25 school year and celebrate the last days of summer.

Coming up this weekend: SC TAX FREE WEEKEND! Many items like clothing, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, and computers are tax free from August 2nd-4th. Click here to see more specifics about what items are tax free.

If you want to get a kick start on back to school prep and take advantage of tax free deals, Tanger Outlets is hosting a Back to School Bash this Friday, August 2nd from 5-7pm. At this free event there will be face painting, caricature drawing, fairy sparkle hair, friendship bracelets, train rides, bounce castles, food trucks, and music. For kids who purchase a backpack at Tanger between 7/26-8/2, they will get to decorate their bag with patches during the event!

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For moms of littles, Tweedle Beetle (an adorable local boutique for kids clothing and toys in Nexton Square) is having their own small back to school event to take advantage of tax free weekend. Join them this Friday at 10:15am for kids to make back to school banners.

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To Do: Get Artsy at PepperJack Pottery

PepperJack Pottery is a local gem for anyone who loves letting their creative juices flow. At PepperJack Pottery, you choose a pottery piece and paint it how you want. You choose from plates, mugs, vases, home decor items, etc. They have over 350 options, so there is something for everyone. The staff is there to help you along the way with a variety of painting tools and all the colors you can imagine.

Once you finish painting, you leave it with them to fire your piece and pick it up within 10 days. They are open for walk-ins every day during business hours (up until an hour before close).

PepperJack hosts a variety of special themed events each month. In the past we’ve featured their special events like Nintendo and Shrek night. Over the summer they hosted Toddler Times and Paint with a Princess which were a huge hit. Their upcoming The Hungry Caterpillar toddler time and Paint with a Princess are unfortunately sold out, but you can join the waitlist.

There is still an opportunity to book a spot for their Taylor Swift night on August 23rd/24th for any Swifties out there. Taylor Swift Night includes decorations, refreshments, and special Swift themed pottery. Be sure to keep checking their calendar for an event your family would enjoy!

Their hours are:

• 11am-7pm Sunday-Thursday

• 11am-8pm on Friday

• 10am-8pm on Saturday

They are located at 622 Old Trolley Rd Ste 134 in Summerville.

An Event: Meet Moana and Enjoy A Treat

This Saturday, Twisted Sugar is partnering with Glass Slipper Productions to host a meet & greet event with Moana from 1-2pm. This is a great time for your child to meet Moana and share a special treat. They will have themed cookies and drinks to celebrate.

Twisted Sugar is a local shop that features gourmet cookies and sodas. They have year round cookies on their menu, like their banana cream cookie, sugardoodle cookie, and classic chocolate chip cookie. They also feature monthly specials.

For August, their specials are the birthday cake cookie and peanut butter & jelly cookie. You can also order from their wide menu of sodas and even create your own flavors.

Twisted Sugar is located at 1907 Varner St. Suite B-5 in Summerville.

Restaurant: Date Hacks for Halls Chophouse

If you want upscale date night vibes with a lower price tag, consider going to Halls in Nexton and sitting at the bar. The bar has a special food menu that features a burger, hot dog, and even a martini glass filled with mashed potatoes and filet mignon. At the bar you can order from the small menu or their full menu.

We went this last week and got some club sodas, seafood topped fried green tomatoes (shown below) and salads (hot take: their beet salad is one of the best salads in the world). The cherry on top was that we were gifted a large piece of chocolate cake to celebrate the fact that we got out on a date even with a 3 month old. We really enjoyed the live music and it made our date night out feel special and fancy while staying local.

If you want to experience Halls as a family, their enclosed patio is a great option. They serve lunch, dinner, and brunch from 10-3 on Sundays. While we were there, we noticed a family with a young kid and another with a baby enjoying the evening on the patio, so totally family friendly!

Palmetto Piece: Olympian Parents

We’ve been throughly enjoying watching the Olympics this year. I especially enjoyed watching gymnastics as the men’s team secured the bronze after 16 years without getting a medal and the women’s team earned their gold. My absolute favorite part is watching the Olympian’s parents’ reactions when their kids complete a successful routine and stick the landing. Their yelling-at-the-top-of-their-lungs, thumping their chest, beaming smiles and undeniable pride in their child brings tears to my eyes every time. Such joyful content to watch. The video below of Frederick Richard’s parents was one of those soul-filling moments.

@nbcolympics

We are all Frederick Richard’s family. 🙌 #ParisOlympics #gymnastics #usa #parent #reaction

I don’t think I can even hoist myself up on a pommel horse 🤣 , but as a mom I do have skills that I think should win me medals (like completing a successful trip to Publix with a toddler and newborn, for example). Like we wrote last week, celebrate all those things you do well as a parent and know that your skills are incredible.

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