Update, June 28, 2017: The Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue Explorers raised over $1700 in 2 hours!
They presented the monies to the families and were featured in the Palm Beach Post! Read the entire story HERE.
Today, June 19, 2017 the Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue Explorers
will be having a bake sale to support paramedics who died in Jupiter. Help them raise money and receive some tasty, homemade goods in return.
Lahiri Garcia, 51, and Paul Besaw, 36, medical technicians for American Medical Response, died in the crash, which took place at about 3 a.m. outside Colonial Plaza, in Jupiter. The first responder community came together in support of their families for the memorial service.
Now, the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Explorers want to do more.
The official start of summer is right around the corner. Welcome June! It’s Friday and there is so much going on around town.
First up, it’s the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
for all our Palm Beach County Students! As a parent, I’m pretty stoked about this! Maybe even more excited than my kids! LOL! Welcome June! We’re so glad you’re finally here!
Tonight, Friday June 2nd: After being dark in May, for $150,000 in repairs, our beautiful Jupiter Lighthouse will be re-lit! Lighting is expected to be about 8:20 p.m., about 10 minutes after sunset.
Starting today, Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4, hurricane supplies will be tax-free in the state of Florida. This means you will not be charged sales tax for the many items. See the full list HERE.
Sunday, June 4th: Our favorite local Beekeeper, Brooke Linn’s Bees, will have her very own Pop-Up Shop in the West Elm Palm Beach. Swing by between 12PM-4PM to chat with Allison and purchase some locally harvested, (without chemicals or treatments), honey and honey products.
Starting Monday, June 5th: Check out the CANstruction® Exhibit at The Gardens Mall. It’s an international project to benefit and raise awareness for the Palm Beach County Food Bank. Architects, designers, builders and other teams compete to create giant works of sculptural art, made entirely out of non-perishable foods.
Lastly, but certainly not least, today is National Donut Day! Get your donut fix at my fave local donut shop, the Jupiter Donut Factory! You can get a FREE DONUT today as well!!
As always, thanks for reading the blog, friends! I’m planning lots of fun stories and features over the summer. Stay tuned!
Please keep me in mind
if you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home in the Northern Palm Beach County area, I’d LOVE for you to Contact Me! Let me help you have an enjoyable real estate experience! ❤️ Nicole
so I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce you all to a very hardworking, Jupiter Mom! Valerie Herskowitz is the owner of the Chocolate Spectrum in Jupiter Florida. She works very hard to help her son and others, with developmental disabilities, through chocolate. Read the interview below and get to know her and her mission.
Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Valerie Herskowitz and I am the owner and founder of The Chocolate Spectrum in Jupiter Florida, an artisan chocolate company and store. Our mission is to employ and train adults with developmental disabilities. I’ve lived in South Florida my entire life (I will not tell you how many years that is!). I did have a brief two-year time where I lived in Massachusetts, but it was way too cold for a southern girl like myself. I have two children named Hunter and Blake. Hunter, it is a 27-year-old man who lives in Orlando, Florida. He is a behavior analyst and works in the autism field. Blake, is a chocolatier in our business. He is 26 and has severe autism. I also have two amazing step kids name Seth and Daniel. And a terrific little grandson named Samuel. And I’m also blessed with an amazing daughter-in-law name Poom. We don’t have nay pets. Blake, like many other individuals with autism, has allergies to all animals.
When did you start your business?
The Chocolate Spectrum started in 2013. Two forces in the universe came together. First one was the fact that my son Blake had absolutely nothing to do after high school. Although I looked for programs for him for two years before, I came up with nothing. Coincidentally, at the same time, I had gotten involved in pastry arts and chocolate making, as I had semi retired from my speech therapy practice. We started making pastries and chocolates for friends and family but soon the word got out and we developed an online business as well as a business selling at shows. Other young men and women with similar issues that my son had joined us in the kitchen and in the business. Eventually two of them were hired as employees. Then in the middle of 2016, we moved into our own brick and mortar shop in Jupiter Florida.
What are the major influences for your business? What made you choose chocolate?
As we are a social enterprise and the major influence of our business is our mission, which is to train individuals with autism. We do serve the rest of the community as we have training and classes for everyone as well as the opportunity for people to have parties at our shop. I picked chocolate, as I mentioned before, because it was just a coincidence and Blake seem to really enjoy working with it.
What do you find most challenging about running your own business?
This business presents many challenges, especially for an individual like myself who is older. Also I have many other responsibilities in my life such as teaching at the University, taking care of my father, and of course taking care of Blake. Therefore the biggest challenge I have is time, which I absolutely do not have enough of!
What is the most rewarding thing about running your company?
There are many rewarding factors about this business first of all, most importantly, my son, Blake, has a job six days a week. Without this business, he would be sitting at home watching TV. But it is also just as rewarding to be able to offer the same opportunities in the form of paid employment to the other individuals that work here as well as recreational activities for many others who have autism and other related developmental disabilities.
Can you share a little bit with us about your involvement with Autism Community?
I have and continue to be extremely involved in the autism community. In 1999 My husband and I started a nonprofit called National Autism Registry. Through the years, we have offered many community activities for individuals with autism as well as for the family. My business itself is a community activity. I do not take a salary or any form of compensation and therefore it is also part of my community involvement.
What do you like to do on your days off?
I seriously do not have any days off yet, as this is a seven day a week business. If I do have a couple of hours on the weekend. I hope to share it with my family and to take care of my father who is quite elderly. I do hope as the years go on that I will get some time off, LOL.
What living person, other than family members, do you most admire?
I have two groups of individuals that I admire the first one is the D’Eri Family at Rising Tide Carwash down in Broward County. They are the individuals that started the ball rolling on employment options for adults with autism and they have been amazing mentors toward me. In addition, my dear friend Bonnie Schmidt, The founder of ScentsAbility Candles is also someone I admire greatly. She is doing a similar venture with candles also down in Broward.
Thank you for sharing your story and your images, Valerie!
As always, thanks for reading the blog, friends! Please shop locally for Mother’s Day this year!
Don’t forget,
if you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home in the Northern Palm Beach County area, I’d LOVE for you to Contact Me! Let me help you have an enjoyable real estate experience! ❤️ Nicole
you have most likely seen my next guest featured in a number of local publications or at local events! She’s a very busy young woman, making the world a more colorful place, one painting at a time! I’m really excited about the opportunity to interview this super talented local! So, without further adieu, Meet Local Artist Sarah LaPierre!
Tell us about yourself:
Sarah LaPierre, born in Palm Beach Gardens FL circa 1991. Full time resident of South Florida, made a huge move all the way over to West Palm Beach a few years ago. I live there with my partner Michael, our 2 adorable ex-alley cats Dredd and Ditto, and our sweet American pit bull terrier Dex. Dex might possibly think he’s a cat too!
When did you start painting and was it always with a knife?
I’ve been creating in someway or another from early childhood. Since my dad was an artist, and his studio was in our home, the materials were always around. Creativity was very much encouraged.
I didn’t begin painting regularly till I was 18. At that time it was more experimental, exploring brush work across all sorts of genre with different textures and mediums.
Major influences:
My connection to my dad and his work remains the strongest influence in my own. I consider my style the next generation of his. In that, it’s a combination of both history and future, with techniques learned from pop as well as new methods discovered along the journey.
Most challenging about running my own business:
Balancing a creative drive and a “life” outside of work. It’s a battle, but it has become very important to me to manage my time better and realize the difference between the essential and non-essential. It’s easy to fall into a hole of never ending to-dos when you work from home because it’s always present till you consciously make the effort to put it aside.
Most rewarding about managing my own business:
Seeing something I work hard at developing, grow and prosper is very rewarding. But also, the fact that I am able to manage my own time is wonderful. I love having the flexibility to make time for family and travel whenever I choose.
What do I like to do on my days off:
I enjoy spending down time with my family and pets, usually outside. A trip to Jupiter’s dog beach is always a good time!
What living person do you most admire:
I am blessed to have lots of truly admirable and wonderful people in my life, even just here locally. All of them for various reasons, so much that it’s hard to name just one, either within or outside of my life circle.
Where can we find Sarah LaPierre online:
You can find more information about me and my artwork online at www.sarahlapierre.com however the best way to see what’s new or upcoming is to follow my social accounts @thickpaint on Instagram and on Facebook @Sarah LaPierre-Artist
Any upcoming events you would like to share with us?
Thank you for sharing your story and your images, Sarah!
As always, thanks for reading the blog, friends!
Don’t forget,
if you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home in the Northern Palm Beach County area, I’d LOVE for you to Contact Me! Let me help you have an enjoyable real estate experience! ❤️ Nicole
Happy Friday, friends! I hope you’ve had an amazing week! My days have been full of meeting clients, showing houses and running my kids to all their activities. I did however, get a chance to make you guys a list of Jupiter Florida News and Events, happening this week! Enjoy.
Jupiter Florida Events
Saturday, April 8th, 6:00PM-9:30PM: The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is one of the nation’s premiere environmental and adventure film festivals in North America being hosted in our own backyard.Tickets are required and can be purchased online HERE.
Saturday, April 8th, 7:30PM:Free Family Movie Night – featuring ‘Moana’. Bring your own chairs and blankets, arrive early for good seats, and settle in for a family-friendly movie on a 2 story-inflatable screen! Abacoa Community Park • 1501 W. Frederick Small Road
There is always so many fun things to do in Jupiter Florida. Did I miss something awesome? Do you know of any Jupiter Florida News and Events I should post about? Let me know in the comments.
Jupiter Florida News
The Town of Jupiter is planning to purchase a vacant piece of land near Jupiter High School. This will be huge in making the area safer for our students that come and go to school through Daniel’s Way. Jupiter will offer about $3Million for the vacant land. Read more about the town’s plans for this space HERE.
Jupiter takes home winnings from Philanthropy Tank – A total of $100,000 in prize money was awarded to the finalists to implement their programs over the next year. Each student also receives a year of mentoring from their Philanthropist-Investors. Read more about the local winners HERE.
Construction Begins on Phase 1 of Cinquez Park. Beginning Monday, March 27, 2017, construction activities for Phase I commenced on Cinquez Park property. Phase I is an open space park which includes on street parking, site lighting, a small restroom/storage building, sidewalks, gazebos, a lake, and a dog park. Read more about the project HERE.
Jupiter Florida Real Estate
While you’re here, check out our newest Single Family Home, for sale in Jupiter Florida!
Come enjoy this freshly renovated 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2-car garage single family home. This CBS home has an amazing layout and design. This gem is set inside The Heights of Jupiter. Known as one of Jupiter’s most desired communities in Jupiter without the cost of HOA fees.
If you would like more information on this wonderful, Jupiter Florida home or any others in the North County area, please contact me today.
As always, thanks for reading the blog, friends! I hope you all have some amazing, South Florida weekend!
Are you or someone you know thinking of buying or selling a home in the Jupiter area? Have questions on how to even begin? I’d LOVE for you to Contact Me! Let me help you have an enjoyable real estate experience! ❤️ Nicole
There is so much going on in our beautiful community right now.
Here is this week’s Jupiter Florida News Brief to help you keep up.
One of the most amazing places in Jupiter Florida is expanding!
The Loggerhead Marinelife Center opened in 2007. Since then they have saved countless endangered seaturtles and helped educate the public on the importance of our local marine life. They are now setting their sites on an expansion that will include expanding their sea turtle hospital and sea turtle hospital tanks, expanding their research laboratory, providing new classroom space, providing presentation spaces for guest lecturers and visiting scientists and expanding their exhibit spaces! Visit their site to see more details on the project and find out how you can help them reach their goal: https://www.marinelife.org/about/expansion/
Get Your Art On This Weekend
The 29th Annual Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center Art Fest by the Sea in Juno Beach is this weekend! Enjoy this local, springtime tradition, along the ocean on A1A. Featuring more than 300 talented vendors, this is ne of the best art shows in the area.
Every Sunday in Jupiter Florida
We are lucky enough to have an amazing Jupiter Farmer’s Market, right here in town. The Market is open every Sunday from 9 until 1 o’clock at the corner of Military Trail and Indiantown Road, in front of the El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center‘s community garden.
Tuesday, March 14th is Election Day in Jupiter Florida!
Get to know the candidates running for Town Council here. Teri Grooms has got my vote!
There is always so many fun things to do in Jupiter Florida.
Did I miss something awesome? Do you know of a future event I should post about? Let me know in the comments.
As always, thanks for reading the blog, friends! I hope you all have some amazing, South Florida weekend!
Are you or someone you know thinking of buying or selling a home in the Jupiter area? Have questions on how to even begin? I’d LOVE for you to Contact Me! Let me help you have an enjoyable real estate experience! ❤️ Nicole
I hope you all had an amazing week. It’s been a busy one for myself and the entire Sean Underwood Real Estate Team. I’ll be showing property for a little while this weekend, but hope to catch of few of these fun activities around town. As always, in the spring & summer, there are a ton of things to do in Jupiter Florida (and surrounding areas) in the next few days!
Saturday, February 25th: 11AM-5PM Sea Fest for Kids at the Jupiter Light celebrates all things Maritime, Music and Fun! Enjoy a family day on the waterfront with sea-inspired education & adventures for kids to celebrate the Jupiter’s areas coastal heritage and history…and so much more! Children 18 and under FREE, Adults $10.
Saturday, February 25th: 11AM-8PM The 4th Annual Iron & Clematis Vintage Motorcycle Festival, Downtown Abacoa. This family oriented event attracts vendors, bike builders, and spectators from around the globe. The streets are filled with over 300 vintage motorcycles of all makes and models ranging from restorations, custom builds, bobbers, to cafe racers. You can prepurchase raffle tickets on their website: http://vintageironclub.org/
Saturday, February 25th – Sunday, February 26th:23rd annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival has more than 600 artists on the pavement, music on the mainstage, restaurants, shops, festival food court and bistro! This event is not in North County but so worth the drive!
Sunday, February 26th: 11AM-2PM Touch A Truck – This family-friendly event allows children and their parents an opportunity to see, touch, and learn about a wide variety of vehicles and how they service our community. Held at the Jupiter Community Center. This is a FREE event.
There is always so many fun things to do in Jupiter Florida. Did I miss something awesome? Let me know in the comments.
This gorgeous CBS constructed 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 2-Car Garage, single family home is upgraded throughout. Inside this beautiful home you will enjoy the enhanced open feeling from the high vaulted ceilings, large tile flooring, updated kitchen, and inviting floor plan. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to see this beautiful home!
As always, thanks for reading the blog, friends! I hope you all have some amazing, South Florida weekend!
Are you or someone you know thinking of buying or selling a home in the Jupiter area? Have questions on how to even begin? I’d LOVE for you to Contact Me! Let me help you have an enjoyable real estate experience! ❤️ Nicole
I have changed things up a little in my personal life and have been making more of an effort to enjoy my surroundings, even in the middle of the week. I stopped in to visit the manatees, enjoyed the sunset at my favorite local spot, and stopped at the inlet between appointments. I’ve realized, to be near the sea, even for 20 minutes is good for my soul! This time of year the weather is truly beautiful and we must get out and enjoy! So, on that note, I’ve come up with all sorts of Weekend Fun In Jupiter Florida (and beyond), for you to enjoy!
There are so many local events happening this weekend. I’ve highlighted a few for you here:
Friday, February 10th, 9 AM – 6 PM: Several of my favorite Local Boutiques are all getting together in one spot for easy shopping. Head out to the Palm Beach Boutique Warehouse Sale for an awesome time! Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.
Saturday, February 11th, 10 AM – 3 PM:Craft & Thrifts – A Unique Community Based Shopping Experience, right in time for Valentine’s Day. +Free to the public. Come shop Small & Local businesses curated just for you from Palm Beach County at an Indoor & Outdoor Event. Tequesta, Fl.
Saturday, February 11th, 5:45 PM – 8:45 PM:Free Family Movie Night – featuring ‘Trolls’ rated PG. Bring your own chairs and blankets, arrive early for good seats, and settle in for a family-friendly movie on a 2 story-inflatable screen! Jupiter, Fl.
Sunday, February 12th, 5 PM – 9 PM: Valentine Toast at the Top – Head to the top of the beautiful Jupiter Lighthouse for a romantic toast with your sweetie! This event requires an RSVP. Visit their event page for more info HERE. Jupiter, Fl.
Sunday, February 12th, 10 AM – 1 PM: Brunch, live music and lots of fresh flowers from one of my favorite local, Flower & Fringe. They will be doing a Pop Up Flower Market at the Blind Monk. West Palm Beach, Fl.
There is always so much weekend fun in Jupiter Florida. Did I miss something awesome? Let me know in the comments.
As always, thanks for reading the blog, friends! I hope you all have some amazing, South Florida weekend!
Are you or someone you know thinking of buying or selling a home in the Jupiter area? Have questions on how to even begin? I’d LOVE for you to Contact Me! Let me help you have an enjoyable real estate experience! Nicole
First of all, I can’t believe January is almost over! Secondly, January is almost over!!!! Myself and the rest of the Sean Underwood Real Estate Team have been so busy and we LOVE it! We have several homes for sale in Jupiter Florida right now. I want to share a few of them here with you. If you or someone you know is looking to move to the area, let me know. I’d love to show you these wonderful properties.
204 Hampton Place, Jupiter, FL 33458 – Offered at $374,900
This completely updated 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 2-Car Garage Single Family Home was built with precision and designed with luxury in mind. Built with solid concrete construction, this elite one story home is set inside the highly coveted and meticulously maintained Hamptons community. Tree lined streets and large green spaces add charm to the quiet community. This home is only a few minutes from the most renowned shopping and the most beautiful beaches in the entire state of Florida. The price is right, the home is great and the location is perfect. See all the photos HERE.
6468 Chasewood Drive, Unit G, Jupiter FL 33458 – Offered at $159,900
This spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bath, second floor condo is the perfect retreat. Beautifully decorated with gorgeous wide plank vinyl wood flooring and custom moldings. Chasewood of Jupiter offers great amenities for residents. These amenities include a large community pool, an active community clubhouse, onsite management and maintenance, lighted sidewalks, ample parking, and a community tennis court. Chasewood is a centrally located community. See all the photos and more details HERE.
18081 SE Country Club Drive 365, Tequesta, FL33469 – Offered at $126,900
This beautifully updated 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom end unit condo is a must see. Located on the ground floor of the 55+ Tequesta Community, known as Little Club, this condo offers many enjoyable features. Set in the back of the complex, in one of the newer building, this home is spacious and serene. Due to the community proximity to Jonathan Dickenson State Park, deer are often seen in the quiet hours of the day. Unlike most units in this community, this home includes it’s very own washer and dryer. The community of Little Club offers it’s residents many wonderful amenities. Living here is just a short drive to our gorgeous beaches, shopping, dining and all that the Jupiter-Tequesta area has to offer. See all the photos and more details HERE.
If you would like more information on this home or others in the Northern Palm Beach County area, Contact Me!
HI friends! I had to post about a really cool, local spot I just got to visit last week. I’ve been wanting to make it over there for what seems like FOREVER! I told my husband, today is the day! It’s chilly and we need to go see the Manatees at The Manatee Lagoon!
It was great!!
If you don’t know, Manatee Lagoon – An FPL Eco-Discovery Center, is a new, FREE Palm Beach County educational attraction with a dedicated area for viewing manatees up close. I was a little worried we wouldn’t see any manatees. From their website ” The most ideal manatee viewing opportunities at Manatee Lagoon occur when cooler temperatures are sustained over a period of two to three days with minimal cloud cover.”
The day we went was only our fist cold day, but…there were about 8 or 10 in the water when we got there.
I took a few videos. (PLEASE excuse my nasal voice and my lack of video taking skills).
It was a pretty chilly day and the wind was blowing like crazy!
The day we went, the lagoon was mostly shaded except for the side away from us. So, we could see the manatees, but not up-close.
Even from far away, you can see their scars from boat propellers 🙁
We are so lucky to have Manatee Lagoon in our area. Education is key in trying to protect these gentle creatures. I highly recommend you visit!
Can’t make it to Manatee Lagoon today, but still need a manatee fix?
They have a web cam! You can watch right from your computer.
Have you been to the Manatee Lagoon? Let me know how many manatees you got to see that day!
Nicole
