Businesses That I Like

As somewhat of a businesswoman myself (somewhat because I don't have the hassle of a storefront or inventory!!) I like to let people know when I find businesses I like. Here are some of my favorites right now. Many are in Prairieville because a big plus for me now is convenience!

1. You R Invited: They have locations in Geismar on highway 73 and on Airline near an Elegant Affair. A great place to get gifts and run by very nice people.

2. Salon Eden: my friend Mary and her husband own this Salon in Baton Rouge. The stylists are very good, professional, and carefully selected and although it is a nice salon it doesn't have the snooty feel of many places. It is located by The Backpacker near Bocage.

3. Personal Impressions: I got the necklace pictured online at http://www.personalimpressionsjewelry.blogspot.com/ Tracy Perrine is located in Arizona and is the one who makes the necklaces. She was very easy to work with. I am very particular and specific and she did my necklace just as I requested, down to the last detail. She has a lot of great samples on her blog and her prices were very good compared to similar necklaces. Some sites' prices were double what I paid with Tracy.

4. Prairieville Produce: I like Prairieville Produce on Airline Highway. The owner is very nice and they have a good selection of produce and other great products. It's a lot like Southside produce just in Ascension Parish. I also haven't had problems with rotted fruit or produce that spoils too quickly as I have at other produce stands.

5. Made-by-Mary: If you like custom children's clothes and accessories you will like Made-by-Mary. Mary is also someone who was able to meet my specific needs and went out of her way to obtain some fabric for a dress for Lila. http://www.madebymary.com/

6. St. Michel Day Spa in Prairieville: This business is owned by a local girl who is very nice but also quite professional. In addition to having great services at a comparable price Michelle Babin Tranchina (the owner) gives to the community. She even came and talked to my Free Enterprise class last year when I had local business owners come and speak to my students about owning your own business.

7. Dutchtown Care Care Center: Now going there is NEVER fun for me. I hate spending money on car repairs; it seems like such a waste to spend so much money and have no clothing or jewelry to show for it. However, they are very helpful and I like to get my oil changes and inspections done there. They also helped me with my batteries and inspected my tires once. They could have easily taken advantage of me and said "you need four new tires NOW" but instead they told me I had another eight months or more left on them and sent me on my merry way.

8. Harvest Supermarket in Geismar: Sure, their prices are a little higher than Wal-Mart's and I don't get all of my groceries there. We do get 90% of our meat at Harvest and a lot of smaller items throughout the week. They have a fantastic liquor selection so we usually go there before a party. They have good meals that you can grab if you need a quick dinner or lunch and I have never had a problem with freshness. You can also always find someone to help you and the friendliness of a smaller store is refreshing. The best part is that my kids like to go there and it only costs me $.50 to bring them. No, they don't charge a fee to bring your children in; they have those cheap little gumball machines in the front of the store. I bring $.50 for each child and use it as their bribe to be good. Then once I am checking out I give them their $.50 and they get something out of the machine. I find it amazing that this still works with my kids at their ages. I would have thought they would have grown out of it by now but Cullen and Carson are refreshingly naive at times and I kind of like it.

On a side note, other business owners who came to speak with my Free Enterprise classes were Tammy Murphy from Memory Mania and Miles Holley from Treads and Care. I am still so appreciative of their help; teaching Free Enterprise was a stretch for me since my only prior experience in economics was being a good shopper and having my Stampin' Up! business.