My neighbors and I have a joke that we never leave the hood.  I was just thinking how true that statement is. I can give you so many reasons why we don’t “need” to leave our St. Augustine golf course community. Although each neighborhood within World Golf Village has unique characteristics, the overall feel our community is cohesiveness and full of activity. Whether it’s an annual get together like the barbeque at the Swim and Tennis Center this Saturday or the annual 4th of July parade at Glenmoor, the young, old and everyone in between are always getting together.

But it is not the annual activities that I find keep me close to home. Whatever your interests are, surely you can find a group to join or start your own like the Turnberry Walking Club. A great feature of the Swim & Tennis Center is that our pool is heated, so even though it’s starting to get cooler, the Water Aerobics group can keep exercising Mondays through Saturdays at 9 a.m. If you are interested in taking tennis lessons – lessons are available! Or join the Ladies Tennis group; they meet on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We even have a King and Bear Fit Camp which is a boot camp class that meets Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays on the green. Zumba Gold classes are on Saturdays and Yoga on Mondays. Obviously we have golf lessons, too!  Can you tell we have it all?

Living in the King and Bear has many perks. As a home owner, I always take a deep breath as I drive through the gates. I never forget to take a moment to appreciate the pristine beauty of my St. Augustine golf course community. The curvy streets are lined with Oaks. The landscape is always lush and perfectly maintained. But enough about how beautiful the King and Bear is. Let me tell you what I really love. I love Spa Laterra!

Spa Laterra is the perfect place to cure any ailments, whether you need an hour to relax or an entire day! In these busy and stressful times, there is no greater gift to give than some time to your self to relax and regain sanity. One of my favorite ways to spend a day is with my girlfriends at the spa. After I put on my robe and slippers, I head to the meditation room for some tea and to begin unwinding with a magazine. I also really love relaxing in the private rooms outside.

After I get my chill on, I love to start with a facial to help ease me into a deeper relaxation. There are several to choose from. I would recommend the Journey from Bliss facial if you really need to just focus on relaxing. A few of my girlfriends love getting the Age-Defying Fountain of Youth Facial.  Then it is always nice to meet the ladies out by the Laterra Resort pool for lunch.

There is something about beginning the work week knowing that a three day weekend is ahead. Communications and party plans increase when there is an extra day added to Sunday Funday. Although every Floridian is sick of the heat by Labor Day, many of us know there is no reason to try and fight it. The only option for us is to be by, on, or in the water. That especially holds true after being in the heat all day Saturday for the Village Panthers cheer and football. With that being said, my crew will be leaving our St. Augustine golf course community and heading east on Sunday.

 Serenata Beach Club is the place to be! It is absolutely perfect there for the whole family. They will be hosting a cookout on Sunday and Monday from 11:30 am – 4 pm with live music ($16.95 for adults and $8.95 for children)! I can think of a few of my girlfriends that are willing to play “Let’s Make a Deal” with their husbands to get some adult time at the pool with live music and a frozen concoction or two. Then it will be the husbands turn. By the time the kids are done boogie boarding and the tide has come in, we will have packed our things up and headed to the kid’s pool. I can’t think of a better way to spend my Sunday.

I can classify my friends into two groups; those that can’t wait for school to start and those who don’t want summer to end. Either way, the 2011/2012 school year is near. I know for the next few weeks I will be working on my “bucket list” for the summer and taking some time off from work to get the girls ready for back to school.

Fall sports have started in our St. Augustine golf course community. In our clique, we catch up on each other’s summer vacations, how many teeth our children lost, compare children’s injuries, and find out what teacher every child has this year. I brought something different and exciting to the discussion. I got to share with the ladies the exciting giveaway that Davidson Realty is doing for one lucky student and teacher at Wards Creek Elementary and Mill Creek Elementary schools.

Davidson Realty is celebrating Back to School with a fun coloring contest. All your child has to do is go to http://www.davidsonrealtyinc.com/teachers-contest, download the coloring sheet, and drop it off at the Davidson Building by September 15th.  The winner will receive two $50 gift certificates for Barnes & Noble. Your child keeps one gift certificate and gives the other to the teacher to buy books for the classroom. What a way to kick off back to school!

Starting October 3rd you can email me, Kristen Calhoun at kcalhoun@davidsonrealtyinc.com your nominations for 4th and 5th grade Davidson Appreciates Teachers contest. I look forward to finding out why your child’s teacher is the best!

Daddy-Daughter Dates are some of the best experiences in a girl’s life! My hubby, Austin, took our oldest daughter, Audrey on a date around our St. Augustine golf course community.  Audrey didn’t know what the day had in store for her, but she knew wherever they went a tutu and lip gloss was a must! When they ended up in front of Justice, a fashionable girl’s store located at the St. Augustine Prime Outlets, Audrey got so excited.  Being the best date a daddy can be entailed looking at every single item in the store before deciding on a pair of “Super Skinny Jeans”.  One of the benefits to the residents of World Golf Village is the convenience of the numerous shops located on State Road 16, which is one exit down off of I-95.

All that looking and shopping worked up an appetite! Next, they went to the Renaissance Resort in WGV at 500 South, a contemporary American grill restaurant located inside the resort. Audrey had the best  mac n’ cheese, while Austin feasted on the lunch buffet. He had mashed potatoes, turkey sliders, fried chicken, roasted vegetables – just to name a few. But, the best was the homemade tomato bisque! Now after that you would think a nap would be in order, but not for these two!

I have lived in St. Augustine for over four years. Every time I book a trip or make plans to explore somewhere in Florida, I always say to my hubby, “There is so much in St. Augustine we haven’t done yet.” Even before I moved here, I’ve been coming to this amazing city for years! I thought I would share with you my St. Augustine from A to Z, some of my favorite things I’ve done and some things I can’t wait to try.  Click on the links to get more info!

A: Adventure Landing
B: Black Raven (The Pirate Ship) C:Carousel                                                                                                                                                                                                                          D: Dining with a view of the Bridge of Lions
E: Education at the Flagler College
F: Fountain of Youth
G: Golf at King & Bear & Slammer & Squire
H: History
I: IMAX
J: Jacksonville
K: Kings Head British Pub
L: Lightner Museum
M: Murray Bros. Caddyshack’s
N: Night of Lights
O: World Famous Oasis
P: Putting Course at the WGV Hall of Fame
Q: Quaint bed and breakfasts
R: Rest & Relaxation on St. Augustine Beach
S: San Sebastian Winery
T: Sight Seeing Train
U: Unbelievable Ripley’s Believe It or Not
V: Valentine’s Day in a horse-drawn carriage
W: World Golf Village
X: X-tra fun at Scarlett O’Hara’s
Y: Yellow fin Tuna at Caps on the Water
Z: Zip line at the Alligator Farm

I had the privilege of spending the morning at one of the most beautiful places, The Slammer and Squire golf course in World Golf Village.  It was so serene and peaceful. Davidson Agent, Jock Ochiltree is our golf expert here at Davidson Realty and he took me on a tour of his favorite holes and shared with me his passion for our World Golf Village course! I am working with him to shoot videos for upcoming blogs on the golf courses (definitely one of the perks of my job)!  Although I do not play golf, I enjoy the beautiful scenery and how the world just seems to stop on the course. Nature was present and we were in the moment!  I could hear the love and the appreciation in Jock’s voice as he described in detail what he loves about playing the Slammer.

Sam Sneed said “We built a golf course that people will enjoy playing.”  For a limited time, anyone can have exclusive benefits through the new loyalty program with the Slammer Pass. The Slammer Pass gives you unlimited green fees at the Slammer and Squire, range balls with each round, advanced tee times and your guests get the Northeast Florida guest rate just to name a few. The cost is $199 per month with a 12 month commitment. You can even add your wife, husband or children for $99 additional per month. If you act now, you can save some money on the Slammer Pass by getting half off through September.  With my “woman logic” that means new golf attire from the PGA TOUR Stop!

If this sounds like a great gift or something fun for your family to enjoy, attend a wine and cheese reception at the Legends Grill on Thursday, July 7th or Monday, July 11th at 6 p.m. to get the inside scoop.  R.S.V.P. to Kirsten Lightfoot at Kirsten@slammerandsquire.com or call Kirsten at 904.940.6261 and get your “Pass” on now! Don’t pass on the Slammer Pass!

Summer is definitely in the air! I can feel it when I step outside and get blasted by the heat!  I can really feel it in my children’s behavior. Not to mention, my sweet kindergartner counting down the days until she can officially say she’s a first grader! If you are like me, then all of these signs are pointing us in the direction to figure out what to do with our kids over the summer break. The weekends are full of pool parties and beach trips, but the weeks need to be filled with fun, too!

An option I looked into that is open to St. Augustine residents is camp at Turning Point Children’s Academy. Each week is a different theme. Children will learn about the desert, space, weather, rainforest, etc. Each week also includes Bible lessons, water play, art and other fun activities. Turning Point offers flexibility. Drop off begins at 7:30 a.m. and pick up is by 6 p.m. The cost is $140/week. Call Ms. Carole at 904.824.0477 for more information.

Florida Get Fit is known for helping women, men and children get in shape through boot camp, body sculpting, kick boxing and conditioning. Help your children stay fit through the summer by taking advantage of the many camps they offer. Florida Get Fit is offering football conditioning, gymnastics, tumbling, cheer and baseball camps. Most of the camps are $75-$85 per week; from 9 a.m. to noon. Baseball is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $175 per week. This is a great way to help your child to be in the best shape possible when school and sports start in the fall.

Our Lady of Good Counsel is doing Vacation Bible School from July 11-15th on SR 16. Camp is from 9-12. The cost is $15 for Parishioners and $25 for non-Parishioners. My daughters did it last year and had so much fun. Contact Amy Sue Long at 599-3080 or aslong99@hotmail.com if you want to sign your children up!!! At the end of the week the children put on a performance. It was soooo incredibly cute. All the children received copies of the music they performed to. They made picture frames and gave the parents pictures of themselves in their camp tshirts.

Another great option for World Golf Village residents is camp at the Swim & Tennis Center. Camp is offered through the summer. The cost is $99/ week from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Go to www.wgvsocial.com for more info.

If your children are into horses, Haven House Ranch has camp for children ages 6-17 to spend the summer hands on with the horses, learning general care, tracking and riding. There are 3 different levels. General camp is for anyone. Bible camp includes life lessons. Advanced camp is for experienced riders. Rates vary but start at $225. Contact www.havenhorseranch.org or call 813.5710 for more info.

If you know of a camp in the WGV area, please post a link on our Neighborhoods of World Golf Village Facebook page.

Spring is definitely in the air in our St. Augustine golf course community!  This weekend is the 16th annual EPIC Flower and Garden Expo at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center and Arboretum. One of our World Golf Village residents, Shirley Barber, is a Master Gardner with St. Johns County. She designs the flower gardens at St. Johns County Agriculture center. The event goes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 16th and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 17th.

Shirley is a life long gardener that has grown from seed and installed plants in public gardens in Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and Florida. In the past six years, she has donated and installed thousands of plants that were grown in World Golf Village from seeds and cuttings. Shirley will be conducting garden tours during the Garden and Flower Show on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

During 2007 and 2008, Shirley coordinated and authored two award applications for Master Gardeners’ projects in St. Johns County, resulting in two First Place State Awards from the University of Florida for Education and Beautification. She also coordinated and authored an award application in 2009, resulting in a Top-Three International Award presented at the Master Gardeners International Conference.

This year’s event will feature vendors from all over Florida. Keynote speakers will be featured as well as educational horticultural seminars. There will also be a quilt exhibit by the St. Augustine Piecemakers Quilt Guild and a silent auction by the Master Gardeners. All items will be awarded to the highest bidder at the conclusion of the show. The best part is parking is free and it only costs $5 for both days!!! So take your family to the beautiful gardens and think spring!

The World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX just re-opened.  The theater upgrades include a new digital 3D projection system, state-of-the-art sound system and a new screen. The screen is actually the largest IMAX digital 3D screen in the Southeast.  One of the perks of working for Davidson Realty was being invited to the private opening last Thursday night for World Golf Village employees. I interviewed a few of our Jacksonville Realtors to see what their experience was.

Pauline and Woody Cake made a family night out the event. In her own words, she said “We went to the NEW 3D IMAX experience and I thought it was awesome before…….but WOW, it is even more AMAZING now.  It was really funny to see our boys’ hands waving at the screen as if they were trying to touch the fish and the sharks as they were swimming around in the ocean.  “The Ultimate Wave” which was filmed in Tahiti, gave a great story of Kelly Slater, a pro-surfer who holds his 10 yr title as the youngest and oldest world champion surfer. He and his friends travel to the French Polynesian Island to meet their friend and surf guide and showcase their passion to ride the biggest waves in the world.  The film was enjoyable, but we all agreed that any film on the 3D IMAX screen would be epic!”