FlorenceMom.com Blogs

I'm always looking for new resources on places for mommies and babies. Here are some current resources for new mommies and babies in Florence, SC. 

MOPS in Florence, SC: There used to be a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group in Florence that met twice a month from September to May. This is a group of mothers who have kids from 0 - 5 years old. They have now canceled this group. You can find an online Florence, South Carolina Facebook Mom Group with thousands of members. 

Florence Moms and Tots (Florence, SC) from Meetup: There was a new moms group in Florence that I found on Meetup.com but they had cancelled this group. Maybe in the future, a new leader will come on there and create a new group so make sure you check on there once in awhile!

Junior League of Florence: If you're into volunteering and helping non-profit organizations, Junior League of Florence is a great organization for any woman. Although you'll probably need to leave your child with your partner or babysitter when you attend meetings and volunteer, but you'll most likely meet other moms here. They require a minimum amount of commitment but they throw great annual events like Merry Marketplace, Shamrock and Touch-A-Truck. You can go to the Junior League of Florence Facebook page.

Go the our Event page to see the upcoming events year round.

2024 Update: Google reports that The Little Gym in Florence is now closed.

Try your first trial class for your baby (4 months and up), toddler or preschooler for FREE at The Little Gym! 
As mothers, we often worry about teaching our babies and toddlers their ABC's, shapes, and numbers and hope that they don't fall behind in academics from their peers. What's also important and as we check off each milestone from our list, is that they also grow physically strong and not fall behind in sitting, crawling or walking.


And as they grow into preschoolers and become more daring, we want them as much as for ourselves, to have the confidence that they have the ability and strength to climb those bars at the playground at the park. Because after all, behind all the smarts, being a healthy, strong and confident human being as well, is pretty darn awesome. 

The Little Gym in Florence fosters early physical development for babies and their classes help kids reach developmental milestones in a fun, non-competitive atmosphere.  They are much more than a gym for little kids, they provide the kids the means to play but also thrive. With age-appropriate exercises led by trained instructors, children from ages 4 months through 12 years old learn skills that help build confidence and a strong foundation. And just from learning more about The Little Gym, I believe these kids will carry these fond memories of discovery with them as they grow older.  Read about my very first trial visit to Little Gym and how it affected my baby with just one class. 

After giving birth, I know that the very last thing you want to think about is enrolling your future 4 month old into a class of any sort. You're kind of still recuperating from childbirth and getting use to a new mom and baby routine. However, this town is full of transplants. And if you've just moved here, it can get really, really lonely and it's much healthier for your state of mind as a mother, to find other moms with children of the same age group. The Little Gym provides that. Their 'Bugs' Class is for babies from 4 months to 10 months old. You are there with your child along with a group of other moms with their babies, helping them with their exercise. It's only 45 minutes long and you only have to bring them once a week. As an added bonus as a member (which they don't heavily promote on social media) is that you get to come to their Coffee & Mom Friends Social that happens once a month! This is a huge bonus and I think it's a pretty awesome way for new moms to be able to hang out with other moms. 




The Little Gym's 'Birds' Classes are for babies ages 10 months - 19 months and offers three different days for moms to choose from. See their schedule here: https://www.thelittlegym.com/florenceSC/classes/parent-child. Usually within this age group, the babies are crawling or walking! With padded play equipment, your baby can enjoy instructor-led exercises gear towards this age group and some free play in a safe environment. 




A great program that The Little Gym in Florence has for 3 & 4 years olds is the WonderKids Club! It is a 3 hour session that includes a gymnastics class with active learning (instructor - led), immersive play, arts and crafts, story time and creative play with LEGO DUPLO! To me, it is like a preschool type class but reinforcing the physically development for these kids. The really awesome part about it is there is no monthly or weekly commitment.

On top of Coffee & Muffins with Mom Friends social events hosted for members once a month,  The Little Gym of Florence also hosts amazing special seasonal events (not posted on social media for privacy) that is also complimentary with your membership. These added bonuses are so great for both moms and kids!

Update: I am 65% sure that Pop Zone has closed the business.

We went to The POP Zone's grand opening yesterday on October 2nd and my 3 year old and 1 year old sons had a wonderful time playing at the 2 hour Open Play time! With a play room popping (pun intended) with bright colors, my toddlers were instantly engaged upon arrival! 



Located at 906B S Cashua Dr., Florence, SC 29501, you can see their entire weekly schedule: http://www.thepopzone.com/weekly-calendar.html.

In addition to offering age-appropriate classes for babies and toddlers, The POP Zone also has a Mom's Morning Out program for ages 2-4 and hosts a Parents' Night Out for ages 3-10. To see all of their programs, go to: http://www.thepopzone.com/programs.html.

If you're looking for a new place to host a birthday party for your child, they also offer birthday packages on the weekends!
 

In an intimate private space, the birthday boy or girl can blow out their candles and enjoy pizza and drinks! See The POP Zone's website for more information: http://www.thepopzone.com/parties-1.html.



 

This Florence Mom will be coming back to The POP Zone really soon. To get updated on their upcoming events, join their facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ThePOPzone/. Tell them Florencemom.com sent you to The Play Zone!

Is this in the bible? Was there a prophecy about this? A friend of mine asked his Facebook friends in a post about the multiple hurricanes that are coming after America and asked "Is this in the bible"? 

I did a bit of research online that cited Luke 21: 25-26 and so I opened my own international Holy Bible to confirm word for word (because I haven't read it cover to cover and don't memorize it) and this is what it says: "There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken." 

Do you know how old the bible is? Very, very old and for the fact that the total solar eclipse was ONLY seen in the United States of America in August 2017 and then only a few weeks later, Hurricane Harvey wiped out Houston, now Hurricane Irma is going to wipe out Florida (and upwards) and Hurricane Jose is on its the way? Is this a coincidence? Is this the beginning of the apocalypse? 

See the image of my bible for Luke 21:25-26 below.
 

For a long while, it was rare to enjoy a nice craft beer and decent food without worrying about our two very mobile toddlers disturbing other people's nice dinners. Then, we visited the new Seminar Brewing location yesterday with the Kanza restaurant and it was like my prayer has been answered! With a watchful eye on our kids, we were able to sit down and enjoy a quick, casual meal with some beer flights. The kids were playing with the bean bags near the corn hole area and were content while mama and daddy enjoyed some tapped tastings and a very different Florentine meal. No kids crying, no patrons staring at us with disapproval and the adults get to enjoy going out to eat! Win, win, win!



 My favorite is the Alpha Cruces PHD

Located inside a warehouse, the place is spacious and not intimidating. We ordered at the bar and sit down with our table number until the beers and food were ready. Until then, we roamed around and played with the kids. So awesome! 

 This is how the inside of the the new Seminar location looks like.


 The Korean styled bao were very flavorful.
 The Southwest Shrimp Salad on Pastry Boat was delicious but I wish the pastry was softer and not so hard. 

Seminar Brewing, don't be surprised to see us again very soon! 
As with all the other reviews, all of this content is my own opinion alone and it has not been sponsored in any way. Check the new Seminar Brewing location out! Their address is 551 W. Lucas St., Florence, SC 29501.