Prep School 101 blogger Jennifer Grove
Photo courtesy of Jubilee Photography

Baltimore’s Jennifer Grove, 35, is a single mom to five-year-old Calista and one savvy blogger and businesswoman. Grove created the blog Prep School 101 in May 2009 after writing a fashion and entertainment blog for several years. Grove saw very strong reader feedback when she posted personal pictures and stories and, most importantly, her recipes. Her ex-husband was a sommelier in Manhattan and she spent ten years dining in New York’s finest restaurants, developing a sophisticated palette.

Over 5,000 unique visitors a week across the country checked in on Prep School 101-a chic mix of East Coast fashion, food, wine, family fun, and more. As if the blog and her duties as a single mom didn’t keep her occupied enough, Jennifer recently launched a brand new website and company in late October. A few weeks ago, this mompreneur began her second business venture with Sky Blue Events (www.skyblue-events.com), a Baltimore-based wedding and event planning company. Sky Blue designs and provides consulting services for stylish soirées, private gatherings, formal affairs, chic weddings, milestone celebrations, store openings and corporate functions throughout the Baltimore region.

Now, Grove takes those memories (and very loyal audience) and her current fun family times with Calista (and her boyfriend) to her popular new blog, blog.skyblue-events.com. With everything Jennifer is successfully juggling, we asked her to offer AML fans one of her delicious seasonal recipes from her Prep School repertoire! And, we were thrilled when Jennifer said she was game. Grove’s own take on an American classic, deep dish apple pie, is below.

Bon Appétit!

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Bring fresh apples home from a nearby orchard, like Media’s Linvilla, for your delicious Deep Dish Apple Pie recipe.

Pie Crust:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 pound (3 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into bits
3/4 cup ice water

Directions for pie crust:

Using two pastry blenders or a food processor blend the flours, salt and sugar to combine. Add butter and blend or process until butter is incorporated and mixture is coarse. Slowly add 1/2 to 3/4 cup ice water until the dough holds together. Do not overwork the dough.

Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Press into a flattened circle and wrap up with the plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

Filling:

All-purpose flour (for dusting)
2 pounds of Gala apples
2 pounds Granny Smith apples
2 pounds Empire apples
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 6-tablespoons
1 large egg yolk
Sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions for filling and assembly:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place three-quarters of the pie crust on a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 12-inch-diameter circle, 1/8 inch thick. Brush off excess flour; roll dough around the rolling pin and lift it over your deep-dish pie pan. Gently press the dough into the pan and into the corners. Trim the dough so that it hangs over pie plate by about 1/4 inch. Roll out the remaining dough to a 10-inch-diameter circle and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Put both crusts in the refrigerator to chill.

Peel, core and cut apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices. As you go along, place the slices in a large bowl and sprinkle them with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Toss apple slices with the sugar mixture.

Divide the butter between 2 large skillets and melt over medium-high heat. Divide the apples between skillets, and cook, stirring often, until sugar melts and apples are golden (but still firm) and coated in syrup approximately 8-10 minutes.

Remove the crusts from the refrigerator; transfer cooked apples to prepared pie pan and make a mound of the apples at the center. Whisk egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water to make an egg glaze. Brush glaze on edge of dough. Center the rolled pie dough over apples. Tuck edges of the top crust between pie pan and bottom crust. Using your fingers, gently press crusts together along edge, and crimp.

Using a fork, prick the pie crust in several places. Using a knife cut several steam vents into crust, in a circle. Brush surface with egg glaze, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Collar the crust with foil. Bake pie until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Remove foil collar and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake until the crust is crisp and the apples are soft, 45 to 50 minutes more. Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

For more fantastic, seasonal recipes, check out Jennifer’s new blog, blog.skyblue-events.com. Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it turned out! Feel free to comment below.

Mathews’ success as one of America’s most popular mom bloggers is no accident. Jana completed an undergraduate degree at BYU in two years and holds a PhD from Duke.

Know a mom blogger? We do too. Except Jana Mathews is a bit special. Mathews has one of the most prolific and popular mom blogs in the country. So what? Well, consider the crowd she is standing out in. There are millions of mom blogs on the world wide web. But there is only one ‘Meanest Mom.’

In the spring of 2008, The Meanest Mom Blog (themeanestmom.blogspot.com) began with Mathews, 33, a Los Angeles native who now resides in the Philly burbs, jotting down her daily experiences with her four young children. Her posts were cleverly presented and purposefully humorous. Mathews sent the link to a close knit group of friends on a whim. “For the first couple of months it just built very gradually. I literally sent the blog out to five friends. They passed it on to their friends and within a few weeks I had a few hundred people reading it,” said Mathews.

Seven months after she launched, in December of last year, Mathews, who says she does not pay “that much attention to my Google analytics, I just tend to write and move on,” noticed that she had reached a consistent 5,000 unique visitors a day. With 60,000 eyes reading the Meanest Mom Blog each month, her husband, Tim, prodded Jana that those numbers translated into one very respectable audience in a crowded (blog) world. “I guess when I stopped and considered, and we really saw what those numbers meant, it was a heck of a lot of eyes. Now, those numbers typically range from 8-10,000 a day,” explained Mathews.

Jana’s youngest child, one-year-old Cameron

Jana Mathews grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, the oldest of seven children. Jana and her husband, Tim, were college sweethearts and married shortly after she whipped through an undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University in two years. Mathews also holds a PhD in Medieval Literature from Duke University. Mathews’ blog does not focus so much on the Philly region as on her daily experience as a stay-at-home mom to four children six and under: Six-year-olds Camber, Kellen and Cortlen and one-year-old Cameron.

Since its inception, The Meanest Mom has some staggering traffic numbers. Mathews was even voted Parent and Child Magazine’s Best Mom Blog of 2009. Advertising revenue? You better believe it. Mathews has joined forces with big corporate names like Sears, Western Union, General Mills, Body Shop, and more.

“The kinds of stories I tell are unique to my family but they can also happen to any other family in America...every family has something embarrassing and unpredictable that happens to them every day,” explained Mathews.

And corporate America clued into the gold mine of moms online years ago. According to Emarketer.com, 34 million moms (across the country) make up a very active group of consumers online who resource the web at least once a month. A survey by Razorfish and CafeMom found that websites, referrals from friends and family, and information from search engines were the most common sources online moms used to make a purchasing decision. The moms were less likely to use TV, magazines, newspapers or radio. And, according to Experian Simmons, 70% of online moms made a purchase online in the past 12 months.

Mathews’ blog is superbly written, clever, funny, unpredictable and brutally honest. Jana always adds in a strong dash of self deprecation about the Mathews’ experiences: “People just take motherhood now so seriously. It’s gotten to the point where everything is so intense and we beat ourselves up with every little thing that we do and our children do. As parents, I really think we internalize every little problem that we have on a daily basis and make them bigger than they are. I wanted to provide a forum through which we could start to laugh at ourselves, our own feelings as parents and our own mistakes. In turn, this has helped me to step back and take perspective of my own life as a mother.”

Mathews was voted Parent and Child Magazine's Best Mom Blog of 2009

AroundMainLine.com: Why has the Meanest Mom Blog resonated with thousands of moms across America?

Jana Mathews: I don’t really know why exactly people are drawn to my blog. I really hope it’s because of the writing, I’m a writer by trade and certainly there is a difference between academic writing and blog writing. I hope that people like the stories I tell and they keep coming back because the writing is good. That’s really what I take the most pride in; that the style of writing is as good as the story I am telling.

AML: What is your business background?

JM: In a previous life, I was a college professor. Now I’m a stay-at-home mom, a job which has proven to be way more psychologically demanding.

AML: How did Meanest Mom the concept come about?

Photos courtesy of Bernadette Uzcategui,
of Bryn Mawr’s BUP Photography

JM: My kids accuse me of being “the meanest mom in the world” on a daily basis. I’ve been called it so much that it’s now permanently etched into my identity.

AML: Ok, so I know you have a lot, I mean a LOT of traffic. Let’s talk numbers.

JM: I rarely check my blog stats for a couple of reasons…including the fact that I have no idea what half of the numbers on most stat counters mean. I’m honored and excited that people want to read my blog, but I never want to get to the point where my self-worth is tied to the number of people who read or comment on each post. I write this blog primarily as a record for my kids. My mom passed away from breast cancer when I was 15 (she was 39). She didn’t leave much in the way of a written record of her life, and I don’t want the same for my kids.

AML: You have a national following and very loyal fans and followers. What kind of emails have you gotten that are interesting?

JM: I am blessed with amazingly supportive readers who send me super funny emails about their own personal mishaps and blunders, experiences raising small children, living with chronic illness (I have Crohn’s Disease and talk quite openly and often about it). The emails that I like the best are the ones that say “I read your blog and I almost peed my pants laughing” and “Today’s post made my day.” In almost all cases, laughter really and truly is the best medicine.

AML: Talk about the cult following you established with some women at Bryn Mawr College? I thought this was very interesting.

Jana juggles one of America’s most successful mom blogs-and raising four young children-with the support of her husband Tim.

JM: A few months after starting my blog, I got an email from a student at Bryn Mawr saying that she found my blog and loved it. A few weeks later, I got another email. And then another. And another. Quite unexpectedly, I’ve acquired quite a substantial following of college-aged women across the country. I’m thrilled to have them, of course, but was initially confused about what they found interesting in a so-called “mom blog.” One reader, who I think speaks for many, told me when I posed this question in an email, that she reads my blog because it reminds her of her past and provides a glimpse into her future. I like that! Though with the stories I tell, I have to wonder sometimes if my blog is promoting motherhood or serving as a kind of birth control.

AML: You had a recent contest on Meanest Mom where you had over 2,000 votes cast. What resonated?

JM: All of my contests are classy and sophisticated. Case in point: my Ms. Chronic Disease of America e-Pageant, which I hosted in August. Hundreds of women (and a few men) afflicted with chronic illnesses ranging from Rheumatoid Arthritis to Lupus to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome nominated themselves or their friends for this illustrious honor. A panel of judges read the entries and narrowed the contestants down to five finalists. The contestants presented their cases (why they deserved the crown) and 2,000 readers voted. I’m happy to announce that with 32% of the votes, Ms. Psoriatic Arthritis was named the winner.

AML: Tell me about two or three of your most popular posts!

JM: My most popular post by far is the story of when I got semi-nude pictures taken at the dermatologist’s office. Other favorites include the story of when my son ran away from me in Macy’s and they had to close down the store (we finally found him in the women’s dressing room) and when my kids accidentally drank boxed wine at a neighbor’s Labor Day picnic (in my defense, the wine was placed next to the fruit punch).

AML: What advice would you give other Mom bloggers?

JM: Be yourself and know your audience. This sounds cliché, but it’s absolutely true. Figure out what you do best and do that and that alone. This was hard for me when corporations and PR firms started offering me all sorts of cool stuff in exchange for reviewing their products: expensive cameras, fancy trips, gorgeous clothing, fun gadgets. I had to make a decision early on about what my blog was, and what it wasn’t. While of course I would like free stuff (who wouldn’t?!), my blog is not a review or shopping blog, and to include such elements would be distracting to say the least. Every time I am tempted by a fabulous offer that appears in my inbox, my husband steps in as the voice of reason and reminds me that “there are other blogs for that.”

AML: What is next for the Meanest Mom?

JM: At some point—probably sooner rather than later—the blog will run its course and have to end. That will be a sad day because I’ve grown rather attached to my blog as a forum for my creative expression. I try not to think about the future too much. Everything happens for a reason and in due time. I’m sure that I’ll know what to do when the time comes.

Jana Mathews’ blog can be found at: themeanestmom.blogspot.com

Shipley Shops is a popular tradition that brings together premier retailers and artists from throughout the United States and attracts customers from within and well beyond the Shipley community. Pictured are stockings from Shops’ vendor Boxwood Linens.

It’s shop till you drop at the Main Line’s premier holiday shopping event, nine weeks before the hectic holiday season descends upon us. And locals don’t have to brave the crowd at nearby malls to find a gift for every person on their list! Shipley Shops, now in its 49th year, kicks off next Wednesday evening with a preview party and runs through Saturday October 24th. The annual popular fundraiser for the school offers Main Liners one fantastic variety of beautiful retail products with vendors from across the Delaware Valley-and across the country.

Shipley Shops features perennial favorites like Bella Casa (fine home accessories), Jacques Ferber’s (luxurious furs and outerwear), Jane Roth (vintage jewelry), Occhio Bags (one-of-a-kind handbags), and Tuyet Jewelry (handcrafted custom jewelry). Some new vendors include The Belted Cow (handcrafted belts designed by artists), Boxwood Linen (fine linen home accessories), KEP Designs (fun and feminine jewelry), The Pink Mink (select collection of personal accessories and home goods), and Sea Bags (custom totes crafted from recycled sails, recently featured in Martha Stewart Living).

Seabags is a New England company who is a first time vendor with Shipley Shops. They will be showcasing their popular line of custom totes and accessories constructed from recycled sails.

Jennifer Irey, Director of Special Programs and Events at Shipley, spearheads the annual event. “Shipley Shops began as a holiday shopping event for the Main Line and 39 years later it has evolved into so much more than just a seasonal experience. Shipley Shops is a shopping experience for the Main Line unlike any other event. We have everything from children’s clothing to men’s apparel, to linens and more. I got all my holiday shopping completed last year at ‘Shops!’ We work hard to have a strong variety of new products, but maintain our companies that have become favorites throughout the years,” explained Irey.

Attendees should be sure to check out Shipley’s Four Corners. Foodies will love Culinary Corner, where they’ll find baking and cooking supplies from Viking Culinary, as well as a selection of gourmet food items and kitchen accessories. Unique crafts, made by Shipley colleagues, can be discovered in the Community Corner. Hungry shoppers can take a break to grab a cup of homemade soup or a sandwich in the Cuisine Corner. Finally, stop by Collectibles Corner, where someone’s donation may become your new treasure.

Tuyet Wong Bracelet: Black Spinel gemstones, Bali sterling silver, fresh water pearl, mother of pearl, Swarovski crystals.

Becky Snyder Fawcett, cofounder of HelpUsAdopt.org and ’88 Shipley alum, is one of the beneficiaries of this year’s event. HelpUsAdopt.org is a national non-profit financial grant program, formed in 2007, which helps couples and individuals with the high costs associated with adoption. HelpusAdopt.org provides up to $15,000 towards adoption expenses to those who qualify. “Adoption is very expensive. It does not matter who you are or where you live-it is very costly period. An average adoption costs $30,000 and that is just the average. My husband and I felt very fortunate when we adopted our son Jake that we wanted to give back to those who would not have this opportunity,” explained Snyder Fawcett.

You can feel guilt-free about splurging at Shipley Shops because a portion of every purchase benefits The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr. Pictured: Fashion by Charlotte Brody

Snyder Fawcett is considered a Shipley lifer, having attended kindergarten through twelfth grade. Her presence at Shipley Shops will be tied in with Denise Cox of Denise Cox Designs (denisecoxdesigns.com) who is HelpUsAdopt.org’s jewelry partner, and a friend of Becky’s. Don’t miss the booth hosted by Denise Cox Designs, which is donating 5% of sales to HelpUsAdopt.org (100% if you purchase the signature HelpUsAdopt.org bracelet).

Tuyet Wong (tuyetjewelry.com), a former registered nurse, is a very successful jewelry designer based in Radnor who creates distinctive one-of-a-kind pieces using semi-precious stones and freshwater pearls. Wong is part of the local artists and designers who are Shipley Shops regulars year in and year out. “For me, Shipley Shops defines community service and I feel very strongly about taking my time to help out a great school. Of course The Shipley School is a great Main Line school, with outstanding faculty. But, I enjoy participating each year in Shipley Shops because they are always so supportive of local artists and they have helped to put me on the map with so many of my clients,” explained Wong.

SIX SHIPLEY SHOPS’ VENDORS TO SET YOUR SIGHTS ON:

1) CPC Designs, Wayne, PA
www.cpcdesignsinc.com
Spearheaded by Main Line moms magnificent trio of Caroline Linz, Carrie Grau and Gaby Evers, CPC Designs offers fashion forward mix and match designs(moms choose the fabric and trims) for the customized outfits which includes sundresses, courdoroys and overalls.

2) Seabags, Portland, ME
www.seabags.com
Beach bunnies in attendance at Shipley Shops do not want to pass by Seabags! Since 1999, Seabags has been making customized bags out of recycled sails. Each uber-preppy bag is designed and inspired by the sail itself and all vary in texture and fabric.

3) Charlotte Brody Designs, NYC
www.charlottebrody.com
A first time Shipley Shops participant, Charlotte Brody Designs, out of NYC, offers high quality designs in luxurious fabrics such as Italian cashmere, Scottish tweed, linen and silk.

4) Flee Bags, Chicago
www.fleebags.com
Flee is a boutique brand specializing in oilcloth products and designed exclusively for busy women with “on the fly” lifestyles. The Flee product line utilizes oilcloth, most originally known for tablecloths in the 1950′s, and features carry-alls such as handbags, totes, diaper bags, backpacks, laptop carriers, lunch boxes, coolers…and of course tablecloths & placemats.

5) Boxwood Linen, Mount Pleasant, PA
www.boxwoodlinen.com
Boxwood Linen makes and designs decorative home accessories from 100% linen cloth. Table linens, aprons, pillows, guest towels, sachets and other gift items are meticulously handmade in Bucks County, PA in a variety of colors. Their line bridges the gap between European classics and clean modern design.

6) Polka Dots, Paoli, PA
www.shopatpolkadots.com
The popular Paoli boutique offers fashion forward, affordable, fun clothing and accessories.

The 49th Annual Shipley Shops

Denise Cox Designs will be featuring this bracelet at Shipley Shops. Proceeds benefit the charity Helpusadopt.org, which was founded by Shipley alum Becky Snyder Fawcett.

WHEN: October 22-24, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Thurs. & Fri.
10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday

WHERE:
The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA
Shipley’s Yarnall Gymnasium
The Shipley School
814 Yarrow St. Bryn Mawr, PA

Wednesday, October 21
Preview Party 6:00-9:00 pm, Yarnall Gymnasium
All are welcome, $75 single patron

COST: Admission is $10 on Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday, Family Fun Day, Admission is Free.

Open Bar
Featuring innovative and delicious cocktail fare from Bryce’s Catering
All are welcome to attend this fun and festive evening. It is an opportunity to shop and socialize in a casual and exciting atmosphere! Be one of the first to see (and purchase) unique items from our very exclusive vendors from New York, Maine, Washington, D.C. and local vicinities.

Thursday, October 22
Shops Open 10:00-6:00 pm All are welcome
Lower School Parent Get-Together 12:30-2:30 pm-Gather, socialize, and shop!
Shipley Past Parents Tea 3:00-5:00 pm

Friday, October 23
Shops Open 10:00-6:00 pm All are welcome
Shipley Grandparents Coffee 9:30-10:30 am
Middle School Parent Get-Together 12:00-2:30 pm-Gather, socialize, and shop!
Shipley Alumni Tea 3:00-4:30 pm
Shipley Alumni Cocktail Party 5:00-7:00 pm

Saturday, October 24
All are welcome and admission Saturday October 24th is FREE!
Family Fun Day featuring children’s activities and Cradles to Crayons collection

For more information at www.shipleyschool.org/shipleyshops

Fall Apple Picking in the Delaware Valley

AML sent staff photographer Heather Berkenstock of Belle Vie Photography on an apple-picking assignment at Linvilla Orchards, a Delaware Valley fall family tradition for the region. The goal: take her daughters and one of her best friends (and her kiddos) along for a wonderful afternoon filled with hay rides, apple cider, a hay bale maze, apple slinging, cider donuts and most importantly, an adventure in apple picking. “I definitely felt like we needed a whole day there. There is so much to do at Linvillla- my girls loved it. They have everything so well organized with all the activities. We will be going back to pick out our pumpkins,” enthused Berkenstock.

Want to plan a fun fall day out with family and friends? Check out AML’s apple picking guide 2009 below. It’s a great time of year to enjoy all the wonderful orchards and farms the Delaware Valley has to offer and support our fine local businesses that enrich our community.

Linvilla Orchards, Media, PA

linvillaorchards.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ILoveThatPlace
137 W. Knowlton Road
Phone: 610-876-8796
Email: apples@linvilla.com
Details: Linvilla Orchard’s Pumpkinland Harvest Festival runs through November 8th. Larger than life figures and scarecrows illustrate the legends and lure of the harvest season, local history and some of the many stories of pumpkins and apples. Group programs are available for school and camp tours, evening hayrides with campfires and birthday parties.

Hop on a tractor at Linvilla for a harvest hay ride and enjoy a scenic and fun tour of their fields and orchards.

Hayride Hours
Harvest Hayrides: Enjoy a hayride through Linvilla’s scenic fields and orchards with their friendly hayride escort. Every day October 1 thru November 8, Monday-Friday 12:30-4p.m; Saturdays & Sundays 10am-5pm $6 per person

Autumn Moon Hayrides: Hayride followed by a bonfire, marshmallow roasting and apple cider. Oct 2nd thru the 4th; 9 thru 11 & 16 thru Oct 30th; Nov 1st. Weekdays 6 & 7pm Fri, Sat. & Sun. 6-8pm $7 per person

Hayrides to the Witches House: October 9 thru 11 & 16 thru 30 5:30-8pm (Fri. & Sat. in Oct. until 8:30pm)This Hayride visits the friendly Witches House in the woods. She tells stories, jokes and gives all of the kids a treat, followed by a bonfire with marshmallows to roast & apple cider. $8 per person

October Activity Hours at Linvilla

Farm Market & Pumpkinland: Sunday-Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday & Saturday 9am-9pm

Pick Your Own Fall Apples: Open 9am-6pm everyday

Linvilla Orchards Pumpkin Land

Train Rides: Monday-Friday 12:30-4p.m; Saturdays and Sundays 12-5pm; $3 per person

Pony Rides: Saturdays & Sundays 12-5pm; $6 per person

Face Painting: Monday-Friday 10am-3:30p.m; Saturdays & Sundays 10am-6pm; $6 & up

Straw Bale & Corn Mazes: Saturdays and Sundays 10am-5pm; $4 per person, both mazes $6 per person

Apple Sling: Saturdays & Sundays 10am-5pm

Bucks County

Shady Brook Farm,
Yardley, PA
www.shadybrookfarm.com
931 Stony Hill Road
Phone: 215-968-1670
Email: familyfun@shadybrookfarm.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm, Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm.
Details: Shady Brook Farm has tons of family fun for the fall season-a Haunted Attraction featuring the Hayride of Horror, Barn of Horror, Deadtime Stories–Corn Maze in the Dark, and Alien Invasion. We also have a daytime attraction, PumpkinFest, featuring hayrides to the pumpkin patch to pick-your-own, as well as many other festival activities.

Snipes Farm, Nursery and Golf, Morrisville, PA
www.snipesfarm.com
890 W. Bridge Street
Phone: 215-295-1138
Email: info8@snipesfarm.com
Hours: Open Daily 9am to 4pm
Details: Sister and brother team, Susan Snipes-Wells and Jonathan Snipes, manage the family farm. They hold a vision that Snipes Farm is a green jewel in congested lower Bucks County. A love of the land and a spirit of peace guide the Snipes family, and the many dedicated Snipes employees, as they work to keep the farm a beautiful and welcoming place for the public. A lot has changed since James and Joan Moon arrived in Bucks County in 1682, but 323 years later Snipes Farm’s 150 acres of recreation, fruit orchards and ancient trees still welcome visitors. Apple picking is available through Oct. 31st.

Solebury Orchards, New Hope, PA
www.soleburyorchards.com
3325 Creamery Road
Phone: 215-297-8079
Email: mail@soleburyorchards.com
Hours: Thurs to Sunday 9am to 6pm
Details: Solebury Orchards, located in the center of scenic Bucks County, grows peaches, apples, blueberries, raspberries and other fruits. The farm is well known for its high quality fruits which are available from summer through winter at the Solebury Orchards Market. Increasingly popular at the orchard is pick your own, where customers can enjoy themselves surrounded by beautiful fields of berries and orchards. Apple picking is available through Nov. 5th.

Chester County

Milky Way Farm, Chester Springs, PA
www.milkywayfarm.com
521 E. Uwchlan Ave. (Rte. 113)
Phone: 610-363-8500
Email: farmer@milkywayfarm.com
Hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 1-9 p.m.
Details: A family owned and operated dairy farm for over a century, Milky Way Farm can play host to 4,000 visitors on a busy weekend. It’s run by Sam and Melba Matthews, who reside in the charming 1823 farmhouse on the 103 acre property. The farm’s creamery with a delicious selection of ice cream is a popular part of a day at Milky Way.

Highland Orchards, West Chester, PA
www.highlandorchards.net
11000 Marshallton-Thorndale Road
Phone: 610-269-3494
Email: events@highlandorchards.net
Hours: Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm, picking registration ends daily at 5pm.
Details: With over 200 acres of growing crops, Highland boasts twenty varieties of apples. And, you can bet there is plenty of activity this time of year on the farm-from hayrides, a kid korral, scarecrow building and more. Check the orchard blog on their website for daily updates on available apples and upcoming events.

Lehigh County

County Line Orchard, Kempton, PA
www.clorchard.com
9200 Kings Highway
Phone: 610-756-6411
Email: todds@enter.net
Hours: July through October: Fri., Sat. and Sun. 10am to 6pm; November: Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm
Details: Apple picking at County Line runs from September through mid November. Varieties still available for picking include: Melrose, Rome, Ida Red, Suncrisp and Goldrush.

Strawberry Acres, Coplay, PA
www.strawberryacres.com
1767 Clearview Road
Phone: 610-262-8484
Email: upikfruit@verizon.net
Hours: Monday through Friday 9a.m. to 7p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5p.m.; Sunday from 11a.m. to 5 p.m.
Details: Strawberry Acres provides picking containers and rides to the field. No ladders are needed to pick your own fruit. On weekends during the fall, they offer a hayride through the orchard during operating hours. It’s a fifteen minute ride with a beautiful view of Lehigh Gap and the Blue Mountain. They also offer kids crafting events for fun fall crafts to bring home to mom and dad. This takes place at 11 a.m. on Saturdays in September and October in the Johnny Appleseed Schoolhouse. A different craft each weekend – so visitors can come for one or all craft days. Recommended for children ages 5 to 10. Reservation not needed, but preferred for supply purchasing. Minimal fee. Pony Rides: Available to all riders, weekends only! Riders are led by experienced handlers.

For a complete list of locales and times for apple picking across the region, visit: www.pickyourown.org/PAeast.htm

The brains and beauty behind a brilliant business model are Main Line moms and Tymel co-principals Melissa Parker (left) and Tyra Hodges (right).

If there are two idioms that ring true when describing a successful entrepreneurial business model in 2009 it is the following: 1) Necessity is the mother of invention. 2) Timing is everything. With so many Americans astutely aware of reducing their carbon footprint, the green industry is thriving with creative concepts that speak to the nation’s environmentally-cautious consumer. Despite a down economy, all signs point positively towards a growing demand for socially responsible business models.

In the case of Main Line entrepreneurs Tyra Hodges, 45, and Melissa Parker, 40, their invention-fashion forward reusable bags made from recycled materials-was inspired by some timely conversations they had with their children. Hodges was unpacking her groceries one evening in her kitchen last spring when her (then 11-year-old) daughter, Natalie, commented on the amount of plastic and paper she was wasting. Parker had received similar feedback from one of her daughters a few weeks earlier after she completed a school project on the importance of recycling.

Eco-friendly, chic and functional, Tymel’s designs are destined to become the ‘Vera Bradley’ of high-style, reusable bags.

Fast forward a month later when the pair (best friends since 2000 when they met through a social organization) met up for lunch and, in a matter of minutes, a business was born. “There was this very palpable ‘aha’ moment for us for sure that afternoon. We have creative backgrounds and there was this synergy that happened in our conversation. It was almost as if our children had been giving us this innovative idea and it took a lunch date to talk it through. We are both very driven and after that, we were off and running,” explained Hodges.

So Hodges and Parker started ironing out the details of their business model-searching for eco-friendly, fashionable fabrics to use to design a line of hip, preppy reusable bags. And, thus, Tymel Style (a kitschy take on their first names) came to life in August of 2008. “Since ‘green’ does not always mean fashion forward, there were not a lot of attractive fabrics constructed from recycled materials available to make our handbags. It took us quite some time to find a fabric we could work with. But, it was important for us to start there before we ventured into making Tymel bags chic,” said Parker.

Before their roles as co-principals with Tymel Style, LLC, the duo boasted strong corporate backgrounds. Parker, a Duke grad, Manhattan native and mother of three to John William Parker II, 12, nine-year-old Avery and six-year-old Peyton, spearheaded a successful interior design business. While Hodges, originally from St. Louis, holds an accounting degree and an interior design certificate from Temple. The mother of three to 14-year old Danielle and twelve-year-old twins Natalie and Grant, Hodges previously worked as a top pharmaceutical sales rep and ran a prosperous custom invitation company out her home.

According to the EPA, 3.8 million tons of plastic bags and wrap and 720,000 tons of paper bags ended up as waste in 2007.

Tymel’s stylish reusable bags are environmentally friendly, durable, water-resistant and machine washable. “With our design experience, we appreciate texture, color and fabric. These bags offer Main Liners a way to ‘go green’ without sacrificing taste and budget which we carefully constructed based on our research,” explained Parker.

Part of that research included a number of female focus groups invited to their respective homes for an introduction to the line this fall. The participants, who were friendly acquaintances but not close friends, were asked to be frank about their feedback and first impressions. “That was a key part of our business and what we learned from those groups, among many things, is that they expected the size and style of our bags to mimic an actual grocery bag. Having that one-on-one feedback was essential to starting off on the right foot,” explained Hodges.

“Besides growing our business, we want to give back to the community. We feel very blessed for this opportunity,” said Tyra Hodges. Hodges currently serves on the board of Horsham’s Cradles to Crayons.

There are two divisions of Tymel Style—the designer line which will be sold in Main Line boutiques and specialty shops as ideal gifts for baby showers, fashion forward shopping bags or a reusable, pretty tailgating tote. And then there is the exciting corporate side of the business—which will focus on (wedding) hotel guests, fundraisers, trade shows, law firms, pharmaceutical companies and supermarkets. “We will continue to expand our designs and collection with seasonal designs. Children’s lunch bags are an area of growth we will be focusing on and feel that we can develop and really run with,” explained Parker.

Their designs (including a brown and green bamboo graphic and a bright paisley print) are fun, bold and fashionable-think Lilly Pulitzer meets Vera Bradley. And, Tymel’s custom, high quality and stylish reusable bags can carry up to fifty pounds of groceries or shopping items. “We constructed the main design to mimic an actual paper shopping bag-it made sense. So, it’s lean and easy to transport. We’ve put a tremendous amount of time and research into our business because it can’t just be a good-looking product, it has to do the job and hold up,” explained Hodges.

Hodges serves on the board of Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit based in Boston, with a local chapter in Horsham. The charity’s mission is to connect communities in need by providing basic essentials to disadvantaged children from birth to twelve years of age, filtered through social service agencies (shelters, hospitals). “We connected with Tyra last November with our fundraiser on National Family Philanthropy Day. We were looking to have in-kind donations for the 500 guests and Tyra and Melissa worked together for a generous donation. They are very giving with their time and resources–all donated items were packaged in beautiful Tymel bags,” Kelly Clarke, executive director of Cradles to Crayons, explained. Civic responsibility is a part of Tymel Style that both Parker and Hodges believe very strongly in. “This business is bigger than us and its very important for us to give back. So, a portion of the proceeds of each and every bag benefits Cradles to Crayons,” explained Hodges.

Tymel is in negotiations with a number of the country’s top grocery chains to carry their fashion-forward shopping bags that retail for $8. Pictured is Melissa Parker, a Duke University grad and former interior designer.

The duo has been busy networking not only with Philadelphia-based businesses and charities but also major environmental movers and shakers. Hodges and Parker attended the 2009 Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference in Washington, D.C. in February, where they met with New York Times best selling author Van Jones. Jones is best known for his book “The Green Collar Economy.” An activist and think tank fellow, Jones joined the Obama administration in March as a special adviser on green jobs. And, Tymel Style was recently accepted into the Green For All Business Protégé Program-an incubation program focused on mentoring start-up, minority owned businesses.

Close to nine months into their business venture and with a wave of socially conscious consumerism backing up their concept, Hodges and Parker are looking towards a greener future, in more ways than one. “There are so many creative, meaningful concepts Tymel Style can offer, especially within the supermarket industry. Reusable bags are not new, but what we are offering is an entire model based around a marketing philosophy. We can work with the grocery stores on individual campaigns in which, when they carry our bags, we will give back to a charity or cause of their choice. We’re a small company, so everything is customized to work with each project and goal that is suitable for Tymel and our business partners. And last but not least, in addition to reducing your carbon footprint, we are making ‘green’ stylish! Our prints are fashion-forward and attractive so you can certainly be proud to shop on the Main Line with a beautiful Tymel bag over your shoulder,” enthused Parker.

Tymel Style LLC is based in Villanova, PA. The company can be reached via email: info@tymelstyle.com; for order and product inquiries call: 215-653-7339. Check out their website at: www.tymelstyle.com.