Southern Maryland Spring Craft and Vendor Fair 2014 This Sunday, May 11th is Mother's Day.  Are you still looking for the perfect gift to surprise your mom?  Take a trip to St Charles this Saturday for the Southern Maryland Spring Craft and Vendor Fair 2014.  They'll have tons of unique options for you to choose from. What: Southern Maryland Spring Craft and Vendor Fair 2014Where: 10405 O'Donnell Pl (behind Boston's Restaurant), St CharlesWhen: Saturday, May 10, 2014 10am to 3pmCost: FREE Admission and Parking More than 30 vendors will be on hand at the Southern Maryland Spring Craft and Vendor Fair 2014.  Is your mom a clothes horse?  Does she enjoy a fine handcrafted piece of jewelry?  Does she need something special to hold all her trinkets in?  Does she love art?  Local Southern Mar... 05/06/2014

To help foster the importance of childhood literacy and reading, St. Charles Towne Center is gearing up to host their annual Simon Kidgits Club Book Blast! Families can enjoy a special read-aloud session of popular modern classics and participate in fun activities that will help bring these stories to life! Children are also invited to bring a new or gently used book to the event to be donated to a local charity, and everyone in attendance will be eligible for drawings to win free books and special prizes! When: Saturday, February 15th, 12-2pmWhere: St. Charles Towne Center in the Simon Kidgits Club areaPrice: FREE for Simon Kidgits Club Members; $5 for nonmembers includes an entire year of fun activities and a Kidgits T-shirt Enjoy a Saturday full of reading with your little one :)    ... 02/11/2014

Paint the mall red in honor of American Heart Month!St. Charles Towne Center invites families and friends to join the ‘Go Red for Women’ Heart Walk & Red Pump Race this Saturday. This second annual event includes an indoor 5K walk, red pump race, prize giveaways, health screenings, wellness speakers and more! A portion of race proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association, and the first 100 shoppers to register at Simon Guest Services after 10:00 a.m. will receive a St. Charles Towne Center Paint the Mall Red goodie-bag. When: Saturday, February 8th, 8am-5pmWhere: St. Charles Towne Center, 11110 Mall Circle, Waldorf, MD 20603How: Registration begins at 8am with tickets starting at $10 Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available.Health screeners, wellness, exercise dem... 02/05/2014

The holiday season is in full swing and the Simon Kidgits Club is keeping the holiday spirit alive with Ho Ho Holiday at St. Charles Towne Center. Little ones and their families are invited to enjoy an afternoon of holiday-inspired crafts, plus more festive activities!   When: Saturday, December 21, 12-2pmWhere: St. Charles Towne Center (Kidgits Play Area)How Much: FREE for Simon Kidgits Club Members - $5 for nonmembers (includes an entire year of fun activities and a t-shirt!)   Celebrate the season of cheer at Kidgits holiday celebration with fun crafts and activities!     (Photo courtesy of Shirley SL via Flickr cc.)   12/19/2013

St. Charles Towne Center and Bowie Town Center have announced their Holiday Shopping hours! Black Friday is quickly approaching and both will have extended hours starting at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening.   Bowie Town Center (15606 Emerald Way, Bowie, MD 20716 / 301.860.1401 / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram)Thanksgiving Day: 8 p.m. – 11:59 p.m.Friday, November 29: Midnight – 10 p.m.Saturday, November 30: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.Sunday, December 1: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. The first 150 shoppers at Bowie Town Center to sign up for the Mobile Shopper Club on Black Friday will receive free swag bags! Registration begins at 6 a.m. in the Food Court.   St. Charles Towne Center (11110 Mall Circle, Waldorf, MD 20603 / 301.870.6997 / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram)Thanksgiving Day: 8 p.m. – 11:59 p.m.Friday,... 11/19/2013

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, St. Charles Towne Center will celebrate and raise awareness with Paint the Mall Pink! *A FREE evening to help support Breast Cancer Awareness. The event will feature health tips, raffle prizes, food sampling, wine tastings and giveaways! Event attendees can expect an evening of fun :) When: Thursday, October 10, 5-7pmWhere: St. Charles Towne Center, Lower level of the Macy's Court For more information visit their Facebook page.     (Photo courtesy of Tips Times via Flickr cc.) 10/09/2013

The Simon Kidgits Club at St. Charles Towne Center is hosting an event to Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz and invites children and parents to join in the fun! At the celebration, families can participate in a variety of imaginative The Wizard of Oz inspired activities to revel in the charming tradition of the YELLOW BRICK ROADTM. Children who attend will receive a map which leads to various stations that feature viewings of The Wizard of Oz film clips, craft-making and coloring activities, cut-out character photo opportunities and exclusive movie-focused giveaways. When: Saturday, September 14th, 2-4pmWhere: Simon Kidgits Club at St. Charles Towne Center “Bringing to life the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz at Simon Malls allows families to experience the magic o... 09/04/2013

Because today is halfway to Christmas (sorry moms :) ) I thought this next event was appropriate to post today. The St. Charles Towne Center and the Simon Kidgits Club will be hosting Christmas in July! Children can practice their cookie decorating skills and participate in fun winter-inspired arts and crafts activities. There will also be door prizes and other fun giveaways (while supplies last). It’s never too early for kids to start their letters to Santa! Kids of all ages are invited to a fun day full of festive cheer with fun giveaways, holiday music and Christmas craft activities.   When: Saturday, July 20th, 12-2pmWhere: Kidgits Play Area in the St. Charles Towne CenterHow Much: FREE for Simon Kidgit Club members; $5 for nonmembers includes an entire year of fun activities and a ... 06/25/2013

Buca di Beppo Italian restaurant is now open at the St. Charles Towne Center! Buca di Beppo serves cuisine inspired by Northern and Southern Italian traditional styles but they also try to create new menu items that go beyond that. On the menu you'll find appetizers, salads, pastas, pizzas, entrées, desserts, beer and fine wine. This restaurant is a little different than other Italian restaurants you may have eaten at. Buca di Beppo serves all their dishes family style. This means that all of their meals are larger portions so you can share with everyone at the table, just like you were at home sitting around the family dinner table! You can order any dish small, which serves 2 or more, or large, which serves 4 or more. Buca di Beppo also has specialty tables that serve bigger parties.... 06/04/2013

St. Charles Towne Center invites kids and their families to learn all about farm animals at the Simon Kidgits Club Barnyard Bash! The event will include arts and crafts, cookie and cupcake decorating and a special appearance by the Chick-fil-A Cow :) When: Saturday, June 15th, 12-3pmWhere: St. Charles Towne Center in the Kidgits Play AreaCost: The event is FREE for Simon Kidgits Club members and is only $5 for nonmembers for an entire year of fun activities! Round up the kids and get ready for some excitement down on the farm!     (Photo courtesy of edenpictures via Flickr cc.) 05/31/2013

Charles County's most popular concert series is back! Come out to O'Donnell Lake every Friday evening to enjoy the bands of the Sunset Concert Festival! There's a variety of local artists and genres so there's something for everyone! When: Every Friday through August 30th, 7pm until duskWhere: O'Donnell Lake in St. Charles, the bands play in the promenade area of the boardwalk The concert is completely FREE! You're encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to sit in and you may bring a cooler but alcohol and glass containers are NOT permitted. Chic-fil-a, along with other vendors, will be there to provide food and soft drinks. For more information and a list of bands visit St. Charles, Maryland's website or facebook.               05/21/2013

Round up the kids and head to the St. Charles Towne Center on May 18th from 12-3pm for the Simon Kidgits Club Lil Chefs event! The hands-on event will engage both parents and children in learning about the craft of cooking and all things food. Families will be able to participate in a variety of food-focused festivities including cooking demonstrations, etiquette lessons, and craft-making with meal items. **Children are encouraged to bring in a non-perishable food item to help those in need** The Simon Kidgits Club is a fun and informative program that focuses on health, wellness, education, safety and entertainment for children ages 3 to 8. This year marks Simon Kidgits Club’s 10th anniversary of serving as a community event staple for kids and parents by rewarding young members for go... 05/14/2013

On Thursday, May 9th, the St. Charles Towne Center will be providing a free evening of relaxation and fun in honor of national Mom's Nite Out! Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an exciting evening filled with refreshments, entertainment, fashion and beauty services, all focused on rewarding Moms.The event will also include makeovers and beauty consultations from Avon, Mary Kay, Sears and other stores. **One lucky mom and her friend will be treated to a trip to Chicago to see Bon Jovi’s “Because We Can” tour at historic Soldier Field on Friday, July 12!** The presenting sponsor of Simon’s Mom’s Nite Out celebration this year is Rethink Varicose Veins. For more information, follow National Mom’s Nite Out on these media channels:Twitter: http://twitter.com/momsniteoutFa... 04/29/2013

St. Charles High School has formally announced the upcoming high school's colors and mascot! According to a press release by the Charles County Board of Education (CCBOE), the colors will be Kelly Green, Navy Blue, and White.  The mascot will be the Spartan. St. Charles High School's Principal, Richard Conley, held a focus group meeting with local parents and students to gain feedback on the selection for the new school, which is due to open in August of 2014. According to Principal Conley: "The choice of the mascot is fitting as well, as historically the Spartans were a proud and strong culture. Pride and strength, whether they be academic, athletic, or simply a reflection of the character represented by the students and staff, are excellent qualities to have in any school" St. Charle... 03/05/2013

St. Charles has been growing for years. In fact, there are currently about 50,000 residents in the area, so what's a few thousand more? The Charles County Planning Commission sat down Monday night and approved a preliminary plan to build (another) new subdivision in St. Charles called Gleneagles South. So how many homes will this new community create? Almost 850! The preliminary plan shows 647 single family homes and 200 town homes, all planned to be located near White Plains regional golf course. Hang on, I know what you're thinking: "Waldorf doesn't need more houses!" Yes, I know, you're absolutely right. The last thing current residents want to see is more new residents. Fortunately, the planning commission is aware of your concerns, and they did address that in the meeting. While th... 09/23/2011

Well, it's official: I survived the Waldorf 5k. I wasn't planning on failing, and I wasn't worried about whether or not I was going to finish. I was worried about whether or not I was going to make it! You see, I made 2 big mistakes with this years race: Mistake #1- I was an idiot and decided to have Burger King for dinner the night before and, Mistake #2- I slept through my alarm and woke up 15 minutes before the start of the race! Now most normal, rational individuals would know better than to chow down at a greasy fast food joint the night before a race. As you can tell, I am not most normal, rational people. I see the sign for an XL steak sauce burger, and I lose all will to be responsible about what I'm eating. Even if there was a sign at the restaurant reminding me: I would have p... 04/19/2010

Runners at their marks! Charles County is having it's first half marathon this weekend. The Saint Charles half marathon is being held at the Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, MD, and the organizers are planning for hundreds of runners to show up and participate. Events like this one are great for Charles County. Although drivers should probably avoid the area around the stadium and Rt. 488 during the event, the half marathon will be a boost to tourism and local businesses. Runners are expected to arrive from several states to participate, and the money they spend will go directly into the local businesses. For those just starting out or looking to enjoy the outdoors with friends, the event is more than just the half marathon: there is also a fun run at the Indian Head Rail Trail and... 04/17/2010

    How hard it is to pre-qualify or pre-approve a borrower now than it was 2 years ago?  Some would say much harder. I would agree and disagree. Here is why.... Let's put aside the appraisal issues, the mortgage insurance issues, credit scores, and several other factors, because those would be some of the main reasons why it is harder to approve someone. I just wanted to dwell on the basics that so many seem to forget or overlook. I bring this up because Lenn Harley wrote a blog last week, Qualifying borrowers is not rocket science, which has received 200 + comments. If you haven't read this, I suggest you do.       When I asked which came first, the chicken or the egg, my basic point that I would like to make is whether a borrower should be qualified to the maximum purchase price or t... 05/18/2009

    Can lower mortgage interest rates play tricks on your mind? Does it help when the government advertises that they want to lower the interest rates to the low 4's? Are you sitting on the fence, waiting for these promises to happen? Here is a great example of how you might do yourself some wrong, just because one interest rate sounded better than the other.....   I was referred a client last week who wanted to do a zero point refinance, because he will only be in the house for 3 years at the most. He was originally getting 5.375% from Wells Fargo and the best I could do was save him $980 in fees, yet keep the same rate. He decided to use me and proceeded with the mortgage. Two days later, I called him up and said that rates have dropped considerably and would you like to lock in. I wa... 03/26/2009