Food Trucks. Ah, just hearing phrase is enough to make my ears perk, eyes light up and belly rumble. Unfamiliar to this delightfully delectable world until the last year or so, it’s safe to say I’ve made up for lost time.

The Triangle’s food truck scene has made quite a name for itself over the last few years and rightfully so. Dishing out restaurant-quality food, yet completely mobile, these trucks are able to zip from one location to the next, leaving a slew of satisfied customers in their wake. Many (if not most) proudly utilize fresh and locally sourced ingredients, resulting in a product not only more favorable to your taste buds, but the local economy as well. Locally owned businesses supporting each other? That gets two forks up from this girl.

Now, on to my favorite part… from the heavenly baguette/sausage combos dished up by Baguettaboutit, to the sweet/savory creations from Parlez-Vous Crepe, I love it all. I remember the first time I tried the “Pigs ‘N’ Figs” from American Meltdown – sourdough bread, local goat cheese, figs and speck, topped with a balsamic reduction. After the first bite, I recall there being a where-have-you-been-all-my-life moment. Talk about a good time. Check out the picture up top for a peek as this miraculous concoction.

You know what’s better than one food truck? A bunch. Hence the concept of a “food truck rodeo.” Used to describe when multiple trucks park in the same vicinity, these three words have become synonymous with good times, great people and out-of-this-world cuisine. A perfect trio, if you will. Luckily, I’m not the only one who feels this way; these rodeos happen all the time, many of which have happened at our great events in the community or right down the road from Briar Chapel. Score!

What: Chapel Hill’s Largest Open House

When: April 27-28, 12-6 pm

Where: Briar Chapel
16 Windy Knoll Circle
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Spring has sprung in Briar Chapel – Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming and, best of all, we have a lot of inventory on the ground. Naturally, we decided that this was the perfect time to hold an open house. Not just any run-of-the-mill open house either. This is Chapel Hill’s Largest (and Greenest) Open House. Oh yes, we like to keep things fancy ‘round these parts. I’m sure those of you who know us aren’t all that surprised, right? :)

Anyone who follows the news knows that the residential real estate industry is picking up. Rapidly, in fact. Homes are selling like hotcakes, and available inventory is becoming scarce. Luckily, Briar Chapel has a group of builders that are able to keep up with demand and have tons of move-in ready homes available. Over 40, if you want to get technical. With tons of variety, there’s something for everyone. Townhomes? We’ve got ‘em. Ranch homes? Check. Single-family and custom homes? Yes and yes.

Now, the best part – You get to walk through all of these homes. Every. Last. One. without having to get anyone to unlock it for you. Why, you ask? Because it’s an open house, of course! All you have to do is stop by the Briar Chapel Info Center on your way into the community to pick up a map that indicates where all the available homes are. Easy-peasy. While you’re there, make sure to register to win a $100 gift card to Lowes. Will you be joining us?

Although every home at Briar Chapel is a certified green-built, we love when the Triangle’s annual Green Home Tour rolls around; it’s a chance to showcase what we love and do best – Green! For you newbies, lets start with the basics. The Green Home Tour, which launched in 2006, aims to promote green building techniques and materials. For two weekends out of every year, builders from all over the Triangle proudly display their entries and educate the public regarding the most up-to-date in sustainable building.

This year, Briar Chapel brought its A-game, providing one of the largest number of entries located in a single neighborhood! Seven, to be precise.

Come out and see us April 13-14 and 20-21 from 12 – 5 pm and explore our entries! Sweetening the deal, we’ll be giving away a fantastic wooden Adirondack chair during this event. Now that spring has sprung, it will make the perfect addition to any back yard. Stop by the Information Center for more details.

Saussy Burbank

Homesite 569
68 Owen Towne Road
3 bed/2.5 bath, 1,998 sq. ft.

Homesite 48
22 Tobacco Farm Way
4 bed/2.5 bath, 2,398 sq. ft.

Homes By Dickerson

Homesite 77
688 Bennett Mountain Trace
4 bed/4 bath, 3,201 sq. ft.

Homesite 404
45 Serenity Hill Circle  
2 bed/2 bath, 1,659 sq. ft.

Homesite 189
502 Bennett Mountain Trace
4 bed/4.5 bath, 3,937 sq. ft.

Homesite 723
23 Sagebrush Trail 
3 bed/2 bath

Saussy Burbank, Homesite 569

ForeverHome, Homesite 723

Being “green” is a pretty big deal around Briar Chapel. From the houses we build, to the land we preserve, we factor in the environment into practically every decision. So, it should come as no surprise that we’ve got a lot planned to honor our favorite day of the year – Earth Day. Helping us celebrate is The Abundance Foundation, a local non-profit that loves Mother Nature just as much as we do!

Kicking off the day at 9:30 is a 5k along a USATF certified course. Not only will runners receive a ridiculously soft and comfy race tee for participating, but there will be a DJ spinning all sorts of sweet tunes before, during and after the run. Post-race dance-off, anyone? Anyone?? For those who still aren’t entirely convinced that they want to participate, listen up – All proceeds from the race go to benefit The Abundance Foundation. Essentially, you’re giving back, helping the environment, getting some exercise AND receiving a cool t-shirt! This is a no-brainer, y’all. You can sign up here. For our pint-sized runners, preceding the 5k will be a kid’s fun-run.

Also going on during the race is a mountain bike trail ride, led by Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC). Now, before you start to thinkin’ that you couldn’t possibly hang with these riders, you should know that all experience levels are welcome. Really. This is meant to be a fun ride throughout our trails with the people who know them best. The best part? It’s free! Just be at the Briar Club at 9:30 am with all your gear.

From 11 am – 1 pm, we have an Earth Day Festival planned in our brand new park. I’ve laid out some of the festival’s components that I’m most excited about below, but click here for a more comprehensive list.

• Food trucks Parlez-Vous Crepes, American Meltdown and The Parlour will be dishing out all sorts of yummy goodness (The salted-caramel ice cream from The Parlour is literally life-changing).
• Sample and learn about some of Carolina Brewery’s lesser known beers in a tasting going on throughout the event (they’ll also have their beer truck on-site).
• Rock out to live music from Vintage Hwy’s Band while playing pick-up games like bocce ball, horseshoes and corn hole.
• Remember when you were little and would end up spending more time playing with the large box that the play kitchen you begged and begged for came in than the actual toy? Ok, maybe that was just me, but you get the picture. Anyways, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will be on-site hosting a crazy cardboard construction activity. Basically, they have tons and tons of large boxes that attendees can build things out of – Winding tunnels? Check; Castle? Check…you name it, and you can probably build it. Really cool, right?!

Running a 5K is really easy for some, like our Program and Development Director, Jenny Schnaak.  She hardly breaks a sweat.   For others, like myself…it takes some courage, some preparation and some competition.  It’s really only 3.2 miles, and it is on a beautiful course through Briar Chapel; lots of people are doing it!  You have to turn off the computer, make a running schedule and get your body into shape!  It takes a few weeks before you start looking forward to it, but magically, it does happen where you feel that burst of endorphins. You notice that your day goes smoother on a day that you run.  It is completely worth it!

We are grateful to Briar Chapel for holding this benefit event for The Abundance Foundation.  It allows us to do the things we love to do: programs such as our DIY Sustainability Workshop Series, Children’s Sustainability and Energy Tours, Chatham Chef Challenge. Or, just for fun and to encourage stimulating ideas, we host Pecha Kucha Pittsboro Nights and our new Wild Food and Herbs Market, along with all the other work we do to educate folks regarding local food, renewable energy and community.

Our goal is to introduce people to new topics and encourage them to take the next step, whether that is installing solar panels, getting a “green” job, taking steps to reduce their waste, conserve energy or plant a garden.  We find people are hungry to learn and to make changes to increase their family’s health, their environment’s health and their spirit’s health.

It is all of our responsibility to begin educating ourselves, and I would argue that a healthy lifestyle ties into sustainability.  When your body is in shape, you tend to eat healthier, think clearer, make better decisions, and are happier. Our personal health is connected to our planet’s health.

As many of you may (or may not) know, Briar Chapel now hosts a weekly farmers market! What’s that I hear? Cheers of glee and jubilance?!

LoMo Market, a mobile farmers market, is run by a team of self-proclaimed “farm luvin’ folks who want to connect customers with farm fresh food.” Now that’s something I think we can all get on board with!  How fantastic that Briar Chapel residents can literally walk out their door and have delicious, fresh, local goodness at their feet? (Y’all need to give a Brittany, our activities director, a big high-five for organizing this).

In the same fashion as more traditional farmers markets, LoMo offers not just produce, but also meat, dairy, fish, flowers and baked goods. For those of you a little thrown off by the phrase ‘mobile’ in front of ‘farmers market,’ never fear. As a farmers market connoisseur, I can say first-hand that this place delivers. In fact, it’s pretty nice having everything I could possibly want within arms reach.

“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.”
— Marcus Aurelius

It is only by keeping calm that success comes in life. As a businessperson, mom, student, or a loved one to someone, you can likely relate to this sentiment. Yet, stress is almost revered in our society. And unfortunately, stress is making us sick!

We use substances to manage our stress and moods. In fact, the four top-selling items in grocery stores are all drugs that we use to manage our mood and energy: caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and nicotine.

In self-medicating our stress, we are depleting the adrenal glands, the very glands designed to naturally manage our stress. Additionally, stress that triggers the flight-or-fight response is leading to raised blood sugar, which is leading to inflammation and other diseases by increasing the level of C-reactive protein in the body.

**Don’t space out on my here, I know I am getting technical, but get this...

C-reactive protein is a marker for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and alzheimers. And stress is increasing our levels of C-reactive protein.

To learn effective strategies for reducing your stress and C-reactive protein marker, join me at Briar Chapel's Health-a-Palooza event on February 23 from 11–11:30 am in the Saussy Burbank model in Briar Commons. I’ll show you how to harness the powers of your mind and body to create a calming safe haven in your life—no matter what the world throws at you.

Emily Geizer is passionate about empowering you to change the way you think about food forever. She spent most of her adult life struggling with excess weight and feeling confused about where to start. This led her become certified as a health coach. She now spends her time teaching people like you to use food as their medicine, rather than their poison so that they can maintain their ideal weight, experience an abundance of energy and spontaneous bouts of happiness. Emily is also an early childhood expert and former Montessori teacher. She blends these unique skills to create Whole Family Health Makeovers.

Health-a-Palooza, on February 23, is just around the corner, and my sneakers are biting at the bit with excitement. Health and fitness is something near and dear to my heart, and has always been something that I enjoy. Seriously. While most of my friends binge on Doritos during our movie nights, I’m the one saying “Anyone want to try my kale chips? Anyone?!” So obviously you can imagine how happy I was when the opportunity for a wellness event presented itself.

Told you so! With something to offer every age and level of fitness, you can tailor a schedule to fit your needs. However, you know what doesn’t discriminate against age or fitness level? Cool giveaways. Not only are some of our sponsors holding drawings, but we are also holding a drawing for a $500 wellness certificate for personal training sessions, cool workout gear or a new bike!

Brittany, Briar Chapel’s on-site Activities Director, is a face most residents have grown familiar with. From managing community events, leading after-school kids craft groups or vacuuming out the pools – saying she wears multiple hats is an understatement. Regardless of how much she has going on, however, she’s always smiling.

• You’ve been the Activities Director at Briar Chapel now for almost three years. What did you do before taking this position?
  After graduating from the University of South Carolina, I took an assistant activities director at another community.

• “Activities Director” – Now that’s a title that sounds like fun! What’s the best thing about your job?
  Planning the events and getting to watch everyone enjoy them. I get to interact with all the residents and watch their families grow and evolve. I feel like I’m at the center of it all, and it’s pretty neat.
  
  
• Oh, you definitely plan some cool events. Which has been your favorite?
  The Father-Daughter Dance. The little girls put on cute dresses and their dads dress up in either a suit or tuxedo and come as their ‘date.’ It’s fun to see the dads act silly and play games such as musical hearts, just to make their daughters smile. Everyone who attends loves it.
  
  
• Briar Chapel’s a pretty neat place – What’s your favorite thing about it?
  I love the diversity amongst the residents. They come from all different backgrounds, yet everyone meshes together. It truly is like a huge family out here.
  
  
• Anything else you want Briar Chapel residents to know?
  I’m always open to new ideas! If there’s a club you’d like to start or an event you think would be well-received, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Did you know that Briar Chapel offers a Zumba® class? Open to anyone, not just residents, instructor Tanja Cole makes fitness fun and exciting with cool dance moves and upbeat music, right in the Briar Club! I’ve been hearing such rave reviews about her classes that I decided to have her tell you more...

Come have fun, and secretly get fit too, through Zumba® Fitness Fusion classes right here in Chatham County. These are Latin & international-based "follow the leader" dance party fitness classes that are tons of fun...actually more like exercise in disguise. Now, all classes just $5 cash (or one punch on your punch card). No experience is necessary, so bring a friend and join the party! Simply show up with plenty of water and comfortable sneakers that allow you to move. For more info, find me on Facebook, on the web or email zumbafitnesswithtanja@gmail.com. Some ZUMBA® Fitness benefits include:

* Fits fun into a busy schedule
* Reduces stress and clears your mind
* Burns fat, helping you maintain a healthy weight
* Builds endurance and coordination
* Increases circulation and flexibility
* Strengthens your heart and lungs
* Tones muscles
* Helps you gain confidence on the dance floor
* Enables you to explore your creative side and express yourself through movement

You can find the Zumba® experience at:

Mon 6:15 PM at Horton Middle School (Pittsboro)
Wed 6:15 PM at Horton Middle School (Pittsboro)
Sat 9:00 AM at Briar Chapel Fitness Center (Chapel Hill/Pittsboro)

Namaste,

Tanja

A foodie through and through, I’ve been hearing about Southern Season for years but surprisingly never took the time to visit. Whether it be from friends who attended UNC-CH or co-workers, the consensus is always the same – I absolutely have to go.

“No way,” I thought, “This place can’t be what one friend actually referred to as ‘heaven on earth.’ These people are just being dramatic.” However, after realizing that it’s located only 10 minutes from Briar Chapel, I know that there was no excuse for me not to make a trip. Now, I can honestly say that I’m a believer.

Everywhere I turned was something new to see, smell and taste. Whereas most specialty food stores are small, with a little of this and a little of that, Southern Season has practically anything and everything.

• Cooking classes? Check!
• Gourmet wine selection? Check!!
• Fine china? Check!
• Cookware, chocolate, cookbooks, tastings, and everything-in-between? Super duper check!

I was also very impressed with the selection of local goods. After all, who doesn’t love Chapel Hill Toffee? Not this girl! Just as exciting, there’s a section dedicated to the local Universities, consisting of all sorts of neat branded items. From NC State Turvis Tumblers (GO PACK!) to North Carolina Tar Heels Hot Sauce, even the most fickle fan will find something to their liking.

Often referred to as a “culinary mecca,” Southern Season is more than a store, it’s a destination.  As if the massive 60,000 square/foot space it occupies isn’t enough, there’s even an in-house restaurant: Weathervane.

Whether you need to purchase craft beer, the latest cookbook or simply want somewhere interesting to browse for a while, this is your place. For those of you who are already fans – What do you enjoy most about shopping here?