A Fresh Approach to the Welcome Wagon

I wrote this artice for Skagit & Whatcom Living Magazine. Writing for local newspapers and resource guides introduces your business to a wider audience. It is so fun to see your name in print on a glossy magazine cover!

Written Jul 13, 2009, read 160 times since then.

Providing knowledgeable care for your family takes time and energy. Over the years you build relationships with those that care for you and your children. When you are new in town, you get the kids registered for school, change your mail address, determine which day is garbage day and get signed up for local telephone and utilities. Now comes a new challenge of finding fresh local food, community resources, greener options for goods and services for everyday purchases. You might even want to plan day trips and fun ideas for enjoying our region’s natural resources with health and sustainability in mind.

Leading the way in this endeavor used to be the newspaper with local kids museum happenings, organizations and community listings, ads for the local dentist and doctor, community service organizations meeting times and place. Asking your neighbor for a word of mouth referral also used to be a key introduction to your new community but we all live our lives differently and you don’t necessary like her hairstyle. So now what?

Breathe deep…

With the current explosion of information online, just google Skagit Valley and see what happens. You’ll notice many paid sites are for local businesses to have some exposure. www.skagitvalley.com has a business directory, local resources, even a ferry schedule. www.goskagit.com has news and blogs, classifieds, local coupons and e-savers, www.naturalchoice.net is featuring holistic small businesses, even listings of local farmers markets. If you need a birthing coach, an acupuncturist, naturopathic care, bowenwork for the headache you are beginning to notice, or massage and reflexology, then here is your site.

Your new community has a distinctive flavor; quirky and unique. Check out www.laconnerchamber.com, this waterfront village is fifteen scenic minutes off I-5. Named for an early settler, Louisa Ann Conner, her 840+ inhabitants come alive in April with the Kiwanis Not-So-Impromptu Tulip Festival Parade. Create a theme and enroll your kids and family dog in the parade. Walk the town from Morris Street all the way to Commercial. Even at that slow pace takes 10 minutes! Enjoy viewing the 101+ things to do in La Conner which includes having bodywork done in La Conner Wellness Center. A plug for my spa boutique location!

The whole valley does come alive with green things shooting out of the ground. In mid March acres of daffodils abound and then the tulips begin to emerge from tight-fisted bulbs in April. www.tulipfestival.org/ helps you navigate the 26th annual celebration of the tulip, the local weather forecast, and driving fun such as the Cascade Loop scenic highway. Explore the entire Loop, or just a day’s worth! www.anacortes.org encourages you to “Buy Close By” and lists food, shopping, and things to do in the self appointed “crown jewel of Fidalgo Island”. Skagitonians to Preserve Farmlands www.skagitonians.org link to the Farmstands-Spring and Summer Produce Listing that directs you to savor the seasonal produce at small local veggie and berry farms around the valley. Drink in the wonderful people and produce. There is always something to learn about and pet for the kids; goats, dogs, cats, sheep, cows, assorted llamas or alpacas. Which brings me to the www.festivaloffamilyfarms.com. You will be encouraged to jot down in the day-timer this fabulous 11th annual October event for the whole family. A weekend event with 12 farms to visit, educational farm tours and hay rides, see Clydesdale horses, alpacas, longhorn Highland cattle and dairy cows. For a city kid like myself, the sights and sounds of soft fluffy animals is just pure joy! The slogan: Acres of Fun for Everyone, make it a Skagit County Weekend! A printable map with directions is available on the site. If you are a bicycle-loving family, the farm tour by bike is a great family event.

Plan ahead! Visit the many online features of these websites before leaving home. Arrive with confidence, knowing where to go for a healthy meal, a local farm co-op, a health service, or many other wholesome and affordable diversions for family camaraderie. Skagit Valley has it all!

Joan Barlow, Licensed Esthetician, Native Springs, La Conner.WA

Learn more about the author, Joan Barlow.