Making meatloaf in stilettos: Greenville offers plenty of fun for friends

I've always thought that I have had the best of both worlds. The first part of my life was spent being raised in New York and the second half living in North Carolina. The older I get, the more I can appreciate living in a town like Greenville. In the past five years, Greenville has undergone some changes that now make it a fun, engaging city. I can now honestly say that I can enjoy many of the same luxuries that many of my "city friends" enjoy, without all the traffic!

Being able to enjoy some downtime is super important to busy moms, leaving you refreshed and allowing you to be a better mom. Everywhere you look now, you see all of the Hollywood moms on the go enjoying the latest trends in our ever-changing pop culture. Today, you don't have to be a celebrity to have a great social life. All it takes is a little creativity.

For example, on one of my favorite shows, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," the ladies organized a photo shoot with a popular local photographer. After the photos were completed, they had a party to celebrate the launch of their "Alter-Ego" photo diary. With so many great photographers in the Greenville area, a Glam Gal photo shoot with a funky theme would be a great way for girlfriends to get together and have a little fun.

Over the summer, I had two photo shoots — one with a group of girlfriends and one with my family. The girls and I got together, ordered appetizers from one of our favorite local restaurants and topped the evening off with cocktails at The Lounge at Chefs 505.

Shopping in Greenville has also become increasingly more popular. I am amazed at the number of my girlfriends who travel to Greenville to come shopping.

The Down East Holiday Show (this year scheduled for Nov. 6-8) at the Greenville Convention Center is a great way to kick off the holiday gift-giving season. I love shopping bonanzas like the Down East Holiday Show because they allow you to find such a variety of items that may not otherwise be available in our city. At events such as these, you may find the items you see in your favorite magazines. Many trade shows are now even featuring vendors who offer travel packages to the hottest vacation spots on the map: a Mom's dream come true.

Be careful not to overlook opportunities like trade shows and other outings with your girlfriends. You may be missing out on a golden opportunity to transform your ordinary life in Greenville to a chance to make Greenville into your hot bed for tons of fun!

Evelyne Del Billingslea is a 30-something entrepreneur and Army wife. She is a former ECU Pirate who enjoys sharing the details of her life on her blog "Are We There Yet" (http://arewethereyet-thejourneyitself.blogspot.com/) Evelyne and her husband live in Winterville with their 11-year-old son.