Nov 04

More Products Local to Rhode Island

By admin | Inside Rhody, shopping

Iggy’s Doughboys & Chowderhouse

If you’ve spent a fair amount of time in The Ocean State, you likely know about Iggy’s Doughboys & Chowderhouse. They’re a casual, family friendly restaurant serving sandwiches, chowder, fried clams, and fish platters. Iggy’s doughboys are best described as a fritter and they’re a very popular side dish. They can be served plain or sprinkled with powdered sugar or sugar and cinnamon for dessert. As for the chowder, it’s available in both red and white varieties, as well as Rhode Island style (clear). Everything on the menu is inexpensive and served promptly – a great place for a fun meal! If you can’t get to Iggy’s, they’ve just instituted an online store where you can order gift baskets, novelty items, clam cake mix, Iggy’s chopped clams, doughboys, and more.

www.iggysri.com | (401) 737-2895

FurrFighters

Anyone who owns a pet knows excess shedding pet hair is part of the bargain. That’s why we were so pleased to discover a Rhode Island made product called FurrFighters. Developed by local firefighters, FurrFighters are excess pet hair removal products that work by simply swiping over a targeted area. FurrFighters are available in gloves and furniture brushes and a clever pocket sized. They clean the pet hair off any hard surface, and work like a charm not only on cats and dogs, but car seats, blankets, and more and a firm tap allows for quick and easy disposal. Check out their website for details and more!

www.furrfighters.com | (401) 440-7371

Poblano Farm Salsa and Sauce

South Kingstown is home to Poblano Farm, a family run operation that has been making quite a name for themselves for their line of salsas and pasta sauce. Poblano Farm is best known for their three salsas – Roasted, Chipotle, and Mild, which have been featured on the Cooking Channel along with their signature pasta sauce. The pasta sauce features farm grown tomatoes and no added sugar. Taste the delicious sweetness of Rhode Island grown tomatoes and see why they’re sought out all over New England! You can find Poblano Farm products at select markets in The Ocean State as well as online at their website’s store.

www.poblanofarm.com | (401) 261-5716

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Nov 04

0

The Personnel People Staffing & Recruiting

By admin | business, Inside Rhody

Put Our Expertise To Work For Your Business!

People are the greatest asset behind every business. Finding quality staff takes a lot of time, patience and valuable resources. Many businesses do not have the time to recruit candidates for positions with their companies as they are often focused on business operations. When time is limited, and qualified candidates are difficult to find during a strong economy, companies often reach out to staffing and recruiting firms to assist with the search process. That’s where the Personnel People come in.

The Personnel People is an owner-operated, Rhode-Island based staffing and recruiting firm that has been operating in Rhode Island since 1981. The recruiting division is made up of individuals who are dedicated to sourcing qualified candidates for clients. They hire for a variety of professional positions and industries.

The Personnel People placement areas include legal, accounting, administrative, human resources, marketing, and management. Whether you need a CFO, an Executive Assistant, Office Manager, or an Attorney, The Personnel People has the experience required to guide you through the process of finding a candidate that is the “perfect fit.”

The recruiting team works with you to thoroughly understand your business and staffing needs. They provide direct-hire, temporary-to-hire and temporary staffing and recruiting services for businesses. If you are looking to learn more about the Personnel People, contact them at 401-273-2500 or email them at joyce@thepersonnelpeople.com, and they will put their staffing expertise to work for your business!

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Nov 04

1

Taste Buds Kitchen

By admin | food, Inside Rhody

Little Rhody Is So Awesome!

Ann Wiard, owner of Taste Buds Kitchen (TBK) in East Greenwich, Rhode Island is all about having fun with people from ages 2 to 99 as they make delicious food and learn a valuable life skill. People enjoy her cooking classes, celebrations (such as birthdays, showers, bachelorette parties, anniversaries and reunions) and corporate events.

Some of Ann’s favorite events included a:

Chef’s challenge as part of a corporate meeting in which teams competed to make the best Handmade Ravioli.

Birthday cooking and dance party for 6- and 7-year-old children which made Pizza and Unicorn Cupcakes.

A sushi party for adults.

Originally from Ohio, Ann spent a year in AmeriCorps in the DC area prior to moving to Rhode Island to manage a soup kitchen in Bristol, RI. While managing the kitchen she earned her MBA at Providence College. After earning her MBA she chose combine her degree with her love of working with children, adults and cooking. Purchasing a TBK franchise provided her with the opportunity to get started working with children and adults almost immediately, rather than needing to spend excessive amounts of time organizing the business.

Ann offers the following recommendations:

Parents (and spouses) of picky eaters:

Have the picky eaters find a new vegetable at the grocery store. Once you return home have them help you prepare it.

If the picky eaters don’t like something ask them why. Was it the texture, the smell, the color, the sweetness or the spiciness?

Be sure to offer positive reinforcement and thank them for trying something new. Ann reports that after she uses positive reinforcement in her cooking classes parents have said “I can’t believe you got my kid to eat butternut squash. They even ask for it at home now.”

Try to get one picky eater (in a group) to try something new. If they like it others will follow.

When planning events don’t overthink the details. Don’t stress out over the small details. Focus on having fun.

Do things together as a family. Experiences may provide better opportunities than buying gifts to create lifelong memories.

Please check out Ann’s website at https://tastebudskitchen.com/east-greenwich/. For further information and recommendations please contact Ann by email (eastgreenwich@tastebudskitchen.com) or by telephone (401.885.0535). Ann will be pleased to speak with you about food, cooking classes and special events.

I would like to thank Industrial Consultant Dr. Margarita Posada Cossuto for helpful comments.

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Nov 04

0

2 Local Small Business Owners | 2 Best Friends

By admin | automotive, Inside Rhody

From first grade to now, Ronnie Morency and Steve Filippou have shared everything, from holiday meals to tips & secrets on how to run a small business in Rhode Island. Although their businesses are in different industries, Ronnie owning Ronnie’s Professional Services and Steve owning Twisted Pizza, these two entrepreneurs continue to share the same love for friendships, family, hobbies and cars.

On their unusual time off from running their businesses you can find Ronnie in his 2006 Mustang GT Convertible and Steve in his 2005 Mustang GT Convertible going out for a cruise with their families. Ronnie’s 2006 Mustang has been completely customized, including methanol injection, a Saleen supercharger, performance cams, coil packs and more. The car is pushing about 675 HP at the crank and about 460 HP at the rear wheels. This Mustang has about 13,000 original miles from when Ronnie bought the car from Flood Ford. Steve’s 2005 Mustang has a Vortech Supercharger, a water intercooler, ported heads, headers, methanol injection, GT500 suspension and more. The engine is actually a 5.0 liter stroker. For power, this Mustang is making about 800 HP from the motor, and about 675 to the rear wheels. Steve bought the car pre-owned with about 14,000 miles, and the car only has 19,000 miles on it now. This car was also originally from Flood Ford. While our team was interviewing both Steve and Ronnie, it was easy to hear and see their passion for these two cars. Their dedication to their sport translates into running a successful business in a small state.

The smaller the market the bigger the competition… and with Rhode Island being the smallest state, both businesses have faced individual growing pains that not many other states have to face. Like their cars, they put every piece of what they’ve got into making sure their customers are satisfied.

Aside from keeping their current customers happy, they gain new ones mostly by word-of-mouth and recommendations. “Your business succeeds based on who you know.” Fortunately, since Ronnie and Steve are such good friends and not in competition, they are able to share a network of loyal Rhode Island customers.

Running an entire business is not your typical 9-5 job, but somehow they make it work, and they do it while juggling their busy lives back at home. They have formed a friendship over the years that you don’t see often. From going camping with their wives and kids to spending their weekends together, they are lucky to have each other as a support system throughout all their milestones in life. They are also lucky to count on one another when they want to go for a ride in their Mustang’s!

To learn more about Twisted Pizza, visit https://gettwistedpizza.com/.

To learn more about Ronnie’s Professional Services, visit https://www.pumpitoutri.com/.

We would also like to say a special thank you to Flood Ford in East Greenwich for letting us use their facility while performing the front cover shoot and gathering the article information. Flood Ford is a strong supporter of small business in the Ocean State, as well

as a strong supporter of incredible, custom cars like these two Mustangs.

Photography provided by Michelle Lee Photography

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Oct 07

0

Products Local to Rhode Island

By admin | Inside Rhody, shopping

Stella Marie Soap Company

Stella Marie Soap Company has been delivering handmade soap to the world since 2007. Located in Warren, they make a wide variety of soaps for both women and men. Their soap is environmentally friendly with no emulsifiers or artificial ingredients like most mass produced soap. Most unique are their fruit and vegetable soaps. Choose from Cucumber Slumber, Banana Smoothie, Avocado Dreaming, Tropical Rescue, and more. Stella Marie Soap also offers massage bars, body scrubs, gift sets, and a line called Rhode Island Bath and Body. This line features soaps and lip balms inspired by some of the state’s favorites. You’ll find a soap called “Home Brewed”, made with Rhode Island brewed coffee and Autocrat Coffee Syrup, and “Last Call”, a beer based soap made with the iconic Narragansett Lager! Visit their website to see all their unique bath and body products!

www.stellamariesoap.com | (617) 803-8622

Silk Tree Farm

Located in Little Compton, this sustainable farm pasture raises a variety of goats, chickens, and hogs on property that is under a conservation easement with the Nature Conservatory. They believe in heritage breed conservation, sustainability, conserving our food system, and raising happy healthy animals. Silk Tree Farm offers goat milk soap bars in various scents, including peppermint, sandalwood, and eucalyptus mint among others. They also offer an enticing collection of soy wax candles, poured right on the farm and featuring a burn time of 80 hours each. Ideal as a Rhode Island made gift! Check out their site for all the details and place an order today!

www.silktreefarm.com | (401) 207-9474

North Light Fibers

North Light Fibers is a Micro Yarn Mill that produces high quality handcrafted minimally processed yarns made 100% on Block Island! They hand weave and knit garments and home decor items from hand made yarn. Among their many truly local products are baby blankets, throw rugs, hats, gloves, and other knit and woven items. Several sizes and colors of rugs, throws, and place mats are available. Any would look great in your home! Click through to their website to learn more about their products as well as Block Island.

www.northlightfibers.com | (401) 466-2050

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Oct 07

0

Kayla Zarrella Wardrobe Stylist

By admin | Inside Rhody, style

Did you know that 80% of what you have hanging in your closet you DON’T wear? Kayla Zarrella, a top wardrobe stylist and personal shopper in Rhode Island, has a natural ability for aesthetics. Whether you are looking for an every day outfit, business professional looks for work, or a dress for a wedding you have coming up next month, Kayla excels in private styling and is a pro at building peoples wardrobes. Kayla inspires you to be the best version of yourself while catering to her clients individual needs.

“The Closet Edit” consists of Kayla going through your entire wardrobe and evaluating each piece according to style, fit and trend. During this one-on-one consultation, Kayla determines which pieces to keep, what pieces to sell and what to donate. With the existing pieces, Kayla will advise how to wear and restyle your wardrobe by creating a refreshed new look. At the end of the consultation, she will take your donated items to local charity drop off and send you the tax receipt.

Do you feel like you are so consumed with work and your children, that you cannot seem to get out of the house and go shopping? Kayla offers a Personal Shopping Service where she figures out your wardrobe goals and needs and custom tailors a shopping trip that fits your budget and lifestyle. She will find you pieces that encourage you to go outside of your fashion comfort zone! Now eliminate those stressful hours of shopping and count on Kayla to find you pieces that ensure you feel confident and polished!

Packing tends to be the least exciting part of any travel excursion. However it doesn’t have to be an irritating, dreadful process! Kayla’s Packing Service can help create your looks based on the aesthetic and vibe of the trip you have coming up. She helps customize your wardrobe itinerary according to the destination, weather, and events you will be attending.

Kayla Zarrella aims to help people gain self-confidence and feel their absolute best, no matter what their lifestyle may be. Discovering one’s own personal style is a journey in itself and with Kayla, you no longer have to navigate it alone! Check out her website & what she has to offer at www.kaylazarrella.com and reach out for your consultation with Kayla today!

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Oct 03

0

Get Your Pink On And Bowl For A Great Cause

By admin | activities, Inside Rhody

Fight the Fight, Find the Cure

With Breast Cancer awareness month right around the corner the community is coming together to host events to raise recognition and funds to help find a cure. Breast cancer has touched many individuals, including Carl DeRosa, Lang’s Bowlarama general manager. In April of 2009, Carl lost his mother, Carol, to a long fight of breast cancer. Carol adored her family, you could often find her cooking amazing meals for her beloved husband, Carlo, her four children, and grandchildren. Carol spent her entire life helping others, especially those in need. She constantly was donating to different charities, which is why Lang’s Bowlarama has partnered up with Elvira’s Gift For Hope Foundation, to host two fundraising events in Carol’s honor.

Elvira Protano is a Brest Cancer Survivor who founded Elvira’s Gift For Hope Foundation to help women affected by Breast Cancer. Her fundraising efforts help support families by assisting with housing payments, utility bills, child care, transportation for medical treatments and more! Dedication from women like Elvira are the reason why our hope stays strong that one day we will find a cure!

Wear pink and get a raffle ticket to be entered to win a Pizza Bowl!