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        <title>Huntsville, Al Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/2018-02/</link>
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    <guid>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/adventure-boot-camp-offers-motivational-fitness-programs-for-huntsville-women.html</guid>
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        <author>leadrouter@mattcurtisrealestate.com (Matt Curtis)</author>
        <title>Adventure Boot Camp Offers Motivational Fitness Programs for Huntsville Women</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Ladies, if you’re looking for an exercise program focused on permanent results and without all the tough guy bluster we all imagine when we hear the words “boot camp”, look no further than Huntsville Adventure Boot Camp for Women


ABC, run by program director and coach Joe Martin, has facilities in Huntsville and Madison. They also operate in the Harvest/Monrovia area, with their own head coach Deborah Thomason.


The boot camp is billed as “a four-week outdoor program of fitness instruction, nutritional counseling, and motivational training”. Each week most groups meet Monday-Friday, with each day’s session lasts one hour, however there are 3- and 4-day a week alternatives as well. Participants can expect to engage in core conditioning, short distance running, hiking, yoga, obstacle courses, and more, including some surprises





Though nominally a boot camp, ABC promises none of the obnoxiously competitive atmosphere, attitude, or humiliation that keep so many people away from the gym. Instead, they promise you’ll be held accountable for your fitness goals, but in a friendly, fun environment where women can feel safe from harassment. Program registration runs about $300 for the 4-week, 20-hour option, working out to around $15 an hour. ABC are supremely confident you’ll be won over, as they offer a $99 new member special for the same 4-week program.





Adventure Boot Camp is also a Matt Curtis Real Estate Rewards Member 


By: Stephen Locke


Stephen Locke grew up in north Alabama, and returned to find a beautiful wife and East Limestone mutt to call family, after years of toil and revelry afar, and having absorbed the lesson, &quot;Don'tcha think, sometime's it's wise not to grow up?&quot; His true loves include waterfalls, houseplants, architecture, photography, basketball, and whistling along to his favorite guitar solos.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Mon, 26 Feb 2018 11:13:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/stephens-gap-jackson-countys-hidden-gem.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/stephens-gap-jackson-countys-hidden-gem.html</link>
        <author>leadrouter@mattcurtisrealestate.com (Matt Curtis)</author>
        <title>Stephens Gap, Jackson County’s Hidden Gem</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Continuing our series of pieces on easy, outdoorsy day trips from the Huntsville area, this week I’m having a mixed bag of feelings on sharing Stephens Gap. Somewhat like a teenager who thinks their favorite band is cooler the fewer people that know them, there can be a twinge of guilt letting people in on a place like this, and I suppose I could rationalize it by wondering if someone wound up going and leaving garbage on the trail because they heard about someplace from me.


But, it’s a bummer to feel that way and much nicer to excitedly urge the sure footed among you to check out the natural wonder of Jackson County’s Stephens Gap cave. Protected by the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, and located a little over half an hour from Huntsville, Stephens Gap is one of the most stunning caves in north America.





 


Before I go any further, ya gotta know that an 18 year old man died in this cave a few years back. For glory and photo ops, the adventurous love to rappel down to a tall formation known as “The Pedestal”, from which a deadly fall is all too easy. You need a permit to visit the cave, but they’re free and can be obtained here: scci.org/preserves/stephens-gap-callahan-cave-preserve/


After you get your permit, you’ll receive detailed directions to the trailhead parking lot. The out-and-back hike to the cave is two miles, round trip. It’s rocky and a bit on the wilder side, but to my memory the change of elevation isn’t too bad and overall it’s a light-to-moderate hike.


The day my wife and a friend of ours went, the only other visitors were setting up to rappel down into the 140 ft. pit. We took advantage of the short walk-in (well, it’s a scree, so you’re scramblin’) passage to get what amounts to the most spectacular view of a cave I’ve had, for the least cost, with the least other people around to spoil the experience (see, there’s that thing).


  


The permit is basically the Conservancy’s way of assuring no plausible deniability that you were warned not to attempt any sort of amateur hot dogging in a place so potentially unforgiving of careless mistakes. But really, if you’re in decent shape and have your wits about you, do take a few hours and go see one of Alabama’s most dramatic natural wonders, and a true underground jewel, under an hour from the Rocket City.


By: Stephen Locke


Stephen Locke grew up in north Alabama, and returned to find a beautiful wife and East Limestone mutt to call family, after years of toil and revelry afar, and having absorbed the lesson, &quot;Don'tcha think, sometime's it's wise not to grow up?&quot; His true loves include waterfalls, houseplants, architecture, photography, basketball, and whistling along to his favorite guitar solos.


 
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 24 Feb 2018 11:38:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/madison-academy.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/madison-academy.html</link>
        <author>leadrouter@mattcurtisrealestate.com (Matt Curtis)</author>
        <title>Madison Academy</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
We here at Rocket City Local have referenced Huntsville’s growth many times. Much of the movement into Huntsville is related to our growing tech and aerospace industries. However, one thing that families must consider when assessing a move for work is the quality and availability of high quality schools for their children. Considering this, the growth of the city is a testament to the quality of schools in the area, and Madison Academy is one such school.





The School


Madison Academy is a “Christian-based private school” with AdvancEd and National Christian School Association accreditation. The academy combines an academic curriculum with a spiritual foundation to provide a balanced education. Madison Academy is a member of the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and is one of 5 schools in the Huntsville area certified to host foreign exchange students.


Academics


Madison academy spans the entirety of a child’s education. From preschool to their senior year Madison Academy can ensure that your child will have the opportunity to receive a quality education and prepare themselves for college and employment.


Little MA




PK3 &amp; PK4


Kindergarten and 1st Grade




Elementary 




2nd Grade


3rd Grade


4th Grade


5th Grade


6th Grade




High School


I feel that this excerpt from MAs website says more about their upper-level academic program and administration than I ever could…


“…no cookie-cutter education can possibly meet the needs of all students, who each have unique gifts, skills, and interests.  That is why we offer an academic foundation that prepares our students for the inevitable standardized tests they must conquer and also provides them opportunities to follow the academic pathways that align with their future goals. Choices in all of the core disciplines–English, math, science, and social science–allow our teachers to tailor our academic offerings to match the various skill levels and interests of our students.”





This is, I believe, an exceedingly preferable, and empathetic approach to education that I don’t often hear. Giving students the ability to make a decision about what they learn while maintaining the basic elements of a western education is instrumental in ensuring they enjoy and grow during their High School years.


By: Josh Holland


Josh Holland is a writer who currently studies writing and literature at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Previously, Josh attended the University of North Alabama in Florence where he also studied writing. While attending UNA, Josh had articles published in both SET Magazine and The Flor-Ala. Josh was also published in the UNA Lights and Shadows Literary Arts Magazine, which focuses on fiction. Josh has experience as a video editor, and often writes scripts for online, text-based video content.


 


 


 
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2018 16:15:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/matt-curtis-lends-a-hand-with-habitat-for-humanity-in-nicaragua.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/matt-curtis-lends-a-hand-with-habitat-for-humanity-in-nicaragua.html</link>
        <author>leadrouter@mattcurtisrealestate.com (Matt Curtis)</author>
        <title>Matt Curtis Lends a hand with Habitat For Humanity in Nicaragua</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Matt Curtis from Matt Curtis Real Estate, Inc. has spent the last week in Nicaragua, Central America, working with the country’s capital city of Managua’s local Habitat for Humanity chapter to build a house for a family in a nearby village. Matt Curtis Real Estate builds a home for a family in need for every 100 houses sold, and this is the first of 60 homes planned to be built in Nicaragua this year, with much of the summer slated for construction.


Between the build, meeting the mayor of Managua and the national Habitat for Humanity director, and buying ice cream for the entire village, Matt’s been a busy guy this past week.





Frank, the director of Habitat for Humanity in Nicaragua, joined in a Facebook live session with Matt to thank home buyers in the Tennessee Valley who, by using Matt Curtis Real Estate for their Rocket City real estate needs, have helped ensure that dozens of families living in poverty will have quality new houses to call home this year. Frank said the national need for low-income housing grows by over 20,000 citizens a year.


   


Construction on last week’s build wrapped up sooner than expected, and Matt had a chance to help a neighbor with his home’s foundation repair efforts, with time still left over to visit a local cigar factory, which accounts for a big chunk of local employment. He even got a chance to buy all the kids ice cream again. 





Matt Curtis Real Estate, Inc. donated the funds to build 40 homes in Nicaragua in 2018 and has already pledged their involvement in the program for 2019 as well. This build trip was the beginning of the process for 2018 to be a part of building one of the homes, and Matt will be returning to Nicaragua in August 2018 after all of the homes are completed to see them in their final state. Stay tuned for future updates on MCRE’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua and his charitable work in this beautiful country, and check us out on Facebook for updates throughout the year


By: Stephen Locke


Stephen Locke grew up in north Alabama, and returned to find a beautiful wife and East Limestone mutt to call family, after years of toil and revelry afar, and having absorbed the lesson, &quot;Don'tcha think, sometime's it's wise not to grow up?&quot; His true loves include waterfalls, houseplants, architecture, photography, basketball, and whistling along to his favorite guitar solos.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2018 11:38:00 -0600</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
    <guid>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/green-leaf-thai-and-sushi-bar.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.mattcurtisrealestate.com/HuntsvilleAlRealEstateBlog/green-leaf-thai-and-sushi-bar.html</link>
        <author>leadrouter@mattcurtisrealestate.com (Matt Curtis)</author>
        <title>Green Leaf Thai and Sushi Bar</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Oddly enough, Thai restaurants are few and far between so it Is always nice to find a restaurant that specializes in Thai food and not a “fusion” that incorporates Thai qualities. The cuisine of Thailand is spicy, deceptively simple, and light. Luckily, Decatur has a Thai restaurant that is as close to Thai food as you can get without hopping on an airplane.





Menu Items


Green Leaf has modestly priced meals with a wide variety of flavors and spices from which to choose. Their list of curries are unique and varied from mild for the uninitiated to extremely spicy for the experienced. Green Leaf also has an impressive sushi selection that from Nigri Sushi to Sashimi. If you are a sushi lover Green Leaf is definitely the place for you.





Specials


Green Leaf has both a lunch special and a weekly special. Each special offers a different combination of meals.


Weekly Specials:  Monday &amp; Wednesday: (1) Appetizer, (2) Entrees-$19.95; Tuesday &amp; Thursday: Sushi Specials-$9.25 and up


The weekly specials begin at 4:30pm and continue to close. For menu items included in the specials offer check out the menu.


 


Lunch Specials


These specials are available from Monday through Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm. The lunch specials give you many options with prices ranging from just $2 for the soup of the day to $8.95 for the tilapia.





 


Green Leaf Thai &amp; Bistro is a proud participate of the MCRE Rewards Club 


By: Josh Holland


Josh Holland is a writer who currently studies writing and literature at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Previously, Josh attended the University of North Alabama in Florence where he also studied writing. While attending UNA, Josh had articles published in both SET Magazine and The Flor-Ala. Josh was also published in the UNA Lights and Shadows Literary Arts Magazine, which focuses on fiction. Josh has experience as a video editor, and often writes scripts for online, text-based video content.


 
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 11 Feb 2018 15:17:00 -0600</pubDate>
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