SPEAKER_01: 0:00

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SPEAKER_00: 0:22

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SPEAKER_01: 0:50

And I love that Cambridge doesn't treat this like a transaction. It's a relationship. You're matching caregivers who truly care with families who need peace of mind and expect the best. If your gut is telling you it's time, don't wait for a crisis. Visit Cambridge Caregivers.com or call 214-649-9922. That's 214-649-9922. Cambridge Caregivers, trusted in-home care, right here in the neighborhood. And joining me today is one of the co-chairs, Kelly Ojita. If you've ever walked through these beautifully decorated homes, you know this event is so much more than gorgeous interiors. It's a community effort that directly supports Armstrong and Bradfield elementary schools, brings parents together, and sets the tone for the season in the most charming Park Cities way. Kelly is here to give us a behind-the-scenes look at what's new for this year's tour, how the homes are selected, the impact this event has on our schools, and what guests can expect on December 5th. She's thoughtful, she's passionate, and she runs this event with so much heart. You're gonna love hearing from her. Kelly, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_02: 2:17

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01: 2:18

Well, for anyone out there that may not know what the ABPA is, can you tell us what it is?

SPEAKER_02: 2:23

Yes, the um Armstrong Bradfield Preschool Association is a group of families, women that um live in the park cities and feed into the Armstrong and Bradfield elementary schools before they go. So it's a really a great way to build community and to raise money for the preschool kinder and first grade programs at both the Armstrong and Bradfield Elementaries.

SPEAKER_01: 2:51

Well, as soon as you move to the park cities, everybody that you pass says you've got to join the preschool association. And those are some of my most favorite days is when I first moved here and my kids were really young and doing all those things. It was just a great way, like you said, to meet new people and just form those connections.

SPEAKER_02: 3:09

I feel like one of the best things about the park cities is our community. And I really do think that starts at the foundation, just like our kids, but the foundation of building the sense of community before we even start school. And I think that really starts with ABPA. And so there are preschool associations at all the other elementary schools, Armstrong and Bradfield, are combined together. And it is, it's it's so exciting. I mean, we all get to meet people from the neighborhood. Our kids are all on the same street. They get to run around. And before they go to kindergarten, they know each other and we all know each other. And so it just builds that sense of community.

SPEAKER_01: 3:51

Absolutely. Well, a big part of being involved in the organization is the annual fundraiser, and each school has their own one that they do. And you're just coming up really quickly here, and we're super excited about it. Let's talk about the home tour.

SPEAKER_02: 4:04

Yeah. So our biggest fundraiser for ABPA, which is a big reason of why we all get together, is to raise funds for our kids. And so the way we do it is by having a home tour, which has been, this is the 26th year. So it's been around for a very long time. And it's a really, really fun way for people to get to preview and see some really beautiful and stunning homes, but also for people come in from out of town, people come year after year. And so everybody really anticipates this coming around.

SPEAKER_01: 4:40

Well, I would agree. Back in my day when my kids were younger, I would go every year with a group of friends. And then for whatever reason, we just stopped going. And I got back to it last year, and I was just like blown away. I had such a good time with my friends and touring the homes, and it's just a really great way to spend time with friends.

SPEAKER_02: 4:58

It really is. And people come and then you can have lunch afterwards. You get to have um different, you just get to see different architectural styles and design styles, get some fun ideas. And then, of course, everything is decorated for Christmas. And so it's all very festive. It really gets you in the holiday spirit, doesn't it? Yes, and all for a good cause.

SPEAKER_01: 5:17

Well, like you said, you're celebrating your 26th year. That's a really long time. And congratulations, by the way. How has it evolved over the years?

SPEAKER_02: 5:25

Okay, so we have six amazing homes this year on Home Tour. One of them is our VIP party, which is specific for Gold Plus sponsors. It's a great way to get sponsors super involved in the community. They can pick up their tickets, they can meet the chairs as well as the ABPA board members. And so we're very excited about this new addition to Home Tour.

SPEAKER_01: 5:48

Yeah, that's great.

SPEAKER_02: 5:50

This year we have five homes on Home Tour, which is something super exciting and new. We haven't had that in a very long time. It's typically four. And so now you get an extra house, which is stunning and beautiful. But in addition to that house, it will be focused purely on our market. And so her story is sponsoring with us, and they're going to donate 15% of their proceeds to ABPA and to Armstrong Bradfield Elementary Schools. And so we'll really have the opportunity to raise extra funds. You'll see a really beautiful home, but also get to do some Christmas shopping.

SPEAKER_01: 6:26

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SPEAKER_02: 7:32

Oh gosh, it's a lot of work, but it's so much fun. The Park Cities, I think, is really known for having some really beautiful homes, both architecturally and design-wise. And so it really is up to the chairs. I have, in addition to myself, I have three amazing chairs. And we really talk to people that we know. It's a lot of um past ABPA members. It's people that are very involved in our community. But we are so incredibly grateful for all of our homeowners because it's a lot to have all of these people come in through your home and they do it all for free and really just give us the opportunity to raise money for our community.

SPEAKER_01: 8:15

Yeah, I can't imagine having hundreds of people coming through my home in one day. That would be so strange. But you guys always do such an amazing job. Um, I know that there's just months that go into planning these events. And us as attendees, we just walk through and we see these beautiful homes. And it's hard to imagine what the behind the scenes is actually like. Talk to me about the planning process.

SPEAKER_02: 8:37

So it really starts at the beginning of the year. We all get together. Um, like I said, I have three other amazing chairs this year. It's really fun when you get to do it with people that you love. All of us are 2026 Armstrong or Bradfield Kinder next year. And so we have all gotten extremely close and we will be together for the rest until high school, and which is really fun to be able to continue that bond. And this year we have four chairs as well as five captains for all five of our homes.

SPEAKER_01: 9:09

Oh, wow. That's a lot, but it takes a village, like we always say. What are some of the biggest challenges to coordinating everything from the home homeowners, the decorators, the sponsors, all the elements that go into planning this event?

SPEAKER_02: 9:21

I think sponsorship is a huge component of this. It's it's why we're doing this is to raise money and for our community. And so finding those sponsorships is very important and getting them involved, making sure that they know how much we appreciate them, getting the homes. We could not do it without our sponsors, and we could not do with all the volunteers that we have at the homes the day of. And so all of those are ABPA members. They all volunteer their time. And so we really could not do it without everyone just really believing in our community and really wanting to give back.

SPEAKER_01: 10:00

Well, you have some really impressive sponsors. I was scrolling through your website today, just checking things out. I was so blown away and so impressed by who you do have. Is there anyone you'd like to thank? Well, yourself.

SPEAKER_02: 10:14

I feel like this is one of the really great things about being on the board and a chair this year is I got the opportunity to sponsor my own company this year. And so um, Hawkins Wellwood is the presenting sponsor, and we actually completely renovated one of the homes on Beverly that we have on tour. And so this is a very special year for me, which is one of the reasons why I love coming out here and promoting this, is because I'm one of the chairs with some of my best friends. Um, I help put all of this on, but also I get to sponsor this through Hawkins Wellwood Homes. And it's it's been a really, really great way to just make sure that our next generation just keeps having all of the advantages that we can get them.

SPEAKER_01: 11:01

Well, of all the charity events we have covered over the many years, we have over a hundred and uh 350 episodes. We have never had a prisoning sponsor be the spokesperson on the podcast. So this is like a first year. We're celebrating. Yeah. It's pretty funny. Well, you guys wait, raise$175,000 last year, which is no small task. What goes on with the funds? Where do you allocate them?

SPEAKER_02: 11:25

Ultimately, where the funds go is up to the principals of both Armstrong and Bradfield. So we present a check to them and it focuses on the kind and first grade programs. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01: 11:39

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SPEAKER_02: 12:22

We support the Spanish program, and we're going to help purchase new technology in terms of classroom projectors, instructional materials, books, technology, and teacher workshops.

SPEAKER_01: 12:36

Oh, nice. That sounds great. So, what is it like working with the homeowners? Like I would imagine they're doing a lot of prep work, getting their homes ready. Like these homes aren't just always looking perfect every single day of the year, right?

SPEAKER_02: 12:50

Oh, it's so much work. And our homeowners are amazing that we have multiple meetings with them throughout the year. We constantly go through flow. We talk about where docents will be located. We make sure that there'll be security on site. And then we are just, I think, constantly thanking them for just how much work and how it goes into this.

SPEAKER_01: 13:15

Yeah, for sure. Well, you do you always pick such beautiful homes, and I literally can't wait for this year. Well, so you're powered by power uh parent volunteers, like you said earlier. How can people get involved that maybe aren't involved yet?

SPEAKER_02: 13:29

That's a great question. And we're always looking for more people to volunteer, but it would really be reaching out to the ABPA website. If you live in Armstrong or Bradfield, you can join the preschool association. If you have children older than Kinder, you can still join as a sustainer and you can still be involved in the community. Again, this is all about building a foundation for not only our children, but the better our community, I think the the better our schools are. And so you can volunteer throughout the year or definitely volunteer as a docent during the during the ABPA home tour. Okay, perfect.

SPEAKER_01: 14:11

Well, I bet there's some people listening that may have never been. Let's share some tips and tricks of how to navigate the day. Is there a certain place you should start, what to wear, transportation, all the things?

SPEAKER_02: 14:23

Okay, those are all really good questions. So parking is always sometimes an issue. We'll give you a map. I would really, really recommend picking up your tickets before the event. There is a will call house, which is on Lorraine, but sometimes that can get a little backed up. So make sure that you pick up your ticket beforehand. I think that'll really help you map out. There's a map already on the ticket. And so you can look and think, okay, this makes sense for me to go to this round, but have a game planned. Go with friends, carpool. Make sure that you are wearing some comfortable shoes. You're going to be wearing booties. And so it doesn't matter if they're super cute or not. And um, just be patient. So there'll be a line. Thankfully, we have five houses this year. And so hopefully that'll reduce lines, but because of our really great homeowners and amazing sponsors, we have a lot of people that come out to this. And so you sometimes will have a line which um which you'll just, you know, have to have some some fun conversations with friends during.

SPEAKER_01: 15:31

Well, what's fun about it is I literally ran into everyone that I know from the neighborhood, every house I went to, and just waiting in the lines and going through the homes. You see so many people you know. And I think that makes it just so fun. Again, tying in with that whole tight-knit community that we have here.

SPEAKER_02: 15:46

Oh, for sure. We have two sustainer buses this year because we have so many past ABPA members that still like to come. We just spoke to somebody that comes in from New Orleans with all of her girlfriends every year. And so it is not only something that people in this community love, but people from out of state come to.

SPEAKER_01: 16:06

Well, I do want to just go back to what you said about the shoes, as I can't stress that enough. Is any type of boot with any type of heel, even if it's kind of a block heel, it's hard to put those booties on with it.

SPEAKER_02: 16:16

It is. It's a challenge. But if you are wearing flats or something comfortable, you won't see them, but it'll really help put those on and on.

SPEAKER_01: 16:24

And people do dress. You you'll see everything jeans, you'll see very nice dresses, sparkly holiday attire. I mean, a little bit of everything, right?

SPEAKER_02: 16:32

I think it's fun to get a little dressed up and then go to lunch afterwards and talk about them. I think what is really great about all five of our houses on tour right now is they are all different in both architectural style and design. And so we have a new construction on Potomac, which has a lot of really beautiful wallpaper. And then you can also kind of see what is the latest, greatest in new construction. We have our house on Beverly that Hawkins Wellwood remodeled, and it's got kind of that art deco vibe. It has a lot of beautiful art as well as some, you know, very high gloss and beautiful details. And um, Drexel I has been renovated, but it's very true to its original um architecture. And so each home is very unique, but they're all very different. And so I I think it's gonna be a lot of fun to be able, you have from nine to one, and so you really gotta take the time to get to every single house. Okay, perfect.

SPEAKER_01: 17:34

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SPEAKER_02: 18:50

What inspired you to want to do this job? So this year I decided to get involved because my son is going to be in kinder at Armstrong next year. And so this is a cause that specifically will affect him. And so, like I said earlier, it's really a lot of work to be this on this team, but it makes it a lot more fun when you love the people you're surrounded with. And so one of my best friends, Claudia and I decided to do it together. And then we have two other people, Lauren and Amanda, who also have kind of at Armstrong next year. Claude's our lone Bradfield. And so we just really have a lot of fun together. We have a really great team that supports us, including um our president. And then we have social and um kind of back of house, which we could not, we could not function without them. They really do so much work that no one ever sees. Everything looks so flawless the day of. And it really, really is all of them.

SPEAKER_01: 19:51

Oh, I love that. That's awesome. I just I always say, you know, when women support women, we can just basically conquer the world. And that's a perfect example right here is all of you working together and you've been working together for like the past year. Do you have any favorite memories of you guys working together?

SPEAKER_02: 20:07

I think all of the going to all of the houses for the first time, we all secured different houses. And so none of us really knew anything about them. And and being in the home building business, I I love being able to see different flows of homes, the scales, the architecture. And so being able to do that with my team, going through all the homes and and learning about the history of it and and how everybody got there, I think that was really fun to be able to do that with. I think also juggling um kids and um and late nights and meetings and and coming and going. I think all of that just after all this time just has made us very close.

SPEAKER_01: 20:54

I would imagine. That's great. Well, so what is your hope for the future of the home tour? We're talking about celebrating 26 years. I'm sure it will go on for 26 more. And then some what do you hope for the future?

SPEAKER_02: 21:07

I hope this is just the beginning for ABPA home tour. I hope our children, the kinders of next year, I hope they are able to go to their own home tour 20 years down the road when they have their own preschoolers. Oh gosh, I hope not 20, maybe 30. 20 years seems too that's a little soon. But whenever that is, I hope they come back to this community and I hope they continue to pour into it. And so, you know, Island Park has been around for over a hundred years, and so I think being this involved in this community, having this much love and support is the only reason we're gonna get to another 200 years.

SPEAKER_01: 21:50

Well, I have a feeling that this tour is gonna go on and on. It is such a wonderful day. Okay, so I have some quick fire questions for you. One word that sums up this year's tour. Extravagant.

SPEAKER_02: 22:02

What is a messy detail in one of the homes? We have a house on Lorraine and it has a stunning backyard. It is so fun and it's it's something you would just never even expect when you go out there. It just takes your breath away. Oh, I can't wait to see it. What makes the home tour so park cities? I think that everybody comes in from out of state and everybody gets really involved. I think that's I think the involvement is is very park cities. We all support each other. Absolutely. Well, why should somebody come out and spend their day with you guys? Oh, because it's so much fun. It's such a great way to spend time with friends. You get to see some beautiful architecture, some stunning designs. These these homeowners have worked so hard, I think, to showcase their homes. And we are just so thankful that we are able to come and and just preview their homes. And so it's a great way to spend with friends, but it's also just they're beautiful homes that we get to tour.

SPEAKER_01: 23:03

Absolutely. Well, how can people find out more and buy tickets?

SPEAKER_02: 23:07

We have a link on our homepage, armstrongbradfield.com, and you can buy tickets through there. You can also go and pick up tickets at Navy Blooms and Preston Center. Yes. And you can also buy them day of. But like I said, it is really good to be able to see the map and really get an idea for the different locations of the homes. And so being able to purchase those beforehand, I think is key.

SPEAKER_01: 23:32

Okay, perfect. Well, I will include the link to that website so you don't have to remember it. I will also be posting a lot to my Instagram so you'll be able to get links there to purchase tickets. Thank you so much. That is so nice. Absolutely. Well, this has been such a treat. I literally can't wait for the tour. I'm so pumped up. Okay, well, good. Well, you need to go to all five houses so you can say hi to all of us. I definitely will. Well, that's been another episode of the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson, and I'll see you next time.