One of my New Year’s resolutions is to keep better track of how our tax money is being spent. I hope to make this a group effort among our readers. As a family magazine, we...
What looks like a glorious local grocery store is actually, more and more with each passing year, a form of rebellion, a forefront in the fight to keep Santa Cruz moreSanta Cruz. Andre Beauregard, 42...
Learning about money doesn’t have to be a chore—it can actually be a lot of fun! Board games and other family-friendly activities often weave fiscal fitness and decision-making into their mechanics, offering kids a chance...
A couple of days ago my parents took me to see “The Christmas Carol” at the veterans hall in downtown Santa Cruz California. I sat directly in front of the stage with my mom and...
It used to be that families would have a large shoebox filled with printed photos meant for albums that never got made. Today, with cell phones capturing countless pictures and cloud storage like Google Photos...
As we move into Santa Cruz County’s winter weather, we may find ourselves spending more time indoors with our families and pets. And when the cozy moments inevitably turn into chaos, the Santa Cruz County...
In the vibrant tapestry of Santa Cruz County’s nonprofit community, Eat for the Earth stands out as an organization with a mission as bold as it is necessary: to transform the way we eat to...
The notion of Positive Time-Out came out of Positive Discipline. Positive Discipline is a parenting approach that promotes a relationship-based, mutually respectful, and developmentally appropriate way of meeting children’s needs for belonging and significance while...
Dear parents, foster parents, grandparents, relative caregivers, and other adults raising children and teens: we’re celebrating YOU in January 2025! For the 13th year in a row the County Board of Supervisors has partnered with...
Dominican Hospital is excited to announce that it has welcomed its first baby of the year! Dominican Hospital welcomed a healthy baby girl, Elliana Mae Azmy, Wednesday morning. She arrived at 3:01 a.m. on Jan...
The holiday season is often synonymous with gift-giving, but for many, the pressure to buy the perfect present has overshadowed the true spirit of the season. If you find yourself stressed about shopping, worried about...
Amid extreme wind, drenching rains – even a tornado touching down locally – and following months of preparations for its middle school production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid JR,” the Mount Madonna School (MMS) community...
Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation introduces the Inaugural Holiday Glow Guide—a community-driven showcase of our area’s most festive and dazzling holiday displays. The Glow Guide features local homes with twinkling lights, creative decorations, and festive...
Gowing reindeer, a snowman tipping his hat, bicycles circling the sky, a towering Christmas tree and a lit up water tank house are just a fraction of this year’s HOLIDAY LIGHTS drive and walk-through display...
You don’t have to tell Lindsey Chester that all the world’s a stage! Chester has devoted herself and two decades of artistic management helping young performers take their first steps with All About TheaterMany of...
We got some disturbing news recently from two local businesses we love. They are struggling badly and need us to shop in their stores. The good news is that we can help them, just by...
From the story that gave us the expression “Bah, humbug!” and the character Scrooge—A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, a new holiday tradition will debut next week. Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director Charles Pasternak has...
The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s ocean… or is it? This idea resonates deeply in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Jr.,” a tale that explores the longing for a different life, the struggle to...
For neurodivergent children, the holiday season can be challenging. This time of year is full of new experiences, new foods, new sounds, and new people. Simply put — for children who are neurodivergent, special needs...
The Santa Cruz SPCA (SCSPCA) recognizes that a community without pet over-population, abuse, neglect, homelessness, and other animal welfare issues begins, in part, with youth education and involvement. Given this, we have created fun-filled programs...
Good money habits start young, and teaching kids about finances doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are five simple, kid-friendly money habits that can set your children up for success in 2025 and beyond: 1...
Courtney Laschkewitsch, a Santa Cruz local, is an innovative, brilliant product licensing coach and tabletop gamemaker. Her ongoing career allows her to make people’s dreams come true, and now, she is bringing one of her...