Spring Gut Reset Spring Cleaning for Your Tummy by Gretchen heimsoth Spring has no doubt sprung! Blossoms have budded and transitioned to leaves, it is getting warmer by the week, and seasonal farmers’ markets are reopening. As the seasons turn, there is a benefit in focusing on the various shifts going on around us, how our bodies respond to those changes, and their own needs accordingly shift. After a season of the cooler, denser energies of winter, spring has a noticeable lightness and expansiveness. Digestive needs change as our bodies respond to the temperature changes around us. spring and summer are rich times of the year, abundant in seasonal foods…
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Cultivate Food Enthusiasm
Cultivate Food Enthusiasm With Chef Andrea This Summer By Suki Wessling Despite her extensive work with adults, Chef Andrea speaks most enthusiastically about working with younger kids who are far from thinking about careers. Chef Andrea Mollenauer doesn’t seem to do anything halfway. “I kind of have my fingers in every area of the food industry—and I love it!” Andrea is a caterer, owner of the Food Lounge (a “community-minded food venue”), Cabrillo culinary instructor, high school Career Technical Education instructor, and summer camp leader extraordinaire. And in case you’re wondering: No, she hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic.When she learned that she was going to have to teach from…
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Joy Blossoms
A Place for Joy to Blossom By Lisa Catterall I wonder why, when parents choose schools for their kids, they don’t ask students at the school whether they experience happiness in class every day? “The joy in learning is as indispensable in study as breathing is in running.” – Simone Weil Anything that enters a human brain through the senses passes through a simple triage process. Standing at the triage station is the amygdala, and it has three modes: “Danger – run away!” is one; “Happy happy joy joy!” is another; and the third is simply “neutral.” When the amygdala senses danger, every other brain function funnels energy into running…
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Adventures in Mom-ing
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Organized Family Car
The Organized Family Car By Jhoneé Fillmore Our family car is one of the main vessels in which we seek fun, errands, work, school and many adventures. Within our spontaneous adventures my sons’ often get soaked and muddy. Bless this vehicle’s heart as it endures countless crumbs, spilled drinks, sticky handprints, wrappers, dirt and mud galore, sticks, rocks, seashells and random toys that have found their way here. Our family car is one of the main vessels in which we seek fun, errands, work, school and many adventures. Within our spontaneous adventures my sons’ often get soaked and muddy. Bless this vehicle’s heart as it endures countless crumbs, spilled drinks,…
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Santa Cruz’s Hidden Beaches
Santa Cruz’s Beach Favorites And the Quirky Things We Do There By Jeanette Prather Take it from the locals, when it comes to beach-going Santa Cruz knows what’s up. Throughout the county there are all kinds of fun and beachy things we do with our children, some more mainstream and others more eclectic. Whatever your saltwater pastime, adventures are limitless in our beach town. “When I take my 4-year-old to the beach, we always collect treasures (broken shells, crab bodies, feathers, etc.),” said local mom, Nicole Alfaro. “Then, we build a sandcastle and decorate it with our treasures.” Even when the beaches might not be easy to name or have…
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May 2021 Calendar
GUiSC accepts listings for family-oriented events that are free or cost less than $10, to be considered in the monthly calendar of events. Events costing more than $10 for non-profit originations or benefits will also be considered. GUiSC does not guarantee that a submitted event will be included in the calendar. The calendar editors will select calendar entries and photos. Photos for the calendar may be submitted by email. Digital images must be high resolution, 200-300dpi. Calendar Deadline: 15th of the month prior to publication. (i.e. May 15 for June issue) Submit Event Saturday 1 May Day Celebrated in many different cultures around the world. It is a day of…
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The New Normal
The New Normal By Jeanette Prather “These are the best of times!” announced Julie Horner, editor of the SLV Post. At first glance you might be thinking that Horner was referring to some obscure, off-the-cuff situation, but she was simply referencing the “here and now.” She was mentioning how good things have spawned from the bizarre year-plus our society is coming out of. And she’s not alone, especially among the parents locally who’ve become masters at thinking outside of the metaphoric parenting box. “Creative parenting,” we can call this. “Our weekends used to be really full of events, birthday parties, etc.,” said Felton mom, Sarah Marie Shane-Vasquez. “During the pandemic…
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May 2021 Coloring page
Mama and Her Piglets Deadline June 20 Submit your coloring entry to [email protected] and win prizes. You can also mail them to Box 3505, Santa Cruz, 95063 Read More Coloring Pages
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Surfer Mamas
by Joni martin & Christy Shults | Photographed by Kevin Painchaud …in Santa Cruz County there’s a whole subculture of moms who get recharged regularly just by paddling out for a killer surf session. Every year on Mother’s Day our society seems to suddenly remember that the wells women draw on for their parenting need intentional refilling. But in Santa Cruz County there’s a whole subculture of moms who get recharged regularly just by paddling out for a killer surf session. No female Jeff Spicolis, these women include college professors, teachers, business owners, a judge, a surfboard shaper and a nonprofit executive. What they have in common is a passion…
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May 2021 Editor’s Note
Editor’s Note By Brad Kava Now we know how a bear feels coming out of hibernation. We’ve been in some sort of lockdown for over a year now and all of a sudden, it’s spring, literally and figuratively. We’re leaving our caves and shaking our heads trying to figure out what the new normal is, what we’ve learned from the pandemic and what we can do to make things better in the seasons ahead. Jeanette Prather’s piece in this issue, The New Normal, takes a look at what the post-pandemic Santa Cruz will look like and has stories from moms about what they liked and learned from sheltering in place…
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Self-care is Essential
Self-care is Essential By Nicole M. Young, MSW You’re not alone! Parenting is hard when you’re tired and stressed. That’s why taking care of yourself is one of the five principles of positive parenting in Triple P. I’ve been a mother for 21 years, which is hard to believe. Although my kids are still at the center of my heart and mind, my daily routine no longer revolves around them. They don’t need help with eating, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, or going to bed. I don’t check their homework or drive them places anymore. It’s both sad and liberating. And it makes me realize that for many years, taking…
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Alissa Bookakery winner
Alissa, Age 10 Flower Lady | Grand Prize Bookakery Box March coloring COntest Our March contest was sponsored by The Bookakery winner Alissa, age 10, won this incredibly fun box filled with silly books and a baking activity! Thanks, Bookakery for bringing adventure to our readers! Do you want your chance to win great prizes? Entries for our April Coloring Contest end March 20. Your kiddo could win four tickets to ride the train at Roaring Camp
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March Winner
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Santa Cruz Housing Market HOT
Santa Cruz Housing Market: Hot, Hot, Hot! By Seb Frey It’s no secret that right now the real estate market in Santa Cruz is hot. Actually, you could say it’s overheated! There’s no shortage of stories of homes receiving dozens of offers and selling hundreds of thousands of dollars over asking price. But in a way, that’s yesterday’s news. The thing to know about the real estate market is that it’s dynamic. What’s true yesterday may not be true today, or what’s true today may not apply tomorrow. For example, interest rates have risen substantially over the past several weeks – up about 0.75% give or take. That might not…
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Creating Positive Childhood Experiences
Creating Positive Childhood Experiences By Nicole M. Young, MSW April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, which makes me pause to think about all the hardships and trauma children and families have experienced this past year. COVID-19. Displacement due to wildfires. Racism. Social isolation. Hunger. Lost jobs. Financial instability. Struggles with remote learning. Hate crimes. These multiple “storms” have left their mark. Communities across the nation have reported increased calls to domestic violence and mental health hotlines. Recent results from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Household Pulse Survey, suggest “the proportion of U.S. adults with symptoms of anxiety disorder and/or depressive disorder have quadrupled since before the pandemic,” especially…
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Summer Activity Guide
So many peoples’ lives were changed by summer camps. They are places not just to get away from parents and make new friends, but to try new things, enjoy nature and learn crafts. We canoed, made lanyards, caught frogs and snakes, learned guitar, made fires in the wilderness and cooked and cleaned up afterwards. Those were timeless experiences that gave us a lifetime of memories. DAY CAMPS All About Theatre Tannery Arts Center1010 River Street, Santa Cruz831.345.6340lindsey@allabouttheatre.orgwww.allabouttheatre.org Celebrating nearly 24 years of theater, and over 190 productions in Santa Cruz County. Offering training in the performing arts for children aged (5-6), Youth (6-10), Pre-teen (10-14) & Teens (14-18) and Adults.…
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Spring Flowers
Spring Flower Grand Prize Win 4 Tickets to Ride the Train at Roaring Camp Deadline MAY 20 Submit your coloring entry to [email protected] and win prizes, and a grand prize of 4 tickets to Roaring Camp! You can also mail them to Box 3505, Santa Cruz, 95063 Previous Coloring Pages and Winners
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Mom and Son Artists
Zephy Pfotenhauer and Dante Clark Mother and Son Duo Mother and son Zephyr Pfotenhauer and Dante Clark (11) have been working together creatively for as long as Dante can remember. A professional artist and designer, Zephyr is often inspired by Dante for her own work and regularly enlists his help in completing various projects, from murals to printmaking. Dante is a longtime member of Art Lab in Boulder Creek and particularly enjoys building in Lego, Minecraft, wood and clay in worlds both real and virtual. A 6th grader at the Nature Academy, he is looking forward to returning to school, seeing friends and exploring the county with his classmates. Until…
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Playing Music
Nurturing the Teenage Musician by Susan Willats For music students, who often spend a lot of time practicing and playing alone (especially those who don’t have a school music program available), playing with other musicians can be a true game-changer. We all know it’s not easy being a teenager. (It’s also not easy parenting a teenager, but that’s a topic for a different article.) Teenagers who play musical instruments face additional challenges: finding time (or motivation) to practice on a regular basis, worries about disappointing their instructors, and possible stigma or labeling from other kids at school. Research continues to show great advantages to those who play music, but it…
