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Holiday Guide
Here are some gift ideas for both kids and adults.
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The Play’s The Thing
How is it the holidays already? Wasn’t it just summer? Isn’t it still summer? It sure feels like it. And aren’t things supposed to slow down in the winter? Not here and not for families. Thumbing through this issue there are a host of plays, musical performances and winter camps. It’s really amazing. It starts on our cover with Santa Cruz Shakespeare moving from summer to the holidays with one of the greatest family plays ever, A Christmas Carol. Sure, everyone’s seen the movie, but there is nothing like seeing the most skilled actors in the world perform it up close and personal. It’s something that will change a kid’s…
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Scrooge is Coming to Town
Santa Cruz Shakespeare (SCS), a nationally recognized professional repertory theatre company staging imaginative productions for more than a decade, debuts a new holiday tradition for the whole family with its production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Audiences can expect a theatrical and music-filled adaptation of this classic play. The production will run from November 23 through December 24, 2024, at the Veterans Memorial Hall at 846 Front St in Downtown Santa Cruz. “It is my sincere hope that we are creating a new holiday tradition for our community with A Christmas Carol — one you can share with your children and grandchildren,” said SCS Artistic Director, Charles Pasternak. The show will be…
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Local Parents Find a Circle of Support in Aptos
The journey of pregnancy, birth and parenting is humbling, joyful, vulnerable and more than a little exhausting. And while many families navigate this season of life with minimal support, there is a team in Aptos trying to change this reality. Nestled near the beach in Seacliff, The Circle Family Center is a refuge for local families. Run by a team of mothers and birth workers, The Circle opened its doors three years ago with the vision of creating a community for families during pregnancy, birth, and the early years of parenthood. With offerings like Pre & Postnatal Yoga, Childbirth Education, Infant Enrichment, Dads Groups, and Toddler Messy Play, this space…
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Holiday Classic Comes to Mountain Community Theater
Miracle on 34th Street, the play based on the 1947 novel by Valentine Davies is a long-standing tradition at Mountain Community Theater. First adapted by MCT co-founders Peter Troxell and Rita Wadsworth in 1982, it is making its return for the 11th time (and first since 2018) with actors ranging from little kids to big adults, bringing the bustle of New York City at Christmas time and the courtroom action of a very peculiar state trial to Ben Lomond’s “Park Hall” this Winter. Directed by MCT veteran Daria Troxell who has been involved with Miracle on four different occasions over the last 22 years, first starting as production manager in…
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SpongeBob SquarePants Swims into Cabrillo
Cabrillo College’s theater department is no stranger to musical theater. Cabrillo Stage mounts a high quality professional musical every summer, with two recent highlights being 2023’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and 2024’s In The Heights which felt like it cut out a section of New York’s Washington Heights and placed it on Cabrillo’s magnificent Crocker Theater. This November, get your fry cook hat, spatula and get ready, because Sponegbob Squarepants, his amazing friends (and Plankton) are going to cook up some fun at Cabrillo College. With SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical. Featuring music written by David Bowie, John Legend, Plain White Tees and more. Spearheaded by Cabrillo Stage Artistic Director…
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Meaningful Alternatives to Holiday Checks and Cash
Gifts of money are often received (and spent) with joy and appreciation that lasts about as long as it takes to get to the mall or log onto Amazon. But there are better ways to give that can provide valuable lessons about financial responsibility, stability, and charity—gifts that may improve your loved one’s quality of life for years to come. Here are some alternative ideas to add meaning to your holiday gift-giving: Experience Gifts Experiences are thoughtful gifts that can last a lifetime. Whether it’s a concert, theater performance, or sporting event, shared experiences create lasting memories. Enrolling your loved one in a cooking class, art workshop, or sports clinic…
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Mi Casa Es Tu Casa Exhibit Opens
Pajaro Valley Arts has opened their current and annual exhibit, “Mi Casa es Tu Casa” at their Sudden Street gallery. The show explores the connection between the living and those who have passed. The theme this year is “In the Arms of Our Ancestors.” As a centerpiece for the show is the jaguar, a symbol held high across Mesoamerican cultures. The exhibit includes the ideas and collaboration of several area schools where students were invited to create their own artwork and and words for the show that includes 17 altars. Also in the exhibit are various installations, paintings, sculpture, poems, photos and more. “In Mexican tradition, giant puppets, known as…
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Tips for a Winning College Application
College-bound seniors are off to a busy season as they juggle their 12th-grade classes and between 7-20 college applications. While this may seem overwhelming while juggling sports and extracurricular activities, take the time to lay out your priorities. Here are 6 tips to consider when organizing your college applications: #1: Choose colleges based on the majors offered Most students make the mistake of choosing colleges based on their rankings or locations. Instead, research the majors you’re considering and choose the colleges that have programs that align with your interests. Check out their required courses and electives. You’ll be surprised to see the difference in courses offered at different colleges. #2:…
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Deepening Unique Relationships with Your Children
“Our jobs, other responsibilities, and numerous distractions, make it difficult to devote individual time to each of our children. These competing demands on our time, energy, and attention don’t have to deprive us, though, of the quality one-on-one time—the special time—we can share with them. A Special Parenting Tool Special time is all about deepening the unique relationship you have with your child. As a positive Discipline parenting tool, special time complements other Positive Discipline tools (e.g., discovering the beliefs behind the behaviors, connection before correction, curiosity questions, and encouragement) and lets you get to know and encourage your children in very personal and personalized ways. From Theory to Practice…
