This is our birth issue and it’s one of my favorites. As a first time father, who didn’t want kids, having my son is the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t know how I lived without a kid who is now the center of my universe. And my hope is that he can make the world better. Since having him, I light up with every baby I see and wish I had more. Earlier I thought I didn’t want kids because I worried that the world wasn’t a great place anymore. The environment, the rise of authoritarianism, world poverty and hunger…all the depressing things we face every…
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Zumba for Autism: A Heartfelt Journey of Dance, Inclusivity and Generosity
By Terry deDiego Let me introduce myself. My name is Terry deDiego and my daughter, Cheryl deDiego-Carlson, and I have been teaching Zumba in Santa Cruz for the last 16+ years. Over the years we have been a part of many community events such as Relay for Life, Alzheimer’s Association, and numerous fundraising events for less fortunate friends in need. Although people might think that we are giving of ourselves, we are the ones who have truly been enriched in this process. How lucky are we as the only mother/daughter group exercise team in Santa Cruz to be able to share our talents with others while enjoying every moment together?…
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Good for the Pregnant Parent, Good for the Baby
Pregnancy is a time of great joy and anticipation for expecting parents as you prepare to bring a new life into the world. During this crucial period, maintaining good health becomes paramount, not just for the pregnant parent, but also for the developing baby. While regular prenatal check-ups are typically prioritized, many pregnant people overlook the importance of dental care during pregnancy. I want to shed light on the significance of visiting the dentist while pregnant and how it can contribute to a healthy pregnancy and a happy, healthy baby! The Link Between Oral Health and Pregnancy Hormonal Changes: Pregnancy is marked by significant hormonal changes that can lead to…
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Molding Your Future with Clay
Cece Tarahteeff found her “escape, – somewhere I can be without judgment” in the bricks of clay, spinning wheels, and buckets of glaze she uses to make her greatest passion: ceramics. “Pottery puts me in a meditative state of mind, in another headspace. I could be having a bad day, but I go into the studio and leave feeling amazing.” Cece, is a 22-year-old born and raised Santa Cruzian, who discovered her love of pottery when she was 14, while attending Santa Cruz High under the guidance of her teacher, Iver Hennig. His influence was particularly influential for Cece, as “he allows you to have the freedom to explore and…
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Homework Routines Are Your Friend
My children are young adults now, but I still have “homework battle scars.” I remember feeling like our lives revolved around due dates for homework assignments and school projects. I’ll admit I wasn’t always successful at staying calm, especially when I was tired from working and they needed hands-on help from me or procrastinated on starting projects. But as my kids grew older and learned to manage their time and study habits independently, the light at the end of the tunnel grew brighter. My kids learned they were responsible for completing their homework (I wasn’t going to save them), and I learned to trust they would get the work done…even…
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Birth Network – 25 Years and Counting
This year’s Pregnancy and Birth issue of Growing Up just happens to fall on Birth Network of Santa Cruz County’s 25th anniversary. Receiving their official nonprofit status in October of 1998, Birth Network’s mission to support parents and service providers with information, education, and advocacy for “Mother-Friendly” childbirth began. Birth Network promotes the goals and principles outlined in the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI), a blueprint for optimal maternity care that was hot off the press in 1996. A quarter of a century ago, Birth Network was the first non-profit to organize around the MFCI, a document ratified by a coalition of 31 individuals and 26 major childbirth related organizations. Childbirth…
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The Art Factory Studios Reopens in Aptos
By Suki Wessling Art Factory owner Yvette Contois, 52, stands at the entrance to her big, bright new studio in Aptos. She’s beaming. “We love our memories of the first eleven years in our little art cottage, and now we’re truly grateful to be starting the next chapter: Art Factory 3.0 in its new home,” she says. ”We couldn’t ask for a more fantastic space to celebrate our fifteenth year in Aptos!” This reopening has been a long time coming. Yvette’s former onsite business, housed in a little fairytale cottage in the redwoods, was a pandemic casualty. Even with everything going online, it was hard to leave the charming location,…
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A Closer Look at Discipline
When I talk about the parenting classes I teach using the Positive Discipline approach, parents are shocked to hear that the style of parenting I advocate for does not include punishment or rewards. This seems like a horrible idea to most parents…but it’s not! In fact, not choosing punishment or rewards as parenting tools and instead focusing on discipline is a pathway to create incredibly responsible, respectful adults who call their parents to chat and stay connected to their families. Isn’t that what we all want from our kids? In last month’s edition of Growing Up in Santa Cruz, a Positive Discipline colleague of mine, Hannah Stubblefield, explored how punishment…
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That Girl and Her Mom Phenomenon – ‘Better Together’
Terry deDiego and Cheryl deDiego-Carlson are a mother-daughter team who have been teaching fitness classes at Toadal Fitness, Live Oak, for the past sixteen years. Their lively, vibrant and playful teaching style has garnered somewhat of a cult following. They’re particularly renowned for their killer Barre and Zumba workouts as well as for their endearing, enthusiastic and unique mother-daughter combined approach to teaching classes. “When we started sixteen years ago we were referred to as ‘That Girl and Her Mom’… everywhere we went,” Cheryl recalls, but “now we’re the ‘Dynamic Duo’. We love teaching together; we are just better together.” Terry, the ever-enthusiastic athlete, raised her daughters in her world…
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Banned Books Week Panel: “Let Freedom Read”
Banned Books Week is back, and it’s time to celebrate the freedom to read while shedding light on the ongoing and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For over four decades, this annual event has united the entire literary community in unwavering support of the right to explore and express ideas, even those that may challenge the status quo or be deemed controversial. In 2022, the American Library Association (ALA)’s Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded a staggering 1,269 demands for the censorship of library books and resources. This marked the highest number of attempted book bans since the ALA began tracking censorship data in libraries over two…
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Should I Stay or Should I Go?
For Mike Holton, it was love at first sight.Boulder Creek was supposed to be just one stop on his road trip with his daughter. As they drove Highway 9’s winding roads, the town that appeared before him called to him in a way he had never felt before.Like so many others, Holton immediately felt captivated by this quaint, rustic town of wild west-esque wooden buildings nestled within mystic redwood forests. That day, he was overwhelmed as he breathed in the natural splendor and decided there and then to make it his home.“It’s just heaven on earth … a majesty of all of your senses: the visuals … of the mountains…
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Fall Family Fitness, Food and Fun
School is back in session and as the new routine picks up, some self-care gems can go out the window. This article will share with you a few of my favorite tips to ensure you can get your entire family on board for fitness, healthy foods and lots of fun this fall. Earlier alarms, homework and all the shifts can cause stress and affect each family member differently.The first step in fall family self care is to give everyone a “grace” period. For the next 30 days be realistic about all the changes happening from the weather to adjusting to all the new things on your to-do list after a…
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Coloring Contest Winners
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Baby Photo Contest Winners
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Out & About in Santa Cruz
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How Do You Know Fall Has Started?
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Coloring Contest
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Best of 2023
We asked you to share your favorite places to take your kids and places you enjoy as a family. We wanted to know what businesses you consider the Best in Santa Cruz, and man, did you ever respond! Thanks to everyone who answered our survey. Camps Day Camps Kennolyn Day Camps kennolyncamps.com Runners up Henry Cowell Girl Scout Day Camp Farm Discovery at Live Oak Residential Camp Kennolyn kennolyncamps.com Runners up Mount Hermon Mission Springs Dining Bakery Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria 504 Bay Avenue, Capitola 831.462.1200 gaylesbakery.com/ Runners up Companion Bakeshop The Buttery Coffee Shop Verve Coffee Vervecoffee.com 4 Santa Cruz locations Runners up Lula Carpenter’s Cat & Cloud Breakfast…
