Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Why Failure May Be the Best Summer Lesson

Success is often the culmination of lessons learned from failure. Back in my early 20s, I opened an environmental fundraising company that quickly lost $100,000 in six months. Devastated and unsure what to do next, I visited my Uncle Frank for advice. Uncle Frank was the first manufacturer of imitation crab in the United States. By the time I sat down with him, he had started 50 corporations. To...

The 20-Minute Stroller Workout

The 20-Minute Stroller Workout  By Monica Menard B.A.  Certified Personal Trainer and Prenatal Postpartum Specialist These moves prepare you for the demands of motherhood and are postpartum safe. Both should be primary goals for all mothers and caretakers. Your fit-mom body will follow if done consistently. WARM-UP (4-5 min approx.) Brisk walk with arm circles: 1 min Straight-Backed Stroller...

Wood You Believe It? The Wild Ride of the Woody

Explore the history of the classic 'woody' station wagon, from its practical beginnings to its iconic status in California's surf culture and the Woodies on the Wharf event...

Rooted in Connection This Summer

Summer offers a unique opportunity for families to slow down and reconnect through nervous system regulation and emotionally safe parenting strategies...

Positive Discipline for Caregivers of Older Adults

Learn how Positive Discipline and person-centered care provide essential support and dignity for caregivers of older adults in an aging society...

What a Lemonade Stand Teaches Kids About Money

A lemonade stand may look like a folding table, a paper sign, and a pitcher of something slightly too sweet. But to a kid, it can feel like opening their very first business. First Comes the Plan How many lemons? How many cups? Do we need ice? Then Comes the Big Pricing Decision Is a cup 50 cents? One dollar? “Free for grandparents?” Kids quickly learn that choices matter, and that supplies do not...

Local Dads Say Time Together Matters Most

Local dads share their favorite fatherhood memories, plus how a simple lemonade stand can teach children valuable lessons about planning, work, and money management...

A Fish, A Moon, and the ‘Others’

John Louis Koenig reviews three exceptional children's books that entertain and educate: 'This Is Not My Hat,' 'Moon,' and 'Others.'...

Drawn2Art Celebrates 40 Years

Drawn2Art celebrates 40 years of teaching realistic drawing and painting to students of all ages, with local studios in Los Gatos and Aptos offering year-round classes and summer camps...

The Dog Days of Summer

Sheila Borgman shares the joy of family volunteering at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter and how you can support local animals through fostering and fundraising...

Outfits That Kill June Gloom

Discover how local Santa Cruz fashionistas like Dillan, Chris, Bailey, and Suki are using thrifty finds and unique accessories to beat the June gloom...

Raise the Roof! at the Corralitos Cultural Center

Why does the Corralitos Cultural Center (CCC) feel like a creative vortex? Could be it is what happens when musicians, artists, builders and scientists keep running into one another – Corralitos is literally a wide spot in the road. Could be it’s the back-to-the-land ethos where collaboration is the common coin. Regardless, the Corralitos Cultural Center has become one of those rare local...

Shows and Shoes

Publisher Brad Kava discusses the Santa Cruz Symphony's family Pops concert and the vital importance of quality children's footwear for active kids...