Last week I kicked off the ABCs of the Santa Clarita Valley with “A is for Animals,” featuring details on various places in the SCV to see animals. This week I continue the series with “B is for Bike Trails.” The extensive trails and paseos in Santa Clarita are one of my favorite aspects of the...

This week, I kick off the ABCs of the Santa Clarita Valley, which will run for 26 weeks as I focus on a different aspect of the SCV from A to Z. Since I am a mama of two little ones (age 3 and under), my ABCs of the SCV will have a family perspective, but not one that is too heavy-handed. I suspect I...

Sometimes the daily grind and patterns of our lives can begin to make us feel like we are just going through the motions, shuttling between different errands and commitments – hardly aware and awake to the moments before us. In response to this, sometimes we feel like we are waiting for something special...

Somewhere along the way, when I was either in high school or just started college, my family started a radical, new Christmas tradition: thrift store-resale or garage sale-yard sale gifts only. Yes, I said “only.” Even without being a wealthy family – my father was a minister and my mother...

Before I share a new project that I am excited about, I want to take a moment to thank the generous donor(s) who read my piece last week about 12 Days of Christmas Giving and the Ritter Family, who needed support for a critical bone marrow transplant for a father struggling to fight leukemia. In response...

A friend introduced me to Mom It Forward and its 31 Days of Service, a special project this month to engage kids and families in holiday giving, volunteerism and service. Inspired, I selected to do the 12 Days of Christmas project from Mom It Forward, in which you select a special family to give fun...

Confession time: We have not put up a single Christmas/holiday décor item at our house, and I only recently did a Christmas craft with my son. He keeps asking when we can make Christmas at our house. Please tell me I am not the only one who has not unpacked the ornaments, wreaths and garland, or figured...

Black Friday has come and gone. Small Business Saturday is in full swing – or may have come and gone, as well, depending on when you are reading this – and Cyber Monday is just around the corner. This frenzy of shopping madness and deals, deals, deals focuses all of our attention –...

We started a new family tradition last Thanksgiving, and we look forward to continuing it this year. Before heading over to stuff ourselves silly with delicious food at the home of some friends, we swung by the Newhall Bicycle Co. to help out at their major Community Thanksgiving Dinner and drop of several...

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Bruce Economou, Executive Producer of “My Name is Jerry” (http://mynameisjerry.com), Best Feature at the Santa Clarita Valley Film Festival two years ago. The Film Festival circuit was instrumental to the success of “My Name is Jerry,”...