A Tale of Two Farms: Legacy Lives at Ananda and Keel Farms
Discover Ananda and Keel Farms, two of our favorite local farms offering fresh food and seasonal festivities that showcase the best of Florida farming!
Author: Tara Payor, Ph.D.
Tara Payor is a language arts educator and has taught students from the middle school level to adult learners at the doctorate level. She earned a Ph.D., in curriculum and instruction, from the University of South Florida. A member of the Junior League of Tampa and KNOW Women, she has two children—Harlow and Hendrix.
Life Behind Liam Coen’s Playbook: Football and Family with Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Offensive Coordinator
Learn all about how Liam Coen combines football and family in his busy life as an offensive coordinator coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Conquering Kilimanjaro: A Father’s Journey to the Roof of Africa
Discover how Preston Rudie conquered the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and the life-changing journey that pushed his limits.
Standing Up Against Bullying
When Nick DeCastro, a 2024 graduate of Steinbrenner High School, organized a peer-led intervention with the students he observed bullying others, he earned recognition from the school’s resource officer, Deputy Anthony Bennett. He also received Hillsborough County’s Anti-Bullying Advisory Committee’s annual Anti-Bullying Award for his courageous stand against bullying. Recognizing and Preventing Bullying The Situation…
Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Rescuing, Rehabilitating and Releasing Tampa Bay’s Gentle Giants
It takes a village to raise a child – a familiar adage for parents. The same holds true for manatee rescue and rehabilitation, and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is part of that village for Tampa Bay Area manatees. As of August 12, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Manatee Rehabilitation Center (MRC) is now open! Dr….
Dakayla Wilson: Letting Kids Pave their Own Paths
Parenting is challenging, embodied work. Amidst society’s current culture of achievement, parenting’s challenges expand. Concurrently, kids’ autonomy and free time contract (to almost negligible levels). Of course parents want children to succeed. Within achievement culture, however, efforts are misguided and counterproductive. The mother of a competitive dancer and soccer player, I also am in achievement…
Local Bricks 4 Kidz owner launches new non-profit, Kids Love Bricks
Learn all about Bricks 4 Kidz owner and local dad, John Fontana’s new charity Kids Love Bricks, and how you can give back with LEGO!
Stopping the Summer Slide with Just 2 Books!
What do you think of when you hear “summer slide”? Is it a super cool water slide at Adventure Island? Or how about sliding into home plate during a summer Rays game? Actually, the summer slide has to deal with learning loss over the summer. Research suggests students lose about a month’s worth of learning,…
Prioritizing Preventive Care: A Radiation Oncologist’s Perspective
Dr. Jessica Frakes, radiation oncologist from Moffitt Cancer Cener, shares how early screenings can safeguard your future with your children, highlighting the importance of listening to your body and advocating for timely healthcare decisions.
Behind Every Great Cookie is a Resilient Girl Scout
Discover how the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida are shaping the leaders of tomorrow. From fostering resilience and entrepreneurship to nurturing valuable life skills, this program is more than just cookies and badges—it’s about empowering girls to make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond.
ZooTampa’s Manatee Hat Trick: Rescue, Rehab, Release
Manatees are among Tampa Bay’s natural gifts. Aquatic mammals and herbivores, manatees spend spring days swaying through our area’s warming waters. Endangered species, manatees don’t thrive in water colder than 68 degrees. With no natural predators, cold temperatures and boat propellors are manatees’ greatest threats. Through more than 20 years of life-saving work, ZooTampa’s world-renowned…
Moms to Know: Meet Tori Penso, FIFA Women’s World Cup referee
Tori Penso, the first American to referee a FIFA Women’s World Cup final, has much to celebrate. The St. Petersburg-based mom of three, believes soccer has been a unifying gift for her family.
How to plan your best day ever at the Gasparilla Music Festival 2024!
We’re sharing everything you need to know about this year’s Gasparilla Music Festival in downtown Tampa February 16-18, 2024!
Krewe Life: Meet Truett Gardner of YMKG and His Family
YMKG’s captain, Truett Gardner, will lead the legendary invasion. Truett shares treasured Gasparilla memories, extending from his childhood to ones made with his children, along with what he’s looking forward to for the 2024 Gasparilla season.
Licht Style: It all Works Out
Jason Licht, renowned Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ General Manager (a position he’s held since 2014), is, foremost, a dad and husband. With wife Blair, he navigates the peaks, valleys and predominantly uncertain terrain of parenting. They met during his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles, when she lived in Manhattan working in finance. Over six years, they…
Full Circle Moments with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders and Junior Cheerleaders
There’s something extraordinary about a life-comes-full-circle moment. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleader Shay Garcia had such a moment when her daughter, Johanna, stepped onto the Raymond James turf as a Bucs Junior Cheerleader. Shay and Johanna share their TBBC experiences. Kaylee Strobel, a former Junior Cheerleader and current Buccaneers’ Cheerleading and Mascot Coordinator, also knows full-circle moments with the Bucs. Before firing the canons, read their firsthand accounts about TBBC’s lasting impacts.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Two local moms share their deep roots in Tampa Bay
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Tampa is rich with Hispanic Heritage. Two Tampa moms, originally from Puerto Rico, share details about their roots and raising their own children with Hispanic heritage in Tampa Bay.
Meet the LaFace Family of RIPA & Associates, presenting sponsors of Big John the Triceratops
Chris LaFace, president and CEO at RIPA & Associates, along with his wife, Angela (a critical care surgeon who recently paused her career for increased family time), made a groundbreaking donation and support the Big John exhibit as presenting sponsors.
Meet the Mother-Daughter Duo Who Sparked Seventh Avenue Apothecary
We’re getting to know the mother-daughter duo behind Seventh Avenue Apothecary, Phala Pesano and Jessica Reisner, as they share how they’re letting their own little light shine and using it to ignite others’ lights.
Self-Care & Parenting: Put Your Oxygen Mask on First
Married, mother of two, Dr. Clark untangles why raising humans with strong senses of self is underpinned by parents’ self-care.
Fairy Tales, Family and Tampa Flair: Getting to know Tampa restaurant icon, Richard Gonzmart
Lowry Park Zoo’s old Fairyland figurine restoration is underway, thanks to Richard Gonzmart of the 1905 Family Of Restaurants. See them at Ulele.
From New York to Plant City: The Story of a Wish Farms Strawberry
We’re getting to know Gary Wishnatzki, of Wish Farms, to learn more about the history of his family’s farming business in Tampa Bay and where they’re heading in the future.
Krewe Life: Trey Kohrn of YMKG
For Trey Korhn, Gasparilla is a way of life. Here he shares some treasured memories he’s made as a member of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla.
Gratitude & Giving: Families and Metropolitan Ministries Inspire Hope in Tampa Bay
Metropolitan Ministries offers year-round opportunities for kids to grow in gratefulness and giving, and especially this holiday season.
Logan Ryan: Gratitude for Family & Football
Logan Ryan, two-time Super Bowl champ and safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is grounded in gratitude, firm in family, and focused on football.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Trusting Things Are As They Should Be
Melissa Thomas, a pediatric critical care physician, shares her story, and realization, after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Living Authentically You: The Zubrick Magic Story
Get to know the magicians of Zubrick Magic Theatre in St. Pete, Ryan and Chris Zubrick as they share their family story of living life authentically.
Do You See What I See? A Vision for Eye-Quality
The Glazer Vision Foundation is helping adults and children understand eye health as families gear up to send kids back to school.
A Balanced Day: Easy Tips to Teach Kids Successful Time Management
Like the start of the new calendar year, the start of a new academic year is an opportunity to set goals and revise habits. That means, time management.
#GetLive with Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ #45: Devin White
Devin White talks sharing the #GetLive mindset with his son, his teammates and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ community.
Appreciating Heart Work: Teacher Appreciation Week 2022
Started in 1984 by the National PTA, May 2-6 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. A time for willingly expressing gratitude to educators.
The Wonder of the Tween Years
The space between childhood and adolescence (the tween years) is exhilarating, exhausting and best navigated as a team.
Moms to Know: Athens Pellegrino, author of ‘The Military Child Chronicles’
The Tampa mom talks about her children’s books written to help civilian families understand military family life, ‘The Military Child Chronicles’.
COVID: A Corridor to Beginning
Entering March 2022, what have we learned from COVID? What opened because of closures? What previously shuttered parts of life are lit?
Dry January: Put down the wine and drink in joy instead
In time for Dry January, Janie Porter provides perspective on nurturing a fulfilling life without filling the tumbler.
Curtain Time: A dialogue with the Patel Conservatory
Tara Payor talks one on one with Matthew Belopavlovich, artistic director for the Patel Conservatory about why theater is good for kids and families.
Scouting Lasting Influence: The Importance of Nonparental Adults
Tampa Bay dad Drew Weatherford is blessed that one of college football’s winningest coaches, Bobby Bowden, was among his nonparental adult figures.
Gasparilla Krewe Life: A season and way of life for local families
In Tampa, Gasparilla is a way of life. Below deck, there’s more to Gasparilla than beads. Gasparilla is family. Gasparilla is friends. Gasparilla is a treasure chest of memories and treasure trove replete with tradition.
The Family’s Anchor: Life after TV News is Beautiful for Maggie Rodriguez
Former CBS network news anchor Maggie Rodriguez shares her journey of transitioning from a fast paced career in the newsroom to life at home with her kids in Tampa Bay.