Blog

Valentine's Day lunchbox ideas pop tarts

Adding Lunchbox Love is easy with these simple tips from @Lunchboxmafia!

Hello friends! It’s Jenny from @Lunchboxmafia sharing some easy Valentine’s ideas to make your kiddo’s lunch box extra special—and delicious. Check out these ways to bring hearts, pink and red, and everything sweet into your little one’s Valentine’s Day breakfast and lunch. Valentine’s Day Lunchbox Ideas: A Pop of Flavor These mini pop tarts taste…

Gorrie Elementary School Tampa
|

Kids to Know: The Students of Gorrie Elementary School in Tampa

When Gorrie Elementary School mother Haylie Katz discovered Bess the Book Bus, she immediately thought of her children’s school community. With a committed PTA team that partners with nonprofits monthly to teachers who encourage students’ kindness potential, this neighborhood school has nurtured many standout kids to know.   How did collecting for Bess the Book…

Black History Month at the library

Celebrating Black History Month: A Journey of Learning and Empowerment for Families

February is the month of love and a time to celebrate and honor Black History Month. It’s an opportunity for families to come together and explore the richness of African American history, culture and contributions. Families that foster an inclusive understanding of different heritages can empower our children to appreciate diversity and promote a more harmonious society….

tampa ymca summer camp options

Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA and YMCA of the Suncoast Offer Plenty of Summer Camp Options for Families

Fun Fact: America’s first known summer camp was opened in 1885 by the YMCA, Camp Dudley in Orange Lake, New York. It has been a mainstay of Y programming since then. Thanks to the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA and YMCA of the Suncoast – from Citrus to Pinellas County – there is a Summer Camp…

Complex medical needs Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital

Meet Levi, the ‘mayor’ of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital

Dubbed “the mayor” for his outgoing personality and winning ways, Levi, 7, has spent more time in the hospital than many people do in a lifetime. While you might think that experience would lead to a dislike of medical facilities, in Levi’s case it’s just the opposite. “He loves Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital,” says his…

congenital heart defect Dr. Courtney Wein

Evan’s Fight to a Healthy Heart

Patricia and Chris were ecstatic to tell family and friends that they were expecting. What they did not expect however, were concerns after their baby’s 18-week anatomy scan. “When they came in and told us something was wrong with his heart, we were just completely shocked,” Patricia recalls. Doctors referred Patricia to Courtney Wein, D.O., a pediatric…

Library Early Literacy programs
|

Awesome Things to Do at the Library with Toddlers and Preschoolers

Arrrgh you looking for a free adventure to enjoy with your bitty buccaneer this Gasparilla season?  Aye know just the place. Point your sails in the direction of your local library and sally forth! With five types of early literacy programs being offered in-person, you’re sure to find a story time that fits your needs. We can’t…

Education Rock Stars

Hillsborough County Public Schools Celebrates its Education Rock Stars

Have you seen the commercial where employees keep calling each other rock stars, and then actual rock stars show up and shut them down?! Well, we challenge Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol or Joan Jett to step in one of our schools and shut US down – because our employees are as close to rock stars as you…

Prehistoric Predators at ZooTampa
| |

Prehistoric Predators exhibit NOW OPEN at ZooTampa

ZooTampa at Lowry Park is once again transporting you back into prehistoric times so you and the kids can go nose to snout with some of the world’s most ferocious prehistoric predators. Prehistoric Predators is a limited-time exhibit and the final day to experience it is Sunday, April 28, 2024. The best part — it’s…

Mike and Brian Kleinschmidt
|

Tampa Bay’s Dream Couple: Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt of HGTV’s “100 Day Dream Home”

Long before Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt were hosts of the popular HGTV series “100 Day Dream Home,” they were classmates at Riverview High School. Now married for eight years, living in their own dream home in Ruskin, and raising Mika’s 14-year-old daughter, Jade, together, they’re reflecting on their journey and looking ahead to an exciting new year.

Bayshore Christian Fourth Grade
|

Kids to Know: Bayshore Christian School’s Fourth Grade Class

Every fall at Bayshore Christian School, the fourth grade classes gather to plan for a market. The products, packaging and prices are determined individually by each nine and ten year old student. However, they decide collectively how the profits from the project will be used. While they learned how to execute a successful business, they…

Lauren Suttell, LJ Aesthetics
|

Moms to Know: Lauren Suttell, LJ Aesthetics

Have you ever heard the saying “in a world full of Kardashians, be an Audrey (Hepburn)?” When it comes to raising girls in today’s world, I am reassured that there are women in the aesthetics field that promote a graceful approach to aging that enhances natural inner and outer beauty—much like the iconic faces before…

Hustle Sanely Jess Massey
| |

Say goodbye to burnout with help from local mama, Jess Massey, founder of Hustle Sanely

As we get ready to step into a new year, a time when many of us look to reset, we’re introducing you to a local mom who has been right where you are—smack dab in the middle of burnout. Jess Massey not only found her way out, but she developed a planner and system to help other women find their path to a more “peacefully productive” life.

Juliette Feld Grossman shares the story behind the NEW Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
| |

Juliette Feld Grossman shares the story behind the NEW Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is roaring back to life in an ALL-NEW reimagined show and we’re chatting with Juliette Feld Grossman, who teamed up with her father to produce The Greatest Show on Earth, to talk about the evolution of the show.

InBody fitness testing at Tampa YMCA
|

See Yourself at the Y in the New Year – Start Now!

How about a New Year’s resolution you can actually keep? How about the first step to leading a healthy life as a habit? As we approach the new year, the Tampa YMCA is excited to announce the introduction of our state-of-the-art InBody machines. The InBody Fitness Test: A Complete Body Composition Analysis The InBody test…

easing the transition to middle school

How Corbett Prep is Building a Bridge to Middle School in Fifth Grade

It’s elective day in fifth grade, and the Forensic Science class is seated in Corbett Prep’s Middle School lab with mysterious red vials and tiny plastic trays for a lesson on blood type analysis. The synthetic blood will react differently depending on the blood type when mixed with an antiserum, so the fifth graders carefully…

Home Fire Safety

Fire Drill: How to Prep Your Family to Prevent and Escape Home Fires

As we welcome 2024, many of us are filled with exciting new resolutions: To eat healthy, to save money, to exercise. BayCare Kids Wellness and Safety Specialist Michelle Sterling has one other resolution that each one of us can make. The good news is that it’s quick, inexpensive, and can potentially save your life: to change the…

gastroschisis patient Andres

Andres’ Birth Defect and Battle with Gastroschisis 

Pediatric surgeon Paul Danielson, M.D., at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, has often been called in the middle of the night to perform lifesaving surgery. But when Andres was born in 2022, it was a surgical scenario that Danielson had never experienced in his medical career. Andres had gastroschisis, a birth defect that occurs when…

The Gift of Experience in Tampa Bay: A Holiday Gift List Must
| | | | |

The Gift of Experience in Tampa Bay: A Holiday Gift List Must

Rather than overloading our kids with more toys and clutter, why not give the gift of experience in Tampa Bay? An annual pass or membership to a local attraction is not only cost effective, it’s a gift that keeps on giving year–round to the entire family.  Added bonus- many of the attractions that offer summer camps…

Give Back Alex Kulzer
|

Alex’s Touching ‘Give Back’ Project After Years of Hospital Care

Alex Kulzer stacks hundreds of toys in bins and pushes them proudly through the entrance of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. “I’m giving back to my community in a place that I grew up in,” says lifelong patient, 18-year-old Alex. “You never want to say, ‘I grew up in a hospital getting tests done,’ but…

Sadie Dixon
|

Kids to Know: Sadie Dutton

Through the Children’s Dream Fund, I have had the incredible honor of connecting with a family that has endured so much. When the chances of survival were statistically low, where the critical number of perfectly matched stem cells were extraordinarily high, Sadie can say today that her battle is won. Because of the grace of…

Giselle Mcnab The SIS Project.Org
|

Moms to Know: Giselle Mcnab – Author, Speaker, Founder of The SIS Project.Org

From a challenging childhood in New York City to troubled teen years marked by resilience and survival, Giselle McNab’s path to motherhood has taken her from darkness to enlightenment. With a remarkable account of breaking a cycle of abuse, the inspiration behind her book, and her mission to empower women and teen girls through her…

Jason Licht Family Interview
|

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…

Protecting Children from their devices

Disconnected – Protecting Kids From Their Devices is in Your Hands

If you had the power to protect your children from depression and anxiety, would you? Even though any parent would answer “yes” to that question, a valuable weapon in their arsenal often goes unused: the word “no.” Psychotherapist and author Thomas Kersting makes the case for prohibiting or limiting children’s screentime in “Disconnected,” which lays out…

Preparing for Kindergarten

Countdown to Kindergarten: 3 Expert Tips to Prepare Your Child Now

Parents and caregivers of preschoolers may notice time has a way of slowing down and then speeding up with the hustle of trying to make sure you capture each last moment: the last first day of preschool; the last time your child needed help tying their shoe; the last holiday celebrations you will attend at…

Holiday inspired lunch
| |

A Festive Feast: Snacks and Holiday Inspired Lunch Ideas from @LunchBoxMafia

This time of year, we’re all extra busy with fun outings, get-togethers and taking in all that the holidays have to offer. Don’t forget to slow down and savor these moments—especially with your kiddos. Here’s one way to enjoy the season: through savoring the flavors of these holiday inspired lunch and snack ideas! Make a…

MOSI's all-new DC Superheroes exhibit
| | | |

Go on An Epic Journey with MOSI’s new DC Superheroes: Discover Your Superpowers!

Calling all superheroes! Get ready to be part of something truly extraordinary at MOSI! The all-new DC Superheroes: Discover Your Superpowers! exhibit has taken over the MOSI dome building.

Tampa Bay Parenting Toys for Tots at Toys R Us Where to donate toys
| | |

12+ Places to Donate New Toys in Tampa Bay this Holiday Season

The high cost of living and inflation continue to make a significant impact on families and the non-profit organizations that support them. If you are financially able, donating a new toy and even food for a local family in need will make a big difference this holiday season.

Teaching Financial Literacy

It Makes Cents: Shorecrest Prep Teaching Important Life Skill of Financial Literacy

Shorecrest believes that a challenging, college-preparatory curriculum must extend beyond academics to include a solid grounding in real-world applications. The newly launched Ross Roeder Institute for Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship and Economics (RRI) is just one example of how the school provides that preparation.

Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Knight’s Story: Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Three-year-old Knight is a joyful ball of energy as he runs from the family’s living room to dining room to kitchen. He loves this little game, and for most 3-year-olds, this wouldn’t be an extraordinary feat. But, for this child, it is remarkable. What is Sturge-Weber Syndrome? Knight was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a genetic…

Teaching History to Promote Patriotism at Academy at the Lakes

Academy at the Lakes: We Must Teach History

Today’s public square includes much debate about the teaching of history in school. As both a school leader and a history teacher, I offer this: We must teach history in order to create active, engaged citizens. In doing so, we can also promote patriotism. Teaching History to Promote Patriotism History We teach history because history…