In a costume quandary? Pop some cash at the thrift shop down the road. Most people probably didn’t know there was an official day for it, but National Costume Swap Day is the second Saturday of October. Something many parents have already become proficient at, Costume Swap Day offers up the idea of a money-smart […]
Dreaming Large in the Front Yard
An Aliso Viejo family embodies community spirit and fun with their annual Halloween display. The Stanleys’ front yard became national news in 2021. Probably because it was the only one with the pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean in it. Quite a way to celebrate Halloween, but it was also the kind of thing […]
Sharing Secrets
IMAX filmmaker, activist and local Greg MacGillivray talks about his upcoming projects, the ocean and his optimism for the future. An ocean breeze gently blows through the window. Filmmaking memorabilia hang on the wall. A grandchild plays on the floor and a smile grows wide on filmmaker Greg MacGillivray’s face as he reflects on film, […]
Bee Heroes
A group of Westminster High School teens have developed an innovative product to help save the bees. The buzz about honey bees is not good. Declining bee populations are costing the U.S. economy billions, and creating another stress factor for the environment. But a group of high school students in a forward-looking science program used […]
Food, Fireworks and Ferraris
Local theme parks make this summer their own with attractions both new and old enticing families ready for some fun. Amusement parks are built for bright, hot summer days. But summer nights at a park can light up, sparkle and rock-and-roll too. After two long COVID-restricted summers, families are finding themselves doing some so-called “revenge-travel” […]
Dad on a Mission
A local dad turns tragedy into teaching and helps other dads become the best they can be. The worst night of James Alvarez’s life could have broken him. It could have poisoned the rest of his life. Instead, he channeled his grief into a mission to help the daughter who needed him and all the […]
Small Zoo, Big Cats
The OC Zoo in Orange has expanded its ‘pawprint’ to house a new Large Mammal Exhibit and five large felines for families to enjoy year round. A waterfall flows through the rocky scenery of Santiago’s new digs. He’s still exploring the space, but the sound seems soothing. That, and the meaty treat he gets from […]
Summer 2022 Family Movie Guide
Family-friendly films entice movie-goers back this summer. Families have spent little time in movie theaters since 2020. Often stuck at home, kept out of theaters or choosing to stay away the last couple of years, the summer of 2022 is likely to be different. In fact, it’s likely to resemble normal. While masks might be […]
Summer Camp Success
How Special Needs Camps Adapted to a Pandemic Two years of pandemic transformed everyday normal moments in life into the annoyingly and sometimes comically difficult. We often complained. We grumbled. We worried how we would do things. Then somehow we just got on with it. Life can be like that every day for kids with […]
Building Hope
A former breast cancer patient turns diagnosis into dignity while helping other women. Allie Bertocchini sat in her Coto de Caza home, uncomfortably waiting for the news. That October day in 2019 was not a good one. But it was a turning point. And a chance to actually make things better. “I kind of thought […]
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