A resource for families in Santa Cruz County
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May 2023 Be a Good Year for You!
While the storms are raging, the elephant seals are arriving at Año Nuevo State Park. A day trip to visit them is a memorable experience. It's quite a trek to and from their hangouts, so if you're bringing little ones, be prepared for to carry them back!

While you're staying safe at home, it's time for rain coats and boots, puddle stomping and cocoa, then all the fun, indoor games, puzzles, forts, projects and movies we can round up!

May 2023 bring your family blessings, joy, successes small and grand and the strength and wisdom to overcome tribulations. Parenting is the most important job on earth. We can do it! Need a helping hand? It's Positive Parenting Awareness Month and Triple P is a great resource for us.

Make family times positive, Parmalee



For emergency information County-wide visit;
January is Positive Parenting Awareness Month!
"January is Positive Parenting Awareness Month! Start the New Year off with parenting tips from Triple P Santa Cruz County and participate in their 31 Days of Positive Parenting starting January 1st, where we will share daily parenting tips and suggestions for quality family time for the month of January.

Some of these ideas might seem simple, and some you might already do, but all of them are positive and are an excellent opportunity to reflect on the joys and rewards of raising children and recommit to being a positive parent."

Triple-P sends you to today's parenting tip #5, "Go on a kindness spree, and challenge each other to find ways to spread kindness today!" Here are 50 "kindnesses". It's a great tip for any day, especially a stormy day!

Take a look at the Family Activity Calendar: https://bit.ly/31-Days-Positive-Parenting2023
Ramses the Great
Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs

Over 3,000 years in the making. Discover 181 priceless ancient Egyptian treasures.

Treat yourself to a solo adventure or a whole family outing to see our special exhibition Ramses the Great in its final weeks. We’ve got you covered with a visitor’s guide to get the most out of your trip.

Closing February 12 ~ Learn more > > >
Historical Fiction Brings History Alive!
If you have a child who likes to write and/or is fascinated by history, come to the library this Friday to meet Lynn Guenther, local author and artist of the adventurous story of “Light of the Bay: Laura Hecox, Keeper of the Santa Cruz Lighthouse.”

"Through Laura’s eyes, readers travel across the country by wagon train, witness the growth of Santa Cruz following California statehood, develop a passion for scientific inquiry, meet an array of colorful historic figures, and fall in love. They also experience the logging of the giant redwood forests, the extinction of wildlife species in Monterey Bay, the persecution of Native Americans and immigrants, and other costs of “progress.”
Elephant Seals Arriving!
Experience a National Geographic moment for yourself during a Guided Elephant Seal Walk!

Guided Elephant Seal Walks are available at Año Nuevo State Park. Don’t miss out! Make a reservation now to view a large colony of northern elephant seals. This time of year, male elephant seals arrive along the shore of Año Nuevo State Park to establish hierarchy, while pregnant females come ashore to birth their pups.

Insider Tip: Same day elephant seal tours are available on a first come, first served basis. Show up before 10 a.m. on weekends and holidays for a walk-up ticket; come by noon on weekends. For visitors without a reservation, tickets are $7 per person. Vehicle day-use fee is $10.

K-12 Coastal Art & Poetry Contest
(Click on the fish!)
Stay safe!
Please check any event you might attend before venturing forth. There are bound to be closures and re-scheduling.
The U.S. and the Holocaust, PBS Station KQED at 9pm on January 6, 13, and 20 and also will be available to stream on the PBS website now through February 3rd. At the January 26 Discussion event, we will watch a 40-minute screener from the series provided by PBS Books, which is supporting programming around the documentary for Libraries nation-wide. Details

Daughters and Sons of the Beach Ukele Jam, Saturday, January 7, 10am – 12pm, Strum Along with us on the beach. Details
Recycle Your Christmas Tree, City of Santa Cruz, January 1 - 14, We offer three ways to recycle your tree with curbside pickup. Details
Tech Talks: Smartphone 101 (Apple), Thursday, January 5, 11am – 12pm, Know the basic features and settings to get the most from your device. Ready for a review of the basic features and settings of your iPhone? Join us as we share our favorite features and tips. Details
Free Day Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, First Fridays of the Month, 11am – 4pm, Hey! Free day! Pop-on by for a dose of nature connectedness. Access to the Museum is for everyone. Join us. Details
Bay Area Babywearing, Aptos, January 8, 10am – 12pm, Details
Bay Area Babywearing, Watsonville, January 8, 1 – 3pm, Details
Try on different brands, bring your own to get best wearing suggestions, meet new friends. Borrow one to try out until the next meeting!
Clothing Swap, January 6, 5:30 - 6:30 pm, Creative Eden Lounge, we will have our first clothing swap. Start going through your closets! Details
Triple P Workshop: Setting Healthy Screen Time Limits and Encouraging Creativity, Thursday, January 12, 6 – 7:30pm, Attend this FREE virtual parenting workshop to learn: How “screen time” can affect children’s health and behaviors, Tips for setting healthy screen time limits, What to do if your child refuses to follow the screen time rules, How participating in art, music, dance, drama and other creative activities promotes children’s healthy development, Tips for encouraging children to express their creativity through different activities. Details
Triple P Workshop: Building Children’s Communication & Problem-Solving Skills, Monday, January 9, 5:30 – 7pm, Attend this FREE virtual parenting workshop. Details
Triple P Stepping Stones Seminar: Positive Parenting for Children with a Disability, Wednesday, January 11, 6 – 7:30pm
Attend this FREE parenting seminar for families with children with special needs. Details
“Practical Special Education Advocacy Tips for Parents,” Monday, January 9, 6 – 7:30pm, Join SPIN for the 3rd workshop of our Special Education Workshop series. Details
Parenting Workshops, These parent workshops offer outstanding skills, tips and support in our parenting path. We are fortunate to have these resources. Even if everything is going well, it's good to know what's available! January
ALL Farmers Markets and farm activities! Details