Spring awakening

It’s spring, and despite a warm winter, the trees and flowers in bloom are a welcome sight. What strikes me most about this season is the array of colors and the variance of nature. Biology makes plants unique, and it also impacts the way we as humans choose to live and create our family units. Long gone are the days of the standard “nuclear family.” And here in Reno, we’re pretty familiar with unique lifestyles.

With that in mind, we hope to share with you stories and information relevant to whatever form your family takes. If you’re a techie, technology should be fun and functional, so we’ve put together a list of helpful apps for new parents. Want to use technology to share your family with the world? Casey O’Lear investigates the phenomenon of mommy bloggers and chats with Lauren from RenoSparksMom.com.

Tim Hauserman shares the importance of extracurricular activities for young people, including testimonies from Destynee Howell with La Cirque Vagabond, and Maya Dunlap, a young actress. But raising children is not always fun or easy—Caitlin Thomas shares activist and mother Melanie Lopez’ story.

There’s also plenty to keep young minds engaged throughout the next few months with Urban Roots Garden Classrooms environmental summer camps for kids and teens, and Geoff McFarland provides a round-up of storytelling programs throughout the city.

Enjoy the coming months and the colors that abound, and the uniqueness of the people and families you meet.

Cheers,

Ashley Hennefer