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A patient entertainer

He'd just had his spleen removed and he was still a bit woozy from the anesthesia. But 10-year-old Ellington King was game when child...

Becoming a bone marrow donor

  On a warm Saturday morning more than 10 years ago, my husband and I drove across town on a mission: We had decided to...

What I learned watching open-heart surgery

When I was driving home from St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center last Thursday night, it started to hit me. As I walked into the...

What it was like to watch open-heart surgery (Part 4)

I guess I watch too many medical shows on TV. But I was expecting something a little more dramatic. When cardiac surgeon Brian deGuzman, M.D....

What it was like to watch open-heart surgery (Part 3)

You can't repair a leaky heart valve when the blood is constantly pulsing through the chambers. So the heart has to be immobilized. Put in...

What it was like to watch open-heart surgery (Part 2)

Anesthesiologist George Gellert, M.D. describes the pressures of cardiac surgery like this: "It's like you're a pilot flying an airplane into a tunnel —...

What it was like to watch open-heart surgery (Part 1)

A lot of people have been asking me what it was like watching open-heart surgery. Many of the questions emanate from all-too-human fears that...

What matters in surgery

A very worried husband and his two adult daughters are breathing a little bit easier tonight. Their loved one — his wife, their mother —...

Preparing for surgery

Before I left for Ethiopia last summer, I spent three days visiting my sons in Washington, D.C. While they were at work each day...

Want to impress an editor? What NOT do to…

After nearly 30 years of work in the publishing field, I've decided it's time to polish my own writing skills. So I've been buying books...

Ethiopia – finding some semblance of control amid the chaos

As the director of a Children's Cross Connection-affiliated orphanage in the village of Soddo, Ethiopia, South Africa-born Stephne Bowers has made it her mission...

Ethiopia – homecoming is just the beginning

During our last hours in Addis Ababa, nine of us crowded into a tiny bedroom at the Danish Evangelical Mission guest house to say...

Ethiopia – the village school

Monday, July 12 Any new parent could relate to the tug that Brian and Keri deGuzman felt early yesterday morning as they kissed their babies...

Working with interns: A chance to get back into my 22-year-old head

When we first started accepting interns more than 15 years ago, I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. I'm someone who is...

Give me back my vote!

I had a moment of entrepreneurial exasperation yesterday that has me seriously regretting my "yes" vote on Proposition 100. The measure, which passed easily on...

Making sense of the pieces

People always ask me why I decided to start a magazine. There are many answers, all of which are layered by aspects of my...

PARTY ARTICLES

Money Lessons from Birthday Parties

Teaching Kids the Value of Gifts & Gratitude Between the cake, balloons, and wrapping paper tornado, birthday parties are often all about fun, but they also provide the perfect opportunity to teach kids early lessons...

Time to Paw-ty

Celebrating your favorite furry friend Call me crazy, but when my husband and I adopted our first dog together, we threw her a birthday party complete with cake, streamers, guests, appetizers, games, and more. Was...

Unique Ways to Host a Joint Birthday Party

My brother and I have birthdays that are just one day apart—his on March 3rd, mine on March 4th, and our oldest brother just a few weeks later on March 21st. Fast forward 31 years...

Out-of-the-box Birthday Party Ideas in Phoenix & Tucson

Wanting to do something a little extra special for your child’s next birthday party? Maybe it’s a milestone birthday—like turning double digits or entering the teen years. Or perhaps your child has requested to...

Birthday Traditions & Clever Theme Ideas

Childhood birthdays are unlike any others. I have fond memories of waking up on my birthday morning anticipating all the fun that was in store. With three kids who had birthdays all in the same...

Out-of-the Box Birthday Party Ideas

Wanting to do something a little extra special for your child’s next birthday party? Maybe it’s a milestone birthday—like turning double digits or entering the teen years. Or perhaps your child has requested to...

Party Etiquette

Whether you’re hosting a party or attending one, you may be wondering—do people really RSVP anymore? What about goodie bags, are those still a thing? Do I need to stay with my child at...

How to Throw a Birthday Party that Won’t Break the Bank

I remember the days when birthday parties consisted of colorful balloons, streamers, a simple cake, and the classics like musical chairs and tag with a few friends. Times have changed and suddenly it feels necessary...

How to do a drive-by birthday party

As we get deeper into quarantine, people have gotten creative with birthday celebrations. One result: the drive-by birthday party.

Home pool party? Hire a lifeguard!

Drowning happens silently and quickly. That’s why children are at risk even when — and sometimes especially when — adults are nearby. Even a "designated pool watcher" can avert his or her eyes for a...

Hiking birthday party

For a child who loves adventure and outdoors, turn a hike into a birthday party.
Tour de Liam, Biking birthday party theme, bike race, outdoor activites, arizona parties

Bike race birthday party

When there are lots of neighborhood friends who love to ride their bikes together, host a birthday party that feels like an official bike race.

Island birthday party

Pool parties are popular in Arizona. Make a stylish upgrade at your next birthday party by incorporating décor and details that will transport guests from the desert to a tropical island paradise.

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