RAISING ARIZONA KIDS history

Images and outtakes from RAK assignments

Some photos that haven’t made it into print or online stories are still worth sharing. Cover shoots can be nerve-wracking affairs when the young cover...

Behind the scenes at our November cover shoot

I was honored when RAK's editorial staff mentioned my son’s name for the cover of November’s edition during one of our routine editorial meetings....

Rising to service

Every two years, grief experts and grieving families come to Arizona from all over the world. For three days, they participate in educational workshops,...

Deja, deja, deja vu – the third (major) office flood

For a brief moment as I was waking up on Saturday morning, I thought, "It was all a bad dream!" No such luck. Our office...

Rising to service, rising to challenge

Our magazine first explored the difficult topic of a child's death in 1991, when a local mom shared a first-person account of her own...

RAK takes a record eight awards at 2012 Arizona Press Club competition

Five RAISING ARIZONA KIDS journalists took a total of eight awards at Saturday night's Arizona Press Club Awards event, which recognizes professionals from across...

All ready now

Last week I took pictures of Scottsdale mom Kirsten Dunlap and her kids for a piece she wrote for our June issue about gardening...

Exciting possibilities

I was appalled one morning to read a question posted on a national mom-to-mom network site. The writer was describing a serious allergic reaction...

One proud mama

It's not unusual for a proud mom to call our office with the following request: "My son appeared in a photo in your magazine...

The restorative power of painting poppies

The months from November through February are always a long slog for our small staff. As if the challenges of publishing monthly magazine and daily...

Parting shots

Many pictures I take for Raising Arizona Kids don't get into the magazine or onto our website. Some images don't really tell the story...

An operose project

I am a longtime subscriber to Dictionary.com's Word of the Day. This was the definition that popped into my in-box yesterday morning: operose OP-uh-rohs, adjective: 1. Done...

Thinking "different" on the day Steve Jobs died

Through no one's fault but my own, I lost a month's worth of work and email. I am typically very compulsive about weekly backups on...

Inspiration from a former co-worker

Nancie Schauder's name first appeared on our staff roster 20 years ago, in October 1991. She was, as I later wrote, "one of those...

A welcome "thank you," just for doing our job

Friday afternoons are typically very quiet at our office. For those of us who crave uninterrupted time to check things off our respective "to...

An older, wiser mom

My son Andy's birthday is today. He's 26 years old. The number makes me gasp. My thoughts are pulled back to the weeks surrounding his...

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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