Archives for March 31, 2023

Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. is pleased to host a family fun Easter celebration on Sunday, April 2 from noon to 3 p.m along Third Street Promenade. The celebration includes a free photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny, a family-friendly musical performance, face painting, balloon artists, kids activities and games, and more. The first 350 attendees will also receive a free Easter treat. The event is free and open to all ages.

WHEN:

Sunday, April 2 from noon to 3 p.m.

WHERE:

1200 Block of Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401

REGISTRATION:

Attendance is free, but registration is encouraged via Eventbrite. 

Credit: Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM, Inc.)

Family Floralia Workshop

GETTY VILLA

Saturday, April 1, 2023, at 11 am

Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 11 am

Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 11 am

Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 11 am

Saturday, June 17, 2023, at 11 am

Discover the blooms, textures, and fragrances of history during this all-ages Roman garden workshop. To celebrate the ancient season of Floralia—which honors the Roman goddess Flora—explore the Villa gardens with your family, discover beautiful flowers, and then make seed balls to bring home and grow a garden of your own. This is a free, drop-in program.

Credit: Getty Villas.

Fostering a child is a very rewarding experience, but it can also come with some financial challenges. From the cost of supplies to unexpected expenses, becoming a foster carer is likely to increase your monthly outgoings. The good news, however, is that with the right financial planning, you can make fostering a more financially sustainable experience. Keep reading for some tips on budgeting and saving as a foster carer.

Create a Budget

As a foster carer, you will be entitled to an allowance from fosteringpeople.co.uk based on the age and needs of the child and your personal circumstances. It’s also possible to work while you are fostering, although you may want to consider working part-time or other flexible arrangements that allow you to make your foster child the number one priority. Whether your income is a fostering allowance alone or a combination of an allowance and salary, the first step is to create a budget. Understanding how much money is coming in and going out each month will make it easier for you to make informed decisions about where to spend and where to cut back.

Look for Ways to Cut Expenses

There are several things you can do to reduce your expenses when fostering. For example, you may want to shop around for better deals on household utilities like energy, broadband, or insurance. Or you can buy supplies in bulk – for example, buying food or supplies for younger kids like nappies and formula can be much cheaper if you buy a lot at once. Go through your regular expenses and cancel any that you no longer need, while looking for cheaper options on the rest.

Buy Second-Hand

There’s nothing wrong with getting deals on second-hand items for your foster child – and with buying and selling online becoming more and more popular, there are plenty of places where you can find excellent deals. For example, you can use Facebook Marketplace or eBay to kit out your foster child’s bedroom with all the furniture they need at a fraction of the price of buying brand new. Shopping around is a great way to find second-hand products that are as good as new.

Collaborate with Other Foster Carers

As a foster carer, it’s good to get involved with the community in your area, which often means attending groups or communicating with other foster carers online. While having access to people who are going through the same things as you can be great for emotional support, you can also turn to each other for practical support, too. For example, if a few foster carers in your area need new clothes for your foster children, organising a clothes swap is a great option. Plus, it’s a great way to teach your foster children more about sustainability, and why ‘new to you’ is sometimes just as good, if not better than brand new.

While foster carers in the UK get a generous allowance to cover the cost of fostering, being frugal is always wise. By keeping these tips in mind, you can make your allowance stretch further while still ensuring your foster child has everything they need to thrive.

April 1 at 10:00 a.m. – What’s It Worth?

• John Moran Auctioneers & Appraisers, in partnership with the Laguna Art Museum, invites the public to have up to five items professionally valued. Appraisers at John Moran Auctioneers will provide a verbal valuation of your treasures. Please find a full list of items that may be valued and more information at this link.

April 2 at 10:00 a.m. – Jean Stern Presents: The Historical Development of Watercolor Painting

• In this illustrated lecture, Curator Jean Stern will trace the history and development of watercolor painting. Mr. Stern will define various water-based media and discuss such variants as watercolor, gouache, and tempera. He will review the historical evolution and show that water-based paint appears in ancient art dating back to the cave paintings of pre-historic societies. Also discussed will be the many forms of water-based media through history with examples from ancient civilizations including Medieval, the Renaissance and into the Twentieth Century. More information can be found at this link.

April 15 at 6:00 p.m. – Spence Collection Artist Panel & Pizza Party

• Join the Laguna Art Museum for a discussion on the artworks donated by Stuart Spence and Judith Vida-Spence to Laguna Art Museum. Co-moderated by artist, writer, and professor, Tom Lawson, and LAM’s Curatorial Fellow, Rochelle Steiner, this panel will include artists whose work is currently on view at the museum. Together, they will engage in discussion about the artistic community that evolved in Southern California in the late 1980s and 1990s; their wide-ranging artistic approaches that are both conceptual and personal; and the critical support of the Spences and others at that time. More information can be found at this link.

April 22 at 11:00 a.m. – Earth Day Celebration: Storytime & Beach Cleanup with Project O

• Join the Laguna Art Museum and Project O in celebration of Earth Day. Rich German, founder of Project O, will commence the celebration with story time by reading My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan, followed by a presentation and book signing by German and his book Blue Laguna, and wrapping up the day will be a beach cleanup. All supplies for the cleanup will be provided, but feel free to bring your own work gloves. Please wear appropriate clothes & shoes for beach cleanup. More information can be found at this link.

April 30 at 2:00 p.m. – My Hero: The Art of Healing

• Unlock the healing power of creativity with MY HERO and the Laguna Art Museum. Included with museum admission, guests will enjoy art, poetry, music, dance and short films to celebrate the art of healing. MY HERO is a nonprofit, educational project that empowers people of all ages to realize their potential to effect change in the world. More information can be found at this link.

Credit: Laguna Art Museum.