I definitely do not enjoy going to the dentist. I dread it when my appointment is a few weeks away. So when it was time for my three-year-old daughter Billie to have her first appointment, I was certain she’d hate it as much as I do. Plus, she’s three. I was positive that there was no way the dentist could get her to lay still to have her teeth cleaned. .naturally I prepared myself for a morning of screaming and crying. As the appointment approached, I got more and more anxious about what I was certain would be an epic disaster.

Today is #GivingTuesday, a global day of charitable giving. Why not give the gifts of extra love and a dose of exercise to a new four-legged friend? You can do this with Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando’s Loaned Jogger program. Read about our art director’s experience on an early morning run with her new furry friend, Bella.

Always bigger than life, Orlando Magic icon and Goldsboro Elementary School physical education teacher Anthony Bowie will be the keynote speaker at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Seminole County Leadership Breakfast on Thursday, March 2, at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary.

Before you bite into that delicious turkey meal, read these 8 tips to keep away those unwanted holiday pounds. And try to make em’ stick throughout this holiday season!

Check out these 16 off-the-beaten-path activities for Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Are you looking for a creative gift idea for the holidays? When we saw this bag from Brighton at Walk on Water, we couldn't wait to share it with our readers. You can take any photo and print it on a leather bag. The quality is incredible, and the recipient will love it!

I recently bought our family of five an annual pass to the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford. We’ve been to the zoo a handful of times over the years with our three boys, ages ranging from three to ten. It’s outdoors, it’s educational, and the boys get to burn off that never-ending energy at entertaining spots including the Wharton-Smith Tropical Splash Ground, KaBOOM! playground, and Zoom Air Adventure Park.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Elmo contest! We have a lot of contests coming up, so stay tuned. Congratulations to the winner!

One of our most popular recent articles was about Longwood musician, Jeff Coffey. Jeff had put his music career to the side for over a decade to be home with his two sons Chase and Bryce. When opportunity knocked, Jeff answered, and filled in as lead singer/bass player for the band Chicago on their summer tour. Recently, the band announced that Jeff would be a permanent member of the band. He recently started on another tour with Chicago and the famous band Earth, Wind, and Fire.

When Lake Mary Life's Chip Colandreo is off the clock, he and his adorable daughter, Grace, spend quality time together. That father-daughter time is spent doing the things they both enjoy – like going to local wrestling shows and cheering on their favorite superstars.

Thanksgiving is a few weeks away. Personally, it’s my favorite holiday. It’s the day my parents met 42 years ago. I’m hosting our family at my new home for the first time, and I needed some help deciding what to cook. I asked the three Grandmas in our office (Sheila, Penny, and Pam) for their favorite holiday recipes. They all look pretty amazing, and I can speak from experience that Sheila’s stuffing gets rave reviews every year! From our Lake Mary Life family to yours- Happy Thanksgiving, and happy cooking!

Lake Mary Life's own Chip Colandreo was fortunate enough to tag along on the most recent Honor Flight. A full recap of his adventure and the experience of several local vets will appear in the Jan/Feb issue of LML, but for now, in honor of Veteran's Day, enjoy this brief video recapping the raucous welcome that was waiting for the Honor Flight vets upon their return to Orlando.

Swings, hayrides, ball pits, tumbles, singing, dancing, jumping, stories, and my 10-month-old daughter Reagan’s favorite–BUBBLES! We had no idea what we were getting into when we went for a trial class at My Gym Lake Mary.

This group is showing our local enforcement that we care about them and appreciate their service.

Read about this magical moment right here in Seminole County.

In the November/December issue, I wrote a story about giving for the holidays. The story was designed to help readers navigate through all of the nonprofits in our area. I wanted to make giving as easy as possible. I highlighted a few local organizations that do great work in the community, listed what each nonprofit needs for the people it serves, and provided steps on how best to help out. I decided to follow my own advice and take my kiddos donation shopping this weekend.

Do you remember voting in your first presidential election?

Lake Mary Life Magazine is giving away four tickets to Sesame Street Live.

You know what I love most about attending our cover shoots? It’s not necessarily getting behind the scenes to stage the perfect picture (although that is absolutely what we strive for and a ton of fun). It’s having complete confidence that this story is The Chosen One. The one we hope makes a good first impression. The one we feel our readers will give pause to and say, “Wow!” Each cover story is carefully selected with the hopes of bringing pride and awareness of the greatness bubbling up all over Seminole County.

Check out our brand new blog, The Lake Mary Lifeline, covering local happenings and more in between print issues.

This summer, Oviedo High School junior Payton Bogert had the unique opportunity to live for ten days at Princeton University and serve as a High School Diplomat during a cultural exchange program with students from Japan. Payton was one of 40 American students chosen nationwide to live with 40 Japanese high schoolers. The young women spent their time introducing each other to cultural celebrations from each country and discussing world even

While playing the role of Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Kaley McLean found herself living out a real-life fairy tale. Her boyfriend, Brenden McNeil, surprised Kaley with a marriage proposal on stage during a recent performance of the musical at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in Sanford.

A trash’s-eye-view of perhaps Seminole County’s most underrated facility

Sanford teen develops his own iPhone app, and it’s a real conversation starter

The school district’s vision for a high-school curriculum based on real-world problem-solving earns SCPS a $1 million award

Local ladies lead the charge to ensure area police officers and deputies know how much they are respected and appreciated

When one of Seminole County’s most worthwhile and sensitive charities needed a new website, local Web developers donated their time – and more than a little careful thought – to create a site that is as functional as it is discreet

To mark its 30th anniversary, the popular festival is changing dates and attracting more artists

Meet Lake Mary’s Crystal Candy, who earned legions of loyal fans pitching everything from quilts to vacuum cleaners on the Home Shopping Network

The Longwood Arts & Crafts Festival prepares for its 40th annual exhibition

They grew up playing football together, and now they’re helping other young players do the same. Meet two Lake Brantley High football stars who are giving back to the local program that made them.

Two Lake Mary High baseball stars have committed to play for top universities, but they’ll leave behind a legacy of community service on and off local fields

In song and in life, local members of the O-Town Sound a cappella chorus complement each other beautifully

LMHS grad is traveling the globe and capturing his adventure for all the world to see

As a high schooler, she ran hundreds of miles on the roads and trails around Oviedo. This summer, at the Olympic Games in Rio, Jenny Simpson made history as the first American woman to medal in the 1,500-meter race.

After recovering from a vicious cycling accident, this Winter Springs retiree decided to get back on his bike and pedal coast to coast

Winter Springs centenarian Red Christensen has an entrepreneurial mind and an enduring spirit

Winter Springs WWII veteran, Emil Abrahamian, has a new and important job to help honor those who fought in Desert Storm.

Last issue, we helped you get in the giving spirit early by sharing what local nonprofits need in the months before holiday giving begins in earnest. Now, the green-and-red rubber is meeting the road, and it’s time to help our local charities make the holidays merry for neighbors in need. From serving meals to sponsoring a wish list for a child in foster care, there are dozens of ways, both big and small, that you can make a difference.

How do you make a family business work? Just ask the leaders of these multi-generation organizations.

A Q&A with three Lake Mary High School grads hard at work in the top tech companies that are changing the world

Oviedo’s iconic festival moves to Oviedo on the Park this year, making “Great Day” that much greater

The new lunchroom manager at Wekiva Elementary is... a professional baseball player? Yep, and he couldn’t be happier.

Whether it’s acting or art, this Winter Springs six-year-old is skilled beyond her years, and now she has her own Life is Good T-shirt to prove it

Local arts groups of all types and sizes give budding artists and seasoned pros a place to share and be inspired

As another Honor Flight carries veterans from Central Florida to Washington, D.C., we pay tribute to the local Guardians who accompany them

Young Oviedo golf phenom Bella Dovhey is dominating her competition and earning the attention of the game’s most famous figures

The Oviedo High School basketball community is lifting up assistant coach Bryan Price as he battles stage 4 stomach cancer

I didn’t give you the gift of life, But in my heart I know. The love I feel is deep and real, As if it had been so. For us to have each other Is like a dream come true! No, I didn’t give you The gift of life, Life gave me the gift of you. While the origin of this touching poem is unknown, it captures the special bond between parents and their adoptive children. In honor of November being National Adoption Awareness Month, Lake Mary Life salutes two couples from our community who made the choice to adopt in the face of some extraordinary obstacles, and an organization that helps keep families together.

Walk through a century of time at Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School as the community celebrates its centennial

One of Oviedo’s most important charities, HOPE Helps, is almost ready to move into its new resource center, where thousands of local men, women, and children will be given the food and support they need to avoid homelessness. The new facility is a wonder, and a testament to the community’s support of HOPE, but the community isn’t done yet.

As water rose this summer over homes and businesses in Louisiana, so did the desire of local Rotarians to honor their motto by placing Service Above Self

Mike Bley is the new man in charge of the Shred-a-Thon, one of Lake Mary’s largest – and most handy – fundraising events

Local fitness experts offer free weekend boot camp workouts and encourage participants to come as they are and return better than they were

The school district’s annual showcase of artistic talent is about to turn 20. Learn more about what makes Arts Alive in Seminole! a must-see event every year.

In the Lake Mary High School drama department’s upcoming production of Noises Off, the actors and actresses will be the stars, but the incredibly elaborate set just might steal the show

Oviedo’s Military Support Team delivers a taste of the holidays to soldiers overseas, and the team needs your help!

Winning an international golf tournament is one thing. Winning every competitive event during the entire tournament week is another. Doing it all at 12 years old is downright incredible.

In case you haven’t noticed, robot-building teams at Hagerty and Oviedo High are some of the fastest-growing and most career-building clubs on campus.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Boys Town Central Florida in Oviedo has a rich history of building bright futures