Christmas Magic By Lauren Thompson, Illustrated by Jon Muth (Scholastic Press, $16.99) The thing about Santa books around the holidays is that they can sometimes be a little too jolly (not to mention a little too focused on the whole materialistic, gimme-more-presents thing). Sometimes, with Santa, there’s plenty of plastic and packaging, but not much […]

As it becomes increasingly difficult to get personal attention when you’re buying something — because you’re e-mailing or buying from a Web site or wandering a giant store trying desperately to get someone to answer a simple question — independent retailers are treasures to be sought out and cherished. This is especially true for Little […]

“My kids are finally teething!” “We’re beginning to get on a regular sleeping schedule.” “Before the baby, I’d remember to bring water for everyone, now it’s hard to remember to breathe sometimes!” “Well, we can’t leave yet, the kids are having too much fun playing!” This isn’t a new moms’ playgroup or parents picking up […]

Miami Burgess, a tattoo artist at Psycho Tattoo in Douglasville for 15 years, used to get his adrenaline rushes from hitting clubs like the Wreck Room and Club Anytime. But having his son, Brinton, changed that. Now, he gets his adrenaline from everything from mixed martial arts to fabricating and custom painting. He’s also too […]

Lynn Epps and Tina Armour may have seemed an unlikely pair when they met. They first encountered one another at a line dancing gathering. Neither of them actually danced, so they started talking. Lynn eventually invited Tina to a football party, but Tina, not a fan of competitive sports, declined. Two weeks later, at the […]