We tried something new. Everyone has a perception of their talents, separating the things they’re good at from the ones they’re not. Case...

Lessons learned from my local travel soccer team Sometimes you must be unconventional; perseverance is crucial in pursuing goals; always...

Out-of-the-box boutiques offer new ways to shop. If the past few years have revealed anything, it is that change is inevitable. Sometimes...

These flavors make it easy to keep. The new year is like a season in itself. Every year we get to hit that metaphorical reset button. For...

How Deena Shoshkes and Jon Fried found new inspiration in an old desk drawer. Roughly 40 years ago, wife-and-husband music duo Deena...

One woman’s journey to make the world a nicer place, one child at a time. In 1995, with a desire to enhance Judaism in the...

Photography by Julia Maloof Verderosa Known for slinging pizzas, Sabatino dishes up a new eatery. When a beloved local pizza place shuts...

Ways to give locally This is the time of year when we show generosity to one another with gifts, our time, even a meal. It's also a great...

Some might call it ingenious When I was 12 years old, my stepmom entrusted me with the job of watering our Christmas tree. Little did I...

Morrow Church looks to lessen the divides between rich and poor Like many congregations, Morrow United Methodist Church in Maplewood has...

Dr. Mike finds inspiration in his hardcore band life It all started about two decades ago when a Craigslist ad caught the eye of Mike...

A holiday centerpiece and irresistible cookies to match I just love the notion that so many of the foods we love (think boeuf bourguignon...

Creating some magic this season and organizing your life are not mutually exclusive As fall turns to winter, it’s time to turn our...

Honoring our traditions even as they shift As the holidays are upon us, I’m looking forward to any excuse to be with family and friends...

Ken Gagne’s memoir chronicles his youth, home and family Ken Gagne’s father had a lot of pithy sayings. They were nuggets of wisdom –...

It helps me check in with my soul It’s fall and by now I thought I’d be writing about easier times. But as the pandemic is still with us...

Changing the world, one child at a time Lorraine Kerry Barnett grew up poor in the Central Ward of Newark during the dark period that...

Introducing the SOMA Chamber of Commerce Two local organizations have made history. The Maplewood Chamber of Commerce and the South...

Rescuing pets in SOMA Christel Hyden knows fostering pets makes a difference. One of her success stories is about a group of adorable...

It’s all-female, but that’s beside the point Congregants of Oheb Shalom, a Conservative Jewish temple in South Orange, gathered this...