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The Emerald Coast’s official comedy festival is coming to select venues in Walton and Bay County. Taking place in six venues from February 13th to 15th, the Sand Up Comedy Festival is three-days of non-stop laughs. Featuring over 20 national and Florida-based comedians, the event is headlined by Jeremy Alder, Ian Aber, Paula Kosienski, Eeland Stribling, and Bob Place. Learn more by visiting the festival website.
on ‘Snow is a poor man’s fertilizer’ is an infamous expression that some consider nothing more than an old wives’ tale. But snow is actually quite useful in the garden. With record breaking snowfall across the Florida Panhandle, we got curious about the benefits of snow: 
Want to learn more about the poor man’s fertilizer? Tim Travers further explains nitrogen in his 2002 article (click here to open).
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There are four new, gorgeous murals decorating downtown Marianna. Funded in part by the Marianna Community Redevelopment Association, the murals depict key aspects of Marianna such as southern magnolias, the Marianna High School bulldog mascot, and peanuts. Completed last month, the murals are the work of Kollet Hardeman. began painting the murals two months ago. She spent 12 to 15 hours a day painting and spent approximately about a week working on each mural. The designs were created digitally before being approved by the Main Street Marianna board members. Hardeman had this to say about her experience in Marianna while completing the murals, “This city has absolutely just come alive. They are smiling. They’re honking, they’re waving.”(1)
So get out into town and see if you can spot all four!
on Operation Spay Bay began in 2011 when the county was experiencing a need for free and inexpensive spaying and neutering. The clinic is part of a large collection of shelters and rescues within about a 50-mile radius. They are focused on working together to reduce pet/stray overpopulation and make animal care affordable for owners despite income levels. These local rescues have come together to help reduce the needless deaths taking place in the numerous kill shelters in northern Florida.
After seeing a steady increase in services provided after Hurricane Michael (2018), the clinic has decided to move to a new facility. Located at 3610 E 14th Street in Panama City, the new location was possible thanks to nearly a million dollars in donations and grants. What used to be a degrading, empty church has been renovated into a rescue, wellness, and surgery center. There will be additional housing areas for animals and even a kitchen for the tireless employees who keep the public service up-and-running.
According to the Spay Bay Facebook, they provided:
Interested in helping them continue providing these crucial community services? They have an Amazon wishlist with items that would help make them continue to operate. You can also visit their How to Help webpage.
on Happy New Year everyone! Last year we talked about the danger of resolutions and the beneficial alternative, SMART goals. This year, we’ll explore New Year Intentions, a trend that’s been gaining traction for a few years now.
First and foremost, what’s the difference between a resolution and an intention? Resolution brings to mind challenges, hardships, and endurance despite obstacles; it’s Sisyphean endlessly pushing his boulder up the hill, over and over and over again. Not to mention that failing at New Year’s resolutions is so common that there’s a number of unofficial days that celebrate the inevitable: Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day on January 17 and “Quitter’s Day” on the second Friday in January (January 10th this year).
An intention, on the other hand, is inherently forgiving and takes into consideration all the complexities of human existence. Essentially, an intention helps guide someone towards a goal using a general plan. It’s an aim, not a set result. Setting intentions over resolutions allows you to reach a state of being over a specific goal. Trying to hit specific targets (like a certain amount of steps walked or saving a specific amount of money) can stress the nervous system out as it doesn’t allow for the reality of being human. Some weeks you can easily save $20 from your paycheck and other weeks, you have to dip into your savings to cover a blown tire. As The Intention Habit blog says, “New Year’s resolutions often hinge on lofty goals, laden with pressure, that frequently lead to disappointment. They tend to emphasize outcomes over the journey itself.”
Living with intention means making choices that match up with your values and knowing your purpose. So try setting an intention today to better your tomorrow. An example would be moving beyond the open-ended goal/resolution of ‘losing weight’ to the intention to ‘make food choices that make my body feel good and that I enjoy.’ This can help prioritize things that taste good AND help you feel good; maybe you often go for a microwave meal for dinner but really want to make a rice bowl. The best thing about intentions are that they can change – just like you! So consider trying a new intention this year.
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Northstar Church invites you and yours to a Snow Much Fun Day on Sunday, December 22 from 10am-1pm! Open to all Bay County residents, there will be fun for all ages. With real snow, inflatables, food, Christmas photo ops, and much more! The event is being thrown in collaboration with FOR Bay County, so if you would like to volunteer to help create holiday joy, visit the FOR website here. Want to learn more about upcoming Northstar Church events? Visit their website here.
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Tallahassee Native Nursery says “Opossum Claus loves relaxing by the cider station, lounging in the swing, greeting everyone as they enter the gift shop, and taking pictures with people. If he doesn’t talk or move, don’t worry — he’s probably just playing dead.”
Opossum Claus only sticks around until December 24th, when he heads off to help Santa deliver gifts. So come see him while you can! The Nursery also has a gorgeous gift shop called The Wren’s Nest. It offers gardening goods like tools, seeds, fertilizers, and more. Holiday gifts such as ornaments, books, shirts, gift certificates, and more are also available. Visit them to find the perfect gift for the plant lover in your life!
on The Pensacola Winterfest is here! This annual event features three live action Christmas-themed train tours are leaving the station even earlier this year. The options include: Polar Express, The Grinch’s Merry Match, and Christmas Tree Heist. Each adventure includes special guests along with musical performances, live readings, and other entertainment. For an additional fee, you can have your holiday photos taken with Santa or Grinch!
Tickets are $16-26 for adults and $10-17 for kids. Open select dates: Dec. 6-8, 13, 15, 20-24. Learn more or purchase your tickets by visiting the Winterfest website.
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Today is National Hiking Day! This is an excellent time of year to go out and explore the wilderness around you. Here in the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas, there’s a number of unique ecosystems to explore at local, state, and national parks. Here’s a list of just a few of the beautiful places to explore today: