Hooray for spooky season — colorful trees, crisp air, costume contests, and cheerful gatherings around cornhole games and firepits at tailgate parties! If you're looking for something festive to do, be sure to check out our abundant events calendar on pages 6-10 for seasonal fun close to home. Speaking of spooky season, many people are a little ski...

September brings us Labor Day (9/1), Grandparents Day (9/7), Rosh Hashanah (9/23-24), and the much-anticipated first day of fall (9/22). It also kicks off the fall festival season, which ushers in such seasonal delights as decorative scarecrows, yummy food and beverage options, arts and crafts, and live music playing through the air on cooler breez...

 Are you ready for early morning bus stop monitoring, afternoon car-rider lines, and Friday night lights? While August marks the beginning of a new school year and the start of football season, it's also the first issue in volume 13 of Woodstock Family Life, and our staff is excited to continue its now 13-year tradition of providing a convenie...

This month, we celebrate the birth of our nation. Though it has been nearly 250 years since our Founding Fathers signed a document that grants us "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness," many still struggle to pursue such "Happiness." Some people are afraid of judgment or rejection, some fear negative repercussions, and others are just waitin...

I recently spent a warm and breezy late spring afternoon in my backyard, sitting beside my husband and our dog. As the sun warmed my face, I closed my eyes and angled my head toward the sky to take a quiet, deep breath and soak it in. The birds were chirping, and the wind chimes someone gave to my family after my father passed away in 2015 were sof...

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." -Henry David ThoreauThe quote in the blue box resonates with many people because it applies to a myriad of circumstances. This month, we celebrate Mother's Day on May 11. As we honor those who have raised and nurtured us, may we take the time to truly consider the amount of life the...

Do you ever wish you could go back to being a little kid? A time when there were so many mysterious places you had yet to visit and whimsical activities you had yet to enjoy? So many euphoric emotions ahead of you to feel for the first time? A time when your preconceived notions about things weren't tainted by so much life experience? While there a...

As we celebrate St. Patrick's Day on the 17th and officially march into spring on the 25th of this month, most of us are looking forward to warmer temperatures; daylight savings time on 3/9 (hooray for more daylight!); as well as flowers blooming, greener grass, and budding leaves on the trees. On that note, check out this month's Parks Map feature...

Since February is usually the coldest month of the year, it's nice that it brings us Valentine's Day on the 14th, which gives us an additional excuse to snuggle up and stay warm with a special someone. And if you're discussing romantic plans to celebrate the day with your significant other, hopefully you're choosing to patronize Woodstock's wonderf...

Congratulations to all our 2025 Best of Life winners! These winning business owners had a dream and worked hard to make it a reality, and Canton and Woodstock Family Life readers have rewarded them with their patronage and votes. Be sure to check out pages 20-21 to see the list of this year's recipients.Speaking of dreams, many consider January a t...

"If you know something's going to work, it's not worth working on. It requires no courage. It requires no faith. It requires no skin in the game…. The unknown is the foundry where you forge your chips. Everything important is uncertain. Sitting with the discomfort of that uncertainty is the hard part, the wedge that can move the world." – Eliot Pep...

"You can go to hell without moving an inch, just focus on what you lack. You can taste heaven without leaving Earth, just rejoice in what you have." -James ClearWith Thanksgiving on November 28, the start of the holiday season will commence, which is an exciting time for many, a stressful time for some, and a depressing time for others. Lots of us ...

I've always thought that how the trees' leaves become their most colorful and beautiful later in their lifespans is like how humans seem to be the most colorful, wise, and candid versions of themselves in their golden years. By the time we reach the age of retirement, senior citizen discounts, and AARP membership cards, we're more knowledgeable tha...

As the official first day of autumn approaches (September 22), many longtime Cherokee County residents begin to look forward to the cooler temps as well as one of the area's most beloved fall fundraising events — the Riverfest Arts and Crafts Festival, which will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year! Be sure to check out page 20-21 for a b...

This month, Woodstock Family Life begins its 12th year of providing positive, educational, and entertaining content about interesting topics in our community, contributed by local experts and creatives. So, we want to take this opportunity to thank our loyal readers and our advertisers who make it possible for us to deliver our complimentary magazi...

As we wrap up the final issue of volume 11 of Woodstock Family Life and prepare to celebrate our nation's independence on July 4 with fabulous fireworks displays and fun activities (check out our Events Calendar on pages 6-8 to make plans for the big day!), many of us are also getting our children ready to return to school next month, so be sure to...

Since the kids are out of school and the first official day of summer is June 20, here's hoping we all have a little more free time and motivation to get outside and enjoy active pursuits that get us moving, as well as meals that are lighter and more wholesome — especially now that we have access to fresh veggies from local farmers markets or our b...

Every day, each of us must make multiple decisions that affect various parts of our lives and/or the lives of others. For instance, this month, our staff had to choose the best short story to publish out of dozens of worthy submissions from local creative writers for our annual Short Story Contest (see pages 26-27 to read the winning story!). We ma...

On a perfect day, I know that I can count on youWhen that's not possibleTell me, can you weather the storm?If you're a fan of '80s and '90s R&B music, you probably recognize the above lyrics, which were made famous in a song first recorded by New Edition in 1988 and again by Boys II Men in 1997. And since most of us have heard the saying, "Apri...

Forward MARCH! This month brings us daylight savings time on March 10, St. Patrick's Day on March 17, Easter on March 31, and the anxiously awaited first day of spring on March 19. Except for the infamous "pollening" that happens in Georgia at this time of year, which is never fun for allergy sufferers, most of us welcome the sight of budding trees...