Thursday, December 4th - 2025 - BIG thanks to everyone who came out last Saturday for the annual Children's Business Fair. It was an amazing day!

Looking for something to do? Here are the exact events that caught our attention this week. Details on Light Up Sistrunk, Seussical, the Orchid Sale, and a few surprises. From a Blondie tribute at the beach to orchids in Coral Springs, here’s what’s worth knowing. Holiday lights, kid zones, live bands, and a prehistoric spring to put on your radar.👇

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Stuff You Won't Want To Miss:

1. Friday night is Light Up Sistrunk. Get ready for dancing in the streets at one of the hottest holiday light up events in town with Light Up Sistrunk. Featuring the lighting of a giant holiday tree, live bands, outstanding entertainment, a free toy giveaway, a health fair, food trucks, a kids zone complete with Santa, bounce houses, slides, and arts and crafts plus a teen area with a DJ.
2. Friday Night Sound Waves featuring the music of Blondie and No Doubt (also by a blondie). What a fun venue to listen to cover bands down by the ocean on a Friday night. Good tunes always brings out a fun crowd! Next week its Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson on the 19th.
3. 'Tis the season for Seuss, so get your fix at the Broward Center with the Seussical - both a Friday morning matinee show and weekend shows on Friday to Sunday.
4. This weekend don't miss the Orchid and Plant Sale at the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital. All proceeds will benefit the Center and Hospital which provides environmental education programs focused on South Florida’s unique, fragile Everglades and its many residents.
5. Next Tuesday (the 9th) come see Santa... on the beach. What's more Fort Lauderdale than Old Saint Nick passing the cheer along Fort Lauderdale Beach?
6. The Bonnet House is kicks off its annual Magic Five Day Celebration with a VIP Reception on Friday evening. Enjoy an enchanting evening surrounded by beautifully lit grounds and a festively decorated house.
7. Sunday is Jazz Brunch on the Riverwalk. There is plenty of room to set up chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets to experience the fabulous entertainment. Eventgoers can also stroll along the historic brick-lined walkway to enjoy live music while browsing items from local merchants and enjoying food from area restaurants.

😉Hey - quick question. Did we miss anything? Each week we do our research but you might know of an event, an organization, or a local business that deserves some love here in our weekly basket of goodies.​

Just hit reply to this email and let us know!

Featured Fort Lauderdale

Have you been out to the Flamingo Gardens to see Hoffman's Chocolates Winter Wonderland? Running now through the end of December.

The Gardens are transforming into a glowing holiday wonderland, offering something unforgettable for every age. Wander through all-new light installations and themed displays that turn every path into a moment worth sharing. At the heart of it all stands a towering 35-foot Christmas tree presented by Florida Blue, setting the perfect festive backdrop.

Families can explore Santa’s Village, presented by Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, where little ones can meet Santa on select weekend nights through December 23. Between photo ops, swing by the Hoffman’s Chocolates Pop-up Shop or grab a treat from The Sweet Ride ice cream truck.

Warm up with toasty s’mores and seasonal bites from the Flamingo Pond Café, then settle in for nightly live musical performances that bring even more holiday spirit to the Gardens.

It’s a season of lights, music, treats, and memories waiting to be made.

So... You Think You Know Florida

You probably already know... we do a lot of features about fun and interesting places right here in South Florida.

What you might not know... is about some of the amazing - "you will not believe this" locales that lie to the north of us.

For example, do you know about Devil's Den Spring in Williston?

It is so popular that this visit requires reservations to even get in and see the underwater caves.

Tucked inside a 120-foot wide underground cave, Devil’s Den Prehistoric Spring might be one of Florida’s most surreal places to dive. Its crystal-clear waters hold steady at a refreshing 72 degrees all year, which makes this ancient limestone cavern feel like a secret oasis pulled straight from another era.

Along the cave walls, the story of natural Florida is literally embedded in stone. Divers and researchers have uncovered fossils dating back to the Pleistocene Age, giving every visit a sense of stepping into deep time rather than just another swimming hole

Whether you arrive with full scuba gear or a snorkel and a sense of adventure, Devil’s Den delivers an experience you won’t forget. Glide through its blue water, camp under the stars, and soak in the quiet beauty that sets this prehistoric spring apart from the rest.

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Treats To Try

We don't let just anyone sponsor this newsletter. Here's who "made the cut" this week:

(Hit reply to this email if you want to reach over 1300+ local families for just $100)

• Did you know the Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi offers a Holiday Lights Cruise? Starting this week and running into the first days of January. Great music and a memorable experience for all!
• BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS for last week's Children's Business Fair!
  • The triumvirate of Acton Academy (world-wide), Next Great Adventure, and our own Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale started this local event, now in its 6th year.
  • The Museum of Discovery and Science is our AMAZING host as they allow us to use their Atrium for the event - which makes it one of the best of the 1000+ Children's Business Fairs that will happen all over the map this year!
  • ​Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale is one our promotional partners.
  • ​Yacht Sales International has been with us and supporting since the first year!
  • The FTL-DDA is a major supporter who supports the local business community in so many ways.
  • ​Munive Yachting and Petsmont Organic Pet Products not only support the event as named sponsors, but are sharing their teams and technical experience as we promote the event to more people.
  • ​Heal The Planet is a sister organization that continues to support the CBF and we actively participate in their events too! Come out to Esplanade Park for Heal The Planet Day or their many different programs throughout the year!
• 👉 Buy YOUR OWN Classified Ad Here 👈

Just hit reply to this email to get started. Work with us to reach over 1250+ Greater Fort Lauderdale families.

Quote Of The Week

​Napoleon Hill was an American author who popularized the personal success and self-help genres, most famously with his book Think and Grow Rich. He developed his philosophies after an interview with industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who reportedly challenged him to create a formula for success. His work is based on the idea that a person's mindset and thoughts are key to achieving goals and success.

Flotsam & Jetsam

One of the newsletters I've been geeking out on lately, is Ryan Holiday. He has a new book out (Wisdom Takes Work) as part of his Stoicism series. Ryan is a deep thinker and voracious reader. In addition to his little bookstore in Texas, he is also a podcaster. So when he compiled a list of curated wisdom of his top 29 lessons learned from over 150 million podcast downloads, I stopped to read the full list.

But just to tease you, here are a few golden nuggets:

1. Find your reps. Lacrosse legend Paul Rabil had a coach tell him that the key to making it in lacrosse was simple: take one hundred shots a day. The caveat? Holidays, bad weather, sickness–none of that can get in the way. “You can’t miss a day,” the coach said. And that’s what Paul did. Every single day from high school through his professional career–for twenty years. Everywhere he went, he found a wall to throw against, a goal to shoot on. One hundred shots a day, no exception.
2. Nobody can ‘make you’ upset. ​A reminder from Timm Chiusano​ for the next time you open your inbox to a nasty email, or you’re passed over for a promotion, or your co-worker throws you under the bus at the meeting: “You’re complicit when somebody else says something and you’re like, ‘I take offense to that’ or ‘I’m so annoyed right now.’ If you’re able to actually accept that that is true, that you’re complicit in those situations, do you know how much stress that you’d relieve for yourself in corporate America on a day-in and day-out basis? It’s nuts. That’s like 90 percent lift of weight off your shoulders.”
3. When we are ourselves, we have value. ​Gary Vee said something similar to this​: “The people that really lean into themselves, like really don’t try to put other things on a pedestal, other people, other opinions and just get really comfortable with the purest form of them? Yeah. Those are the people that have impact, because that’s where the uniqueness — the way you say things, the analogies, the stories, the interpretations, the subtle observations that are unique to you — come out.” No one has ever been like you before. No one will ever be like you again. So why would you copy other people? Why would you try to be like someone else? That’s where the fun is (you don’t have to fake anything). That’s where the value is (when we are like everyone else, we are replaceable — by definition). You should be you. That’s your monopoly. That’s your edge.

Like I said. Deep stuff. Each one could be a focal point for a full life.

Here's the full list of 29 if you want to dig deeper.

Word Play Of The Week

The idiom "right up my alley" means that something is perfectly suited to one's interests, skills, or preferences. It implies that the particular task, activity, or situation is well within one's abilities or matches one's personal inclinations or tastes. ~ Source​

Idea Of The Week

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