Gifts from the Heart

Attention all cycling enthusiasts!  It’s time to put your New Year’s resolution to its true test and see how your skills line up against others with the same cycling passion.  If you are up for the challenge, then mark your calendar for Saturday, February 23 for “Miles for Smiles,” an indoor cycling event with a challenging twist - cycling in the dark.

As many of you already know, Ma Maison made a huge change this year and moved our business from the center of Valencia to downtown Newhall on Main Street.  Many of you wonder why we would make such a drastic change?  The answer is really quite simple; we see the vision that Main Street Newhall will eventually be a bustling quant center of town for the entire Santa Clarita Valley.  With it being only 2.6 miles from our previous location and hopefully with our loyal 10-year customer base, we felt this was the right time to invest our business, SCV’s “Best Boutique”, into the vision for the future.

Pre-performance routines can take your game to the next level.  As the saying goes, “A little planning goes a long way.”  Nothing could be truer when it comes to the world of sports.  Pre-performance routines help athletes get into the right state of mind, focus, build confidence, boost energy, prevent burnout and increase mental toughness.  Learning to take your game beyond the field takes time, energy and commitment and helps you become a better athlete.  Few focus on the mental aspect of the game; but those who do eventually become far better athletes than their teammates and opponents.  My SCORE plan will help take you down the mental road to success in sports.

Two Beautiful babies were annouced in the feburary issue here they are.

Business leaders, community members and parents are invited to spend the morning shadowing a local public school principal or district administrator by registering for the upcoming Principal for a Day event, sponsored annually by the SCV Education Foundation.  This year’s event is scheduled for Friday, February 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The day kicks-off with each participant spending a couple of hours with their chosen principal or district leader, followed by a catered luncheon with all principals, district administrators, and sponsors attending.

How often do you remember the gift you have given, or received, on Valentine’s Day?  A box of assorted chocolates, a variety of flowers, or a group of heart shaped Mylar balloons may be your best memory of past Valentine’s Day gift giving.  Or, maybe you can’t remember what it was at all.  Unfortunately, flowers wilt and chocolates go stale and balloons lose their air.

It’s always nice to look back on one’s life to find the important moments

when something, or someone, had an impact.  In fact, such a moment can sometimes be so inspirational that it can change your life forever.
Looking back on my life as a child, I remember how I admired my older brothers and wanted to play football like one, or be an artist like the other.  They both excelled at what they worked at and I did everything I could to be like them.  I would watch their every move and tried to emulate them.

Babies Everywhere!

Dear Friends and Customers,

As another year comes to a close, it is time to look forward to 2013 and greet the New Year.  We at Ma Maison, are welcoming big change as this year we will be moving our Valencia store location to the newly rejuvenated downtown Newhall area.  Never fear, we will still be in Santa Clarita for all of our customers and friends.

The supporters and participants at ZOE’s first ever “Rescue Walk” made a huge difference as they walked to raise funds and awareness to help children in danger and rescue them from trafficking.  ZOE, a nonprofit headquartered in the Santa Clarita Valley, cares for orphans and rescues children from human trafficking.  ZOE operates a Children’s Home in Thailand and has expanded operations to the LA area.

I have always believed that a curious child is a child that will grow, mature, and always have a future that is full of adventure and excitement.  Regrettably, sometimes these children are looked upon as disruptive in a class situation.  I feel just the opposite about this curious trait.  These inquisitive students represent 80 percent of the class that are afraid - or insecure - about asking questions and fear that their questions will be called dumb.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to update the look of your home.  Even small changes can make a big difference.  Chances are you have few pieces of art on your wall that either you’ve outgrown or it no longer fits in with your current décor.  The frame may simply be outdated.

It’s that time of year again, Santa Clarita! Are you looking for a unique gift for that special someone who deserves the perfect present?  Is coming up with gift ideas for friends and family a struggle for you every year?  ‘Tis the season to be jolly after all, so why not take some of the pressure of holiday shopping off of yourself for once.  Here at The Magazine of Santa Clarita, we want to make things a little easier for you this year with our Holiday Gift Guide!  Browse through this creative compilation of businesses from the community and maybe you just might find a great idea for the best combination of thought and sentiment.  Happy holiday shopping!

In these late autumn days with the holiday season looming ahead, it seems that we have no time to place any more items on our busy schedules.  Most of our “average” days involve jobs, caring for our family and homes, maybe some exercise on our beautiful trail system or at one of the many local gyms, and time for a meal or two with a few hours of sleep before starting it again.  It is hard to believe that we fit it all into a 24-hour day, but we manage.  Many of us not only manage it well, but add something special into our daily mix.  For the causes and organizations that we find important, we volunteer.

Finding the perfect gift for everyone during the holiday season can be an overwhelming challenge.  The key is to remember the spirit of the season and let Ma Maison, the gift professionals, help!  We are here to make it easier for those of us who go on the search for that one special thing.  You know the one; it jumps off the shelf at you and reflects how we feel about others by bringing a smile to ours and their faces.  Along with the broad selection of unusual gift products we feature at the store, we also design our own collection of specialty items that are hard to pass up.

Each year the holidays seem to sneak up on us.  We think we have plenty of time to plan and buy those gifts.  But then the days fly by and suddenly the traffic increases and the lines at the stores become long.  We find ourselves thrust into the crowds searching for the perfect gift for our family and friends.  This year you might consider doing something a bit different.

I have always believed that memories are precious.  I also believe that any opportunity to create special moments in your life is important.  Children are the greatest producer of cherished memories, beginning at their first moments of life, continuing when they develop their own identities, then growing into their own unique personalities.

Thirty-three years ago the Country Antique Fair Mall opened its doors to the residents of the Santa Clarita Valley and beyond.  It was one of the first Antique and Collectible stores to utilize the Mall concept and allow dealers to rent space from which to sell their unique items.