According to researchers, the amount of teens who commit suicide or self harm has risen drastically within the past decade. Teen depression has become a widespread problem across America, with 20% of teens experiencing depression at some point before reaching adulthood.

Researchers are not sure of what triggers it and different factors have been blamed. A family history of depression, seasonal affective disorder, domestic abuse, alcoholism, anxiety etc, are all suspected in the manifestation of teen depression, which often spirals into much worse conditions.


Help Needed

How can we rescue our teens? How can we curb this disturbing trend? With most American parents working at least 49 hours a week, it's no wonder they can't find time to spend with their kids. Sometimes, all the kid needs is an encouraging word or a hug, but getting them is harder these days.

At school, at-risk kids tend to 'tune out' from whatever is going on around them. After-school programs may b ...

I once saw a comparison of LA and San Diego that made me chuckle. It read “If LA is the world capital of movie stars, then San Diego has the world's largest concentration of skateboarding stars.” It just may be true, with legends like Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek and Danny Way all living in SD North County and younger skaters like Shaun White actually born in SD too.

Speaking of skaters, did you know skating was invented by surfers? The legend claims surfers got bored waiting for the noon tide to subside, and started looking for ways to 'surf' on land! Ever noticed the boards used are kinda similar?

Skating's been around since the 1940's and till date, it shows no signs of waning in popularity. With recognition as an extreme sport, its consideration for inclusion into the Olympics, and the billions generated from sponsorship, it looks like it will be here for a while.


Woodglen Vista Skate Park

But with its impact on curbs and urban terrain, skating is confined to sk ...

What do young love, obsession with trends and peer pressure have in common? No, they aren't a list of topics for the next episode of Dr. Phil. These are all issues experienced by teenagers all over the world.


As most teens are not mature enough to handle these issues, they tend to 'act up'. When they do, most parents react in the same manner, insisting “it's my way or the highway”. Taking this stance has led to many teens simply running away from home. Attempting to enforce authority just doesn't work.


But all hope isn't lost; teens generally like to spend time with their friends, right? So why not allow them to do just that? But where can you be sure that a bunch of teens will be safe and out of trouble? The Santee Teen Center may just be what the doctor ordered.


Providing a controlled but relaxed environment, the Center allows teens 'be themselves', without parents 'bothering' them. First opened 15 years ago, as an after-school recreation program, the Cente ...

As a resident of Santee, it's difficult to choose just one thing to do; the city is packed with fun activities for the family. From boating at the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve to fine dining across the town; RV-ers love to stop for a night or a week. It's n wonder renters fall in love with the ambience of the town.


Santee's Parks

Of the many attractions in Santee, its parks are some of the more popular spots. Santee is home to 10 different parks; which serve as a melting pot of activity all year round. They play host to everything from kids birthday parties, cookouts, yoga classes etc.

Partial to the soft strings of bluegrass music? The City does you one better and adds wine tasting at the Santee Wine & Bluegrass Festival, held in fall at the Town Center Community Park. In the mood for some soccer? Visit one of the astroturfs at the Town Center Community Park for a solid kickabout session. There is even a dedicated doggie park at Woodglen Vista Dog Park!


Shadow ...

Summer's here and many homeowners are looking at doing some remodeling.

While many homes will be improved by the makeover, in some cases, we're not so sure.
In some cases, the result of the remodel/upgrade will make you cringe. Sure, we all like to think we have an eye for design, but we're often not as savvy as we think.

Just look at the 'design' of the sink below...



Now, I bet the home-owner saw the pattern and had one picture in mind. But the dark brown and splotchy 'design' is open to many unthinkable interpretations.

*shudders*

It's true what they say; one person’s interior design fantasy is another’s facepalm.

In this post, we compiled some of our favorite home and construction mistakes that blow our minds. You look at them and wonder how someone can get something so wrong. Think I'm exaggerating? Have a look then:

 




Talk about Cutting Corners




Instead of taking the door off, this enterprising D.I.Yer simply cut around t ...