Lifestyle

When we step back to reflect on the characteristics that help define the greater Miami community, volunteerism may not be the first image that comes to mind. Most of the world envisions sun, fun and beautiful people. If you look a bit deeper, there are as many opportunities to engage with the community as there are particles of sand on the beach. Here’s a quick list to get you started.

The Annual International Kids Fund Wonderfund’s Circle Of Heroes Luncheon helps children abroad and in the U.S. in need of life-saving and life-changing medical assistance find the care they need.

Anyone can be a philanthropist. The key to making a significant contribution to your community is finding a cause that’s meaningful to you.

Dubbed the “Largest office party in the Southeast,” the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run Miami has been promoting lifelong fitness at all levels and encouraging camaraderie in the workplace for more than 30 years.

For over 30 years, Art Of Old India has showcased some of the world’s most exotic imports including roofs of old temples that are now beautiful pieces of wall art and hand-carved polychrome animals on wood in the style of the horses and elephants that adorn forts and palaces.

The seed we nurture with love and kindness gives of the most beautiful blossoms. Girl Power Rocks is all about supporting blooming buds. The Miami-based non-profit was created with the sole purpose of empowering young girls to be the best they can be.

Stay home or go out? That’ll be a tough decision at Auberge Miami.

Throughout the planning for our inaugural “Dream Big Issue,” I found myself in awe of all the good deeds our team has accomplished recently.

The city that separates Asia from Europe stretches out gallantly over the Bosphorus. Istanbul has been the capital for a trio of robust empires: The Roman, Byzantine and later the Ottoman. Each, branding the city with its individual influence.

The power of lifting your hands to give or assist, in place of receiving or taking, is to live a life that is wholeheartedly filled with purpose and brimming with kindness.

Your calendar is packed — from lunch with your BNI group to seminars at the Chamber of Commerce and happy hour at a networker. You are one social butterfly for sure, but is your business flying as high as your social life?

The Montessori Method values the human spirit and seeks to develop the whole child — physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively — so that they feel honored and respected as they grow.

Whether you want to accommodate the occasional houseguest or make a studio into an instantly larger room, Murphy Beds and Wall Beds are the easiest way to do it without impacting everyday functionality.

Any Dachshund owner will tell that the long spines that give us our classic good looks are prone to disc herniation. Many other pedigree pets have similar selective-breeding concerns. This doesn’t mean you need to get a mutt, just be aware…and you may want to consider pet insurance.

The World Health Organization has declared that the global prevalence of zinc deficiency is at 31%. Zinc plays an important role in cell growth, brain function and our immune system. Could you be depriving your body of zinc and not even know it?

Mouthwatering is the word to describe Tutto Pizza & Pasta.

Nowadays, there’s a blog out there for just about every area of interest — and eco blogs are becoming quite the trend. Here are 4 eco-savvy blogs that will keep you in tune with Mother Nature and tuned out from wasteful living.

Just a few miles off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula is a nature preserve that’s unspoiled and serene, mostly for its lack of tourists’ footprints: Isla Holbox awaits.

A few months ago, an Ohio transplant I met during a conference asked me how I could possibly be happy living in Miami, a city so full of beautiful, successful people who are always networking 24/7, working hard and playing harder.

This month, take a traditional gimlet and make it a drink to remember by incorporating fresh herbs and spices into every sip.

Venture to the Prairieland of South Dakota and plunge into history and nature like nowhere else on Earth.

Oh, life, you crazy, winding (sometimes whining) road. From the moment we take our first breath to the beginning of our sunset years and beyond, one thing is certain: We must evolve every day, and nothing ever stays the same. It’s the essence of our existence and a constant we must embrace.

Stop holding off on learning a new skill or delaying a beauty appointment. Instead, treat yourself to some personal enrichment and broaden the lens you use to see the world.

An open letter to my 18-year old self: What flying in a rickety plane over The Caribbean contemplating success, yielding to the present moment, quoting Kerouac and deathbed wishes taught me about love.

Explore a few daily tasks as experienced by introverts and extroverts. Their differences have been documented since the beginning of time, but with a constantly evolving “connected” society emerging, the contrasts have never been more prominent.

From its first store on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, El Dorado Furniture has flourished into one of the Top 50 furniture retailers in the country by focusing on customer demands and putting family first.

Monique Catoggio, CEO of Illumined Life Leadership, helps professionals and leaders illuminate their path toward mindful leadership so that they may focus their lives and energy with sufficient passion and intention.

Mater Grove Academy is a K-8 high-performing “A+” school located on the Boys & Girls Club’s 10-acre campus near Coconut Grove. In partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, students are exposed to a variety of extracurricular activities, which include performing arts, sports, tutoring and much more.

Each Spring, tech heavyweights announce their upcoming products for consumers. In May, Google had its annual Developers’ Conference, Google I/O showcasing their next year in apps, gadgets and other techy trends. If you didn’t have a chance to watch it on the Internets, here’s a quick recap.

Harlan Weikle is a retired reporter and animal lover who, along with wife Nancy, co-founded Red Flyer, The Handicapped Pets Community. Together they collect, recycle and donate wheelchairs to specially-abled dogs and animals with missing or disabled limbs, providing them with the gift of mobility and enabling them to “fly” again. Below is a poem from Weikle that embodies his passion.

Summer is in full swing. It’s the time of year for backyard BBQs, pool parties and causal cocktails at home. We reached out to some of Miami’s expert party-throwers, chic hostesses and savvy social butterflies to give us some tips on how to take your next soiree to a whole new level.

Imagine all the glamour and ambience of real candlelight in a striking chandelier with no candles and no flames inside one-of-a-kind clear acrylic “seraphs.”

Every time I venture off to discover a new place domestically or abroad, I always return home with a greater appreciation for Miami and everything the city has to offer.

When it comes to social boozing, sometimes grabbing “a” drink with a pal can turn into a head-throbbing hangover the next day, leaving you wondering “what happened?!”. Learn how to replace “I’ll have another” with “water, please.”

Although no one’s sure exactly where BBQ originated, one thing’s certain: It’s a drool-worthy, time-tested method of cooking for backyard soirees, major celebrations and just about any occasion.

The epicenter for anime, gadgets and all things innovation — Japan’s capital metropolis is a cultural landscape that fuses modern skyscrapers, art and the hipster fashion scene with centuries-old temples, traditional tea ceremonies and the pomp and circumstance of The Orient.

Location, location, location! It’s not just the mantra for buying the right investment properties, but is equally, or perhaps even more, important, when it comes to choosing where to do business.

Are you ready to take the plunge? Going into business for yourself? Is that entrepreneurial fire in the belly compelling you to action? Here are the top 3 business plan mistakes for you to tackle, before they tackle you.

Having a relative in the business never hurts, especially when your “dad” is Marc Jacobs or Karl Lagerfeld, but the top canine/kitty models aren’t all insiders, there’s even a rescue dog on the list.