Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa! I hope you are having a blessed and peaceful holiday so far. Do you have anything special planned for the next few days? We’re going to tune into The Wright’s Kwanzaa festivities over the next few days. Each day during Kwanzaa, The Wright will stream a special program at 7 p.m. EST. You can read more about it here.

The kids are enjoying their Christmas gifts so they will be busy playing with their new toys. Yesterday, they had their gifts spread out in the kitchen and living room. (We live in a small townhome so the kitchen and living room are connected.) It made me happy to hear and see them playing together and enjoying their Christmas gifts. 🙂

December has been a busy month! I’m going to take the next holiday week off from the blog. Travis still has to work so it will just be me taking time off. I’ll still be home, of course, but I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my loved ones. I’m also going to read a book, binge-watch a TV show, and just enjoy the short break from writing.

I hope you are also able to take a few days off to rest and enjoy the holidays. If you are working, I hope you can find moments of rest. I’ll be back with new blog and social media posts starting January 4th! I’ve been planning January and February content since the end of November so I am excited to share fresh, new content very soon!

Thank you for following Good Life Detroit and connecting with me in 2020. Happy New Year to you! xoxo

Merry Christmas, Holiday Family Photo
Happy Holidays from my family to yours! (Photo by Albina, Detroit Photographer)

Here are four Detroit things I discovered this week:

DETROIT FARM AND CIDER’S KWANZAA CELEBRATION

Kwanzaa Celebration at Detroit Farm and Cider

Detroit Farm & Cider is hosting a seven-day Kwanzaa celebration. Beginning today, the Detroit farm will be open until January 1st from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event will include horseback rides, hayrides, African & Caribbean dance, herbal medicine making, special guest speakers, a community feast, and more.

Last year, we visited a different Detroit urban farm for a harvest festival and the kids had so much fun. We’re looking forward to checking out this (new-to-us) Detroit farm for Kwanzaa! Get all of the details here! (Photo courtesy Detroit Farm & Cider.)

OPTICAL ILLUSION AMES ROOM AT THE MICHIGAN SCIENCE CENTER

Michigan Science Center Optical Illusion Ames Room

I’ve seen a few people post about the Michigan Science Center’s new Ames Room. Have you heard of it? It’s an optical illusion that is designed to “trick your brain and challenge your perceptions of reality.” I’m hoping to take the kids some time to check it out. It looks really cool! Click here for Mi-Sci’s museum hours. (Photo courtesy Mi-Sci.)

BIG SEAN NEW DETROIT PISTION’S CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION

Earlier in the week, I discovered on Twitter that Detroit’s own Big Sean will be the Detroit Piston’s new creative director of innovation. According to The Undefeated, Big Sean will help guide the Piston’s “cultural aesthetics both on and off the court from merchandise design to in-game experiences to community involvement.”

In his interview with The Undefeated‘s Justin Tinsely, Big Sean said:

“It was really something I threw out in the universe one day. I mentioned it, like, man, ‘They need to give me a job!’ Talking about the Pistons, Red Wings, Tigers or Lions. I’m a huge Detroit fan. I’m ride or die with it … I’ve always said that, but especially with the Pistons. It’s crazy that it happened like this. I’m just truly grateful.”

You can read more of Big Sean’s interview with The Undefeated here if you like!

DPD DELIVERS SPECIAL HOLIDAY MEALS TO DETROIT FAMILIES

Four Detroit Things: Big Sean Detroit Piston's, Kwanzaa Fun, and more!

The Detroit Public Safety Foundation (DPSF) received a generous donation from the A.A. Van Elslander Foundation for the purchase of food for families on Detroit’s East side. The money was used to purchase 730 coolers filled with holiday meals for a family of four. The meals were prepared by Trattoria Serventi in Grosse Pointe Woods and Andiamo in Detroit. Each cooler contained pasta, chicken, salad, bread, and dessert.

“We were thrilled to partner with the Van Elslander Foundation on this donation. This allows us to support local businesses, provide gourmet holiday meals to families in need and provides DPD officers with the opportunity to give to the citizens of Detroit. We are grateful for the generosity of our community partners and the Detroit Police Department’s efforts to build bridges and support the citizens of Detroit,” said DPSF Executive Director Patti Kukula.

Detroit Police Department gives back to the community during the holidays.

The DPD other holiday community initiatives were Sgt. Santa gift donations and the 6th Precinct’s Community Closet. Click here to learn more about the Public Safety Foundation or make a donation to Detroit’s first responders. DPD photos courtesy of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation.

SHARE YOUR COMMUNITY NEWS ON GOOD LIFE DETROIT!

Got community news you’d like to share? Email me at jennifer@goodlifedetroit.com and I’m happy to discuss a possible feature of your good news! xoxo

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Written by

Jennifer Hamra

Jennifer Hamra is a freelance creative and the founder of Good Life Detroit. She lives in Metro Detroit with her husband Travis and their six children. Contact Jennifer at [email protected].