Columbia High School Musical sensation: Mary Poppins!

Practically PERFECT in 👏🏽every 👏🏼way 👏! #3 in my #liveloveforty series: the absolutely mind-blowing musicals at Columbia High School ➡️ @chsmusicals. 🌟

Mary Poppins at Columbia High School

Mary Poppins was off the charts INCREDIBLE. We have been very lucky to see several phenomenal productions on that stage over the years: Cats, Ragtime, How to Succeed in Business, Beauty & The Beast, Hairspray, and now #MaryPoppins. One is more amazing than the next: the acting and choreography, set, costumes, all-student live orchestra, and the professionalism.

The incredible cast of Mary Poppins! Check out those COSTUMES.

The CHS musicals are truly a masterpiece each year and the fact that they are high school shows seems impossible! But when they take place in the town “where Broadway sleeps” it’s not too crazy. Congrats to the cast, crew, and directors on another tremendous accomplishment! ☂️🎭🌂🎶 #livelovemaplewood#columbiahighschool

Congrats to the cast and crew!

Little Free Libraries in Maplewood + South Orange, NJ

Who doesn’t love a #littlefreelibrary attached to a tree stump?! Nobody! ❤️ What exactly is a Little Free Library, you ask? All info can found here. We have several Little Free Libraries in Maplewood and South Orange, NJ for kids and families to visit any time they wish.

This particular location (@maplewood_littlefreelibrary) - corner of Richmond & Baldwin in #Maplewood is the sweetest thing EVER.

A little reader choosing books on a snow day at the corner of Richmond + Baldwin in Maplewood

There are many others around Maplewood + South Orange, NJ! According to our Instagram followers, look for one at these other locations around town:

• South Orange Country Day School on Vose/Montrose (South Orange)

• Marshall School (South Orange)

• Charlton Ave near Irving Avenue (South Orange)

• Irving Avenue off Center Street (South Orange)

• Girl Scout Troop 22856 put one up at @prospectmaplewood (Maplewood)

• Arcularius Terrace near Headley Place (Maplewood)

• Maplewood Ave between Durand and Beach (Maplewood)

• Valley Street - at the first house as you pass the gas station heading towards SO.

  Thanks to all who put them up and maintain all of these Little Free Libraries!

CHS Prom Shop Creators are #SOMAWESOME

We’re back with #SOMAWESOME tonight and I’m so excited about this incredible group of women. 🙌🏽 They had an amazing idea and ran with it two years ago: Jill Abramson, Rhea Mokund Beck, Susan Bergin, Heidi Davis, Amy Forman, and Jane Perry (Rhea & Jane pictured here), all from Maplewood and South Orange. 🌟These selfless women started The Prom Shop at Columbia High School two years ago so all students could have access to beautiful prom dresses. 💃🏿

Rhea Mokund Beck + Jane Perry, CHS Prom Shop Volunteers

The shop began as a small collection of shoes and accessories and has grown into a beautiful boutique with hundreds of new and very gently used gowns, tuxes, suits, shoes, and jewelry. 👗 Students “shop” for free for the perfect look for the prom, and are aided by volunteer “stylists.” 👛 Last year the Prom Shop gave away over 130 dresses- in January over 200 dresses were “sold” at the sneak peak shop!! 👠

These amazing women solicited donations and recruited an awesome team of volunteers to set up and assist the shop. Everything in the shop was free, and included new handbags and cosmetics too.

Local donors included @perchhome, @retailtherapy_maplewood@colemanstuxedos @lesliesfinds, and @bobbibrown. #Gleasonscleaners provided free dry cleaning and a drop off spot for locations, and many of YOU donated items as well. 👗 The CHS Prom Shop is part of SOMA Justice's COUGAR CARES program at CHS in partnership with The Parenting Center, CHS HSA and @soma_action, which provides financial assistance to students to pay for school events such as prom, and help address food insecurity.  Last year, Cougar Cares raised over $9,000 enabling 90 students to go to prom and installed snack stations throughout CHS.

For more information, please contact chscougarcares@gmail.com