2026 is Just Over the Horizon

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Counting Down to The Countdown

Quick Tips to a Healthy New Year!

Before the fireworks and the midnight toast, this is your chance to set yourself up for a healthier start without turning it into a full-blown resolution overhaul. Think of this as a short runway into the new year. Small, practical moves that actually make a difference.

Start with sleep. Pick one night this week to go to bed 30 to 60 minutes earlier than usual. Put the phone down, dim the lights, and let your body reset. Quality sleep does more for your immune system, mood, and energy than almost anything else you can do before January hits.

Next, reset your hydration. Most people walk around mildly dehydrated and don’t realize it. Make it simple. Fill a reusable bottle in the morning and aim to finish it twice before dinner. Cut back on sugary drinks and alcohol during the last few days of the year to give your body a break.

Move a little every day, even if it’s not a workout. A 15 to 20 minute walk after dinner helps digestion, lowers stress, and clears your head. Stretch while watching TV. Take the long way through the grocery store. Consistency matters more than intensity right now.

Do a quick food check, not a diet. Toss expired items, restock basics like fruits, veggies, and protein, and plan one or two easy meals for the first week of January so you’re not starting the year stressed and hungry. Progress beats perfection.

Finally, do a mental reset. Write down three things from this year you’re proud of and one habit you’d like to improve, not ten. Close the year with gratitude instead of pressure. You don’t need a new life by midnight. You just need a better starting point.

Here’s to counting down with intention and walking into the new year feeling healthier, steadier, and ready for what’s next in Southshore.

It’s Party Time

The biggest party of the year is only a few days away. Have you booked your 360 photo booth yet? Ring in the New Year with style and unforgettable memories by booking 3sixty Entertainment and capture the fun from every angle.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Hitting too Close to Home

Literally

I used to run down Cypress Creek Blvd. about five years ago. And while the migration of families moving this way started decades earlier, there was much less traffic. Much less development. Just much less in general. Even then, I wondered why there wasn’t a net to prevent misplaced drives from ending up in someone’s windshield. It was one of those things you kind of live with when the population is low, and traffic is practically nonexistent.

Fast forward half a decade, and there’s now a steady flow of cars zipping past the golf course, down 19, and throughout Sun City and Ruskin. That little bit of perspective leads directly into this story.

A resident in Sun City Center is raising concerns after golf balls repeatedly struck his home, damaging the roof and creating safety worries for anyone nearby. Reports say balls from the neighboring course have landed on houses and close to roadways, turning what was once a minor annoyance into a growing concern as traffic and population increase.

This isn’t about golf itself. It’s about the reality that Sun City Center and the surrounding area are no longer quiet pockets with empty roads and wide open space. More cars, more homes, and more people mean that what once felt manageable now feels risky. A stray golf ball is no longer just a cracked shingle. It’s a potential accident waiting to happen.

Residents are now asking a reasonable question. At what point does infrastructure need to catch up with growth? Safety nets, barriers, or even course redesigns aren’t radical ideas when neighborhoods and busy roads sit directly next to active fairways. Growth brings opportunity, but it also brings responsibility.

To play a bit of devil’s advocate, is this simply the price of living in a golf course community? Cypress Creek has changed significantly in recent years. Trees have been removed, and nets have been raised, but how close can homes and roadways get to a golf course before errant shots become more than just an inconvenience?

This story is another reminder that Southshore is changing fast. What worked years ago may not work anymore. As development continues, the challenge will be finding the balance between tradition, recreation, and safety for everyone who lives here or passes through.

2026

Let’s start the new year with purpose.

But accidents happen, and if you find yourself in the middle of one, you know who to call.

Personal Injury Attorneys

(813) 284-4024

Southshore Spotlight

F.E.L.T. INC Feeding Empty Little Tummies

Feeding Empty Little Tummies (FELT) is a nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger by packing and delivering weekend meals to food-insecure students in Manatee County one backpack at a time. Their volunteers and community partners work together to make sure kids who rely on school meals still have food to eat on the weekends.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

We Know a Guy…or Girl

Southshore Services

Need a painter? A plumber? Someone brave enough to tackle that lightbulb orbiting 30 feet above your living room? We’ve got you. And the best part, they’re all right here in our community.

(Updates are almost finished. We’ll be ringing in the new year with a new look and an easier interface to help you locate the best of what Southshore has to offer.)

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Your Restaurant

New menu items, promos, specials, events- feature them here. This is the place to tell 30,000 readers in Southshore what you've got. Only 20 spots for the year. Claim yours today.

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Local Sports

Our area high schools boast state champions and multiple division titleists. Come out and show your support for these teams and for our community.

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.