Bay Area Fourth of July Activities

There are always so many activities centered around one of the most celebrated and historically important holidays, Fourth of July. However, it is not always easy to find them. If you are looking for fireworks, a parade or fun run, look no further, here are a few tips of things to do. Other than that, just getting together with friends and having a BBQ is one of my favorite ways to celebrate!

For a full, though not complete, schedule of Bay Area fireworks at many of the larger cities, check out the ABC 7 News SF Web Site. This site includes fireworks viewing locations in SF, Oakland, Alameda along with many other cities around the bay!

If you plan on traveling for the 4th, here is a more broad list of fireworks and celebrations in the state of California, check out this site. Or if you are looking for nationwide celebrations, check out this list from Kids-List.

For information on smaller venues, you can find it at the following sites-

In San Jose's Rose Garden district, they have a neighborhood parade at 10 am and then a bouncy house and face painting for the kids to enjoy. The kids can also participate in the parade if they want to decorate a wagon or their bike. For more info, check out the alameda business association site.

Danville has a parade from 9-1 sponsored by Kiwanis.

San Ramon has a fun run every year too for runners or walkers - 5 and 10k that starts at 8:15 am. Great way to be healthy and celebrate!

Family Travel Bargains

Now is the time for travel and yet, many are in fear of losing their jobs or have been laid off already. So, if you are looking for an inexpensive trip with the family, check out these sites! They often give family discounts or discounts for last minute booking. If you are flexible, you will definitely get a better deal. With airlines trying to entice people to fly despite the economy, you can find airfares as cheap as $35 each way along with 5 star hotels like the Mark Hopkins and Intercontinental in SF dropping rates to as low as $99 per night! Don't rule a vacation out at these prices!

www.budgettravel.com - they have a magazine as well
www.travelzoo.com - great site where you can sign up for weekly alerts. I have booked several hotel rooms this way, even to local areas like Monterey and SF.
www.lastminute-bargaintravel.net
www.hotelandtravelgargains.com
www.kayak.com - a great travel search engine!
www.tripadvisor.com - doesn't have discounts but gives tips and has reviews

Family Fun Travel - Book Tips

If you are looking for a memorable trip this summer with your family, check out the following books. They have some great ideas sure to thrill everyone but especially the pint-sized members. Whether you take a week off and head for the airport or want to enjoy a roadtrip together, these books have lots of good tips for you. Let me know which ones are your favorites!

The 10 Best of Everything - Families by Susan Magsamen who teams up with National Geographic editors and photographers to find the 10 best of almost everything a traveling family would want.

Amazing Places to Take Your Kids - Laura Sutherland with Family Travel Forum do a great job of identifying the fun and unique places to take the whole family from the usual stomps like Yosemite, Disneyworld and Yellowstone Park to Kellogg's Cereal City USA in Michigan, The National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee and the Franklin Institute of Science in Pennsylvania where you can experience a giant replica of the human heart.

Educational Travel on a Shoestring - Frugal Family Fun and Learning Away From Home by Melissa Morgan. I saw this book on amazon.com and will definitely buy it. It sounds great - educational and money saving tips for trips far from home or just around the corner!

Wanderlust and Lipstick - Traveling with Kids by Leslie Forsberg and Michelle Duffy. Again, a book I noticed on amazon.com. I believe I also saw it in a travel magazine so it caught my eye especially with its cute title. It seems to have practical tips from several moms who have learned from family travels themselves, good ideas for packing, eco-friendly trips, budget traveling and good advice about safety.

Happy Reading and Happy Travels!

Water Safety

It is that time of year when we are spending more time outdoors and trying to keep cool. That means more time in the pool, at the beach, at the water parks and in the lake. As we enjoy fun summer water activities, we should be very mindful of water safety. Oftentimes, we can get a false sense of security if there are lots of adults around, lifeguards and if our children can swim already. But, these factors do not mean that your children are not at risk. Children play in the water, sometimes roughly and can pull each other under the water, mistakenly jump on top of someone or our child may just be tired and have trouble getting to safety. Have fun in the water, but remember the follow water safety tips to keep your family safe:

1. Swim in designated safe areas only. Do not try to swim past a boundary rope or buoy that marks the safe swim areas.

2. If possible, make sure your child has a buddy to swim with. This safety tip has been around for a long time, for good reason. The buddy can help or get help if needed.

3. If you have a smaller child, make sure they have a floatie swimsuit, floaties for their arms or life vest. These items do not necessarily prevent drowning but they help children who may not be as strong swimmers.

4. Be careful where you dive. Try to do this in specifically marked areas or areas you know are deep enough for diving.

5. Make sure you drink lots of fluids. The sun can be hot and you may not feel dehydrated if you are in the water. But, you need to drink fluids all through the day. Otherwise, you could feel lethargic which is not a good thing when enjoying the water.

6. In addition to drinking lots of fluids, make sure you use lots of sunscreen and apply frequently. You should apply it 30 minutes prior to sun exposure. If you are worried about allergies and toxic ingredients for some sunscreens, go to http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ where you can enter various sunscreens to see their levels of toxicity and allergens.

7. Not only can you get dehydrated, but you can get too cool too. If the sun starts to go down and you are in cool water, be sure to watch for the signs of body temperature dropping - shivering and muscle cramping. If you have these signs, get to shore immediately.

8. Alcohol and water don't mix. Be smart and safe and don't drink when in the water or around the water. A sad statistic is that one half of all adolescent drownings are tied to alcohol. Don't let your children become a statistic.

Kids Eat Free

Everyone is looking to save money. So, why not look for restaurants where your kids eat for free?! One of the most comprehensive sites I have found is Kids Meal Deals site. You simply put in your zipcode and this search engine tells you where and what for the kids eat free deals. Typical restaurants you will find are Pasta Pomodoro, Fresh Choice, Applebees, Tony and Albas, Coco's and Carrows. But, you may find some other gems there as well.

American Crown Circus

The circus has come to Newark, CA! A small company called American Crown Circus is performing at the Newark Junior High School this weekend through Monday, June 22nd. What a great way to celebrate Father's Day! The feats are pretty amazing - from tightrope walking to flame-throwing to motorcycle riding in a bubble! It is fun for the whole family. The venue is small too so you get a good view almost everywhere. There are clowns and peanuts and cotton candy to make the circus experience complete. So, if you are looking for some family fun to kick off the summer, check it out! Tickets are $5 for kids (if you have a coupon, they get in free) and $15 for adults. Sunday shows at 4, 6 and 8 pm and Monday shows at 6 and 8 pm. For more information, call 510-793-5683. It is sponsored by the Tri-Cities League of Voters.

Lindsay Museum

Lindsay Museum is a gem in Walnut Creek. This museum is specifically for all to reconnect and learn about local wildlife up close and personal yet in a safe environment. They say that children appreciate wildlife and their environment much more if they can relate to it. This is a wonderful way to help our children relate to their Bay Area environment. Not only do they have exhibits and hands on activities but also classes for more in-depth learning. Visit the Lindsay Museum web site for more information and June 27th is Free Admission Day!

Summer Reading

Summer is a time for rest and relaxation, right?! Well, not always...there are summer camps, summer school, summer activities and most likely a family vacation or two which aren't exactly the vacations we remember as restful. But, it is still good practice and good fun to read during the summer. As adults, we should find time to read during the summer too. Some of us don't necessarily have more time in the summer, but the days are longer, so it feels like it! What about having a family reading night once a week? Everyone grabs a book and heads to the living room or family room and reads together. This way, you are not only modeling good reading behavior but you can help out the kids if they need help with words or sentences and even read a book to them in between some of your reading. And, on those family vacations - it is a great time to bring books to read on the beach, in the tent, in the mountains or as down time in the hotel in between planned activities. Here is a list of some classics along with some new books to try out this summer!

Classics (adapted from Bay Area Libraries)
Abel's Island - William Steig
The Adventures of Pinocchio - Carlo Collodi
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
Alanna - Tamora Pierce
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Anastasia Krupnik - Lois Lowry
Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
Black Beauty - Anna Sewall
Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson
The Call of the Wild - Jack London
Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
Follow My Leader - James B. Garfield
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E.L. Konigsburg
Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
Heidi - Johanna Spyri
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
How to Eat Fried Worms - Thomas Rockwell
Island of the Dolphins - Scott O'Dell
James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl
The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling
The Little House in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Mary Poppins - P.L. Travers
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood - Howard Pyle
Old Yeller - Fred Gipson
Pippi Longstocking - Astrid Lindgren
Ramona the Pest - Beverly Cleary
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Sounder - William H. Armstrong
The Story of King Arthur - Howard Pyle
The Sword in the Stone - T.H. White
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle

Age Specific Books -
4-8/Early Readers:
Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish
Junie B series by Barbara Park
Flat Stanley series by Jeff Brown
George and Martha books by George Marshall

9-12 Readers:
The Mysterious Benedict Society books by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Teen Readers:
Meg Cabot books
Cecily von Ziegesar books including Gossip Girl and It Girl
The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer
Chris Crutcher books

For a complete list, visit www.amazon.com or your local library.

Great Resource for Schools

There is a great web site that gives you lots of information on schools from API scores to parent reviews to parent discussion groups and tips for kids. The site is called Great Schools. You can even get newsletters sent to you and can compare schools in your area. We may not have much of a choice in the schools are children attend, as it is largely based on your residence. But, it still gives you things to think about and questions to ask while starting a new school. Good Luck!

Looking for Sticker Fun?

Are you looking for something to do with your kids this summer? Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory is a great place for a family activity and local entertainment during the week in the summer. I have not been there yet myself, but heard great things. The factory is at 3810 Cypress Drive in Petaluma and has tours Monday through Friday from June 8 - September 4 from 9am to 3pm every hour. The tour includes a video by Mrs. Grossman's granddog, a guided tour, a fun sticker activity, a visit to the sticker museum and then a chance to visit the store with a coupon for $3 off stickers of $20 or more. More info, check out their web site or call 800-429-4549.

Kid-Friendly Places in SF

If you want to stay close to home this summer, you can still make it feel like a family vacation by going to San Francisco with the kids. There are lots of things for the kids to do from riding the cable cars, to playing in Golden Gate park to learning at the Exploratorium. There are even hotels and restaurants that are kid-friendly. For more information, click here for the city search guide on kid-friendly things to do, places to stay and places to eat. See you there!