Toxins in Baby Shampoo Now....

I am usually not an alarmist and I need to be convinced of things before believing them, but when it comes to my kids, I take as little risk as possible to their development. Better safe than sorry...as the motto goes. And, looking for more green products is also a goal for my family. A trusted source and friend told me about the following site to look for your shampoos, shower gels, lotions etc and the level of risk for cancer-causing additives, developmental toxicity, allergies and other concerns due to additives. As I believe, it is better to be informed and make educated decisions than be taken by surprise. Take the information for what it is worth...we do live in a toxic world today and we are ingesting and immersing our body in lots of chemicals that are most likely not good for us and that oftentimes we don't even know about. But, for that reason, isn't it better to minimize our exposure in the areas we do know about? If you want to examine possible health concerns with some products and more eco friendly products, Take a look - http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php and make your decision.

Easter Egg Hunts Around the Bay

Believe it or not, Easter is soon upon us again! And, many Easter Egg Hunts seem to be taking place the weekend before. Please see a few local egg hunts going on and feel free to let me know if there are any others to add.

San Ramon Presbyterian Church - Sat., March 15th but you need to register on their website.

12943 Alcosta Blvd.
San Ramon, CA 94583

http://www.srpc.org/index.php

Presbyterian Church in Irvington - Sun, March 16th at noon. Open to everyone

4181 Irvington Avenue

Fremont, CA

Centerville Presbyterian Church - Easter Sunday, March 23 Free for kids 0-12 10:30am sharp 4360 Central Ave/&Dusterberry Fremont, CA 94536

Bramhall Park located at 1101 Camino Ramon, San Jose - Sat, March 15th at 10 am. Hosted by the San Jose Junior Chamber.

Moms Can Stay Healthy!

Yes, I am definitely guilty of not keeping up the exercise routine while juggling the daily activities of household, family and job. But, there are a few ways to connect with other moms AND stay healthy while keeping it as easy as possible. And, the family that plays together, stays together - so, why not make fitness a family activity?

The YMCA has long been a community resource for children camps, activities and even classes for both children and adults. Check out your local YMCA for classes to take with your children (oftentimes there is a minimum age) or let your children play in the child care area with other kids while you enjoy a nice workout! The SF YMCA web site: http://www.ymcasf.org/

Many gyms these days have child care centers. Some are better than others and have better hours than others. Bally's and 24 Hour Fitness have regular child care hours to allow you an hour or two of exercise when you need it.

Ballys - http://west.ballyfitness.com/

24 Hour Fitness - http://www.24hourfitness.com/

Another option, which I actually prefer, is getting together with a group of moms whose goal is to meet and exercise. There are probably many such groups in the Bay Area. One that I belong to is Moms In Motion in the East Bay. They have regular times to meet throughout the week where those moms who have time can join with jogging stroller in tow...Some run, some walk. And, on Fridays, there is coffee at Peets! Go to yahoo.com, yahoo groups and find groups: funmomsinmotion for more info.

The Concern of BPAs - bisphenol A

This is not necessarily a new concern, but has received revived attention as ABC news had recent coverage on BPAs used in plastics such as baby bottles, sippy cups etc. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=4258865. This story prompted me to do some additional research. We are all trying to go green and be environmentally conscious and ensuring our containers and bottles are BPA free is one way to do that. BPAs are added to most plastics so that they are shatter-proof. Baby bottles, cups and pacifiers are not the only places you find BPAs. Most food containers and water bottles have them too. But, studies have linked even low BPA dosages to diabetes, obesity and even cancer. When the plastic is heated, either in the microwave or by sterilization, BPA residue is released and mixes with the food and drink then placed in the plastic container.

Yes, some say that it is hard to really know the long-term effects yet. But, I figure why take the chance, especially with developing babies and children! The alternative? Glass (which may not be convenientor practical) or some manufacturers have BPA-free bottles, sippy cups and/or pacifiers. Sassy Mam is one of the companies that does not use BPAs in their baby bottles. Yet, interestingly enough, Sassy Mam pacifiers still have BPAs in the plastic so if you sterilize them, you may be releasing BPAs that are absorbed when your baby uses the pacifier. Playtex makes pacifiers BPA free. For more information and a list of manufacturers for baby bottles, sippy cups and pacifiers, visit this site: http://zrecs.blogspot.com/.

For drink bottles, the best alternative is non-leaching, stainless steel drink bottles such as Kleen Kanteen. I thought that our Nalgene plastic bottles would be BPA free, but I looked on the bottom and there was a 7. There are 7 types of plastics and if you look on the bottom of a plastic item, you will see a number in the recycle symbol. Numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 are safe for food and drink. Numbers 3, 6 and 7 are not, with 7 including BPA...Hmmm. It is nice to be informed and not take things for granted.

UPDATE as of 5/19/08 - Here is another link for info on BPAs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastics Unfortunately, today plastic classification 7's include even non-BPA plastics as they are rapidly trying to add another number to include these more advanced plastics...so, it seems that the government cannot keep up with technology. The LA Times just had an article about this issue on Thursday, May 15th, Walmart will pull all BPA containing baby bottles from its shelves and Nalgene came out with a non-BPA water bottle line of products which became available at retailers in April. See zrecs.blogspot.com for a wallet sized short list of baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers etc. that are made sans BPA. This helps when you are shopping.

Super Mom Stop is Back with the Tip of the Month - Monterey Bay

I am back! Yes, I took a bit of a hiatus, but I am back and hope to keep this site fresh and current from now on.

We just got back from a much needed family vacation in Monterey, CA. It never ceases to amaze me how many things there are to do in the Monterey Bay area. Of course, the usual activities include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Dennis the Menace Park and the white beach of Carmel. But, this time we also enjoyed the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, the John Steinbeck Museum in Salinas, Big Sur's Julia Pfieffer Park hike to the falls and the Old Pier area.

First of all, the drive to the Monterey Bay area is not bad, even with kids who are not good travelers, from almost every part of the SF Bay Area. This makes it easier on everyone! And, also makes it easy to go there often. We end up in Monterey at least 4 times a year and if our toddler had her way, it would be more!

Secondly, the area definitely caters to kids. Most restaurants are very kid-friendly, there are lots of good parks, play areas and educational areas for kids. Even the lodging is often priced with families in mind. You can often find a 2-bedroom suite for about $150/night. We have stayed at the Best Western - DeAnza and The Lone Oak Lodge and would recommend the former. But, the latter is fine, if you don't expect frills and will be out most of the day anyway. There are also Embassy Suites in the north end of Monterey close to downtown.

Big Sur was an area we weren't sure we would be able to visit while staying in Monterey, with a busy toddler. But she did great with a few books, some cows dotting the carside scenery and snacks! The walk to the falls at Julia Pfeiffer was easy and enjoyable for even small kids. There are also picnic tables there, where we had lunch as well. And, on the way home, we stopped at the Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant for a coffee, tea and milk with yummy cinnamon twists and croissants.

Point Lobos is always a great hiking and sealife watching park. We end up there on many of our Monterey Bay visits. The scenery is fabulous and there are varying levels of hikes. The sea lions and otters are often around this park as well, which is fun for the kids.

The Carmel Mission is nice for older kids, especially if they are interested in history. It is also a good place to relax and enjoy the quiet after a busy afternoon at the aquarium!

A place that we have only heard of but not visited - Monterey County Youth Museum. It is supposed to be best for ages 3-8. Another nice activity, especially if the fog rolls in and the wind whips up...www.mymuseum.org. However, they are moving to a new location (it looks fabulous) so make sure you go to the correct address. They don't specify the opening date - only that it is in 2008.

The Monterey Bay is a great place to keep going back to as there are always new exhibits at the aquarium and always fun things to see on pier, at the beach and around town. Parents can enjoy the gorgeous coastal scenery, the fresh seafood and relatively decent prices for things that are also kid-friendly while the kids enjoy the sealife, the parks and the hands-on entertainment. For more information, see web links below.

http://www.mbayaq.org/ - Monterey Bay Aquarium
You can often find lodging packages that include tickets to the aquarium. Or if you have a friend with season passes, they often get guest passes!

http://www.steinbeck.org/MainFrame.html - Steinbeck Museum and Center
I think this is best for reading age children and up, but our toddler enjoyed some of the exhibits.

http://www.pacificgrove.org/dirpages/butterflywatching.htm
The season is Oct - March. We saw the tail end of the migration, but it is still quite an interesting area.

http://www.monterey.org/rec/denmenace06.pdf
Great park for all ages! Our daughter kept wanting to go back!

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578
Julia Pfeiffer Park is great for picnics and family friendly hikes!

http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us/
Point Lobos is between Monterey and Carmel and is great fun for everyone!

http://www.carmelmission.org/welcome.htm
Great place for California history!

http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_US/es/hotel/MRYESES/index.do;jsessionid=N5QFYPRZ5S302CSGBJNMVCQ

http://www.loneoaklodge.com/

http://www.deanzainn.com/

http://www.bigsurbakery.com/

Haircuts for Kids

Have you found a good place to cut your child's hair? Finding haircut services for children is not easy! Children are not used to getting their hair cut and don't like to sit still and have someone touch their hair. However, there are a few places which specialize in cutting children's hair. They have fun cars to sit in (similar to the one pictured at left), TV with kids' movies to keep them focused while the cutting takes place, and toys/books while waiting their turn. It is well worth the $15-20 it costs especially when you don't need to go every 4-6 weeks! Feel free to let me know of any others...

Just Kids Cuts & Beauty Market - Burlingame - 650-548-1490
Cool Tops Cuts for Kids - San Ramon - 925-867-1836
Little Scissors - Fremont - 510-739-6666

Classes for children - something for everyone

The Bay Area is rich in classes for children and children activities. It is just a matter of finding the ones that are right for your children. It is important to provide your children with a variety of classes to inspire an interest or passion and here is a list of some of the classes you can try with your little prima ballerina, Mozart or David Beckham!

Sports -
The best resource for sports classes for little ones is Parks and Recreation in your community. They offer baseball, soccer and basketball for children starting at age 3. This is a great way to encourage coordination and teamwork.

Swim -
Swim classes are a favorite for children. There are many locations for classes from YMCA to Fremont Swim School in Fremont and Livermore to Happy Fish in Fremont and Silliman Center in Newark to Splash Swim School in San Ramon.

Music -
Music Together is well known for its variety in curriculum of music, instruments and dance. There are classes througout the Bay Area and your youngest child can join (ages are birth through 5 years). The cost includes a songbook, CD and tape of the music covered in the class for that period. http://www.musictogether.com/

Gymboree has a variety of classes for young ones. They have music classes for children as young as 6 months through 5 years. There are locations throughout the Bay Area and the teachers seem to always be enthusiastic and enjoy children. Lots of bright colors, variety of instruments and learning rhythm through dance. http://www.gymboreeclasses.com/

Art -
Art classes are a natural for children. They love it! There are a few art classes throughout the Bay Area - Parks and Recreation and Museum for Children's Art are favorites. However, you can also go for single art fun to Color Me Mine. There are locations in Walnut Creek, Alameda, Daly City, Fremont and San Jose. More information available on http://www.colormemine.com/.

Gym -
Little Gym provides a large studio for lots of tumbling, building of muscles, coordination and self-esteem. They are located in several locations in the Bay Area and have classes for 12 week periods and a variety of ages.

Gymboree has classes for play and tumble using soft child-friendly climbing structures from 6 months to 5 years. Songs and bubbles are incorporated to really give the children an integrated sensory experience. Lots of fun!

For older kids, there are regular gymnastics classes such as Top Flight in Fremont. They give toddlers the exposure to the balance beam, floor stretching, rings, trampoline and bars. Lots of variety, fun music and even camps offered during spring break and winter break. http://www.topflightfremont.com/

Nature -
The Bay Area is rich in parks from Tilden in Berkeley to Rancho San Antonio in Cupertino to Sunol Park in Sunol and everything in-between. These areas provide rich envirments for children to explore, see animals, birds and learn the joy of hiking. For a little older kids, the best place for nature classes is the Jr. Naturalist Program at Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center. There is a registration fee. 4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward, 510-881-6700. For infants and toddlers, the place to learn is Sulfer Creek Nature Center whose web site is: http://www.hard.dst.ca.us/sc_programs.html. They have a new focus every month and the fee is $7-8 which includes an art project. From age 1 and older.

Dance -
The Little Gym has started offering dance classes so they can be contacted for more information.
In Newark, The Dancemakers Studio has classes for 2 year olds and up. They offer everything from ballet/tap to hip hop. 5688 Thornton Avenue, Newark, Phone: 510-790-0133.

Tip of the Month - 2/1/07: Super Franks

Is it difficult to find a place to go for the whole family? It was for us. Our toddler isn't old enough for most movies, go-cart parks and we were a little tired of Chuck-e-Cheese. Then came SuperFranks in Pleasanton! It had its grand opening in January and has a variety of entertainment for various age groups. There is a glow-in-the-dark minature golf course, princess dress-up area with a room for tea parties, age appropriate and non-violent archade-type games and a cafe with Starbucks coffee and wifi! Check out their web site for more information - www.superfranks.com

Family Friendly Restaurants

It is never easy to find the right combination of good food, clean, fun atmosphere for the kids and acceptance of the occasional spill or mess after a visit. Not wanting to resort to pizza, hamburgers and chicken nuggets each time we went out to eat, I started paying attention to which restaurants fulfilled my four criteria. Here is my list. Most of them are chains but I would happily add local restaurants if they had the right combination as well. Please let me know which ones I am missing!


Elephant Bar

Olive Garden

Applebees

Chilis

Market Broiler in Fremont

Sweet Tomatoes/Fresh Choice

Kensington Circus in Kensington: Friendly neighborhood pub with all important play are in the back of the room. 389 Colusa Ave., Kensington, 510-524-8814

Pasta Pomodoro in El Cerrito, Oakland, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, Santana Row - San Jose

Red Tractor Cafe in Dublin: the tractor and farm animal decor is a big draw for the kids with healthy and fresh food that is important to the parents. Lots of children's artwork is hanging all over the walls. 4920 Dublin Blvd, Dublin, 925-828-8300, http://www.redtractor.com/

Tip of the Month - 1/1/07 : Winkflash.com

Since we are starting a new year today, I decided I would add a "Tip of the Month" section to start the new year off right! If you are like me, you have tons of pictures in your computer and fewer and fewer in print. "When I get around to it, I will transfer them to CDs and print out the good ones" is what I used to think and say. However, I recently had a friend who had a computer technician working on her computer and lost everything on her hard drive! What a nightmare! She asked all of her friends to send her back the pictures she had forwarded on to us for various celebrations, milestones and just everyday fun pictures. Unfortunately, most of us did not have them saved to send back to her.

Lesson Learned - save your pictures on a web site so that you are not putting all your "pictures in one basket". There are many sites that allow you to upload your pictures. However, many of them allow them on their site for only a certain period of time (usually 3-6 months). Winkflash.com allows you to store your pictures for free for an unlimited period of time. What a relief! Now, you can store them and not worry about lost memories at the hands of an evil computer technician!

Family Traditions & Cutural Groups for Your Children

It is important in raising your children that they learn of the family traditions, not to mention language, of your family's culture. However, it is not easy to do all this on your own. There are several groups in the area that help families teach the traditions and language of their culture. Below is a list of these groups. If you know of any others that are not listed, please let me know.

Little Vikings - yahoo groups that provides a community of e-mail updates for Swedish-speaking families as well as standing playdate on Fridays at various parks on the Penninsula.
http://www.littlevikings.org/

SWEA - Swedish Women's Organization which was established sometime in the 1960's. They host a traditional Christmas bazaar and party every year and have Swedish schools for children to learn the language.
http://www.swea.org/

Polish-American Educational Committee of San Francisco - this organization's mission is to: help our children, who grow in an American society, to learn the language and culture of Poland.
http://www.polishschool.org/home-eng.htm

Asian Youth Association - Dedicated to bringing together Asian Youth in the East Bay, to share culture, problems, and solutions.
http://www.asianyouth.org/

Family-related Articles & News

These family-related article links will provide you with interesting and relevant information for families. The information can include best places to live as a family, infertility issues, colic updates, unique art projects, how to balance your life as a "supermom", most family friendly companies etc.

I hope to have a nice running list of articles in the next few months but would also like it to be an opportunity for others to share what is important for them to read. Any topics you would like to read about, just let me know via a comment.

"Families Share Autistic Traits" - Nov 24, 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4464434.stm

"Car Seats: Essential Information, Part I" - May 17, 2004
http://www.informedparent.com/articles/template.php?article=carseats1

"Car Seats: Essential Information, Part II" - June 21, 2004
http://www.informedparent.com/articles/template.php?article=carseats2

Working Mother Magazine's 100 Best Companies for the working mom
http://vebranch.rgisolutions.com/web?service=vpage/77

"Raising an Adventurous Eater" on parenting.com
http://www.parenting.com/parenting/child/article/0,19840,1181768,00.html?topic=12062&topic=l1365&cid=tout-tagcloud-cookingforkids

Top Ten Parenting Pitfalls from WebMD.com - December 31, 2006
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/122/114592.htm

Where to Start with Childcare

Where do you start looking when you need to put your child into daycare? Well, you ask friends and family for recommendations but then what? There are many daycare facilities out there but it is difficult to navigate through the information to decide which ones are the best for your child. Even though cost is an issue, let's face it, we are talking about our children. The care is the most important. A good resource is the Child Care Coordinating Council for the 4c's. There is one in each county. Although they don't recommend daycare facilities, they are non-profit offices that provides free child care referrals and information about choosing child care. You can receive a report of all daycare facilities in your area and go from there...Good luck! But, don't discount the value of personal recommendations. That is way I ended up with my daycare provider.

4 C's of Alameda County: http://www.4c-alameda.org/
4 C's of Santa Clara County: http://www.4c.org/

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

It is important to stay on top of the latest recalls. However, it is not always easy to find all the product recalls. Here is a link to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you sign up for their e-mail alerts, you get the information immediately. http://www.cpsc.gov/

Zoos and Animal Parks

Interested in checking out the animals in the Bay Area? This is a great family activity and lots of fun for all ages. Here is a list of zoos and animal parks. There may be others, so please let me know if I need to make additions to the list!

San Francisco Zoo -
http://www.sfzoo.org/ or call 415/ 753-7080

Oakland Zoo - http://www.oaklandzoo.org/ or call 510/632- 9525
Animals are seen in a natural habitat. There is a wide variety of animals from lions, elephants, camels, giraffes, birds, zebras and other exotic animals.

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose - http://www.hhpz.org/ or call (408) 277-3000 1300 Senter Rd, San Jose, CA 95112
Plenty of attractions for little ones, including several merry-go-rounds. The zoo has a variety of birds, lemurs, goats and monkeys. Feeding the animals at the petting zoo is a hit, especially with a hand-washing basin right outside for bacteria-paranoid moms and dads. Reasonable food prices at cafe. Entrance of $6 is absolutely worth it. Even more so, if you buy the annual pass and make the trip several times a year.
Map it Get directions

Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont - This farm/park that has cows, chickens, sheep and pigs. Not all animals are available to visit all the time so check the web site or call the park to see what animals they have available and when feeding times are. Ardenwood also has special events throughout the year, including Halloween and Christmas.
www.ardenwoodaffairs.com or call (510) 796-0663
34600 Ardenwood BlvdFremont, CA 94555
Map it Get directions

Art, History and Discovery Museums in the Bay Area

Below is a list of many, if not all, of the main museums in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you know of any others, feel free to let me know via comment. I have visited several of these museums but not all of them. I hope to have commentary for all of them either from me or others, so please pass on your comments for your fellow moms if you have an experience with any of them. It is a great way to get your child interested in the world around him and familiar with other cultures, countries and various art. Some museums have partnerships for discounted rates with memberships for frequent visitors such as the national parks. This is a great family activity and educational too! Enjoy!

African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO)http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/AAMLO/
Alcatraz Island
http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/
Arts Benicia
http://www.artsbenicia.org/
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
http://www.asianart.org/
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center
http://www.apiculturalcenter.org/
Badè Museum of Biblical Archaeology
http://bade.psr.edu/bade
Bay Area Discovery Museum
http://www.badm.org/
Bayanihan Community Center
http://www.bayanihancc.org/
Berkeley Art Center
http://www.berkeleyartcenter.org/
Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)
http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/
Berkeley Historical Society
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/
Cable Car Barn
http://www.sfcablecar.com/
Cable Car Museum
http://cablecarmuseum.com/
California Academy of Sciences
http://www.calacademy.org/
California Historical Society
http://www.calhist.org/
California History Center
http://calhistory.org/
California Indian Museum
http://www.cimcc.org/
California Palace of Legion of Honor
http://www.famsf.org/legion/
Campbell Historical Museum
http://www.ci.campbell.ca.us/communityandarts/museum.htm
Camron-Stanford House
http://cshouse.org/
Cantor Center for Visual Arts
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/ccva
Capp Street Project
http://www.wattis.org/cappstreet/
Cartoon Art Museum
http://www.cartoonart.org/
Center for the Arts at Yerba Buena Gardens
http://www.yerbabuenaarts.org/
Chabot Space and Science Center
http://www.chabotspace.org/
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
http://www.cdm.org/
Chinese Culture Center
http://www.c-c-c.org/
Chinese Historical Society of America
http://www.sfsu.edu/~museumst/www.chsa.org
Coit Tower
http://coittower.org/
Computer History Museum
http://www.computerhistory.org/
COPIA
http://www.copia.org/
Coyote Point Museum
http://www.coyoteptmuseum.org/
Creative Growth Art Center
http://www.creativegrowth.org/
de Saisset Museum
http://www.scu.edu/desaisset/
Death Valley National Park - Scotty's Castle
http://www.nps.gov/deva/
Exploratorium and Palace of Fine Arts
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
Filoli Center
http://www.filoli.org/
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
http://www.thinker.org/
Fort Point National Historic Site
http://www.nps.gov/fopo/
Galeria de la Raza
http://www.galeriadelaraza.org/
GGNRA
http://www.nps.gov/goga/
GGNRA-Point Reyes National Seashore
http://www.nps.gov/pore/home.htm
GLBT Historical Society
http://www.glbthistory.org/
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
http://www.parkconservancy.org/
Haas-Lilienthal House
http://www.sfheritage.org/house.html
Habitot Children's Museum
http://www.habitot.org/
Hall of Health
http://www.hallofhealth.org/
Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society
http://www.healdsburgmuseum.org/
Hiller Aviation Museum
http://www.hiller.org/
History San Jose
http://www.historysanjose.org/
Holocaust Center of Northern California
http://www.holocaust-sf.org/
Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMSJ)
http://www.jamsj.org/
Judah L. Magnes Museum
http://www.magnes.org/
Lawrence Hall of Science
http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/
Los Altos Historical Museum
http://www.losaltoshistory.org/
Luther Burbank Home and Garden
http://www.parks.sonoma.net/burbank.html
M.H. de Young Museum
http://www.thinker.org/deyoung/index.asp
Manilatown Center
http://www.manilatown.org/
Marin Historical Society
http://www.marinhistory.org/
Marin Museum of the American Indian
http://www.marinindian.com/
Mendocino County Museum
http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/museum/
Mexican Museum
http://www.mexicanmuseum.org/
Mills College Art Museum
http://www.mills.edu/museum/
Mission Cultural Center of Latino Arts
http://www.missionculturalcenter.org/
Miwok Archaeological Preserve of Marin (MAPOM)
http://www.mapom.org/
Monterey Bay Aquarium
http://www.mbayaq.org/
Monterey History and Art Association
http://www.montereyhistory.org/
Monterey Museum of Art
http://www.montereyart.org/
Morrison Planetarium
http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/
Museo Italo Americano
http://www.museoitaloamericano.org/
Museum of American Heritage
http://www.moah.org/
Museum of Craft and Folk Art (MOCFA)
http://www.mocfa.org/
Museum of the African Diaspora
http://www.museumoftheafricandiaspora.org/
Napa Valley Museum
http://www.napavalleymuseum.org/
National Japanese American Historical Society
http://www.nikkeiheritage.org/
Native American Cultural Center
http://www.nativecc.com/
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
http://www.oacc.cc/
Palo Alto Art Center
http://www.paacf.org/
Pardee Home Museum
http://www.pardeehome.org/
Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
http://www.hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/
Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitors Center
http://www.precitaeyes.org/
Richmond Art Center
http://www.therichmondartcenter.org/
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
http://www.egyptianmuseum.org/
San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum
http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/
San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design
http://www.sfmcd.org/
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
http://www.sfmoma.org/
San Francisco National Maritime Park Association
http://www.maritime.org/index.htm
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (SJ ICA)
http://www.sjica.org/
San Jose Museum of Art (SJMA)
http://www.sjmusart.org/
San Mateo County Historical Museum
http://www.sanmateocountyhistory.com/
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
http://www.santacruzmah.org/
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
http://www2.ucsc.edu/seymourcenter/
SF Performing Arts Library & Museum (SF PALM)
http://www.sfpalm.org/
Society of California Pioneers
http://www.californiapioneers.org/
Sonoma County Museum
http://www.sonomacountymuseum.com/
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
http://www.thecjm.org/
The Oakland Museum of California
http://www.museumca.org/
The Tech Museum of Innovation
http://www.thetech.org/
Triton Museum of Art
http://www.tritonmuseum.org/
USS Hornet Museum
http://www.uss-hornet.org/
USS Potomac
http://www.usspotomac.org/
Works/San Jose
http://www.workssanjose.org/

Super Mom Stop is Launched!

I am a Bay Area Mom who is trying to be a "super mom". After all, aren't we all? To help me in my goal as super mom, I have been looking for one resource to provide me with many, if not all, of the information, lists and tips that would be helpful for all of us "super moms" in an organized and easy-to-find format! Needless to say, I have not found this one resource. So, I have decided it is time to BECOME THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE FOR SUPER MOMS! The following is a short list of some of the things I expect to include on my site:

Local parks and zoos
Local museums and play centers
Local activities for families
Children specific services such as haircutting, classes
Local toy and clothing stores
Links to federal recall site, county daycare facilitator, state school API site
Links to articles on family-related issues

I also hope to add family-friendly restaurants and vacations for families based on a panel of moms and possibly even a babysitting exchange to the site. All of this is based on your feedback though. What do you think is important in your effort to become/remain the super mom that you are?! Please tell me!

Keep coming back to my site for more information, Super Mom! Help is on the way!