Art and Soul Festival in Oakland - 2009

The 9th Annual Art and Soul Festival in Oakland will take place next weekend, August 15 and 16. This date is a change from Labor Day weekend in years past, but there will be just as much food, art, music, vendors, kids'activities and family fun! The location is Downtown Oakland so that you can simply take BART without the bother of driving and parking.

Reviews for the Festival:
Many believe this is one of the best Bay Area festivals. For latest reviews on yahoo, click here. For the reviews of years past in yelp, click here.

Kids Program:
For the kids, there is a Family Fun Zone with carnival rides and bouncers (at an extra cost) along with interactive art, hands-on mural painting, face painters, a fire truck and more.
The festival takes place from 12 noon to 6 pm and the entrance fees are $10 for adults, $5 for 13-17 and 12 and under are free! So, not only do you get music, dance, art and food in once place, but it is really reasonable for a family to attend!

For more information, visit the Art and Soul homepage.

Hope to see you at the festival next weekend!

King Tut at DeYoung Museum in SF

From June 27, 2009 - March 28, 2010, King Tutankhamun's treasures will be on display. I saw many of these artifacts years ago in Southern California, but somehow, I am enticed to see it again as an adult. His popularity is partly due to the fact that it is the most complete Ancient Egyptian royal tomb ever found. Dr. Carter made a spectacular find in 1922 of which many have seen and continue to see. For more info, see deYoung museum. Tickets can be bought at Costco for a discount which includes the audio tour and is definitely worthwhile!

For books for the entire family on ancient Egypt, check out some of these:

Young Readers

(5-8 years)
Tut's Mummy Lost...and Found - Donnelly
In an Egyptian City - Eldash
Muti's Necklace - Hawes
Tutankhamen's Gift - Sabuda

(9-12 years)
The Mummy's Curse - Dixon
Cry of the Benu Bird - Greger
Curse of the Pharaohs - Hawass
The Akhenaten Adventure - Kerr
Casting the Gods Adrift - McCaughrean
Ancient Egypt: Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of Egypt's Past - Rubalcaba

Advanced Readers

(ages 12 and up)
Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt - David
The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt - Dodson
King Tut: The Treasures of the Tomb - Hawass
Realm of the Pharaohs - Hawass
Akhenaten and the Religion of Light - Hornung
Red Land, Black Land - Mertz
In the Valley of the Kings - Meyerson
Nefertiti - Tyldesley
The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt - Wilkinson

Wiggles Coming to San Jose!

The Wiggles are on tour again and coming to San Jose! They will be at the San Jose HP Pavilion on Wednesday, July 22nd at 3pm and 6:30 pm. Ticket prices vary. For more info, check out the HP Pavilion events page. Get Wiggley!

Free Car Seat Inspections - Sat, July 18th

Habitot in Berkeley has free child car seat inspections this Saturday, July 18th at the Allston Way Garage on the 5th Floor - 2061 Allston Way between Milva and Shattuck in downtown Berkeley. Inspections show that 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly. Many serious injuries could be avoided with the proper installation of a child car seat. If you are not sure if yours is secure, try to stop by on Saturday and make sure! Our children are our most precious cargo. For more information, see the Habitot web site.

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!

Earthquakes and Rock

The US Geological Society in Menlo Park is having an Open House from May 16-17th from 10-4 pm. What a great way to spend the day together with an educational family activity! There is no admission fee for this local event and there are dozens of fun hands on exhibits from panning for gold to watching earthquake simulation to becoming a rock detective. Lots of activities for all ages! For more information, check out the flyer or visit their exhibits on their web site here. Rocks rock!

Candy Buy Back

Have too much left-over candy after Halloween?? Who doesn't? And, let's face it, we end up eating it...so that our children won't have unfortunate results at the dentist...do we really need to add extra LBS to our current diet, especially knowing that the holidays are just around the corner? If you want to get rid of your candy and get a few bucks out of it while supporting the troops with the donations, check out this link that shows the participating dentist offices for a Candy Buy Back! Not bad, huh? For more information on these local events, check out: http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/

Fun Runs with the Kids

We just participated in the Fremont Happy Fish Fun Run at Lake Elizabeth in Fremont yesterday and had a great time. It is a benefit run for the Guy Emanuele Sports Fund which supports children's after school programs. It is the 4th year and it was a lot of fun for the whole family. 4-6 year olds run a 1/4 mile and 6+ get to participate in a 1/2 mile race. It is all fun but they still make it realistic. The kids all feel like winners and get goodie bags with their ribbons. The adults can run 10K or run/walk a 5K. While mom and dad are running, they have a supervision area for the kids. They have a few booths and they have some entertainment. Check it out next year! Otherwise, look for the following upcoming runs to do with the whole family and get active in this passive and computer-using, tv-watching, video game-playing society!

Sun, Nov 2 -Apple Hill Harvest Run - http://www.applehillrun.org/ or 916-492-8966
Sun, Nov 9 - Monterey Bay Half Marathon and 3K kids fun run - http://www.bsim.org/
Sat, Nov 22 - Davis Turkey Trot - 5 and 10Ks and kids' fun runs - http://www.changeofpace.com/

For current running calendars with local events for family activities, check the following sites:
The Schedule - features running race schedule nationwide with additional resources and tips for runner.
Youth Runner Magazine
California Running Races
Run the Planet
California Track and Running News
with the Runner's Schedule Calendar
And a blog that is a great overall resource for runners: Complete Running and site for training and diagnosing aches and pains associated from running: Cool Running

Happy Running!

Pumpkin Patches Galore

Have you been to the pumpkin patch yet? Headed to Half Moon Bay for their annual pumpkin festival? This Festival is this weekend on Oct 18 and 19th from 9-5 on Main Street and with the many pumpkin patches on Hwy 92 on your way there. However, there are many people who head out to Half Moon Bay. If you are looking for something more local, check out this web site: http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/CApsanfran.php. We found a great patch - G & M Farms in Livermore. Not only do they have a ton of pumpkins, they have pony rides, a great corn maze, some good ol' cooking like corn on the cob and peach cobbler, a cow train ride and a fun corn kernal play box! Check it out or visit one of the other local areas. Happy Halloween!

Free Museum Day!

Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28 are free museum day at many museums around the nation! If you click on the link below, you can print out the pass good for 2 free admissions. It is sponsored by the Smithsonian. Enjoy a nice day of culture with your family! http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/about.html

Fourth of July Celebrations

It is hard to believe that the 4th of July is almost here! But, it is true. We are in the midst of summer and I can hardly believe it. Hopefully, you are heading somewhere fun and cool. But, if you are not, here is a list of the fireworks displays in the Bay Area so that you can bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the celebration! And, just so you know why we celebrate on July 4th (the Declaration was signed on the 2nd of July), here is a link to a summary of the historical events that led up to the July 4th celebrations. http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080701/sc_livescience/whenwasthe4thofjulyfirstcelebrated


SAN FRANCISCO - Fisherman's Wharf Waterfront, 9:30 p.m.
OAKLAND - Jack London Square, 9:15 p.m.
BERKELEY - Berkeley Marina, 9:30 p.m.
SAN JOSE - Discovery Meadow 9:30 p.m.
SAUSALITO - Waterfront, 9:15 p.m.
SAN RAFAEL - Marin County Fairgrounds 9:30 p.m.
VACAVILLE - Andrews Park, 9:30 p.m.
REDWOOD CITY - Seaport Court - Dusk
FOSTER CITY - Foster City Lagoon - 9:30 p.m.
HALF MOON BAY - Pillar Point Harbor - 9:30 p.m.

How to Keep Cool Today...

Trying to keep cool today??? Head towards water! There are plenty of things to do in Santa Cruz like the Boardwalk, the beach, Capitola and it is only about an hour away. But, of course, you have traffic, the effects of the fires (latest one was 50% contained as of this am) and still a high of 92 degrees, but you have a breeze and the water! In SF, where the high is only expected to be 85 degrees, Ghiradelli Square will have free ice cream sundaes at 4pm and there are plenty of stores, museums and parks to enjoy the day and stay cool. Or you could head to nearby Stinson Beach or Sausalito too for a picnic and great scenery. Other options: Half Moon Bay is always cool and the downtown Main Street is fun to stroll, grab a sandwich and window shop. If the kids need to play and splash in the water, the nearby beaches are happy to facilitate! Less obvious options: Alameda shoreline, Mountain View shoreline, Quarry Lakes, Fremont, Vasona Park, Los Gatos. There are also numerous parks with water elements - Campbell Central Park, San Ramon Central Park and many others. And, don't forget that Chabot Science Center has Family Day today...air-conditioned entertainment! Whatever you do, enjoy and keep cool!

Free Family Fun Day at Chabot Space and Science Center

June 21st is Family Fun Day at the Chabot Space and Science Center - they are celebrating their 125 years and it means admission is FREE! What a great way to learn about the stars, organic matter and much more! I was hoping to join the masses there but we will be celebrating Midsummer at Sveadal which we do every year. So, we will have to check it out some other time. Olivia's school is studying space and the stars this month, so she is definitely ready for the Space Center! Enjoy this fun day!

Children's Fairyland in June

Children's Fairyland in Oakland at Grand and Bellevue Avenues, will have daily puppet shows, arts and crafts and children's theater performances each weekend through June. I have never been there but plan on heading up one of these weekends. It sounds great, especially for 3-8 year olds! Entrance is $6 for ages 1-100 and under 1 is free. On the 3rd weekend of June, July and August, Target will sponsor the exploration of a different culture's stories and arts and crafts, geared for young children. They also host birthday parties. Check it out at http://www.fairyland.org/ or call 510-238-6878.

Events for Week of May 19th in the Bay Area

Here are a few activities in the East Bay for the little ones before the busy three day weekend...


Tues - 20

Child Safety Seat Inspections at Child Care Links in Pleasanton. childcarelinks.org. This happens at Child Care Links every third Tuesday of the month. So, if you can't make it this month, check it out next month.


Joy of Movement at Kensington Library - 61 Arlington Ave, Kensington at 6:30 pm. Move, sing and jump around. Ages 3 and up. Free. 510-524-3043 or http://www.ccclib.org/


Wed - 21


Bubble Lady - she entertains the family with amazing bubble tricks at the Brentwood Library 4-4:45 free. Brentwood Lib - 751 Third St., 925-634-4101 or ccclib.org.


Thur - 22


Chocolate Tour at Charles Chocolates in Emeryville. Learn how chocolate is made during a guided factory tour of the Charles Chocolates production facility. Tours are given at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm every W, F, Sat and Sunday free. 6529 Hollis St., Emeryville - charleschocolates.com.

Children's Wetland Storytime at Big Break Regional Shoreline, Bridgehead Road, Antioch from 9:30-10:30 am. Discover the wetlands with a story and a walk along a dirt road. Strollers welcome. Registration is required but it is free. 888-eb-parks or http://www.ebparks.org/


Fri - 23


Buki the Clown - Join Buki every Friday for balloon animals, face painting and more. 11-11:30 am for kids 1-5/ $4.95 all day. Parents and pre-crawlers are free. At Tumble and Tea, 4210 Telegraph in Berkeley. tumbleandtea.com

Memorial Day Events

Kids andKites in Fremont - May 24th from 11-4pm in Central Park at the Softball Complex. This event will feature 2000 free kites for kids, stage performances, games and giveaways. For more info: http://www.ci.fremont.ca.us/Events/event080524kitefestival.htm

18th Annual Art and Wind Festival in San Ramon - May 25th thru May 26th from 10-5 in Central Park at Alcosta. This event features arts and crafts, entertainment, kite flying demos and food booths. Admission is free! For more info: http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/414226?trk=ssp

Beauty and the Beast at the American Musical Theater in San Jose - running from May 13-25th. This is a great cultural event for the whole family. We saw "Belle" at Happy Hollow on Sunday, May 4th and she had a wonderful "Disney like" manner and nice voice. Olivia and her friend were enchanted by her...For more info: http://www.amtsj.org/

19th Annual KidFest presented by John Muir Health from May 24-26; 11-6 each day. This festival takes place at the Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord. Activities include face painting, balloons, karaoke, entertainment on 4 stages, carnival games, sports activities, art tent and photo opportunities with SpongeBob SquarePants best friend, Patrick. Visit dozens of booths with products and services for kids and parents; eat great food and snacks and shop for handmade crafts. For more info, visit www.kidfestconcord.com.

5th Annual "Meet Babi" Fair in Campbell - May10th

Saturday, May 10, 2008
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
at the Campbell Community Center
1 West Campbell AvenueCampbell, California 95008

Description:
Bay Area Birth Information (BABI), a local non-profit organization, will hold its 5th annual Meet BABI Fair connecting expectant and new parents with dedicated professionals, services, information, and community resources.

A group of birth-related professionals who wished to provide a stronger community of support for birthing and new families founded BABI, the only non-profit, non-affiliated pregnancy and parenting resource organization in the South Bay and Peninsula.The community will have the opportunity to connect with birth professionals in the Bay Area. On hand for consultations will be midwives, doulas, childbirth and new baby instructors, breast-feeding and postpartum support, chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbalists, pre-natal and infant massage therapists, pre-natal yoga instructors, and local support groups.

There will also be free massage, personal consultations, lots of prize drawings, face painting, demonstrations and mini lectures by local experts throughout the day.BABI promotes awareness of evidence-based care and options in order to reduce unnecessary birth interventions, improve breastfeeding success rates, and preserve healthy mother, baby, and family attachments. Through compassionate, accessible, and non-judgmental education and resources, BABI seeks to increase and promote normal, spontaneous labor and vaginal delivery, minimize mother/baby separations, and reduce the maternal/infant morbidity and mortality rates.

BABI promotes great-er awareness of evidence-based care and the broad range of choices available to birthing women as well as birth professionals, restoring dignity, satisfaction and joy to the birthing process.

Any other questions, please visit the web site: http://www.bayareabirthinfo.org

This Weekend's Fremont Events - Ducks and Pancakes

Saturday, April 26th - The 14th annual Ducks for Bucks contest is happening at Lake Elizabeth/Central Park from 11-2 which is organized by the Kiwanis Club of Fremont. This event benefits several non-profit organizations. There is no entry fee and anyone can participate in the rubber duck race by adopting a rubber ducky before the race either online or through a non-profit organization participating in this event and then watch it travel with the others to the goal. There are prizes given for the first few ducks to make it to the goal. There will also be a kids' carnival sponsored by the Masonic Homes of CA. Balloon twisting, face painting and games are some of the attractions that will be there. We were there one year and Olivia had a ball.

Sunday, April 27th - Boy Scout Troop 153 is having their annual fundraising pancake breakfast this Sunday, April 27th at the Newark Pavilion - 6430 Thornton Ave. in Fremont from 8:30 am to 11 am. We went last year and it was wonderful! Lots of food - pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, muffins, fruit, juice and coffee for only $7 for adults and $3 for children, 12 and under. Check it out!

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.