How many times would I have to go to Fairyland to pay off a membership? Is it worth it?
Oakland Zoo membership: is it worth it?
December 1, 2012 By 6 Comments
How many times do I need to go to the zoo to break even? Is it a good deal if my kids are toddlers or babies? Let’s break it down.
ScholarShare: The ultimate clutter-free gift (sponsored)
November 21, 2012 By 5 Comments
If peace of mind looks like a pie, I think I am lucky to have a fairly big serving of it. Though I have no idea how much things will cost in the future, my husband and I are saving money, specifically for college tuition for our two children, and hoping we won’t have to [...]
Parents’ Guide to Oakland’s Jack London Square
November 19, 2012 By 5 Comments
I’m happy to introduce our newest contributor, Mandy, an Oakland mom to a busy toddler daughter that calls Jack London Square home. She was happy to share her favorite neighborhood spots and promises, “JLS is kid-friendly, and families live here too!” — thanks Mandy! Transportation The old Warehouse District is definitely an up and coming [...]
Support school breakfasts with Share Our Strength
November 15, 2012 By 2 Comments
I am so grateful to the Berkeley public school system, which feeds second breakfast to two of my children each day, that a morning snack — or universal breakfast — comes standard to everyone. I know how ornery I get without proper nutrition, and I’m not a growing child. We are very lucky. If you [...]
Hot tip: get amnesty at the Berkeley libraries this week
November 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Anyone with overdue fines can get them waived under this Amnesty program at the Berkeley Library! I just read on Berkeleyside that the Berkeley Public Library is forgiving late fines this week. Awesome. My family goes to the library and the branch van a ton, and we are so disorganized when it comes to returning [...]
Parent’s Guide to Montclair
November 5, 2012 By 13 Comments
Juanita Villa is a new contributor to 510families from Montclair. She is the mom to one-year old Lucio and enjoys cooking, sewing, running, yoga, and exploring her neighborhood with her little family. We appreciate Juanita sharing her favorite places today. Our favorite places to eat Montclair Village has many restaurants to choose from but when [...]
A Parent’s Guide to El Cerrito
October 22, 2012 By 5 Comments
I’m happy to introduce Cara as a new contributor to 510families from El Cerrito. She has a four-year old daughter and is expecting a second baby in January. Cara enjoys making crafts, photography and simple scrapbooking. While she’ll be writing for us about a number of Bay Area activities, today she shares her home stomping [...]
I just finished a food cleanse
September 25, 2012 By 1 Comment
Whitney and I just worked with Bay Area nutrition coach (and friend!) Marnie Northrop from Becoming Health to complete a two-week cleanse. Using her guidance and recipes, I filled my belly with organic veggies each day while avoiding common toxins and allergens. Having tried half-assedly to eliminate dairy in the pasty, I was nervous that [...]
Where to shop (local) for Halloween
September 24, 2012 By 1 Comment
This is the time of year that my 7-year old and I most look forward to. His birthday is around the corner. Halloween is just two days later. He’s got a costume in mind and I get to figure out which components we’re going to make, and which we need to buy. Two years ago, [...]
How To: Dinner and a Movie
August 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Ever since going on a date with my husband has carried an extra $15 per hour expense (that’s for the babysitter, for those of you who have just entered the world of parenthood), we’ve been looking for ways to squeeze dinner and a movie into as little time as possible. While we spend some of [...]
Back-to-school checklist
August 22, 2012 By 1 Comment
Back-to-school prep in the East Bay: hair, shoes, backpack, lunchbox, clothes, what else do you need?
Reader tip: Transition back to school
August 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Here’s a tip from Elizabeth Sautter, Director of Communication Works, that we use in my own house! This sign was created with my 7 year-old and we keep it posted upstairs and downstairs. To help make the transition back to school a little easier, re-establish a structured routine several days prior to the beginning of [...]
Where East Bay kids get their hair cut
August 20, 2012 By 10 Comments
We asked our 510 Families facebook group where they take their children to get haircuts and the results came rolling right in. I thought a list of kid-friendly hair-cutters would be useful for rookie parents who have not yet cut their child’s hair. Here are the hair-cutting solutions parents shared with us: 1. Snips on [...]
Free trial exercise class for moms in Oakland
August 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
When I did a Stroller Strides class with instructor Tiffany Dacko a few months ago, she told me about her Body Back class. (I had no stroller; my kids are school-aged. It was just for fun.) She promised that, through this class, in 8 weeks I would be in the best shape of my life. [...]
20 Free Things To Do Before Summer is Over
August 16, 2012 By 4 Comments
Take on one of these items as your mission every day, and you’ll definitely be getting the most out of the East Bay.
Dinner on the table: Fast food that’s super healthy
August 14, 2012 By 2 Comments
Or what the heck is a community supported kitchen? Three Stone Hearth is a worker-owned cooperative, offering nutrient dense foods to homes and families around the Bay Area.
