{510} Family Faves: East Bay mom (and Olympian) Kristi Yamaguchi

I met Kristi Yamaguchi, mom of two, at an event recently where she was showing off Tsu.ya, her new line of women’s apparel. I learned that she lives in the East Bay, and I asked her to share some of her favorite places with us.

What’s your favorite playground in the 510?
I’d have to say the Always Dream Foundation play park in Fremont. It’s an all-abilities playground, so it’s really accessible to different ages and abilities.

What’s your favorite birthday party venue?
Definitely PixieLand in Concord. The venue has six or seven kiddie rides and it’s small and contained so that makes a perfect venue for birthday parties with young children.

What’s your favorite Saturday morning?
Just sleeping in and cooking a big breakfast with the kids!

What’s your favorite family dinner out?
Maria Maria restaurant! It’s a Mexican restaurant — there’s one in Danville and one in Walnut Creek — and the kids love the food, which always makes things nice and easy. I love the food as well, so our whole family wins when we go there.

Tell us about a favorite local store.
My favorite children’s clothing store is called Sweetie Face at Black Hawk Plaza. The owner has beautiful special occasion outfits for kids there – it’s quite a fun adventure to go and pick out cute outfits for the kids.

How do you treat yourself away from your family?
Just being quiet, no TV on and relaxing. Shopping or spending time with girlfriends is also something I really enjoy. My husband calls me a “professional shopper.”

Tell us about an amazing class your child has taken.
My daughters both took group ice skating lessons at Dublin Iceland. It was super fun for me to see them on the ice!

What do you want to tell us about your clothing line?
I designed Tsu.ya with busy, stylish women in mind. The comfy clothes allow women on-the-go to go straight from the gym to running errands. A portion of the proceeds to go back into the community to support early childhood literacy through the Always Dream Foundation. And, I’ve got a promotion on Facebook right now that gives $20 off any purchase of $100 or more.

Editor’s note: My lunch with Kristi was hosted by Tsu.ya (and I got to try on some of the clothes).