Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san jose, CA

Celebrating Mother's Day

by bonggamom

May 07, 2009

Ask any mom what she wants for Mother's Day and there's a good chance she'l tell you what she wants most is some time off (I'm partial to a spa day myself).   But there's no escaping family -- after all, they're what turned you into a mother in the first place, and it's no fun being Queen For The Day if you can't have your loyal subjects celebrating with you.  Save your Day Off for next week -- that way you'll have *two* special days! -- and spend Mother's Day with your family.  Here are some ideas for celebrating Mother's Day after you're done with your breakfast in bed or champagne brunch:

1)  Celebrate early!  Today, May 7, is National Mom's Nite Out.  Take a well-deserved evening off at a Mom's Nite Out or Mamapalooza event being held across the country.  If you can't find an event nearby, party online!  After you've put the kids to bed, open up your laptop and join the many National Mom's Nite Out virtual parties.

2) Visit a museum!  The Koret Foundation is celebrating their 30th anniversary by sponsoring free Mother's Day admission to 17 museums around the Bay Area, including kid-friendly favorites like the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, the Exploratorium, Bay Area Discovery Museum, and the San Francisco Zoo.   

3) Get crafty!  There's still time for your little ones to make you a present before Sunday.  Take them into Michaels craft store in Mountain View or Sunnyvale for free crafts, every day till Mother's Day.  This evening they'll be making Mother's Day cards.  Tomorrow evening it's a wooden photo frame.  On Saturday afternoon they're hosting a Make it for Mom Bead Event.  And on Sunday afternoon, your little ones can bring in Mom and Grandma to decorate a cookie they can give to you -- or more likely, eat all by themselves.

4) Go on a hike!  If you enjoy nature and are looking for a fun and relaxing experience in the outdoors, join the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge for Mother’s Day in The Marsh, an exploration of refuge habitats. Starting at 10:30am, watch a brief slideshow, then take a leisurely stroll and learn how we are connected to the refuge’s wetland and upland habitats through our daily water use. This program is recommended for all ages, and wheelchair and stroller accessible. Recommended for all ages.

5) Feel the beat!  Visit the Stanford University campus this weekend for the 38th annual Stanford PowPow.  You'll see amazing costumes, dances, drum performances, and crafts at this colorful celebration of Native American culture. 

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, birth mothers, foster mothers  -- enjoy your Special Sunday!

Basic Boosts for Busy Parents (And a Giveaway!)

by bonggamom

March 02, 2009

 Want to try this drink for free?  Read on to find out how!

I know, I know, being a parent is tough.  We're so focused on taking care of our children that sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves.  Nutrition-wise, we often take the quick and easy way out -- a cookie here, a bag of chips there, a cup of coffee for breakfast, half of our children's mac-n-cheese at dinnertime .  I'm as guilty as anyone.  But what's a busy parent to do? Today's guest posters, Bonnie Johnson and Deanna Segrave-Daly, serve up five great ways parents can maintain a healthy lifestyle even in the midst of all the childhood chaos.  As registered dieticians, they know the ins and outs of good nutrition.  Even more important, they are moms who understand that our busy, crazy schedules means we need quick, manageable solutions -- and all the help we can get. 

Weight Bias and Self Esteem in Children: an Interview with Emme

by bonggamom

February 23, 2009

 This week is National Eating Disorders week, and raising awareness is more important that ever.  It may be tempting for parents of young children to dismiss eating disorders as an adult or teenage diseases -- but 1 in 5 children today are obese, and we are seeing more and more children under the age of twelve developing eating disorders.  It is estimated that 40% of nine year olds have already ideted and we are beginning to see four and five year olds expressing the need to diet. 

As parents, it is more important than ever to teach our children NOW how to eat healthy, have a healthy image of themselves.  It is just as important for parents to be aware of the physical and emotional consequences of weight disorders, whether in our own children or other children.  So to educate ourselves, a handful of Savvy Source city editors spoke with supermodel Emme Aronson on the issues of body image and weight bias.  A perennial style icon and self esteem advocate, Emme is also a spokesperson for Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.  Here is what she told us:

Thoughts on Infertility

by bonggamom

February 16, 2009

 Would you like to win this book?  We're giving a copy away to one lucky Savvy reader!  Read on.....

While the story of Nadya Suleman and her octuplets has brought out many ethical considerations and concerns regarding in vitro fertilization, it is important to remember that IVF and other fertility treatments remain a wonderful use of modern technology and continues to help many couples conceive.  Today's guest poster, Julie Irwin Zimmerman (who incidentally grew up right here in Silicon Valley, in Saratoga), is a former fertility patient and the author of "A Spiritual Companion to Infertility". Below, she offers her thoughts on the the octuplets' mom and her struggles with infertility.

Things that matter and things that don't

by Bonggamom

January 06, 2009

Today, Being Savvy editors around the country are looking at The Big Picture, counting down the Top 5 Things that Really Matter with preschoolers, and 5 Small Things that Really Donâ??t. Here's my list: Top 5 Things that Really Matter with Preschoolers 1) Making food fun All-out food fights are discouraged in our household, but my kids enjoy eating peas with one's fingers, fashioning  Read more...

Holiday Gift Giving on a Budget

by Bonggamom

December 05, 2008

With the economy tanking like it is, it's no wonder that shoppers everywhere are tightening their purse strings and slashing their holiday budgets. But that doesn't mean you can't spread some Christmas cheer all around. Here are some ways you can stretch your budget and still give unique, thoughtful presents to the people you care about most: 1) Know before you go Start your gift-giving  Read more...