Being Savvy: Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers and kids in Oakland, CA

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Stuck inside? Make a gingerbread house!

by VDog

December 19, 2008

A good blog friend of mine, Red Lotus Mama , shares this fun and (relatively) easy indoor, holiday-appropriate activity with us: Growing up creating a gingerbread house was never part of my family's holiday traditions. It always looked like a fun activity to do and decided to make it a tradition with my daughter. I am not a baker (or a cook), not because I can't, because I choose not to. I  Read more...

Fun Holiday Activities, Children's Museum Style

by VDog

December 09, 2008

Want to make holiday memories with your child(ren), but don't want the mess in your own house? Try these: Habitot Make-Your-Own Gingerbread House Workshops December 11 - 17; 10:00 am & 11:00 am sessions Habitot is throwing a decorate your own take-home gingerbread house with icing, candy, and other sweets workshop! Call Liz at (510) 647-1111 x17 to reserve your spot.  Read more...

5 fabulous gift ideas

by VDog

December 09, 2008

Here are a few gift ideas for you...not much shopping time left until Hanukkah and Christmas! Sugar Plum Fairy Skirt What girl (or boy?) in her Princess phase WOULDN'T love this combination tutu/ballerina/musical outfit? I know several little girls for whom this would be a perfect gift -- prancing around and taking the music with you is pretty darn convenient! And hey, if you get sick  Read more...

Pretend Soup is yummy

by Heather Gibbs Flett

November 26, 2008

My mom loves giving gifts and she has about a 50% success rate when it comes to choosing the perfect one. For every popular hits-the-nail-on-the-head there is usually the equivalent head-scratching kind of gift. We love her so much for trying. This post is dedicated to Grammy. We love you and your thoughtful gifts. Pretend Soup is one of the best gift books we've ever gotten because it is a  Read more...

World of Snacks: Think Global and Local

by Heather Gibbs Flett

November 25, 2008

"When I wake up I smell biscuits..." or "I see take-out tekka maki..." when I start these books, I can recite them in their entirety (almost!) just by memory. Like a good Dr. Seuss book, the world of snacks are catchy and colorful. What's so great about them is that they introduce your toddler -- and later your preschooler -- to a wonderful world of global cuisine (instead of green eggs and  Read more...

Vegetable education delivered to your door

by Whitney Moss

October 09, 2008

Everyone says that engaging your kids in the cooking process will promote better eating habits. And, my kid LOVES receiving a package in the mail. So, why not put these two events together and subscribe to a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture means that we, the community, help fund the farm - paying for seeds, maintenance, and labor - and the farm provides us with a small share of it's  Read more...

Pick some fruit and make jam

by Heather Gibbs Flett

July 16, 2008

In Berkeley and Oakland, if you don't have a fruit tree in your yard, then odds are good your neighbor has plums or cherries (or those sort of hybrid mini plums) to spare. The other week, my friend Olivia sent me home with a huge bag of such mystery stone fruit to eat as fast as I could. I tried to pawn them off on friends at a potluck because I didn't think of this fun and kid-friendly  Read more...

Weekend fun: Renegade, Beasts, or Doof?

by Heather Gibbs Flett

July 11, 2008

Two fantastic events will have you hopping in the car for a daytrip this weekend and one more that's close to home for breakfast on Saturday with the elephants. Have you heard about Doof-a-Palooza? It is an amazing fun food fair for kids at Google's Mountain View Campus this weekend and I'm so bummed to miss it! With a focus on kids making good food so kids will eat good foods -- I love it!  Read more...

PNO at Dig's Bistro

by Heather Gibbs Flett

July 02, 2008

There's an amazing restaurant in my neighborhood that serves organic food (ok, no big whoop, right? we live in Berkeley after all) that used to operate as a secret restaurant in Oakland. Alec and I went to Dig's Bistro last week for a special date night and it was awesome. We shared the Meyer Lemon Fettucini (excellent!), Spring Vegetable Risotto Cake (delish but a little oily -- needed extra  Read more...

Birthday Party Roundup: Five Cupcakeries Worth a Visit

by Heather Gibbs Flett

June 03, 2008

I love cupcakes. And for baby or toddler parties, my kids are lucky if they get to taste them because I gobble them up so quickly. But for some reason, age THREE seemed like a good enough time to offer my son a full cupcake (without planning to steal half when he looked away). As a sort of compromise, I ordered mini cupcakes. Awesome idea, mom! That way, all the kids could have one and feel like  Read more...

More of Our Favorite Activities and Things to Do in oakland

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Creatures & Critters:
Our Urban Jungle

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Do, Re, Mi! Places to Hear, Sing & Play a Tune

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Artistic Endeavors:
Our Favorite Art Venues

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Room to Run:
Run, Jump & Wiggle Outdoors

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Rainy & Quiet Days:
Cozy & Crazy Indoor Fun

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A Sense of History:
Our City's Stories

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Tot's Science Fair:
Science & Nature Sites

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Splash, Spray, Play! Local Spots to Get Wet

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The Most Fun in Life Is Free!

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The Best of... Our Top Can't-Live-Without Spots

The Voice of Being Savvy oakland:
VDog, Whitney Moss, Heather Gibbs Flett

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