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

Spotlight On Health

by VDog

March 02, 2009

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.

**Giveaway below!**

------------------------------
5 Basic Boosts for Busy Parents
From Two Spicy Moms
Bonnie Johnson, MS, RD and Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD, LDN (on behalf of
trim®)

1) Kick Up Your Heels - Don't make exercise a daunting chore. Have a
20-minute dance party with the kids. Everyone gets to pick one song.
Try out different rhythms or steps like hula, cha-cha, the twist or
the oldie-but-goodie chicken dance.

2) Faster Fruits- Often, we are so focused on getting our children to
eat healthy, we forget about ourselves (sound familiar?) And most of
us need to at least double our daily dose of fruit. So, instead of
trying to count that strawberry cheesecake as a serving, try:

           1/2 cup applesauce - Add a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg

           1 can of trim® Juice drink - New from Tree Top, one can
counts as a 1/2 cup of fruit serving and comes in yum flavors like
Mango Peach and Strawberry Kiwi)

           1/4 cup dried fruit - Try tossed into cereal, over a salad
or eaten on the go

3) Satiety is the new buzzword in healthy eating-it's that feeling of
satisfaction after a meal or snack. It makes sense - if you are
satisfied longer, you won't scarf down those extra calories you really
don't need (like the remnants of junior's PB&J.) Fiber has great
satiating power.  Shoot for getting more fiber by choosing cereals
with five grams or more fiber per serving, tossing a can of beans into
a pasta dish, having a small bowl of popcorn  or enjoying a single
serve can of trim® which has three grams of fiber per serving.

4) Get Some Extra Zs - That's sounds dreamy but how do you get your
head on the pillow when  you are multitasking long after the kids are
in bed? Research shows that a good night sleep can reduce stress,
improve your memory and even increase your success at weight loss.
While experts recommend at least 8 hours a night, start by going to
bed just 15 minutes early. Do that every night for a month - and see
how you feel (and if you can up it another 15 minutes.) And yes, this
is one of Deanna's New Year's resolutions.

5) Cover Your Bases - As dietitians, we recommend getting your
vitamins and minerals from food first. But as moms, we know you can't
have it all. Add a basic multivitamin to your morning routine just to
be sure. But remember, it's called a supplement because it SUPPLEMENTS
your diet (rather than replaces food) - and really, we're all about
keeping as much tasty and healthy food in your diet as possible!)

Five readers will receive samples of Trim! To win, be one of the first five readers to:

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...

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...

Blue Sky Family Club: with coupon!

by Heather Gibbs Flett

October 10, 2008

The Blue Sky Family Club is your healthy alternative to Chucky Cheese. Or it's your new rainy day go-to spot. Tucked away in the Emeryville Public Market, there is a playhouse with dress-up costumes, a small climbing structure, vast art area (4 tables with different projects going), climbing wall for big kids, and a changeable area with big mats, balls, and zooming little cars. And did I  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...

Weekend fun: last pancake hike of the season

by Heather Gibbs Flett

October 08, 2008

I love me some pancakes. And I like hiking and gorgeous vistas. Perhaps, EVEN MORE, I like wandering down memory lane and doing awesome Bay Area things. Well, this is exactly the kind of thing that sporty, carefree San Franciscans do on weekend mornings (that bleed into afternoons) when they don't have kids which is why you should definitely take advantage of it!! The West Point Inn in Marin is  Read more...

Sunday brunch in Thailand

by Heather Gibbs Flett

September 24, 2008

[photo credit: me, hgflett subject: the handsome holden] The day we dragged the family and met some friends to the Thai Temple for breakfast it was cold and gray. If not for the weather (and the rampant English speaking], I would have sworn we were in a marketplace in Bangkok or Chiang Mai enjoying the culture and food of another country. Nope, it was still Berkeley. We biked to the event in  Read more...

Awesome tour: Metropolis Baking Company

by Heather Gibbs Flett

September 22, 2008

If you're a three-year-old, I think one of the best ways you can spend your morning is to visit a bakery. We have been to both Semifreddi's (on Hollis in Emeryville) and Acme (on Cedar and San Pablo in Berkeley) to watch the bakers beat, braid, and bake the dough. The advantage of visiting one of these wonderful commercial bakeries is that you can also choose a loaf and eat their doughy  Read more...

Weekend fun: Blue Sky or Stroll?

by Heather Gibbs Flett

September 12, 2008

Whitney and I are joining a few other families for a camping adventure this weekend. Each family has a preschooler and a younger baby (Milo at 18 1/2 months is the oldest by a week). Wish us luck! While we are away, you can enjoy two fantastic events this weekend. If you plan carefully enough, you can make it to both: Solano Stroll: Fun day-long parade and festival. Last year, the kid's area  Read more...

Lunch-packing tips from iLunchBox.com

by Whitney Moss

August 28, 2008

Beth Ann Bentley is our first official guest poster at Being Savvy East Bay! She is a mother of four school-aged children. She has just launched her website iLunchBox.com -- a happy marriage of her passion for the health of her family and experience in the food and beverage industry. iLunchBox.com is a resource center and portal of information for parents and caregivers dedicated  Read more...

Roll your own: sushi kid-style

by Heather Gibbs Flett

August 27, 2008

Years ago, I went to a silly "roll your own" sushi and head-shaving party hosted by some people I barely knew. I dragged my sister, Meggan, along to keep me company and we enjoyed the general mayhem of the theme. Rolling your own sushi is quite easy if you have all the ingredients. So, that's the big trick, assemble the right stuff before you drag your preschooler along to play with you. 1.  Read more...

Dinner table destinations: eat and learn around the world

by Heather Gibbs Flett

August 21, 2008

All Holden knows about geography, he learned from the Wonder Pets. Eiffel Tower? he can recognize it or declare that a doodle resembles it. Earth? He knows "chimps live there". I'm excited to continue to broaden his horizons in preschooler appropriate ways. So, I love Caitlin's series on "dinner table destinations" for Being Savvy: Chicago and wanted to share. Inspired by the international  Read more...

Good eats: 8 great restaurants for parents

by Heather Gibbs Flett

August 07, 2008

These are not your classic chains and "kid-friendly" menus with chicken fingers, but they are some of our favorite go-to restaurants with our preschoolers, toddlers, and babies. And that's saying something. Pizza: Cheeseboard The pizza at The Cheeseboard is famous in Berkeley. Located in the heart of the Gourmet Ghetto on the north part of Shattuck Avenue, this little pizza cafe offers one  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...

Three Days In and Around Berkeley + Oakland: Day 1

by Heather Gibbs Flett

July 08, 2008

Viva West Berkeley! If you're coming out to Berkeley for the day, I'd like to suggest you spend your time enjoying the shopping mecca of Fourth Street and the blustery good fun of the marina. As long as you pack good walking shoes, a small kite, and some layers, this location has everything else you'll need. If you wake up really really early, head to Fourth Street near Hearst and hit Bette's  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...

Oh, the Choices: Ice Cream Parlors in Berkeley

by Whitney Moss

July 01, 2008

It's really summer.  My son really rarely naps.  It must be time to introduce the most delectable afternoon pick-me up of them all: the ice cream outing. (Side note: Yesterday I told him if he took a nap we could go out for ice cream when he woke up.  He finally fell asleep after much protest and I had to wake him up at 5.30. Unable to keep my ice cream promise due to my need to get to the  Read more...

Good eats: Shen Hua

by Heather Gibbs Flett

June 30, 2008

The Elmwood district of Berkeley is a dreamy little walkable neighborhood. Alec and I often wish we lived in a charming little bungalow on one of the side streets. Luckily, we can easily bike there with our two in the trailer and enjoy shopping (toys, clothes, used toys, used clothes!) and eating just like the natives. Shen Hua is a great place to take small children -- I hope they don't mind me  Read more...

Good eats: Cactus Taqueria

by Whitney Moss

June 23, 2008

Amigos, I cannot tell you how much I love Cactus Taqueria . I ate there before I was a parent, and I even liked it then. But now, now that I have a 3.5 year old and an 11 month old, Cactus is the perfect dining experience for us. Julian will pretty much only be happy in a restaurant that sells quesadillas. Check. He also has an addiction to horchata, the sweet rice milk drink they serve. Check.  Read more...

Waiting is the hardest part... in a restaurant

by Whitney Moss

June 04, 2008

A few weeks ago a reader of RookieMoms.com , SusieJ , shared a tip with us: order uncooked dough at a restaurant . Any restaurant that makes pizza, tortillas, or their own bread, has dough on hand. Getting some of it to your table can keep a preschooler (and in my experience, everyone else at the table) entertained for the whole time you are waiting for the food. This weekend, I tried it myself.  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...

Five Things to Do Outside when the Fog Clears and the Sun Shines

by Heather Gibbs Flett

May 19, 2008

Lucky for us, the East Bay has it's share of nice, sunny days to get outside and play. These are some of my Berkeley favorite sunny spots. I'll cover Oakland outdoor spots another day. Fly kites at the Berkeley Marina. If you don't have one of your own, there are always guys with great big kites that you can watch. We even saw a cool dad with a rocket ship and he let my son retrieve the  Read more...