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I have many memories of my visits to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in my hometown San Jose, as a child, and while it has changed and been updated, it still has the same charm and excitement for a toddler. This is a great “Bay Area Summer Stop” for an outing with a toddler or small child. There is plenty of room to maneuver a stroller and you won’t be alone, lots of stroller parking around the park. Happy Hollow has a nice combination of animals and rides. There’s a huge play structure and play area located inside...

I’m not much of a baseball person, not for lack of understanding, but more-so my short-attention span! However, there’s something about spending a summer day at the ballpark that just screams family fun. And, one way to treat the whole family out to a game and not break the bank is to attend a minor league baseball game. So far this season, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a few in my own Bay Area backyard in San Jose at Municipal Stadium to cheer on the San Jose Giants. When we lived in Virginia we had attended a...

Rawr! This past weekend we celebrated the 3rd and 4th birthdays of my (53 weeks apart) baby boys..except I’m realizing they really aren’t “babies” anymore. For their joint celebration this year I chose to do a “Dino Dig” aka dinosaur themed backyard soiree, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. We got lots of compliments on a “fun” party…and that’s the most important component to any event, right!?!? FUN!! I probably get a little obsessive in my planning process...

In my quest for new and fun things to do with my young boys, I came across the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland. It’s located in the hills about Oakland, nestled among huge redwood trees! I wasn’t sure if my children would be too young to enjoy a science center, but I knew they do cater to children and my curiosity was peeked to see what they have to offer. Unexpectedly, my kids had a blast, from the moment we walked into the first room, they quickly took to the exhibits, standing in the black light – learning...

Every Father’s Day weekend in Alameda, Webster Street is shut down and room is made for the annual Island Jam! The carnival-like event is put on by the Alameda Chamber of Commerce and is open to everyone. This year, I decided to make a Bay Area Summer Stop with my boys, and check out some of street fair’s attractions. One of the things I love about living in Alameda is the fact that (IMO) it’s an urban oasis. There’s a small town feel, but it’s just a stone’s throw from SF and Oakland, so it offers...

A photo posted by Aubrey Aquino (@fifty3weeks) on May 28, 2016 at 6:36am PDT Summer is here and now that my boys are on the verge of turning 3 and 4, they are mobile and have excessive amounts of energy, so getting out and about is a must! So, I’ll be posting about our different outings around the Bay Area and beyond, wherever our Summer 16 adventures take us! First up is Little Farm at Tilden Park in Berkeley. I had heard about this spot in the Berkeley Hills where you could feed some of the farm animals and explore, and...

Along I-10 in Southern California, you can find dinosaurs in the desert in between the palm trees. I heard about the spot in Cabazon from a friend when I mentioned I’d be driving from Ontario to Indio. I inquired if there were any good spots for kids and this “pit stop” was mentioned… Okay, so when I say pit stop, that’s literally what it is…an exit with a gas station, a Burger King and dinosaurs. Coming from Ontario it was just one exit past the Desert Hills Outlets (where I’ve heard there’s great...

A toddler can add that little something extra to just about any event. Perhaps it’s the instant enthusiasm, never ending energy or just that wide-eyed innocence and the unassuming personality, but whatever it is, when there’s a toddler around, nothing is certain. One event toddlers aren’t always welcome at is a wedding, many times these are “adult only” events, which is totally fine by me. However, my boys have had the opportunity to attend and be a part of two weddings already in their toddlerhood! Last...

Bad things happen to good people. What do you say when you find out a friend has been given a cancer diagnosis for her baby daughter? What can you do? How is it supposed to feel? These are questions that have been swirling in my head, ever since finding out my friend’s daughter is sick. I saw the Facebook post asking for prayers and I saw that they were (checked in) at a children’s hospital, and I knew something was very wrong. But, just the day before I saw the cute photo of her little girl playfully enjoying a sweet dessert,...

A guest post written for 53 Weeks. Your baby is turning 1!!! It’s time to enjoy and celebrate this major milestone! Here are 10 tips that helped this mama out! Pick a theme Picking a theme can be fun and it helps you stay focused and helps organize the direction of the party. We decided to go with an “Alice in Wonderland” theme. My daughter has an adventurous spirit and is full on wonder so it was a natural choice for us! Ready, set, shop! Now that you have your theme, it’s time to set a budget. Remembering that in the end...

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