53 Weeks

I recently had an opportunity to collaborate with PopSugar and provide a Mom voice for a travel video they produce in a partnership with Embassy Suites by Hilton. It was pretty exciting to be part of this project because PopSugar has a huge following and also because the produce some pretty cool, easy to digest videos with great info and tips! For this particular video I provide the first pro tip for traveling with kids with Busy Boxes. These are perfect for road trips because kids can put them on their laps and be super creative, whether...

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...

Girl power was on full display in the city by the Bay this weekend, as the ivivva Coast to Coast Festival popped up in San Francisco  at the scenic City View at Metreon. More than 250 active, stylish and energetic tween girls showed up to engage in the festivities, including the POUND workout, making it the largest class of tweens they’ve ever led! If you’re a fan of lululemon athletica, know that ivivva is cut from the same cloth. The brand was inspired by active girls and celebrates them, with stylish, sporty athletic...

Name: Sarah Brown Children & Ages: Taylor (13) & Emma, Noah and Judah (2) Hometown/Current Location: San Jose, CA Quick Bio: I’m a Believer, Wife, Mother and Business Owner. I married, Lawrence, my 2nd grade crush, 9 years ago. Lawrence has a daughter, Taylor, and at the time we started dating she was 3yrs old and was just diagnosed with Leukemia. Fast forward 10 years and she is now a happy and healthy teenager. Lawrence and I struggled with infertility for almost 7 years. We were blessed with awesome health insurance, which...

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...

Name: Lexy Children & Ages: Kaysen (2.5 yrs) & Brixton (12 weeks) Hometown/Current Location: Idaho Quick Bio: I am Lexy. A wife. Mother. and Blogger.I love that I have the opportunity to stay at home with my boys and watch them grow. All I have ever wanted to do my entire life is to me a mother and I was finally given that blessing 2 years ago when we witnessed our first beautiful son come into this world and just so recently with our second! I love everything that has to do with being a mom, even the messy stuff. That’s...

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...