I’ve been taking my queue from social media and other photos I’ve seen posted by my fellow Mommy friends, as far as activities and things to do with the kids while we shelter in place. An easy, yet fun and creative project is to make your own mosaic with sidewalk chalk! I have also seen this done on windows too.
It’s a pretty simple activity for any age, toddlers on up…and the only supplies you need are tape – we used blue painters tape, and the chalk! I purchased the $1 chalk tubs at Target and found the tape there as too, but I’m sure you can find these items at the dollar stores or other arts and crafts and school supply aisles! You can use your imagination to lay it out however you please. We decided to create a star. The first thing I did was lay out the outline of a star, then I criss-crossed the tape to create smaller shapes within out star for several spaces to create our mosaic.
Another nice thing about this project is you can do it as a family, or the kids can divide up the spaces that need to be filled in or they can even do it solo.
I really enjoyed seeing my boys take some time to plot out what colors they would use, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. I encouraged them to use all the colors and make it their own.
Plus, after being home for a few weeks, it was nice to enjoy the fresh air and just be…let those creative juices flow!
Perhaps the most satisfying part of the project…pulling up the tape and seeing the big reveal!
We’re entering week 4 for the stay at home, shelter in place, self-quarantine orders in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m pretty sure we are all starting to feel it. When I say “it,” I mean the stress, the fear, uncertainty and challenges of trying to do it all.
And one of the most frequent requests from my kids is, ” What do we have to eat?” This question is also a big challenge because I would love to have more time to cook up or even think up healthy snacks and meals to have on tap for them..but the reality is…I don’t, and sometimes it seems easier to direct them to the prepackaged (sort of) junk foods in the cabinets.
Thankfully I spoke with Chef Rebekah via Zoom, and she gave me a few easy kid-friendly recipes, and also offered tips on pantry staples and what items to have on hand, to help keep those hunger monsters from driving you completely nuts! Well, you know what I mean…we can all be a little “nasty” when hunger sets in!
A few of the items she suggests keeping stocked in our kitchens that keep, are fresh eggs, crackers & pretzels, frozen veggies and peanut butter. Chef Rebekah’s ideas and tips can all be found at readyseteat.com
Spring has sprung and with Easter around the corner and our current “shelter in place” lock down, many of us are feeling isolated and confined to our homes. Well, I’m no expert, but pair that with the sudden home schooling duties with our kids and chaos of being throw in to a different routine, and I am all ears for ideas on how to keep the peace!
I’ve been working from home too, and while my regular lifestyle show has been put on hiatus status in favor of additional coronavirus programming, I am finding new ways to connect with people and do online interviews with zoom!
Today, I was joined by the owner and top crafter at Sacramento’s Paper Garden Boutique, Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee, and her son Miles. Stephanie is so fun and has so many idea for cute and easy crafts you can do with the whole family. So, in our video, she showed us how to assemble simple baskets made with and filled with candy! The only non-edible item is the plastic grass inside the basket! Okay, so you can load it up with other items too, but these days I am all for a little (comfort) sugar! Ha!
She also showed us an easy way to make cute lollipop treats with a butterfly silhouette and lollipop, perhaps add a special message to it and leave it for a neighbor or friend, along with crafting a paper bunting for the house to get into the spirit of Spring! These are great ideas to burn some creative energy into the day and have lots of fun doing it too!
If you’re a parent who has ever felt a little anxiety when it comes to taking your kid for a haircut, I feel you. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like something that is a big deal, because as an adult having someone else tame my mane is an outing I look forward to, but not so much for the kiddos.
The first time you take your baby for a hair cut, it’s a milestone. It’s like a step toward “big kid” status, a sign of growing up. And while it’s exciting and new, there is also the stress of finding the right place to have the cut done and wondering if your child will cooperate and stay still.
As the years go on, the challenges change, but making the “you’re getting a haircut” announcement is often met with a non-compliant response. My boys are always stuck on having a particular haircut and when I ask when they want to go, they will keep putting it off! For the most part, it’s a chore I have left for their Dad, but “surprise,” he doesn’t make it a priority.
All this to say, that a recent trip to Pigtails and Crewcuts in Sacramento’s Natomas neighborhood, proved to be a success! I first met the salon’s owner and one of their stylists when they came on my show to do a segment about the salon and the services there. They then invited me to take my boys and experience what they offer, and I’m so happy to say it was quick and easy!
The salon is family-friendly and fun. There’s a dedicated playroom for kids to play and hangout whil they wait around. There’s also a full size train table and lots of TV screens with movies and video games for the older kids.
Children can elect to have their cuts done in a number of different vehicle chairs they have…my 7-year old insisted on sitting in the train and he loved it. They also have regular chairs for the rest of the family (mom and dad) to have their hair did too!
One thing that is so great for parents is, it’s a busy atmosphere, so making noise and the chaos that comes with kids is perfectly fine. They are used to it, they welcome it and their stylists can work with it. I was pretty amazed at how quickly they got the cuts done, even with the boys moving around and being easily distracted. Plus the stylists were very personable and easy to work with…and being kid-friendly is key!
I would highly recommend for other parents to give Pigtails and Crewcuts a try. The prices are very reasonable and the service was great. Plus they even gave my kids a little “color” (non-permanent) to complete their looks! After the service was finished, they offered my kids animal crackers and a prize from the treasure chest. And — the salon also offers other items for sale and you can even do a kid’s “spa” party there too!
San Jose is my hometown, and it’s not “far” from where I’ve been living in the Bay Area, but with traffic adding to the drive time, sometimes it’s nice to just make a visit a staycation! My boys had been asking to visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, so I decided to book a hotel in the South Bay (Silicon Valley) and make it a fun weekend.
Our first stop was the Santa Clara Marriott. We had a great room (at a great rate) overlooking the pool and we stayed in a newly renovated room. It certainly had the resort feel and there were several places to eat/shop nearby, as well as on property. The location was also desirable since it’s just off 2 major freeways and a block away from our other staycation destination, California’s Great America!
I did think it was a bit ambitious to do 2 theme parks back to back, but I decided we should just go for it! We checked into our hotel on a Friday afternoon and after a Saturday morning swim, we headed out through the Santa Cruz Mountains to hit the boardwalk.
I have fond memories of visiting the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk as a child, and I love that so much of it is still the same. Parking was a little crazy, so once we did a loop along the main strip, we fortunately found street parking in a nearby residential neighborhood and walked the 8 blocks to get to the attractions.
You can purchase tickets for the rides or get an all day unlimited wristband. We had wristbands and were able to enjoy several rides. A couple of my favorites and Santa Cruz staples are the Giant Dipper and the Haunted Mansion! I was excited to experience both with my family and we had a great day there. The best part, twisted soft serve ice cream cones.
The next day was Sunday and we woke up bright and early for a day of fun at California’s Great America. Since we have been there many times before, we decided to spend the first part of our visit at Boomerang Bay – the water park inside Great America, and I’m so glad we did!!
Boomerang Bay is included in the regular price of admission, but once you step into this part of the park, it’s a whole new experience! The waterpark has slides, a lazy river, wave pool, lagoon and lots of areas to soak in the sun and relax. Plus, there are cabanas you can reserve too!
After some water play and too many Dippin’ Dots, the boys decided they wanted to hit the rest of the park and get on the rides. It was a perfect balance for my kids, the lines weren’t too long and they got to do some of them multiple times. My younger son actually rode the Gold Stryker 2 times by himself…mind you, he barely cleared the 48″ height requirement!
All in all, it was a fun filled weekend, perfect for our crew. We enjoyed being on “vacation” and we weren’t too far from home. I can’t wait until the next time we do it all again!
A volunteer is defined as, “a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.” This past year I took on a regular volunteer role at my children’s school and my eyes have been opened to not only how important school volunteers are, but “how to” volunteer the right way.
I know there are some stereotypes that are associated with being a school volunteer, especially when it comes to being part of the PTA aka Parent Teacher Association. The thing is, being a school volunteer is a wonderful way to be more active in your child’s life an education, as well as a way for you to share your time and talents with others. These days, we are all stretched on time, but even if you can’t physically be at the school during school hours, there are other ways to get involved and lend a helping hand, and school community’s is always open to volunteers!
For me, being part of the PTA, as well as finding time to volunteer in the classroom has been a wonderful experience. I have gotten the opportunity to know other like-minded parents in the school community and I’m always in the loop with school events and happenings. My children enjoy having me around (for now), and they look forward to participating in all the activities going on, as well as making more school friends outside of their respective classrooms.
This year I had some challenges in the classroom of my younger child, and being an active parent who is regularly volunteering on campus held some weight when I was falsely accused of being a “liar” and using racially charged language. A lot can be said for building relationships and knowing who to talk to when unfortunate situations can occur, and in my case the credibility and “reputation” I had built as a volunteer, made a difference.
Here are some volunteer DO’s and DON’Ts….
DO make sure you are properly registered as a volunteer with the school office and district. This may include live scan (fingerprinting) and a background check. Yes, it may seem like a chore, but at the end of the day it is for the safety and security of the kids.
DO offer to pitch in and help when you can! Share your special talents, everything from designing school flyers, updating a website, selling raffle tickets or joining a planning committee. In the classroom you can read a book to the kids, cut paper, organize items, open snack packages at lunch, chaperone field trips, etc…
DO show respect and compassion for everyone on campus. We are all there with a common goal, and that’s ensuring that every child is having a good experience, because when that happens, you know your child is in a good place!
DON’T over volunteer. I say this with the utmost respect, and more so in regard to time spent in the classroom with kids. I’d say a good average for volunteer time in a class is once a week, 2 hours at a time.
DON’T use your volunteer time as “social” hour. Be mindful of your behavior on a school campus, (I believe) parents should hold themselves accountable to the same standards as the children in regard to acceptance, respect, bullying and safety. Remember, the kids look up to the “grown-ups” in the room..and they are always watching!
DON’T be a flake. Yes, volunteering is free and things do come up, but if you sign up for something, you’ve gotta come through and be reliable. If your circumstance changes and you are no longer able/available to help out, be sure to communicate with those in charge.
This year I did have an issue with a parent “volunteer” in my son’s class and I finally had to speak up when things just seemed way too “off,” and I’m glad I did. In a nutshell, said parent was volunteering 5+ hours a day in the class “volunteering,” come to find out this parent had not followed through on the proper background check protocol for being in the classroom 20+ hours a week, was tripping children and throwing objects (i.e. crayons) at the kids as a form of “play,” and was having rather personal conversations with students like my son about his race and ethnicity. This parent became so comfortable in the class, that he brought cupcakes to celebrate his own birthday. He was constantly giving the children gifts including money, key chains, cookies, cakes, etc… to the point where my radar was about to explode! On top of all of this, I believe he was misrepresenting himself as a “licensed” professional, however I could find no evidence of said license.
All this to say, volunteering at school is an awesome way to pitch in and show your child you want to be involved in their “world!” It certainly is a positive thing and warmly welcomed, but don’t be a creep. We always hear about school budget cuts and the state of education, and this is a way you can make a difference. Volunteers make schools stronger and better, but just make sure you’re there for the right reasons and are ready to work!
We are FANS. CC Sabathia held a baseball camp for kids last month in his hometown Vallejo through his PitCCh In Foundation, and it was nothing short of an amazing experience for my son. I literally stumbled upon the opportunity while browsing Facebook one night as I was trying to get myself to fall asleep, and when I saw that it was a FREE one-day camp with an MLB pro, I registered right then and there, with one eye open! And, it’s a good thing I did, because the open spots went fast.
My little slugger.
Anyway, since it was our first “pro” camp, I didn’t want to put too high of an expectation. My main goal was giving him a new experience with a pro and overall hoping he had a great time! A company called ProCamps ran the events, and from the time we checked into when we left, it was all smiles.
I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t grow up being the biggest baseball fan, so I wasn’t too familiar with CC, other than I knew he was a big name pitcher on a hugely popular team, the New York Yankees. Both of my boys have taken up the sport through little league, so I was really excited for my older son to participate. There was a little bit of envy, as I only signed up my older son (it said grades 1-8 to register), and my little man had to sit this one out.
At the start of camp, the kids break out in small groups by age, then they do all sorts of drills with hands-on instruction, they bring the kids in for group talks with CC and staff, then more baseball skills stations, speed contests, and scrimmages too.
As far as the skill level of the kids attending, they had kids who play travel ball to some who may’ve gotten their first taste of playing organized baseball that day. In our case, I really loved the focus and effort my 6-year old put in during the event. Regardless, they kept all the kids engaged from start to finish in a high-energy, fun, and positive environment.
Plus, CC took a “team” photo with all the kids, they received a camp shirt to keep, plus an autographed photo cards and free pizza!! Thank you so much to CC Sabathia’s PitCCh In Foundation and his family for hosting such an amazing community event. So far in 2019, it has been the top highlight of my son’s year. It’s super awesome that this initial experience of pro camp was so organized, fun and memorable. We are FANS.
Now that the school year is winding down, I’m starting to reflect on some of the challenges that came my way this year in my son’s Kindergarten class. Grade school (elementary) is a key time when kids start developing their view of the world outside of the home. They are exposed to a new environment, filled with fellow students, teachers and other grown-ups who all have unique stories and come from different backgrounds. Hopefully by the time your child enters a school environment, they’ve already been exposed to various images, cultures, ethnicities, etc… but in school, is when they really get to know and understand the differences (and similarities), that make us all wonderful and unique…and our words matter.
So where is the challenge in this? Well, while I think it’s great for kids to learn about their own background and that of the others surrounding them at school and in our communities, I also feel strongly that it is our right and duty as parents to determine how and when we want to educate and inform our own children about their ancestry and identities. And, that is the “challenge” I encountered this school year.
I actually plan to write a series of posts exploring the several challenges I faced this year in my son’s class. As I look back on the school year, I realize that overall the scope of this “situation” was certainly an exception and not the norm, but I’m also sure I’m not the only one who’s ever faced this issue, so I want to share my experience. You know the saying, “if you see something, say something,” and seriously, when it comes to the safety and well-being of our kids, and something seems out of place or makes you uncomfortable, speak up. Chances are you aren’t the only person who feels that way, and it’s not okay for parents to act inappropriately, especially in a school setting.
On to my story. The first interaction I had with this parent in my son’s class, was about a month into the school year, when this parent approached me to say he told my child what “he is.” The parent proceeded to explain to me he told my son he is a “Pinoy,” and that my son didn’t know what that is. Well, I was certainly taken aback by the comfort level of this parent and the red flags popped up, but I responded by telling this dad that my children are mixed, and they know they are half Filipino. I told him that while the term “pinoy” isn’t derogatory, it’s not one I use, so how would my child know what he was talking about. Beyond that, I explained that right now, at 5-years old, I’m more concerned with my child learning to read and write, than pointing out ethnic differences in people. Think about this… an adult approached my 5-year old child, without ever having spoken to me or my son’s father, to tell him “what” he is.
This initial interaction totally rubbed me the wrong way. First of all, how would this person even know my ethnicity without ever having a conversation with me about it, and why would he think it’s okay to address my son about it. I’ll admit I am hyper-sensitive to comments about race and culture, because often times, people can be straight up offending when inquiring about it. Also, I felt pretty violated that this person had access to my kid and talk to my kid about his race based on assumptions. I feel ethnicity/ancestry is an area where each parent should have their own prerogative and control on how they want to introduce the concepts to their children.
To make matters worse, this parent did not stop his “ignorance” in this conversation or with other comments made in the classroom. I guess this person felt that because he works with many Filipina “Pinays,” he knows all about the culture…because that’s what he told me. I really just tried to brush it off and made a mental note that I didn’t need to further interact with this dad. However, as the weeks went on, this parent continued to make “well-intentioned” racially insensitive comments to other parents in the classroom setting – while volunteering, even going so far as to point out parents who spoke with or without accents. Of course, I couldn’t stay quiet and told him he sounded racist and you just don’t say things like that. He attempted to apologize and I responded by saying, it’s not just about me being offended, but when you make those types of comments people are going to feel a certain way.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the end of the story with the crisis I was about to face in that classroom, more on that later. However, getting back to the theme of this post, I want to say that I hope as parents we can all respect each other’s cultures and backgrounds. I hope we can all teach and learn to celebrate differences, but not overstep boundaries in the process. Honestly, when they are just entering school, they probably notice the different hair and eye colors, range of skin shades and maybe even the various languages among their peers, but it isn’t until we start to point out and teach the differences, that they would even think too much about it. For the most part, until these concepts are introduced, my kids just accept that we all come in different shapes, colors and sizes…but at the end of the day, we are all the same.
I received tickets to attend this event in exchange for this review.
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA for Monster Jam
The boys and I had our very first Monster Jam experience over the weekend in Santa Clara at Levi’s Stadium. Our outing was an exhilarating, adrenaline-filled rush, and we even got to get up close with these larger than life vehicles. Plus, the boys had the opportunity to meet the driver’s and get autograph’s too!
Monster Jam Pit Party – Devastator
We arrived at the stadium a few hours before the show started for the Pit Party – it’s a separate ticket than admission to Monster Jam (but you must also have show ticket to get in), and it was very cool to have the opportunity to get up close to the vehicles.
Stone Crusher driver, Steve Sims – Monster Jam
The boys were super excited to meet the driver’s ask questions and take photos during the Pit Party! My favorite questions they asked the driver’s were, “How do you get in there?” also, “Is it comfortable?” LOL!
Meeting monster truck driver’s for Big Kahuna, Bad Company and Hooked. Also posing with the Monster Mutt Dalmation.
After we made the rounds in the Pit Party, it was time for the show. I did bring ear plugs for the event. These monster trucks make a lot of noise and depending on your hearing sensitivity, it’s a good idea to have a few on hand. Also, I think the younger kids would definitely need noise canceling headphones to comfortably enjoy the show.
Monster Jam, Levis’ Stadium in Santa Clara, CA – April 13, 2019
We were lucky enough to have seats in the lower bowl, so not only was it loud, it was pretty dusty. Since it was our first show, there was a lot to learn. Not only is it super entertaining and fun, but these trucks are actually competing and earning points in different categories in order to compete in the World Finals.
Grave Digger was certainly a crowd favorite, my favorite event to watch was the riding on 2-wheel competition. All in all, it was a fun night out with the boys, and we’ll definitely be back!
This year my kids were given an entire week off from school in February, and in anticipation of the time off, I booked a timeshare in San Jose del Cabo. It was the first time we were traveling out of the country as a family of 4, and exciting to get our passports stamped together. The last time (and only) I had visited Cabo prior to this trip was for a friend’s wedding many year ago, I was single then and my idea of a Mexican vacation was a little different! So, with 2 kids in tow I was hoping for family fun. Overall, it was a great vacation, we spent most of the time hanging out by the pool at our resort (Coral Baja) and really just relaxed!
My poolside view at Worldmark Coral Baja looking at our timeshare unit while the kids play in the pool.
At any rate, I wanted to share some tips and ideas of how to prepare and what to do when you go on vacation with the kids in Cabo!
Deplaning right onto the tarmac
Passport – Every person traveling outside of the U.S. needs their own (valid) passport. It doesn’t matter if you are 0 or 100, each person needs a passport…and I believe it also needs to be valid for at least 6 months past your travel date. If you do not have passports yet, you need to apply for them as soon as you start planning your vacation! And — for the children’s passport, both parents and/or guardians, and the child need to be present when turning in the application. Give yourself at least a month to get it done.
Transportation – I knew we weren’t going to do much exploring on our own, so renting a car was not part of our trip. I highly recommend you set up private/shuttle transport from the airport to your hotel/lodging. Do this at least 2 weeks ahead of your arrival. Fortunately, our resort works directly with the TransLife Cabo shuttle service, so once we landed we walked past all the sales people inside the airport, to the shuttle area outside and we’re taken directly to our accommodations. The Los Cabos airport to our Worldmark unit was pretty quick, less than 20 minutes!
Refreshing kiddie cocktails form the swim up bar.
Snacks – I debated about using a local Cabo grocery delivery service or to pack some of our own food and snacks from home for this trip. When you have 2 kids, especially my boys…they always want to snack! I opted to just pack some of my own stuff (crackers, chips, popcorn, cookies, etc… ), and had no trouble at all getting through customs. We also shopped for additional items at markets new our resort. There are plenty of places, including a Costco and Wal-Mart in Cabo, if you prefer to shop once you land. Actually, I would’ve used a grocery delivery service if our stay had been a little longer, just be sure to plan ahead! Other than that we ate at the on-site restaurant, except for one or two meals.
Raef meets Baby Henry the dolphin
Excursions – I’ll admit it, we sat through a timeshare presentation to take advantage of the vouchers they offered to do an activity. We were originally supposed to go on a snorkel boat, but due to the high winds it got canceled and we instead opted for a Dolphin Encounter, which ended up being AMAZING! There are a few places to do an encounter in Los Cabos, and we went to Dolphin Discovery. It was probably one of the best things my kids have ever done. You’re able to get in the water with the dolphins in the actual sea, not a pool. And, lucky for us on this activity you also got up close and personal with a Camel and Sea Lion!
Up close smooches with a Sea LionShells we found on the beach
Beach – Our resort sat right on the beach, lots of sand and rough surf (not safe for swimming), but that also makes for plenty of sea shells. Taking the kids out for a stroll on the sand and giving them the task of looking for shells is a great way to keep them busy.
Catching some air on the way into the pool
Pool – The majority of our trip was spent pool side, which was totally fine by me. As always, I pack a few pool toys like these dive rings, plus their goggles, and my boys will swim all day! We also took advantage of the poolside amenities, like ceramics, bingo, volleyball and ping pong.
Friendly game of ping pong
BTW… I never exchanged any of my dollars for pesos. We were able to open a “tab” at the timeshare, so they just charged my credit card at the end. The few occasions where I did need cash, dollars were fine.
Raef painted a ceramic sugar skull by the pool…
All in all it turned out to be the perfect February getaway. The kids have already expressed a desire to go back..they are also concerned that they will miss the dolphin, Henry, that they got to know so well. If you’re thinking about a Mexican vacay with kids, do it…it is so much fun!
