From the category archives:

Bay Area

We live in the Bay Area and also run 510 Families about current fun stuff to do in the East Bay with kids!

Activity #254: Go to brunch

December 8, 2009

Find a good time between baby’s naps and enjoy a brunch out with your partner or some friends. You want to find a place with wide enough aisles between tables that you can wheel a stroller or walk with a toddler, no fancy table cloths, and a changing table in the restroom. Ambient noise is [...]

Mom and Pop toy shops need our support

November 21, 2009

I’m not going to lie to you. My kids and I spent 90 minutes in Target yesterday, and all we bought was toilet paper and tissue. I went there because it was raining, I needed those two items, and I thought we could waste a good hour not touching the holiday decorations. And we did. [...]

We live in the Bay Area and also run 510 Families about current fun stuff to do in the East Bay with kids!

6 cute umbrellas for preschoolers

November 7, 2009

An umbrella is a terrific gift for a preschooler. My toddler loves to hold her own kid-sized umbrella, and it gives us something to do on a rainy day – go outside and stand there with an umbrella over our heads. I saw this rainbow umbrella for kids in a Museum catalog and thought it [...]

The one where I brag about 2500 diapers

October 30, 2009

At the beginning of September, I set out to rally my peeps for a diaper drive. I was inspired by Help A Mother Out and figured that between my children’s two schools, my family, neighbors, and friends, I would be able to generate a 1000-diaper donation for my nearby women’s drop-in center. They serve a [...]

We live in the Bay Area and also run 510 Families about current fun stuff to do in the East Bay with kids!

Prevent cheery from becoming cheesey in holiday family photos

October 27, 2009

San Francisco-based photographer Nancy Alcott is a rookie mom who is on a mission to save you from yourself when it comes to producing a photo appropriate for a holiday card. Her aesthetic is clean and modern. No holiday sweaters allowed. Here are Nancy’s tips: Dress them like kids, not elves. The holidays are festive [...]

Activity #168: Help a mother out

September 1, 2009

Did you know that government assistance programs like food stamps cannot be used for diapers? Also, food banks don’t stock diapers. This means that mothers without the means to pay for the supply of diapers their babies require may be using dirty diapers for more hours or reusing soiled diapers in order to make their [...]

We live in the Bay Area and also run 510 Families about current fun stuff to do in the East Bay with kids!

In the case of a failed nap, treat yourself kindly

August 29, 2009

My very smart friend Joanne actually used to report to me. Now she is both a mama and the sole proprietor of her own online store, PenelopePoet.com, and sells beautiful jewelry. (Click here to see my favorite item.) Joanne just emailed me her take on “how to cope when baby doesn’t nap.” There are days [...]

Recession-friendly family portraits

August 20, 2009

My former co-worker Erin is the rookie mom of Esme. She recently launched her business doing maternity, baby, child and family photography in the Bay Area. This is Erin’s toddler, Esme, as photographed by her mother. When she told me of her new venture as a professional photographer, I loved that she also gave me [...]

We live in the Bay Area and also run 510 Families about current fun stuff to do in the East Bay with kids!

Give longer life to your cutest kids shirts

August 10, 2009

When I saw Mike Adamick, local dad and writer, on an afternoon talk show talking about decorating cute shirts for his daughter, I thought it was unlikely I’d learn something new. I mean, I’ve already written about decorating onesies in just about every way I can think of. But behold, Mike taught me yet another [...]

Parents Nite Out: Dig’s Bistro is doing it right

August 6, 2009

After much anticipation — like more than a year’s worth — I finally got my family in to the Parents Nite Out at Dig’s Bistro in Berkeley. Every month on the first Monday, Dig’s Bistro (a local, seasonal, fresh, tasty, organic, foodie gem of a restaurant) opens its doors to the floodgates of parents needing [...]

We live in the Bay Area and also run 510 Families about current fun stuff to do in the East Bay with kids!

Take your baby to a grown-up restaurant

May 14, 2009

Whitney and I both love Picante. But sometimes you want to go to a place that feels a little more grown-up. There are fancy restaurants with linen tablecloths and eerie, romantic silence and there are groovy, funky, cool restaurants that make you feel like an adult again while being a sensory treat for your older [...]

What it feels like for a girl, um, I mean mommyblogger

April 24, 2009

So, last night, right around 10:10, I lost my karaoke virginity. Ever since Guitar Hero entered my house, I knew this day would come. Before Guitar Hero, however, I was confident that my phobia of public singing would last a lifetime. As I accepted the invitation from @Vdog to join a gaggle of bloggers for [...]

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