Rookie Moms

Karen Solomon, author of The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to San Francisco, used to work with Whitney years ago when the Internet was fresh and before they were both mamas (when I still lived across the Bay in San Francisco and dated all the wrong guys *sigh*).

If you’re coming to BlogHer with children next week, we hope you enjoy Karen’s suggestions!

These days Karen shares with us Seven CHEAP Things To Do With Kids in San Francisco (many of them approved by Baby Emmett):

Sunday: Whip Cracking and Juggling Classes at Circus Center
Crack that whip. Juggle that ball. Ladies, gentlemen, and children of all ages are welcome not just to watch the circus arts at this full-time school offering a myriad of classes, but also to participate and learn a few tricks. And Sunday evenings, real circus knowledge can be yours for the price of a bag of peanuts. At 6:00pm, anyone is welcome to get their whip cracking skills cracking, and at 7:00, an additional four dollars buys three hours of juggling instruction. Drop-ins are welcome. You may not fly through the air with the greatest of ease, but hey, it’s better than being shot out of a cannon…

755 Frederick St., SF
(415) 759-8123
Sundays, 6:00 and 7:00pm
$4 per class ($8 for both)
info@circuscenter.org

Monday: A Yerba Buena Gardens blowout
Spend a day in penny-pinching splendor in SF’s multifaceted Yerba Buena Gardens area. Picnic or relax on the lawn between YB and the Metreon, making sure to check out the Martin Luther King, Jr. waterfall. A brief stint in the Metreon – the City’s own failed mall-of-the-future, will yield free video games in the Sony Playstation store. If you can pry the kids away, there’s an excellent playground on the rooftop of Yerba Buena – with a nearby ice skating rink and bowling alley if you’re up to a splurge. If not, the $3 antique carousel in front of Zeum is an equally entertaining tryst.

Centered around Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Mission between 3rd and 4th, SF
(415) 978.2700
Mostly free

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All my in-laws live in Washington DC now. They went from being spread out in NYC and Boston to congregating in one city. If I can survive the travel, I’ll test drive this fun sounding week of activities in our nation’s capitol.

Local DC Mamas, do these sound like fun to you? Let us know what’s missing!

This week of action came to us courtesy of Ciao Bambino, a global guide to family-friendly vacation properties (editorial and community reviews for awesome destinations worldwide with cute symbols to indicate baby- and toddler-friendliness).

Monday: It’s monumental
You can’t possibly be in Washington D.C. and not visit the national monuments. But instead of fooling yourself into thinking you’ll pop in and out of all the major landmarks along the National Mall without breaking a sweat, be forewarned that they’re spread so far apart that you’d be better off blending the monuments in as part of a day of fitness. Pack your baby up in a jogging stroller and go for a nice run/walk from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial.

Take a break in the center at the Washington Monument, where the flags will mesmerize your bambino and he can get in plenty of tummy/crawling/wandering-around time while you lick a strawberry shortcake bar from the corner ice cream man. (That’s about the only food you’ll find at the National Mall.)


[picture your baby here]

Tuesday: Get to know George
Georgetown’s vibe is a bit more college than mama, but that’s why you’ll like it. It’s always hoppin’ and there’s plenty of shoppin’ to do with a baby in tow. Clothing shops rule the roost, so come on a day when your body confidence is at a peak. Stop off for lunch at Clyde’s of Georgetown, where they make a mean crab cake and give out cute plastic cars to little ones. Save room for an ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s.

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These ten-month olds (Theo, Del, Julian and Paxton) are having so much fun slurping on plastic toys and touching one another’s toes that they don’t realize their moms are having fun too.

1. Shady backyard on a nice, warm day
2. Kiddie Pool with a couple inches of water
3. Mom-sized lawn chairs with toes dipping in the water
4. Plastic pitcher of margaritas
5. Plastic cups
6. Splashing babies (diapers optional) — keep them in the shade or slather heavily with sunscreen before the party starts!
7. Daddies available to pick up mommy and baby afterward

This was suggested by my hairdresser as an awesome way to enjoy the summer!

I’m not really so much of a treehugger myself. I’m all for the values associated with it, I just don’t like being cold or wet, so my hiking adventures are limited to sunny days. But not too sunny, because I don’t want us to get burned.

Hiking is such a great thing to do as a family, though. Going for a hike takes you away from the house, the chores, the tv and computer. Babies usually are soothed by the light and air. Preschoolers are intrigued by every stick and leaf on the ground. Compared to Heather’s family who is on a car fast this month, mine hardly remembered it was Earth Day. Something to improve on for next year, I suppose.

Another pair of Bay Area moms just let me know about their blog, Tree Huggers In Training, on which they review local trails (both paved and off-road) from a new mom perspective, paying close attention to trail conditions, weather conditions, and general “Goodness, how would I do this with a baby?” conditions. Dana and Beth hope that new (and expert) moms, as well as dads, use the site as a resource to get out and enjoy all walks and hikes that the area has to offer.

They encourage us to take the Treehuggers In Training Oath, centered around three “B”s: beverages, blankets and bumcover disposal methods:

1. I promise to pack beverages - Milk for me (in whatever form I prefer) and water for mom
2. I promise to never leave the house with out the blanket- on which to sit, with which to cover, and to share
3. I promise to be responsible with my bumcover- Tree Huggers always pack out what they packed in. A ziploc is your friend.

Help the TreeHuggers build their reviews of outdoor excursions by taking one yourself and then sending them a write up. Send them a note at reviews AT treehuggersintraining DOT com. Even if Dana or Beth have already reviewed a hike or a piece of gear, they welcome all other first-hand experiences.