where parenting meets fun in the sun

Valentine’s Day is almost here! Below are a list of links from around the web that feature fun crafts, activities, and recipes to do with your kids:

Muffin Tin Mom (photo credit above):  Make this painted clay heart necklace that is sure to inspire a “spirit of love” this Valentine’s Day

Between The Lines: Create a beautiful and delicate 3D Paper heart garland. 

My Paper Crane: Create Simple Wooden Heart Valentine

Family Fun: Nothing says “I Dig You” more than a shovel full of candy!

Ramblings of A Crazy Woman: Check out these super cute Valentine’s card holder made from a cereal box!!

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It’s not every day that this San Diego mommy gets a chance to spend a night being pampered. I knew, as I drove up to the Porto Vista Hotel, located in the Little Italy district of downtown San Diego, I was in for a real treat.

Local San Diego moms were able to mix, mingle, and relax amidst hair stylists, make up artists, a photographer, and a bevy of pamper-yourself-products that made for a stand out evening.

• E.L.F. (Eyes, Lips, Face) Cosmetics “Make Up At Home” Kits were on hand for the make up artists from Timeless Salon and Day Spa
• Hair Stylists From Timeless Salon and Day Spa doted on the moms
• Meltology provided Heated Massage Stones and Heated Hand Wraps
• Local ladies from Passion Parties provided more intimate topics in a super secret location
• Stills By Hillwas on site to provide the dolled up beauties with budoir portrait sessions, if they so desired
• A projector played slumber party DVD favorites long into the night

You could come and go as you pleased, watch a movie, paint your nails, get your hair done, or just hang out with the girls. Sunday morning, the girls gathered for coffee, breakfast and awesome social media conversation at the Glass Door (the restaurant located inside Porto Vista).

All this for only $55.00 (That included a shared room at the Porto Vista, Valet Parking, Continental Breakfast and a killer E.L.F. Studio Brush Set and Lip Liner Duo).

Made up of mostly local San Diego Twittergals, this event was just what I needed – a chance to relax with the girls. The twitter hashtag for this event is #JammyJam.

Sad you missed out on all the fun? Don’t worry! There’s another event, same location, coming in the Summer! Keep updated through the #JammyJam hashtag on twitter or of course, San Diego Mommy Spot. I hear there’s nothing quite like the rooftop of the Porto Vista in the summertime.

Shout out to all the SD ladies in attendance: @SanDiegoMomma, @MilitaryFamof8, @JenBoydSD, @PickleSugarPlum, @SanctuaryMsg, @DrSha, @Ladybugsgrama

**Special thanks to all the super fantastic sponsors mentioned above and to Charity Lacey ( @VirtueIMC), our event hostess for putting together such a fabulous 12+ hours of fun!

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We recently took a trip to SEA LIFE Aquarium for Underwater Parks Day on January 16th, 2010. Underwater parks from all over the Southern California area brought local ecological conservation groups to do hands on demonstartions about the importance of keeping our water clean.

We were there, thanks to free tickets provided by SEA LIFE  to share with you what it was like. Have you been to SEA LIFE Carlsbad yet? It’s located adjacent to Legoland California and is the perfect compliment to the Lego theme park. SEA LIFE hold gallons and gallons of ocean awesomeness and is super kid friendly, complete with an aquarium tunnel where you can get a “fish eye” view of sharks, sting rays, and other ocean life.

To find out more about the SEALife Aquarium, including ticket prices, hours of operation and more visit the SEA LIFE Carlsbad website.

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This is a guest post by Bookalachi co-founder and friend of mine, Melissa Caddell.

You know when your kid hands you a book and asks, “Can I read this?” and you have no idea what the book is about? You flip through it, hoping to find an age-range or anything that will tell you if the content is right for your child.

Yeah, that’s where I was one day when my (then) 8 year-old came staggering toward me with a pile of books taller than she was—books I knew nothing about. Knowing how sensitive she is to some scary stuff, I just didn’t know if she should read them.  And she was reading them faster then I was.

I got online to find a resource for parents that would give me the scoop on children’s books. Not just a Cliff Notes description of the synopsis or a review, but one that would warn me that the Junie B. Jones books use the word “stupid” a lot. They’re really funny books, I just would’ve liked to have known that before I read them to my 4 year-old. Or that the content of many Young Adult books is pretty mature–sometimes shockingly so.  Even if you have a precocious reader, you may not want them reading Twilight at age 10, just sayin’.

Even after a lot of clicking, I couldn’t find a website that had parent reviews of children’s books that had the info I wanted.  I figured that other parents might be looking for the same info, and Bookalachi was born. Well, after many long nights, piles of toys/laundry/dishes ignored, trips to the library, and conversations with lots of parents.  And yay! for frozen pizza.

Oh, and I do have a special category of books that aren’t a good pick right before bedtime, since I am pro-sleep.

Bookalachi–pronounced just like it’s spelled: book-ah-LA-chee

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Melissa Caddell is the co-founder of Bookalachi.com. A writer who loves (quality) coffee, she has been known to hide in the closet to get work done. She lives in the Denver area with her daughters (ages 10, 7, and 3) and her husband, Casey. Click on over to melisscaddell.com

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This weekend, SEA LIFE™ Aquarium in Carlsbad will celebrate the second annual Underwater Parks Day. On the schedule are kid-friendly activities designed to raise awareness of soon-to-be designated “underwater parks” or Marine Protected Areas. Families will have a chance to create a personalized take-home habitat, add to the Happy Habitat Mural and visit a Kids’ Conservation Expo with hands-on exhibits to learn how their family can get involved in caring for our ocean locally. In celebration of Underwater Parks Day, SEA LIFE Aquarium is also offering an online coupon for free admission for two children with each paid adult.

Underwater Parks Day is an effort by Southern California aquariums and marine science centers to educate Southern Californians about Underwater Parks and to communicate that marine protected areas are a critical tool in replenishing the fish populations and restoring the health of our coastal waters.

Local ocean conservation organizations including Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation, Coastkeeper, I Love A Clean San Diego, Ocean Discovery Institute, San Diego Oceans Foundation and San Elijo State Beach will be taking part in the Underwater Parks Day event at SEA LIFE Aquarium, hosting information booths and other activities for families throughout the day.

Other Aquariums hosting Underwater Parks Day events include Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Ocean Institute in Dana Point, Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla, Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Ty Warner Sea Center, but SEA LIFE is the only one whose activities are focused on families with young children.

Underwater Parks Day at SEA LIFE Aquarium is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and all activities are included in the cost of Aquarium admission – $19 for adults, $15 for seniors and $12 for kids 3 to 12. To take advantage of the special Underwater Parks Day ticket offer, visit www.sealifeus.com/whatsnew to download and print the coupon.

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See Disney On Ice Presents Worlds of Fantasy  for only $11 a ticket, before it comes to San Diego!

Worlds of Fantasy is the new Disney on Ice spectaular that features The Little Mermaid, Tinkerbell, Cars, and The Lion King and all their friends!  You and your family will be able to see it before most of San Diego. There are performances happening right around the holidays in Los Angeles and Orange County. And what’s more, the folks at Mom Central and Disney on Ice are offering the readers of San Diego Mommy Spot an incredible discount of $44 for a family of 4! That’s $11 per ticket and more tickets are just $11 each! This special price is good for any Monday-Friday Matinee Show and $4 off for friday night and weekend shows. We are going up on December 22 to see the show in Anahiem. My daughter cannot stop talking about it and she is so excited to see her favorite Disney Princes: Ariel!

What’s more, free to all ticket holders, there is a pre-show exhibit of the gown that the princesses wear in each of their movies. You can gaze longingly at the sparkiling yellow gown from Beauty And The Beast or maybe Cinderalla’s wedding dress!

From Disney on Ice:

“Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy: Rev up for non-stop fun with four of your favorite Disney stories at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy.  Thrill to high-speed stunts as Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney/Pixar’s CARS race across the ice.  Dive into The Little Mermaid’s enchanting undersea kingdom and experience the ‘Circle of Life’ with The Lion King. Then enter into the magical world of Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell and all her fairy friends as they make their world premiere on ice!  From wheels to waves, Pride Lands to pixie dust, your family’s favorite Disney moments come to life at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy with dazzling skating, special effects and beloved characters certain to create a lifetime of memories.  Special Bonus! Disney Princess Pre-Show: Arrive up to one hour early to tour our dazzling display of gorgeous gowns. Complimentary to all ticket holders.”

So how can you get this fabulous discount:

Simply log on to Ticketmaster.com to purchase your tickets for the dates listed below and enter the special code MOM at checkout. If the the code soes not work, then the code may be invalid for the discount.

These are the Dates and Locations Availble:

Anahiem:

December 22: 7:30pm
December 23: 1:00pm, 7:30pm
December 24: 1:00pm, 4:30pm
December 25: 4:30pm
December 26: 12:00pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
December 27: 12:00pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Los Angeles:
December 17: 7:30pm
December 18: 11:00am, 7:30pm
December 19: 12:00pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
December 20: 12:00pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Long Beach
January 6: 7:30pm
January 7: 7:30pm
January 8: 11:00am, 7:30pm
January 9: 12:00pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
January 10: 12:00pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Ontario

December 30: 7:30pm
December 31: 1:00pm, 4:30pm
January 1: 3:30pm, 7:30pm
January 2: 12:00pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
January 3: 11:00am, 3:00pm

So, what are you waiting for then? Head over to www.ticketmaster.com with the special code: MOM!!!

**Special thanks to Feld Entertainment and Mom Central with providing SDMS with tickets to see the show so Ican come back and share with you our experience.

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We have a winner!

The winner of the complete  Holiday Meal  from Golden Share Foods featuring a spiral cut ham is….

I believe that is Mommyof2girlz.

Please visit the Godlen Share site and choose a pickup location close to you and then email vistamommy(at)yahoo(dot)com your pick up location info.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway. I hope you have learned a little about this wonderful company and the incredible savings that they offer!

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Golden Share Foodsis a Food Co-operative Program whereby the company, on behalf of it’s co-op members, purchases a variety of high quality foods in bulk at a considerable discount and passes that savings onto the co-op. Food Co-op’s are wonderful way to save money in this downtrodden economy. GSF services primarily the San Diego area, but it’s pick up sites stretch as far as Irvine, San Clemente and Riverside County. And you don’t have to income qualify. They just want you to give back to the community in the form of some sort of community service. From the Golden Share Website:

“Southern California’s largest LOCAL Community Food Cooperative! SAVE up to 50% on your monthly food budget! This program welcomes everyone.”

Golden Share provides a series of food packages to it’s members. The Basics, The Pantry, Fruits and Veggies, and the Holiday Meal Package are just a few to choose from. You choose the package that best fits your needs, pay for the food ahead of time, and then pick it up at one of their many pick up locations on the designated day for that month. GSF posts menus each month on their website, so you can browse throughwhat comes in each package before you buy. My family was blessed with a Holiday Meal Package for Thanksgiving. The package is priced at $36 through the co-op (don’t even get me started on the full retail value).

Thanksgiving Holiday Meal Package Contents:

• 1 – 16 lb Turkey
• 1 bag of apples
• 1 bag white onions
• 1 pkg 12 rolls
• 1 box stuffing
• 1  – 1lb bag baby carrots
• 1 bunch celery
• 1 bunch of fresh broccoli
• 1 pumpkin pie
• 1 bag potatoes
• 1 bag sweet potatoes

That’s a lot of food! This year, I was able to contribute to my husband’s Grandmother’s traditional Thanksgiving Meal. She was so thrilled with the gift of this package and I was able to help her prepare the meal! Because our family is so large (there were 25 people there for the holiday), we had two turkeys. (Golden share gives you the option to add another turkey).

The package they provide is enough to feed 10-12 people.So we supplemented our package with extra sides and I turned the sweet potatoes into a delicious and buttery sweet potato casserole. We also ended up saving the broccoli and carrots for the weekend as an alternative food choice for those who were all “turkeyed out”.

Grammy and I in September.

So, here’s the wonderful news!

 Golden Sare Foods has graciously allowed for San Diego Mommy Spot to GIVE AWAY ONE DECEMBER HOLIDAY MEAL  to one lucky reader? Can you believe it? I am so excited to be offering this amazing giveaway!  It’s is valued at$36 (and way more if you paid retail).

Here’s are several ways to the giveaway, leave me a comment on this post for each entry:

• Leave a comment here telling me what your favorite holiday dish is.
• Tweet about this giveaway linking to it and hashtagging it with  #HolidayMeal or @GoldnShareFoods
• Post about this giveaway on your own blog, linking back to this post
• follow @GoldnShareFoods on twitter, leave a comment here that you did
• Follow @SanDiegoMommies on Twitter, leave me a comment here
• Subscribe to this blog’s feed via RSS or Google Friend Connect (leave me a comment that you did so)

Contest ends Sunday, December 6th 9pm.

You must be local to one of Golden Share’s many pick up locations to enter. Good Luck and I hope you win!

 **Disclosure: I recieved the Holiday Meal free from Golden Share in oreder to review the experience and report back to you, the readers.

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This weekend, Sugar Jones  (@SugarJones) and I had the opportunity to participate in a holiday inspired cooking class at the fabulous Dining Details in El Cajon, CA.  Through simple (yet, complex in taste) recipes, demonstration and a little class participation, Chef Julie guided us through a Thanksgiving Feast for eight!

On the menu for last Sunday’s cooking class:

• Citrus Brined Turkey with herb and mustard butter rub and cranberry glaze
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Grapes
• Winter Melange
• Fall Salad with Persimons, Apples, and Cranberry Vinagarette
• Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
• Is your mouth watering yet?

It was hard to pick a favorite dish. What I loved most is that it was a simple menu and I walked away inspired to try new things! Sugar put together a Whrrl Photo Story of our wonderful experience!

Dining Details is a company that specializes in personal chef services. They offer a wide variety of services and products. They even have a line of healthy organic baby food (Chickpeas) made from locally grown organic produce! Classes are $49 per person (a competitive rate compared to others around San Diego). Julie will be offereing two classes in December featuring another Holiday menu. Space is limited, so you best get on that phone and call today!

For More Info: Visit www.dining-details.com or call 619-447-4140

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