Why should you head all the way up to Park City Mountain Resort? Well, aside from all the great snow and incredible vistas from the top of the mountain, it’s a wonderful destination for a few days of family fun. I’m smiling just thinking about our recent trip.

We arrived in the evening and to check into our condo at the Silver Star properties. The word condo usually evokes a picture of a small apartment with a few upgrades. The townhome we stayed in was huge and gorgeous. With a large kitchen, three roomy bedrooms, and a jacuzzi bathtub, it was all we could ever do to actually leave to go skiing. It was the perfect place to unwind after a day on the slopes. Free wi-fi was included, so I could catch up on my blog reading, email, and writing. There were flatscreens in every room, so the kids were free to watch a little of their shows while we caught up on news.

We discovered The Eating Establishment just across the road from the townhome. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner that was very easy on the wallet and had great ambiance. Although the shuttle was available to drop off and pick up to any local restaurant, we decided to take our own car.

Yes, we drove up… all the way from San Diego! And you know what? It wasn’t that bad! When good snow happens and you get the itch to go, you may not always have enough time or money to schedule a last minute flight into a resort town. With enough planning, however, flying or driving in to Park City is a snap. Park City is the closest resort to a major airport (Salt Lake City) and is easy to get into throughout the year. Driving in is a lovely treat. Canyons and streams greet you at every turn as you wind up the mountain.

The next two days, while my husband and I were hitting the slopes, our kids were getting one-on-one instruction on skiing and snowboarding through the Kids Signature program. We didn’t sign up for individual lessons, but because the season was tapering off, we got lucky! The staff that was working with them was awesome! They had big friendly smiles and loads of patience. When they weren’t learning how to turn, stop, and get back up from falls, they were treated to lunch and crafts in the game area.

Meanwhile, as I mentioned, mom and dad were getting some skiing in. It was easy to enjoy our time on the slopes knowing that our kids were being well taken care of. But just in case, we thought we’d watch them from the deck of one of the many restaurants on the mountain. While we ate, we saw for our very own eyes that, yes, the kids were having a great time. At the end of their class day (3:00pm) we picked them up and chatted a bit with their instructors. They explained to us what the kids had learned and noted on their cards what had been mastered in that day’s lesson. The cards were a record for us to show any future instructors what had been achieved.

When we were ready to head back to our Silver Star townhome, we called for our shuttle. The shuttle transported us back and forth from the residence to the base of the mountain free of charge every day. (We tipped our driver a few dollars on each trip as a thank you for their help in loading and unloading all of our equipment.)

We had an amazing time and are already planning to go back up to enjoy Park City Mountain Resort in the summer. But first… there’s still a little bit of spring skiing to be enjoyed.

So what are you waiting for?

San Diegans will be joining attendees in 15 cities across the USA, Canada, and Australia to help raise funds and awareness for poor, rural women entrepreneurs in Kenya by helping them empower themselves through enhanced accessibility to sustainable financial services, business opportunities and skills training.

Kick off the night with a refreshing, signature 12for12k-tini shaken exclusively by Hard Rock bartenders just for SD Tweetup attendees; 100 percent of the profits will go toward this great cause. Attendees will also have the chance to win amazing gifts and prizes through a silent raffle that will going on all night.  And if you haven’t partied enough when the clock strikes 10 p.m., stay a little longer for the Hard Rock Hotel’s exclusive White Party.

MomItForward is an online network of women and mother that aims to strengthen women by helping them become the best moms they can be, while making it fun and sociable to give back. Focused on the concept of Moms Helping Moms, MomItForward aims to empower women of Kenya in supporting their families through its partnerships with 12for12k for the month of April.

Coordinating the efforts locally are Rachel Kay Public Relations (RKPR), Rob Marlborough of Web Wizards, and San Diego Mommy Spot contributor, Sugar Jones of SugarJones.TV

To RSVP, please go to our MeetUp page.

If you or your company would like to donate to the evening’s event, please contact Sugar at sugar@sugarjones.tv

The brainchild of social media/PR guru, Danny Brown, The 12for12k Challenge is a combination of social media and fundraising that aims to change the lives of millions worldwide. The concept is simple: for every month in 2009 one charity is chosen; 1,200 people join the 12for 12k cause and donate $10 each month, raising $12,000 per charity and $144,000 by December 31, 2009.

Our family does a lot together. Wherever we go… there we all are! We also make a point to do special things, one-on-one. My husband and I try to get out alone on a date once a week. Because of our hectic schedules, we take the time to sit together over a meal or coffee to reconnect.

The same is true for my kids.

I don’t have to read any signs. They usually come up and let me know. One day last week, my daughter came up to me with a sweet look on her face, and in her softest voice, asked if we could have some Mother/Daughter time. How could I say no? So that afternoon, we headed out to Cafe & Latte in Vista.

If you’re not familiar with it, Cafe & Lattes is a great little studio that offers do-it-yourself clay painting projects as well as classes in mosaics and glass. And as the name suggests, they offer coffee drinks. (Their menu is limited, so if you want a Grande Breve Vanilla Latte with whipped cream, you may want to bring that from Starbucks at the other end of the line of shops.) They even have a special area for parties. Guests of honor are given a beautifully painted chair as their “throne” for the day.

Choosing our project is always the hardest part. Scratch that… deciding on colors can be awfully time consuming as well.

But once you have your materials and sit down to create, you begin to relax and time just goes by. It’s a great way to enjoy an afternoon and have some creative girl time.

You can find Clay & Lattes in San Diego at:

• 10175 Rancho Carmel Dr, San Diego, CA 92128; 858-487-9293
• 20 Main St., Vista, CA 92083; 760-726-9293

First rule of teaching kids in or out of the classroom is to make sure they are fed!

We started our day off at The Coyote Cafe. Typically, there is a line wrapped around the block to this place. On a Friday early afternoon, we were seated within minutes of arriving. We sat in the center patio and were treated to roving guitarists who serenaded our table with a ballad, Mil Amores. My daughter had a plain quesadilla and my son had the chicken taco served with beans. That taco, ordered from the children’s menu would’ve satisfied my appetite! But I was busy enjoying my Chicken Flautas in Cilantro Tortillas. They were deee-lish! The service was great, to boot; very friendly and efficient. Our kind waitress told us that the candy store next to our patio table gives kids two pieces of candies if they show their colored menu at the register. Right after lunch, we headed over to get our treats. While I was choosing between rocky road and maple walnut fudge, the kids were deciding between all the mountains of salt water taffy barely contained in the rows of barrels. It was tough, but they finally made their decisions. Me, on the other hand? I couldn’t choose… I still can’t tell you which I enjoyed more; the rocky road fudge or the maple walnut.

With tummies sufficiently filled, we moved on to take a walk around historical Old Town. We walked to the next corner to The Whaley House. In the early days of California, the Whaley House served as the cultural and judicial center of San Diego. It has served as a theater, a courthouse, and school. There is a minimal fee to walk inside the structure, but walking along the porch, you are able to peek through windows and see rooms as they once were. Strolling the grounds, it was hard to believe we were just blocks away from the 5 freeway. We came upon the old Derby house where Lt. George H. Derby lived for a short time. Who was Mr. Derby? Well, aside from being a humorist, he was the engineer that made San Diego Harbor navigable.

We took the long way to the car and found ourselves in front of a hacienda door with a sign that said Free Entrance. Naturally, we entered! Inside the walls of the La Casa de Estudillo, we found a charming garden surrounded by a U-shaped Spanish style home. Walking on the brick paths through open-air corridors, we were able to poke our heads into rooms that took us back over 150 years. The only thing that reminded me that we were in the 21st century were the sprinkler heads poking up through the soil in the vegetable garden.

Outside of the east wall, we found the garage… Stealy Stables. Inside the stable were all manner of horse drawn transportation. When my daughter saw the Wells Fargo carriage, she got really excited. All of a sudden, history was real! Throughout the museum, we could see how people came to California and the roads they traveled to get here.

It was a great afternoon, but eventually we had to get on the road back to our home.

Whether you homeschool or not, these local gems are a fun way to share the history of our state with your children. You don’t have to tell them that they’re learning!

**Don’t miss our Milkshake Music giveaway!**

What a week for discovering fun in San Diego!

PlayWerx Works For Us!

Don’t you hate it when you bag an afternoon of snacks, lather on the sunscreen and pack up the chairs for the park just to hear your kids tell you they’re bored no less than five minutes after arriving?

I doubt my kids will EVER tell me they’re bored at Playwerx!

playwerx works for us!

When I first walked into the warehouse-turned-cafe/playground, I was amazed at how clean and well lit the place was. My kids made a bee line for the play structure while I walked over to the cafe to order lunch. FoodWerx offers quite a menu, including a healthy organic selection. They make great coffee drinks, too! The large structure holds endless surprises for kids. There are trampolines, super slippery slides, tunnels, a rubber band bridge, a couple of bouncy swings, and of course, the plastic ball pit. Parents have plenty of lounge space to relax and read the magazines available or take advantage of the free wi-fi to catch up on emails and blog reading.

After being there for two and a half hours without hearing “I’m bored,” I think I was more sad to go than the kids. I know we’re already planning on going this week, for more fun.

• Admission is $10 for ages 4 and up.
• Don’t forget to bring your socks!
• http://playwerx.com

Free Spirit at Carnavale

The Little Italy Association held it’s 6th annual Carnavale, a century-old Venetian Ball featuring various vignettes of entertainment, costumes, masks, and live music. The crowd favorites seemed to be the stilt walkers towering over us along the streets. While my kids thought they were pretty neat, the big hit for them was Free Spirit the clown.

Free Spirit made the most amazing balloon hats! She had jester hats, flower hats, spider hats, tornado hats… all kinds of cool creations. My kids chose the flower and tornado. I have them on a shelf displayed as art right now:

Tadah!!

If you’d like to get some twirly whirly balloon hats while you shop, you can find Free Spirit at local Henry’s throughout San Diego. Her next two dates are in North County:

• Saturday, February 28th – Henry’s Escondido 3:00-7:00pm
• Sunday, March 1 – Henry’s Carlsbad (by Stagecoach Park) 3-7:00pm

Free Spirit is definitely available for parties! Kids parties, company picnics, carnivals, and fairs. You can reach her at 858/270-8908.

Fitness and Fun

In looking for a sport/activity that wouldn’t mean I had to be a taxi mom lugging loads of special equipment or have to give up all my Saturdays, I came across a jiu jitsu instructor who just happens to be awesome with kids!

Paulo Fernando has been training since he was five years old. He was the last person to be promoted by Carlson Gracie. The pictures of his promotion are hung proudly on his wall alongside pictures of his son, Tomas, who is following in his father’s footsteps at the age of five.

Classes for kids include a wide age range with older students sometimes assisting in the training of the newer ones. Most of the time, however, Paulo takes the newbies aside and gives them instruction making them laugh while teaching them strength and defense moves. They have fun and enjoy the classes, but they also know he’s boss. When he barks out an instruction, the students all listen.

not so furious five-year olds

After our trying out the first class for free and seeing how Paulo worked with my kids, I decided that this was a great place to have them come to stay fit, learn, and have fun. Plus, did I mention they have really comfy couches in the viewing area for parents to relax and read? San Diego Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has two locations:

• San Marcos -760/752-1445
• Mira Mesa – 858/245-2107

For more information, go to www.sdbjj.com and tell Paulo that Sugar sent you!

See you next week!