San Diego Mom - Carmel Valley/Del Mar

The Junior League of San Diego is hosting a FREE family event on March 28 from 10am-2pm called Kids in the Kitchen.  It is an interactive health and wellness fair at the Toby Wells YMCA in Kearny Mesa that includes local chefs demonstrating/sampling healthy foods, fitness stations for kids, and more. 

Check out more information here: http://www.jlsd.org/?nd=kids_in_the_kitchen

I’ve never been to one of these events, but they’ll have interactive booths sharing information about health-related topics, such as reading a nutrition label, healthy snack alternatives, and the importance of wearing sunscreen and drinking water.  All good things.  Check it out if you can!

 

I try to avoid the controversial, political and the like here. But, when I run across a book or resource that seems to provide information we don’t get in the mainstream press, I like to share it.

Of particular note, when I run across women who lived under islamic rule, who are willing to talk candidly about their experiences I appreciate the risk they take to do so and feel its worth sharing. 

Two books to check out:  

Nonie Darwish author of "Now They Call Me Infidel": Why I renounced Jihad for America, Israel and the War on Terror.

Brigitte Gabriel author of "Because They hate" written by a survivior of islamic terror  - http://www.americancongressfortruth.com/books.asp 

 

Someone sent me this link, and I don’t have any personal experience with her.  But, for people with serious clutter issues and no motivation.  This seems like a great option!

Just like the TV show, this woman will come to your house and work on your closets, organize toys and claims she’ll teach you methods to do these things on an on-going basis as well. 

She’s here in San Diego County - visit her web site at: http://www.theenglishorganizer.com

Let us know what you think if you give it a try! 

 

This is a salon I used a lot until recently.  I found the hairstylists to be well trained and sweet.  They were using primarily Aveda products but were recently purchased by a National Chain/Hotel - Carlton Hair so they are plugging some other products too now.

Located in Carmel Valley in the shopping Center on Del Mar Heights rd,  they are convenient if you live in the area.   But, pricey.  And, also, it can be tough to get appointments.  An annoyance for me as I don’t have a lot of flexibilty in my schedule.

Carlton Hair/Ecotique
Del Mar Highlands Town Ctr II
12925 El Camino Real Ste J5
San Diego, California 92130
(858) 794.8991

http://www.carltonhairinternational.com/ 

 

Off the beaten path for those of us up in North County, but too fun not to mention here, is Java Mama in La Mesa.  I hope some enterprising Mom in our area too will follow the link on the web site for licensing to open up a similar location nearby.  I have yet to make it to this spot, but I’m putting it on my list to do.

Java Mama offers a play area for little ones, organic baby food on the menu, and then a cafe complete with lattes, desserts and sandwiches.

Activities include Yoga (for family and/or Mom), music, art baby signs and more.  There is a supervised play area from 10-2 if you just want to relax and drink a cup of coffee or chat with a friend, make conference calls for work, etc. Free wifi makes this a no brainer.

Want to relax with your child in this setting, but enjoy an activity together?  Check out storytime in Spanish, dance parties, art brunches and more.  And, yes, they also do birthday parties.

http://www.javamama.com/ 

This spa contacted me and is offering a discount to San Diego Mom blog visitors.  I don’t have any personal experience using them so I can’t recommend them per se.  But, I figure you all can look at their services and determine if you want to try them out.

The spa is located in Encinitas.  Their address is: 609 S. Vulcan Ave #101 Encinitas, CA. 92024  and Ph. 760-634-7772

Visit the web site at: http://www.spaforone.com

The offer for San Diego Mom blog visitors is 10% discount off any facial or massage and they will include a rainforest foot soak & a infrared sauna treatment at no charge.  Just print this post or the page on San Diego Mom for promotions and bring it in with you to get the discount.

This Country Club offers tennis and for children offers camps and lessons for non-members.  Located in Solana Beach off of Lomas Santa Fe near San Dieguito Park we’ve taken swim lessons here for years and I really like the club.  Nice people, well managed.  I haven’t had personal experience with their tennis club, but still recommend you give it a try.

Call them at: 858-755-4090

It looks like their web site with information is for members only, so if you’re not a member you need to use the phone.  http://www.lomassantafecc.com/ 

The Athenaeum is a not for profit art library.  They offer a variety of programs including art instruction. 

I don’t have personal experience with this program, but their brochure and web site show wonderful classes for adults ranging from pen and ink drawing, life drawing with live models, oil pastel, watercolor, portrait work and still life.  There are also offerings in other media such as clay, printmaking, sculpture. 

Children’s classes for ages 7 and up are there too.

http://www.ljathenaeum.org 

For those of you trying to find the right organizer for your closet, I found one I like a lot and thought I’d share it.  After considering "California Closets", Target’s make your own version of their product (which I’m told from reviews fall apart terribly), Home Depots options (which required some cutting for customization) and the expensive Elfa option from the Container Store, I decided on the following:

http://www.easytrack.com/

I’m really happy with this product as you simply screw in a metal track at the back of the closet, then pick whatever options you want from drawers to baskets or shelving and hang the units on the metal track. Very easy to build, has been sturdy, and is a medium price point as compared to the rest.  You can find them at Dixieline in town. 

One insider installation note: you may need to take the track to your local hardware store and ask them to cut it down for you if you don’t have a saw, etc. at home.  Sometimes the standard length is too short/too long for you closet. 

 

 

This is one of my favorite finds period for furniture that is ideal for small spaces or artfully provides better seating, sleeping, etc.  The owners of this company have worked hard to find unique products. They are not inexpensive.  But, they are beautifully designed.

http://www.spacesandiego.com/

We have been using a tablebed now for 4 yrs in a small bedroom on the first floor that doubles as a guest bedroom and office.  We love the solution that provides a great way to have both without sacrificing on looks or functionality (if you like a big wide desk/working space).

http://www.spacesandiego.com/products-table-bed.html 

They’ve since added concealed doors/shelving, a sofa/bed option and more.  Its worth a look… 

 

This organization, Moms In Motion, facilitates the creation of teams nation-wide of Moms for a variety of sports.  The idea is to focus on an event and support a charity and work together towards your goals.  Here in San Diego, the first teams are running teams in Mission Bay area - check them out:

http://momsinmotion.com/locations_team.asp?a=vt&t=223&l=64&c=3 

I have no personal experience with this group, but I know my own running club helped a lot when I ran my first marathon and I believe having support and the fun of a group can be a huge asset to achieving your goals.   

Looking for comparisons of local tea houses? High teas, etc.?  Tea Map is doing a great job of collecting reviews.  There are quite a few local tea houses listed here with many reviews.  Check out the CA page here: http://www.teamap.com/states/state_CA_Distance.html

This location is in in the Point Loma area of San Diego - a good 15-20 minutes without traffic from Carmel Valley, but a beautiful part of San Diego to be sure.  Reviews of the location can be found at TeaMap - http://www.teamap.com/tearooms/tea_upon_chatsworth_1412.html

People seem to like the food and teas, the service.  The interior is described as a great escape.  I have been to this location and enjoyed my tea there. Their web site is at: http://www.cu4t.com/ for menus, pricing, etc.

This is a darling - Old Town location.  They offer teas for children (though older as it appears they use the bone china for the kids too), for showers, and even walk-in. http://www.mrsburtonstearoom.com/home.htm

I’ve never been to this location, but have heard good things about it.  They have dress up - hats, boas, gloves and jewelry.  Even top hats for the men if you chose to do an adult gathering.  The home is part of Heritage Park, a grouping of old homes restored and cared for with vintage flavor. 

A friend plays with this League and likes it a lot.  There are teams from Carmel Valley, SantaLuz, Lomas Santa Fe, and more.  There are inland and coastal divisions for convenience.  http://www.ncdtl.com/ has all the info on rules for the league, etc.  You need 12 on your roster to enter a team.  Players have to be 18 or older. 

Classes are also offered in the Del Mar Heights shopping center at Voila.  A list of the classes can be found here: http://users.tns.net/~nadia/classes_vm/classes_vm.htm

This is a fun store to browse in and the selection of classes in the newsletter they mail looks amazing.  I haven’t had a chance to take a class yet, but have heard good things about the experience. 

This place is located on Clairemont Mesa, so maybe 10 -15 minutes from Carmel Valley.  But, if you are a good baker interested in learning more about pastry techniques, decorating, etc. this seems like a decent place to learn more.

http://www.doitwithicing.com/classroom/classroom.asp 

Classes average cost are $40-45 and they seem to have a pretty robust schedule of choices. They have an online store of products as well and even some recipes that they share.

 

This store too offers a wide variety of materials and classes.  http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/events/classes.html

I got a kick out of their "Stitching Goddess Getaways".  Check that out under local events.  Pricing on the classes isn’t listed. 

This store is located in Pacific Beach, so off the beaten path for Carmel Valley folks.  But the store seems to have a wide variety of materials and a nice list of classes. 

http://www.needlecraftcottage.com/html/classes.shtml

They offer both knitting and needlecraft classes and cross stitch as well.  Prices for the classes range from $13-$20 per class.