San Diego Mom - Carmel Valley

CarSeat Advice

sandiegomom — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:46:15 +0000

The car seat laws are straightforward, but our own comfort level about safety when your child is under 60 lbs but already 6 and older varies. And again even after they get older and you need to consider when to permit them to leave the booster seat behind.

This site offers a 5 step test to determine what is ideal for your child as they get older and how long they should remain in a booster even after they’ve long outgrown their carseat. http://www.carseat.org/

Del Mar RaceTrack - Family Fun Day - July 20th

sandiegomom — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:38:34 +0000

I don’t usually write about time sensitive things - but I didn’t want to pass this one up. Del Mar RaceTrack for most of us with little kids is a novelty, but not necessarily something we do a lot with the kids. Little ones don’t have the patience or attention span to last.

But, there is a Family Day at the Race Track you may want to check out. I haven’t been yet, and can’t this year. But, I thought they did a good job of planning some fun things for little ones.

Its a traditional set of jumpee, pony rides, climbing walls, rides, etc. But, they have a fun make your own hat craft, (The Rad Hatter) which I think teaches a little about the traditions for the RaceTrack, and I liked that they are offering scramble slide and obstacle course too and lake elsinore baseball with clinics, whiffle ball and more for our kids who need to be active to be happy.

http://www.delmarscene.com/family/family_weekends.htm

Check it out and let us know what you think here!

RadKids - Training Your Kids

sandiegomom — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:13:44 +0000

Thanks to a good friend who set up a private session for our playgroup, my 6 yr old just went through self defense, safety training that is well worth the time and minimal fee.

Check out http://www.radkids.org/ataglance.shtml

Radkids is a program that is offered at various schools, local centers. In San Diego I have heard of pre-schools bringing them in, and several instructors who will conduct a class of a group of friends. Contact them directly to inquire.

What I liked about the program was that it is active - the kids can practice techniques they learn, including the kicking and yelling. Sensitive subjects are dealt with in an age appropriate way (stranger danger and inappropriate touch) and topics we may have felt we covered well such as fire safety and traffic each had new recommendations or approaches I hadn’t thought of.

I highly recommend this program. They also note that you can return to a Radkids program as many times as you wish for no additional cost until your child is 13. A nice touch I thought as the techniques and topics will change as they get older.

Free Ice Cream - For Expecting Mommies

sandiegomom — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:26:11 +0000

I couldn’t resist a post about this. Who doesn’t love ice cream and when its free… yum….

Soft Serve, Baskin-Robbins is inviting all expectant mothers to try a free cup or cone of Soft Serve for “Bump Day” on Wednesday, May 21. Moms-to-be can receive a free 3 oz. cup or cone of Soft Serve between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. at participating Baskin-Robbins stores in California. Check out www.baskinrobbins.com/bumpday to find the nearest store location and details.

Enjoy!

Sol Surf Camp - 22nd Street Del Mar

sandiegomom — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:54:04 +0000

This surf camps is for 6 yr olds and older. The two instructors have years of experience in YMCA, public school and other settings. I don’t have personal experience with them but the program was recommended by a friend.

www.solsurfcamp.com

If you check it out, let us know what you thought!

Richard Walker’s - German Pancake!

sandiegomom — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:55:13 +0000

A continuation in our quest for the best breakfast spots, my friend Sue and I met this month at Richard Walker’s downtown and while we had to wait in the line a few minutes, we were rewarded with yummy food, a great casual yet elegant spot in the heart of a fun neighborhood downtown.

http://www.richardwalkers.com/

The nice surprise for me, was reading the menu and instantly noting the familiar dutch and german pancake from a childhood favorite of mine in Chicago Walker Brothers. Turns out to be related ownership and no question the quality and attention to flavor is consistent.

The spot is small, cozy, service is excellent and we had a great time. Highly recommend this spot.

Dentist - Games to Educate Your Kids About a Visit

sandiegomom — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:06:37 +0000

This is a neat online game for parents to use with kids who might be nervous about a dentist visit. Or, for kids who won’t accept that brushing is a requirement!

http://www.mouthpower.org/mouthpower.cfm

The game has a cute mouth as the navigator/narrarator that shows kids what happens if you don’t brush or floss, explains tools in use at a dentist visit, etc. Its put together by a museum of Dentistry and University of Maryland/Baltimore.

Surf Camp - La Jolla - Menehune Surf

sandiegomom — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:44:55 +0000

If you’re like me, you’re knee deep in summer camp brochures right about now. I confess, my 5 yr old is still i think too young for surf camp, but I know I want to do it when she’s more confident in the water. This surfing camp for little ones has been recommended to me, so I thought I’d pass it on.

http://www.menehunesurf.com/

I don’t have personal experience with them, but they have lessons from 5 yrs up. Write in and share with the San Diego Mom community if you can say anything about your experience there.

California Youth Conservatory

sandiegomom — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:44:35 +0000

I don’t know much about this group, but it appears to be community theatre option for children who love to perform, ages 5-17. They are holding open auditions for ages 7-17 for Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (my favorite show to do!)

Web site: http://www.cyctheatre.org

Performances are at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza. For info call: 619-944-7574

Past shows have included: Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors and Ragtime.

Healthy Toys - Help to Know What’s Safe

sandiegomom — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 08:06:38 +0000

We all try to read the recall notices, but you still worry its not enough to be sure the toys your kids play with are safe.

http://www.healthytoys.org/

They test the toys out there and they are giving you a rating on things like level of lead, arsenic and and mercury. They lay out why these chemicals are bad and what they can do to your children. And they let you submit a toy and ask that it be tested.

I liked looking through their worst and best toys - and of course you can search for an item you suspect could be a problem and if they’ve tested it you can a very detailed answer.