SiliconValleyMom

September 27, 2008 is Museum Day, coordinated by the Smithsonian Museum.  Museums and cultural venues throughout the country will offer free admission (with a printed ticket).  What is great about this day is that it is a Saturday.  While a number of museums have a free admission day, these days are usually during the week, which makes it nearly impossible for the entire family to go.  Museum Day is always on a Saturday.

Click here to go Celebrate-Family.com for links to the individual museums in the Bay area participating in Museum Day and to print your free tickets (1 tickets is good for 2 people).

Current Listing of Northern California Museums:

Aerospace Museum of California - Free Admission (McClennan)
Effie Yeaw Nature Center - Free Admission (Carmichael)
Blackhawk Museum - Free Admission (Danville)
Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education - Free Admission (San Mateo)
Exploratorium - Free Admission (San Francisco)
Hiller Aviation Museum - Free Admission (San Carlos)
Lindsay Wildlife Museum - Free Admission (Walnut Creek)
Museum of Craft and Folk Art - Free Admission (San Francisco)
Chabot Space & Science Center - Free Admission (Danville)
Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) - Free Admission (San Francisco)
Bedford Gallery - Free Admission (Walnut Creek)

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Yea! Eoin Colfer is coming back to the Bay Area! Eoin’s Artemis Fowl series is a favorite at our house and we are looking forward to his next visit on July 22nd.

This year, instead of being held at Hicklebees in Willow Glen, Eoin will be speaking at the Cambrian Community Center which is on the campus of Ida Price Middle School. There will also be a charge of $10 per adult and $5 per child (or $20 for a family of four) for this event, but the ticket cost is applicable to the purchase of his newest Artemis Fowl book, Artemis Fowl and The Time Paradox.

Seating is first come, first served and tickets are available now either in person or via telephone (tickets are NOT available on the web site at this time).

Author visits are one of my favorite events and we have always had great fun with Eoin Colfer. He takes the time not only to sign books but also to take pictures with fans to spend a few moments chatting with everyone. The first time he signed a book for Ian, Eoin joked about the meaning of Ian’s name (Gracious gift from God). Eoin reminded Ian to use this tidbit of information the next time Ian got into trouble, which I believe was shortly after we left Hicklebees that day!

Here is a link to a clip of the Fairies, Fields and Flatulence Tour provided by Disney Hyperion. Eoin will also be stopping by the Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts in Marin on July 21st at 7 pm. Tickets for that event are $45 for a family of four and including the Artemis Fowl book.

Here are important links to regarding this visit. Author visits are a great way to stimulate a child’s love of reading. Nathaniel Parker also does a great job on the audio books.

We will see you there - look for us in the front row.

Eoin Colfer’s Fairies, Fiends & Flatulence Tour
July 22, 7 pm
Cambrian Community Center, (Ida Price Middle School)
2650 New Jersey Ave., San Jose, CA 95124
Hicklebees book store for tickets & books.
Eoin Colfer This link is for Eoin’s books at the SJ Public Library.
Eoin Colfer This link is for Eoin’s books at Amazon.com
Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts in Marin

One last note. The Artemis Fowl series is definitely for older children. But Eoin does have several books for younger children. Besides Artemis Fowl, my other favorites are The Wish List and the Supernaturalist.

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To begin, I am making the assumption that you life is a little less hectic during the summer as the school year. But of course I could be wrong. If you do have extra time, then take the opportunity this summer to introduce your child to cooking.

Here are some suggestions:

Begin with setting aside one night a week (or every two weeks) for “children in the kitchen”.
Let your child create the menu (with your guidance).
Start with very easy recipes. Try the Kid’s Cook, 1-2-3 cookbook in this Amazon link.

We have had some great results with this activity including working nutrition lessons into our shopping. I am teaching my children how to read the nutritional labels and which questions to ask such as, how many calories are in a serving, do people really need 2000 calories a day, what is a serving size?

You might take this opportunity to share with your children how to choose produce and meats in the store. How does one shop for the perfect apple or cut of meat?

Menu planning because humans do not live on pb & j and pizza. What is a balanced meal?

Budget planning, saving money and coupon shopping: which item or size is more or least expensive, which is the better deal, buy one get one free or 50% off one item?

My fan favorites: why does it take so long to shop for groceries and if I have to be here, so do you.

One other benefit is that cooking and menu planning in the summer can lead to your child preparing the menus and their lunches during the school year! Yippee!

Links and more links here:

Cookbooks for children (available from Amazon.com)
Fruit & Veggies Matter (created by the CDC to help increase the number of fruits and veggies in our diets.) Try the fruit and veggie of the month section for ideas about using new fruits and veggies in your diet.
Create a personal cookbook and save 20% at TasteBook.com

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Kids.gov

This site have links to government and other kids’ sites — grouped by age and subject. Explore, learn, and have fun!

For example, CryptoKidsâ„¢ - America’s Future Codemakers & Codebreakers. You can learn all about codes and ciphers, play lots of games and activities, and get to know each fun character.

Ben’s Guide to US Government for Kids

Activities are grouped at this site by grade (K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12) and whether the activity is interactive or printable. Children (and parents too!) will enjoy the Preamble Scramble, Presidential Names Word Scramble, Ben’s Lost — Maze.

Source USA.gov

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Highlights for Kids

As a child I loved to read the Highlights children’s magazines with my favorite pages being the Hidden Pictures (pictures hidden within the pictures).  Here is the link that you can visit the site and print these activity pages for your children.

Highlights for Kids Hidden Pictures

Math Worksheets

Yes, Ian and Elizabeth have homework during the summer.  I recommend this site for math worksheets.  The information is divided into areas of study (addition, subtraction, muplication) and then by levels of difficulty.  And yes, it’s free.

Math-Drills.com

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Sponsor Text:

Shutterfly: New member’s offer: Get 50 free 4×6 prints and an 11×14 Collage Poster when you join Shutterfly. 

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In honor of National Library Week and the Free2 Contest, I thought I would list some of my favorite things at the library. If you haven’t been to a library lately, you are missing a great resource. Besides reading times for everyone from lap babies to families, today’s library offers computer access, ESL classes, homework help and family activities for all age groups. As I write this post, I am surrounded by children and adults enjoying the computers, a movie and study time. Individuals and groups can rent rooms in the libraries for functions and meetings. Of course, “your mileage may vary”. Which translates to “you might not have all of these features at your local library”. But I suspect that some of the features listed will be available either on line or via the telephone. Have fun.

1) Placing a hold or request on an item and having the item delivered to the library branch of my choice. How? After retriveing the record for the item, click on the Request button (or Hold depending upon your library system) and then follow the prompts. I love receiving an email telling me that my DVD, audio book, latest Nora Roberts, or Sherilyn Kenyon book is waiting patently for me to retrieve it from my local branch.

2) Requesting materials from libraries throughout California using the Link+ feature and again, having the item delivered to the library branch of my choice. How? Access the record of the item you would like or the subject. Click on the Search Link+ button (or hold depending upon your library system) and then follow the prompts.

3) Accessing ebooks, music and audio books. How? Either click on the link from your local library or go to Overdrive.com. Enter your library card information and follow the prompts. If the item you want is not available, use the hold/request feature. You’ll get an email when the item is ready for you to check out. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about returning the item. Your license to read or listen to the item will simply expire at the end of the borrowing period.

4) No residency requirements. My family has library cards for San Jose Public Library, Santa Clara City Library and Santa Clara County Library. Why? Different library systems have different Link+ agreements so something that is not available through SJPL might be available through Santa Clara County Library.

5) Internet and computer access. As I write this is I am at the Hillview branch (San Jose Public Library) while Ian is at golf. You can stop by your local library to access a computer.

6) Free homework assistance for grades 4th - 12th (depending upon the library system). The online tutoring service is available in English and Spanish depending upon the library system.

7) Great things to do. The libraries are a great place to hang out. This week several libraries will offer time on Wii’s, Dance Dance Revolution, eating and parenting classes, movies at the library, and talent shows. I took a class on blogging at the Sunnyvale Library.

Last but not least, our favorite librarian, Ms. Hannah at the Cambrian Branch, who always has a smile, hug and saved Ian’s history project.

Share your thoughts, Click here to take our 4 question library survey.

Tags: National Library Week, Things to Do by admin
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Both San Jose and Santa County Libraries will be hosting a new type of bookmobile during the month of April.  But instead of traditional books, this bookmobile travels with broadband Internet-connected PCs, high definition monitors, premium sound systems, and a variety of portable media players to introduce the public to Overdrive, a web portal which supplies local libraries with digital content: ebooks, audio books and music.

I’ve long been a fan of audio books.  And I’ve recommended the Overdrive service for a number of years.  One of my favorite features is not having to ‘return’ the item back to the library.  With the digital library, your ability to access the item simply expires when the return date is reached. And of course the ability to access information 24/7.  

Overdirve users can also take advatage of several of the favorite features offered at the physical library branches such as being able to place an item ‘on hold’ and be notified when the item is availalbe for checkout. 

Visit the bookmobile on April 16th at Dr. MLK Library in downtown San Jose,  April 17th at Saratoga Library and April 18 at Morgan Hill Library (Santa Clara County Libraries)

Besides the Overdrive portal, below is a list of other online portals offered by the San Jose libraries.  Visit the San Jose eBooks, Audiobooks and Music page to access these online services. 

TumbleBooks - audio books for young children

Missons of California Ebooks: Online or downloadable ebooks on California Missions.

NetLibrary: Popular ebooks on business, legal self-help, computer science, economics, literature, psychology and more.

Safari Tech: Online programming and IT ebooks published within the last 3 years.

Pimsleur Language: Downloadable audiobooks for learning foreign languages and for learning English from another language.

For more ideas about great things at our local libraries, read my post:  My Favorite Things About the Library.

Celebrate-Family!

Tags: Around The Town, CPSC Recalls, Freebies, Golf, National Library Week, Newsletters, Reviews & Recommendations, Things to Do, Travel Suggestions, Uncategorized by admin
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See this recall on CPSC’s web site.

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2009
Release #09-176

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 421-5354
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Product: What’s Inside? Soft Toy Boxes

Units: About 3,600

Manufacturer: Lakeshore Learning Materials, of Carson, Calif.

Hazard: The head of the stuffed butterfly toy can detach from the body, posing a choking hazard to children.

Incidents/Injuries: Lakeshore has received three reports of the head of the butterfly detaching from the body. No injuries were reported.

Description: The recalled product is a soft, multi-colored box with a different color on each side. “What’s Inside?” is embroidered on the front of the box and symbols of a lion, flower and purple butterfly are stitched on another side. Each feely box contains ten small stuffed pieces. The piece affected by this recall is the pink and purple butterfly.

Sold by: Lakeshore Learning Materials stores nationwide and Toys To Grow On(tm) catalogs from September 2008 through February 2009 for about $40.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled product away from children and contact Lakeshore to receive a free replacement butterfly.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Lakeshore Learning Materials at (800) 428-4414 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.lakeshorelearning.com

Celebrate-Family!

Tags: Around The Town, CPSC Recalls, Freebies, Golf, National Library Week, Newsletters, Reviews & Recommendations, Things to Do, Travel Suggestions, Uncategorized by admin
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See this recall on CPSC’s web site,

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2009
Release #09-181

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (888) 268-8139
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

SunKids Convertible Cribs Recalled by Suntech Enterprises Due to Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: SunKids Convertible Cribs

Units: About 1,900

Importer: Suntech Enterprises Inc., of City of Commerce, Calif.

Hazard: The sides of the crib are made of mesh that expands, creating a gap between the side and the crib’s mattress if it’s not zipped into place, or a gap between the side and an added mattress. A young child can slip into this gap and become entrapped or suffocate. Also, the crib’s drop side can fail to fully latch posing a fall hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported with this crib. However, CPSC is aware of the death of a 5-month-old child in August 2008 involving another company’s nearly identical crib that was recalled. The child became entrapped between the mattress and the mesh side and suffocated.

Description: The recall involves the SunKids convertible crib/playpen/bassinet/bed with model number PY256. “SunKids” is embroidered on the bottom left of the crib’s drop side. The convertible cribs have a drop side rail, stationary side rail, canopy assembly, and bassinet. The sides of the convertible crib are fabric and mesh. The mattress support, bassinet, canopy, and bed skirt are covered in fabric. The fabric and the mesh were sold in navy blue, light blue, pink, beige, white, beige checker, and pink heart.

Sold at: Small juvenile product retailers in N.Y., N. J., and Calif. from January 2007 through October 2008 for about $100.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled convertible cribs and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Suntech Enterprises toll-free at (888) 268-8139 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

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