A Week in Silicon Valley on Rookie Moms

A bit back I was tickled pink when asked to do a guest "Spend a week..." blog piece for Rookie Moms. My piece detailed a week-long series of outings here in The Valley, and it's up on their site now!

Whitney and Heather are two cool ladies living in San Francisco. They write a fresh and cheeky blog about all sorts of parenting and kid related topics. Their frank anecdotes on being a mom are refreshing, quintessentially real, and a daily read for me. And as if the blog isn't enough, these ladies found the time to write a handbook which I think would make a very excellent baby gift for any mom-to-be!

Calling All Moms....

I've been on the hut for some really cute mom calling cards. If you've never heard of mom cards before they are basically business cards with your kid's names and your contact info. This card thing brings back memories of reading Little Town on the Prairie and the name cards Laura used to exchange with her friends. Her mom gave her some money to purchase them and she was so tickled about it. I am, too!

Anyway, in these modern times, I am often at the park, or at a playdate, or at a class and invariably I run into a cool new mom and we hit it off. Then one of us says, "We should totally get together! What's your number?" And I never have a pen, and I've usually forgotten my phone (which is a crime according to my husband). So I think I have a real need for these ;0) Stash a few in the diaper bag, you know? I bet these would make a really sweet baby shower or new mom gift, too!

It's down to these two options. They're both awesome for different reasons. Which do you think?

I really like these cards because you can add photos! And the prints are really fresh and modern.

And then I saw these on Etsy, and they are really cute in a sorta Victorian vintage sortof way.

Tough decision!

Alviso Bay

This weekend we took a little walk around Alviso Bay. The marina is a 5 minute drive from our home. As you approach Alviso, crowded industrial tech buildings give way to cute little beach houses and small owner-run restaurants. It's a place that time forgot in many ways, but has a very East Coasty, Cape-Cod feel to it. Alviso was once a booming port that shipped agricultural products all over The Valley, but then in 1864 a new railroad line was put in. Alviso's become a veritable ghost town compared to it's micro-chipped neighbors over the years, but is listed on the National Register as a historic gem.

Alviso now attracts nature lovers and health enthusiasts from all around. One can capitalize on the miles and miles of dirt trails surrounding the bay. There are thousands of acres of marshes and salt ponds. Wildlife is dense, and bird-watchers would probably find this place paradise. There are informative plaques explaining more about marshes and indigenous species of plants and animals, too.

We had a nice time walking around the desolate, windy bay. After exploring a bit it got sortof creepy how devoid of human life the place was, but in a beautiful way. It seemed strange to find so much nature right in the backyard of the largest tech community in the country. But, it was a lovely way to spend some weekend family time apart from the computers and video games and televisions and iPods and iPhones and AppleTVs and DVRs and DVDs and CD-ROMs and Facebooks and Twitters. Apparently my camera was spared such neglect, though ;0)

Summer Sun Means Sandal Fun!

YAY! The weather is warm, the pool is open, and the only thing that's missing is footwear for the kiddies. I'm listing off my personal favorites...

Sride Rite Wyatt. The name keeps changing, the style does not. I've been buying Matthew the same pair of shoes each year for the past 8 years, and there's a good reason why. They are industructable, they look great dressed up or down, and they come in widths (anyone with a child with wide feet can attest to this particular woe). Even better, Great Mall in Milpitas has a Stride Rite outlet store so you can get them much cheaper, too.

I'm told (from very good sources) Havaianas are the hottest footware in Latin America and Spain. These Brazilian made sandals are fast becoming popular here in the States, too. Matthew was gifted a pair last summer, and they easily became his favorite pool sandals. They are rubber so you can wear them in the shower, come in a huge array of fresh colors and styles. and are very comfy. If you aren't fortunate enough to have a Latin-American traveling girlfriend, then these can be found at Nordstrom and I also hear reports of people finding them at Marshalls, too!

Here's another international gem I've come across. S'avarca's are favorites of the Spanish Royals, and look so comfortable and cute. I think Alexi would look very cute in them, but he's got a huge collection of gorgeous Spanish hand me downs that he can't seem to tear through fast enough :0) Might have to break down and get them anyway. 3 Soles is the only distributer here in the US selling these shoes.

And lastly, a more local brand, Rainbow Sandals. Math has outgrown two pairs of these, and is coming up on his third this summer! Until recentely, if you lived outside of California it's doubtful you'd heard of Rainbows before. I think they were SoCal's best kept secret for a long time, alas, no longer. Rainbows are super comfy board sandals that come with built in arch support. Customer service is reportably excellent as well. Rainbows are now becoming mainstream for the rest of us mere mortals. Pick up a pair at your local Nordstrom or Pac Sun.

PS - Moms, all but the Stride Rites come in your size, too! :0)

Brunch Bashing???

Another weekend, another opportunity for brunch...at least that's how I always look at it! On University Ave in Palo Alto there is a place called University Cafe that consistently serves tasty, no-frills brunch fare. I was just looking at the reviews and was really disappointed to see some do not share the same love I have for this establishment. Many complaints were about slow service, but in my experience (and we eat here about 2-3 times a month) service has been just fine. I wouldn't call it over the top, but it's an order/seat yourself joint. There's not much service to be procured other than food being brought out. *shrug*

It's advisable not to come during peak hours because it's seat yourself, and unless you have a rather aggressive personality finding space for a group of 6 can be cut-throat. You order at the bar, you get a number, and then your food is brought to you. The tables are lined with paper so the kids always love coloring while we wait for our food. I love the open airy atmosphere of this place, and the outdoor seating is nice in the summer. The old school looking coffee roaster is always wafting off some rather pleasing aromas, too. Add that to the yummy breakfast food and I'm a happy camper.

Coffee roaster

Coffee is good (so is milk).

Eggs Bruschetta, my favorite.

Hubbs like the pankcakes...

So do the kids.