Silicon Valley Family

Chime in with your tips, Carmel-lovers! Hubby and I haven’t been down there in ages, and we’re thinking of a day trip tomorrow for my bday. Send me your favorite restaurants (nothing fancy, please), shops, strolls, breweries, and must-sees.

And I assume we bring the pup to this ultimate dog-friendly destination? 🐾🐾

Tips greatly appreciated!!

A proud and grateful parent moment!! Little one just completed a three-show run as a Rainbow Oompa Loompa in production of Wonka, Jr. and it could not have been a better introduction to the world of musical theater!!! Every single person involved in the show — the Playful People team, the interns, the other actors, their parents — was wonderful and welcoming, and little one emerged absolutely in love with the stage and ready to sign up for the next season!

A huge thanks to all the friends who showed up to lend their support — the hugs, the notes, the gifts, and the FLOWERS (so many! so beautiful!) brought her (and us) so much joy. (They also led to the realization that, as theater parents, we’re going to need to invest in more vases — the Yeti, the growler, and the camp coffee pot got called in to assist!) Additional thanks to my awesome friend (who little one used to call “other mom” 😂) for handling her stage makeup for opening night and to in Santa Clara for having EXACTLY what we needed (and being so helpful) when I discovered, just 24 hours in advance of showtime, that we needed said makeup to begin with.

A yummy mint chip milkshake at (the absolute BEST!) wrapped up the weekend on a sweet note, and then we all came home and SLEPT. 😂😂

Finally, a plug for Playful People’s summer programming. They have space remaining in production camps for little ones, middle ones, and even adults, and if they’re anything like this show, I can promise you’d kiddos will have a blast!

What a fun experience! So excited for the next one!

🌳 A quick post on one of our all-time favorite in-town nature areas: Guadalupe Oak Grove Park in the Almaden area of San Jose. I remember the first time we visited, maybe twelve years ago, being AMAZED that such a gorgeous spot could be plopped down in the midst of the city! We keep coming back year after year because it’s easy to access, meets every need, and is just plain beautiful (we’ve even done our family photos there!).

We thought about heading that way this morning, but when I came up with another plan, I decided to post instead. Enjoy!

📍Guadalupe Oak Grove is located near the intersection of Coleman Rd/Almaden Expwy. There are three entry points: at Jeffrey Fontana Park on Golden Oak Wy (street parking — this is where we always start), on Thorntree Drive (small lot), or on Vargas Drive (street parking — back entrance).

🥾A few miles of varied trails, with something for everyone — a perfectly flat, stroller-friendly loop on the valley floor, plus a few small but steep hills that offer stunning views and a great leg workout. The trails all intersect so you can loop them together to create as long and strenuous a hike or nature walk as you like. My kids love climbing the trees, rocks, and steps.

This park is often bustling but somehow doesn’t seem to feel crowded. It’s one of the only parks where I feel comfortable hiking with the kids alone — there are always people around, and the flat area and one of the hills have good sight-lines.

A few other features:

🦮Dogs welcome and abundant! There’s even a dog park at the Fontana Park entrance if your pup needs off-leash time.

🦉Lots of wildlife. We’ve seen deer, turkeys, an egret, and countless woodpeckers, the latter of which have punched holes all over the park where they store their acorns — cool to witness!

🚽Restrooms at the Thorntree entrance.

🛝 Playground at the Fontana entrance.

🌳 Tons of trees offer shade over much of the flat area and speckled shade over one of the hills. We visit year-round.

A favorite of ours and, if you’re visiting for the first time, sure to become a favorite of yours too!!

My kind of Thursday. 😎

I’ve found myself drawn to the coast over the last few weeks, as the Maycember chaos at home makes me crave mini-escapes wherever I can find them. The last two weekends — and now, a random weekday — have seen me heading over the hill in search of some calm amidst the craziness. And whether I’m hiking in the hills or walking along the bluffs or sitting on a restaurant patio with my mom and sister, enjoying a cool drink, one thing is certain: the sea is always the answer.

Wishing all of you a few moments of peace as the school year winds down!

P.S. Let’s see how well you know me… which drink is mine? 🥂🍹🍻

🦊🦊 Little one and I had the most wonderful time creating a masterpiece together at Young Art’s Mom & Me event this morning!!! There are six sessions left today and tomorrow and I believe there is still space available — let me know if you’d like to go, and I’ll dm you the Eventbrite link and a code for 30% off!

🌷The Event: Kids and moms (or grandmas, aunties, big sisters… whoever fills that role!) can either create a collaborative painting or a silk floral arrangement in a one hour session at Young Art’s Valley Fair studio.

🌷 Painting (that’s what we did, so that’s the experience I can share): Groups can choose between three mama/baby animal pairings: 🦊🦊 (our pick!), 🦉🦉 or 🐯🐯. I love that there are options — my daughter chose the 🦊 duo, while all the other pairs chose either 🦉 or 🐯.

Young Art staff provides you with pre-sketched outlines on canvas and a beautiful array of oil pastels. You can choose your own colors/patterns — we saw some adorably creative ones! After you color with the oil pastels, you blend with wet paintbrushes, add finishing touches with paint, and (if you’re so inclined) add accessories like flowers or buttons.

The fact that the shapes are pre-sketched makes it a great project even for young kids, and the fact that you can move at your own pace was ideal for the different groups working on different masterpieces. The wonderful teachers were constantly checking in with additional supplies and guidance, and (I loved this!!) offering to take “action shots” of the pairs of moms/kiddos at work. Finally… mom is IN the photo!

It was a perfect one-hour project and the finished product is ADORABLE! We both love it!

Thank you to my wonderful friend Ginhee for inviting us and for offering a code to SV Family readers for, like, the 8th year in a row… maybe more. I’m so grateful I discovered Young Art the week it opened back in 2016, and I can’t wait to celebrate their 10th Anniversary this summer!

Happy Mothers’ Day to all the moms out there and to all those that fill that role!

Comment for the link to register and the discount code.

So excited to report that our friends at are hosting an all-new, full-day STEM summer camp this year, and it looks AMAZING! Space is still available, so if you’re trying to plan your family’s summer calendar, take a look — and read on for a registration discount opportunity!

Details:
🔭 CAMP (Create, Adapt, Make, & Play) is offered in eight one-week sessions from June 15-Aug. 4. Themes are BioTinkering, Ultimate Upcycle, Kinetic Connection, and Planet Protectors — each is offered twice.
🧬 Open to rising 2nd - 6th Graders
🌏 Hours are 9-4, with optional after-care ‘til 6
♻️ 10% off for Tech Members; $50 off for multiple kids
🥪 Can add on lunch from the Tech Cafe to make life easier!

🥳 If you head to the Tech TODAY (Saturday, May 2) and attend the CAMP info session from 1-2:30, you’ll get a code for $50 off registration!!! (Plus you’ll get to check out Space Weekend!)

My big kid’s first visit to the tech was in July 2016 (4 years old) — my little’s first visit was one month later when she was TEN DAYS OLD! We’ve been huge fans of this amazing space for exploring and learning for 10 years now and I feel absolutely confident that any kid who attends this camp will have a blast!