Here come the holidays: Passover and Easter. We have a blended family. I struggle with how to make Passover as positive an experience as Easter. There are no cute animals, no baskets, no chocolate, not even bread.  I recently learned from a new friend about her plans for celebrating Passover… desert style. Now we’re talking! I asked her to write down the details, as this isn’t her first...

I’ve been on a farm kick lately. The sun has finally broken through the rainclouds and things are blooming. I can’t wait to go out and harvest something, so I jumped at the chance to head to the Capay Valley Almond Festival. The towns of Esparto, Capay, Brooks, Guinda, Madison and Rumsey, who’s residents mostly live on or work on a farm, each had their own blend of music, food and kid activities...

My 5-year old refuses to like vegetables. I believe he has made his mind up to hold fast to this position. I try not to make a power struggle out of it and instead load him up on fruits and berries, and sneak hidden pureed veggies into meals where I can. Out of nowhere last week he announces that he wants to turn our house into a farm and begins collecting the seeds of every fruit he gets. Couple this with...

So you’ve booked yourself for several days, maybe a week, in the snow covered hills of Truckee. You’ve reserved every afternoon for skiing, tubing or snowman building, but what to do in the morning when its still too chilly to be outside? Well if you have kids ages seven and under, a great indoor hangout is the KidZone Museum. This is a dome shaped facility that is essentially divided into three...

Here’s the California wimp in me talking: One of the greatest things about playing outside in the snow is having somewhere warm and cozy to retreat. Renting someone’s home/cabin can feel like coming into a cozy home, but can also be a hassle to arrange. A successful lodging experience may be determined by thinking through details ahead of time: Is it centrally located? How much will the cleaning...