The Positive Parenting Program is a program of Jewish Family Services, funded by the County of San Diego and offered FREE in English and Spanish to any community groups interested. More information is available by calling (858) 637-3375.
Dates: November 5, 12, & 19, 2019 (Tuesdays)
Time: 6:00-8:00pm (Childcare Available)
Location: Cajon Park Elementary School 10300 N. Magnolia Ave Santee, CA 92071
RSVP: Meredith Riffel 619-258-2345 or email meredith.riffel@santeesd.net
The program uses the evidence-based curriculum “Triple P” which has more than 25 years of research supporting the evidence that Positive Parenting is effective at reducing parental depression, anxiety, and stress as well as decreasing instances of child abuse and neglect. In the community, we can offer the three-session Seminar series, which includes:
Seminar 1: The Power of Positive Parenting
Ways to help your child learn
Strategies for carrying out positive discipline
Keeping realistic expectations
Creating workable family routines
The joys and challenges of being a parent
Seminar 2: Raising Confident, Competent Children Help your child to:
Be respectful and considerate
Become a problem solver
Learn social skills and build friendships
Feel confident in the world
Session 3: Raising Resilient Children
Great information for parents experiencing difficult economic times
Showcasing a colossal collection of handmade creations, the Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show, comes to three key southland locations this fall with more than 24,000 original works from hundreds of exhibitors nationwide. As an all you can eat buffet for the senses, the artful celebration boasts live entertainment, strolling performers, a Kidzone, demonstrations, contests, and more.
This marks the 47th season for the Harvest Festival, a treasured event recognized as the largest and most prestigious indoor showcase on the west coast. Multi-talented artists & crafters will showcase their originals of stunning jewelry, clothing, specialty foods, photography, oils, hand-turned wood, ceramics, eclectic art pieces, seasonal decor, ornaments, blown glass, and much more. Patrons know with confidence that each of the works is made by hand and selected only after meeting criteria for excellence. Adding to the memories, many of the artists can personalize items for that special touch.
I am so excited to take the family and check out the fun this year! I’ll be posting pics and vids from the event on Instagram and Facebook!
Beyond the hundreds of artists and entertainment, each showcase collaborates with local non-profits to fundraise in support of community programs. General admission tickets are $9, while seniors (62+) and military are $7, youths ages 13-17 are $4, and kids 12 and under are free. Tickets are good for the entire weekend and return visits. Entrance for groups of 10 or more is $5 with advance sign up. Information and advance tickets are available here or call 925/ 392-7300.
Del Mar Fairgrounds: October 11-13 (Hours: Friday 10am-5pm; Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday 10am-5pm) 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA 92014
SAVE $2 at Del Mar Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show – SAVE $2 with this coupon on 1 adult, 1 senior or 1 military admission at Del Mar Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show from Oct. 11-13, 2019. *This coupon must be presented at entrance, mention US FAMILY GUIDE. It must be downloaded and printed off. It will not be accepted on a mobile device. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
I love these workshops! They are a great way to help your child learn and grow in a positive environment outside school. It is a community opportunity that the Santee School District provides to parents for FREE!
The October 8, 2019 class will focus on Make It Take It Behavior Resources for the home including:
Visual Schedule
Zones of Regulations
Behavior Contracts
Positive Reinforcement
These classes take place at the Santee School District Office located at 9625 Cuyamaca Street, Santee, CA 92071
For the 2019-2020 school year, there are 6 planned classes. The complete schedule can be seen here. If you have any questions or would like to RSVP, please call the school district office at 619-258-2300.
Did you know that September is Hunger Action Month?
Recently I wrote about Porchlight Community Services. This month, they are offering a $5.00 discount on their weekly food share when you mention that you saw this article on my website!
The prices are very reasonable:
Seniors / Individual- $15
Family (Small)- $25
Family (6+)-$35
On average, you will go home with over $100 worth of food each week. And if you have food allergies or a special diet, just let them know and they will be happy to accommodate you as best they can!
In case you were curious, here is a sneak peek of just a few of the types of items they frequently have:
Cow’s milk, non-dairy milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, lunch meats, juice, lemonade- WOW! And that is just a small sample, there are fruits, veggies, frozen food, shelf-stable/pantry items, baked goods… You Name It!
I love exploring nature with the kids. My dad took us on hikes a lot when we were kids and it was a great way to learn more about nature and the history of San Diego.
When THE NAT emailed me this morning to share their free, guided nature hikes, I knew I had to share it with my readers!
Canyoneers are citizen scientists and volunteers who have had comprehensive training by Museum scientists and local experts on the natural history of the region. Check out the full schedule of hikes between now and June 2020, and hit the trails with the Canyoneers! Look for the Canyoneer sign at the designated parking area. We are always hoping to see wildlife. Please leave dogs at home and come enjoy nature.
The Canyoneers offer free, guided hikes on trails throughout San Diego County from September through June. The new season kicks off this Saturday, September 8 with an easy, 1-mile hike on the Kumeyaay Lake Trail at Mission Trails Regional Park, perfect for children, seniors, and birdwatchers.
In total, the Canyoneers are offering 80 hikes. Most are offered on weekends—with a few midday hikes being offered on select dates—and cover diverse terrain, ranging from the coast to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and from the Tijuana Estuary to Palomar Mountain.
New hikes in Cleveland National Forest, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and several other locations including Gremlin Way Trailhead in Dictionary Hill Open Space Preserve.
Once a month, the Canyoneers will lead a mid-week hike to locations that are often crowded on weekends due to limited access. Examples include Equestrian Trail in Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve (November 13) and Luelf Pond Preserve in Ramona (May 12).
The desert hikes that are scheduled on consecutive days allow for camping opportunities, reducing the amount of driving necessary to get to both hikes. The desert at night is a special treat.
Some trails offer shorter hikes with little elevation change—good for younger hikers—and some very flat and paved hikes that are perfect for strollers and anyone with a disability. One example is the Batiquitos Lagoon Gabbiano Trailhead (September 14).
If the weather cooperates, there’s a chance to see waterfalls on Cibbets Flat to Kitchen Creek Falls hike (February 9) and the Green Valley Falls Loop (June 28). Green Valley Falls is an amazing hike and has pools of water that are fun to play in!
Hikes in some of the most interesting geological areas in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, including Fish Creek/Split Mountain (January 4) and Canyon Sin Nombre (February 8)—perfect for slot canyon fans.
And if you have kids, there is a special program for students and classes too!
“Kids are most inspired by nature when they get outside and experience it for themselves—seeing a Monarch butterfly or a coast live oak in person helps bring to life what they’re learning in the classroom,” said Judy Gradwohl, president and CEO of the San Diego Natural History Museum.
The program is made possible with support from Subaru of America, who is generously supporting the Canyoneer hiking program for the fourth year in a row.
The Museum aims to serve approximately 550 students this year through the program. Space is limited on the hikes. For more information or to book a hike, visit sdnat.org/schoolnaturehikesor call 619.255.0349.
If you are looking for books about hiking and exploring the many awesome trails and cool nature spots in San Diego County here are two books I completely recommend!
For those of you who have read my blog for a while, you know that food insecurity is a cause near and dear to my heart.
In San Diego County, one in seven families experience food insecurity. Food insecurity means you’re not sure where your next healthy, nutritious meal is coming from. It means you probably don’t have extra cans in your cupboard, or that you need to be more than just a little creative when it comes to cooking that a few days before payday.
Food insecurity is an issue that I feel very strongly about. No one should be hungry, and no one should have to eat mass-produced, poorly made, food devoid of nutritional just to fill their belly. Quality, nutritious food should be available to anyone and everyone at an affordable price.
That is one reason I am so excited to share with you today about an awesome organization in Linda Vista called Porchlight Community Services.
Porchlight Community Services is different from a lot of other food organizations in that they are a food rescue organization. They work with produce distributors, grocery stores, and bakery to rescue food that is otherwise destined for the dumpster.
Next time you’re at the grocery store take a look at all the fruit, all the produce, all the baked goods. The likelihood of all of those items will sell before their pull date is slim.
So when items are pulled off the shelf prior to their expiration date, they are frequently thrown in the trash. That trash heads to the landfill. Grocery store, bakeries, food distributors do not compost their unwanted food. Food rescue agencies like Porchlight Community Services pick up the food (that is still good, by the way, pull dates are usually arbitrary, and only affect the appearance of the food, not it’s quality or viability). They then take the food back to their offices where it is gone over to make sure that it is still quality, and edible. And it is been distributed to families who support Porchlight Community Servicesmission.
Produce that can not be distributed (it’s leftover at the end of the event), is often donated to neighbors with animals, or local animal organizations. Once again, eliminating food waste and helping others,
Porchlight Community Services is not your average food bank or pull date co-op. There is no minimum or maximum amount of money your family needs to make to participate. Some people who shop at Porchlight do so because they believe in the mission of keeping food out of landfills (like my family- it hurts my heart to see perfectly good food go to waste). Some people go to Porchlight Community Services because they are in need of wholesome nutritious groceries that fit a specialized diet (like Gluten-free or Dairy-free) but can’t afford to shell out money every week or two for the costly groceries at a mainstream grocery store. Some people are in a tight spot and need to stretch what little money they have until payday.
An example of past food items available
Distributions are usually held weekly. You can find out about upcoming events here on their website, or follow them on Facebook.
All funds that are raised go towards paying rent and utilities- to keep the Mission of feeding others going.
If you are interested in helping Porchlight Community Services, they are always looking for volunteers to help unload food as it comes in on distribution days, organize and stock shelves, refrigerators, and freezers.
They also need help volunteering with event prep- setting up tables and bins.
This might be a good opportunity for girl scout troops or other civic organizations! Contact Porchlight Community Serviceshere to find out about more volunteer opportunities.
I am very excited about this event! I received an email all about it this afternoon.
The Special Needs Resource Foundation of San DiegoandSan Diego Family Magazine are hosting the 2nd annual
All-Inclusive Day of Play & Resource Fair!On Wednesday, August 7 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Miramar Hourglass Recreation Center, 10440 Black Mountain Road, SD, 92126, families from around the county are invited to celebrate the last days of summer and gather information from resource providers for families with all abilities. Your family is invited to this FREE summer event!
Activity Booths • Giveaways • Performances • Games • Family Resources • Networking & more!
Children of all abilities will enjoy activity stations including Woody’s Roundup Corral, Super Hero City, Wheelchair Awareness Course, Literacy Duck Pond, V.T. Raceway, Star Wars Space Station and more!
Plus, enjoy a variety of entertaining performances at the All Abilities Stage.
Over 40 resource services and providers for children of all abilities will conveniently be onsite to speak with parents and provide information.
All activities and resources are FREE and open to the public.
WOW! Have you seen this great giveaway? Flagship Cruises has partnered with Carnitas’ Snack Shack, USS Midway, The New Children’s Museum and San Diego Parks and Recreation for a fun Cruise, Eat and Play Giveaway!
There will be 3 winners at random who will each receive:
Summer is upon us! And that means summer reading program at both San Diego County and City of San Diego Libraries!
The County of San Diego Library System has not yet put up their 2019 reading program. But their main website is here and las years summer reading program can be found here. I’m going to go talk to the kid’s librarian over at our local branch this weekend and see if I can get some info to post.
The City of San Diego Library System has its 2019 reading program up here.
Each program is different, and the prizes for each program are pretty cool. From tote bags and free lunches, to raffle tickets to win awesome grand prizes like drones and Lego sets, these programs are a great way to motivate kids to keep reading all summer long.
In addition to reading programs, there are also fun events at county and city libraries throughout the summer. My recommendation is to check out your local branches Facebook page. The Mission Valley branch has tons of great summer events planned!
Spring break is upon us, and I know that without a plan, I’d go nuts for two weeks. Here are some of the adventures we plan on getting into:
Legoland: There is a new 4-D Movie, based on the popular Lego City cartoons! You can check out a preview here. Plus the usual fun stuff, and of course Granny’s Apple Fries. YUM.
Balboa Park: As we have two weeks off, that gives us two opportunities to enjoy two Resident Free Days down at Balboa Park. If you can’t get down to Balboa Park on a free Tuesday, you should definitely make it down for the new exhibits and films down at The Nat.
Tide Pools: The Pacific Ocean is still too cold to swim in during April, but it’s never too cold to explore the Tide Pools. My favorite Tide Pool is at Cabrillo National Park. Here is a list of the 6 best Tide Pools in San Diego.
The Big kid and his friends at the Tierrasanta Pool back when he was a little guy.
Swimming: While the ocean may be cold, our local pools are not. The Cameron Family YMCA has a great children’s splash pad/pool, The Ned Baumer Pool in Mira Mesa has a kids pool/splash pad, and the Tierrasanta Pool has a fun splash pad for littler kids.
San Diego Zoo: As I’m sure most of you are aware, the Pandas are going back home to China at the end of April (April 27th to be exact). I’ll be taking the kids to the zoo at least once to say goodbye to the pandas and see the other animals. But, no trip to the Children’s Zoo Playground. The Children’s Zoo is closed while they remodel the area.
Play dates at the Park: We’ll be playing with our friends at the park, investigating the creeks, and doing crafts with our friends. I’ve ordered a couple craft kits, including a suncatcher kit, and a Bouncy Ball making kit.
Being Lazy at Home: I can’t be expected to run all over town for 2 weeks, right? We’ll for sure have (at least) one day at home where we will hang out in our PJ’s, eat popcorn, and watch movies.
Talk Back: If you haven’t already had your spring break, what will you be doing?
For those of you who have read my blog for a while, you know that food insecurity is a cause near and dear to my heart.
The City of San Diego Library System has its 2019 reading program up 
Hewes Family Fun 