santee

Santee, CA Parents: Positive Parenting Program!

Abby H.

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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

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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
  • Recognizing and expressing feelings as a family
  • Modeling positive thinking for your children
  • Strategies for dealing with stressful life events

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 
Jewish Family Services (858) 637-3375
www.jfssd.org/positiveparenting

 

Parents Helping Parents: Behavior Resources for Home Workshop 10/8/19

Abby H.

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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.

 

Enter to Win 2 Tickets to Pickwick Players Production of Treasure Island!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2019-08-08 at 7.53.52 AM.pngI’m at it again! One of the reasons you haven’t seen me lurking around social media and the blog lately is that I’ve been really busy designing and making costumes for Pickwick Players upcoming production of Treasure Island by Ken Ludwig.

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Courtesy of Pickwick Players

Based on the book by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island follows Young Jim Hawkins on a journey far from home to find treasure with a group that includes Captain John Silver, Anne Bonny, and Calico Jack!

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Photo Courtesy of Tyler Hewes

I was really lucky to have a great team to make this show come to life. The set design really transforms the space, and the lighting and music are spot on!

To celebrate the opening weekend, you can score $10 tickets (Only for opening weekend)  Go to www.pickwickplayers.net and use the code “scurvy10”. Performances are on Friday, Saturday evenings (7:30pm) and Sunday matinees (2pm) – August 9 to 25.

I am giving away a pair of tickets to the show! To Enter, leave a comment below- Who would you take with you on your pirate adventure? I will choose a winner on 8/14/19.

Giveaway: Summer Fun at Uptown Jungle!

Abby H.10 Comments
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Henry playing Dodgeball with the Big Kids

Yesterday the kids and I headed over to Uptown Jungle in Santee. If you haven’t been there in a while (or ever) they’ve got a lot of exciting stuff going on right now!

For those not in the know, Uptown Jungle is an indoor playground with a giant trampoline, super slides, and 2-story indoor Mega Play Structure, Obstacle Course, and climbing walls! So regardless of the summer heat outside, kids can run and play.

The Santee location is going to be getting a makeover soon. The toddler area will be getting a wall-sized Light Brite board (which sounds super cool to me), the Obstacle Course is getting a cool ninja makeover, and the parent’s lounge will be reconfigured!

One of the best parts of Uptown Jungle is that the staff is really great with kids and they try to make sure everyone has an awesome time. The staff helps the kids safely get into the climbing wall harnesses and cheers them on as they climb. The trampoline area switches from little kids to big kids frequently, so everyone gets a turn to play safely.

One thing that really impresses me is that Uptown Jungle has Fundraising opportunities!

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Forget selling candy bars, candles, T-shirts, etc. Host a fundraising event at Uptown Jungle and earn 35% of the group’s admission!

And of course, there are opportunities for Birthday parties or team parties!

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Uptown Jungle has a Customer Royalty Program! When you download the app, you receive an offer for 1 hour of free play added to your paid admission! Find it wherever you download apps.

And they also have an email club! Join the Email Club for a Buy One Get One Hour of Play Time!

I want to share the fun of Uptown Jungle with you! One lucky reader will win 4 90-minute passes to Uptown Jungle. To enter, click here, or visit our Facebook page here (This option may not be mobile friendly).

 

Talk Back: How do your kids get their wiggles out in the summer?  

 

IMG_5970.jpgThanks so much to Ricky and his staff at the Santee Uptown Jungle for hosting the kids and me yesterday! We had a fun time, and they were exhausted after 90-minutes of running, jumping, climbing, and sliding!

 

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“Get my Good Side Mom!”

Free Parent Financial Planning Class in Santee 4/10/19!

Abby H.

I received an email from the big kids school about Screen Shot 2019-04-02 at 4.53.50 PM.pngthis class and I thought I’d share.
Spending and saving, taking control of your future!

 

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I am in no way affiliated with this workshop, I thought I’d share it with others who may be interested.  This workshop is sponsored by The Santee Collaborative.

Affected by the Government Shut Down?

Abby H.

4cad5a265dc46a2ca38b1727137b1b6e.jpgI know there are so many families in San Diego that are affected by the government shutdown. I wanted to post a small round up to try and help those who may need help with groceries, clothes, or help with paying bills.

Food: Here is a post about San Diego, CA area food banks, food pantries, and produce distributions. You can also call 211, or visit the 211 website. They have tons of great recourses, including information on housing, utility assistance, and transportation.

Utilities: For those of us in San Diego County, SDG&E has several ways you can save money on your power bill. I’ve gone over a few here.  SDG&E also has information on their site specifically for furloughed Federal employees.

We switched to Time-of-Use pricing a few months ago, and combined with being more mindful of when and how we use power:

  • Turning off lights during the day and opening the shades/curtains
  • Turn your thermostat up.
  • Doing laundry and dishes before 4pm or after 9pm
  • Using Smart Plugs and using OhmConnect to help us conserve power actively during times when there is extra demand on the grid. You can learn more about OhmConnect here.

Clothing Resources: Here are a few resources that can help you with clothes. There are clothing swaps all over San Diego County.

Pet Resources: The San Diego Humane Society is offering free pet food (cat or dog) for furloughed Federal employee. Per their Facebook page: “We will offer free pet food to federal employees affected by the government shutdown Monday, Jan. 14 through Friday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at all three of our campuses. Two bags of pet food will be provided to each family who can show proof of federal employment. All pet food will be available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. You can help by sharing this post, donating on our website (https://bit.ly/2AJJtcN) and/or by donating dog or cat food at any of our locations.”

Free Upcoming Positive Parenting Classes in San Diego!

Abby H.

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Parents and caregivers: It’s ok to say that you don’t have all the answers, and it’s ok to look for help.  Jewish Family Services has a Positive Parenting Program and it’s coming to Santee next month! It’s a free class, and all you have to do to attend is call Meredith Riffel at 619-258-2345 to RSVP.

From their website, “The Positive Parenting Program (PPP) provides free parenting workshops throughout San Diego County in Head Start preschools, elementary schools, and other community sites to help parents and professionals learn how to use simple, practical, and powerful strategies to strengthen families.

Throughout our five-year history, we have served more than 5,000 families, helping 10,000 low-income preschool children communicate better, cooperate more, and show greater respect toward their parents, teachers, peers, and themselves. Nearly 97% of parents surveyed report seeing improvements in their children’s behavior!”

The best part is that childcare is provided for those of us with littles that are not in school yet!

San Diego Families: In Need of School Supplies?

Abby H.

apple and books.jpgBack to school approaches! For us, school starts on August 23rd. For some families, back to school is a hard time because the cost of backpacks, school supplies, new clothes and shoes can really add up.

For those in need, the SMOAC (That’s Santee Mobilehome Owner’s Action Committee) is helping out families in need. On August 19th at the Santee Library, starting at 10am, SMOAC will be handing out backpacks with supplies to families in need.

SMOAC is looking for donations too- if you aren’t in need and want to help, there are lots of ways to help out!

Screen Shot 2018-07-25 at 8.32.01 AM.pngOn August 11th from 5-9pm Chipotle in Santee is hosting a fundraiser.

Screen Shot 2018-07-25 at 8.21.30 AM.pngDonations of items such as: backpacks, #2 pencils, paper, pens, glue sticks, rulers, pencil sharpeners, white glue, notebooks, scientific calculators, crayons, safety scissors are requested. Most of these items can be picked up at Target, Walmart, Office Depot, or 99 Cents Only fairly cheap.

Donations can be dropped off at Santee Library, Cameron YMCA, Mission Realty Group in Santee, Santee Lakes General Store, El Cajon Toyota, Oggi’s Pizza in Santee, and the Santee Chamber of Commerce. If you are busy and can’t make it to the store and drop off locations, You can buy a gift card for a teacher or send a check to SMOAC.  The mailing address can be found in the photo above.

The goal this year to to help 1500 East County families in need!

No Proof of need is required, just show up at the Santee Library on August 19th. The event starts at 10am, but you may want to get there a little early to beat the rush.

Looking for Frugal Fun for Christmas? Check out Neighborhood Light Displays!

Abby H.2 Comments

file2901261162927.jpgIt’s back… We’ve already been through a few areas, and Henry is itching for a big cuppa Cocoa from Starbucks and a ride in Miss Sally (my car) to go check out all the lights in ONE NIGHT!

We love looking at holiday light displays, and I’ve noticed more neighbors than in past years are putting up lights all over east county! If you want to get out and check out the sites (and lights), here are our favorites:

EL CAJON, 92021

  • Jingle Bell Hill (also known as Pepper Dr. Lights). Solomon Ave./Pegeen Pl. and surrounding area. Off 67 & Bradley. Dec. 8-26, Mon-Th 6-9 pm, Fri-Sun 6-10 pm. There is usually a Nightmare before Christmas house, but we didn’t see it the other night. Henry was bummed.

LAKESIDE, 92040

  • 10248 Paseo Palmas Dr. Nicknamed “Tinsel Town”. Dec. 1-25, 5:30-9 pm. Most of the houses on this street are very well decorated with lights and moving displays!

SANTEE, 92071

  •  Starlight Circle, East and West Glendon Circles. Through December 26th, 7-10 pm. This is extremely popular! You can park and walk through. There are neighbors selling cocoa, coffee, popcorn, and cotton candy. If you walk, take money with you! Starlight Circle even has a facebook page!
  • 9773 Roe Dr. 27,000 Christmas lights dance to 10 songs over 128 computer channels. Food Bank and St. Jude donations accepted. Dec. 3-Jan. 2. Sun-Th, 6-10 pm and Fri & Sat, 6-11 pm.www.DBChristmas.com It is very impressive!
  • I haven’t been by to see if it’s up this year, but in years past…. If you love South Park, after you stop by Roe, cruise down Lake Canyon Drive (in the 9400 block, East of Carlton Hills Blvd) and check out the Woodland Critter Christmas Display.

 

We pack the kids into the car after dark with cocoa and snacks and head out for a drive. It’s a fun way to spend time together, and it’s pretty frugal!

What holiday traditions do you want to share with your kids?

 

Super Busy Summer!

Abby H.

I haven’t had much time to sit at the computer and write lately, but we’ve been busy! There are so many free and frugal things to do in the summer, and we haven’t even done a 1/3 of what we have planned!

Here are just a few of the adventures we’ve been having (and you can try them too)!

 

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Henry’s Handiwork!

Rock Painting!  Some of you have seen pictures of the painted rocks we’ve been making, hiding, and finding all over town on my Instagram feed.  Santee Rocks was started by a local teacher to spread kindness.  There are lot of other “rocks” groups all over San Diego, and the US! We even hosting a Rock Painting party at a local park! Over 30 people showed up, painted, and played. We hope to host another one in July.

We’ve also been hitting up our local libraries for all sorts of fun events and activities. Our favorite is the El Cajon Library. They serve lunch M-F, 11:30-12:30.  Afterwards there are a variety of events and activities from special speakers, concerts, and even crafts! And they even serve an afternoon snack!

There is a small play area for kids with an interactive discovery structure, and a Duplo Wall! There is a shaded playground out front as well. It’s a great way to spend a few hours in a climate controlled place without visiting the mall or any place where you might spend money. We usually end up bringing home a few library books too.

We’ve been on adventures with friends! Playing T-ball at the park and going on the hunt for decorated rocks was the biggest hit so far.

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Playing dress up is a frequent stay at home activity. Here we have the Pirate T-Rex, trick or treating for meat.

And of course, We spend time at home, doing crafts, swimming in the community pool, playing Legos, and just hanging out!

I’m of the mind that summer doesn’t need to be packed with activities sun up to sun down. Frequently, we spend our time at home spending time together. We have friends over to play, but it’s super low-key.

I’ve taking a break from trying to pound out an article or post each day. I want to spend time with the kids and family.

What kinds of activities and adventures has you family been having this summer?