Thanks for being there Night Owl Pediatrics!

I just want to give a shout out to Night Owl Pediatrics in Pleasant Hill. We took my son there twice recently, once for an embedded tick in his head and once for an inflamed mosquito bite in his private parts (yikes!). Night Owl is there after hours, when all the other offices are closed...which is usually when injuries, spiked fevers, etc. occur in my household. The doctors are wonderful and many of them have worked or still work at Children's and have ER experience. They can even Xray and set broken bones (fortunately we have not had to use this yet). The office gets us in right away (which is way better than sitting in an ER and waiting for hours and hours) and our insurance covers the visit. We just have our copay. Great service for parents living in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. They are always there for us and I highly recommend them to you. Check out there website at http://www.nightowlpediatrics.com or file this away in your Mommy Memory for future use. I know it will come in handy!

Lamorinda Realtor Lily Wescott Launches "School Booster" Program

Fellow Larmorinda mom and J. Rockliff Realtor, Lily Wescott, just launched her new "School Booster" program for homebuyers and homesellers buying in Lamorinda and surrounding areas in Contra Costa County. Lily will donate $1000 to a local school of your choice upon each closed transaction between now and the end of the year. Our public schools are in crisis and this is Lily's way of going beyond Measure A to help put money where our schools are. The budget cuts still loom and most parents are feeling very anxious about the impact this will have on our kids education. "School Booster" won't help save an eliminated position, but it will certainly boost current contribution, donations and fund raising efforts and help preserve the top performing schools (and property values) that make Lamorinda living one of the best in the Bay Area. Kudos to Lily! If you are looking to buy/sell a home in Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda and need an agent who knows the market as a parent and longtime resident, call Lily of Lamorinda at (925) 330-6108 or visit her website at LamorindaHome.com.

Happiness is where you find it

I just learned about www.SpontaneousSmiley.com. It is a conceptual art piece that lives on the internet and captures smiley faces that exist in our everyday world: a parking meter, a manhole cover, a dresser drawer, a piece of cheese. The point is, if one looks long and hard enough, one can find a smiley face and snap its photograph--smiling all the while. Indeed, it is infectious and fun for kids of all ages. The Chief Smiley Captain is a woman named Ruth Kaiser, who happens to be an artist with a UCB degree in fine arts. As president and founder of TotDrops, Ruth also works with preschool-aged children who no doubt inspire her daily with oodles of happyness and imaginative vision that can spot joy in the mundane. The Spontaneous Smiley project started almost 2 years ago on Facebook and now has over 2,500 members submitting their smileys from around the world. When folks started posting photos on behalf of their kids, Ruth launched her website so kids could participate. Several high school teachers are using the project in their photography classes across America. Ruth hopes to get a huge corporate sponsor to get cameras and printers into classrooms and into the hands of children on a larger scale. Anyone out there interested? It's a great way to teach kids photography and help them hone their skills as they attempt to capture that ever elusive emotion--happiness--in a smiley face! To all you parents out there, I dare you to grab the camera and take the kids on a smiley face hunt. You'll be amazed at what they find and how much smiling YOU can do in one day. Best of all, it doesn't cost a thing. Enjoy! Kathryn
www.SpontaneousSmiley.com

Restoration Hardware Baby & Child Store Now Open!

OMG! Are you a fan of luxury plush items at Restoration Hardware? I never had a blankie as a young child, but I am now hooked on my luxury plush throw. Can't sleep without it. Makes me feel 5 all over again! Speaking of such an innocent age, I just learned that Restoration Hardware has opened a new Baby & Child store at the Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo. Now baby can have luxury plush for his/her nursery and an adorable bear too. In addition to toys, games, apparel, blankies, (check out those cute mobiles--what a great shower gift!), they will also have a nice selection of furniture for baby and kids. Take a peek at their wonderful stuff and then hit the mall!

http://www.rhbabyandchild.com/rhbc/index.jsp

A Totally Sweet Destination: Powell's Sweet Shoppe

Moms, dads, aunts, uncles and grandparents...you have GOT to check out Powell's Sweet Shoppe in Lafayette. They are in the new Lafayette Mercantile Building on Mt. Diablo Road and this place is filled with outrageous candy and confections that will give you that "blast from the past" feeling. Remember Mary Janes, Beemans, Clark Bars and Wax Lips??? They've got em--and Good & Plenty too! My kids like the different color M&M dispensers, perfect for making that perfect rainbow custom blend. There's all the candy I remember from my childhood in the old-fashioned barrels and a ton of new stuff and novelties that will make your eyes pop out. Willy Wonka is playing all the time on the flat screen TV and kids can watch a bit while they lick their lollipops and wait for the grownups to buy one of those "to-die-for" gelatos. Divine! There's something for everyone and once you visit, you will always come back--for that occasional special treat or a weekly indulgence. Go this weekend. Surpise the kids! And tell owners Zeina and Nabil Hissen (and Manager Didi Reed) that the Minivan Reporter sent you!
http://www.powellsss.com/go/index.cfm/locations/california/lafayette/

"Applause for the Cause" June 6 Fundraiser

Just wanted to let you know that the Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center, part of Alta Bates/Summit Medical Group, will be having its first annual "Applause for the Cause" fundraiser. I am on the committee as a volunteer, helping to round up sponsors and support from the community. I've been so impressed by the generosity of so many people, including Genentech, Chloe & Jane, Sumbody, Sagawise Stones, Edible Arrangements, and o2 Marketing.

The Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center helps women, regardless of their ability to pay, to get important diagnostic procedures aimed at detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages. Early detection really is the cure, and I am doing my part to pay-it-forward and help this center elevate this most worthy cause and raise money for crucial educational resources and services. The Bay Area is a hot spot for breast cancer and most of you no doubt know someone who has been touched by this disease. Please let me know if you would like to help or participate. A little enthusiasm can help us a lot--even if it is passing out fliers or telling your girlfriends, sisters, aunts, mothers, brothers, husbands, fathers, grandparents, colleagues, etc.

"Applause for the Cause" will be on June 6, 2009, at the Oakland Marriott Convention Center. The guest performers are the legendary Dionne Warwick, Sinbad and the Oakland Youth Chorus. Tickets are now available at tix.com

This Just In

Color Me Mine opened the doors to a brand new studio in downtown Lafayette in the La Fiesta Square. This paint-it-yourself ceramics studio lets customers design and paint their pieces and pick them up later after the studio glazes and fires their works of arts. I've also just learned of a new retail shop—Monkey Bars—for baby clothing, gear and furniture on Park Street in the charming island city of Alameda. You'll find lots of organic cottons and gender neutral items in this fun, hip store, which is great for baby shower shopping.

Congratulations to MOCHA (Museum of Children's Art) in Oakland. This wonderful non-profit will be celebrating 20 years of children's art with a birthday bonanza, featuring an art-cade of fun for kids of all ages. Located in Swan's Marketplace on 9th Street, MOCHA manages children's art exhibitions and also offers studio art workshops and camps. Visit www.mocha.org to check out their online gallery and get details on their birthday celebration, slated for April 26, from noon-5pm. Admission is free.

Speaking of free. Camp Kesem, a UC Berkeley student-run program that offers a free summer camp for kids who have or had a parent with cancer, is now enrolling for their camp in August. The one-week camp is open to all children, ages 6-13, in the Bay Area and Central Valley. Camper applications are available online at www.campkesem.org/berkeley.

Kathryn