Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, Carpinteria
Do you have a favorite SB activity, sport, or restaurant? How about a favorite birthday party or school subject?
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The tooth fairy brings money from other countries and our daughter has to find the country on the map.
One time she brought a 1,000,000 note from Turkey very cool. (If you were in Turkey you might be able to buy a burger).
Most of the notes were very colorful.
It's about a boy named Milo who meets a watchdog with an actual watch on him called Tock and goes on an adventure to get two princesses called Rhyme and Reason. All of the people in Dictionopolis {which was where they lived} thought that whenever there was a problem Rhyme and Reason would fix it. Which was exactaly what they did.I'm not finished with it yet , but I'm on page 175 and there are 256 pages in it.I think it is a really good book and I recommend it to readers everywhere.
Our favorite holiday tradition is assembling our big Christmas tree after thanksgiving day. This way my kids enjoy more the wonderful time of Christmas and the tree. All my family get together and we have fun decorating the tree! After that, we enjoy our delicious hot chocolate with marshmallow and cookies. Happy Holidays!
My favorite tradition is reading "The Night Before Christmas" right before the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve. We gather as a family and read the book aloud. Then the kids write a note to Santa and put out a plate of cookies, a glass of milk and an apple for Rudolph. Then it's off to bed ... so the parents can finish up gift wrapping, assemble bikes, etc until the wee hour.
One of our favorite holiday traditions is to create a kindness chain. We buy a bunch of pretty craft paper and whenever one of my children sees someone doing something nice for someone else we add a link to our chain. It could be a member of our family helping another member or even someone we don't know holding a door open for someone else. It really gets the whole family to focus on helping others and appreciating when we see other people doing the same. And the chain gets so long! We hang it on our tree or make a garland over a doorway. this is really a fun one!
Our favorite holiday tradition is a cookie exchange party. My daughter and I and several other friends make cookies to exchange. My daughter and and spend several days looking for recipes. She likes cookies with lots of sprinkles and frosting. It is fun to try other cookies and get feedback about your cookies. Bringing home cookies brings the holidays home. A wonderful time is had by all.
We make our own advent calendar. My girls make up some of the items (camp out in the living room & make cookies) and I make the rest such as go out to dinner with friends, I hide goodies or small toys. They love coming home each day to find what is in the advent calendar.
My favirote holiday tradition is decorating. Both my 5 year old son and 4 year old daughter love it! This year they have taken it upon themselves to do the decorating. They get really into it, they finished this past weekend along with several broken items but they had a blast!
Favorite Tradition is taking the family to select our tree and each family member picks an ornament for the year. We are foster parents and have had about 12 different foster children with us over the years. The ones we've had during Christmas have picked ornaments. Its great when the family decorates the tree we remember the children we've had because we have their special ornaments. Brings back lots of memories. Our own two kids also enjoy hearing the stories of the fun times with the kids.
Building a fire in the fireplace or wood burning stove the night we write letters to Santa and then sending our letters by tossing them in the fire so the smoke can carry our messages to Santa in the North Pole.....
One of our favorite holiday traditions it to attend the Evening Children's Christmas Parade, which as last Friday night! We love to get bundled up, sip hot chocolate and watch all the fun groups walk by! State St. is just magical in December, all lit up. A date with my daughter to see the Nutcracker ballet is another favorite!
My favorite holiday tradition is assembling our Christmas tree. For a few years, when my sons were young, we didn't get a big tree, because they would pull ornaments off and I didn't want to police it. Then, once we were through with toddlers in the house, still a trip to the tree lot seemed pricey and hectic and a lot of work. I bought an artificial tree, never having seen one in pieces before, and my sons, then ages 3 and 5, helped find the color-coded branches that went in each tier and we put it together. Now they can almost do it themselves, except for the highest branches. It's a fun family teamwork activity. The ornaments are just an extension of the fun.
My favorite book is Dragon Rider. It is very descriptive, and the author wrote it much to my liking. The story is about a group of dragons whose territory is being torn up by shovels, to make room for a freeway to be built. One brave dragon decided to risk it and went to a new place he had heard about. All the other dragons stayed where they were and eventually, almost all of them died. When the other dragon came back, he asked the living dragon what had happened to the others. His answer was that they all had died. So he went back and lived his life in the new place.
Gabriel told me "I'll protect you mommy!"
PLEASE, PLEASE..as a dog lover, I have watched so many dogs brought into a home because they were "cute puppies". Be aware of your time commitment, exercise time, devotion to the dogs health and happiness. If you think it's ok to leave your dog/puppy home alone all day, if you are going to get frustrated or impatient, now is not the time to get a dog that more than likely will end up in a shelter because you didn't do your homework and got a puppy that doesn't fit your lifestyle. An Austrailan Shepard is NOT an apartment dog, a Lab is a puppy til they are about 3, etc. Please do the homework!!!!
The best type of dog for your family is the type that suits your personality requirements and ENERGY LEVEL best. Not all dogs within a breed will have the same energy level; some "high energy" breeds will have lower-energy dogs, etc.
So I'd consider the individual dog as more important than the breed.
We got our lovely Labrador as a 1-year-old at the Humane Society. She's big, but because she's calm and biddable, seems in many ways like a much smaller dog. I agree with the previous poster that a dog from a shelter or rescue group is a great choice -- as for allergies, regular vacuuming with a HEPA and bathing the dog regularly sure help us!
Growing up we had a cocker spaniel named JoJo. As a puppy, JoJo was full of energy and loved to play with the 4 kids in our family. As JoJo got older she mellowed a bit, but was still a lovable dog and great pal. It was a great learning experience to take care of the dog. Our cocker spaniel and our cat were great playmates. Good luck with your search.
THE MUTT is the best dog for a family! They have fewer health issues and usually have better temperment than pure bred dogs. We adopted our big black mutt Lila from DAWG five years ago and have been overwhelmed by love and appreciation. She is wonderful and puts up with our 18 month old son wonderfully, even when our son tries to "start" her by putting the car key in her...well you get the picture.
Please get a dog from the shelter or a breed rescue group. We had a wonderful retriever/poodle mix from the shelter, I adopted her at 6 weeks old. Our current dog came through golden retriever rescue, also a little puppy when she came, she is a mix and a sweetheart. You have probably seen Bella at the Stow House concerts. Mutts make the best pets and so many are in need of a home. You may not find something on your first trip to the Humane society or the pound, but when you do find your perfect dog, you will be so happy about giving a pet a home. It just does not get better than that. Our sons have shelter dogs also and they are all fabulous.
Old English Sheepdogs are the clowns of the dog shows and the warmth in my memories. My family had one when I was in high school, and we had several while our kids were growing up. In a way, having a sheepdog is much like having kids - a ton of work rewarded by the best little moments in the world. Taking care of the grooming is a monumental responsibility if you do it yourself. An hour a day is about right if you keep at it. Wonderful "chore" for a responsible child big enough to handle it physically (does take some muscle, coordination, etc.). And you can't take a sheepdog anywhere without having plenty of opportunity for interaction with other people who just have to ask something about that dog. They're a long way from the brightest dog, but they take the cake for the most fun.
I'm a local photographer so now that I have my first, Cash, I can't resist photographing him weekly!
Boo at the Zoo is one of our family's favorite Halloween activities. We just attended tonight and this year was the best yet. The decorations are amazing and it is fun to be at the zoo at night. The games and music on the field are also great fun.
We love to take our granddaughter Katie on the Lil' Toot the boat that goes from the marina to the wharf. It is great fun. We take Katie out on the wharf to walk around and have an ice cream cone.
The trolley on State St. Stop at Welcome to Yogurt Land for a delicious and inexpensive Sunday. Pancakes at Sambo's on Cabrillo. Of course, East Beach.
Photo of my wife Joyce and I and our 3 grandchildren, Oliver, Miller, & Katie.
Taffy's Pizza is awesome for the whole family because of the casual atmosphere, wonderful outdoor dining, the great pizza & the arcade for the kids. It's also a good place to catch the big games if you're t.v.-free.
Fresco Cafe at 5 Points...wonderful place for salads, soups, their specials are always worth trying and their desserts are amazing. We love sitting outside under a heat lamp when it's chilly and spend a long evening. The kids enjoy it too because every meal comes with a nice big bowl of fruit salad, and free bread while we wait for our order. It's a great place to people watch as well.
Golf camp (at Twin Lakes) was the best because you got to putt and hit balls really far at the driving range and you got to chip.
My favorite summer camp was Golf Camp at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Goleta. It was fun and I learned a lot of new stuff about golf and it really seemed to make golf more fun.
My favorite book ever is DOGFISH...it's silly my fish doesn't go for walks! Dogfish makes mommy and I both smile:o)
My 10 year old son really enjoyed spending his summer at the UCSB Junior Lifeguards program. He spent 5 hours a day at the beach running, swimming, surfing, boogie boarding and digging. Some days he even came home a little tired! What a great way to spend the summer.
Our boys (8 year old twins) loved the Sailing Camp at Santa Barbara Sailing Center. Learn sailing skills, learn team work, exercise and most important have fun. The counselors rock and can really relate to the kids.
It's not a slam dunk and you must never go with expectation, but Ross and Tuesday Morning are amazing! Although I do not recommend Ross for girls under 13, my 15 year old son and I LOVE going to Ross to find super cute clothes. He's found Element, Volcom, DC and all the logos he loves and I get compliments all the time on shoes and clothes - I hate to say I got them at Ross, but I'm so proud I can't help it!
And, it's quick to get out these days at Ross now that they have a central line - gone are the days of finding yourself in the line that's run out of register tape or a "price check" issue.
Ross is great for purses, luggage, wallets and SUN glasses. I love paying $6 and seeing the same glasses for three times as much at other stores.
For amazing linens that will last forever and make you feel like a queen, get to Tuesday morning. They have clearance days where the clearance is on clearance and you can really clean up!
Bottom line, this girl loves the hunt - and the catch - of shopping at Ross and Tuesday Morning!! I hope to see you there soon!
My daughter's (3.5 yrs) favorite summer camp is Zoo Camp. She loves learning about animals and they learn a lot of songs. It's wonderful to hear her singing the different songs she learns from camp.
My son's (6 yrs) favorite so far is BMX camp at Elling's Park. He loves riding his bike all day although as a parent, it was a little scarry for me as they could use some additional helpers. He's exhausted by the end of the day and that is very nice. He also enjoyed UCSB Summer Day camp because he liked their pool.
Desfile De Los Ninos (Sat Children's Parade) has been a family tradition for over 35 years! My husband participated when he was only 1 year old. Our children are going on their 5th year (ages 3 & 5). Each year our family/friends select a theme, have get togethers months prior to Fieastas and build a float for our children. The kids love it and really get involved in decorating and bonding w/the other kids. Its a wonderful family event! We have local seamstresses make the children their dresses and have traditional charro outfits for the boys.
I have always enjoyed the kids parade... As a young kid I would always dress up as I watched the parade, a couple of times I even participated in the parade... My daughter has now been a part of Fiestas for the last 5 years she dances flamenco and Fiestas in general has always been fun for my entire family...
Our Favorite Old Spanish fiesta activity is participating in the children's parade with another families, this year is the second time that my kids are participating and they enjoy too much after that we go to a Mexican restaurant. Also we like to see the noches de Ronda on thursday. Viva la fiesta!
My family and I love the Children's Parade. It's so fun tos tart the morning off at the pancake breakfast, and then head over to State Street to see all of the kids in the parade. It is such a wonderful community event!! And you usually see old friends along the way.
Me and my family and friends really like to get together and walk to the beach to watch the fire works on the Fourth of July. It is also fun to walk back under the overpass when the crowd is happy and loud.
Our favorite family Fiesta activities are going to Noches de Ronda on Thursday nights and participating in the Children's parade. The parade started with only my 2 children and over the past 6 years has grown to 8-10 kids, all family and friends. It's a great family tradition that we look forward to every year. Viva la Fiesta!!
I'll tell you my little secret, but keep it quiet!
You know how Fiestas always starts on Wednesday with the Mission celebration and concert.... well, to avoid the crowds and get a sneak peak, I go to the mission to day before the big show and check out the dress rehearsal... It's so much more intimate... makes for a real special memory with both my young kids who would never hang during the real thing.
ENJOY!
My favorite birthday party was at Chase Palm Park. It was a Pirate birthday party.
The big stage was our ship with lots of ropes. We had so much space to run around, and we could see the ocean. It was the perfect place for pirates like us to burry and find tresures.
I love to go out on sunny weekends and take my two kids to walk around the beach. We enjoying kicking off our sandals and feeling the sand on our feet. My kids always bring a bucket to collect seashells that the waves have brought ashore.
Our favorite locals things to do in Santa Barbara with my family is to go to downtown and walk to Paseo Nuevo where my parents enjoy a coffee in Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and my sister and me like to go to Ben & Jerry's where we enjoy our favorite vanilla with chocolate chips ice cream. Yummy!
Michelle Warren has been photographing my family for years. She has captured my three children in beautiful images from birth - 5 1/2 years. I highly recommend her.
Chef Karim's is AWESOME! They have a new early bird menu starting at 15.00 for a five course meals...Kids under 6 eat free, kids over 6 half price. Bellydancing nightly...and boy it's a blast for mom, dad, and the kids! The food is fantastic!!! Love it!
Padaro Beach Grill with a bouncy house, all the tables set up, sandbox for littles and good pizza/salad/drinks with ocean breezes. So much fun and worth it when they did the clean up!
When we need a vacation day together, we head down to the harbor and take the "Lil Toot" tug boat through the slips and over to Stearns Wharf for an ice cream cone, and maybe some outdoor seafood. We can either walk back to the harbor, or take the boat round trip.
We LOVE to get up on Saturday mornings and head downtown to the Farmer's Market where we buy all sorts of fresh fruit (especially strawberries from Harry's Berrys). Then we walk up the block to Our Daily Bread and stop by to get a soft cheese from the cheese place next door. Then we head up to Kid's World park so our family can sit and have a picnic and then our 2 year old, Sophie and our 4 year old, Sarah can enjoy the playground. It is a great way to start off a weekend. Sunday morning we can often be found with a picnic on the bluffs in Goleta.
We love to go to the Padaro Beach Grill restaurant where the kids love to play in the huge sandbox, watch the trains go by, and enjoy a tasty meal.
Enterprise Fish Co. is our favorite place to go as a family! The servers are great and the laid back atmosphere is kid friendly. As parents we love it because they have crayons and a huge fish tank to occupy the kids so we can sit back and enjoy their great seafood. The kids love that their meals come in boats and include a dessert, and we love that the kids meals are under $5!!! Enterprise is the one place we can all agree on because the kids love the food and so do we!
Emily Hart-Roberts has taken wonderful family photos for us. She is great with babies and children and takes great action shots not just posed pictures.
We enjoy 4th of July because friends and relatives come to visit us and we enjoy to prepare special food and drinks for them. After a good food. We like to play table games with our kids and see the winners. Later on walk with our friends and children close by the harbor and see fireworks
We love the Thursday night concert series at Chase Palm Park. The bands and music vary each week, but they are all crowd pleasers. We bring a blanket and a picnic, and the kids love to dance around. The playground and carousel are also nearby. It's a fun and festive atmosphere, and the concerts are free.
Our favorite activity on july 4 is go to the beautiful beach on Cabrillo boulevard. we enjoy with all my nice family playing games, playing with sand, and swimming on the sea. Then at night enjoy the fireworks! yeah yeah
One of our tried and true summer activities is grabbing dinner at one of the fun Isla Vista restaurants and going to Goleta Beach in the late afternoon/evening. During Summer, parking is much easier in IV and there are lots of yummy dinner take-out restaurants. Some of our favorites include: Silvergreens (use the Axxess card if you have one), Naan Stop (fast Indian), Pita Pit (think Subway on a pita), and Super Cuca (fast Mexican - try the chicken enchiladas).
We bring a beach blanket, drinks and dessert from home (maybe a bottle of wine?) and the kids brave the ocean or build sandcastles. These mild evenings are perfect and mom gets a break from doing the dishes! If you make it to sunset, well, there's nothing better than a beach sunset.
Emily Hart-Roberts is our favorite photographer! She puts all four of our kids at ease and captures great shots. She is wonderful!
Alphabetica, written by Santa Barbara native Diana Spieker and illustrated by Krista Skehan is our favorite children's book. The poetry is amazing and the illustrations are bright and colorful. It is fun for all ages and makes a great addition to any library.
Emily Hart-Roberts is our favorite photographer. I just cannot say enough about her abilities to capture the best photos of your family. She is excellent with children and pets. Emily is able to capture natural smiles (with everyone all at once) but more impressive; those devilish grins and that sparkle in the eye that you know so well but are rarely present when you have a camera ready.
Our family's FAVORITE photographer is Emily Hart-Roberts. She is so down to earth that everyone feels at ease. She is a great balance of professionalism and warmth. I have beautiful pictures of my kids that will be a lifetime treasure for my family.
Emily Hart Roberts is our favorite photographer. She took the most amazing photos of our daughter's wedding, and has taken amazing pictures of our children and grandchildren. She's great at sports photos, too. She captures the essence of the moment!
Kids at the Chinese Language Arts Camp are having a blast!! Experiencing fun in the sun.
Emily makes our yearly family photos a snap! She's so easy to work with and my kids like her too!
CHECK OUT HER WEBSITE-
www.emilyhart-roberts.com
Our daughter really enjoys the Girl Scouts Camp. This year they have a fun theme of time travel, where they explore a different decade each day. Engaging activities and crafts go along with the theme, such as tie dying shirts and painting pet rocks for the 60's, learning dances and songs, etc. Enthusiastic staff, healthy snacks, and very reasonable price for an almost full day camp.
Rikka Zimmerman of Rikka Zimmerman Photographers is my favorite. Rikka has an infectious energy that keeps everyone smiling and laughing. She's super creative and her pictures always turns out amazing.
We love Michelle Warren (www.mwfoto.com)! Her work is incredible and she somehow always gets the most amazing shots even when our kids are acting terrible.
Michelle Warren is the BEST PHOTOGRAPHER, EVER!!! She has been capturing special moments in my children's precious lives for years, and we wouldn't use anyone else! I ALWAYS receive compliments on her photos...But, most importantly, she is giving me a lifetime of cherished, treasured moments...
Brad Elliott Photography captures the essence of kids at their casual, exuberant, best. And families, too! http://www.bradelliottphotography.com/
Emily Hart Roberts is our favorite local photographer. She comes to our house once a year and takes the most amazing photos of our girls. She is the mother of two little girls so she knows children. She easily manages to get beautiful candid shots and has a way of getting children to pose when they don't even know they are doing it! She is also a joy to be around. Emilyhartroberts.com
We have used Emily Hart-Roberts several times in the past and she is fantastic! She is really flexible and works wonders with kids. My oldest is a toddler that does not smile for the camera and she still got some amazing pictures. We'll be using her every year!
Emiy Hart-Roberts is the best of the best! She has taken photos at all the school events and produced the best yearbook ever, she volunteers her talents at community fundraisers, and she has captured my children in their precious moments of growing up! Emily is amazing!
We think Michelle Warren is fabulous! We love her creativity. Her photos are always beautiful because she makes the children so comfortable. She is so easy to work with and has a huge array of photo, albums, and cards options.
The best local photographer is EJ Rose Photography. He is a local stay @ home dad who recently started a photography business. His creativity amazes me! He has a vast specialty; from children to cars. He has an artistic eye.
I love local photographer Michelle Warren. She has been shooting pics of my kids for the last six years and I am never disppointed. She is fantastic with kids and her work product is incredible. www.mwfoto.com
Mark Stucky of Berry Flower Photography (BerryFlower.com) is such an incredible photographer. He has an eye for beauty in the ordinary around us. His landscapes and close-ups are phenomenal, and he also has been recognized for his craftsmanship as a wedding photographer, as well as knowing how to capture a candid moment like no other. I feel so fortunate to have such a talent right here in Santa Barbara.
We like the summer reading program at the library! You get prizes for reading 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 books. They are things like pencils, amusement park discounts, and free food. Our favorite is your first initial made in chocolate from the Chocolate Gallery. We sometimes have a competition on who can read the most books over the summer. We hear there are secret prizes you can get if you go over 25 books (at 35 and 50 books, we're told). Reading is already fun, but this makes it even more fun.
Nite Moves is a super fun summer family activity! Held every Wednesday night at Leadbetter, there is a 5K run/walk (runners, walkers, and baby joggers all intermixed), a 1K swim for water lovers, and two free kids runs - a one mile for grades 3-8, and a short sand sprint for all ages. And did I mention free McConnell's ice cream after the sand sprint? Always a hit with the kiddies. Your post-race dinner comes with Firestone Beer on tap (a hit with the parents), or you can just bring a picnic. On those perfect SB summer evenings, this is a great, mellow place to hang out with the family.
Our favorite camp summer is zoo camp! we love the animals! we love to be in contact with animals, we love to learn all about them, and love to do a lot of activities in the zoo.
My favorite camp is Aquacamp through Parks & Rec. We went to a different beach every day, went fishing off the pier and traveled to Long Beach aquarium. My mom liked it because I was tired every night. I'm doing it again this summer.
After the crowds have left from I Madonnari, we like to take a early picnic dinner to the rose gardens with a few other families on Tuesday. We eat, play games, and take turns going to see to chalk drawings.
Safety Town is hands down the best camp. It is only for kids entering Kindergarten or 1st grade ... but it is an absolute must. It is a perfect introduction to camps and I wish there was something done this well for older kids.
My kids' favorite camp is zoo camp. They are true animal lovers, and being there for a week is truly heaven for them! The staff is well trained and I feel like my kids are safe there.
Young Writer's Camp - UCSB -- love it! Kids are awesome, teachers great.
My son and daughter's favorite camp is at Beach Stars Gymnastics. Beach Stars puts on fabulous camps, all with fun themes. It is *fun* gymnastics, not serious or intimidating for kids. Coach Suzy fills the camp days with movement, music, art, and lots of love. She puts her heart and soul into her work and it shows. Best of all, the camps are not a full week commitment like many others. You can choose just a couple days per week. No experience or membership necessary, just a desire to have fun! Check it out.
I am honored to share that my daughter Jade, at a mere 7 years of age, has enriched many people's lives with her philanthropic nature and loving heart. Jade wanted to have a carnival for her birthday. Every year, my children and I make a toy and a small monetary donation to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Jade decided that she wanted to have a carnival to raise money for the children and this is her story in her words:
"My birthday I turned 7 and had a carnival birthday party. I asked my friends to not bring me a gift but they bring $5 to play games and I would donate the money to sick children. All of my friends gave five dollars and it was so much fun! Me and my mom went to Los Angeles to visit the Children's Hospital where there are so many sick children. I wanted to help them so I gave them all the money and extra toys from the carnival so that they can have fun even though they are really sick kids. I was very happy to be helpful and care about sick children."
After her birthday party, many parents thanked us for inspiring their families and for the holidays Jade's entire classroom sponsored a family who have a terminally ill child at the Children's hospital. We fulfilled the holiday wish list for the entire family along with a Christmas tree adorned with the student's handmade ornaments. We delivered the holiday gifts directly to the family at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles which touched everyone's' hearts. I am incredibly proud of Jade and continued to be awed by the abilities that she has to support and uplift humankind.
I love Silvergreens! After my mom is done shopping at Paseo, I get a reward - my favorite kids meal ! I love their hamburger and mac and cheese. My mom loves it too because it is good for me so we are both happy!
My favorite restaurant to go to is Cody's Cafe. They have good pancakes and bacon. They are very nice.
I pack a red and pink lunch for my kids on valentines day. Apples, strawberry muffins, yogurt, red pepper hummus and salami. With a heart napkin and special love note from Mom!
My son Matthew is 2 1/2, and all of his little friends are girls. This year he his more aware of what's going on and understands holidays now, so he is making v-day cards for all the girls and picking flowers to bring to them. He of course will also be enjoying heart shaped pancakes and sandwiches. And tons of kisses from Mommy!
This year (weather permitting) I want to pack a picnic and have lunch at the beach. The kids love it and my husband and I can have some semi-alone time while they are playing in the surf and tidepools. Plus the picnic can be made with heart shaped sandwiches, heart cookies and a generally red/pink theme, i.e. red peppers, apples, strawberries, red grapes. The kids really like to have a one color meal and it is a fun kind of challenge for me to get creative with food.
Wilderness Youth Project is my favorite thing to do. We get to play outside, go exploring, and catch lizards. The people are really nice.
Our favorite video game is jumpstart world Kindergarden it is very funny and educational.
My Family loves the website freerice.com where you can donate rice grains to the hungry by answering vocab questions. It tells you how many grains you have earned and you watch the bowl fill . Best of all it is for a good cause
The best party I had was a BBQ at La Mesa Park. The view of the ocean is gorgeous there, and the playground is really nice. There's also a eucalyptus forest where kids like to gather sticks. I borrowed potato sacks from a friend and had races. It was really fun!
Directions and photos of La Mesa Park-
http://lotsafunmaps.com/details.php?locationid=199
El Torito is my favorite place for family brunch with 4 kids and a picky husbands, they have something for all of us, plus we get to walk it off at the beach and enjoy the Arts and Crafts after brunch. I love the atmoshpere and if anything goes wrong they really take care of you!
Our familia LOVES going to the MESA CAFE. They have a friendly staff that greets my 1 year old by his first name and readily provides my five year old with a bountiful helping of pasta. Not only are the staff helpful, but the customers are always pleasant and friendly. One time, a complete stranger bought me some flowers just for being a momma. The MESA CAFE...a sparkling gem!! :)
My parents have been taking us dine-out since we were babies. My 4 year old sister and I especially enjoy Chilli's, Elephant Bar, Outback, Fish Enterprise, California Pizza Kitchen, Pizza Mizza, Galanga (love the mushroom soup!), Mesa cafe, Red Pepper, Saigon, Sushi Teri, Longboard's Cafe, Mandarin Palace, Padaro Beach Grill, Rudy's, IHop, L& L Hawaiian BBQ, McConnell on De La Vina and Coldstone. I love trying different kind of food and we got tired of boring kids menu! We prefer a casual, family friendly restaurants that tend to be loud and and relax. A white tablecloth, different shaped glasses, tons of silverware and different size of plates on the table just don't suit our needs. :)
We have twin boys currently 7 (but nearing 8) years old. We have been dining out with them since they were babies. Our favorite spots in Santa Barbara/Goleta are Outback (we call it the Mac and Cheese Store), Elephant Bar (Elephante) and Nordstrom Cafe. One of the guys palate has clearly left the kid's menu so he gets to order off the "big" menu and I'll eat his kids meal. I'd love to know more kid friendly places to go to widen our selection choices.
We like Ruby's Diner because of the great corn dogs and the cars you can decorate. I also like Elephant Bar because of the coloring packet.
My sister Kyelee(age 7) likes CPK the best because of the drinks, the pasta and the kids coloring sheets.
We've found several places to be great to take our daughter (11 mos). 1) We LOVE Hollister Brewing Co. It has a great, varied menu. We can sit inside or outside. The wait is minimal. They have great beers and beverages for us parents and a nice menu for kids. The staff is very understanding. It is our GO to place. 2) The Beachside. Also, it's easy to sit in or outside. The menu is great, and the staff is understanding. It's a little more expensive and sometimes the wait is long - but it's worth it. 3) Glen Annie Grill - there's no wait, you can sit in or out, and food is good - This is definitely an unknown gem in Goleta!! And yes, plenty of grass for kids to run around on (as it's at the glen annie golf course!) Enjoy a nice dinner out!! =)
We love to go out to eat with our mom and dad. When my dad is out of town, we always go to Sushi Teri... our favorite is the Alaskan Handroll and we also like the calamari.
For a special treat, we sometimes get to go to Arigato or Edomasa.
Our other favorite place is Pizza Mizza... we love the pizza and the chocolate chip cookies after dinner. It is fun to go there after-school for a snack.
Boudreaux's Butt Paste! 4 kids later I can use it on the baby's bum, my 3 year olds exzema, my eight year olds skinned knees and on my 11 year olds nose at the beach if I run out of sun screen. The stuff is AMAZING!
I love to eat at Nordstrom Cafe. They have peanut butter and jelly on the menu, and you can sit outside way up high! Shoreline Cafe at Ledbetter beach is good, too, especially if your mom remembers to bring shovels. You can eat your hamburger with your toes in the sand!
I like the breakfast at Max's! They decorate your pancakes with smiley faces :-)
We love Pizza Mizza for several reasons. It's never too crowded, we can sit inside or out, great food, good specials, crayons and paper for the kids and the service is fast and good.
Our favorite kid-friendly restaurants have to be
1. The Padaro Beach Grill - massive sandpit and contained garden area. We walk down to the beach afterwards and cross the railroad tracks which is a nice adventure.
2. The Elephant Bar back patio - our three kids (5, 3 and 3yrs) love to play around on the adjacent grass while they wait for the food, and noise doesn't matter. Staff are always lovely.
Our family has found that Cajun Kitchen is a great place to take our infant son. The wait-staff are always so accommodating and excited to see our little one. It's a relaxed atmosphere with great food. Their portions are hefty and the flavorful. My husband loves the File Gumbo but I prefer their Crazie Shirley's scramble. We both agree that their cornbread is a mouthful of crumbly, buttery, goodness. Our out of town relatives always request a breakfast trip to Cajun Kitchen!
My favorite restaurant is Elephant Bar because I like to sit on the patio and watch the planes take off and land. They also give you ice cream for dessert.
We have a two year old son that is very willful, social and active. Sound familiar? Ha! We LOVE taking him to Petrini's Restaurant on 14 W. Calle Laureles. The food is amazing, the environment is so relaxed. They totally understand that the kids need their food fast! And you can usually choose where to sit. So if your little one is in "rare form" you can find a strategic location to ENJOY your meal! I just can't say enough about it. The prices are great, the food is great and the owner and staff are fantastic.
We to take the kids to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner out. They've got their two favorite choices on the menu, pizza and pasta. I like that they also have good choices for mom and dad. Other than the wait for a table, the service is usually pretty quick once you get seated so we can get in and out before any meltdowns occur.
I absolutely love going to The Palace Grill in downtown Santa Barbara. There is a reason they win "Best Service" from the Independent's "Best Of" circular each year! It's a great place to enjoy wonderful music, singing, a great staff, amazing food, casual environment and just a nice relaxing place to take friends, relatives and children to. It's not pretentious at all and the best part is when all the waiters and chef's stop what they're doing and sing "What a Wonderful World" while walking around toasting everyone in the place! Such a great vibe! Did I mention the food is fabulous?? =)
For kid friendly restaurants, Woody's in the Magnolia Shopping Center is hard to beat. Sawdust on the floor and a big bathtub sink for washing up! My family also loves the Chicken Ranch, Kahuna Grill, Freebirds in I.V. and Pepe's Mexican Restaurant in Goleta.
The Brewhouse. It's noisy enough that no one is bothered by kid noise. Also, my toddler loves to flirt with the waitresses who always pay special attention to him. The food is excellent!
The kids have their own bank account at the credit union. They have an ATM card so that they understand that a card does not necesarily mean you have money (credit is less than zero). Each have a money jar in the house and coin rolls so that they can see money increasing in the jar. Then we transfer it to the bank. We pay by check for allowance so that they understand that a check is in fact money. They keep accounts received, deposited and spent in their bank account books. We have tried from the very beginning to give them the tools that they will use when they become adults to handle their money. (Even the four year old has his own account and account book!)
While parents are making "big picture" estate planning decisions (which can sometimes take a long time), something to consider is creating a statement about who would be the guardian(s) of your children if both parents died, with alternates if the intended person is unwilling or unable. The form can be simple to complete and needs to be notarized to be valid.
Our family enjoys walking on the bluffs in Douglas Park Reserve on the Mesa. It is a great place to walk at Sunset. Our daughter loves playing on the logs, running on the paths and climbing the trees along the way. You walk on dirt paths that overlook the ocean. It is also a great place to take your dogs.
We love to go to the pancake breakfast on Saturday morning. It is a great place to see friends and enjoy breakfast in the park. We love the fun atmosphere, the fiesta entertainment and the delicious pancakes...plus it is a fund raiser.
The tooth fairy loves to make trades with our daughter...on Halloween or after a birthday party. Have a few small gifts ready to trade or a few dollars to use at the toy store. It comes in handy when she comes home with a bag full of candy from a pinata or goodie bag. She usually picks one or two pieces and then gladly trades the rest of her candy for another non-sweet treasure.
As transplants to Santa Barbara, we view Fiesta from a "tourist" perspective and do it all with our family of six! We'll start tonight by having a picnic at the Mission to watch the dancers and smash cascarones on each other's heads. We'll spend a morning watching the animals at the Rodeo and usually an afternoon and an evening at the Mercados to eat and go on rides. We meet a lot of friends at the pancake breakfast (bringing our own berries) and walk over to the Children's Parade afterwards. And we'll answer the phone this week with "Viva la Fiesta!" ("Viva la!" for short).
We love going to Fiesta Pequena at the Old Mission, however, we are definetely going to miss Father Virgil this year since he was the one that made it more special with his special remarks of bringing community together with love.
Our favorite fiesta activity is to see the spanish dancing of Linda Vega in the cumbre plaza, my mom take us every year and we love to go over there! also we like to see everything about the fiesta. We will be on the parade! Viva la fiesta!
The BEST and TRUE authentic place for fabulous Mexican food during Fiestas is Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (on Nopal St.). The people, music and festive atmosphere makes anyone feel at home!! Our family has been going there for years!! What a splendid secret!!!
Last year we wanted our son to be in the Children's Parade (we even made his float & costume) but the ash was too severe and we had to stay indoors all weekend. This year, my husband and I are excited for him to experience some of our favorites; Parades, Pancake Breakfast and the Our Lady of Guadalupes Festival. We're so excited.
I love horses so of course the Fiesta Parade, El Defile Historico, is great fun. I like to watch it on Cabrillo Blvd., find a spot where the kids can catch colorful flowers from smiling children, the palms and ocean shimmering with the dancers; horses hooves prancing along the Blvd. When we've had enough we slip out up Shorline Drive from the harbor sampling candy thrown from the many carriages of celebration.
My Favorite Fiesta tradition is going to Mc Kenzie Park on Wednesday or Thursday. Those days are not as busy as the rest so it is easy to keep an eye on my kids and easy for them to see everything without all of the crowds. I like to teach them about all the Spanish traditons. We grab some tacos, watch some great dancing, crack some confettii eggs on each others heads, and ride a few small rides.
It is fun for all of us!!!!
I like to make fiesta eggs with confetti and tissue paper.
I love the horse parade. My mom takes me and my friends to watch the parade, eat churros and crack confetti eggs on each other. I like to wear a fiesta dress (I have a a white one and a red one to choose from). Sometimes we see the horses poop right in the middle of the street!
Our family's favorite activity is to take a late afternoon walk down to El Mercado del Norte with our nearby grandparents. We usually give the kids a few quarters as we pretend to look away, then are "surprised" as we get smashed on the head with confetti eggs. We often choose from the many authentic foods for a picnic-style dinner, top it off with a churro, then watch or dance to whatever fun Fiesta music and dancing is on stage. Fiesta is especially fun through our kids eyes!!
My son Matthew's birthday is August 5th, fiesta, so to honor this we have decided to have a pinata at each of his birthday parties as our fiesta tradition. Last year it was a giant cupcake and this year it is a nemo pinata.
My mom give me her toothbrush and I give her the mine and I do her toothbrush and she does to me at the same time it is so cool.
Elwood Bluffs! Of course! You can see, feel, find, experience and encounter anything you would want to imagine! You can do yoga on your own or with your kids! You can see dolphins down below, you can run races with your kids and other people's dogs that you share the paths with... You can see butterflies on your way to or from the bluffs, you can have picnics and you can ... just be yourself! AND.... ALWAYS count on a good hike!
ANY beach!!! after a good storm is the best palce to be!
We love all the newer Barbie movies. A few of them are Barbie as the Island Princess, Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper and Barbie as Rapuntzel. They are great!
My birthday is on Christmas day, so I never had a birthday party at the same day, so my mom decided to do a half birthday party for me. It was a breakfast birthday party, all my friends came in the morning to the beach. The weather was perfect. First we had breakfast: pancakes, whipped cream, strawberries, waffles, English muffins with eggs, cereals and milk, orange juice, bagels and cream cheese, coffee and tea for the adults. We played a lot at the grass, at the sand we sprayed each other with water. Finally, we had cake and juice. My favorite part was when I got to open my gifts. It was the funnest day and I will never forget it.
I love going to the beach that my mom went to when she was little. She plays volleyball with friends and sometimes I play, but sometimes I just play with the other kids that are there. It stays out light late, so we can go even on days my mom works.
My 2 1/2 year old son always disliked brushing his teeth, or having me do it, until I heard that kids should brush their teeth for as long as it takes to sing the ABC song twice. To make it more fun, I sing in Elmo's voice, which always makes my son giggle. We sing the song once while he brushes and then again while I brush. Works like a charm!
We like to go to the wharf and then ride little toot to the harbor and back. The kids love to drive the boat!
One of my family's favorite places to go is the Botanic Garden. It's fun to get lost on the trails and spend hours at the creek.
My favorite summer activity is going to oak park pool.
My favorite SB activity is going to Goleta Beach and playing in the waves
A favorite of ours during the warm months of the year are to go swimming at the big natural water holes at Red Rock (HWY 154, turn right on Paradise Rd.) It is only a 25 minute drive and is free! The kids love to play and splash in the shallow clear waters, while collecting polly-wogs and trying to catch fish.
As a sister of a local firefighter we always seem to to shower our local heros during the most difficult times. Often times, these local heros need to be showered with love throughout the year. Maybe local neighbors can rally together and monthly show them their appreciation by hosting a dinner and/or a dessert. I know that my brother feels very appreciated when families randomly stop by the firehouse just to say "MUCHAS GRACIAS!!" Also, donating to their non-profit organizations would also be greatly appreciated!
WE LOVE YOU NINO TROY AND THE ENTIRE SB COUNTY BOMBEROS!!! BLAZE ON!!!
Laura Herrera and Familia
Local kids thank their dad & coworkers for their efforts to extinguish the Gap Fire and keep our community safe.
Our favorite santa barbara activity is playing at Shoreline Park.
My favorite SB activity is going to the Library and getting new books and movies. I also love the beach and building sand castles.
Our favorite restaurant is Presto Pasta! we love to eat there. The menu is so good! and the favorite is Fetuccini alfreto with chicken parmigiana.
My favorite sb activity is on the summerland beach ! I love to be there.
The name for the monkey is Hot pink flaming blue monkeys.
Fact: Some people call the brightest meteors fire balls.
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