Try Giving Memories Instead of Things – Slideshows by Bari

A slideshow of memories makes a lasting, meaningful gift

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Do the people in your life really need that box of cheap plastic crap that you can get on sale today for $4.99? Do you really want them to open a gift that they are going to forget the moment you walk out the door?

Think about the moments you remember – the time spent together, the milestones, the shared experiences. Even if you are far away you can make some smile, over and over again, with a thoughtfully designed photo slideshow.

Bari of Slideshows by Bari will take your photos (and even video clips) and compile them into an artful slideshow that you can show at events or send to loved ones across the miles. She made one for me so I could show it to you here: a set of memories for my grandmother (my “Nana”), who lives back in CT near most of the rest of my family. Nana has been a role model of a strong woman for me for my entire life. She had five kids and when they were old enough she started working in City Hall in my hometown and significantly influenced the culture and infrastructure of that city for decades. I remember sitting at her desk at City Hall when I was little (I don’t have a picture for that), and receiving gifts from her travels all over the world. I never knew that women were disadvantaged in any way. This is what I thought a woman was.

Nana is 93 now and doesn’t fly anymore so she hasn’t been out to visit us in several years. Our family does our best to FaceTime or Skype when we can’t be together especially over the holidays but it gets hard because my kids are such goofballs and won’t really allow a peaceful video chat call to happen.

Also, what do you get for the woman who has everything? Aside from flying to CT to be with her, which I wish I could do more often, I thought a slideshow of favorite memories would be a lovely gift. It has already been a lovely gift for me, from Slideshows by Bari:

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Bari’s turnaround time is amazing. This slideshow above has just over 50 photos in it – some that she scanned for me and some that I already had as digital files. She’ll also incorporate video clips if you have them. Her rate is usually $2 per photo, and I would say it’s totally worth it. Yes, your 9-year-old can probably make a slideshow with iPhoto, but it won’t get it done quickly (trust me) and with as much professionalism and skill as slideshows by Bari.

Slideshows By Bari
Agoura Hills

Learn How to Stress Less at Erewhon

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Erewhat?

No…Erewhon. It’s the organic natural foods store in Calabasas at the Summit shopping center off the Lost Hills exit of the 101.

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My kids and I popped in there for the first time since they recently opened, to check out Erewhon Chats, an in-store demo series that features experts, chefs, and demos. On that evening the topic was “Meatless Mondays,” and a lifestyle expert was talking about non-meat products you can use in recipes. Unfortunately, (depending on how you see it) my kids were starstruck by the store, and they decided that it was time to ogle the dishes in the deli case, or wander the aisles looking at all the packaged foods. So because if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, we took a stroll through the store to compare prices and selection with the stores where I normally shop.

The organic produce was beautiful and reasonably priced. I even caught my older son wondering about the spaghetti squash, which delighted me because  I thought maybe I could get him to taste it sometime. But no, he saw that Erewhon sells if for 99 cents a pound, and thought “Cha-ching!” We grew spaghetti squash in our garden this year (quite by accident) so he was thinking we could sell our crop!

The healthy foods on offer at Erewhon were intriguing to my kids, who wanted to know what kefir is, and spelt. “Where are the sweets?” asked the younger one, and I am sure they were present, but I managed to steer him back to the deli case, where the most delicious freshly prepared foods were on display. Attendees of the Erewhon Chat were given coupons for 20% off at the deli, so I took advantage of it.

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The boys ordered a giant vat of gluten free organic macaroni and cheese, which they inhaled. I got the vegan plate (might as well try something different!) which was tempeh chicken parmesan with non-cheese mozzarella, roasted vegetables, and maple glazed Brussels sprouts. Which I inhaled! (Actually I did save some for my carnivore husband because I wanted to see what he thought of it. He loved it!) The store also treated us to a bottle of freshly juiced…juice. They have a huge selection, and if you buy six they can go home with you in a nifty six-pack burlap carrying bag. The boys and I all loved the tart lemonade made with pure lemon juice, water, and honey.

Erewhon invites you to its next Chat, which is happening Thursday, November 20 at 6:00 PM. The topic is “Stress Less For the Holidays,” something I plan to do every year, don’t you?

Stress Less for the Holidays will feature experts on stress reduction-focused topics as nutrition, vitamins/supplements and acupuncture and demos, along with Q&A, tasty samples, featured products, and more!

Speaker: Monika Klein is a leading clinical nutritionist, weight-loss expert, and health and wellness advocate. She is the founder of Coaching for Health, LLC, creator of the Skinny Jeans Weight Loss Program™, and was the producer and host of Total Health Talk, a cable television show.

Speaker & Demonstration:Denise Noyer-Erez, L.Ac. is president of Integrative Medicine, a practice dedicated to treating women’s health through acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping and diet and nutrition.

Speaker: Superior Source Vitamins’ Matthew Supkoff will discuss the benefits of supplementation for diet, health concerns, energy and lowering stress. Superior Source Vitamins dissolve in seconds with no pills to swallow.

Demo: Siddha will present their flower essences and homeopathic remedies, such as Emotional Detox, Stress Relief and Sleep that help mediate the internal causes of disease.

Demo: Bulletproof will preview their Bulletproof Upgraded Coffee. Its smooth taste and antioxidant rich infusion will improve your performance and help with your focus and energy throughout the day.

Erewhon Market
26767 Agoura Rd.
Calabasas, CA 91302
(818)857-3366

KidCloud – a Babysitter at the Mall (With Giveaway!)

Gate - AngledZaira Tinoco, the lovely owner of KidCloud, a drop-in daycare center at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, invited me and my boys to check out her newly opened location last month. My kids moaned and groaned – they hate leaving the house in general, and I can’t say I blame them. I don’t relish going to the mall the way the stereotyped suburban housewife does. But I was game to check it out, plus Tinoco suggested we have our meeting at We Olive, an olive-oil, balsamic vinegar, and wine-tasting shop at the other end of the mall, while my kids checked out the center.

KidCloud is located at the west end of the mall near Macy’s and the pet store on the second level. It’s basically a small indoor playground, where you check in your kids for $12 an hour. They take children from age 2 through age 10, and you get a discount for multiple kids. Need an hour to find a dress for that special holiday dinner, but shudder at the thought of trying on clothes while your toddler flees the dressing room as you’ve got your pants down around your ankles? Drop the kids at KidCloud and shop in peace. That’s the idea.

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Check-in is easy – you just fill out a form and a waiver and leave your cell phone number in case the caregivers need to call you while you are shopping. The caregivers are energetic and watchful, and go through rigorous training to be able to work at KidCloud. They supervise the kids as they play with toys or on the play equipment, watch movies, or even play on tablets or WiiU systems set up in the facility.

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I was worried that since my kids are older they would be bored. Then I assumed they would spend the whole time playing video games.

I was wrong.

The boys loved the ball pit and the giant plastic building blocks. They were at KidCloud for an hour and a half, and they didn’t want to leave when I returned to pick them up.

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Since our visit 4 weeks ago, they have asked multiple times to return. “Don’t have any shopping to do, Mom?”

As the holidays are coming up and the mall might actually be useful to me, I might! And now you can win a chance to try them out for FREE. Enter here to win a 2-hour free coupon for a first-time user (one kid only) by leaving a comment between now and 11:59 PM on November 11, 2014, making sure to enter your email address. A random winner will be drawn from qualified entries and notified directly on November 12.

Readers of Agoura Hills Mom can try KidCloud with a 2-kids-for-1 offer just by showing this post when you sign in! Flash it on your smartphone or print it out and bring it in with you. Offer is good through 12/31/14.