Summer Camp at Catalina Island

May 19, 2013 by 10 Comments

Summer camp can be a luxury for some families, a necessity for others, and a legend for the rest of us. When we first moved to Agoura Hills and took a look at some of the offerings around us, I was jealous. Archery, daily swimming, movies, crafts, games, and delicious homemade meals? Sign ME up, never mind the kids!

Now I am a work-at-home parent, and the kids’ schedule takes priority over everything else. Translate that into: I’m not working much, so there’s no need to send my kids to summer camp, aside from the sanity break I will need after a week of two little boys arguing with each other about everything from who gets the blue cup to who gets to press the cross walk button on the street corner.

Last year a friend of mine sent her kids – all three of them – to sleepover camp for seven weeks. 

I know!  When she told me this, my head swam with all of the wonderful things I could do in seven weeks at home with no kids around. I could take a bath! I could reorganize everything! I could go see movies, or paint the bedroom, or sleep in more than one morning in a row!

I dream of this happening someday when my kids are old enough to stay away from home for longer than a sleepover. Catalina Island Camps is close enough to us that it’s easy to bring the kids and pick them up at the end of their term, but far enough away – a ferry ride, even – that it feels exotic and oh-so-grownup. A chance to be independent while also bonding with their cabin mates from all over the country and counselors would be an enriching experience for my boys. Plus, they would have the chance to snorkel, ride a zip line, learn how to sail or rock climb, and participate in a community that has nothing to do with their parents.

Since CIC is priced accordingly, affording the best facilities and staff – and safety – for now it’s just a dream. Meanwhile, my kids will attend the half day camp at the Reyes Adobe Mission which is run by the Agoura Hills Park and Recreation department. The boys know and love the counselors there, and the cost is reasonable. We all get a break from each other, and the kids get physical activity and they learn something, too.

What are your summer camp plans for your children?

This post is an entry into a raffle for a 2-week camper stay at CIC. If I win, I will give the session to a lucky reader in a future giveaway.

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Invisalign Will Make My Life Easier

May 2, 2013 by 31 Comments

girl with braces

This was me in 19…whatever.

No, not the adorable baby on the left. The metal-toothed 9-year-old on the right! Yes, I had braces at 9 years old. Big ugly metal pointy braces. I had to have rubber bands in them for a while, too!

While the benefits of having braces that young was that I only had to wear them for a year, I do remember being pretty uncomfortable. I recall the odor in the orthodontist’s office, and the cool oil lamp he had in the corner of the waiting room. I can imagine, now as an adult and mother myself, how expensive and time-consuming the whole process must have been. Not to mention the whining and complaining my poor parents had to deal with from me!

With my own children, I know for sure that at least one of them will need braces. His dentist has been very soothing, assuring me that we have a few more years to “save up” before he’s ready (he is 8 years old now).  Contemplating the prospect, the thing that makes me the most nervous is the discomfort that I imagine my son will suffer during the year(s) he has the braces.

Enter Invisalign.

I knew this clear alternative to braces existed, but I had never really thought about it until I attended a Straight Talk seminar sponsored by the brand. I have to say, after I heard from the brand reps, a certified orthodontist, and 2 teenagers who have used Invisalign, I felt a huge relief because now I know there is another choice.

clear tray

With Invisalign, the patient gets a series of custom made aligner trays that are designed to gradually realign the teeth. The trays are smooth, clear plastic, so nobody can even see them when they are being worn. They are taken out for eating and teeth brushing. Unlike braces, they don’t hurt. They don’t poke the inside of your mouth. They’re not a danger when you’re playing sports. They’re not in the way when you brush your teeth. And you don’t need rubber bands!

invisalign comparison

People of all ages use Invisalign instead of braces if they qualify – and there a lot of cases in which it can be used to fixed dental problems. There is a special version called Invisalign Teen that makes the program available to pre-teens and teens. The orthodontist who presented at the event said that every child should have his first orthodontic assessment by age 7, so you can nip the problems in the bud early! It depends on whether enough of his baby teeth have fallen out so you can tell what the shape and alignment of the rest of the teeth are going to look like. For more information about how the clear alternative to braces works, visit the Invisalign website.

The biggest question I would have about my kid using Invisalign is assessing whether or not he can responsible with the tray. If he takes it out at school to eat a snack, my kid would be the kid who would lose it. The Invisalign program does allow for a certain amount of human error, but I’m hoping that once he sees the choice between braces and Invisalign, he would work harder to be responsible because the advantages of the clear, removable aligners are so great.

To be honest, after the presentation I found myself wanting Invisalign for ME. Since I only wore braces for a year when I was really young, there has been a lot of time since then for my teeth to get a little lazy. Many adults actually do use Invisalign as a tune up for their once-braced teeth just for this reason!

Have you or someone you’ve known used Invisalign? And if so, what was their experience?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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A Tale of Three Mango Drinks

May 1, 2013 by 2 Comments

Mango must be the It Flavor of the season, because I was recently pitched or gifted three mango flavored drinks that were very different. Here they are in order of my preference.

Sauza Sparkling Margarita

sauza sparkling margarita

This drink is actually available in Original Lime, Wild Berry and Mango Peach, but since I had already started on the mango train, I went with that choice for easier comparison. Served chilled, Sauza Sparkling Margarita is a complete drink in a bottle. Its slight carbonation reminds me of the most awesome margarita I’ve ever hand – at a little cantina on the streets of Loreto in Baja, Mexico. Except with the addition of the mango/peach flavor. It’s a perfect drink, really, especially if you don’t have the time or the patience to mix up a margie from scratch, and you want that extra flavor.

Caveat: it’s strong. It goes down like a wine cooler – easy – but it packs the punch of tequila because, uh, it has tequila in it. Also, because it’s carbonated, it’s like Champagne – it doesn’t keep for long. You have to consume it 2-3 days after you open it. This is the perfect beverage for serving to guests at a gathering, but not for casual sipping while making dinner all by yourself. Unless you like it like that.

Suggested retail price of $12.99 per 750 mL bottle and $7.99 per 375 mL bottle.  

OWG’s Tango-Tini Mix

tango-tini mix

I invited a few girlfriends over to taste this beverage with me after I made it and realized that it was a huge batch and would also not keep very well. The Dot-box Mixer is a package of powdered drink mix that you combine with vodka or wine. I used a crisp Chardonnay when mixing with the Tango-Tini flavor (which is mango, orange, and peach). The unusual, and sort of fun, thing about making this is that you do it in a big zip top bag. A bottle of wine, the packet of drink flavor – pour them in, shake up the bag, and freeze for 3 hours. What comes out is a frozen drink. You need to whisk it or put it in the blender for a smoother consistency, but it was cold and refreshing! My friends and I agreed that it would be the perfect drink for serving outside on the patio on a hot night with a bunch of girlfriends before heading out on the town. Served with the OWG Cracker Smack, which is another product you mix in a big plastic bag – crackers with spicy flavoring – it was a fun little tasting. One friend noted that these are the kind of products you might see at Cost Plus or even Bed Bath and Beyond in the gift section.

cracker smack saltines flavored snack

Tango Tini mix – $10 at OWG, and Cracker Smack – $5 at OWG.

Sencha Naturals Green Tea + C

sencha green tea plus c

I got a packet of this drink mix at a social media event. I think. Honestly, every time I attend an event I get a bunch of cool stuff that if I don’t catalog it the moment I get home, it’s hard for me to remember where I got it. But I’m pretty sure that I got this one at the Social Media Club of Los Angeles seminar about Social Media For Social Good (I work with a charity that uses social media to spread the word about our efforts to collect donations of diapers for needy families).

Anyway, since I had mango on the mind, I noticed this mango-flavored drink and thought “what the heck?” At first I thought it was actual tea, but it turns out that it’s a fizzy vitamin drink like Emergen-C or Airborne. It’s not as awful-tasting as those two products, but when you’re sick or anticipating sitting in a germ-filled airplane for several hours, you’re more likely to quaff something you think will be beneficial to you even if it’s not the best flavor in the world.

I wouldn’t drink this again by choice as a refreshing tasty beverage, but if I needed a vitamin infusion, I would give this a shot.

Sencha Green Tea + C available starting in June.

 

 

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