Oct 27th: Halloween Events, 'Scientopia' Play Date, 'Spooky Smells of Halloween' book review & Weekly Calendar of Activities

Welcome to a spooktacular Halloween edition full of parties with haunted houses, frightening festivals and local trick-or treating leading up to Halloween night. There are also Halloween festivities going on this weekend at the indoor space that I have suggested for Play Date of the Week, and Spooky Smells are coming out of the Book of the Week!


Halloween Events

Wednesday October 27th

‘San Anselmo Annual Goblin Parade’ at 5.00 – 7.00 pm, Town hall Plaza, San Anselmo, tel: 415 258 4669
For Children up to age 7 can dress up in costume and begin the parade at the U.S Bank, walk along San Anselmo Avenue and finish at the Fire Station where they can enjoy well deserved juice and cookies. Some merchants will provide treats along the way.

‘Spiders, Bats & Black Cats: A Not –Very-Scary Halloween Sing Along’ at 6.30 – 7.30 pm, Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd, Novato. (Also showing at South Novato Library, 6 Hamilton Landing on Thursday 28th at 6.30pm)
Local singer and songwriter Bonnie Lockhart presents a fun Halloween themed sing along at both libraries.


Thursday October 28th

‘Halloween Puppet Show’ at 7.00 – 8.00 pm, Corte Madera Library, 707 Meadowsweet Drive, Corte Madera
A puppet show adaption of Bill Peet’s ‘Big Bad Bruce’ ideal for children age 4 and up.


Thursday October 28th & Friday 29th

‘Novato Youth Center Haunted House 2010’. At 4.00 – 6.00 pm, 680 Wilson Avenue, Novato; www.novatoyouthcenter.org
Come and experience the chills and thrills of the Haunted House open to ages 3 and up, with a special lunch time tour at noon.


‘Haunted Pirate Manor’ at 6.30 – 10.30 pm, Faulkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Avenue,  San Rafael. $10; www.hauntedpiratemanor.com
Thursday 28th at 6.30 – 10.30pm, Friday – Sunday 6.30 pm - midnight
The first annual Haunted Manor will have live local bands in the Pirate’s Barrel Inn and indoor entertainment that includes a fortune teller, a pumpkin carving contest, a Pirate Zombie Crawl and a kid’s costume contest. Also local pirate performers and Halloween poetry by the Marin Poetry Center. The haunted manor may be scary for smaller kids.

Jumping Jack’s Halloween Party’ at 9.30 – 10.30 am for 12 – 24 months, & 10.30 - 11.30 am for 24 months & up, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael; www.cityofsanrafael.org
Come in costume for free play during the first half hour and then a sing along and games with the parachute.


Friday October 29th

‘Halloween Faire’ at 10.30 am – noon, Strawberry Recreation District, 118 East Strawberry Drive, Mill Valley, $8; www.strawberryrec.org
Come in costume to play with other witches and wizards on the bouncy house, follow the candy & prize hunt and play carnival games

‘Halloween Harvest Festival’, at 5.00 – 8.00 pm, Marinwood Community Center, 775 Miller Creek Road, San Rafael, Free entry, $2 per activity, or $8 passes online or $10 on the door; www.marinwood.org
Make your own custom trick-or-treat bag, get a family photo in front of a scarecrow backdrop by photographer Brian Dettor, visit the Marinwood Farmer's market table or enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie, or a hot dog from 'Moon Doggies'. Take part in pumpkin carving and decorating, face painting, bounce house, cookie decorating and candied apples.  Come in costume and get a free ticket for the activity of your choice.

‘School Fuel’s 3rd Annual Haunted House’ at 5.00 – 7.00 pm, Novato United School District Office, 1015 Seventh Street, Novato, free but donations welcome.
Fun haunted house for all ages, and dinner available for purchase.

‘Halloween Fest’ at 3.30 – 5.30 pm. Pacheco Plaza, 366 Ignacio Blvd, Novato; www.pachecoplaza.com
A spooky afternoon in costume round the plaza where you can enjoy visiting local merchants for trick-or-treat, face painting, pumpkin giveaways, balloon animals, costumed characters, a magic show, and an interactive Drum Workshop.


Friday October 29th & Saturday 30th

‘Halloween Haunted House’, Tamalpais Community Services District, 203 Marin Avenue, Mill Valley, $3: www.tcsd.us
Friday 6.30 – 7.30 pm will be semi scary & 8.00 – 9.00 pm will be really scary & Saturday 30th at 2.30 – 5.30 pm will not be scary for younger kids, & 6.30 – 7.30 pm will be semi scary, & 8.00 – 9.00 pm will be ‘horrifying’.  A party with ghouls, creatures, grave sites, zombies and more…


Saturday October 30th

‘Annual Halloween Spooktacular’ at 11.00 am, Borders, 588 Francisco Blvd, San Rafael; www.borders.com
Children aged 3 – 8 are invited to join the fun and listen to scary stories, play spooky games, make creepy crafts and participate in a costume parade.

‘Pirate Halloween’ at 12.00 pm, Pasta Moto, Hamilton Marketplace, 5800 Nave Drive, Novato, free; www.pastamoto.com
Family fun with the cast of ‘Pirates of Penzance’ at noon, and live music with Barbary Ghosts starting at 3.30 pm, free eye patches and pirate hats for little mateys.



Haunted House’ at 11.00 – 3.00 pm, Saint Raphael’s School,  1100 Fifth avenue, San Rafael; www.downtownsanrafel.org
Stop by and play games or make crafts before the Fourth street Trick-or-Treating begins (see below).

‘Trick-or-Treat’ at 1.00 – 2.30 pm, Fourth Street, San Rafael (between Downtown City Plaza & the West End Village); www.downtownsanrafel.org
Families can pick up a list of participating merchants, a free Halloween pencil and stickers then walk down Fourth Street where friendly merchants will be handing out goodies and candy to kids in costume.

‘Annual Trick-or-Treat Day’ at 12.00 – 3.00 pm, Town center Corte Madera; wwwshoptowncenter.com
Children of all ages come together for this annual event where kids can run around in costume in a safe environment leading up to Halloween night.



Mark Your Diary this week

Marin Preschool Fair on Wednesday October 27th at 7.00 – 8.30 pm, Osher Marin Jewish Community center, 200 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael; www.mc3.org
Looking for a preschool for your child? This free event hosting by the Marin Child Care Council will take place at the JCC and will feature over 40 Marin Preschools. It is an opportunity to meet their directors and staff, and find out which is the best school for your child.




Play date of the Week

Scientopia Discovery center, 1785 B Tanen Street, Napa; www.scientopiadiscoverycenter.com

It is essential to find fun indoor spaces for your toddlers to run around in during this wet weather we have been having, especially as winter is creeping in. Our favorites are’ Jumping Jacks’ in San Rafael , ‘Power Play’ at Cal Star Gym in Novato (check weekly calendar below for details), and of course the wonderful ‘Bay Area Discovery Museum’ in Sausalito.

But if you want to drive a little further, then ‘Scientopia’ in Napa is a great place with lots of different themed indoor areas and a garden outside with a picnic area for dry days.

Scientopia is a Discovery Center designed for children to combine play while learning music, art, math and science through creative free play and interactive exhibits. There is a soft play room for children three and under, full of soft building and climbing blocks, with slides, a small ball pit and lounge area alongside a full book shelf to chill out in.

The main room has a wide array of exciting activities for children to try out that are constantly rotated.   It has a puppet theater for kids to create their own show, a dress up area full of costumes, and a music area with instruments to play with. A produce stand and little 50’s style diner where kids can learn the different fruit and vegetables going into their food cart. A little dig pit full of rubber gravel (much cleaner) where they can play with shovels and trucks, and a large train table with pop up holes in the center full of trains and other vehicles. There is a ‘Thinking Corner’ where children can explore and learn about pulleys, magnets, simple machines, use a turn table and wind tunnels. Also a ‘Brainiac Lab’ for children 5 and older, to experiment with microscopes, electricity and more.

It is advised to check the calendar on their website before your visit on the weekends, as there are sometimes private parties booked, but this weekend is a great time to go for their Halloween Festivities. They will be offering Halloween craft making, games, cookie decorating and some ‘sticky slimy fun’. There will also be ‘Crossroad Chicken’ selling pizza and other food from their gourmet truck. Also adults are free if their children come in costume!
It is a great place for children to experiment and learn new things while playing in a fun, vibrant environment!



Children’s Book of the Week

'The Spooky Smells of Halloween' by Mary Man-Kong

This is a great book to enjoy as you and your children get ready for Halloween, it is also interactive, as it allows your child to scratch and sniff some of the illustrations that release various smells throughout the story.

We join a little boy Sammy as he is getting ready for his Halloween party with his parents and black cat. They hang the decorations, prepare the bobbling apples game, get into costume, carve the pumpkin and then going trick-or-treating. It allows you to scratch small circles on certain pages so that you can smell the cookies, the apples, and the pumpkin amongst other smells, along the way.

The illustrations really attracted me to this book and these ones by Viviana Garofoli are charming with great colors. All I will say is beware of the skull on the last page and maybe skip scratching this picture as it isn’t a smell you want to release in a hurry!



Weekly Calendar of Toddler Appropriate Activities in Marin


Monday

10 .00 - 10.30 am - Kid's Story Time Club, Pharmaca, 7514 Redwood Blvd, Novato

10.00 – 10.30 am – Book Babies, San Anselmo Library, 110 Tunstead Ave Town Council chamber

10.00 -10.40 am - Toddler class at Studio 4 Art, 1133 Grant Avenue, Novato (until Dec17th)

10.30 – 11.15 am – ‘Music Together of Marin’, The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, 47 Tamal Vista Blvd.
 


Tuesday


9.30 – 10.45 am – Baby Bounce Storytime – Larkspur Library, 400 Magnolia Ave, 1st Floor

10.00 – 10.30 am - ‘Baby Bounce’ Story time at Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Jumping Jacks’ at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Play date for 2 and Under’ at The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

10.15 - 10.45 am - 'Music Circle', at The Parents Center, Heller's Store, 514 4th Street, San Rafael (
 ON VACATION UNTIL 1ST WK OF NOV)

11.00 - 11.30 am – ‘Book Club Story Time’ at ‘Pottery Barns Kids’ store, Corte Madera Village
 


Wednesday

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, suite 3, Novato

10.00 -10.30 am – Music Together, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.15 – 10.45 am - ‘Music Circle’ at The Parents Center, Heller’s store, 514 4th St, San Rafael (
 ON VACATION UNTIL 1ST WK OF NOV)

10.00 - 10.45 am - Fun & Funky (age 2 - 4), Fairfax Community Center, 

10.30 - 11.30 am – Adventure Club Drop in Play, MLK Gym, 610 Colma Street, Sausalito

11.00 - 11.30 am – Story Time at Giggle Store, Corte Madera Village

11.00 -11.30 am – Preschool Storytime, Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, Corte Madera

4.00 – 8.00 pm - Farmer’s Market, Bolinas Park, Bolinas Road, Fairfax



Thursday

8.00 – 1.00 pm – Farmers Market, The Civic Center (Puppet Show, balloon lady, Jumpy Houses & music)

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, Novato

9.30 – 10.30 am
– Jumping Jacks, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.15 -10.45 am – Toddler Storytime, San Rafael Library, 1100 E St, San Rafael

10.30 – 11.00 am – Story Time at San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

11.00 - 11.30 am - Story Time at Barnes & Noble, 313 Corte Madera Center

3.30 - 4.00 pm - 'Stories with Phil Sheridan', Sausalito Library, 420 Litho Street

3.00 – 7.00 pm – Farmers Market, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross

6.00 – 9.00 pm - Farmers Market, 4th St, between Lincoln and B St, San Rafael



Friday

10.30 - 11.30 am - Story Time with Sarah Bonnet, San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.30 - 11.30 am - Tot's Club, City Hall Parks & Recreation, 420 Litho Street, Exercise Room, Sausalito

10.30 – 12.00 pm – Jumping Jacks, Strawberry Recreation District, 118 Strawberry Drive, 2nd floor gym

9.00 – 2.00 pm – Farmers Market, Alto Shopping Center, Mill Valley

9.00 am – 2.00 pm – Farmers Market, Bank of America parking lot, Downtown Sausalito



Oct 22nd: 'Hilltop 1892' review, 'Aliens Love Underpants' Book Review, Weekend & Weekly Events & Activities

Welcome to a bewitched edition of The Marin Scoop, full of fun Halloween events over the weekend, a review of a historic hill top restaurant in Novato with amazing views, and a book review about funny aliens who steal underpants!

Weekend Events

Saturday October 23rd


‘Green Halloween’, from 1.00 – 3.30 pm, Sustainability Center Backyard, 141 Bolinas Road, Fairfax, $5 – 10 donation suggested; http://www.sustainablefairfax.org/
The 3rd annual ‘Green Halloween’ will provide fun in the garden while learning about sustainability through a recycled mask and craft making, face painting and a Harvest Sing-along with Miss Kitty. There is also a gently used costume exchange and delicious organic treats available too.

‘Twin Cities Cooperative Preschool Halloween Event’, from 10.00 – 2.00 pm, 56 Mohawk Ave, Corte Madera, free entry; www.twincitiescoop.com
Come in costume to a fun event with face painting, craft projects, jumpy house, candle making carnival games, a cake walk, bake sale.


'Halloween Haunt', from 5.00 - 8.00 pm, Belvedere Community Center, 1505 Tiburon Blvd, Tiburon, Haunted house admission $5; http://www.btcreation.com 
3rd Annual Haunt will have a haunted house and you can go through 'the jungles of Skull Island', also a jumpy house, face painting, magician & snacks. Tame version at 5 - 6 pm and scary version for older kids at 6.30 - 8.30 pm. 


Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th


Fall Book Blowout’, from 10.00 – 5.00 pm on Sat & 12.00 – 5.00 pm on Sun, Belvedere-Tiburon Library, 1501 Tiburon Blvd, Tiburon; http://www.bel-tib

A huge array of children’s and adult’s books donated by Corner Books (the library’s new bookstore on the Boardwalk) will be available on the front patio at bargain prices and then slashed by half on Sunday, or purchase a $10 shopping bag to fill with books.


Sunday October 24th


‘Petaluma Mother’s Club Fall Carnival’, from 11.00 – 2.30 pm, Kenilworth Jr. High School, 800 Riesling Road, Petaluma; http://www.petalumamothersclub.org
Event suitable for children under 5 years old that includes a petting zoo, jumpy house, ‘Museum On The Go’, bake sale, games and live music by James K. Cash only tickets can be purchased for game booths, Food & drink. Costume contest at 12.00 pm.


The Mill Valley Children’s Garden 20th Anniversary – Haunted Harvest Fall Festival’, from 12.00 – 4.00 pm, Edna Maguire School Garden, 80 Lomita Drive, Mill Valley; http://www.ednamaguire.com
The children’s garden will have an eerie transformation with competitions for kids (build a fairy house, recycled sculpture contest & pie eating contest) and adults (witches brew stew-off and best pie contest). Also a whole host of other activities and games including potion making, wrap the mummy, barrel apple bobbing, the fishing game and a wicked tea party. There will also be music, prizes, food and homemade baked good to enjoy!





Restaurant of the Week


Hilltop 1892, 850 Lamont Avenue, Novato; www.hilltop1892.com

We decided to check out the newly revamped Hilltop 1892 Restaurant up in the Novato hills, as we had heard so much about it. When we pulled up outside we took in the surroundings which were really beautiful, especially in the golden evening sunlight. Taking advantage of the balmy weather, we sat outside on the patio to soak up the atmosphere and the panoramic 10 mile views. The background music put us instantly in a relaxed mood that almost felt like we were on holiday…so far so good.

Unfortunately we had a rather long wait for our food which puzzled us as there were only a few tables full in the bar and the main restaurant seemed empty. I decided to take a look around the restaurant which has been tastefully restored, with a cozy fireplace in the bar, a wine room and the main dining room offers booths or tables with wonderful views. As any parent knows a hungry child kept waiting makes an unpleasant experience for us and those around us. Our waitress didn’t seem to notice but thankfully a helpful gentleman did, and offered us some bread while we waited and some Parmesan crisps to delay the hunger.

After half an hour, our finally food arrived. My husband ordered the Hilltop Specialty Burger with brie cheese, sweet and sour red cabbage, roasted tomato aioli and fries which sounded promising but was a bit underwhelming with a dry tasteless bun. I initially wanted to get the Garlic Chicken Breast with roasted potatoes and braised swiss chard, but last minute I opted for the Steak Frites which arrived in an uninspiring manner, without any vegetables or salad garnish, poor presentation for $20! The saving grace was the truffle aioli and compound butter on top of the steak, but generally it was not very enjoyable. Other options include the California Halibut with almond crusted cauliflower gratin, baby artichoke and cherry tomato vinaigrette or the Orange Braised Short Ribs with horseradish potato puree, baby carrots, peas and red wine reduction.

The kid’s menu was the standard affair, and I don’t know about you but I wish kid’s menus would offer some sort of nutrition? Vegetables can so easily be hidden in a tomato based pasta sauce, why do chefs think all children would want to eat pasta in a boring butter and cheese sauce? We normally order off the main menu for our son, as he loves his food, but the only option we could find was the Apple wood Smoked Bacon Spaetzle which he seemed to enjoy and finish.

We hoped the restaurant could redeem itself with it desserts, we were tempted by the Toffee Bread Pudding, but instead decided to share Banana Creme Pie with chocolate sauce, which was actually really delicious and ended our meal on a higher note.

The Hilltop 1892 is not ideal for family dining, in my opinion, and unfortunately we won’t be going back for dinner. But I do think the bar makes a great place for drinks and bar snacks with friends or a date night as the amazing view really makes this place.



Children’s Book of the Week


'Aliens Love Underpants' by Claire Freeman & Ben Cort

I wanted to share a book that is not well known in this country, but offers the parents a funny read as well as your children. It is called ‘Aliens Love Underpants’ by Claire Freeman and tells the amusing story of how aliens scour planet earth from their space ship, not to take out the world like you might think, but to steal human’s underpants! ‘Their radar bleeps and blinks the moment that it sees a washing line of underpants, all flapping in the breeze’.

They land in your backyard and start trying on your underpants, they dance in them, put them on their heads, their feet and other silly places. They use underpants as trampolines to bounce up and down on and try to see how many aliens can fit inside each leg, they even hold upside down pant races.

The genius of this book is not only the funny story but the clever rhyming, and vibrant illustrations by Ben Cort that are wonderfully silly. Such as the picture of their spaceship covered in bumper stickers that say ‘Pants Rock’ and 'Hot Pants', and the alien inside reading a copy of 'Pants World'.

The English author has also written a couple of follow up books called ‘Dinosaurs Love Underpants’ and ‘Aliens in Underpants Save the World’ which are also funny, but this story is an award winning book that is a favorite in our household and I hope you consider introducing it to your family too.



Weekly Calendar of Toddler Appropriate Activities in Marin


Monday

10 .00 - 10.30 am - Kid's Story Time Club, Pharmaca, 7514 Redwood Blvd, Novato

10.00 – 10.30 am – Book Babies, San Anselmo Library, 110 Tunstead Ave Town Council chamber


10.00 -10.40 am - Toddler class at Studio 4 Art, 1133 Grant Avenue, Novato (until Dec17th)

10.30 – 11.15 am – ‘Music Together of Marin’, The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, 47 Tamal Vista Blvd.
 


Tuesday

9.30 – 10.45 am – Baby Bounce Storytime – Larkspur Library, 400 Magnolia Ave, 1st Floor

10.00 – 10.30 am - ‘Baby Bounce’ Story time at Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Jumping Jacks’ at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Playdate for 2 and Under’ at The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

10.15 - 10.45 am - 'Music Circle', at The Parents Center, Heller's Store, 514 4th Street, San Rafael (
 ON VACATION UNTIL 1ST WK OF NOV)


10.00 - 5.00 pm - A week long opening party at Kidz Swap Shop, 821 Petaluma Blvd N., Petaluma

11.00 - 11.30 am – ‘Book Club Story Time’ at ‘Pottery Barns Kids’ store, Corte Madera Village
 


Wednesday

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, suite 3, Novato

10.00 -10.30 am – Music Together, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.15 – 10.45 am - ‘Music Circle’ at The Parents Center, Heller’s store, 514 4th St, San Rafael (
 ON VACATION UNTIL 1ST WK OF NOV)


10.00 - 10.45 am - Fun & Funky (age 2 - 4), Fairfax Community Center, 

10.30 - 11.30 am – Adventure Club Drop in Play, MLK Gym, 610 Colma Street, Sausalito

11.00 - 11.30 am – Story Time at Giggle Store, Corte Madera Village

11.00 -11.30 am – Preschool Storytime, Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, Corte Madera

4.00 – 8.00 pm - Farmer’s Market, Bolinas Park, Bolinas Road, Fairfax



Thursday

8.00 – 1.00 pm – Farmers Market, The Civic Center (Puppet Show, balloon lady, Jumpy Houses & music)

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, Novato

9.30 – 10.30 am – 28th ‘Jumping Jacks’ Halloween Party, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.15 -10.45 am – Toddler Storytime, San Rafael Library, 1100 E St, San Rafael

10.30 – 11.00 am – Story Time at San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

11.00 - 11.30 am - Story Time at Barnes & Noble, 313 Corte Madera Center

3.30 - 4.00 pm - 'Stories with Phil Sheridan', Sausalito Library, 420 Litho Street

3.00 – 7.00 pm – Farmers Market, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross

6.00 – 9.00 pm - Farmers Market, 4th St, between Lincoln and B St, San Rafael



Friday

10.30 - 11.30 am - Story Time with Sarah Bonnet, San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.30 - 11.30 am - Tot's Club, City Hall Parks & Recreation, 420 Litho Street, Exercise Room, Sausalito

10.30 – 12.00 pm – Jumping Jacks, Strawberry Recreation District, 118 Strawberry Drive, 2nd floor gym

9.00 – 2.00 pm – Farmers Market, Alto Shopping Center, Mill Valley

9.00 am – 2.00 pm – Farmers Market, Bank of America parking lot, Downtown Sausalito

Oct 15th: 'Tomatina' review, 'Tolay Festival' Play Date, Weekend events & Weekly Activities Calendar

Welcome to The Marin Scoop, this week I review the new ‘Tomatina’ restaurant that opened in the Northgate Mall last week, I will also review a different children's book each week starting of with a wonderful bedtime read. 
Check out the 'Tolay Festival' as a possible play date or day out over the weekend, there is also the ‘Goblin Jamboree’ event at the BADM over the weekend which will be full of spooky games and live entertainment to get you in the mood for Halloween!

Weekend Events

Friday October 15th

Friday Night Fusion, Village of Corte Madera, Center Court, 5.30 – 7.30 pm, $15 per person including a local cheese plate.www.villageatcortemadera.com/events
Local musician performs while you enjoy a wine tasting presented by Sonoma County Vintners

Saturday October 16th

Fall Carnival at Venetia Valley School, from 10.00 – 4.00 pm, 177 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael, free entry, www.vvef.org
Fundraiser event with kid’s games, rides, jumpee houses, face painting Henna tattoos, cake walk, raffle and live entertainment by their students and local talent. Homemade food that is also available for take-out.

Saturday October 16th & Sunday October 17th

‘Goblin Jamboree’, from 10.00 – 4.00 pm, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Fort Baker, Sausalito, members $13, General $15 & children under 1 are free, www.baykidsmuseum.org 
The BADM will be transformed into a ‘haunted wonderland’ full of games and activities, you can come in costume and ride a train, a real pony, visit the petting zoo or visit the spooky haunted pier, and make potions in the witches and wizards school. Live entertainment will include Tim Cain, The Hip Waders and Benny the wizard, Magic Circus, see full schedule on their website. 

Sunday October 17th


‘The Waldorf Children's Faire’, from 10.00 - 4.00 pm, Waldorf School, 755 Idylberry Road, Marinwood. Free shuttle from Hwy 101 park & ride at Lucas valley exit to and from the school; www.marinwaldorf.org
 Faire mainly aimed at children 3 – 10 years old with magical games, puppet shows, story time and crafts such as painting and the candle making. Organic food available for purchase.


Christopher Smith’s Storytime, at 11.00 – 11.30 am, Book Passage, 55 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera, www.bookpassage.com
Enjoy the wonderful stories and songs with Christopher and his guitar every week!

Chileno Valley Ranch, Sundays throughout Oct, 5105 Chileno Valley Road, Petaluma, call or email before visit; www.chilenobnb.com
The Ranch will be open to the public for apple picking and families may bring children to pet the sheep, feed the pigs, pet the milk cow, and to play with their springer spaniels, Toby and Mac. Volunteers are available to take families around to see the farm with a $5.00 per family charge, unless you buy over $40.00 worth of wholesome food. Grass fed beef and pastured eggs available for purchase. Call or email before your visit through their website.


Restaurant of the Week

Tomatina, 5800 Northgate Mall, San Rafael (parking by Kohls), www.tomatina.com

The new Tomatina restaurant opened last Wednesday at the Northgate Mall so we headed over there on Sunday to enjoy the warm evening on their outdoor patio. We were greeted by a very friendly waiter who guided our way through their menu. Recipes marked with a tomato beside them do not carry red meat or poultry but may contain dairy and seafood, you can ask about possible vegetarian modifications to the item. We started off by sharing the risotto balls stuffed with fontina cheese, this is one of our favorite appetizers and these did not disappoint, they melt in your mouth and were bigger than expected. After a busy weekend of packing and painting we were hungry and thirsty, my husband ordered a Pyramid Hefeweizen beer and the Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel wine with his main course, I was tempted by their Sangria but had their signature lemonade with vanilla mint (also comes with strawberry) which was very refreshing.

Our son’s spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce arrived promptly and he devoured the bowl in no time as it was delicious. Other kid’s options include mac and cheese, Ravioli, noodle and sauce, Caesar salad or pizza. There are pasta options such as Lasagna, Rigatoni with braised vegetable, fennel sausage, red wine and tomato sauce, and a Risotto ‘Paella Style’ with mussels, calabrian sausage, chicken, tomato and artichoke hearts. A great lunch option is the Piadine which is warm flatbread topped with a variety of cool salads that you can fold and eat like a sandwich in homemade white or wheat crust.

We decided to go  for ‘Tomatina’s Favorite pizzas’, my husband ordered the Spicy Calabrian Sausage pizza with mozzarella, caramelized onion, sautéed mushrooms and parmesan cheese, he particularly like pizzas without tomato sauce and found this pizza very flavorable and mentioned that “it gave ‘Boca Pizzeria’ in Novato a run for its money”, which is a huge compliment!  I, on the other hand, love tomato sauce and ordered the Calzone, a large roasted chicken pocket stuffed with mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, sautéed red bell peppers and onion, topped with tomato and garlic confit, served with a green salad. It was so succulent and oozed with so many commentary favors, I don’t think I came up for air until I was half way through the second pocket!

We decided to order some desert to take out as I had eyed up so many amazing looking deserts displayed at the take out counter inside, in particular I wanted a chocolate Whoopee Pie. To my dismay I was told the pie wasn’t available that evening, how cruel to tangle such a delicious carrot in front of me! I decided to order the flourless chocolate cake with cream and caramel sauce instead, it was moist and heavenly. We found our first experience of Tomatina to be very enjoyable and rolled ourselves home very satisfied. We can’t wait to sample other options on the menu in the future as it is a great new addition to our neighborhood. It is also a great option when you don’t have the time to cook and need take out, which you can do in person, by phone, or online, www.tomattina.com/order.php


Play Date Idea

‘The Tolay Festival’, from Thursday Oct 14th – Sunday 17th, from 10.00 am – 3.30 pm on Thursday & Fridays, and 9.00 – 5.00 pm at weekends, at Tolay Lake Regional Park outside Petaluma, $3 admission, free entry for 12 and under & $6 parking fee. For driving directions see website: 

A fun adventure play date to do with friends or family is the annual ‘Tolay Festival’ that takes place later this week in Sonoma. The festival grew from the original pumpkin patch and there are free Ranger-led tractor hay rides to the patch. It is now a festival that offers various attractions and activities for all ages including an animal area with Boer goats, a night time Creatures Barn with a Creep Crawly Critters room. A hands-on children’s area and Kiddie Corral, lawn games, a firefighting display, a Native American village, a demonstration of old farm equipment and early gas engines (which my son loves).

You can grab a bite from ‘Willie Bird Turkey BBQ’, or there is a taco truck and kettle corn vendor, alternatively bring you own picnic and enjoy it on the lawn or picnic tables while taking in a wonderful surroundings.






Children's Book of the Week


My son recently received a wonderful new book from Grandma that we both enjoy reading before bedtime each night. ‘Goodnight to the Sleepy Animals’ is written by Ian Whybrow and tells the story of a ginger cat that heads out to say goodnight to his animal friends. We meet the dog guarding a juicy bone, the rabbits settling into the straw, the birds snuggling down in a feathery nest and the field mouse that climbs into bed with his supper in his cheeks. Finally home to the kittens, softly creep, a drink of milk and they’re fast asleep.
The illustrations by Ed Eaves are beautiful and children will enjoy stroking the velvety soft to touch animal on each page.  The last page asks you to say goodnight to all the animals one more time but in a quieter voice which is a perfect way to lead into gently saying goodnight to your little one before tucking them into bed. 





A Weekly Calendar of Toddler Appropriate Activities in Marin


Monday

10 .00 - 10.30 am - Kid's Story Time Club, Pharmaca, 7514 Redwood Blvd, Novato

10.00 – 10.30 am – Book Babies, San Anselmo Library, 110 Tunstead Ave Town Council chamber

10.30 – 11.15 am – ‘Music Together of Marin’, The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, 47 Tamal Vista Blvd.


Tuesday


9.30 – 10.45 am – Baby Bounce Storytime – Larkspur Library, 400 Magnolia Ave, 1st Floor
10.00 – 10.30 am - ‘Baby Bounce’ Story time at Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Jumping Jacks’ at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Playdate for 2 and Under’ at The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

10.15 - 10.45 am - 'Music Circle', at The Parents Center, Heller's Store, 514 4th Street, San Rafael (
ON VACATION UNTIL 1ST WK OF NOV)

11.00 - 11.30 am – ‘Book Club Story Time’ at ‘Pottery Barns Kids’ store, Corte Madera Village



Wednesday

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, suite 3, Novato

10.00 -10.30 am – Music Together, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.15 – 10.45 am - ‘Music Circle’ at The Parents Center, Heller’s store, 514 4th St, San Rafael (
ON VACATION UNTIL 1ST WK OF NOV)

10.30 - 11.30 am – Adventure Club Drop in Play, MLK Gym, 610 Colma Street, Sausalito

11.00 - 11.30 am – Story Time at Giggle Store, Corte Madera Village

11.00 -11.30 am – Preschool Storytime, Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, Corte Madera

4.00 – 8.00 pm - Farmer’s Market, Bolinas Park, Bolinas Road, Fairfax



Thursday

8.00 – 1.00 pm – Farmers Market, The Civic Center (Puppet Show, balloon lady, Jumpy Houses & music)

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, Novato

9.30 – 10.30 am – ‘Jumping Jacks’, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.15 -10.45 am – Toddler Storytime, San Rafael Library, 1100 E St, San Rafael

10.30 – 11.00 am – Story Time at San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

11.00 - 11.30 am - Story Time at Barnes & Noble, 313 Corte Madera Center

3.30 - 4.00 pm - 'Stories with Phil Sheridan', Sausalito Library, 420 Litho Street

3.00 – 7.00 pm – Farmers Market, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross

6.00 – 9.00 pm - Farmers Market, 4th St, between Lincoln and B St, San Rafael



Friday

10.30 - 11.30 am - Story Time with Sarah Bonnet, San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.30 - 11.30 am - Tot's Club, City Hall Parks & Recreation, 420 Litho Street, Exercise Room, Sausalito

10.30 – 12.00 pm – Jumping Jacks, Strawberry Recreation District, 118 Strawberry Drive, 2nd floor gym

9.00 – 2.00 pm – Farmers Market, Alto Shopping Center, Mill Valley

9.00 am – 2.00 pm – Farmers Market, Bank of America parking lot, Downtown Sausalito

October 8th: Nicasio Valley pumpkin patch, 'Brick and Bottle' restaurant review, weekly calendar of activities

Welcome to this week’s edition, full of fun things to do, see and eat in Marin! Check out a “Most Excellent” festival taking place in Point Reyes, an Oktoberfest in Corte Madera and a chance to stock on books for bargain prices in San Rafael.  Pick up a pumpkin while enjoying live music and BBQ surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Nicasio Valley, and tuck into delicious comfort food in Corte Madera.


Weekend Events

Friday October 8th

Friday Night Fusion, Village of Corte Madera, Center Court, 5.30 – 7.30 pm
www.villageatcortemadera.com/events
Local musician Pulse Brasil performs while you enjoy a wine tasting presented by Sonoma County Vintners for $15 per person including a local cheese plate.

Downtown Novato Autumn Music Series, Novato City Green (next to City Hall), 901 Sherman, Novato
Carlos Reyes – harpist, violinist playing jazz and rock

Saturday October 9th

The ‘Most Excellent’ Fall Festival, Point Reyes Surf Shop, from 12.00 – 6.00 pm. www.lagunitasmontessori.org
A fundraiser event for the Lagunitas Public Montessori Program that will feature live music by Tom Huebner and the Real Deal band, a petting zoo, jumpy house, fall craft making face painting, the 2nd annual CornHole (bean bag toss) tournament, and a pumpkin patch. Food and drink available including Amy & Barbara’s famous paella.

‘Library Book Sale’, San Rafael Library, 1016 E Street at Mission, from 10.00 – 4.00 pm, www.marinlibrary.org
I really recommend this book sale for finding some great children’s books for as little as 50 or 25 cents! Also includes adult fiction, arts books, CDs and DVD to benefit the library.  

Corte Madera Oktoberfest, Noon – 5.00 pm, $3 or $17 with beer tasting, kids under 12 yrs are free, Menke Park in Old Corte Madera square, Tamalpais & Redwood, Corte Madera, www.cortemaderacommunityfoundation.org
Fundraiser event that will feature kid’s activities, festive music by German band, traditional food by local vendors, beer and ale produced by the Northern California microbreweries.

Sunday October 10th

Author Susan Katz launches ‘ABC Baby Me!’ Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera at 10.00 am. www.abcbabyme.com
Susan Katz’s clever rhyming text uses the alphabet to take babies and toddlers through their busy day, featuring Alicia Padron’s adorable illustrations. 


Play Date of the Week

Nicasio Valley Farm Pumpkin Patch, Nicasio Valley Road (quarter of a mile west from Nicasio Square), open 7 days a week from Oct 2nd – 31st, 10.00 – 6.00 pm.

A great way to get into the spirit of fall and Halloween is to visit the various pumpkin patches located around Marin. Our favorite is the one at Nicasio Valley Farm which is located in the most beautiful setting. It recently opened and has a whole host of entertainment throughout the month.

It is the place to pick from their wide selection of certified organic pumpkins, that are spread out in their large meadow. Kids can take a hayride, get lost in their mazes (one designed for little kids), bounce on the jumpy house or inflatable slide and visit the farm animals. Fresh produce can be bought at a stand that includes squash, gourds, apples and other organic vegetables. Snack and drinks are available and there is an organic ice cream stand, you can also get delicious cheese from their own ‘Nicasio Valley Cheese Co’ on Thursdays – Sundays. Big Ned’s BBQ provides a hearty lunch at weekends, and there is plenty of seating and picnic areas with shade.

At weekends you can catch the musician Tim Cain performing every Sunday 10th, 17th & 24th at 11.00 am.  The Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) Day is on Thursday October 7th which will serve wood-fired pizza, Mexican food and beer by Iron Springs Brewery, there will also be an educational booth set up by MALT, beneficiary of pumpkin sales that day, from 10.00 – 4.00 pm.

Last year a bunch of us brought our children here for their first experience of a pumpkin patch, and were able to wheel groups of them around the meadow in wagons and wheelbarrows, this year they will be running around the field choosing their own pumpkins!




Restaurant of the Week

Brick & Bottle, 55Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera, www.brickandbottle.com

On Sunday morning, we decided to get some brunch at the Brick and Bottle restaurant, after enjoying story time with Christopher Smith at The Book Passage store next door. The restaurant has a great outdoor seating and lounge area, but we decided to eat inside the chocolate and copper toned dining room that has dark wooden tables and leather seating, lit by glass lamps hung from the walls and ceiling. It makes you feel cozy and comfortable straight away and gets you in the mood for their classic comfort food.

Our son’s Orzo Mac n’ Cheese with bacon arrived quickly, which is always a relief, and I have to say it was the best mac n’ cheese we have ever eaten. It arrived in a mini iron skittle that wasn’t boiling hot, phew, the perfect kid’s temperature. It was rich in flavor and texture, and my husband and I couldn’t stop picking from it as we waiting for our food.

My husband chose the Duck Confit Pizza with caramelized onions and fontina cheese, which was nice but he felt it lacked something, maybe an acidic quality that could have be filled with a squeeze of lemon, some capers or olives maybe.

I ordered the Pimento Cheeseburger with French Fries, and I wasn’t disappointed! It was just the right size burger and oozed with chili, cabbage slaw and cheese that was, in my opinion, perfection.  My husband sipped on his Bloody Mary while spooned up the excess chili and cheese from my plate with envy!

All these dishes are also on the dinner menu, which includes Rotisserie Chicken served with the Orzo Mac n’Cheese, Halibut with Heirloom tomato, zucchini and white beans, Lamb Loin with mint salsa verde, and a Grilled Gruyere & Braised Short Rib sandwich with tomato soup and horseradish cream.   I look forward to sampling their ‘simple California Cooking’ one evening, as Bottle and Brick offer a two course dinner for $20 on Monday – Fridays, at 5.30 – 6.15 pm, perfect for early bird family dining!



A Weekly Calendar of Toddler Appropriate Activities in Marin


Monday

10 .00 - 10.30 am - Kid's Story Time Club, Pharmaca, 7514 Redwood Blvd, Novato

10.00 – 10.30 am – Book Babies, San Anselmo Library, 110 Tunstead Ave Town Council chamber

10.30 – 11.15 am – ‘Music Together of Marin’, The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, 47 Tamal Vista Blvd.


Tuesday

9.30 – 10.45 am – Baby Bounce Storytime – Larkspur Library, 400 Magnolia Ave, 1st Floor

10.00 – 10.30 am - ‘Baby Bounce’ Story time at Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Jumping Jacks’ at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Playdate for 2 and Under’ at The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

10.15 - 10.45 am - 'Music Circle', at The Parents Center, Heller's Store, 514 4th Street, San Rafael
                ON VACATION AFTER THIS WEEK’S CLASSES UNTIL 1ST WK OF NOV

11.00 - 11.30 am – ‘Book Club Story Time’ at ‘Pottery Barns Kids’ store, Corte Madera Village



Wednesday

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, suite 3, Novato

10.15 – 10.45 am - ‘Music Circle’ at The Parents Center, Heller’s store, 514 4th St, San Rafael
                 ON VACATION AFTER THIS WEEK’S CLASSES UNTIL 1ST WK OF NOV

10.30 - 11.30 am – Adventure Club Drop in Play, MLK Gym, 610 Colma Street, Sausalito

11.00 - 11.30 am – Story Time at Giggle Store, Corte Madera Village

11.00 -11.30 am – Preschool Storytime, Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, Corte Madera

4.00 – 8.00 pm - Farmer’s Market, Bolinas Park, Bolinas Road, Fairfax


Thursday

8.00 – 1.00 pm – Farmers Market, The Civic Center (Puppet Show, balloon lady, Jumpy Houses & music)

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, Novato

9.30 – 10.30 am – ‘Jumping Jacks’, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.15 -10.45 am – Toddler Storytime, San Rafael Library, 1100 E St, San Rafael

10.30 – 11.00 am – Story Time at San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

11.00 - 11.30 am - Story Time at Barnes & Noble, 313 Corte Madera Center

3.30 - 4.00 pm - 'Stories with Phil Sheridan', Sausalito Library, 420 Litho Street

3.00 – 7.00 pm – Farmers Market, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross

6.00 – 9.00 pm - Farmers Market, 4th St, between Lincoln and B St, San Rafael


Friday

10.30 - 11.30 am - Story Time with Sarah Bonnett, San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.30 - 11.30 am - Tot's Club, City Hall Parks & Recreation, 420 Litho Street, Exercise Room, Sausalito

10.30 – 12.00 pm – Jumping Jacks, Strawberry Recreation District, 118 Strawberry Drive, 2nd floor gym

9.00 – 2.00 pm – Farmers Market, Alto Shopping Center, Mill Valley

9.00 am – 2.00 pm – Farmers Market, Bank of America parking lot, Downtown Sausalito

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