The Dailey Method® in Novato Celebrates 1st Anniversary!

Looking for an exercise class that will give you a long, lean and strong body?

The Dailey Method® is a unique combination of ballet barre work, core conditioning, muscle strengthening, yoga, and orthopedic exercises. This challenging one-hour class effectively strengthens tones and lengthens the entire body.

The Dailey Method® is located just off HWY 101 in Pacheco Plaza Ignacio, South Novato and will be celebrating their one year anniversary next week by offering FREE classes and childcare to the local community.

Dailey Method studio in Novato

The Novato studio is the second location in Marin and owned by Marin native; Anne-Marie McMahan, and in partnership with The Dailey Method, and Maggie Sapienza is the Manager. Anne-Marie is a health and fitness enthusiast, who has been practicing Yoga for over 10 years and competed in many triathlons. As a new mom in 2006, Anne-Marie was in search of the perfect workout that would return her body from the effects of pregnancy.  She found what she was looking for after completing her first Dailey Method class.

“Nothing changed my body like the Dailey Method", says Anne-Marie. "Being a new Mom, I wanted to get my body back and nothing I had ever done gave me these results this quickly.  It is truly transforming to your body and your mind”.

Dailey Method - The Marin Scoop

The Dailey Method® started in 2000 and currently has 39 studios open in California, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, Canada and Paris, France.

Other local studios include Corte Madera, Santa Rosa, San Francisco (Downtown, Cow Hollow, Mission-Castro, Berkeley, Menlo Park; see website for all locations.    

The Novato studio will be celebrating their one year anniversary with raffle prizes, refreshments, discounts on retail, and more! Reserve a space on their website for the following classes with childcare taking place on Monday and Tuesday:

Monday, August 6^th: 8:40 am – 5:30 pm

8:40 am

9:50 am

11:00 am

4:30 pm

Tuesday, August 7^th: 8:40 am - 5:30 pm

8:40 am

9:50 am

11:00 am

4:30 pm

The Dailey Method® offers classes seven days a week – visit our website for a class

schedule and two new specials for first-time clients.

                       

WHERE:       The Dailey Method (NOVATO)
                        Pacheco Plaza


450 Ignacio Boulevard 
    

           

Tel: 415.506.4439

novato@thedaileymethod.com

PARKING:    FREE Public Parking

Pixar Workshop at Children's Creativity Museum on Miss A

My son and I checked out the Children's Creativity Museum in downtown San Francisco yesterday, it was great fun so I wanted to share an article I wrote about it on Miss A. 

Pixar animator Austin Madison will be hosting a storyboarding workshop there soon: Click Here to read all about it and how the register!

Children's Creativity Museum - The Marin Scoop

Miss A  is one of the largest and fastest growing online destinations for women. Miss A covers the latest on entertainment, style, food, family, city events, fashion, beauty etc. in 21 major U.S. cities. Miss A informs and entertains an audience of more than 95,000 unique visitors monthly, and nearly one million unique visitors each year. Miss A continues to grow organically by building a powerful online network of women with a team of more than 30 editors and hundreds of writers.

If you want to follow my articles and find out what is going on in and around San Francisco then please “Like” Miss A San Francisco Facebook page , and for those who want to follow what is going on around the country please “Like” Miss A Facebook page and follow Miss A on Twitter.

I'm very excited about this new opportunity, and if you have a San Francisco related or family friendly story idea for me to cover, let me know. (see "About Me" in sidebar)

Thanks,

Sophie Davies 

Going For Gold - Olympics Gift Ideas!

As we gear up for the Olympics starting this Friday, I thought I would share some fun gift ideas for you and your family members to get into the spirit of the games and go for gold!

(Photo credits clockwise from top middle)

1.     Medal T-shirt (6 – 24 months); Poconodo

2.    Olympics Print; myMzone

3.    Team USA polo dress $55; Ralph Lauren

4.    Special Edition Line of Team GB LEGO Minifigures ShopLEGO.com

5.    New Balance “Patriotic 574” sneaker, $69.99 New Balance

6. Vintage Olympic cover story of Lucy Lui In Harper Bazaar magazine.

Mr Men & Little Miss Books

I used buy lots of bits and pieces from the Dollar Store for birthday party goodie bags, but once I had made up 10 - 15 goodies bags I realized that I had ended up spending too much money on a bunch of things that would probably get thrown away.

I now think giving the children an affordable book as a party treat or birthday gift is personal and means more. We are big fans of the Mr.Men & Little Miss book series by Roger Hargreaves in our house; as my husband and I grew up with them in the U.K and they are celebrating their 40 years anniversary. 

I like to choose characters that represent each guest; such as Little Miss Giggles, Mr. Bump, Little Miss Sunshine, Mr. Funny etc.

There is also Mr. Birthday and Little Miss Birthday for the birthday boy or girl…perfect!

The Mr Men & Little Miss Books are about $3.99 each and you can find them on Amazon.com

"Like" them on Facebook

Looking for more children’s books to enjoy? Read my Children's Book Reviews

Rivertown Revival 2012

The annual Rivertown Rivival  takes place at The David Yearsley River Herritage Center in Petaluma this Saturday, July 21^st. Our family had so much fun at the event last year that I wanted to share our pictures and let you know what you can expect to see this year.

The Rivertwon Rivival is an art-based, thematic festival (think the Old West meets the Victorian era) that celebrates the history of the Petaluma River, and raises funds for the River Heritage Center. 

This community festival includes over 100 musicians, an art boat flotilla, art boat drag races, local food vendors, lots of children’s activities and even $5 wedding ceremonies!

Their “Kidstown” will include activities, crafts and entertainment for the preschool and early elementary school set designed by Heidi Overman, and a special area with magic tricks and special craft projects for tweens and teens designed by Margaret Kuffel.

This year, Kai{Squared} has volunteered to be the wedding coordinators at the festival. Danielle and Kiri have designed an authentic wedding site that will host approx. 20 fun and whimsical $5 weddings and vow renewals, starting from 11am.

Everywhere you turn there will be volunteers and visitors in costume, circus performers, dancers, magicians, theater troupes and aerialists. A great deal of effort goes into every aspect of this experience from hand-painted ticket booths, to signage, dock creation and custom built stages.

1. Live music acts on three stages, this is the Channel Stage at the entrance of the festival

2.  The flotilla and art boats will begin at approx. 1 pm.

3.  The Arts Council of Sonoma County and local artists have prepared many art installations.

4.  $5 weddings ceremonies coordinated by Kai{Squared}

5.   My son particularly loved experiencing the vintage tractors and carts last year!

WHERE:

Riverown Revival

The David Yearsley River Heritage Center, Petaluma

(near McNear Landing or Streamer’s Landing Park)

11.00 am – 7.00 pm 

Vie Website for parking & further info

Style Scoop - Candy Pink Ombre

Our next two weekends are booked up with girl’s birthday parties, which has put me in a girlie mood.

The ombre trend is popular at the moment and I think it looks especially cute on little girls. I found this soft tulle dress by Chasing FireFlies which would be perfect for a special occasion, and at an affordable $58.00 it would look great with candy pink or metallic shoes.

For us moms, a maxi length dress is ideal to keep cool in during the summer months, as you can throw it on for an effortless look at the park, pool or school run. It can be easily transformed into a smarter look by accessorizing it with a belt, beads or statement necklace. This pink and coral striped maxi dress from GAP also comes in violet or royal blue, and would also work with this pink ombre scarf from Forever 21 if you are heading into the cooler city. 

1.    Living etc. magazine view website

2.    Pink ombre scarf, Forever 21, $6.50

3.    Pink & coral maxi dress, GAP, $74.95

4.    Pink ombre tulle dress, Chasing FireFlies, $58.00

5.    Ombre swirl cake by Glorious Treats blog 

Keep the kids Cool this Summer - Shady Park in Marin

As the temperatures soars this week most families will be hitting the pools, but I thought I would share some suggestions on cool parks in Marin to take the kids to, where they can play in the shade without fear of burning.

Miwok Park, 2200 Novato Blvd, Novato 

Miwok Park in Novato is surrounded by huge trees so it feels like a little cool haven where the kids can cool down while playing on the climbing structures and in the sand box. 

There are plenty of great trees to climb and lots of picnic tables making it an ideal place for a large play group or birthday party. If you feel like an adventure, walk down to the Creek and go for a walk in the water and hunt for fish, rocks and other treasures.

Marinwood Park, 775 Miller Creek Road, San Rafael

Creek walking - The Marin Scoop

Marinwood Park is an ideal place for a cool play date. There is a great playground with a sand box shaded from the hot sun by large trees, and surrounded by an open grass area, picnic tables and a BBQ area (available for group bookings).

For fire truck fans there is the Marinwood Fire Station next door (also available to hire for birthday parties).Their friendly staff usually comes out to greet the little ones and offer them a sticker, even a chance to sit in the driver’s seat and pretend to ride the fire engine!

The Marinwood Community Center has a preschool with a great reputation that offers kid’s classes and workshops all year round like children's music classes and toddler mini sports. Check out details about these and their regular family-friendly Music in the Park on their website on http://www.marinwood.org/.  The swimming pool also has a small warm tot's pool that has a gated grass area with loungers and large parasols, perfect for a little group get together!

Also running behind the park is Miller Creek which is a wonderful stream that is great for little ones to take a walk in the Creek’s running water searching for rocks and fish in their crocs or rain boots hand in hand with Mom or Dad!

Terra Linda, San Rafael

Weezy's Grass fed Shed - The Marin Scoop 

The Terra Linda Community Center not only has a great outdoor Tots Pool, but it is next to the hidden Terra Linda Park. The park has an open grass area to run around in and a large shady tree to enjoy picnics under. 

You can find the Terra Linda Fire Station next door, where the kids love to see the shiny Fire Engines sat outside.

There is also a perfect view of the fire station from a great local mom owned business across the street called 'Weezy's Grass Fed Shed', 621 Del Ganado. It is a great place for a lunch where you can try their mini organic sliders and sweet potato fries (cooked in rice bran oil). 

For a sweet treat, head to 'Three Twin Ice Cream', ice-cream parlor at 641 Del Ganado for an organic scoop of Madagascar Vanilla, Strawberry Fields, or my favorite flavor, Bittersweet Chocolate!

Freitas Park, Montecillo Road, San Rafael

A fun alternative is to take the kids to Freitas Park, Montecillo Road (next to the Kaiser Hospital in San Rafael) which has a water sprinkle structure. The structure looks like a giant red coil that is controlled by a hand print sensor that varies the strength of the water. Toddlers enjoy running through the sprays of water showering them from every direction.

Once dried off and in need of lunch or a snack, the Northgate Mall is a just few minutes’ drive away. 'Panera Bread' is a great place for a delicious variety of sandwiches, soups and salads with patio seating. 'Berry Twist' opposite Panera Bread and offers a variety of frozen yogurt such as pomegranate & green tea with lots of fun toppings, in a cool modern parlor, that also has outdoor seating.

Millennium Playground at San Anselmo Memorial Park

San Francisco Blvd (off Sir Francis Drake Blvd), San Anselmo

If you are looking for a park that the children can spend hours having adventures while discovering new areas and hidden corners of the playground then check out the Millennium Playground in San Anselmo Memorial Park.

The playground was built by a team of volunteers in May 2000 and was designed by the local children to reflect various San Anselmo themes. It has a variety of complex designed castle fortresses that represent the Seminary Tower and Town Hall Tower which are a lot of fun to get lost in. There is also a train depot with a wonderful wooden train, a giant dinosaur, sand box, swings and various slides that pop out of the wooden structures.

San Anselmo Memorial Park also has grassy areas, a picnic area, several sports fields, tennis courts and clean bathroom facilities.

Are you a fan of these parks or have any other suggestions on cool places for the kids to play in Marin, share your feedback by leaving a comment! 

Amy's Fashion Postcard

I’m so thrilled to be guest posting on my friend Sophie’s blog today. We know each other from our years working in the fashion industry in London. I am now full-time Mum to a 3 year old, Noah, and I also pen a style blog over in the UK called; Simple Style Notebook. It is all about confident, modern, pared down dressing for the real world. My theory is that our lives are complicated enough, most of us are juggling children, and demanding jobs or businesses so our style shouldn’t be.

Last week we took our first holiday for 2 years to the beautiful Mediterranean Island of Menorca. It was such a joy to be by the azure sea with the sun on our faces [it has been the wettest summer since records began in the UK!]. Noah loved sitting on the beach, building sand castles and splashing in the pool. I enjoyed exploring some of the pretty back streets in the nearest town, Ciutadella where I discovered some cute little boutiques full of vintage inspired fashion and boho jewellery, perfect for the Balearic vibe.

Packing for a short vacation can be a challenge especially if you’re travelling with kids and your baggage allowance is limited, as we were on our budget flight. So the trick is to take versatile pieces that can work together. My tip is to stick with neutral colors with the odd bright splash to add personality. Here are some of my favorite holiday wardrobe pieces.

1.     White cropped jeans, Madewell

2.     Paisley bikini, J Crew at Net-a-Porter

3.     Bracelet, Anthropologie

4.     Grey jersey tube skirt, Old Navy

5.     White cotton tank, Club Monaco

6.     White canvas pumps, Supergra

7.     Striped t-shirt dress, Banana Republic

White jeans are one of my staples in the summer. They can be so easily dressed up for the evening with a beautiful printed blouse and decorative earrings [gold always looks great with white and a tan!], or you can match it with a simple tank like this one from Club Monaco for day.

The jersey maxi skirt is another brilliant summer piece that is great for day or night, you can even wear it as a beach cover-up pulled up over your bikini. I’m a stickler for tan lines so much prefer a bandeau style bikini for the beach, this bikini top even looks good worn under a light cotton shirt or smock instead of a bra.

I think dresses are one of the simplest ways to stylish dressing. You can throw one on and look instantly put together so I always travel with a few. A t-shirt dress like this one from Banana Republic is light, comfortable, and could even work for travelling in.

Wardrobe sorted we had plenty of time for relaxing and fun. I always travel with my trusty DSLR and a notebook, I found these cute notebooks in TK Maxx for a few pounds here in the UK and we made one into Noah’s holiday journal. This is such a great way to keep special memories and Noah enjoyed taking it to pre-school to show his friends and teachers what he’d got up to.

We also enjoyed making a passport for Noah’s bears from a free printable at Pretty Blog: 

Wherever you’re off to this summer I hope you have a lovely time, and I hope you can visit me over at my Simple Style Notebook blog.

Marin County Fair 2012

We all get to enjoy the Marin County Fair for longer this year as July 4^th lands on a Wednesday this year, so 3 more days left to pack in the fun!

Giant Wheel at Marin County Fair - The Marin Scoop

Our family had a great time at the fair yesterday. Once you pay the $16 entrance fee the majority of the rides and games are FREE! My son and I boarded the solar powered choo choo train to get the lay of the land and check out the various vendors…most of the food is the typical fried affair but if you want to avoid the generic corn dogs and dripping nachos there is delicious fresh corn on the cob or support our local Mary’s Pizza Shack, Marin Cheese Company or Lydia's Organic Kitchen for juices and super healthy options.

A slice from Mary's Pizza Shack - The Marin Scoop

The kids enjoyed seeing the animals at Clover Stornetta Farm where children can take a close look at the cute bunnies, chickens, sheep, cows, turkeys, goats, ponies. There is also a petting zoo for the children to pet the farm animals even beautiful fawns. The racing hogs were fun to watch in the Ham Bone Express and the Gymkhana is great for horse lovers.  

Phil's Fresh Lemonade stand at Marin County Fair 

Afterwards we sat down on the grass and enjoyed out Ben and Jerry ice-cream in front the Little Theater puppet show with friends, which featured vintage characters like Thumbelina.

Carnival Rides at Marin County Fair - The Marin Scoop

Our three year old son was hesitant about riding the solar powered Carousel or the Giant Wheel;  which gives you sweeping views of the fair from nearly a100 feet height. So we headed to the kiddy rides at the Carnival, the jumping dune buggy cars and Corvette cars were more his style.

Corvette cars at Marin County Fair - The Marin Scoop

The fair is on until Wednesday July 4^th which will close with the fantastic fireworks at 9.30 pm. We look forward to exploring more of the rides and the rest of the fair before then!