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.

Customize your iPhone & iPad with Casetagram!

Sophie Davies collage

I love beautiful photography which is why I am becoming addicted to making and sharing photos on Instagram (well, it keeps my Pinterest habit at bay). 

I also enjoy making collages, ever since I was a teenager cutting up fashion and music magazines and creating collages of my favorite bands, movies and teen pin ups and putting them on my school notebooks and bedroom walls. I got to do this for real at college by creating mood boards for my fashion studies, and still enjoying making collages today, either the old fashion way or on the computer.

There is a fantastic social design company called Casetagram that enables you to make collages out of your Instagram photos and turn them into a hard case for your iPhone or iPad!

Casetagram iPhone & iPad cases - The Marin Scoop

This fun process can be achieved in three easy steps; just connect to Instagram, import your photos, create your own customize design using their templates and Casetagram will print and ship your creative case to you!

Casetagram iPhone case - The Marin Scoop

Users can take a look at other’s people’s designs for inspiration and try the process out for free on their websites choosing from 7 design templates and 3 case covers (white, clear or black matte).

You travel pics Casetagram case

It makes a great gift for your fellow Instagram friends using their Virtual Gift Card, and Casetagram are also offering free international shipping for a limited time. At only $35.95 including shipping, it makes such a great personal thing to keep and enjoy each day!

I can’t wait to make mine! 

(follow sophialdavies on Instagram) 

Best of British – Magazines, tea and cake

This Emma Bridgewater tea towel sums up my happiness during quiet time perfectly. I love to sit down, once the kids are asleep, and open my favorite magazine with a nice cup of tea, some chocolate or a cake…heaven!

As I am sharing my favorite British things leading up to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this weekend, I thought I would recommend a couple of British magazines:

Red Magazine

My favorite women’s fashion and beauty magazine is Red magazine full of great “wearable fashion” , beauty and home décor but also interesting articles on subjects smart women want to read. After 5 years away from the UK this title still remains my favorite magazine and one I still collect.

The Marin Best of Brits - Red magazine

Living etc.

I also collect the British home magazine Living etc. a popular title with those interested in inspiring interior design. It gives me lots of ideas and keeps me up-to-date with what’s going on in the design world. You can find both in Barnes and Noble.

The Marin Scoop Best of Brits- Living etc. mag

B for British by Josie Jo

Now for the teas and cake bit…I had to share this wonderful print called "B for British by Josie Jo". It features illustrations of all things British; a London Bus, a London telephone box, British bull dog, and of course tea and cake. You can buy it on Unlimited Editions and at only 40 pounds, it’s a steal! 

B for British by Josie Jo on The Marin Scoop

Best of British - Banksy Street Art

Street artist Banksy is one of my favorite artists, I appreciate his style and how he likes to push people’s buttons; like this recent piece that appeared in East London. It is depicting a child laborer sewing British flag bunting, and was coyly placed on the side of Poundland (the UK version of Dollar Tree). 

Find out more about the artist and similar street artists in the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. I also feature Banksy’s work in my “Modern Art” board on Pinterest

Best of British in Design - Anne Carrington

To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee taking place in the UK this weekend, I am sharing my favorite British things and today it’s all about design.

One of my favorite British artists is Anne Carrington, a sculptor that uses large amounts of common objects like buttons, flags, bottle tops, nuts, bolts, scraps of vintage fabric, and creates masterpieces out of them. I love her Pearly Queen made of pearl and shell buttons commissioned in celebration of the Queen’s diamond jubilee, a piece used by The Novogratz @ Sixx Design in their home and design projects.

Anne Carrington's Pearly Queen in Bungalow Hotel 

I also adore Anne Carrington’s “Crown Jewels” made of pearl buttons on canvas.

Anne Carrington's Crown Jewels

Anne has made a 9 ft velvet banner sewn with half a million gold buttons to decorate the stern of the Royal Barge, Spirit of Chartwell. It will be at the front of the Diamond Jubilee pageant running along the River Thames on June 3^rd. 

Anne Carrington's Royal Banner

You can buy a print version of it and her other work on her Website

Indoor Play at HABITOT

If you are looking for indoor activities to do with your children during this changeable weather, check out HABITOT in Berkeley. Habitot is a children’s play and learning center with various themed areas for plenty of exploration and dramatic play.

Children can dress up as astronauts and take a ride inside a rocketship full of lights, buttons, keyboards, and phones to call mission control beside it. 

They can dress up in other costumes in front of lit up mirrors and experiment with face paints. Take a shopping trip with their carts round the fresh produce market, or splash round with water in Waterworks area.

There is a great arts and crafts room which has a huge wall for kids to grab a paintbrush and go crazy on, or sit down for organized art and craft activities. My son enjoyed discovering GAK which is similar to Playdoh but has a sticky rubbery consistence (GAK Facebook page). We also played with glue and glitter together to make a picture of his name.

There is also a small soft play area called the Infant Garden for little ones which was perfect for my 8 month daughter who is less happy to sit in her stroller and wants to join in the fun by starting to crawl and cruise around.

HABITOT has some great resources like the good selection of books in their parenting reference library with their own parenting pamphlets on useful subjects like; learning to share, how to stop biting, and how to control anger (theirs and yours). Also a toy lending service which is a wonderful idea!

The discovery museum is a small part of the large building that has been hosting classes and art programs since 1998. The appearance of the museum and its play structures reflects how long it has been open, and they welcome donations to help update their exhibit. I just wish the toy store by the entrance wasn’t so close the play areas as my son just kept wandering into it and wanting me to buy everything he picked up. 

But HABITOT is good fun, especially on a rainy day and worth checking out!

For further information and opening times, please see their website

Baby & Toddler 

Weekly Activities Calendars

Looking for something to entertain your toddler or want to reach out to new moms with babies this week?

To view this week’s activities: Click here