Active Family Magazine - January 2015

JANUARY 2015

2015

Fitness Guide

10 SIMPLE WAYS to Keep Yourself From Being an Angry Parent

HOW TO MAKE Resolutions a REALITY

5 TIPS TO HELP MOMS MOVE TOWARD MORE FRIENDSHIPS

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Volume 2 / Issue 12

[ FAMILY ] The Manager In My Home & The Five Words That Changed Everything

8 10 Simple Ways to Keep Yourself From Being an Angry Parent

16 [ HEALTH ] Fitness Guide

Plastic Surgery Advances and Artistry

Process Over Product: The Importance of “Open-ended” Art in Child Development

36 Ingredients For A Healthier Family - Cooking, Eating and Playing Together

42

44 [ SEASONAL FUN ] Indoor Play Guide

30

[ WOMEN & RELATIONSHIPS ]

[ EVENTS ]

5 Tips To Help Moms Move Toward More Friendships

January Calendar

12

18

How to Make Resolutions a Reality

[ EDUCATION ]

24

How to Get Kids to Open Up About Their School Day

26 The Average Person Complains 30 Times a Day –Would you like to stop?

34

20 Preschool Guide

38

12 4 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

16

30

“At Stratford School, our teachers encourage children to question what is… and then inspire them to think what if…”

There’s no more profound gift parents can give their children than the chance to discover what they are capable of — the chance to achieve all they can.

Discover what inspires Stratford’s educational excellence.

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Opening January 2015

Campuses throughout the Bay Area

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Apply online today www.StratfordSchools.com/The_Stratford_Difference

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Local Life & Style for the East Bay Area Publisher/Editor

Design/Production

Contributing Authors

Tracie Brown Vollgraf

Teresa Agnew Craft

Marketing Manager

Ad Design/Production

Crystal Wigton

Lara Mays

Rachel Stafford Elizabeth Pantley Shasta Nelson Dr. Michele Borba Julie Upton, MS, RD CSSD Dr. Laura Markham Brett E. Stompro, MD Laura Bartron, Regional Nutritionist The Growing Room Academy ClubSport Pleasanton

Sr. Advertising Sales Manager Maxine Fisher

Advertising Sales Manager April Gentry

Advertising Sales Manager Cammie Cavros

Wardrobe Stylist Jeneffer Jones Punjani

Active Family is published by TAG Marketing Group Mailing Address | P.O. Box 5158, Pleasanton, CA 94566

Advertising Inquiries | 925.789.0709 Email Address | info@activekidsbayarea.com

Editor’s Note Happy 2015! We hope you made it through the holidays in one piece and are invigorated, recharged and ready to take on the New Year!

Be sure to look to Active Family Magazine this year when you are in need of a comprehensive, helpful parenting resource. Become a fan of our Facebook page today (www.facebook.com/activefamilymag) which provides daily information on local events, articles, giveaways, product, services and more! Active Family is the only lifestyle parenting publication dedicated to the East Bay Area, where you live and play with your family, so be sure to make us your go-to resource! Also check out the updated events at www.activefamilymag.com and bookmark for easy access!

Thanks for reading and we look forward to an exciting New Year!

Tracie Brown Vollgraf Editor info@activekidsbayarea.com

6 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]

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Palo Alto Medical Foundation Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 7

[ FAMILY ]

The Manager In My Home & The Five Words That Changed Everything

by Rachel Stafford

Every couple of weeks I patiently untangle the knots of strawberry-blonde hair that sit at the base of my child’s neck. As I sat on the corner of the tub the other night gently loosening an especially stubborn clump while my daughter chattered about her day, I couldn’t stop the tears.

Those wet tangles I held in my hand were tangible signs of progress—tangible proof that letting go can happen even in the most problematic hearts. My wish is that by sharing where I once was and where I am now, others will feel hope they didn’t feel in a while. Perhaps by reading about my messy, tangles of progress, others will see their own. This is my story …

There was a time in my life when I barked orders more often than I spoke words of love … when I reacted to small everyday inconveniences as if they were major catastrophes … when normal human habits and quirks raised my blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Rather than nurturing my family members, I took it upon myself to manage my family members until there was no room to bend or breathe.

Rachel Macy Stafford is a certified special education teacher with a Master’s Degree in education and ten years of experience working with parents and children. In December 2010, this life-long writer felt compelled to share her journey to let go of distraction and grasp what really matters by creating the blog “Hands Free Mama.” Using her skills as a writer, teacher, and encourager, Rachel provides readers with simple, non-intimidating, and motivating methods to let go of distraction and connect with their loved ones. Rachel’s work has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Global News, USA Today, TIME.com, MSN.com, The Huffington Post, and Reader’s Digest. Her blog currently averages one million visitors a month. Rachel’s new book, HANDS FREE MAMA, is a New York Times Bestseller.

My artistic, busybody, dream-chasing older daughter’s desire to create multiple projects at once, try new recipes, and keep towering stacks of books and magazines by her bedside received disapproving looks on a daily basis.

My stop-and-smell-the-roses younger daughter’s desire to buckle stuffed animals before we departed, accessorize every part of her body before walking out the door, and move at a snail’s pace drew exasperated breaths and annoyed frowns.

My fun-loving, laidback husband’s spontaneous approach to weekend plans and ability to totally chill out got the silent treatment more times that I could count.

The people I was supposed to love unconditionally possessed qualities that irritated, annoyed, and continually derailed my carefully planned agenda—an agenda that was all about efficiency, perfection, and control.

I was not acting as a mother or a wife or even a decent human being. I was acting as a surly manager who was intent on creating a toxic environment—a place where it was pretty hard to show up each and every day.

How do I know?

Because even I could barely stand myself. The impatient person I’d become woke up angry and irritated as I braced myself for another day of managing the unmanageable. Forget about living. Forget about smiling. Forget about counting the blessings. The Grumpy Manager didn’t do that. And everyone in the home began following suit.

8 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

[ FAMILY ] Hair brushing was a point of contention. Each morning my older daughter obediently allowed me to brush hastily as I pretended not to see her wincing.

We were in a rush after all. I hated to be late.

When it was my younger daughter’s turn she would always ask if she could brush her own hair today. My response alternated between, “We don’t have time today,” and “When you get a little bigger.”

On this particular morning my then four-year-old child did not ask if she could brush her own hair. I was relieved.

I could get this hair into a ponytail, prod her to get her shoes on quickly, and be out the door in less than two minutes I calculated—because managers always calculate.

As I aggressively gathered Avery’s unruly curls into my palm, I happened to get a glance at my reflection. My brows were knotted together tightly. My mouth set was in a hard, thin line. I looked haggard, hopeless, and sad. I would have dismissed this disturbing sight had it not been for the fact that my child was staring at my reflection too.

If expressions could talk, my child’s face would have said this loud and clear: Who are you? Where did my mama go?

I felt my face grow hot. I felt tears wanting to come forth, but I blinked them back—because managers know there’s no time for tears.

But instead of continuing to brush with vigor, I suddenly stopped. With trembling hands, I held out the hairbrush to my child.

I prayed I would do something, anything with those significant words that were gifted to me.

For the next several weeks, we finished up breakfast a few minutes earlier so Avery could brush her own hair, and I could watch … and learn.

“Want me to show you how I do it?” my child said each morning as I held out the brush.

I never got tired of seeing the pure joy Avery received from doing it herself, her way, the back of the head optional.

“Take your time,” I forced myself to say every morning until it felt like English coming from my lips rather than a foreign language.

Whenever I said those particular words, there was a noticeable reaction. Unlike any other words, these three words were especially meaningful to my child. The way her shoulders lifted and her smile widened, I deemed them Soul-Building Words for this girl. I acknowledged that I would’ve never known the power of these words for Avery had I not stepped aside and surrendered control. I was motivated to take this powerful realization and apply it to other relationships. In what other ways could I make Hairbrush Offerings as a means of connecting with and lifting up others? It didn’t take long to see there were many opportunities to open my hands and ask: How would you do it?

The way my husband took care of the children … tidied his area of the bedroom … chose outfits for going out … put away the groceries … and paid the bills were not wrong—just different than the way I did them.

“How would you do it?” I asked quietly.

At first she looked shocked, as if I was offering her a hairy tarantula. But as I continued to hold out the brush, Avery eventually picked it up.

With small but agile hands, she stroked the sides of her hair from top to bottom until the hair was silky smooth.

While lost in her joyful task, I think she forgot I was there.

After a few minutes, she carefully brought the hair forward to drape softly over her shoulders. Then she smiled proudly at her reflection. The manager in me noticed she did not brush the back of her head, but I remained quiet.

My child met my eyes in the mirror. “Thank you, Mama. I always wanted to do that.”

The way my older daughter packed her swim bag … emptied her swim bag … saved money … selected gifts … completed projects … did homework … and baked cookies were not wrong—just different than the way I did them.

The way the chatty clerk bagged my groceries … the way my colleague took ten extra steps to accomplish a task … the way my sister sipped coffee and read the paper before starting our day together were not wrong—just different than the way I did them.

How would you do it? I commonly asked these five words of surrender when the control freak inside me began to get agitated. As I watched the people in my life do it their way … in their own time … with their own flair, I saw sparks of joy I didn’t see before. And just like with Avery JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 9

[ FAMILY ] and the hairbrush, I learned each person had specific Soul-Building Words that fueled that spark.

Over time, the manager nameplate peeled off my shirt, and I strived to be less of a dictator and more of a guiding, supportive, loving presence. I went to bed feeling lighter, freer, and happier knowing I did not have to be in control all the time. I woke up with the peaceful awareness that there were many ways to live, create, and accomplish tasks—and sometimes the other ways were better than my ways.

Avery is now eight years old and quite the hairstylist. Not only does she do neat stuff with her own hair, but she can also make mine look great. Avery still doesn’t pay too much attention to the back of her hair. This results in her handing me the comb and a bottle of conditioner and we share a little time together as the steam rises from the tub.

I relish the fact that even when presented with the messiest tangles, the ones that look like they might have to be cut away, there is hope … there is growth … there are new beginnings if I loosen my grip a little and keep on trying.

I leave with you with what I’ve learned through the blessing of the tangles. I call it: Building a Soul, One Word at a Time “I will wait for you.”

“Take your time.”

“You make my day better.”

I say those words to my slow-moving, happy-go-lucky, Noticer of life child.

I watch as grateful eyes light up and tiny shoulders relax Those words are Soul-Building Words to her.

“Mistakes mean you are learning.”

“It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

“Okay, you can have a few more minutes to work on your project.”

I say those words to my driven, contentious planner and pursuer of dreams child.

I watch as pressure escapes from her chest and aspirations soar higher.

Those words are Confidence-Boosting Words to her.

“I appreciate you.”

“I’m listening.”

“You matter.”

I say those words to my hard-working, often underappreciated love of my life.

I watch as tensions loosen, eyes meet, 10 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

and conversation comes easier.

Those words are Affirming and Connective Words to him.

“It’s good enough for today.”

“Be kind to yourself.”

“Today matters more than yesterday.”

I say those words to my own perfection-seeking, worrisome heart that tends to replay past mistakes.

I watch as my clenched hands open and tears fall as scars come to the surface.

Those are Healing, Hope-Filled Words to me.

The words “I love you” should never be underestimated, but every human being has a few words that make his or her soul come alive. Discover what those words are by standing back, letting go, watching, learning, and listening. What brings a smile? What adds a spring to the step? Commit those words to memory and say them, say them as often as you can so that one day you are no longer needed to hear them.

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[ HEALTH ]

Fitness Guide Alameda County DUBLIN Fitness 2000 They have a spacious building and tons of equipment including a weight room, a Jacuzzi, a sauna, a kids’ area, and more!

7373 Village Pkwy | 925.828.1234 www.dublinfitness2000.com Resolutions Fitness Resolutions Fitness provides a variety of services. At home personal training, triathlon training, boot camps, weight loss programs, strength training and more.

7100 Village Pkwy | 925.230.8579 www.resolutionsfitness.net

FREMONT Mind Body Zone Offers personal training, body sculpting, piloxing, circuit training, private yoga and pilates instruction, state-of-the-art equipment, and unique workshops. Classes available are: Pilates, yoga, and body sculpting.

3335 Seldon Court | 510.252.1193 | www.mindbody-zone.com

24 Hour Fitness – Super Sport The Livermore health club offers a wide range of group exercise classes, personal training and a wealth of other benefits and features. Whether you plan to lose weight, tone-up, or train for a big event, the Livermore club offers a wide variety of gym memberships. They also offer a Kid’s Club to keep the kids entertained while you work out!

2650 Kitthawk Road | 925.447.4496 | www.24hourfitness.com

PLEASANTON Bikram Yoga/Studio Bikram Yoga Pleasanton is a 4934 square foot facility offering Bikram’s Beginning Hatha Yoga Classes. They have practice rooms with state-of-the-art heating & humidification systems that maintain even temperatures during class and controls humidity levels. They also have shower facilities for men & women and a spacious reception/retail area.

3283 Bernal Avenue Suite # 109 | 925.426.0460 www.bikramyogapleasanton.com

ClubSport Fremont Their 12,000 square foot state-of-the-art fitness center is filled with the latest cardio, circuit, and free weight equipment to keep you in shape and help you reach your goals quickly and effectively. With over 90 cardiovascular machines, chances are you’ll never have to wait to work up a sweat.

46650 Landing Parkway | 510.226.850 | www.clubsports.com Snap Fitness 24-7 Snap Fitness club amenities provide member 24 hour access, free weighs, personal training, nutrition consultants and more.

43480 Mission Blvd Ste. #160 | 510.226.7627 www.snapfitness.com

LIVERMORE Anytime Fitness Cardio equipment, strength equipment, personal training, wellness programs, tanning, and new yoga classes! A variety of classes are available.

1855 Holmes Street | 925.292.7196 www.anytimefitness.com LifestyleRX LifeStyleRx, is a 70,000-square-foot wellness center providing comprehensive, medical-based, high-quality education and fitness services to their members. Through their programs and services, they provide members the opportunity to achieve their maximum health, fitness and well-being potential.

1119 E. Stanley Blvd | 925.454.6342 | www.lifestylerx.com

12 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

The Quad The Quad features top-of-the-line strength and cardio equipment. You’ll find everything you need – including treadmills, elliptical machines, stair climbers, a cable cross tower and a power rack with platform bumper plates and Iron Grip weight plates – to work absolutely every single muscle in your body.

They have a variety of classes to choose from including: Absolute Barre, Concrete Boxing & Conditioning, CrossFit NST, and Airfit. In addition, they have a variety of childcare options.

5860 W Las Positas Blvd | 925.924.1110 www.thequadfit.com 24 Hour Fitness—Super Sport The Pleasanton health club offers a wide range of group exercise classes, personal training and a wealth of other benefits and features. Whether you plan to lose weight, tone-up, or train for a big event, the Pleasanton club offers a wide variety of gym memberships. They also offer a Kid’s Club to keep the kids entertained while you work out!

4770 Willow Road | 925.463.1515 | www.24hourfitness.com

[ HEALTH ] ClubSport Pleasanton State of the art weight and cardio equipment, certified personal trainers, nutrition counseling, rock wall and climbing area. 10 indoor tennis courts, 4 outdoor tennis courts, 8 indoor racquetball/ handball courts, 6 land outdoor deep water lap pool, exercise pool, children’s wading pool. 9000 sq. ft. Kids World including age appropriate activities, fitness and exercise center.

7090 Johnson Drive | 925.463.2822 | www.clubsports.com Downtown Yoga Downtown Yoga is an award-winning Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Studio - has conducted over 20,000 yoga classes to thousands of people within and around the San Francisco Bay Area since 2002. They offer precise, knowledgeable and safe instruction to all levels and ages of students. Open 7-days a week, they have Introduction to yoga programs, classes for Beginners to Intermediate to Advanced students, kids programs, Prenatal yoga and Senior and Teen discounts.

220 Division Street | 925.819.9983 | www.pleasantonyoga.com Elite Training Center Elite Training has various specialized programs for advanced athletes, one on one personalized training for individuals with specific goals and boxing classes. Whether your goal is simply to get in shape with some of their fun Strength and Conditioning classes or engage one of their personal trainers, Elite has what you are looking for. Elite Center provides the entire family a supportive environment where you can get fit and healthy together.

1279 Quarry Ln | 925.967.3265 | www.elitetrainingca.com Tri-Valley Trainer Tri Valley Trainer exists for the sole purpose of helping to advance the cause, the quality and the popularity of the wellness lifestyle. They do that through: Private training for individual clients TRIAD ™ small group training combining cardio, strength and core in one fun, challenging time-efficient workout and periodic collaborative workshops with other wellness practitioners (medical, chiropractic, psychological, dietary, physical therapy, etc.).

3724 Stanley Blvd | 925.413.2268 | www.trivalleytrainer.com

Contra Costa County ALAMO 24 Hour Fitness —Active Cardio Equipment, circuit training, free weights and personal training. 24 Hour Fitness Alamo offers a state-of-the-art facility that has just about every feature you could wish for in a gym membership. The Alamo health club offers a wide range of group exercise classes, personal training and a wealth of other benefits and features. Whether you plan to lose weight, toneup, or train for a big event, the Alamo club offers a wide variety of gym memberships and a Kid’s Club.

140 A Alamo Plaza | 925.362.1730 | www.24hourfitness.com

ANTIOCH 24 Hour Fitness – Sport The 24 Hour Fitness Sport in Antioch offers Cardio Equipment, free weights, indoor lap pool, Group Exercise and classes and much more. Drop the Kids off at the Kid’s Club to have fun while you work out.

2632 Somersville Road | 925.753.1533 www.24hourfitness.com

In-Shape In-Shape is a premier health spa and family fitness center.

Take a refreshing swim in their sparkling indoor or outdoor swimming pools, try a free group exercise class like Bikaraoke or Drums Alive, or challenge friends to a game of racquetball.

Help build flexibility, muscle strength and endurance in their Pilates studio. They also have a Kids Club with a huge play maze and interactive games, tanning beds, steam rooms and much more.

4099 Lone Tree Way | 925.331.3065 | www.inshapeclubs.com

BRENTWOOD Anytime Fitness Cardio equipment, strength equipment, personal training, wellness programs, tanning, and new yoga classes! A variety of classes are available.

7750 Brentwood Blvd | 925.513.7001 www.anytimefitness.com Delta Valley Athletic Club Delta Valley offers over 50 fun fitness classes like aerobics, spinning, and dancing. Their onsite preschool provides students with developmentally-appropriate activities that encourage academic, social and emotional growth. Other fun amenities include personal training, steam rooms and saunas.

120 Guthrie Lane | 925.392.3885 | www.deltavac.com In-Shape In-Shape is a premier health club in Concord and your destination for family fun! Take a refreshing swim in our outdoor pool, try a FREE group exercise or cycling class or challenge friends to a game of racquetball or basketball. With a wide assortment of cardio machines, a full array of resistance equipment and free weights, exclusive Yoga and Pilates studios, a 29-Minute Circuit®, certified Personal Trainers, an amazing Kids Club, saunas, steam rooms and tanning beds, you’ll see why InShape is like a getaway resort - without the travel!

180 Griffith Lane | 925.513.8700 | www.inshapeclubs.com

CLAYTON Clayton Fitness Center Clayton Fitness offers a variety of health and fitness training along with personal training, weight training, Olympic training and Coach’s Terry’s Bootcamp.

1516 Kirker Pass Rd. | 925.672.2010 www.claytonfitnesscenter.com

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 13

[ HEALTH ]

Fitness Guide CONCORD

In Shape In-Shape offers top of the line equipment, basketball and racquetball courts, yoga and Pilate’s studio, and an outdoor pool.

They also have an amazing Kids Club.

5294 Clayton Rd | 925.602.5600 | www.inshapeclubs.com

Crunch Fitness Crunch Fitness has a variety of amenities available to its members. Personal training, TRX, Studio, hundreds of classes, personal training, yoga, childcare and much more!

3464 Blackhawk Plaza | 925.272.5600 | www.crunch.com Danville Fitness Danville Fit has something for everyone. Group X classes, personal training, childcare and locker rooms. Danville Fit’s personal trainers focus on strengthening your core, improving balance and correcting your posture through fat reducing, total-body workouts and functional resistance training.

101 Town and County Dr. | 925.743.3919 www.danville-fit.com Fit Personal Studio The Fit Studio staff has a passion for health and fitness and offer their clients training customized for their individual needs.

Fit Studio’s personalized health and fitness programs focus on cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance. One-on-one personal training, Pilates training and small group sessions are available.

294-B Railroad Ave | 925.362.8001 www.fitstudiodanville.com

LAFAYETTE

The Big C The Big C offers programs like Pilates, Indoor Cycling, Zumba, Yoga, Step, Fit 2 The Core (F2C), TRX and many more. They also offer executive lockers, weight room, swimming pool, sports courts, exercise studios and sauna and steam rooms.

1381 Galaxy Way | 925.671.2110 | www.thebigc.com UFC Offering a full-range of group fitness classes, private MMA training, personal and group dynamic training, plus MMA style youth programming, UFC GYM creates something for all ages and fitness levels. Be sure to check out their Childcare!

1975 Diamond Blvd. | 925.265.8130 | www.ufcgym.com

DANVILLE The Studio With more than 120 classes offered each week, personalized training and expert advice on health and fitness The Studio can help you get exactly what you need. Some of the fun and innovative classes available are: Yoga, Pilates, Cycle, TRX, Kettlebell (coming soon), Barre, Outdoor training/boot camps, Toning/ sculpting, Walk/hike club and Running club.

730 Camino Ramon | 925.838.9200 | www.thestudiolife.com

14 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

Absolute Center Absolute Center offers personal training and classes in Fitness, Pilates, Yoga, Barre, Suspension and more.

3658 Mt. Diablo Blvd | 925.299.9642 www.absolutecenter.net Oakwood Athletic Club Oakwood’s Fitness Center is filled with the latest in resistance and cardiovascular equipment. Their free weight room has everything required to satisfy the needs of veteran weight lifters.

To complement their selection of resistance-training equipment, they offer Cybex selectorized machines, and a complete line of Free Motion pieces.

4000 Mt. Diablo Blvd | 925.283.4000 www.oakwoodathlecticclub.com

OAKLEY Diamond Hills Sports Club& Spa Diamond Hills Sports Club and Spa is an extraordinary fitness and racquet club. It is an active, family-oriented club where members can meet, make friends and participate in exceptional fitness, recreational and social activities.

1510 Neroly Rd. | 925.420.4575 | www.sparetimeclubs.com

[ HEALTH ] SAN RAMON IM=X Pilates Studio IM=X (Integrated Movement Xercize) is a new generation of Pilates and cardio inspired workouts enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of exercise enthusiasts who proclaim its “immediate results”! Founder, Elyse McNergney, created IM=X to offer a total fitness approach - one that integrates pilates exercises with strength and cardiovascular training.

2410 San Ramon Valley Blvd | 800.IMX.1336 www.imxbayarea.com 24 Hour Fitness—Super Sport The San Ramon health club offers a wide range of group exercise classes, personal training and a wealth of other benefits and features. Some of their amenities include Kid’s Club, TRZ Suspension training, juice bar, and cardio equipment.

4450 Norris Canyon Road |925.244.9855 www.24hourfitness.com

Renaissance ClubSport A full-service sports club. Offers cardio and weight training center, group classes, pilates, personal trainers, sports courts, aquatics, kids programs, Spa, Restaurant, Pro shop and more!

2805 Jones Road | 925.938.8700 www.renaissanceclubsport.com Snap Fitness 24/7 Snap Fitness of Walnut Creek is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week to service all of your fitness needs. They have state of the art equipment, personal trainers, and friendly staff to help with anything needed.

1533A Palos Verdes Mall | 925.938.8006 www.snapfitness.com

ClubSport San Ramon ClubSport San Ramon offers over 80 thousand square feet of fitness facilities, including 8 full-lit tennis courts, a year-round heated pool, indoor racquetball and squash and much more.

ClubSport San Ramon offers kid’s classes, such as karate, soccer and gymnastics which are included with your Membership.

350 Bollinger Canyon Lane | 925.735.8500 www.clubsportsr.com Fitness 19 Fitness 19 offers cardio equipment, circuit training, free weights and a kid’s room.

160 Market Place | 925.327.1919 | www.fitness19.com

Curves Women’s only gym offering Cardio and strength equipment incorporating circuit training.

Multiple Bay Area locations | www.curves.com

WALNUT CREEK East Bay Fitness East Bay Fitness is the Bootcamp of all Bootcamps! Using the entire beautiful Heather Farms Park terrain, they spend an action packed hour challenging your body in the most safe and efficient way to sculpt and strengthen your physique.

Heather Farms Park | 925.364.0296 www.myeastbayfitness.com Forma Gym Forma Gym offers 4 unique studios: Mind-Body Studio, Group Exercise Studio, Cycle Studio and a Pilates Reformer Studio.

They also offer an active and educational Kid’s Club.

1908 Olympic Blvd | 925.246.5538 | www.formagym.com UFC Gym Walnut Creek At the UFC Gym, in just one hour, a boxing, kickboxing or mixed martial arts class burns 800 to 1,000 calories, relieves stress and builds self-confidence. They give individuals of all ages and fitness levels the opportunity to train different than ever before.

1501 N Broadway Ste. 150 | 925.939.4269 www.ufcgym.com/walnutcreek Lynch Fitness At Lynch Fitness, they specialize in functional training and circuit training. This means you aren’t lifting heavy weights, or doing limited movements on machines. Their nationally certified trainers will have you working with TRX equipment, rubber bands, bosu balls, ropes, and focus on keeping your entire body moving and activated during each workout.

1530 S Main Street | 925.482.0696 | www.lynchfitness.com

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JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 15

[ FAMILY ]

Elizabeth Pantley is mother of four and the author of the now-classic baby sleep book, The No-Cry Sleep Solution, as well as The No-Cry Separation Anxiety Solution, The No-Cry Potty Training Solution and The No-Cry Discipline Solution along with seven other successful parenting books. Visit her at pantley.com

10 Simple Ways to Keep Yourself From Being an Angry Parent

by Elizabeth Pantley Have you ever found that parenthood isn’t exactly what you thought it would be?

It’s okay. We have all been in that place where anger boils over and we are at a loss. Below you will find ten simple strategies you can use to keep the calm. One of the biggest points is – you are not alone!

Learn and practice good parenting skills Loving your child is easy, raising your child is hard. No one is born knowing how to be a parent. Effective parenting skills are learned. Parenting is complicated, intense, and ever-changing. In order to be a calm, effective, parent you need knowledge and skills, but almost no one is born with these skills.

Take a bit of personal time for yourself every day You can’t stay calm and centered and take care of your family if you don’t take care of yourself. Taking some ‘ME TIME’ is not selfish – it’s necessary for emotional health. Try to fit in a little bit every day. A cup of tea and a good book? A walk around the block? Coffee with a friend? For more peace, find a little time for you.

Keep a written schedule or calendar to prevent haphazard chaos It’s a challenge to keep track of all the balls you have to juggle. Keeping consistent lists, calendars and charts can help you to keep track of everything and prevent the stress that occurs with disorganization.

Post clear and understandable family rules If everyone knows that dishes belong in the dishwasher after eating, homework must be done before TV, and toys get put away after playtime, then you won’t lose your cool trying to get your kids to do the many daily things they have to do.

16 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

[ FAMILY ] Offer your children choices instead of making demands, when possible Giving a choice is a powerful tool that can be used with children of all ages. Offer choices such that you would be happy with whatever option your child chooses. (“What do you want to do first – put on your PJs or brush your teeth?”) They’ll be happy to have a voice, and you’ll be happy because it’s an easy way to gain cooperation.

Make your requests brief and clear The less you say, the more your child will hear, understand and remember. So get your child’s eyeball-to-eyeball attention, and then make a short, concise statement.

Repeat yourself if necessary, but don’t elaborate and lecture.

Express yourself using “I” sentences; avoid “you” statements “You never do your chores when you promise!” Fingerpointing “you statements” can bring defensiveness and conflict. So change it to an “I” statement, saying “I feel hurt when you promise to do the dishes but then you forget.” This will get you a much better response, and also protect the parent-child relationship.

Get eye-to-eye when talking to your child You can engage your child’s attention more effectively if you go to him, get down to his eye level, and talk clearly

face-to-face. When you do this, you have your child’s full attention. In addition, your child can read your nonverbal communication signs, such as facial expression and body language. This will add to her ability to truly understand what you are saying. And you will be able to read your child’s non-verbal language, which will help you know if he truly understands what you are saying.

Pick your battles Not every issue needs to be addressed and corrected.

Little things can sometimes slip through the cracks with no impact on anything of importance. As a matter of fact, if you feel you must address every single issue, of any size, you will likely drive yourself and your children crazy! Your kids are bickering over a broken crayon?

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your peace of mind is to turn around, take a deep breath and go do something else for ten minutes. By the time you come back the issue will be long forgotten.

Increase your support system Don’t try to parent your children in a vacuum. Join a meetup group, support group or a parent club. Make friends with other parents at your child’s daycare center or school. Talk to those other parents at the playground or park. Having friends in the same stage of life as you are can be a lifesaver for dealing with your stresses and concerns.

Discovery awaits

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Before & After School Classes Daily Membership or Pay Per Use Night & Evening Enrichment Classes Tutoring Parties & Events, and much more!

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JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 17

[ WOMEN & RELATIONSHIPS ]

Shasta Nelson, M.Div., is the Founder of GirlFriendCircles.com, a women’s friendship matching site in 35 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

Her spirited and soulful voice for strong female relationships can be found in her book Friendships Don’t Just Happen! The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of GirlFriends.

She also writes at ShastasFriendshipBlog.com and in the Huffington Post, speaks across the country, and is a friendship expert in the media appearing on such shows as Katie Couric and the Today Show.

Twitter: @girlfrndcircles

5 Tips To Help Moms Move Toward More Friendships

by Shasta Nelson 1. Repeat after me: Having kids is not an excuse to not make time for friends.

I’m thrilled to have step-kids, but I know that doesn’t qualify me as having earned the stripes in the mom-department to say this without incurring wrath, but I have to speak the truth: Having kids is not an excuse to not have friends; it’s the reason why you do need friends! Making time for friends actually protects your body from stress! Friendships don’t prevent stressful things from happening, but science shows us how they limit the damage that stress has on our bodies, acting as a buffer so we don’t feel the impact as much. And kids, for all their joys, are also a lot of stress. Moms, almost more than anyone else, need friendships in their lives that give them the benefits of healthy relationships (i.e. happiness, longevity, stress reduction, increased immunity) without the added stress of those relationships being dependent upon them in the way that spouses, children, and employees are. Friends are some of the few relationships in your life that you don’t have to schedule doctors’ appointments for, figure out what to feed them, or lay awake at night worrying about.

2. Model the friendships you hope for your kids to experience. Several years ago I used to lead workshops where one of the assignments was to write down all the memories you had of your mom’s friendships: who did she hang out with? Did she go on weekends away with friends? Do you remember her talking on the phone and laughing? Did she go out for girls’ nights? Did she invite all her girlfriends over to the house?

And do you know, that about 70% of the grown women in my workshops ended up saying they didn’t really have memories of their moms engaging in meaningful friendships? 70%!?!?! I’m going to give those moms the benefit of the doubt and assume that more than 30% of them had good

18 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

[ WOMEN & RELATIONSHIPS ] friends, but what I wish I could go back and say to the other 70% is this, “Maybe you had good friends but you thought you were doing your kids a favor by only hanging out with your friends while they were in school or at times where they didn’t notice? But unfortunately that means that they have no memories of you making time for friends… for their sake I wish they got to see you prioritizing friendships in your life.” Moms, if you feel guilty going out with friends on the weekends or evenings, I’d like to remind you that what you’re doing is helping them know that someday they don’t need to feel guilty when they need more connection, too!

3. Think through the childcare options and benefits.

Every situation is different and I know this area of childcare is a big deal and not easily solved. But I love the approach my friend Daneen has taken to this subject by seeing a weekly girl’s night out as special Daddy & Daughter night where they get to create their own rituals and memories together. Many of my mom friends assure me that the more regularly they go out, the easier it is on everyone– spouse and kids, included.

If it’s a rare event then Daddy might feel more like he’s the “baby-sitter,” but if it’s “every Tuesday night” then everyone gets into the rhythm of the routine. Other friends of mine divvy up the week, making sure that each parent has one night off a week that they are required to take– even if they’re just sitting in a cafe reading or working out at the gym. Two of my friends are single moms– one makes a deal with her mom to do her bookkeeping in exchange for one night out a week; the other sets aside money for a baby-sitter and calls it her investment in sanity. I won’t pretend that I can fix this for you, but I do invite you to prioritize getting out and then figuring out how to make it happen.

4. Talk to your children in ways they understand it. I adore all you parents who talk to your kids about their friendships, and I hope that you’ll also talk about yours with them! When you’re going out in the evening you can say, “Just like you got to play with your friends at preschool today, Mommy needs to go play with her friends now!” When you’re going away for a weekend you can say, “Oh I am going to miss you so much, and I am also super excited to have a slumber party with my friends. I can’t wait to tell my friends about how good you did in dance class this week!” When talking about your day at the dinner table you can say, “I talked to Debra, one of my best friends today, and she was so excited to hear about your science project.”

Let your kids see you doing friendship in ways that light you up, where they feel thought of and loved in those relationships, and where they have no doubt that

you have a circle of people who love you outside the house, too!

5. Foster friendships with non-moms, too! Frequently, women feel that they can only be friends with other moms “who understand.” But a few weeks ago, Daneen (while her hubby and daughter were enjoying their weekly evening together alone) said to us, “I love hanging out here with my non-mom friends– it’s such a joy to talk about things other than kids and it’s actually a bit of relief to not feel like we’re judging each other, competing, or comparing our parenting styles and kids.” (Making friends with non-moms might also mean easier scheduling!) Research bears out that we bond with all kinds of women who don’t have the big things in common with us that we think they need to! It’s not either/or, but both/and!

The vast majority of my closest friends have kids of all ages. And I applaud them regularly for how impressive they are in keeping up their friendships with me and other women in their lives. They inspire me!

Daneen is one of them, for sure. I think she only took a month off after having a baby before getting back into weekly girls nights out of the house and trusting that her husband could figure out how to put her baby to sleep with a bottle of breast milk when mommy wasn’t there to nurse her to bed. Did it feel weird or hard, at first? I’m sure it did!

I also think of Sher who spends at least an hour on the phone with me every week with three kids running around her. There’s always something going on and someone who wants her attention. But as much as she can, she simply says, “I’m on the phone with Shasta, I’ll be with you when I get off” or “Hang on one minute Shasta, I’ll be right back.” And we keep on talking.

And then I have to give mad props to my “SoCal Girls Group” who gets together every year for a weekend away despite two of them birthing two kids each in the last few years, one of them mothering three kids, and the other who showed up for girls weekend one year the day after she found out she lost her pregnancy, and the following year showed up only a month before she was due. I keep thinking they all have valid excuses for missing a year– but not a one of them has yet.

My friends wow me with their commitment to their friendships so I know it’s possible if it matters to you.

Remember our deal? Be inspired by these stories if you feel the desire for more relationships in your life; but if you don’t, then release any guilt. You are a good mom, your kids are lucky to have you.

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 19

[[ EVENTS EDUCATION ] ]

Dr. Michele Borba is an internationally recognized expert and author on children, teens, parenting, bullying and moral development. She is an NBC contributor appearing over 100 times on the TODAY show and is the regular parenting expert on Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers. Her work has been featured on Dr. Phil, Dateline, The View, The Doctors, Fox News, The Early Show and CNN and well as in Newsweek, People, Good Housekeeping, Chicago Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, Washington Post, The New York Times and The Globe and Mail.

She was an MSNBC contributor to two televised “Education Nation” specials. Dr. Borba is the awardwinning author of 22 parenting and educational books translated into 14 languages. Titles include: Don’t Give Me That Attitude!, Parents Do Make A Difference, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries, and Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me!, No More Misbehavin’, Building Moral Intelligence (cited

by Publishers’ Weekly as “Among the most noteworthy of 2001”), and Esteem Builders used by 1.5 million students worldwide. She writes as the parenting expert for Dr. Oz’s website, as well a daily column for her blog, Dr. Borba’s Reality Check: www.micheleborba.com Twitter: @micheleborba

How to Get Kids to Open Up About Their School Day

by Dr. Michele Borba Does trying to get your kids to open up about their day feel like an inquisition?

Do you feel like you’re giving your kid the third degree to tell you anything about their life? If so, studies show that using different communication techniques can help kids open up and share more about their life. Here’s the typical conversation: You: “What did you learn today?” Kid: “Nothing” You: “Do you have any homework? Kid: Nope You: “Did you make a new friend?” Kid: Yep If this sounds at all familiar, don’t despair. There are ways to get children to talk about their school day and even give us a clue as to what’s going on in their world. The trick is to use a few different communication strategies. Find ones that work best for you and your kid and then practice the same one over and over until they become second nature. Also: expect only a gradual opening up–never an over-night change.

14 Tips to Get Kids to Open Up and Talk More About What’s Going On in Their Lives (and get beyond “Nope.”. “Yep,” and “Fine!”)

1. Wait at least a half an hour Kids are generally drained and strained the moment they walk in door. So wait at least 30 minutes to start talking about school. Give your child a chance to decompress and have a snack, take off the backpack, and just breathe.

2. Don’t turn questions into a third degree What would make you want to open up and tell her all those details? The same rules apply to kids. Big kid turn offs: pushing, prodding, demanding,

20 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

[ EDUCATION ] coaxing, lecturing and threatening.

3. Look interested Think of how your best friend asks you about your day.

Use her example. Make sure you are relaxed and appear genuinely interested when you speak to your child.

4. Ask questions that require more than yes or no “Do you have homework?” “Did you give your speech?” are questions that make your kid only have to answer with a yes or no response. So pose questions that require your child to respond with more than just yes, no, nope, sure, nothing, fine.

5. Don’t use the same questions A big kid turn off is hearing your same old predictable: “How was your day?” query. So be creative. Churn up those questions so your kid knows you are interested!

6. Stop and listen The nanosecond your child utters ANYTHING related to school, stop and give your full presence. Catch any little nugget of information and make it seem as though it’s a gold mine. Kids open up more when they think you’re interesting.

7. Stretch conversation with “invitation openers” If and when your child shares a detail try using the “stretching method.” Don’t push or prod but instead use these type of comments: “Really?” “Uh huh?” “I don’t believe it!” “Wow!” They’re not threatening and invite a talker to open up.

comfortable talking and use those as jump off points to get the conversation rolling about the school day.

12. Sit side to side Boys as well as more timid, sensitive kids are often threatened with the “let’s sit down and chat about the day” routine. Try sitting side to side instead of face to face (which is less threatening).

13. Talk while doing Some kids (especially boys) are more likely to open up while doing something they enjoy like shooting baskets, eating ice cream, drawing, or building Legos. So get that chess board out!

14. Put yourself into the mix My girlfriend vowed to turn her kids’ “Nope.” “Yep. “Nothing!” type comments around. The one thing she said finally did the trick was to share her own day. She waited until everyone was relaxed and used the family meal as a time to review everyone’s day. She always began by describing her experiences using a natural conversational tone. It took a while but pretty soon her kids looked forward to her descriptions and began to open up about their own days.

Adventures in Learning Early Childhood Center

8. Repeat “talk” portions Try repeating bits of your child’s conversation: Child: “I played on the swing.” You: “You played on the swing.”

The trick is to repeat the tidbit in a matter-of-fact but interested way to get your child to open up and add more.

9. Make your house kid-friendly Many parents swear they find out more about school from their kids’ friends than from their own child. So invite your child’s friends over. Keep the fridge stocked with food. Set up a basketball court (or whatever you need to keep those kids at your house). And then be friendly (but not intrusive) to the friend. You may find that not only do the friends open up more, but your child will tag onto the friend’s conversation.

10. Get on the school website Find out what’s going on in your kid’s school world: read the teacher newsletters, click onto the school calendar, read the school activities schedule and menu. You can then ask specific questions about your kid’s day.

11. Go into your kid’s time zone Find out when and where your kids are most

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JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 21

[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]

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Come learn about Fountainhead's various programs at our Open Houses Danville Campus: 939 El Pintado Road Wednesday, January 28th 5:30pm-7:30pm Pleasant Hill Campus: 490 Golf Club Road Monday, January 12th 5:00pm-7:00pm Orinda Campus: 30 Santa Maria Way Friday, January 16th 5:00pm-7:00pm

Dublin Campus: 6665 Amador Plaza Road Wednesday, January 21st 6:00pm-8:00pm Pre-K/K Information Night Wednesday, February 4th 5:30pm Livermore Campus: 949 Central Avenue Saturday, January 31st 10:00am-12:00pm

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22 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

For children ages 18 months – Kindergarten

[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]

Kids LoveShelby Us, J. Smith, DDS,Us MS, PC Parents Trust Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics

Kids Love Us, Parents Trust Us Over the past 20 years, Dr. Shelby has developed the reputation for being one of the most successful dentists in treating fearful and special needs children. Her gentle and low-key approach has helped thousands of kids have a great experience.

Working with their parents, Dr. Shelby and her staff have been successful treating many children who otherwise might have been sedated. In addition, Dr. Shelby has a degree in Orthodontics so as her patients grow, the transition into braces is more comfortable. Seeing the smiles on the faces of her patients as they grow from tiny tots to confident teens is one of the great joys of her life.

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2213 Buchanan Road, Suite 112 Antioch, California 94509 www.DrShelby.com JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 23

[ EVENTS ]

January Alameda County JANUARY 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR Swim to the New Year King Pool Berkeley 10:00am – 12:00pm www.ci.berkeley.ca.us

JANUARY 2 Zoovie Night “The Wild Thornberry’s” Oakland Zoo 6:30pm – 9:30pm www.oaklandzoo.org USS Hornet Family Live Aboard Experience 707 W Hornet Ave Alameda Overnight www.uss-hornet.org

JANUARY 3 KUA BODY Pleasanton Farmer’s Market Angela Street 9:00am – 1:00pm www.pleasantondowntown.net

JANUARY 4

JANUARY 10

JANUARY 2

Science Fair Preparation Civic Center Library Livermore 11:00am – 12:30pm www.cityoflivermore.net

The Owl and the Sparrow Front Row Theater San Ramon Tickets: $10 7:00pm www.sanramon.ca.gov

JANUARY 11 Eating Green with Amy Block Joy Civic Center Library Livermore 2:00pm – 3:00pm www.cityoflivermore.net

JANUARY 3

JANUARY 15

JANUARY 4

Meditation: A New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping Civic Center Library Livermore 6:30pm www.cityoflivermore.net

Cars & Coffee Blackhawk Automotive Museum 8:00am www.blackhawkplaza.com

JANUARY 18 Teddy Bear Tea with Friends Oakland Zoo 9:30am – 12:00pm www.oaklandzoo.org

JANUARY 19 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

JANUARY 25

ZooLights Last Day! Oakland Zoo 5:30pm – 9:00pm www.oaklandzoo.org

Livermore Reads Together Kick-Off Event!

Civic Center Library Livermore 2:00pm www.cityoflivermore.net

FREE First Sunday OMCA Oakland 10:00am – 6:00pm www.museumca.org

JANUARY 31

JANUARY 7 Learn & Play with Me Today Registration Opens Pleasanton Library www.cityofpleasantonca.gov

24 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

Zoovie Night “Garfield” Oakland Zoo 6:30pm – 9:30pm www.oaklandzoo.org

First Thursday Shop Local Day and Night Downtown Hartz Ave 10:00am – 7:00pm www.danville.ca.gov

JANUARY 6 – 27 Adventure Tuesday Club Four Week Class Lindsay Wildlife Museum 1:00pm – 2:15pm www.wildlife-museum.org

JANUARY 7 – 14 Hairspray Jr. Village Theatre Danville Show times: 1:00pm & 7:00pm www.villagetheatreshows.com

JANUARY 7 – 28 Numbers in Nature Four Week Class Lindsay Wildlife Museum www.wildlife-museum.org

JANUARY 8

Contra Costa County

New Year, New You: Empty Nest Workshop Lafayette Library and Learning Center 6:30pm – 7:30pm www.lafayettelib.org

JANUARY 1

JANUARY 9 – 11

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Alice in Wonderland DV Performing Arts Ctr San Ramon Tickets: $10 7:00pm www.sanramon.ca.gov

[ EVENTS ]

January JANUARY 9

JANUARY 15

JANUARY 21 & 28

JANUARY 28

Preschool Performance Series – Octopretzel Village Theatre Danville 10:00am www.villagetheatreshows.com

Sweet Thursday with Julia Scheeres Lafayette Library 7:00pm – 8:30pm www.lafayettelib.org

Off the Grid Food Truck Market Trelany Road Pleasant Hill 5:00pm – 9:00pm www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us

Science Café: The Art & Science of Violin Making Lafayette Library and Learning Center 7:00pm – 9:00pm www.lafayettelib.org

JANUARY 10 Ice Berg Swim Rankin Aquatic Center Martinez 9:00am – 10:00am www.cityofmartinez.org

Frozen Sing-A-Long Brentwood Community Center Movie begins at 6:30pm www.brentwoodca.gov

January 23 Hotel California DV Performing Arts Ctr San Ramon Tickets: $38 8:00pm www.sanramon.ca.gov

JANUARY 29

JANUARY 24

Bedtime Theater – Andy Z Front Row Theater San Ramon Tickets: $6 6:30pm www.sanramon.ca.gov

Sheep Stories Forest Home Farms San Ramon 10:00am – 2:00pm www.sanramon.ca.gov Sophie in Concert – Inspiring Children of All Ages Village Theatre Danville 3:00pm www.villagetheatreshows.com

JANUARY 16

Friday Night Out – Colorful Crafts Diablo Vista Middle School Danville 7:00pm – 9:00pm www.danville.ca.gov Jazz Piano Concert Lafayette Library and Learning Center 7:30pm – 8:30pm www.lafayettelib.org

JANUARY 16 – 17

Astronomy Sunday Lindsay Wildlife Museum 1:00pm – 4:00pm www.wildlife-museum.org

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Village Theatre Danville Show times: 2:00pm & 7:00pm www.villagetheatreshows.com

JANUARY 12 – 17

JANUARY 18

Dinosaurs Before Dark DV Performing Arts Ctr San Ramon Tickets: $10 7:00pm www.sanramon.ca.gov

Monkey See Monkey Do… Family Friendly Improv Front Row Theater San Ramon Tickets: $10 2:00pm www.sanramon.ca.gov

JANUARY 11

JANUARY 14 Stop by for a ‘Sip of Soup!’

Lafayette Library 12:00pm – 1:30pm www.lafayettelib.org Holistic Health Techniques Lafayette Library 6:00pm – 8:00pm www.lafayettelib.org

JANUARY 18 – 24 It’s Penguin Week Lafayette Library and Learning Center www.lafayettelib.org

JANUARY 19 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Gold Coast Chamber Players Concert Lafayette Library & Learning Center 7:30pm www.ci.lafayette.ca.us

JANUARY 25 Lamorinda Home Expo Veterans Memorial Building Lafayette 10:00am – 4:00pm www.lamorindawebhomeexpo.com

44th Annual Community Awards Night Pleasant Hill Community Center 5:30pm – 8:30pm www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us

JANUARY 30

JANUARY 30 – FEBRUARY 15 The Ladies Man Village Theatre Danville Show times: 2:00pm & 8:00pm www.villagetheatreshows.com

JANUARY 26 Hot Cocoa and S’mores Camp Nancy Boyd Park Martinez 9:00am – 3:00pm www.cityofmartinez.org The Oakland Zoomobile Lafayette Library and Learning Center 12:00pm – 1:00pm www.lafayettelib.org Mini Monday – Feathers Fables & Fur Lindsay Wildlife Museum 10:00am – 12:00pm www.wildlife-museum.org

Email info@activefamilymag.com to subscribe to our weekly email blast for more events!

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 25

[ HEALTH ]

How to Make Resolutions a Reality

by Julie Upton, MS, RD CSSD If you’ve decided to commit to losing weight and improving your health this year, to get you on the right track, I compiled the top five ways to help you slim down and tone up.

These tips will instantly upgrade your diet and help your diet resolutions become a reality. They’re 100% gimmick- and fad-free and designed to help you transform your bad habits into healthier ones.

Lick Added Sugars Once and for All I’m convinced that the worst diet wreckers in the typical US diet are She is co-author of The Real Skinny: Appetite for Health’s 101 Fat Habits and Slim Solutions (Penguin 2013) and Energy to Burn: The Ultimate Food and Nutrition Guide to Fuel Your Active LIfe (Wiley 2009). Upton co-founded Appetite for Health (www.

AppforHealth.com), where she blogs daily about nutrition, fitness and health.

sweeteners used in all kinds of foods and beverages. Added sugars provide no nutritional value (other than energy) and cause a rapid risk in blood sugar levels and trigger hunger and cravings for more food shortly after eating. They can create a vicious cycle that can derail even a dietitian’s diet. (I know firsthand!) Use my 5-step approach to lick sugar (see box) once and for all to get you off the sweet stuff–starting now!

Incorporate HIIT into Your Exercise Routine HIIT stands for high intensity interval training and is the best way to torch calories in a short amount of time. It also helps to boost your metabolism so

She is a frequent guest on national and

you burn additional calories all day, something walking or other low-intensity

local television and radio stations.

exercise doesn’t provide. Check this out for several HIIT workouts you can do

She has been interviewed on the

anywhere.

NBC Today Show, CBS Evening News and ABC World News Tonight.

Sleep More to Lose More

She co-produces Appetite for Health,

If it means you need to learn to say “no” to extra projects and learn how to

a weekly nutrition news segment that airs nationally and writes for the companion website,

relax a bit more, making a goal of trying to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night is one of the healthiest and easiest ways to peel off pounds. Reams of research now show how losing zzzs make you gain inches.

AppforHealth.com.

Ms. Upton attended the University of Michigan and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from Michigan State University.

She completed her dietetic internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School

Think Quality and Quantity Everyone knows that eating well means lots of fruits and veggies; lean proteins and whole grains and limiting low-quality choices like sweets, desserts, chips and fried foods. But eating healthy foods won’t always equal pounds lost if your portion sizes are ginormous. Use the information below to get a handle on what’s a perfect portion.

teaching hospital. She holds

Get Expert Advice

a Master of Science Degree in

We’re offering our fans more ways to obtain nutrition and diet advice from

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us. One of our best tools for losing lbs. is our monthly meal plans for weight

Boston University.

loss found on out site as well as our Facebook page and on Twitter. Email us questions and concerns as we’re here for you.

26 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

[ HEALTH ] To lick your cravings for sweets once and for all, you need to do all the steps below on consecutive days. By the end of the week, you’ll be meeting the health and nutrition guidelines set forth to minimize added sugars in the diet.

1. Nix all sources of liquid sugars in your diet. Since sodas and other sweetened beverages provide about half of all the added sugar in the typical American diet, they’re the first to jettison. They don’t contribute to fullness so you won’t miss them.

2. Avoid using sugar substitutes. This was really hard for me for the first two days, but then I didn’t miss it whatsoever. Because sugar substitutes are more intensely sweet than cane sugar, once you get accustomed to their level of sweetness, it takes more natural sweeteners to be sweet-satisfied. They may also affect the natural hunger hormones as well, making it harder to control your appetite.

3. Become a Sugar Sleuth. For one week, read the Nutrition Facts and ingredient list for everything you eat and drink. If “sugars” on the label are more than 8-10 grams, go directly to the ingredient list and skip it if you see a form of added sugars in the ingredient list. If there is no sugar in the ingredient list, it means that the food or beverage contains natural sugars; we don’t we don’t worry about them because they’re not “metabolically equivalent” to added sugars.

(Common cues that equal added sugar in ingredient lists include sucrose, dextrose, sorbitol, mannitol, honey, agave, dextrin, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup and any other syrup. For the most part, if there

is an “-ose,” or “-ols” it means it’s a sugar. Although sucralose is a sugar substitute.)

4. Start Each Day Sugar-Free. Starting your day off right is one of the best ways to stay on track with any diet. For me, a sugar-free breakfast would be eggs & veggies or egg white omelets. Research shows that eating eggs for breakfast, compared to toast or bagels, eat fewer calories over a 24-hour period, most likely because eating eggs doesn’t cause the same blood sugar and insulin response as a carbohydraterich breakfast. I also opt for plain oatmeal with Greek yogurt or peanut butter; fresh fruit; dried fruit and nuts; baked potatoes with low-fat cottage cheese or low-fat cottage cheese with cherry tomatoes. I even find leftovers from dinners are a great way to keep any cravings for sweets tempered during the day.

5. Learn to Love Natural Sugars. Don’t think about what you can’t have; focus on what you can eat and drink.

For sweets, try dried fruit, (dates are sugar like candy to me now), fresh fruit, roasted veggies, and caramelized onions. There are many foods that provide natural sweetness—they’ve just been pushed aside by the more intensely sweet crystal whites.

After a Sugar-Free Week After seven days sugar-free, your desire for sweets should be vastly reduced. If you want to reintroduce small amounts of added sweeteners, start by incorporating them into meals, as sugars eaten with other foods are less harmful than when they’re eaten alone. Try to keep your sugar intake to the American Heart Association’s limits for added sugars: 100 calories (6 tsp) for women and 150 calories (9 tsp) for men.

SOME GENERAL WAYS TO AVOID PORTION DISTORTION: • A teaspoon of butter or margarine is roughly the same size as the tip of your thumb (to the first joint) • Three ounces of meat is equal to a deck of cards • One cup of pasta is about the size of a tennis ball

• A half cup of vegetables is the size of a light bulb • 1 bowl of dry cereal or 1 piece of fruit should equal the size of a baseball • 1 ounce of lunchmeat should equal the size of a compact disk

• A bagel should be the size of a hockey puck • 1 1/2 ounces of cheese is the size of three dominoes

• A bagel serving should equal the size of a hockey puck

• Two tablespoons of peanut butter is roughly equivalent to Ping-Pong or golf ball

• One baked potato should equal the size of a computer mouse

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 27

[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]

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[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]

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[ SEASONAL FUN ]

Indoor Play Guide ALAMEDA COUNTY ALAMEDA Color Me Mine 2205 South Shore Center 510.521.8893 www.colormemine.com Studio Grow 2202 N South Shore Center 510.701.6042 www.studiogrow.com

BERKELEY Brushstrokes Studio, Inc. 745 Page Street 510.528.1360 www.brushstrokestudio.com Downtown Berkeley YMCA 2001 Allston Way 510.848.9622 www.ymca-cba.org/downtown-berkeley Habitot Children’s Museum 2065 Kittredge St. 510.647.1111 www.habitot.org Kids ’N’ Clay Pottery Studio 809A Allston Way 510.845.0982 www.kidsnclay.com Lawrence Hall of Science 1 Centennial Dr. 510.642.5132 www.lawrencehallofscience.org Sticky Art Lab 1682 University Ave 510.981.1148 www.stickyartlab.com Studio Grow 1235 Tenth St. 510.526.9888 www.studiogrow.com

Berkeley Ironworks 800 Potter Street 510.981.9900 www.touchstoneclimbing.com

Rockin’ Jump 39177 Farwell Drive 510.246.3098 www.rockinjump.com

DUBLIN

LIVERMORE

American Swim Academy 6948 Sierra Ct. 925.479.7946 www.americanswimacademy.com

American Swim Academy 2821 Old First Street 925.373.7946 www.americanswimacademy.com

Chuck E Cheese 7448 Amador Valley Blvd.

925.803.0101 www.chuckecheese.com

Boomers!

2400 Kitty Hawk Road 925.447.7275 www.boomersparks.com

Dublin Bowl 6750 Regional Street 925.828.7550 www.earlanthonysdublinbowl.com

Cabernet Indoor Sports 6474 Patterson Pass Road 925.455.8300 www.cabernetindoorsports.com

Dublin Iceland 7212 San Ramon Road 925.829.4445 www.dubliniceland.com

PartiPalloza 6253 Southfront Road 925.245.9913 www.partipalooza.com

Rockin’ Jump 5875 Arnold Rd., Ste. 100 925.828.7676 www.rockinjump.com

NEWARK

FREMONT American Swim Academy 4150 Technology Pl. 510.657.7946 www.americanswimacademy.com Bay Aerials Gymnastics 4883 Davenport Place 510.651.5870 www.bayaerials.com City Beach 4020 Technology Place 510.651.2500 www.citybeach.com Color Me Mine 37324 Fremont Blvd 510.739.0200 www.fremont.colormemine.com Gymboree Play & Fun 39138 Fremont Hub 510.739.6150 www.gymboreeclasses.com

30 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

American Swim Academy 37400 Cedar Blvd 510.794.7946 www.americanswimacademy.com

OAKLAND Bay Island Gymnastics 3775 Alameda Ave. Ste. E 510.533.3939 www.bayislandgymnastics.com Chabot Space and Science Center 10000 Skyline Blvd.

510.336.7373 www.chabotspace.org Great Western Power Co. Rock Climbing 520 20th Street 510.451.2022 www.touchstoneclimbing.com Gymboree Play & Music 3433 Lakeshore Ave 510.834.0982 www.gymboreeclasses.com Kids ‘N Dance 3840 MacArthur Blvd 510.531.4400 www.kidsndance.com

[ SEASONAL FUN ]

Museum of Children’s Art 1625 Clay Street 510.465.8770 www.mocha.org

Pump It Up 530 Boulder Court Ste. 100 925.600.9663 www.pumpitupparty.com

Play Café 4400 Keller Ave. Ste. #410 510.638.3712 www.playcafellc.com

Super Franks 5341 Owens Court 925.271.5880 www.superfranks.com

Pump It Up 2500 Embarcadero Ste. A 510.533.7867 www.pumpitupparty.com

West Coast Gymnastics 1056 Serpentine Lane Ste. #A 925.846.1010 www.wcoga.com

Trapeze Arts, Inc. 1822 9th St. 510.419.0700 www.trapezearts.com

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

PLEASANTON Build-A-Bear Workshop 1 Stoneridge Mall Road 925.398.2281 www.buildabear.com Color Me Mine 310 Main St. #B 925.251.0202 www.pleasanton.colormemine.com Expressions Dance & Art 3015 Hopyard Road Ste. I 925.200.9908 www.expressions-dance-arts.com Gymboree Play & Music 5460 Sunol Blvd. #9 925.249.0006 www.gymboreeclasses.com The Pitching Center 7073 Commerce Circle 925.416.1600 www.thepitchingcenter.com Play Well TEKnologies 5737 Valley Ave. 925.484.1547 www.play-well.org

ALAMO Color Bundles 220 A Alamo Plaza 925.727.3137 www.colorbundles.com

ANTIOCH Antioch Indoor Sports Center 1210 Sunset Drive 925.778.6363 www.aiscsports.com

Bay Point First Five Center 3225 Willow Pass Road 925.709.0874 www.firstfivecc.org

BRENTWOOD Black Diamond Kids Center 2015 Elkins Way 925.516.6619 www.blackdiamondkidscenter.com Bricks 4 Kids 3150 Balfour Road 925.684.4082 www.bricks4kidz.com Chuck E Cheese 6061 Lone Tree Way 925.240.8405 www.chuckecheese.com Color Me Mine 2455 Sand Creek Road Ste. 136 925.308.4548 www.brentwood.colormemine.com

First Five Center 512 West 5th Street 925.757.5303 www.firstfivecc.org Four Stars Gymnastics 1799 Vineyard Drive 925.778-8650 www.fourstarsgym.com Delta Bowl 3300 Delta Fair Blvd 925.757.5424 www.deltabowl.net Paradise Skate 1210 W 10th Street 925.779.0200 www.paradiseskate.com

First Five Center 760 First Street 925.516.3880 www.firstfivecc.org Harvest Park Bowl 5000 Balfour Road 925.515.1221 www.harvestparkbowl.com

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 31

[ SEASONAL FUN ]

Indoor Play Guide The Little Gym 3850 Balfour Rd., Ste. K 925.634.0034 www.thelittlegym.com/brentwoodca

Ghost Golf 4383 Clayton Road 925.521.1913 www.ghostgolfconcord.com

Kids ‘N Dance 3369 Mt. Diablo 925.284.7388 www.kidsndance.com

Rockin’ Jump (Coming Soon) Location and phone number TBD www.rockinjump.com

Jungle Fun and Adventure 1975 Diamond Blvd 925.687.4386 www.thejunglefun.com

SewNow! Fashion 3534 Golden Gate Way 925.283.7396 www.sewnow.com

Chuck E Cheese 1611 Willow Pass Road 925.689.2808 www.chuckecheese.com

Pump It Up 1301 Franquette Ave 925.681.1060 www.pumpitupparty.com

MARTINEZ

Clayton Valley Bowl 5300 Clayton Road 925.689.4631 www.claytonvalleybowl.com

Q-Zar 2295 Willow Pass Road 925.521.9663 www.q-zar.com

Diablo Rock Gym 1220 Diamond Way St. 140 925.602.1000 www.touchstoneclimbing.com

Sky High Sports 1631 Challenge Drive 925.682.5867 www.jumpskyhigh.com

Diablo Valley Bowl 1500 Monument Blvd 925.349.5622 www.dvbowl.com

UFC Gym 1975 Diamond Blvd 925.265.8130 www.ufcgym.com

East Bay Sports Academy 1441 Franquette Ave. #C 925.680.9999 www.eastbaysportsacademy.com

DANVILLE

CONCORD

Encore Gymnastics 999 Bancroft Road 925.932.1033 www.dscreationencoregym.homestead.com First Five Center 1736 Clayton Road 925.849.8861 www.firstfivecc.org

Danville Bowl 200 Boone Court 925.837.7272 www.danvillebowl.com Studio Grow 3612 Blackhawk Plaza Circle 925.648.7529 www.studiogrow.com Little Fair Princess Girls Spa 3499 Blackhawk Plaza Circle 925.362.3793 www.littlefairyprincessgirlspa.com

LAFAYETTE Color Me Mine 3541 Mt. Diablo Blvd 925.299.2615 www.lafayette.colormemine.com Gymboree Play & Fun 3482 Mt. Diablo Blvd 925.283.4896 www.gymboreeclasses.com

32 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

Bounce Farm 280 Arthur Rd., Ste. A 925.228.2028 www.bouncefarmfun.com

OAKLEY Pump It Up 5351 Neroly Rd. 925.978.1420 www.pumpitupparty.com

PLEASANT HILL Irvin Deutcher Family YMCA 350 Civic Dr. 925.687.8900 www.ymca-cba.org/irvin-deutscher-family

SAN RAMON Diablo Gymnastics School 2411 Old Crow Canyon Road 925.820.6885 www.diablogym.net Gymboree Play & Music 2551 San Ramon Valley Blvd 925.837.8315 www.gymboreeclasses.com My Gym 180 Market Place 925.244.1171 www.my-gym.com San Ramon Sports 2411 Old Crow Canyon Road Ste. G 925.831.9050 www.sanramonsports.com The Golden Skate 2701 Hooper Drive 925.820.2525 www.thegoldenskate.com Valley Cheer and Dance 2411 Old Crow Canyon Road Ste. Q 925.838.3159 www.valleycheeranddance.com

[ SEASONAL FUN ] WALNUT CREEK Color Me Mine 1950 Mt. Diablo Blvd 925.937.1559 www.walnutcreek.colormemine.com Lindsay Wildlife Museum 1931 First Ave 925.935.1978 www.wildlife-museum.org

JUST A HOP, SKIP & A JUMP – OUT OF THE AREA!

The Exploratorium PIER 15 Embarcadero at Green St. San Francisco 415.528.4444 www.exploratorium.edu

U-ME 3355 Edison Way Menlo Park 650.257.7511 www.u-meplace.com

California Academy of Sciences Golden Gate Park San Francisco 415.379.8000 www.calacademy.org

Monterey Bay Aquarium 886 Cannery Row Monterey 831.648.4800 www.montereybayaquarium.org

My Gym 2256 Oak Grove Road 925.952.9791 www.my-gym.com

Children’s Discovery Museum 180 Woz Way San Jose 408.298.5437 www.cdm.org

Scientopia Discovery Center 1785 B Tanen Street Napa 707.259.1559 www.scientopiadiscoverycenter.com

Renaissance Club Sport 2805 Jones Road 925.938.8700 www.renaissanceclubsport.com

The Tech Museum 201 South Market Street San Jose 408.294.8324 www.thetech.org

Hiller Aviation Museum 601 Skyway Road San Carlos 650.654.0200 www.hiller.org

UFC Gym 1501 North Broadway #150 925.939.4269 www.ufcgym.com TuTu School Walnut Creek 1001 Harvey Drive Ste. 170 925.357.5350 www.tutuschoolwalnutcreek.com

Bay Area Discovery Museum 557 McReynolds Road Sausalito 415.339.3900 www.baykidsmuseum.org

Aquarium of the Bay PIER 39 Embarcadero and Beach St. San Francisco 415.623.5300 www.aquariumofthebay.org

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Hands-on, experienced, responsive and passionate are what makes Emily & Esther the best in the business. Focused on results Emily & Esther's objectives are to treat every client with respect, keeping their best interest at heart. Going above and beyond, they offer expert advice ensuring that your home buying and selling experience is not only enjoyable but generates the best return on your investment.

ALAIN PINEL REALTORS | 900 MAIN STREET, SUITE 101 | PLEASANTON, CA 94566 JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 33

[ HEALTH ]

The Average Person Complains 30 Times a Day–Would you like to stop?

by Dr. Laura Markham “Every time you complain, your irritability -- like a virus -- is neurologically picked up by every person who hears your voice or sees your face. So by all means, train your brain to be optimistic and positive because (according to 30+ years of longitudinal research conducted by Duke University and the Mayo Clinic), it will literally add years to your life.” -- Mark Waldman Researchers say the average person complains 30 times a day. But there are people who never complain. Their lives, from the outside, aren’t any different than anyone else’s. They didn’t win the lottery. But they rate themselves as happier than other people. Their relationships are closer. They live longer. And while I haven’t yet seen any research on this, I’d bet they’re happier parents.

What’s wrong with complaining? Research shows that when we listen to complaints of any kind, we get demoralized. And that includes our own complaints! Listening to complaints starts our minds on a cycle of negative thinking, which intensifies our “fight or flight” wiring. And when others, including our children, listen to our complaints, it doesn’t help them change. It reinforces those feelings of “I’m not good enough...Life isn’t good enough.”

So why do we complain? It’s the grown-up version of whining; an expression of powerlessness.

Dr. Laura Markham is the author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting.

She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and has worked as a parenting coach with countless parents across the English-speaking world, both in person and via phone.

You can find Dr. Laura online at AhaParenting.com, the website of Aha! Moments for parents of kids from birth through the teen years, where she offers a free daily inspiration email to parents.

Just to be clear, stating needs is not complaining, as long as you’re not making the other person wrong. Expressing emotion such as sadness is not complaining, as long as you aren’t making your feelings the other person’s fault. We all need to feel seen, heard, and understood. There’s nothing wrong with sharing our feelings about what’s been hard for us; that helps us let go of them and move on.

Complaining is when we blame others, or life, instead of accepting the situation and taking responsibility to make things better. It can become a habit; the story we tell about our lives. “You won’t believe how awful my day (week, year, life) has been.”

The goal is not to become a doormat, but a person of integrity, willing to take back our power and take responsibility for changes that need to happen.

(Sometimes those changes are in the outside world. Sometimes they’re inside us.)

As we head into the New Year, it’s a terrific time to support yourself to transform this habit. Ready to stop complaining?

1. Notice any time you start to complain, and bite your tongue. Take a deep breath. Give up the gratification of reviewing why you’re right and commit to

34 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

[ HEALTH ] being a positive force in the situation. Even if you can only make a small difference, that difference can lead to bigger changes.

2. Are you complaining out of habit? (“You kids have been driving me crazy the whole trip!”) If so, remind yourself that your child believes everything you tell him about himself and unconsciously tries to live up to it. Why not focus on the positive?

3. Are you complaining from feeling powerless? (“Nobody around here ever does any work except me!”)

Reaffirm to yourself that you’re in charge, so if you really want to, you can change anything going on in your house.

4. Are you complaining from frustration? (“This kid never does his homework, no matter how much I yell.

I give up!”) If you’re frustrated, maybe it’s time to try a new strategy. (For instance, kids learn best when we give them the structure to learn good habits, such as sitting with them while they do their homework, until they master the skill of sitting down to tackle something unpleasant and learn to monitor their own work.)

5. Regardless of why you’re complaining, consider what action you could take to change the situation. Find better ways to entertain your children on family trips?

Orchestrate a family clean-up for fifteen minutes every evening? Eliminate TV on weeknights? Make a plan to support yourself and your family to change. Make it happen, one step at a time.

have a job and a paycheck to feed my family.”

At the end of the week, donate your coins to charity.

You’ll be amazed how much money you raise for your favorite charity as you re-train yourself. (Children who are too young to get an allowance can put an appreciation in the jar that they dictate to you.)

7. Remind yourself of all of your blessings, including that you’re lucky to be entrusted as the guardian and guide for your child, so you want to offer support, rather than criticism, any chance you get.

Soon, you’ll be able to restate every complaint into an intention of change for the better -- or even an expression of gratitude.

“The opposite of complaining is gratitude. We should talk about things we are thankful for rather than things we are unhappy about. Our minds are like steering wheels, they take us in the direction we point them. If we focus on positive things, we move in the direction of greater happiness and more success.”

- AComplaintFreeWorld.org

Before and after School Care For students entering TK to 5th grade in PUSD

6. Challenge your family to live this week complaint-free.

Put a jar on your counter. Every time anyone complains, that person has to put a coin in the jar, and express gratitude in place of the complaint. “Not chicken again!

“Might become “I’m so grateful we get to have a healthy dinner and that Dad cooked it for us!”

“I hate picking up the things you kids leave strewn around the house” might become “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. I’m so glad that you kids will have all your things picked up first so I can feel peaceful as I serve everyone dinner...Let’s all get busy! I love that everyone in this family is learning to clean up our own messes.”

“Can’t you ever comb your hair?” might become “What a handsome son I have!”

“My boss did it again!” might become “I am grateful to

Program includes:  Meals and snacks  Drop off and pick up from school  Classes such as Karate, Spanish, SPARK PE, Art and Science  Homework support  Open teacher work days and most vacations  Drop off and pick up from most schools

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JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 35

[ HEALTH ]

Plastic Surgery Advances and Artistry

by Dr. Brett E. Stompro Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has advanced to the state that currently allows patients to attain the most desirable improvements of the face, breast and body. Artistry in plastic surgery has been noted for centuries.

The term plastic surgery is derived from the Greek word ‘Plastikos’ which means “to mold” or “to sculpt.” That’s really what we as plastic surgeons do; we take the body’s own tissues and we shape and sculpt them in a way that is more pleasing to the eye. The Egyptians understood artistry and beauty centuries ago and it can be seen in the universally accepted standard of beauty of Nefertiti’s face. For over 3000 years this has been the standard of beauty and remains so today. Leonardo da Vinci during the Renaissance came up with the concept of the Divine Proportion. This is the symbol of harmony and balance that we see in art, architecture, nature (birds, seashells, insects, and flowers) as well as music. Da Vinci’s genius 500 years ago is applied in many of our procedures that we perform today.

Plastic surgery is a very diverse field that attracts surgeons who are innovators.

The best plastic surgeons are those that are artistic. Plastic surgery training is one of the longest of any type of surgical subspecialty. Requiring eight years of schooling prior to your internship and residency that is four to six years including general surgery and specialization in the various disciplines of plastic surgery which include microsurgery, burn, hand surgery, trauma, breast reconstruction, microsurgery and aesthetic surgery.

Brett E Stompro, M.D., brings a unique blend of artistry and technical expertise to the field of aesthetic surgery. He attended medical school to University of California, San Diego. He is board-certified through the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is trained in the latest plastic surgical technology including lasers and endoscopic techniques with small incisions. He has extensive experience in cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body. With an interest in sculpting, Dr. Stompro’s understanding of balance, and beauty coupled with state-ofthe-art technical technological precision, blend to create a unique union that distinguishes his work in aesthetic surgery.

Prior to World War II there were only a handful of plastic surgeons in the United States. Today the American Board of Plastic Surgery has over 5000 boardcertified plastic surgeon who performed over 1 million reconstructive surgeries and over 1 million cosmetic surgery procedures annually. Plastic surgery has always been a specialty of innovation. The first organ transplant patient in 1954 was performed by a plastic surgeon, Joseph Murray M.D., who received the Nobel Prize for his efforts. In the 1960s microsurgery was developed by the famed Harry Buncke, M.D. (Dr. Cheng worked with closely) and led to many successful tissue transplantation techniques including a recently performed successful face transplant. The recent decades have seen significant progress in surgery for cleft lip and palate reconstruction, breast reconstruction, and the introduction of endoscopic procedures to shrink incisions and speed recovery.

The current state of the art in aesthetic plastic surgery allows the artistic plastic surgeon to create beautiful results that are natural and pleasing to the face, breast and body.

The advances in facial aesthetics require a thorough knowledge of harmony and balance. Endoscopic brow techniques and less invasive facial rejuvenation techniques have allowed improvements to occur with quicker recovery and better results. The advance of fat transfer has been significant

36 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

[ HEALTH ] as well because this restores volume loss that occurs with

their activities in a week to 10 days. Another very popular

aging.

technique is body contouring after significant weight loss. This is of particular interest to those who have lost

Improvements in breast surgery have allowed women to

significant amounts of weight but are still hampered by

attain the most desirable breast shape with advanced

excess skin.

lifting techniques with smaller incisions as well as restore volume lost after childbearing with improved implant

As with any medical procedure, it’s important that

techniques.

patients seek out an experienced, board-certified, welltrained, artistic plastic surgeon with a board-certified

Body contouring has seen a significant expansion due

Anesthesiologist and a fully Certified Facility in which the

to the introduction of less invasive body contouring with

procedures are performed. Do your research by asking

ultrasonic and laser liposculpture techniques. These

friends, family and colleagues as well as your family

techniques have allowed women to shape their bodies

physician prior to making your final decision and go on a

back to their pre-pregnancy shapes. A significant

number of consultations and review the before and after

number of women following childbearing have come

galleries of the surgeons that you are considering. Social

in for the very popular mommy makeover. This includes

media reviews can also be helpful.

flattening the abdominal region with a tummy tuck which tightens the muscles as well as removes excess skin

Plastic surgery’s recent advances and it’s basis in

and at the same time have breast reshaping through

artistry can offer patients dramatic improvements of the

lifting and augmentation. The recovery periods have

face, breast and body and create wonderful results for

decreased as well. Often times patients are resuming

appropriate surgical candidates.

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After School Childcare Because after school care isn’t an after thought.

Your child’s day isn’t over when the school bell rings.

Our after school nannies are active role models for active children. We’ll fit your family’s schedule, interests and lifestyle.

DANVILLE | LAMORINDA

phone 925.550.6738 web collegenannies.com/danvilleca JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 37

[ EDUCATION ]

Preschool Guide ANTIOCH La Petite Academy 1350 E. Tregallas Rd., Antioch (925) 779-0110 www.lapetite.com/your-local-school/antioch-ca-7223 Director: Lorna Hearn Ages: 6 Weeks to 12 Years.

Infant/Toddler care now offered!

CONCORD Bright Stars Learning Center 3036 Clayton Road (925) 363-4933 brightstarslearningcenter@gmail.com Director: Farideh Bavafa Ages: 2-6 yrs old Bright Stars Learning Center provides a healthy, safe, and creative environment in which your child can develop physical, emotional, mental, and social skills. We are committed to maintain a program where children can gain and develop confidence, self-assurance, and self-esteem during their very important early stages of growth, development, and learning years.

Concord Preschool Program Centre Concord 5298 Clayton Rd 925-671-3404 Baldwin Park 2790 Parkside Circle (925) 671-3118 www.cityofconcord.org Director: Sarah Jackson Ages: 2-4 yrs old Our preschool program is a positive first school experience for the young child. We offer programs for two, three and four year olds. By the time they graduate, they will be ready for Kindergarten and be well on their way - with many fond memories of preschool.

DANVILLE Dayspring School 989 San Ramon Valley Blvd.

(925) 389-2044 www.dayspringpreschool.org Janice Inman MS.Ed, Director DAYSPRING PRESCHOOL... we are growing a Learning Community in Danville!!! Dayspring Preschool offers a variety of high-quality fulltime and part-time preschool/pre-kindergarten programs to meet the needs of busy parents. At Dayspring Preschool, we value the importance of play, the role it has in brain development, and in creating a love of learning for young children. Our goal is to provide quality programing that nurtures and educates the “whole” child, preparing children for a successful transition to kindergarten and beyond.

Our program design supports the young child’s critical thinking skills, and fosters positive character development. The curriculum addresses the goals of the SRVSD kindergarten program.

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Diablo Hills Country School - Danville Campus 1453 San Ramon Valley Blvd.

(925) 820-8523 Director: Heidi Buechler www.diablohillscountryschool.com One of DHCS’ primary goals is to provide a loving and home-like atmosphere where children can learn to become competent in every aspect of their lives. What sets DHCS apart from similar preschools in the area is that we have smaller size classrooms and low teacherchild ratios to provide an intimate and focused learning environment. Another asset that sets DHCS apart is that it is locally owned and operated for the past 30 years.

Garden Montessori School 495 Verona Ave. (925) 837-2969 www.gardenschool.net Director: Jaye Perry Garden Montessori School is an enrichment-focused preschool and kindergarten preparatory program for children ages 3-6.

Peekadoodle Academy 2425 Camino Tassajara (925) 736-7335 www.peekadoodle.com/danville Director: Christine Pezza Peekadoodle Academy of Danville offers both part time and school day preschool programs that foster independent and creative thinking through a balanced approach to learning. Each day consists of teacher guided exploration and opportunities to learn through playbased activities. Formerly Children’s Academy of Danville, the school is supported by a team of tenured teachers and a community of families that has been together for years. In addition to our traditional preschool program, Peekadoodle Academy also offers Kidscamp for all children ages 2-5 when school is not in session.

DUBLIN Valley Christian Preschool 7500 Inspiration Drive 925-560-6235 www.valleychristianschools.org Infants, Toddlers, Totally Two’s, Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Transitional Kindergarten, Half-Day and Full Day Programs Quarry Lane - Dublin Campus 6363 Tassajara Rd (925) 829-8000 www.quarrylane.org (Jr. Kindergarten to 12th)

EL SOBRANTE East Bay Waldorf School East Bay Waldorf School 3800 Clark Road (510) 223-3570 x 2107 www.eastbaywaldorf.org/newsandevents/tours.php Enrollment Director: Pamela Hollings

[ EDUCATION ]

Preschool Guide LAFAYETTE

PLEASANT HILL

Diablo Valley Montessori School 3390 DeerHill Road (925) 283-6036 www.dvms.org Director: Suzette Smith Now accepting applications for the 2014/2015 school year. Please call the school office at (925) 283-6036 to schedule a tour and classroom observation

YMCA Central Bay Area Preschools - Pleasant Hill Rett Turner Preschool 350 Civic Drive (925) 363-5465 janguella@ymca-cba.org | www.ymca-cba.org Director: Jennifer Anguella Ages: 2.5 yrs – 6 yrs old The YMCA’s preschool programs provide high quality, childcare with activities that provide the perfect blend of fun and learning for your children, allowing kids to be kids while ensuring that they’re ready to enter kindergarten.

Michael Lane Preschool 682 Michael Lane (925) 284-7244 michaellanepreschool@mail.com | www.michaellanepreschool.com Director: Kim Olson, M.S., Director At Michael Lane Preschool we learn to play and play to learn!! A play based program for learning through developmentally appropriate play.

LIVERMORE Valley Montessori School 1273 N Livermore Ave (925) 455-8021 info@valleymontessorischool.com | www.valleymontessorischool.com Director: Lana Shartle Ages: 18 mo-8th grade Valley Montessori School educates the whole child and inspires a joyful pursuit of learning.

Holy Cross Lutheran School 1020 Mocho Street (925) 447-1864 school@holycrosslivermore.org | www.holycrosslivermore.org Director: Deanna Sullivan Ages: 2 yrs – 6 yrs old Holy Cross Lutheran School serves children 2 years to age 5.9 years in a loving, developmentally/age appropriate environment. We believe that children learn best through active, hands on activities which focus on all areas of development. We offer both Full and Half day programs, with individual programs for threes, fours and Junior Kindergarten children. Young ones receive the individual attention one requires in the preschool years.

MORAGA Creative Playhouse, Inc. 1350 Moraga Way (925) 377-8314 www.creativeplayhouseinc.com Director: Julieanna Wakileh Enrollment is year round. Please call Julieanna to schedule a tour.

Spaces are limited.

PLEASANTON Quarry Lane - Pleasanton West Campus 4444B Black Ave (925) 462-6300 www.quarrylane.org (Preschool & Pre-kindergarten) Quarry Lane - Pleasanton East Campus 750 Boulder St (925) 846-9400 www.quarrylane.og (Infant through Pre-kindergarten) The Early Years Children’s Center 1251 Hopyard Rd (925) 462-2202 www.earlyyearschildrenscenter.com Director: Neeti Ghosh Ages: 2 yrs-5th grade Our experienced staff and innovative programs provide your child with an exceptional learning experience. Whether enrolled in Preschool, Full Day Child Care, or Before & After School Care, your child will discover that learning is fun, while making friends. Our communities of families and teachers will partner with you in your child’s education.

Adventures in Learning 3200 Hopyard Road (On campus at Harvest Valley Church) (925) 462-7123 www.ailpleasanton.com Director: Lynne Allen

SAN RAMON Diablo Hills Country School - San Ramon Campus 50 Creekside Drive (925) 831-1210 Director: Amber Pac www.diablohillscountryschool.com One of DHCS’ primary goals is to provide a loving and home-like atmosphere where children can learn to become competent in every aspect of their lives. What sets DHCS apart from similar preschools in the area is that we have smaller size classrooms and low teacherchild ratios to provide an intimate and focused learning environment. Another asset that sets DHCS apart is that it is locally owned and operated for the past 30 years.

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 39

[ EDUCATION ]

Preschool Guide Gale Ranch Preschool 2200 Brookcliff Circle (925) 648-1201 khansen@ymca-cba.org | www.ymca-cba.org Director: Kirsten Hansen Ages: 2 yrs – 6 yrs old The YMCA’s preschool programs provide high quality, childcare with activities that provide the perfect blend of fun and learning for your children, allowing kids to be kids while ensuring that they’re ready to enter kindergarten.

Panache Enfants 2410 San Ramon Valley Blvd Suite 100 (925) 549-2239 www.panacheenfants.com Director: Shilpa Panache or Jorie Robinson Ages: 6 weeks – 6 yrs In French, the name literally means children with energy and a flamboyant, confident style or manner. At Panache Enfants, we want to partner with parents to create confident, strong children who can take on the world of elementary education by storm.

The Redwoods International Montessori Preschool 2400 Old Crow Canyon Rd, Suite A2 (925) 743-0800 www.trimontschools.com Ages: 2-6 yrs old We are a full-day academic environment plus enrichment programs with before and after-school care for the convenience of working parents YMCA Central Bay Area Preschools San Ramon Gale Ranch Preschool 2200 Brookcliff Circle (925) 648-1201 khansen@ymca-cba.org | www.ymca-cba.org Director: Kirsten Hansen Ages: 2 yrs – 6 yrs old The YMCA’s preschool programs provide high quality, childcare with activities that provide the perfect blend of fun and learning for your children, allowing kids to be kids while ensuring that they’re ready to enter kindergarten.

WALNUT CREEK Grace Cooperative Preschool 2100 Tice Valley Blvd (925) 937-3032 www.gracecooperativepreschool.com Director: Marlene L. Hall Ages: 2 yrs – 6 yrs old Our school is a place where children learn though play. Our mission is to help children develop a positive sense of themselves by nurturing their inherent joys and energies. Through the creation of a supportive and challenging environment we develop their physical, social and cognitive abilities.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS Stratford School Danville Blackhawk 3201 Camino Tassajara, Danville, CA 94506 (Corner of Old Blackhawk Road) (925) 648-4900 Email: dv@stratfordschools.com Offering Preschool & Pre-kindergarten

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Stratford School Danville Sycamore Valley 2615 Camino Tassajara, Danville, CA 94506 (Next to East Bay Fellowship Church) (925) 648-0500 Email: dvs@stratfordschools.com Stratford Schools Pleasanton 4576 Willow Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588 (Hacienda Business Park) (925) 737-0001 Email: pls@stratfordschools.com Offering Preschool - Elementary Stratford Schools Fremont 38495 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94536 (Between Eggers Dr. & Mowry Ave.) (510) 713-8900 Fax: (510) 713-8989 Email: frb@stratfordschools.com Offering Preschool - Kindergarten Fountainhead Montessori School Director: Ais Her (925) 820-1343 www.fms.org Fountainhead Montessori School - Danville Campus 939 El Pintado Road | Danville, CA 94526 (925) 820-6250 Fountainhead Montessori School - Dublin Campus 6665 Amador Plaza Road | Dublin, CA 94568 (925) 829-2963 Fountainhead Montessori School - Livermore Campus 949 Central Avenue | Livermore, CA 94551 (925) 579-0110 Fountainhead Montessori School - Orinda Campus 30 Santa Maria Way | Orinda, CA 94563 (925) 254-7110 Fountainhead Montessori School - Pleasant Hill Campus 490 Golf Club Road | Pleasant Hill, CA (925) 685-2949 Toddler 18 Mo–2 Yrs., Prep 2–3.5 Yrs., Preschool/PreK 3-5 Yrs., Spanish Immersion 3-6 Yrs., PreK/Kindergarten 4-6 Yrs., Extended Day 4–6 Yrs. Movement, Science and More, Enrichment Programs, Before & After Care

It’s Not Too Late To Register!

PLAY BALL!

PHANT

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Divisions for Girls Aged 5 to 18

Register at to www.pleasantonsoftball.org It’s not late to register for the

2015 Spring Softball Season with Pleasanton Girls Softball.

We offer divisions for all girls aged 5 to 18 years old.

Visit the Pleasanton Girls Softball website at www.pleasantonsoftball.org to register your daughter today.

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 41

[ HEALTH ] Laura has been transforming people’s lives for more than a decade with her holistic, clean eating programs specially designed to fit the unique lifestyle and goals of each individual. Laura offers private consultations and a variety of seminars and programs encompassing weight loss, sports performance, detoxification, hormone balance, anti-aging and disease management and prevention. She is also available for corporate wellness seminars offsite or at the club.

Laura received her Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nutrition at Clayton College of Natural Health in 1995 and went on to obtain certifications as a Nutrition Consultant and Instructor through Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts. This past year, she became a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Her contagious passion for health and wellness combined with her unpretentious teaching style and actionable programs appeal to novices and the nutrition savvy alike.

Named Best Nutritionist of the East Bay three consecutive years (2006, 2007 and 2008), Laura has become a widely-respected authority on holistic nutrition. She has worked as the Nutritionist for Renaissance ClubSport for eight years and as the Regional Nutritionist for Leisure Sports Inc. for the past five. She invites you to actualize your greatest potential for optimal health and longevity by taking advantage of the innovative classes and services she offers through Renaissance ClubSport. Laura can be reached at (925) 942-6366 or via email at laura. bartron@clubsports.com.

Ingredients For A Healthier Family Cooking, Eating and Playing Together

by Laura Bartron, Regional Nutritionist, Leisure Sports Inc. You want the best for your family, especially when it comes to their health.

But sometimes it can be overwhelming to make changes when you face resistance, feel overstretched, or simply aren’t sure where to start.

Experts recommend you start by making changes as a whole family. Parents are the key to helping children learn about healthy lifestyle choices. As the team leaders you should lead by example and through education. Talk to kids about exercise and about why you eat fruit as a snack, take an exercise class, or go for walks.

If your kids are young, now is the time to start. Don’t wait until your child is at an unhealthy weight to institute good eating and activity habits. It’s much easier for kids to maintain a healthy weight and develop taste buds for healthy foods while they are young.

Cooking together is an excellent way to get kids interested in food. It may not be possible to do it every day, but invite kids into the process of preparing food. To them it’s another form of play and experimentation. Kids are more eager to try new things if they’ve had a hand in the preparation. Young kids can learn math skills by measuring and they’ll begin to understand the principles of cooking.

Eating together goes with cooking together. It gives parent get a chance offer nutritious food and note their kids’ likes and dislikes. It’s also an important time

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[ HEALTH ] for families to connect with each other and talk about daily triumphs and troubles.

Being active together may seem like a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. This can be as simple as taking the dog for a walk after dinner, after all Fido is part of the family and deserves to be fit too. If you go to the gym regularly, take your kids with you. Many fitness centers provide age appropriate activities so that everyone can benefit from a trip to the club.

Creating a goal chart can be fun for the whole family and is a good way to remind everyone to eat enough fruits vegetables and protein; drink water and exercise.

Make it fun by setting family goals, such as exercising every day and eating fruits and vegetables. Keep track of and praise those who meet their goals by adding stars or stickers to their chart. And when the whole family achieves the goals, do something fun together to celebrate the accomplishment!

If you’d like ideas on ways to engage your kids in the kitchen www.thefamilydinnerproject.org. is a wonderful resource.

Foundations Tutoring Building a Brighter Future Unlock Your Child's Potential

 One-on-one tutoring programs in reading, writing, and math  Intensive, multi-sensory interventions that really work!  Steady, permanent progress that won't fade

Some warning signs of reading challenges  Choppy reading; often ignores punctuation  Slow reading rate, or reading may be fast and inaccurate  Doesn’t enjoy reading for pleasure  Makes errors such as substituting, adding, changing, repeating & leaving out words  Unable to sound out unknown words  Spelling difficulties  Poor grades/and or test scores Mention Active Families and receive 10% off an initial assessment www.FoundationsTutoring.org 4713 First Street, suite 150 Pleasanton, CA 94566 925-425-0652

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 43

[ EDUCATION ]

The Growing Room Academy is pleased to offer a fun innovative after-school STEM curriculum at their beautiful new facility in San Ramon at 2340 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Classes ranging from robotics and Lego-engineering to video game design and Java programming are offered for ages 4-17.

For more info call 925-820-5808 or visit us on the web at www.thegrowingroom.org/academy

Process Over Product: The Importance of “Open-ended” Art in Child Development

by The Growing Room Academy Have you noticed when referencing children’s art we have come to conflate the terms art and crafts? And, a better question might be: does it even matter? If art is to impact children both creatively and developmentally, then, the answer is a resounding YES. Though the terms are used interchangeably to describe artistic activities for children, the two actually have important fundamental differences in learning implications and outcomes, namely: selfexpression versus imitation.

Arts or Crafts: The Difference Between Process and Product Crafts traditionally were defined as a skill or trade. Nowadays, we refer to crafts as almost anything that a child makes. There are craft activities at school, summer camps, church or synagogue, extended care, and day care.

Crafts are good for kids; they serve a purpose in reinforcing other academic subjects or themes; however, we should not confuse them for art. Art is important to a child’s emotional and cognitive development; it fuels creativity and independent thinking. Crafts do not facilitate creativity in the same way.

Making crafts is typically not about creativity, but about “imitating” what an adult has made. There is no original thinking involved. Children follow directions hoping for a finished product that is as close to the original as

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[ EDUCATION ] possible. With crafts, there is a known and expected outcome: it is product over process. And, let’s face it, a well-executed craft product reflects positively upon the teacher or adult in charge. Some may see this as a reflection of good teaching, but the opposite is true: a child learns more through discovery while creating art than he does by merely “copying” (even if he does a really great job of doing so).

Be clear on the differences: Art is creative, unique and original. It comes from “within” the child with openended and unknown results. Process is valued over finished product. The desired outcome is self- expression.

Crafts are similar or identical to other children’s. It is directed by an adult with closed directions and known results. The finished product is valued over process. The desired outcome is duplication and imitation.

Art, on the other hand, is about exploration and discovery with very basic techniques that “guide” the process. Value is placed on process, not product. With art, the emphasis is on originality and freethinking, not imitation. Art has an unknown outcome: process over product. It encourages children to express themselves as they see fit. Art encourages the imagination and more fully engages the senses. In fact, the concept of a finished product may only be the purview of the adult observer.

Avoid Creativity Killers Forget about Perfection or Talent; Do Not Set the Bar Too High Creativity flourishes when it is pursued for its own enjoyment. It is important to separate talent from creativity. A child can gain a meaningful artistic experience without creating a modern masterpiece!

Put aside any inclination to spot or harness “skill” as your child explores. Also, forget about “getting it right”. The ability to make mistakes, express themselves, and take risks are the priorities.

Why Terms Matter: Language Shapes Perspective Do a quick Pinterest search for “Children’s Art “ and you will find a few pages dedicated to exploration within an artistic medium. The majority of the pins you will see will be (as defined above) crafts: adult-lead, adult-conceived. Per chance, you didn’t see any ideas that inspired? You might consider rewording your search query to “Children’s Art Projects”. The results are vast and spectacular, but there again is the problem: projects. The very word suggests something that is planned or devised, with a specific outcome; this is product over process. An outcome that requires adult inspiration, supervision, and guidance, while worthwhile, is another misstep towards the intended role of artistic participation: child-directed, child-inspired. Art develops a child’s creativity.

Parents may be acquainted with the term the Flynn Effect. The Flynn Effect is the substantial increase in average scores on intelligence tests all over the world since 1930: each generation scores higher than the previous. While this is good news on the cognitive front, scores in creativity have actually decreased since the 1990’s. Our overzealous efforts to “plan”, “organize” and “orchestrate” enrichment art activities in terms of projects for our children may, in fact, be robbing them of the very gift we hope to bestow: the ability to freely and openly express themselves.

What Parents Can Do Know the difference between arts (self-expression) and crafts (imitation).

Value both experiences for what they provide your child.

Refrain from Reward, Speculation, and Praise Research has shown that rewards inhibit a child’s attempt at exploration. Rewards eliminate the intrinsic pleasure of “creating”, turning it into a “outcome”-based activity.

Do not assign meaning to the work. This robs the child of the opportunity to judge and evaluate his own work.

Comments such as “What a beautiful sky!” should be reworded to “What an unusual combinations of blue you have chosen”. While, it may seem trivial in practice, it allows the child tune into their imaginations, versus fitting into a constructed adult paradigm. Be curious, but do not judge. Also, do not praise. We all have fallen prey to the “Good job!” response: when in doubt, ask questions!

“What might be the title of your picture?”, “How did you discover that shade of green?” or “Tell me more about…” are all questions which will encourage dialog and enhance developmental aspects of the activity.

Refrain from Micromanaging or Shadowing Clearly, this is an area where the difference between arts and crafts is obvious. Sitting by a child, guiding their outcomes, and fine-tuning their movements are detrimental to creativity. Unwanted advice or commentary detracts from the experience and destroys a child’s ability to work deeply within his “creative zone”.

Art is developmentally good for kids. Freely creating art supports the expression of complex emotions. Creating and talking about art allows a child to talk about feelings in meaningful ways. Child-directed art fuels creativity.

Remembering process over product and free expression over imitation when seeking out opportunities will enhance the developmental and creative growth of your child.

JANUARY 2015 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 45

[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]

Celma’s Housecleaning Service celmaoliveira789@yahoo.com

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Dr. Ozzie Jafarnia

DDS, Board Certified

Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. Noyan Aynechi DDS, Board Certified

Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry

Nothing is more beautiful than your child’s smile!

Welcome to Danville Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics! ! Our office is committed to providing excellent preventative care for children in a warm, positive, and compassionate environment.

We specialize in comprehensive dental care for children of all ages with an emphasis on prevention and health. As your child grows, we are able to provide comprehensive orthodontic care for children and teens. This is to help create and maintain a healthy smile into adulthood. We will do so by providing excellent treatment at the right time for the right reason with integrity, honesty and a caring heart.

Your child’s smile is our top priority.

We are committed to making it the happiest, healthiest and straightest smile possible. After all, nothing is more beautiful than your child's smile!

4145 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 203, Danville

Dr. Reem Stephanos DDS, MS

925-837-7745 • drozzie.com

Specialist in Orthodontics

46 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | JANUARY 2015

Preschool

Education is a Lifelong Commitment

An academic preschool with full and half day schedules.

Open House Every Wednesday 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

RSVP today at www.QuarryLane.org/Preschool

PLEASANTON WEST CAMPUS

PLEASANTON EAST CAMPUS

925.462.6300

925.846.9400

Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten 4444B Black Ave., Pleasanton, CA

Infant through Pre-Kindergarten 3750 Boulder St., Pleasanton, CA

CA Licenses: 013411303, 013411304, 013411305, 013417681

2401 Shadelands Dr., Walnut Creek, CA 94598 • bitly.com/cho-wc

925-979-3434

Diagnostic Imaging Hearing & Speech Center Motion Analysis & Sports Performance Lab Orthopaedics Outpatient Surgery Sleep Lab Specialty Care Clinics Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes

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