North county folks, the day has arrived—The Shake Shack, located in The Beacon La Costa, is now open for business. Rumors about the modern-day “roadside” burger stand, known for its 100% all-natural Angus beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, and flat-top Vienna beef dogs opening its fifth San Diego location in Carlsbad, surfaced last year. Burger connoisseurs, young and old, have been anxiously waiting for its grand opening ever since.“We’re thrilled to finally open our doors at The Beacon,” said Andrew McCaughan, Chief Development Officer at Shake Shack. “Our newest Carlsbad Shack is beautifully designed and we’re so excited to finally welcome in the community to dine with us.”
Shake Shack
The La Costa location offers a walk-up window, which gives guests the ability to pre-order via the Shack app and pick up their food from the exterior of the shack. Whether you choose to take out or dine in, we recommend trying the Shroom Burger—the delicious option proves that a "veggie" burger can be the star of the show! The mushroom is breaded, fried, and full of cheese, and can easily be a family favorite.
Shake Shack
Expect to see all the classics on the menu, including the ShackBurger®, Chick'n Shack, crinkle-cut fries and hand-spun shakes. In addition, The Carlsbad Shack will serve up a SoCal regional burger, the Roadside Double featuring a double Swiss cheeseburger with Dijon mustard and onions simmered in beer. Shack-canned Wine, Shackmeister Ale, and local beers are also available Seasonal burgers and drinks will hit the menu in the coming weeks.
Shake Shack is committed to being part of a larger mission to Stand for Something Good® and donated a dollar for every burger sold on opening day to Kids for Peace. Kids for Peace is a California-based global nonprofit that provides a platform for youth to actively engage in socially conscious leadership, community service, arts, environmental stewardship and global friendships.
The Beacon will ultimately offer a collection of restaurants, shops, and lifestyle concepts curated to celebrate the North County Coastal community. Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is soon to open, joining other local favorites like Lofty Coffe Co. and La Costa Wine Co.
There are lots of great new children’s books out there and sometimes it can be overwhelming to decide what to read next. Fortunately Amazon just released the annual Best Books of the Year So Far list, featuring books published between January and June. The result? 20 diverse selections that will make bedtime story time and summer downtime that much better.
Top selection Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho has more than 1,000 five stars reviews on Amazon. It features the story of a young Asian girl who learns to love and accept her eyes in a celebration of diversity. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston is described as “Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black” and it’s a middle school fantasy series featuring a black heroine, Amari Peters. And Dog Man: Mothering Heights is the latest in a series from Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey, a laugh-out-loud read following the adventures of Dog Man and Petey.
The full list of the Best Children’s Books of the Year, So Far:
Amazon Book Editors determine the “best of” lists, reading thousands of pages to unite readers of all ages and tastes, as well as highlight diverse authors. You’ll recognize some of the picks as bestsellers, but many might be new to you. You can find the rest of the lists, including the best books for young adults and teens, online. Don’t forget to check out our own list of best books in 2021!
Can you believe 7-Eleven is about to turn 94? Since this last year has been a crazy one, the convenience story is going all out in 2021.
Instead of only celebrating on Jul. 11, get ready for a month-long lineup of deals! Not only that, 7-Eleven is also using this time to give back, and will donate one million meals to Feeding America in an effort to support those still impacted by the pandemic.
photo: 7-Eleven
So let’s hear those freebies and deals!
On Jul. 1, 7-Eleven is giving one free small Slurpee drink coupon to all 7Rewards loyalty app members that will be valid all month. Not a member yet? There’s plenty of time to join by downloading the app and signing up––it’s all free.
The fun continues with $1 goodies all month that include small Slurpees, Big Bite hot dogs, taquitos, Cheeseburger Bites, Buffalo chicken rollers and eggrolls. Rewards members can also use their benefits to get a birthday cake donut for 50 cents on Jul. 11 and anyone can get free delivery during birthday week, Jul. 10-11.
Beginning on Skyler’s first birthday, I started a tradition of writing a letter to him highlighting his likes, dislikes, achievements, funny moments, family adventures, playmates, and favorite television shows. In addition, I take a photo of him wearing a necktie as a way of charting his growth.
My vision, when creating and continuing this annual time capsule, was to present to Skyler, a ribbon-tied stack of letters and photos containing eighteen years of memories on the day of his graduation from high school.
Coming to the realization, many years following his autism diagnosis, that graduation, in a traditional sense, would not be a likelihood for Skyler was hard. However, it never derailed me from crafting those special birthday letters because I know one day in the future, I will share them with him.
Perhaps the silver lining or renewed perspective of Skyler not fleeing the nest this year, like his peers, is that I am privileged to share his daily experiences and accomplishments into adulthood.
I’m confident the day will come when Skyler communicates to me, on his own timeline, that he’s ready to receive my gift of thoughtfully crafted memories. Watching Skyler read and absorb every word, whether he’s 24 or 44, will be the equivalent of a graduation day to me—and I will be extremely proud.
So, on this eve of Skyler’s 18th birthday, I grabbed a few sheets of the special stationery that is used to pen his letters and a full box of tissues while I revisited every achievement, new adventure and challenge he experienced this past year.
This is my 18th birthday letter to Skyler:
To my handsome and admirable son,
I honestly can’t believe I am writing my 18th birthday letter to you. This past year has brought with it dramatic and unprecedented events both in our world and in your life.
It was around this time last year that the word Coronavirus became a part of everyone’s vocabulary. Due to the severity and vast spreading, our daily routines and public gatherings came to a drastic and lengthy halt.
You were unable to return to your ABA center for almost two months, which was much milder than most of the population who were forced to learn from home for an entire year—causing a significant regression of many skills.
While at home, Josh and I were desperate to keep your communication moving forward, so void of any therapist assistance, I created a PECS board and eventually transitioned you to an AAC device to revisit that method with you.
You clearly appreciated having the ability to make choices for yourself through the pictures which were evident by your smile when we all seemed to understand each other.
For the first time in years, you appeared eager to share your thoughts, needs and wants with us, so when the concept of “Spelling to Communicate” (S2C) was introduced to me, it seemed like divine timing.
Wow! I am SO glad we took that leap of faith and brought S2C into our lives.
Watching you utilize the letter boards to answer age-appropriate reading comprehension questions for the past eight months has been nothing short of incredible.
I frequently feel an overwhelming need to apologize to you, Skyler—for underestimating you and for my failure to recognize how intelligent you are and always have been.
From a health perspective, you have remained at a standstill. Thankfully, you have always been healthy and are very rarely sick. However, the hitting, banging and hair-pulling seem to be on the increase instead of you aging out of those ‘stims’ as I’d hoped.
I’ve never been convinced that your challenging behaviors are “just part of having autism” as we’re so often told and given medications to treat. I know deep in my heart that you’re demonstrating anger and suffering due to Ulcerative Colitis. I promise you that I will never give up researching and looking for answers to improve your quality of life. I pray every day that the solutions will come quickly so you will finally be relieved of your pain.
Despite your constant discomfort, your smile and deep belly laugh, especially when Josh wrestles with you, lights up the room.
If given the option, your daily meals would always include a Qdoba burrito bowl and Tucker’s bun-less cheeseburger with mashed potatoes in the rotation.
Watching Sesame Street, particularly Elmo’s World is still a favorite pastime of yours as is listening to an eclectic array of music. During our countless car rides to nowhere, you bounce perfectly to the beat of any song and launch into a hardy giggle when I freestyle my own lyrics—which are usually about food or bath time.
As I reviewed the very first birthday letter that I wrote you in 2004, a particular statement really stuck out to me. “My hope for you over the course of your life is that you continue to be happy and free-spirited. I want you to always try new things and never let anyone or anything stand in your way. I love the light in your eyes that seek out to learn and never quits even when times get frustrating.”
I didn’t know of your autism diagnosis on that day or even that year.
My greatest hope for you today is the exact same, 17 years later. Please never lose that spark in your eyes and determination in your heart to keep growing and achieving.
I love you with all my heart Skyler, exactly as God made you. I truly believe you were sent into this world as a vessel to teach me, and possibly everyone you encounter, some valuable life lessons.
I am forever grateful that I have been entrusted to guide and nurture you through this life. You are perfect, just as you are.
As I’ve always said, “Out of all the little boys in the world, how did I get the very best one?”
What’s your kiddo’s favorite meal? The foodie pros at Grubhub recently reviewed the delivery data and released their list for the Top 10 Most Popular Kids Meals in 2021.
While you might think burgers and fries are the top kid pick of the year, this staple combo wasn’t the most ordered take-out item. After the first few months of 2021, the top selection for fams with kids is the beloved BLT!
According to Grubhub’s data, the salty bacon and refreshing lettuce and tomato classic is trending at a whopping rate of +393 percent. The full list of family faves includes:
BLT sandwich (+393%)
Cheeseburger sliders (+383%)
Mini corn dogs (+375%)
French toast (+325%)
Fish & chips (+268%)
Spaghetti & meatballs (+234%)
Macaroni & cheese (+225%)
Wings (+214%)
Cheese enchilada (+164%)
Chocolate chip pancakes (+138%)
Main meals aren’t the only tasty picks families are ordering for delivery. Along with the top 10 trending kids meal orders, Grubhub also released its dessert data. The current Most Popular Kids Desserts in 2021 are (in order) cake, pie, ice cream and cookies.
It’s here! The third trimester of my second pregnancy has arrived. I am so grateful my baby boy is healthy and growing like a weed. In a short twelvish weeks, I will get to meet him for the first time and kiss his fat little adorable face. In the meantime, I am enjoying feeling him kick and move around in my ever-growing belly. And with a growing belly comes a growing me, an everything growing me.
It’s so weird, but it’s like someone flipped a switch on the first day of the third trimester. I feel more pregnant, more tired, more moody, more hungry and more ready than ever to meet my tiny little human. With that said, I have had some major third-trimester failures. I thought I would share. They may make your life a little easier one day.
Don’t cry because you grew cankles overnight. I woke up this morning and realized that my legs resembled stumps with feet on the end. I put on a knee-length dress with flats and made the mistake of looking in a full-length mirror. Nothing makes you feel less attractive than not being able to tell where your calf stops and your ankle starts. I miss you, ankles, come back soon. Please.
Don’t examine your stretch marks and cry again. Stretch marks happen. There is no secret cream that keeps them away. I didn’t get them until 36 weeks with my first pregnancy. This time, they were out in full force from the beginning. They will fade with time, and until then, I will wear them with pride. Those stretch marks came from growing a tiny human, and that’s pretty freaking awesome.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. When I found out I was pregnant, my husband and I decided that we should get our kitchen remodel done before the baby arrived. Well, it has gotten pushed back a few times and won’t start until May 1st. I am due mid-July. Fingers crossed that I don’t have construction workers welcoming me home from the hospital. Remodels never take longer than expected, right?
Don’t feel bad for forgetting things. Baby brain is real. They did a scientific study showing it exists! I am normally on top of my game when it comes to remembering things and multitasking like a freaking champ. But the last seven months have been crazy hard. I forget things, don’t remember what I am supposed to be doing in the middle of a task and lose concentration easily. I have been really hard on myself, but you know what, this too will pass. I am just hoping I don’t drive away with Henry’s favorite blankie on the back of the car again.
Don’t feel guilty for napping. Growing a human is hard work, people. You deserve a nap! Or ten!
Always have snacks available. Hangry has taken on a new meaning the last couple weeks. Throw some granola bars and a cheeseburger in your purse in case of emergency. Along with a bottle of Tums. You never know how long a meeting may last. Better safe than sorry.
Make sure your toddler is ready for the new baby. Hahahaha! This could be a real disaster. I had an amazing plan that I would have my two-year-old potty trained by the time baby #2 comes. Except that he shows zero interest in using the potty. Having two kids in diapers isn’t that expensive, right? This is me praying for a potty-training miracle.
Don’t feel bummed when none of your clothes fit. Even my maternity clothes are starting to feel too tight. I went through my entire wardrobe the other morning and could not find a single top that fit over my large belly. Then I had a genius idea. I wore what used to be a knee-length dress as a top. I even got a compliment saying it was a cute outfit. I did wear a cardigan over the top/dress because it was a little tight here and there, but in the words of Tim Gunn, I made it work. I will be winning no fashion awards in the next couple of months and plan to wear only black maxi dresses that hide my cankles.
Don’t weigh yourself! You have to see it every time you go to the doctor. Don’t make it even worse by weighing yourself at home. It’s going to go up. A lot. That’s just the way it is. Enjoy your tacos and give yourself a break.
Don’t try to wear cute heels, even if just for a short amount of time. I tried it. I was miserable. I ended up walking around barefoot after about twenty minutes. I don’t care if you think heels make your cankles look less cankle-ish. You will hate your life.
The third trimester is tough. Don’t beat yourself up over things that are out of your control. This too shall pass and life will be back to (maybe) normal soon!
I am a full time working mom with two little boys, Henry and Simon. I write about real life and real life gets messy. Contributor for Motherly, HuffPost Parents, Scary Mommy, Today Parents, Love What Matters and Her View From Home.
Can you still call it a postpartum body if your baby is one?
Actually, he’s fifteen months, but I know people don’t like it when you say your child’s age in months.
It has been fifteen months since I had my eight-pound, two-ounce baby via c-section, and I’m still not happy with how I look.
Now, don’t bombard me with your diet plans people. Thanks. In. Advance.
So here’s the deal. I’ve always been what my mom calls “curvy”. After I had Baby Boy #1, she pretty much told me that I would never get my old body back. And that really lit a fire under me. If someone tells me I can’t do something, I work my booty off just to prove them wrong. So I got into a clean-eating and exercise routine that actually had me looking better than I did before I had my baby. And I was proud of myself. Looking back, I didn’t give myself enough credit.
So I just figured that after having Baby Boy #2, I would jump right back into my clean eating and exercise routine and I would be back in my skinny jeans in no time.
NOPE. Didn’t happen.
What I didn’t realize is that when you have a toddler and a newborn, life gets a hell of a lot more hectic. Add in a full-time job, my blog, my side hustle of doing books, a husband that works full time and coaches a baseball team and a health scare with the baby, and I wasn’t doing much clean eating. What I was doing was cleaning out the fridge and pantry and the local McDonald’s while eating everything.
I did continue my workout routine. It was something that made me feel good. It gave me energy. And it was the only part of my day where I could be ALONE.
But I still look in the mirror and see that ten extra pounds that has settled around my waist like a spare tire. The bags under my eyes can’t even be covered by makeup sometimes. I thought I had running mascara one day and grabbed a makeup remover wipe to realize that it was just the dark bags under my eyes.
I looked at myself in a picture from an event I attended this summer with my husband and a few other couples. All I did was pick apart what was wrong in the picture. The tops of my arms were fat. You could see my belly sticking out. I was pale. My hair was a hot mess. All the other women were skinny and stylish and looked like they could do a makeup tutorial on a real YouTube channel. Why was I being so hard on myself? They were moms too. But I was the only one that looked like she walked to the event five miles in heels in 100-degree heat while herding dirty donkeys.
Why am I so worked up about this?
Because I have spent the last two years being someone that empowers women to be the best they can be. But also reminding them that you can’t be too hard on yourself and that no one is perfect. To not feel bad about themselves for drinking wine, or hiding in the bathroom to get some alone time, or cry in the shower because they just feel defeated because their kid drew on the wall with a Sharpie.
And I think that’s why I am so frustrated with myself now. I know that no one is perfect. But I’m stuck between, “Your body grew two beautiful babies and you are freaking busy so don’t be so hard on yourself” to “Put down the cheeseburger, Jamie. Your a*s is growing by the minute.”
So to narrow it down, I am trying to say that I am mad at myself for being too hard on myself but also mad because I can’t lose ten pounds but also craving a cheeseburger and to “Treat Yo ‘Self.”
So somewhere in the middle, there has to be a happy medium right?
I honestly think this probably encompasses a lot of moms I know. We want to be skinny and beautiful, but we also want to play with our kids in our pajamas with no makeup on, and we want to sleep late and eat a long john donut from the Rolling Pin every chance we can.
But we can’t have it all can we? Because I sure as hell haven’t slept late in the five years.
So for now, I’ll keep working out. I’ll try to be healthy, and I’ll treat myself because my life is crazy and we all need a little down time and a cheeseburger from the Big Dipper. I’ll stop trying to be perfect and just be. Be a mom. Be a wife. Be me.
Even if that mom I am has a spare tire and dark bags under her eyes.
I am a full time working mom with two little boys, Henry and Simon. I write about real life and real life gets messy. Contributor for Motherly, HuffPost Parents, Scary Mommy, Today Parents, Love What Matters and Her View From Home.
Kids have some pretty amazing imaginations and some very interesting tastebuds. One company decided to photoshop kids dream foods to find out exactly what unique dishes, like a chocolate cheeseburger might look like in real life.
Ship It Appliances invited kids to submit drawings of their dream foods and the results are as creative as you would think. “We tasked our and our colleagues’ kids to come up with and draw the meals they would make if they could create anything – no restrictions. We then took those fantasy foods and used the magic of photoshop to turn them into reality,” the company wrote on its blog. From candy bars mixed with hamburgers to glitter meatballs, here are some of the best concoctions the kids came up with.
A new, only-in-the-Bay burger joint is changing the fast food game, one vegan mac ‘n’ cheese at a time. Amy’s Drive Thru in Rohnert Park is what happens when masters of the vegetarian frozen food aisle take it to the streets. Andy and Rachel Berliner, the founders of Amy’s Kitchen (you’ve no doubt seen Amy’s organic, vegetarian, frozen, canned, and prepackaged foods in your local grocery store) launched their business in 1987 and over the last 28 years have mastered the mass production of healthy, non-GMO vegetarian meals. This next step seems as natural as their ingredient list: open a fast-food restaurant catering to those who’ve had to settle for fries and buns with cheese when they want to eat fast and cheap.
Photo: Courtesy of Amy’s Drive Thru Instagram
Drive On Through or Stay Awhile Amy’s Drive Thru is one of the first organic, vegetarian drive-thru restaurants in the country (and probably the only one with a living roof!). And while “Drive Thru” may be in the name, diners are also invited to park and dine onsite, either inside the cozy cafe or outside, where several large redwood picnic tables are perfect for family meals. And the same way Amy’s Kitchen has always placed importance on the origins and sustainability of their ingredients, their tables, chairs, and even building materials are upcycled and sustainable. Amy’s sparkling chrome tables come from old, recycled auto brake drums. And just like the fancier Sonoma eateries in the area, Amy’s sources from local farms. Unlike the fancier eateries: prices are incredibly low ($2.99 for a single burger).
Photo: courtesy of Amy’s Drive Thru Instagram
The Happiest Meal for Kids As if burgers, fries and shakes weren’t enough to keep little diners happy, they will love rocking out to the vintage, table-side jukeboxes. Starving artists are offered sturdy colored pencils (in lieu of wasteful crayons) and cute floral coloring sheets. There are plenty of highchairs, boosters and changing tables in both bathrooms. Take a hike outside and explore the rad vintage pick-up truck, complete with bewitching Plant People inside dressed up like Amy’s workers.
Photo: Courtesy of Amy’s Drive Thru
A Menu for Everybody For anyone with food restrictions who has struggled to order at a fast-food restaurant, this menu will be music to your ears, er…mouth. Every item is vegetarian, and all can be served vegan, gluten-free or dairy free—from veggie burgers, burritos, mac ‘n’ cheese, pizza, salads, chili fries, and even milkshakes. We’ve highlighted our favorite items, and included all the juicy, crunchy, sweet details.
Chomp a Cheeseburger
Everywhere you look here, happy kiddos are munching into these cheeseburgers. No one at this vegetarian joint ever misses the meat. The cheeseburger appears utterly identical to In-n-Out’s Double-Double, with the “clamshell” style bun front-loaded and stuffed with all the goodies. This style of burger serves two purposes: it looks great and, moms and dad will love this one, you’re not left with a lapful of goo oozing out the other side. The bun strategically absorbs all the juices with this type of burger setup, perfect to the last bite.
The Holy Trinity: Burger, Chili Fries & “Fast Food” Fries Here’s where things get really interesting: delicious somehow “meaty” chili adds a flavor bomb to fries but they’re still not soggy underneath. For purists, the “Fast Food” fries are piping hot with an über-crispy exterior but a creamy center. A lot of the fun is dipping the sticks into the organic, house-made ketchup, which tastes ever better here, too—acidic and sweet at the same delightful time. Unlike other fast food burger stops along the way, you won’t feel bloated and sluggish after dining on burgers and fries here, just happy and full of good food.
Amy’s Legendary Mac & Cheese
This is the recipe that started it all for Amy’s: That super delicious, frozen, organic Mac & Cheese, now a staple in family freezers everywhere. It’s even better prepared fresh on-site and served piping hot. You can opt for a rice flour pasta, nutty dairy-free cheese or even add some veggies in, like bright green broccoli florets Served up not-too-scalding, so little mouths can dive right in.
Gluten-Free Pizzas Galore
The secret to a good gluten-free crust is that it somehow comes off as both crunchy-yet-chewy at the same time. It’s that special indefinable quality that makes fresh bread so comforting. Here, the gluten-free crust has special milled sunflower seeds blended right in (there is also a traditional crust on offer). This here is the Margarita, nice to meet ya. You can also go with just cheese, or a nutrient-packed Spinach topping instead.
¿ Ole, want a Burrito?
Feel like getting your Chipotle on? Go for a burrito, the quintessential tube of good food served fast and fresh. This one’s The Classic: non-GMO red beans simmed till soft and tender, Mexi-rice, lettuce (organic, natch!), tomato (ditto!) and ‘Fred Junior’s’ salsa (with no sour cream or cheese for the vegan version, if that suits your fancy). Satisfying, flavorful, amazing.
Don’t Sign Off Without a Shake
Thick, frozen, fruity goodness! Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate can each be blended up with old school organic ice cream, or a custom non-dairy substitute (The secret is Amy’s blend of coconut ice cream & almond milk) . Tip: If you want the vegan option you’ll have to specify when you order, because the shake default is dairy. Mad props for Amy’s sustainable, plastic-free paper straws, if you want to add that along with your spoon.
58 Golf Course Drive West
Rohnert Park, Ca
707-755-3629 Online:amysdrivethru.com
Have you had a chance to try Amy’s Drive Thru? What are your favorite menu items?
—Mireille Schwartz
All photos courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.
