ML Interest Tag: cool

A Kid’s Guide to the Venice Canals in Los Angeles

by lara burnap

Looking for something fun and out of the ordinary? The Venice Canals are a perfect outing for families of all ages. Moms love tucking their little bundles into the stroller for a scenic walk while older kids dart around looking for ducks and race across the many arched bridges.

Tucked just a few blocks from the famous Muscle Beach and Venice Pier, this network of man-made canals were built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney as a homage to Venice, Italy. Back in the day gondolas took tourists on a tour while today small boats and canoes belonging to homeowners are moored along the route. Four canals stretch east-west, Carroll, Linnie, Howland, and Sherman while the Eastern and Grand Canals run north-south. This quaint neighborhood feels like a hidden pocket of Los Angeles, and the quiet atmosphere and fresh, ocean air does wonders!

When to Go: Year around, which is why we love this easy trip. During the winter months, the temperatures may be chilly and foggy (with cooler temperatures stretching into the spring) while the summer months provide cooling ocean breezes.

How to Get There: Aim for the intersection Dell and South Venice Blvd. Heading West on Venice Blvd., this will land you smack in the middle of the canals.

Parking: Parking is plentiful if you make the trip on a weekday. Look for spots at the top of the canals. Street cleaning is Tues. from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., so parking can be difficult. Weekends are always busy so hedge your bets and get there early.

Good to Know: Beachside is always cooler than expected, so always have a light jacket or cover up on hand. Yes, even in the summer!

What to Do:  The walkways and bridges make a fun runway for kids of all ages to explore. Armadas of ducks float along the canals, the occasional pelican swoops in for a bite of fish, plus there are plenty of butterflies, squirrels, and housecats that make for a fun game of I Spy. Note that while most of the sidewalks along the canals are shielded by bushes, there are open spaces for the kids to get close to the water, so you’ll want to keep a hand on little ones. Signs are posted requesting visitors to not feed the ducks, but you might want to pack a few morsels of bread, just in case (wink wink).

Lunch Spots: Abbott Kinney is a short 5-10 minute walk from the canals and is brimming with places to shop and eat. Lemonade (1661 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice) is the closest destination and situated on the corner of Abbot Kinney and Venice. The chic buffet serves up light salads, specialty sandwiches, and the kid-perfect macaroni and cheese—not to mention refreshing blueberry lemonade. A surefire food fix is Abbott’s Pizza Company (1407 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice) where you can grab a slice or order up a pie.

Cost of Trip:  Free, unless food or other souvenirs are desired.

Bonus: For some retail therapy for the children, hit up Burro Goods on Abbot Kinney (1409 Abbot Kinney, Venice). The boutique has lovely gifts, adorable clothes, and unique books and games.

First and third photo courtesy of Lara Burnap; second photo courtesy of Emily Stanchfield via Creative Commons

—Lara Burnap

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New Product Lets You Set Different Temperature for Each Side of Your Bed

by rtgretchenkunz

photo: Smartduvet

If you’re like us, sometimes sharing a bed can be uncomfortable. One person wants to snuggle under a pile of blankets, while the other is trying to adjust the sheet to give juuuuust enough coverage, while poking limbs out to breathe. Now, Smartduvet, the makers of the “self-making bed” cover, are introducing a solution.

The Smartduvet Breeze allows users to individually set the temperature on either side of the bed using a smartphone app. Like the original Smartduvet, it uses a small, automatic device to fill up an inflatable sheet that sits between the duvet and the duvet cover, lifting the duvet smoothly back to the “made” position.  In the new model, a smaller network of air channels delivers air that circulates between you and the duvet to cool you via evaporation, or heated air to warm you, depending on the setting.

The company suggests Breeze could also lower energy household consumption, because instead of cooling or heating the entire home for a good night’s sleep, users could cool their bodies directly.

The Smartduvet Breeze is available in various bed sizes on IndieGoGo.

What do you think of this latest invention? Would it work for you? Tell us in the comments below!

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The Best Waterparks in America

by Amber Guetebier

That kiddie pool in your backyard is nice for cooling your feet but this summer it’s time to up the water-play game, big time. The US has no shortage of amazing water parks—from just-opened volcano-themed to revamped old classics—but we’ve picked out favorites from among the many. Click through the slideshow to see our top 14 and find out if your best-loved made the list.

Morgans Wonderland Inspiration Island—San Antonio, Tx

The newest feature of Morgan’s Wonderland—an inclusive amusement park designed for kids of all ages, abilities and special needs—Inspiration Island splashes on the scene June 2017 (open now). Featuring five water play areas full of raintrees, pools, falls, geyers, jets, water cannons and tipping buckets! Every element is wheelchair-accessible, Rainbow Reef has warmer water for those sensitive to cold, and the waterproof wristbands have RFID technology so parents can go to a Location Station and find their family members. And, just like Morgan’s Wonderland, admission for all special needs guests is free.

Morgan’s Wonderland
5223 David Edwards Dr.
San Antonio, Tx 78233
210-495-5888
Online: morganswonderland.com/inspirationisland

 

photo courtesy Morgan's Wonderland 

What’s your favorite water park? Tell us why in a comment below.

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Play It Cool: Sensory Bags You Can Make & Chill

by Christal Y.

Don’t be scared by the peak temperatures — it’s prime time for fun. Distract your little one from the heat with cool-to-the-touch sensory bags. Make them yourself with stuff around the house, from frozen peas to hair gel. Scroll down for the ideas, and get your fridge ready!

Super Chilly Water Bead Bag
Ice cubes can be too intense and slippery for tiny hands to handle, so introduce your babe to this chilly water bead bag. Each bead maintains its shape without turning the bag into a block of ice. Click over to Familylicious for the tutorial.

Photo courtesy of Familylicious

Frozen Peas Sensory Bag
Here’s a chance for your explorer to experience a cold mess without any mushy cleanup! Let him or her poke, prod and mash frozen peas for endless fun. Whether they use their fingers or a rolling pin, the feeling of popping frosty peas will make them giggle with delight. Get the How-To at A Little Pinch of Perfect.

Photo by Katie Pinch of A Little Pinch of Perfect

Sparkle Shine Sensory Bag
Your little snowball isn’t going to be able to keep hands off this wintry, iridescent bag. The crisp snow crunching in their small palms will make them forget all about the humidity. Find out how to make summertime snow from Growing a Jeweled Rose here.

Photo courtesy of Growing a Jeweled Rose

DIY Cooling Sensory Bag
Make your own cooling sensory bag to help beat the heat. Fill a ziplock bag with all kinds of knickknacks, knowing that none of them will end up in your infant’s mouth. Then squirt in some hair gel, and throw the bag into the fridge for a few hours. Violá! Learn the tricks to making a foolproof sensory bag over at Plain Vanilla Mom.

 Photo courtesy of Jen Haas


Giant Outdoor Water Sensory Bed
Looking for a sensory experience that engages the entire body? If you’re planning to spend all days outdoors, or have a party with playgroup friends, this gigantic water bed could be the answer to helping your little swimmers beat the heat. If you have a really young one, make it on a smaller scale, like a private island for your infant. Check out the leak-proof tutorial from Homemade Toast.

 Photo credit: heartbroken_stupid via Imgur


Watermelon Sensory Bag
Riff on your favorite cold and crisp summertime fruit. Grab a ziplock bag, hair gel, some red food coloring and watermelon seeds (or black beans) and swirl it all together. Use green tape to seal the edges and then toss it in the fridge to keep it cold. Instead of playing with real food, they can now push at these seeds until the sun goes down. What an awesome idea from Fantastic Fun and Learning!

Photo credit: Fantastic Fun and Learning


Ice Cream in a Bag
Got an older kiddo that can really shake and a wee one that likes to squish and taste? This bag is the perfect family bonding project that hands big and small can take part in. Let your baby feel the bag before and after. If you’re up for the challenge, let them give the bag a couple of good shakes. Learn how to make ice cream in a bag over at A Little Pinch of Perfect.

 Photo by Katie Pinch of A Little Pinch of Perfect

Want more sensory play ideas for baby? Check out these 10 ideas that’ll make time fly! 

— Christal Yuen

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Under Cover: 9 Shaded Playgrounds to Try

by Suzie Ridgway

Where do you go when the sun is blazing hot and your neighborhood park’s play structure feels like a fireball? Take cover! The following parks with shaded playgrounds are our perfect picks for outdoor fun when the sun is at its peak. Flip through the gallery for the scoop.

Pier Park

The 87.5 acres that make up Pier Park are shady paradise. Down the paved path, there's an imaginative playground with ropes to climb and hoops to climb through. Swings are up the hill and a restroom is nearby. There's also a splash pad for cooling off, as well as a skate park and a Frisbee golf course for the bigger kids.

N Lombard St. and Bruce Ave.
503-823-7529
Online: portlandoregon.gov/parks

photo: Pier Park, courtesy of Portland Parks & Recreation

What’s your favorite shaded park? Let us know in the comments below!

— Suzie Ridgway

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If You Can’t Stand The Heat: 6 Places to Get Soaked

by Phebe Wahl

Somehow Spring passed in a flash and Summer is already heating up. Great thing the metro area is packed with indoor and outdoor aquatic centers and splash zones perfect for cooling off. Check out where to get wet and keep your cool this season.

Piedmont Park Aquatic Center
As if you needed another reason to love the gem that is Piedmont Park. The clean, kid-friendly outdoor pool is surrounded by a current channel, perfect for little floaters, and fun fountains. If you’re just looking for a quick splash, the Legacy Fountain features more than 70 jets reaching up to 30 feet in the air and an amazing lighting feature sure to stimulate the senses. Opens Sunday, May 25.

Where: 1320 Monroe Drive NE
Cost: Aquatic Center, adults, $4; ages 6-16, $2; ages 5 and under, $1; Legacy Fountain, free.

Cherokee Aquatic Center
Just up the road from the Outlet Shoppes of Atlanta and Downtown Woodstock, this center in Holly Springs rivals the best of water parks. With two wild water slides, a playground featuring water cannons, geysers, deck sprays and basketball hoops, it’s truly an outdoor oasis. The zero-depth entry and current channel make it great for toddlers and preschoolers, too. Since they do not allow any outside food or drink, the facility also prides itself on offering healthy concessions.  Outdoor oasis opens Saturday, May 17. The indoor pools are currently open.

Where: 1200 Gresham Mill Parkway, Holly Springs
Cost: Adults, $6; ages, 2-13, $5; under 2, free

D.H. Stanton Park Splash ‘N Play
Kids love the spray jets and stationary water cannons at this free splashpad, which also happens to be the first solar-powered park in the city. There’s something about cooling off in an eco-friendly way that makes it just a little more awesome – to mom and dad, at least. Opens Thursday, May 1.

Where: 1052 Martin Street SE
Cost: Free 

South Cobb Aquatic Center
Giant twisting slide, check. Lazy river, check. Little ones can take it slower down the smaller tube slide while the big kids splash it out on the big. Prepare for lots of fun for everyone and, if you have any energy left, Six Flags is down the street.

Where: 875 Six Flags Drive, Austell
Cost: Adults, $4.50; ages 2-17, $3.50; under 2, free.

Bethesda Park Aquatic Center
If there was ever a place to vent out sibling rivalry, the dunking buckets here are beyond perfect. This indoor center has a little something for everyone, including a play structure with a two-feet deep area especially for the younger set, 100 pounds or less. And, a 100-foot enclosed slide sure to cause some screaming. Did we mention the vortex, ceiling spray and hydrotherapy benches? They have those, too.

Where: 225 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville
Cost: Adults, $10; ages 4-10, $8, 3 and under, $4. Half price for Gwinnett residents and their guests.

Splash Zone at Wills Park
All swim-tennis communities aside, we love this family-centric public pool in the ‘burbs. With a dumping pelican, water tunnel and giant whale, this city pool offers kids 2,000 square feet of fun. Perfect for the pitter-pattering of little ones just starting to get their feet wet.  Opens Memorial Day weekend.

Where: 1815 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta
Cost: Adults, $3; ages 50 and older, $1; ages 3 and under, free.

Where will you keep cool this summer? Tell us in the comments section below!

—Nicole Williams

Photos courtesy of Piedmont Park Conservancy via Facebook, Cobb County Aquatic Center via Facebook, Gwinnett Park Life via Facebook, City of Alpharetta Recreation and Parks Department and Play Atlanta

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Chocolate Dipped Pineapple-Coconut Macaroons

by Erin Lem

Bring a bit of tropical summer into your holiday dessert this year with FoodNetwork.com’s Chocolate Dipped Pineapple-Coconut Macaroons. With the mix between homemade pineapple jam and bittersweet chocolate these delectable bites are sweet, tart, chocolatey and chewy. Bonus: they’re gluten-free.

Yield: 2 dozen macaroons
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Prep: 10 min
Inactive: 20 min
Cook: 45 min

Ingredients:

Pineapple Filling:
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (about 12 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Macaroons:
Nonstick cooking spray
3 large egg whites
One 14-ounce bag sweetened and shredded coconut
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fine salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Method:
1. For the pineapple filling: Puree the pineapple in a food processor and transfer to a medium skillet along with the sugar and 1/4 cup water. Heat over medium-low and bring to a low simmer. Use a rubber spatula to stir and move the mixture around as it reduces and thickens to the consistency of very thick jam, 18 to 20 minutes (you should have about a heaping 1/2 cup). Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool completely in the skillet. The pineapple filling can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.

2. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat lightly with nonstick spray.

3. For the macaroons: Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Toss the coconut, sugar, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt together with your hands in another large bowl. Add the coconut mixture to the egg whites and combine with your hands; the mixture should pack together tightly when squeezed. Divide the mixture into 24 slightly heaping tablespoons and roll each into a smooth ball (slightly wet hands can help with rolling). Hold a ball in the palm of your hand and use your thumb to make a slight indentation in the middle. Reshape the edges of the macaroon back into a round if it cracks. Arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, rotating the tray as needed for even browning, 20 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely on the tray.

4. Set up a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Combine the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until all of the chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the chocolate and press into the chocolate about halfway up the macaroon. Use a fork to help lift it out of the chocolate. Transfer to the cooling rack and allow to sit at room temperature until the chocolate hardens and sets up, about 20 minutes.

5. Fill each macaroon with about 1 teaspoon of the pineapple filling. Store and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Will you make these macaroons this holiday season?

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and up to 35 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine’s rate base has grown tenfold and is now the second largest monthly magazine on the newsstand, with over 11.6 million readers.  

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Warm Fuzzies! 16 Baby Sweaters You’ll Love

by writerredtri

The wind is picking up. The air is cooling down. It’s official — “sweater weather” is on its way! There’s no use exposing those cute baby arms to the elements. Bundle him or her up in an adorable sweater, like one from this photo gallery. Flip through for 16 versatile options at a variety of prices.

Bear-y Comfy

Just when you thought he couldn’t get any cuter … the teddy bear sweater. Those little ears will draw extra “aww"s from all over. You'll love the soft texture, and the fact that Baby Gap offers it for newborns starting with their “up to 7 lb.” size.

Available online at gap.com, $29.95.

Where do you like to shop for fall and winter clothes? Let us know in the Comments!

— Ashley Jonas

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Get Your Shovels Ready! It’s Time To Excavate The Mines

by Ben Kerns

Have you ever wondered what kind of work went into creating that diamond gemstone necklace your kiddo got you for Mother’s Day? It just so happens that there’s a place in Southern California that answers this question. At Oceanview Mine, your kids will dig for their own treasures and may even make their own jewelry instead of buying it.

The Oceanview Mine is a treasure trove (literally) of gemstones located in the North County city of Pala. In just a short drive up the road, you’ll find a great educational experience that will allow your kids to learn all about California’s rich mining history, while reaping all of the benefits of it with only a little bit of work. The mine is open Thursday, and Saturday – Monday; and reservations are required.

Photo credit:  Oceanview Mine Facebook page

The Lay of the Mine
You don’t even have to plan out your day because the friendly staff at Oceanview Mine has already done it for you. Once you arrive at the mine, you’ll attend an orientation where kids learn all about the best ways to find gemstones. They’ll also explain exactly how much dirt to screen through at a time and what kind of stones you should be on the lookout for.

Punctuality is important at an active dig site, so you’ll need to make sure that you’ve corralled the kiddos and arrive promptly by 10:30 a.m. for orientation. Late arrivals only cut into the dig times available for other guests, so it’s important to respect other people’s schedules while you’re here. Look at it as a mini lesson in time management skills for kids.

Photo credit: Oceanview Mine Facebook page

Finding the Jewels
After orientation it’s time to find some gems! The Oceanview Mine is home to a rich deposit of tourmalines, morganites, kunzites and more, and you’ll have a chance to search for all of these during your dig. Each miner is given a large bucket and heads to The Rock Pile, a big pile of dirt which is full of matter pulled out of the mines. Once your bucket is full you’ll take it back to your table to sift for a variety of gemstones. Anything you find, you keep!

The Last Bucket
The final sift begins shortly before 3 p.m. when the staff calls, “Last Bucket.” Little archeologists will be given a chance to fill up their buckets one last time and hopefully find a few more pretty gems to take home. After you tidy up, you can either head on home or stay the night for another go at it tomorrow.

Photo credit:  Oceanview Mine Facebook page

The Miner’s Inn
Need a place to stay while you’re visiting for the weekend? Oceanview Mine is equipped with an outdoor pavilion with picnic tables and a cooling system to keep you refreshed and relaxed throughout the day. Best of all, they also have their very own inn on site, called the Miner’s Inn. It houses up to four people and is situated at the top of Chief Mountain, providing breathtaking views of Tourmaline Queen Mountain and the Pala Valley. Those who stay at the inn will receive 25 percent off the price of the digs.

Insider Tips for Your Visit

  • Kids should be at an age where they can actively participate in the “mining” process. Staff will frown on those sitting on The Rock Pile for a long period of time. You need to be continually digging (or taking a break at the picnic tables).
  • When you arrive, put your lunch on a table in the pavillion so it won’t overheat in your car. The pavilion is covered and has a mister cooling system.
  • There is an outdoor sink on the bathroom building where you can wash your hands or fill a water bottle. The bathrooms are large and can be used for changing clothes after you’ve gotten dirty digging for gems.

37304 Magee Rd.
Pala, Ca. 92059
760-415-9143
Online: digforgems.com

Cost: $60/adult and $50/kiddo (11 years and younger). There is a family 4-pack discount available.

Have you been to Oceanview Mine? Tell us what you thought about your dig in the comments below!

– Ben Kerns

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