Have a meal al fresco with rolling restaurants that are delicious with no clean-up needed. These awesome neighborhood food trucks around the Bay Area not only serve gourmet food of all cuisines but are a great way to get the family together and hang outside. Many are open with COVID-19 precautions and pre-ordering in place, so get ready to dine out!
San Francisco
Off the Grid Levi's Plaza
Take a break during the week and enjoy lunch outside from some of the best rolling trucks in town. Chow down on @senorsisig, @curryupnow, @bowldacai and others on a rotating schedule.
1155 Battery Street San Francisco, CA When: Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Online: offthegrid.com
SPARK Social SF
William J Simpson Photography
A community garden space in the heart of Mission Bay, this food truck park is also a beer and sangria garden as well as an event space. They work with over 150 food trucks that rotate for lunch and dinner, so there is truly something for everyone. The lineup is posted every day at 10 a.m!
601 Mission Bay Blvd. North San Francisco, CA When: Weekdays 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (with trucks rotating 3-5 p.m.), Saturdays 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Online: sparksocialsf.com
Mini golf and dinner? Head over to Parkland Gardens for tee time and food. @hooktdoughnuts is there with mini and mochi donuts if you are looking for something sweet, or make it a Taco Tuesday with @domingosinternational! Check out the bar for Happy Hour specials every day.
1379 4th St. San Francisco, CA When: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily Online: parklabgardens.com
East Bay
Off the Grid—South Shore Center, Alameda
Off the Grid
Check out this pop-up lunch event, open every Saturday with food trucks and live music! They set up shop in the parking lot of South Shore Center, a 594,000 square-foot open-air shopping destination featuring a variety of nationally known retailers and restaurants to serve the residents of Alameda. A nice food break before or after some shopping!
535 South Shore Center Alameda, CA When: Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Online: offthegrid.com
Family-owned and operated, this Oakland taco truck is your best bet for authentic tacos in the East Bay. Meat, veggie and seafood lovers can munch on tacos, burritos, quesadillas and tortas. Don't forget a seasonal agua fresca or strawberry horchata!
Follow the Kona Ice West San Jose Facebook page to get all the intel on when they'll be delivering to your neighborhood. You’ll place your order in advance and we definitely recommend you go for the color-changing cups as the kids will love them.
Tasty Mob Market A food concept with food trucks and pop-up stores, Tasty Mob Market aims to connect small business owners with the community. From tacos to momos, there is something for everyone! Be sure to stop by Calif Caracas for the Bay's best empanadas!
Serramonte is your Tuesday night dinner spot in Daly City. Enjoy street food from a rotating list of food trucks right outside Serramonte Shopping Center like @capelosbarbecue and @curveballmobile for some awesome sliders.
39 Serramonte Center Daly City, CA When: Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. Online: offthegrid.com
Authentic Chinese and Nepalese food is served up including their namesake Momo, which is a delectable meat or veggie filled dumpling. Their chili chicken is to die for and quite spicy so make sure to wash it all down with the best Masala Chai you will find outside of Kathmandu!
Multiple locations (yes, they're that good):
205 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale 425 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose 81 S Main St, Milpitas 1593 Monterey Rd, San Jose 39233 Fremont Blvd, Fremont
Marin Country Mart is the place to be for Sunday lunch! Food trucks are there serving up delicious sweet and savory snacks for the whole family. Afterward, stroll over to the shopping village and support local businesses.
Looking for some healthy and delicious Mediterranean food? Casablanca's been cooking up gourmet favorites like falafel, shwarma sandwiches and kabob wraps for 17 years. Follow them on social to see what farmer's market they'll be at next!
Summer means more time for fun reads! And reading time is important to keep your kids engaged and ready for another year of school. Amazon has two programs to make that book goal a bit easier: Journey into Reading and the Summer Reading Challenge.
You’ll find tons of great book recommendations through Journey into Reading. It’s a rotating list of topics along with age-appropriate reading recommendations from the Amazon Book Editors. Aimed at kids from 6 to 12, it also offers free downloadable activity sheets. Topics range from “In the Kitchen” to “Outer Space” and you can sign up for emails about the upcoming weeks.
Reading challenges make the season more fun and Amazon is running one until August 23. Kids from kindergarten through eighth grade can sign up and pick seven books to read. Once they’ve completed that accomplishment, they can turn in a completed sign-up sheet to a participating store and receive a free National Geographic Kids book! Find your participating store to get more details.
Need more reading inspiration? Check out our best books of 2021, so far. You’ll find a curated list that spans from the first year of life all the way to the end of middle school!
Get all your favorite fruits and veggies (think sweet red peppers, corn on the cob, crisp apples and more), while supporting local farms in Southern California. Read on for our roundup of the best farm boxes available for pickup and delivery in Los Angeles.
Launched by a husband and wife at the beginning of the pandemic (literally 11 days after LA initiated it's "Safer at Home" order), Coldwater Farm Hub connects local farmers to the community by providing curated and pre-packed farm boxes. The family-run farms they support don't use pesticides or chemicals.
How it Works: Orders may be placed in advance and can be picked up from the family’s farm tent in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood every Sun. between 7 a.m.–10 a.m. In addition to Farm Boxes, they also offer fresh nuts, breads, cheese and more, which can be purchased a la carte.
Price: The Mini Farm Box cost $30 and includes 4-6 vegetables/fruits and 3 baskets of strawberries or a dozen eggs. The standard Farm Box costs $45 and include one dozen eggs, along with fruits and veggies.
Providing some of the freshest and most flavorful produce around, County Line Harvest runs its SoCal operations out of Thermal, California. Their CSA boxes are filled with a diverse array of certified organic, seasonal veggies that rotate weekly based on what’s available in the field.
How it Works: Customers can order directly through the County Line Harvest website and arrange to pick up their boxes curbside at County Line Harvest pop-ups around LA. You can also arrange for pickup or delivery through these local retailers.
Price: The Family CSA Box is $40 and includes a mix of salad and cooking greens, baby roots, culinary herbs, and a rotating lineup of specialty seasonal crops. The Original CSA Farm Box is $25 and includes 12 freshly hand-harvested selections.
Unlike other traditional CSA programs, Huarache Farms has launched CSA boxes with greater flexibility. Customers get to order items they want on the weeks they want them from a weekly menu available online. There is no minimum order amount, and offerings are based on what’s in season and current availability.
How it Works: You can order your custom CSA box every Tues. starting at 11:30 a.m. Deliveries are available for certain areas but customers can also pick up boxes at the Atwater Village Farmers’ Market on Sun. between 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Price: Items are priced individually. Delivery fees are free for all orders over $30, otherwise fees vary anywhere from $2–$5 depending on location.
In partnership with various farms in the area, LA-based Flamingo Estate offers choice selections of locally-grown organic seasonal fruits and vegetables. Enjoy a rotating selection of the week’s harvest, including heirloom lettuces, root vegetables and more. Along with the produce, you'll also get creative recipes (like smashed beets with herby ranch!) from the Chef at Flamingo Estate. But that's not all—don't miss out on the candles, facial mists, soaps and olive oils that also available for purchase from the famed estate.
How it Works: Orders need to be placed by 9 p.m. on Wed. for Fri. delivery. Delivery is every Fri. from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Price: Purchases start at $25 for a medium box that feeds up to 2 people for the week. The large box costs $40 and feeds a family of 5 for a week. Choose the Organic Orchard Box for $45 and you'll receive a rotating selection of the best fruit from Windrose Farms or try the Organic Artisanal Mushroom Box for $25 that includes approximately 1lbs of Blue Oyster (Pleurotus Ostreatus), Pink Oyster (Pleurotus Djamor), or other surprises depending on the season.
Good Life Organics delivers organic, high-quality produce to customers with weekly deliveries from local farmers. They also donate 5 percent back from every box to local participating schools.
How it Works: Depending on your needs, you can choose weekly or every-other-week boxes. The subscription includes 5-12 types of seasonal foods and varies week-to-week but you can catch a preview of what's coming via this link. Order by Wed. by 5 p.m. to make this week's selection. You can add on avocados, carrots, extra fruit and fresh herbs to your box. There are delivery and pick-up locations all around town.
Price: A Half Box includes 8-12 varieties of fruits and veggies for $29.50 while the Family Box costs $51.50 includes 12-19 varieties of the good-for-you produce. They also have specialty boxes including the Fruit Lovers for $51.50 and their Snack Size for $18.95 which is perfect for school lunches and you guessed it, snacks.
Farm Fresh to You partners with local farms and artisans to deliver the season’s best mix of 100% certified organic produce and specialty farm products right to your door. Each box comes with delish recipes, tips on keeping produce fresh and the option to customize your order online. There’s even an option to donate a box to a local food bank in need.
How it Works: Choose your style of box, make any changes or customize your selections, add-on hand-crafted jams, pasture-raised eggs and artisanal olive oil if you would like, and then order for delivery. You can change your subscription frequency, pausing weeks you don't need it or are away on vacation, or the size box you would like.
Price: The Mixed Fruit & Veggie Box is $27.50 up to $61 for 6-8 people; a traditional CSA Box is $35-$49 while their Snack Pack starts at $38 for 5 people.
It’s no doubt your family has visited Underwood Family Farms before or perhaps your kids have taken a field trip there. Not only is it an idyllic spot to escape from city life, it’s also a working farm that offers farm produce boxes for pick-up and delivery. Box contents change every two weeks but you can view what you'll be receiving on the Healthy Harvest Box page.
How it Works: Order online at least 48 hours in advance to reserve your CSA box.
Price:Healthy Harvest Boxes are $45 each and can be picked up at the Moorpark or Somis locations, or can be shipped directly to your home via FedEx.
The South Central Farmers’ Cooperative is a grassroots economic development of the South Central Farmers’ Health & Education Fund, committed to empowering local communities and giving community members access to high quality organic produce all from a single farm in Bakersfield.
How it Works: Choose from one time, monthly or yearly box subscriptions. Orders are available for home delivery on Sun. in the LA area or may be picked up at a various locations from Culver City to DTLA. Orders must be placed by 9 p.m. on Fri. to be fulfilled by the following Sun.
Price: The boxes are offered on a sliding scale meaning each item has two different prices. They encourage subscribers to purchase at the highest level they can afford to help sustain the farm. Full-size and mini CSA boxes are available with one-time Mini Boxes starting at $17 (or $19 if you can afford it).
Based out of Oxnard for over 50 years, Tamai Family Farms provides local and sustainable produce at affordable prices for everyone.
How it Works: Order your box at least 36 hours in advance and add-on a smorgasbord of fruits, veggies, and herbs. Delivery as well as pick-up options at various participating farmer's markets.
Price: A large Family Box is $25 and includes Swiss chard, kale, romaine, parsley, cauliflower, broccoli, and 3 pack of strawberries and goes up to $65 for Gloria’s Bag, which includes a bounty of fruits, veggies, and herbs packed in a reusable bag.
The force is strong with this brand-new master brick build. LEGO recently announced the debut of a Star Wars R2-D2 construction set in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm!
Get ready to spend the weekend constructing your very own droid. The LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 set includes 2,314 pieces and fab features galore.
Along with a rotating head and retractable mid-leg, this daring droid build also has a periscope and hidden tools tucked into a secret compartment. The set also includes a minifigure version of R2-D2 and a very special 50th anniversary Lucasfilm LEGO brick.
Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Creative Lead of LEGO Star Wars at the LEGO Group , said in a press release, “We have had the pleasure of creating hundreds of Star Wars-inspired models over the past two decades since we first launched LEGO Star Wars sets.”
Kronvold Frederiksen continued, “As Lucasfilm celebrates their 50th anniversary, it seemed fitting to challenge ourselves and push the limits of what is possible with LEGO bricks by recreating a fan-favourite Star Wars character in great detail like we have never achieved before. We are delighted with the result and hope our fans get as much joy out of building the sets as we did designing it.”
Star Wars, and LEGO, lovers can nab this set ($199) starting May 1, 2021 exclusively on LEGO.com.
New year, new resolutions. What we learned from the last year is that we definitively need to release the pressure, and focus on simple things. Physical and mental health comes first for a happy family, and this should be enough to focus on this year.
Here are 3 simple steps that can truly make 2021 a year full of achievements.
1. Resolve to eat better. Start by shopping for better ingredients. Cooking up healthy meals for your family goes hand in hand with having the right ingredients in your kitchen. Stock your pantry, your fridge, and your freezer with healthy and delicious food items that will prevent you from eating junk food missing time, or inspiration. A good habit is to favor real and simple foods, with no nutrition labels, or to look for short ingredient lists: avoid items that contain more than five ingredients, artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can’t understand. Check out our pantry survival kit for ideas if you don’t know where to get started.
2. Accept to spend that little extra time in the kitchen. See this as a learning opportunity to help you get faster at food prep and more inspired over time. Start with simplifying mealtime by rotating very easy and versatile recipes or cooking methods of the same food. Welcome gratins, savory cakes, soups, salads, and tarts!
3. Don’t do it all alone. Join communities of families like you to find and share the inspiration and the motivation that will help you stick to your resolutions. Ask and use some help. There is no shame in getting some extra help, including in the kitchen. You can share food with friends, get takeaways from local restaurants, or even order meal kits for the family—there are so many companies now developing services with the kids’ specific needs in mind.
Ready for a wonderful year? Drop the long list of new resolutions. Focus on simple goals, surround yourself with real and supportive friends, and don’t forget to spare some “me time” in your day.
Teuko is the first platform that empowers families to simplify lunch packing. Using Teuko, they can find and share kid-approved lunchbox ideas, recipes, and tips, all in one place. Teuko is transforming the lunch packing experience by boosting inspiration and motivation week after week.
Launch your little learners into space with these easy to connect circuit-building sets. Circuit Explorer allows kids to make custom builds with lights, sounds and motion. These connectable circuit pieces are simple and durable and do not require reading, so kids can play independently.
Kids will learn how to engineer simple circuits with these off-the-board space-themed circuit playsets, including a Rocket, Rover, and Deluxe Base Station, that combine creative imaginative play with STEM fundamentals. Circuit Explorer’s kid-friendly, 3D design makes it easy to snap the pieces together in the correct order to instantly receive feedback and interactive results to know they are on their way to a galactic journey, such as light, motion, or sound, championing a child’s creativity while encouraging STEM learning and honing problem-solving skills.
Circuit Explorer Rocket, Circuit Explorer Rover, and Circuit Explorer Deluxe Base Station all feature real-working, kid-friendly 3D circuit pieces designed specifically with safety in mind, eliminating the worry of short circuiting or other hazards. Children utilize cause and effect logic to determine when they have completed the circuits correctly. Each set also comes with friendly astronauts, robot figures, and stickers, so children can customize their Circuit Explorer sets and launch into hours of space-age adventures. To add even more customizable fun, Circuit Explorer sets feature a universal grid-like design to allow for additional construction play pieces to be incorporated.
“We’ve reimagined what it means for kids to learn about circuits by providing a product that allows a younger age group to become familiar with these basic concepts, ultimately learning skills that will make future learning less intimidating and more fun,” said Lisa Guili, General Manager at Educational Insights. “Now there is no need for kids to choose between learning basic circuits or expressing their creativity. Circuit Explorer allows for the combination of both that has never been done before.”
The following Circuit Explorer sets are available:
Follow the easy instructions to build a rocket with light-up nose cone and nozzles, a space rover with light-up headlights, and a landing pad with color changing light effects—or connect the pieces correctly another way to create out-of-this-world custom, light-up builds. Then launch into hours of screen-free, pretend-play fun with the included astronaut and robot figures!
Kids can connect with home base as they build a communication station with a rotating radar dish, and power station, or they can power up with a rover charger to take their space rover with a motor out on a mission along with a non-powered space rover both with wheels and light-up headlights. Explore the unknown for hours with two included astronauts and two robot figures.
Snap the 3D pieces together together to build a fully powered, large-scale, space-themed world including a Deluxe Base Station with towers, rotating diner sign, planetarium with Color changing dome, voice synthesizer that includes 10 space sounds, communication station with rotating radar dish, and one fully-powered space rover and a free-rolling rover, both with light-up headlights. Includes six astronauts and two robot figures for hours of imaginative play.
Flying pepperoni! Now your kids can play with their food and not get in trouble. Hog Wild’s Pizza Party Throwdown is a crazy new pizza toppings game.
Players have 30 seconds to toss their ingredients onto the rotating pizza game board. It’s a rush against time to land your ingredients on the pizza before it finishes baking. Each player selects their color coded ingredient – pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms and anchovies. Launch the ingredients onto the pizza using the special pizza chef launcher game piece.
The game has three different challenges to deliver various levels of difficulty, like trying to fill only half of your pizza or land your ingredients on only one slice.
The game includes a rotating pizza game board with a built-in timer, four launchers and 32 ingredients.
Pizza Party Throwdown is available for $19.99 on Target and Amazon.
There’s nothing like a new indoor spot just for kids. Lucky for families in the Dallas area, a brand-new interactive toy store has arrived, fresh from New York City, and it should be on your must-do list this winter. Welcome to CAMP, where kids can touch, taste, and play to their heart’s content. This unique experience has something for everyone, even parents (hello, cafe drinks!), so get ready to head to CAMP for an unforgettable day of fun.
What It Is
CAMP is an interactive toy store that fuses rotating hands-on experiences (think mermaid walls, slides and musical bridges) with a toy store that has everything from unique toys you can’t find anywhere else to books, candy, collectibles and even some mainstream licensed products. The coolest part is that every few months, behind the secret door, the exhibits change, so there’s a good chance the whole space will look totally different with each visit.
Why We Love It
Besides the interactive experiences, there are toys everywhere, and kids are encouraged to play, run and basically try out stuff while they’re in the exhibit hall. There’s also a craft area, and there are different projects every day (there’s an extra fee to participate) that run the gamut from holiday-themed fun to classic things like DIY unicorn nightlights. There’s also a cafe with coffee, ice cream from New York legendary creamery Ample Hills, plus, kids get a token upon arrival, which is good for one snack from the Kroger-sponsored snack center.
Where It Is
Located in The Hill shopping center on Walnut Hill Lane, the impressive space is accessible from the North Central Expressway.
9830 North Central Expressway Dallas, TX 75231 (214) 612-0451
The Muppets Studio’s legal counsel, Joe the Legal Weasel has approved the latest press release regarding the new Disney+ show, Muppets Now. Kermit the Frog conducted a video chat to break the news that the popular streaming service has ordered six half-hour muppisodes premiering Jul. 31. She show will feature a full roster of rotating guest stars, world-class production facilities and pure unscripted mayhem.
Kermit the Frog said, “The Muppets are thrilled to be doing our first-ever unscripted show! It’s going to be extremely spontaneous and very surprising; almost as surprising as the fact that we ever actually used a script in the past.”
According to Miss Piggy, “This is moi unfiltered, unexpurgated, and more unbelievably fabulous than ever. If you watch only one show on Disney+ ,you really should tune in more often. But whenever you watch, make it moi on Muppets Now.”
This season’s celebrity guests include entertainers, comedians, chefs, and more. Fans won’t want to miss all-new improvised comedy segments from their favorite Muppets including Miss Piggy, Beaker, Camilla, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, Kermit the Frog, Pepe the King Prawn, The Swedish Chef, Scooter and Uncle Deadly among others.
Theaters around the world are closed. Thankfully it has become easier to access your favorite plays and musicals from home. The Globe Theatre is streaming Shakespeare’s greatest plays for free this month.
Spend your quarantine with Ophelia, Juliet, Lady Macbeth and other famous Shakespearean characters.As part of The Globe’s YouTube Premieres, one play will be available for free every two weeks, all accessible on its YouTube channel. Currently, you can stream the 2018 production of Hamlet. The 2009 production of Romeo and Juliet will be available beginning on April 20th.
There will be rotating titles available until the end of June, so there will always be something to choose from.
If you’d prefer to browse the whole library, you can rent other plays for a fee. Make an account at the Globe Player to check out its expansive library of prerecorded tapings of Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and others. Most are £5.99 (around $7 USD) to rent or £11.99 (around $14 USD) to buy.