<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"> <channel> <atom:link href="http://www.savvysource.com/rssfeeds/BeingSavvyoakland.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><title>Being Savvy Oakland</title> <link>http://oakland.savvysource.com</link> <description></description> <language>en-us</language>  <copyright>Copyright 2008 savvysource</copyright>  <pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:12:32 EST</pubDate>  <item> <title>You say it's your half-birthday</title><description><![CDATA[Today I'm 35 and a half.  My son is going to be very interested in this.  I think I should milk it for all it's worth, so I'm going to think of three ways for us to celebrate my half-birthday together.Make a pizza bagel by first slicing the bagel in half, then covering with tomato sauce and cheeseEa...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4320_1_you-say-its-your-half-birthday</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4320_1_you-say-its-your-half-birthday</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>Books that read themselves</title><description><![CDATA[As mentioned before, I like snuggling up with a cute kid and a good book, but there is also something wonderful about said cute kid curling up on his own and staying busy while not just zoning out in front of the TV.Enter the "reading robot." LeapFrog's Tag toy is a magic wand chunky pen that reads ...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4462_1_books-that-read-themselves</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4462_1_books-that-read-themselves</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>Books that make us laugh</title><description><![CDATA[We love books in this house. Even Scarlett will sit and read to herself or bring book after book to any adult who is paying attention.Some funny favorites that everyone should know about are: If You Give a Pig A Pancake - this one, and all it's sequels and prequels, might be funniest to the parent w...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4317_1_books-that-make-us-laugh</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4317_1_books-that-make-us-laugh</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>Early reading: part of the puzzle</title><description><![CDATA[My three and a half year old son, Holden, is just starting to take that next tentative step toward reading where he has realized that letters make words and words make stories and he could possibly learn what those are. It's a beautiful thing.My husband is mostly in charge of reading bedtime stories...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4093_1_early-reading-part-of-the-puzzle</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4093_1_early-reading-part-of-the-puzzle</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>Fix the Mix - review of a LeapFrog toy</title><description><![CDATA[I must first confess that I am a LeapFrog toy loyalist, having worked there for six years, including during my rookie mom year.  But, it's been two years now since I stepped foot in the place, which means the product development has come full cycle such that I am completely unfamiliar with the new l...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4323_1_fix-the-mix-review-of-a-leapfrog-toy</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4323_1_fix-the-mix-review-of-a-leapfrog-toy</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>Dance early, dance often</title><description><![CDATA[This being Berkeley, there is a group of people who love to dance -- barefoot -- and do it regularly.  This being Berkeley, they invite all like-minded folks to join them for mellow freestyle dancing.  Sometimes, it's an all-ages thing, and it's the perfect way to tire out a preschooler at the end o...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost3670_1_dance-early-dance-often</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost3670_1_dance-early-dance-often</guid><pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>Weekend fun: West Berkeley Arts and Crafts Festival</title><description><![CDATA[How fun does this sound? Family-friendly art and craft festival with carnival games and micro-brew beer garden? I'll help you, the answer you want is "Hecka fun."Sunday Nov 16th from 10am to 4pm Do a little "make and take" craft project with your preschooler and (if you're lucky) support some local ...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4094_1_weekend-fun-west-berkeley-arts-and-crafts-festival</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4094_1_weekend-fun-west-berkeley-arts-and-crafts-festival</guid><pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>Tea is for Teddy: Part II</title><description><![CDATA[On Monday I wrote about taking a stuffed animal or doll out for "tea" with your preschooler.  It's all the rage, you know, as the trend was kicked off by the American Girl franchise.Since we have no American Girl store nearby, and, even if I saved this activity for our Thanksgiving trip to LA, I'd h...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4286_1_tea-is-for-teddy-part-ii</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4286_1_tea-is-for-teddy-part-ii</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>Find your favorite reading nook</title><description><![CDATA[My current favorite places to read and hear stories are the yellow chair in the living room and the white chair in the kids' room. Just last week, I asked Holden to tell me a story and he weaved this beautifully ridiculous story beginning with "Once upon a time" and ending with him (or the character...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4095_1_find-your-favorite-reading-nook</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4095_1_find-your-favorite-reading-nook</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item><item> <title>"Tea" is for Teddy</title><description><![CDATA[When I read about the Teddy Bear Tea event at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, with it's fireside storytime, teddy bear-shaped cookies, and $80 per person price tag, I thought, "sounds nice for the Bugaboo set."  For the rest of us, however, I am certain we can make our own fun with teddies and te...]]></description><link>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4223_1_-tea-is-for-teddy</link><guid>http://oakland.savvysource.com/blogpost4223_1_-tea-is-for-teddy</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate> </item> </channel> </rss>