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Calling all convivial kids - you're wanted for an upcoming fashion show.

Cottage Affair, a boutique specializing in unique housewares and childrens clothing and decor, is looking for children ages infant to 6 years old to star in a fashion show on Oct. 24 at the Lyon Village Shopping Center.

Boys and girls of various ages are needed to model the latest in children's fashion from designers including Hopscotch Designs, Bunnies by the Bay and Mud Pie, said Kathy Wright, the store's owner.

Interested parents should e-mail Wright to make an appointment for a fitting.

The event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct 24 and will include art and a local jazz band.

The onset of cool weather always seem to kick off soup, stew and chili season in our house.

Usually I make a big batch using XLNT, a brick of chili con carne mix that I've only ever found in southern California supermarkets. The product produces a chili so delicious that we're willing to drive six hours to procure it and for a while, my mother was bringing up coolers of the stuff with her when she'd come to visit the grandkids.

But with just one brick in my freezer at the moment and a trip from Nanna a ways off, I've been scouting around for a substitute. I found one at Taylor's Market on Freeport Boulevard. It's Cookwell & Company's Texas Two-Step Chili Mix. The 34-ounce jar of chili mix only requires some ground beef to produce a hearty, slightly spicy chili that was easy to make and even easier on the wallet. All told, it was about $12 total (we use beans in our chili - an abomination in some households, I know - so it bumped up the cost $2). But considering it fed my husband and I for three nights, that amounts to about $2.16 per serving, which helped stretch our food budget in a big way.

Follow the link below to get the recipe.

 

Your children may not like this.

President Barack Obama is calling for the nation's schools to lengthen the school day and year, stay open late and remain open on weekends for children needing a safe place to go, according to a report by The Associated Press.

The AP's Libby Quaid reported that Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan want to lengthen school time for kids in an effort to get them on par with students in other countries. Click here to go to the full story.

"Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here," Duncan told the AP. "I want to just level the playing field."

The rub is two-fold - it's going to cost more money and it may not sit well with school children and their parents.

At first glance, I thought Obama's idea sounded like a winning one. Increased learning and comprehension for children? Making our students more competitive for jobs against their global peers? Increasing resources for disadvantaged students and ensuring lessons learned during the year aren't lost over summer months? Sure, I'll support that.

But there also could be drawbacks. Does this mean further pressure to perform on standardized tests? Less time for sports and other hobbies? Less time with us parents?

As a working mother, the time I have to spend with my children is sacred. I'm stingy with our time on weekends and probably too often decline invitations that require time away from them. For me, time spent hunting unusual leaves in the backyard or a good game of hide-and-seek beats a wine tasting party any day.

Lessons learned in a classroom are crucial, but there also is important knowledge and understanding imparted in the home.

What do you think of Obama's idea? Would you support a longer school day or year for your kids? What would your children think? Is there a better alternative?

Post your comments and thoughts here.

Talk about striking a nerve.

Last Wednesday, also known as California Family Day in some circles, I posted a blog item about the lasting benefits of eating dinner together as a family.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University had released a report that day with stats that should make any parent think twice about skipping a meal with their teenagers.

For instance, if you eat fewer than three meals a week with your teenager, research shows your child will be twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana than teens who eat five meals or more a week with their family.

Since California first lady Maria Shriver served as the honorary chair of Family Day, I sought her advice.

I didn't anticipate the vilification that followed.

A few commenters supported Shriver's suggestions, but many others roundly criticized her and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for state pay reductions that they said created a situation that made it tougher for families to spend time together or to find something to eat.

As "Dagnabbit" opined: "And what should they eat dear lady? If they work for your husband, perhaps you would suggest 'cake'?? We have no money left - we choose between eating and paying bills we are obligated to pay regardless of the 15 percent reduction in pay, and there is no bailout for us."

I went to Shriver to address the criticism, but her communications director, Francisco Castillo, said he could address the issue. Shriver, he said, is using her WE Connect campaign to link working families with government services and tax-saving programs.

Her program has become a model for others in the country, he said.

Yet many of us don't qualify for such programs, or we want to leave the benefits to those who are even less fortunate.

I took my own pay cut earlier this year and so understand the realities facing working families during this recession.

Since my family's discretionary income is smaller, our grocery shopping is based on need instead of want.

Whether you work for the public sector or private industry, it has become increasingly hard to feed a family. Since I know my way around the kitchen, I can produce an economical meal that goes beyond peanut butter sandwiches.

Major supermarkets, including Safeway, Raley's and Whole Foods, have rolled out discounts targeting items that families buy most.

Jennifer Jolly, a San Francisco-based consumer lifestyle advocate who's partnered with Safeway, offered some advice on ways stretch family food budgets.

Stretch your meals to stretch your budget. A whole chicken for dinner on Sunday night can mean chicken sandwiches for lunch on Monday, chicken strips for Tuesday's dinner and chicken wraps on Wednesday. Family-pack portions are big money savers.

Pack a lunch. Jolly experimented and packed a lunch every day for two weeks and wound up saving $100. For kids' lunches, try heating oatmeal or all-natural macaroni and cheese (both inexpensive per serving) and placing it in a Thermos.

"I use whatever we've had for dinner the night before," Jolly said. "My daughter thinks it's really cool."

Buy store brands and generic organic products.

Download online coupons and get free recipes from supermarket Web sites (which tend to be economical and family-friendly).

Need more ideas for cheap meals? Check out Sacramento blogger Kimberly Morales' penny-pinching recipes at Poor Girl Eats Well or The Bee's Shop Cheap blog.

What are your money-saving tricks? Where have you found serious deals? C'mon, Sacramento, let's help each other out. Post your ideas here, and I'll share them on this blog and in my column at a later date.

It's hard to stretch a family food budget.

Trying to balance what's on sale with what's appealing to parents and what children are willing to eat can sometimes feel akin to puzzling out the meaning of life.

There's good news, however.

Major supermarkets have realized this and are offering families deep discounts, advice on ways to make every dollar count and healthy meal ideas.

Safeway launched a campaign offering everyday low prices on thousands of items, many of which are targeted at families.

"It's really a sign of the times," said Jennifer Jolly, a consumer lifestyle expert who has teamed with Safeway. "Everyone has challenges with their budget and this is what Safeway is doing to make people's lives a little bit easier."

Items with yellow tags indicate the new price, which is often in addition to Safeway Club Card savings.

I asked Jolly for some tips for families on ways to save money at the supermarket. Here is her advice:

• Stretch your meals to stretch your budget - A whole chicken for Sunday dinner can transform into healthy chicken sandwiches on Monday, chicken strips on Tuesday and chicken wraps on Wednesday. Family pack portions of chicken and red meat also are better values.

• Pack a lunch - Jolly said she didn't realize how much money she was spending on eating out until she started brown-bagging it. "I saved $100 in two weeks," she said. Parents can keep it interesting by packing items like hummus and veggies for dipping.

• Don't shy from generics - In-store brands, especially generic organic products, can save major money.

• Think green, save green - Buying one large container of juice and filling a Thermos or reusable container is often cheaper - and more environmentally-friendly - than buying individual juice boxes. Forego pre-cut fruits and vegetables. The DIY method is much more cost-effective.

• Get creative with old standbys - Use cookie cutters to make that PB&J a little more special. Try cutting tortillas and pitas into shapes to accompany dipping sauce. Use a rolling pin to roll out a piece of wheat bread, top with tuna or chicken mixed with finely diced veggies, roll up and slice. Call it sushi and let your little one's imagination run wild.
  

• Think outside the (lunch)box - Use a Thermos or insulated container to keep natural macaroni and cheese or oatmeal warm until lunchtime. "I pack whatever we've had for dinner the night before," Jolly said. "(My daughter) thinks it's really cool."

Speaking of lunchboxes, here are some suggestions from Patty Mastracco, recipe developer for Raley's, on how to pack your child a lunch they won't trade.

• Get kids to help - Get your kids to help plan the weekly lunch menu. They are more likely to try new foods if they help prepare them.

• Healthy choices - Dedicate a drawer or bin to healthy things for kids to choose from. Try fruit leather, whole wheat energy bars, dried fruits and nuts.

• Surprise them - Fill a cored apple with peanut butter or almond butter or pack yogurt as a "dip" for fruits.

Whole Foods also has taken note of the trying economic times and posted a plethora of economical lunch box ideas on its Web site. For recipes and more tips, go to the Whole Foods "Build a Better Lunchbox" page.

Need more money-saving meal miracles? Check out The Bee's Shop Cheap blog. Bee blogger Pam Dinsmore scouts for deals daily and each week, recipe researcher Sheila Kern finds delicious recipes using weekly specials.

A local community group is hosting a family preparedness event in south Sacramento Saturday.

Participants will learn how to make an emergency supply kit, a family emergency plan and the types of emergencies that happen in the region, a South Sacramento County Visions news release states.

Vendors include the American Red Cross, Sacramento County public health and sheriff's departments, Office of Emergency Services and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

The event, which includes a bounce house and other entertainment, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Jose Rizal Community Center, 7320 Florin Mall Dr., Sacramento.

Today is the last day to cast your ballots in The Bee's Top 20 survey.

We need your suggestions on the top things for families to see, do and eat in the region.

We'll open up a final, multiple choice-style survey next week.

The winning results will be published in the Living Here Family section in October.

To take the survey, follow this link.

Joaquin Sanchez is a spunky 19-month-old with an infectious grin.

He loves wrestling with his two older brothers and throwing things forgotten on the bathroom floor into the tub.

He can give kisses when asked.

Joaquin is also one of 400,000 Americans with Down Syndrome.

On Saturday, Joaquin's cherubic little face will grace Times Square as part of a video production intended to launch National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

Joaquin's photo from last Halloween - he was just 8 months old in the picture below - will be among 226 photos shown on the MTV plasma screen. The video is by the National Down Syndrome Society.

"I am thrilled about Joaquin being featured in the Times Square video," Jennifer Varanini Sanchez, his mother, wrote me in an e-mail. "I want to share my beautiful boy with the whole world. He is our pride and joy."

Sanchez, of East Sacramento, is a vocal advocate for increasing awareness about people with Down Syndrome, a chromosomal condition that impacts cognitive development in varying degrees.

Sanchez started a blog, Three's A Charm, about her family's experience with Down Syndrome shortly after Joaquin was born last year. Since then, she's documented her family's challenges and milestones in a moving compilation of prose and pictures. She's also developed a line of infant and children's shirts that proclaim "I did it," in celebration of accomplishments by Down Syndrome.

For every T-shirt purchased, Sanchez buys a copy of the book "Gifts 2: How People With Down Syndrome Enrich the World" (Woodbine House, $19.95, 221 pages) and donates it to a local hospital, genetic counselor or pediatrician's office. Sanchez was a contributing author.

I asked Sanchez for some words of advice for other parents of children with Down Syndrome, or expecting parents whose baby may have been diagnosed with Down Syndrome in utero.

Follow the link below to read what Sanchez wrote.

Want to enjoy a comforting, flavorful meal at home in celebration of today being California Family Day?

Frances Benthin, of Oregon, created this dish for the 2005 "Sargento Shredded Cheese Challenge" and took home the grand prize - a trip to California wine country and dinner at Chef Michael Chiarello's St. Helena home. Benthin has won multiple recipe contests over the years.

Benthin's granddaughter, Natalie Benthin, 16, of Grass Valley, is now following in grandma's footsteps and is competing today in the 2009 National Beef Cook-off in Sonoma. To read more about the Benthin family, check out the story in today's Food & Wine section. To find out how Natalie Benthin fared in the competition, visit the Appetizers blog.

Follow the link below to get the recipe.

Here's some proof that having dinner with your children is worthwhile: Teens who have dinner with their families fewer than three times a week are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana than teens who have frequent family dinners.

A report released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University also found that teens who have infrequent family dinners are more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol and twice as likely to expect to try drugs in the future.

The report is released in anticipation of Monday being national Family Day, a movement launched by the national center to remind parents of the importance of family dinners and reducing children's risk of smoking, drinking and illegal drug use, according to a news release from the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

First Lady of California Maria Shriver is honorary chair of the center's Family Day, which is being celebrated today in our state. (Shriver is shown at right with A.G. Kawamura, state Food and Agriculture secretary. Bee photo by Lezlie Sterling).

Shriver grew up in a household that placed an emphasis on the family eating dinner together.

"Both my parents worked, so they often traveled, but my mother was very adamant about that," said Shriver, in a phone interview from her Brentwood home. "My parents really used the dining room table as a continuation of the classroom.""

Shriver has continued the tradition with her own family. She and her two sons - her two daughters are now in college - eat dinner together at least five nights a week, more if they don't have their own plans on Friday or Saturday nights.

"I'm lucky to get a weekend night from one of them," she said.

Like other parents, Shriver hears her fair share of complaints about the length of time it takes to have dinner (The center's study found that the average family dinner takes about 35 minutes.) and has had to referee some table-side teenage fights, but the reward is worth the time and effort for parent and child.

"The table isn't just for eating, it's for connecting, conversing and sharing," Shriver said. "I think families desire (the time together) and when they read the statistics of what a difference it makes, the facts and figures don't lie."

The center's report, which has been comprised for the past several years from an annual back-to-school survey, also found that compared with teens who have frequent family dinners, those who have infrequent family dinners are one and a half times likelier to report getting grades C or lower in school.

Researchers also found that 12- and 13-year-olds who infrequently eat dinner with their family are six times likelier to use marijuana, four times likelier to use tobacco and three times likelier to use alcohol than their peers who have frequent family dinners.

I asked Shriver to give some tips for families on improve and increase the frequency of family meal time. Here are her tips:

• Start simple. If you don't have time for dinner together five nights a week, start with one night a week. Add in nights as it becomes more doable or make a New Year's resolution to have two or three dinners together each week. "Anything helps," she said.
• Talk to your kids. Use what's on the table to prompt conversation. Talk about the fruits and vegetables and where they come from, the importance of eating healthy food, agriculture in California. "Sometimes the subjects you're looking for are staring you in the face," Shriver said.
• Don't fret over the food. Children care more about who is at the table than what is on it. The time spent with family - be it a single-parent, a grandparent, a same-sex couple or even a teacher - is really what matters most. "Kids want whoever is in your family at the table," she said. "The food is secondary."

More than 600 restaurants throughout California are offering families free meals for children today in celebration of Family Day. For more information, check out my previous blog post.

How often do you eat dinner with your family? Is it enjoyable? What are your techniques for starting conversation? Post your thoughts and comments here.

There are dozens of days, weeks and months and events aimed at increasing our awareness of a cause.

Wednesday is no different. But the cause is much closer to home - it's our own family.

It's Family Day in California, part of a national movement launched by the National Center on Addiction Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. It's a day intended to encourage families to spend time with one another and strengthen their bond.

Years of research by CASA has found that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.

This year, California First Lady Maria Shriver, honorary chair of the state's Family Day, and the California Restaurant Association have teamed to promote Family Day and got more than 600 member restaurants to offer free kids meals with the purchase of an adult entree from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Follow this link for a list of participating restaurants in Northern California.

For Shriver's tips on celebrating family day, click here.

Be sure to visit my blog tomorrow, when I'll feature an interview with Shriver, as well as a recipe for those of us looking to celebrate Family Day at home.

How do you make time for your family? What do you like to do together? Do you have any tips for other parents on connecting with children, especially teenagers? Post your thoughts and comments here.

We parents devote an awful lot of time to choosing and getting our children into the right preschool. Consider Monica McMahon.

She and her husband toured an East Sacramento preschool last October and were told a spot likely wouldn't open up for their son for another year.

McMahon, who works for the state Department of Education, knew the value of following up - it signals a continued interest, not to mention dedication.

"I proceeded to call every single Monday for eight months," she said. "It took me eight months, but I got him in. For me, it was worth the wait and I was going to play the game."

The preschool conversation has been swirling for years, but was resurrected after a humorous documentary about the mad-cap competition for private nursery school spots in New York City hit DVD this summer. "Nursery University" follows parents desperately trying to nab spots at top preschools, convinced that failure means a lifetime of "what ifs?" and minimum wage.

I scoffed at the parents who hired consultants and cried when their children weren't accepted. But I can't escape the fact that a similar situation, albeit on a different scale, exists in many regions of the country, including Sacramento.

I confess to being just a little worried. I found myself wondering about my own children Saturday after a five-minute conversation with my preschooler.

He has two elbows, he told me, and so does his little sister, and whaddya know, so does Mommy. This tiny flash of insight, obviously provoked by something he had learned at nursery, got me to thinking about where my son would fall on the bell curve.

He continued to prattle away. I worried.

What avenue is best? Should it be Montessori or Waldorf? Free play versus structured activity?

Children are more socially and emotionally ready to enter school if they attend high-caliber preschools where they learn pre-literacy skills and early mathematics, said Kimberly Biddle, an associate professor of child development at California State University, Sacramento.

"It helps them get ready for school even just in terms of routine," she said.

So, what's it like trying to get a child into popular preschools?

At Great Beginnings Child Development Center in Curtis Park, the wait list is often at least a year for the preschool program, said Stephanie Levenhagen, the school's owner and director.

In Roseville, public preschools also often have wait lists, but the length of time often depends on neighborhood demographics. There, about 90 percent of children find spots in the programs.

"We're usually more desirable because we're much more affordable," said Rob Nakamura, the city's parks and recreation manager.

The wait list for Sacramento Country Day School's pre-kindergarten program varies, but Headmaster Steve Repsher doesn't anticipate much of one this year due to the economy. Tuition for the school's pre-kindergarten program currently is $16,400, the school's Web site states.

The economic downturn likely is forcing parents to wait longer to enroll children in private preschool as a cost-saving measure, he said. The situation there This mirrors a larger trend - the National Association of Independent Schools reports enrollment down about 4.5 percent nationwide from last year, Repsher said.

Since admission to Country Day's pre-K program also means a guaranteed spot in a kindergarten class and beyond (the school is pre-K through 12th grade), attending can vault students to high academic achievement, Repsher said.

"It seems odd to speak of college prep at pre-K, but it is the beginning of that road," he said.

McMahon was willing to devote time and money into her son's preschool education because, like many parents, she simply wants what's best for her child.

"You want to give them everything you can," she said. "You want them to be as prepared as they possibly can be," she said.

Do you worry about where to send your child to preschool? Have you found the perfect spot? What were your secrets to getting your child past the wait list? If you have more than one child, did you shell out big bucks for the first and go economical on the second? How did it work out?

Post your thoughts and comments here.

Linda Moffatt tried to learn how not to act old. It was too much work.

The 62-year-old Citrus Heights state employee requested the book "How Not To Act Old: 185 Ways to Pass for Phat, Sick, Hot, Dope, Awesome, or at Least Not Totally Lame" (Harper, $14.99, 192 pages) when I put it up for grabs last month. She wanted to better understand her teenage grandsons and younger coworkers who "seem to think dinosaurs still roamed the earth when I was born."

The best-selling book, from Pamela Redmond Satran, the creator of the blog by the same name, offers a list of topics such as "Why not to have sex or a dinner part on a Saturday night, and what to do instead" and "Where to wax, and exactly what a Brazilian means."

Moffatt, quite the humorous writer herself, wrote a review of the book for this blog. Follow the link below to read it.

You have secret information we want to know.

Parents, grandparents and caregivers have the inside track on the best parks, the best pumpkin patch, the best thing to do for free in the Sacramento region.

It's time for you, dear reader, to 'fess up.

You can share so many things that will help every other parent or guardian in the region -- the No. 1 family-friendly restaurant or the top spot to send mom to relax, for instance.

Our preliminary online survey is available through Sept. 22, with a final survey to follow. To cast your vote, follow this link.

The results will be compiled into a Top 20 list of things for families to do, see and eat in the region.

Armed with this kind of knowledge, you can conquer the world. OK, maybe not. But you will know which bakery has the best birthday cakes and which restaurant won't sit you by the kitchen if you walk in with a toddler.

The Bee's Top 20 list will be published in the Living Here Family section in October.

Sacramento firefighters have teamed with a local veteran's service organization to collect care package items to mail to troops.

Collection bins have been set up at a dozen Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District stations. See the list below for specific locations.

Sacramento Blue Star Moms, a group supporting military personnel and their families, mails care packages to hundreds of military personnel four times a year.

Items being collected include jerky, baby wipes, wipes, shampoo, tooth brushes and toothpaste, lip balm, candy, energy bars, batteries, playing cards, stationary, books, gum and socks.

Donations are being taken through Nov. 6. Packages will be mailed on Nov. 14.

Here is the list of stations collecting the items:

Station 21, 7641 Greenback Lane, Citrus Heights
Station 23, 6421 Greenback Lane, Citrus Heights
Station 31, 7950 California Ave., Fair Oaks
Station 41, 6900 Thomas Dr., North Highlands
Station 50, 8880 Gerber Rd., Florin
Station 58. 7250 Sloughhouse Rd., Rancho Murieta
Station 61, 10595 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova
Station 65, 11201 Coloma Rd., Rancho Cordova
Station 101, 3000 Fulton Ave., Arcade
Station 106, 2200 Park Town Circle, Arden
Station 109, 5634 Robertson Ave., Carmichael
Station 111, 6609 Rio Linda Blvd., Rio Linda

I have a confession: I can't stand leftovers.

Apart from leftover components of Thanksgiving dinner, I'm not a fan of repeat meals. Leftovers in my house used to prompt a white lie about the food not looking so great and a call to Round Table. Now, given the economic climate, leftovers are eaten, although sometimes without enthusiasm.

So when I come across a dish that results in appealing leftovers, it becomes a repeat feature in my culinary repertoire (can a woman who routinely uses a slow cooker and would prefer to eat brownies instead of dinner claim to have a repertoire? I'm not so sure, but I'm going with it).

The first night we had the dinner of sweet potato and pear stir-fry with chicken and chile sauce, it was good in a homey sort of way. The next night, however, it was delicious. The sweet potato had soaked up some of the spice and flavor from the sauce, the pears and the water chestnuts retained just the right amount of crunch.

This flavorful recipe also packs quite a healthful punch: one serving (which includes rice) is 370 calories and has 7 grams of fat, 24 grams of protein and 7 grams of dietary fiber. (If you're a Weight Watcher, it amounts to 7 points per serving).

Follow the link below for the recipe.

The results are here: California schools, while making gains in statewide assessments of academic achievement, are failing to meet federal assessment standards in increasing numbers.

The state Department of Education released its data today on the public schools' academic progress.

While 42 percent of all schools this year reached the statewide Academic Performance Index (API) goal of 800 or higher -- a 6 percent increase over the last school year - fewer schools and local educational agencies reached federal academic goals, information from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell's office shows.

For more information about how schools statewide are doing on federal assessments, follow this link to The Bee's coverage today.

Curious as to how your child's school is stacking up? Check out Great Schools' Web site, where the state and federal assessment results have been entered into a searchable database.

But what might these results mean in the long run? Look for my report in the Our Region section of Wednesday's Bee for a thorough analysis.

Ouch, that hurts.

Sacramento was ranked the 13th worst major U.S. city in which to raise a family by Children's Health magazine.

The ranking, released today, is among the magazine's list of the 100 best (and worst) places to raise a family, a feature included in the publication's September issue, which hits newsstands Tuesday.

The magazine's editors compiled statistical analysis of major cities nationwide using more then 30 factors deemed important by parents (think crime, education, economics, housing, cultural attraction etc), with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FBI, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and independent experts, according to a news release.

Burlington, Va. tops the list for great places to raise your brood, followed by Madison, Wis., Fargo, N.D., Lincoln, Neb., Fremont, Calif., Lexington, Ky., Honolulu, Hawaii, Cheyenne, Wyo., Omaha, Neb. and Yonkers, N.Y.

Coming in dead last is Detroit, Mich., followed by Miami, Fla., Orlando, Fla., Memphis, Tenn., Fresno, Calif., Cleveland, Ohio, Tampa, Fla., Phoenix, Ariz., Las Vegas, Nev. and Toledo, Ohio.

Sacramento was No. 88 (not good). Beating us is San Francisco (No. 14), San Diego (26), San Jose (39), Anaheim (65), Los Angeles (68), Riverside (75), Bakersfield (84). Egads.

Modesto was the only California city to have fared worse than we did, coming in at No. 90.

For the complete list of 100 cities, go to Children's Health's Web site.

Intricate, awe-inspiring pop-up books are the subject of a new show at Blue Line Gallery in Roseville this week.

Auburn author David A. Carter's "Red Dot" series of pop-up books are the focal point for the exhibit. The gallery is hosting a hands-on kids activity with Carter from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, as well as a book signing from 3 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. The show's opening reception will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m., according to the gallery's Web site.

My colleague, Carlos Alcala, recently spent some time with Carter, a paper engineer, to learn more about his books and work. Check out Alcala's story by following this link. There also is a wonderful video of Carter showing his books by Bee photographer Manny Crisostomo.

Carter's books are touted as "Pop-up books for children of all ages," but I was curious to find out what children think of the books.

The Bee had received copies of Carter's "Red Dot" series, so I tested two of them out on my children, and took two others along to a recent speaking engagement with middle schoolers.

I was nervous when I sat my preschooler and toddler down to read "One Red Dot" and "600 Black Spots," but was surprised at their reaction. Instead of grabbing, they watched wide-eyed as the pop-up artwork danced and turned with each move of the page. After one read-through, they wanted to read the books again, this time asking to turn the pages or pull tabs to make the designs move.

My 3-year-old also loved finding the red dot in the "One Red Dot" book. While the fragile nature of the pop-ups make reading the books to small children a little daunting, the beauty of the art and the quality time with involved is worth the risk. Just be sure to explain their delicacy and store up high, away from little ones that might be inclined to try to "read" them on their own.

The middle schoolers I spoke with also were intrigued by the books. Follow the link below to read their reviews.

Look out here comes the Spiderman.

The web-slinging, crime fighting superhero will be at the Sacramento Zoo to teach families about the importance of protecting the environment this weekend.

The show, "Spider-Man: Operation Green," will be held at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Reptile House lawn and will teach ways to conserve energy, recycle and live an environmentally-friendly lifestyle, a zoo news release states.

The shows are included in the price of zoo admission.

Spidey fans also can purchase meet-and-greet tickets for $20 per family or $15 for Sacramento Zoo members. The meet-and-greet includes two minutes of time with Spider-Man, a photo taken by zoo photographers and a Spidey autograph. Meet-and-greets will be held at 11:45 a.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling the membership office at (916) 808-5888. Space is limited.

A Roseville shopping center and its retailers are hosting a variety of events this month to benefit a local childhood cancer organization.

The fundraising at Fountains at Roseville is in honor of September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Keaton Raphael Memorial (KRM), a nonprofit committed to raising money for childhood cancer research and support services for families of children stricken by cancer.

The memorial was launched in 1998 by Roseville residents Robyn and Kyle Raphael, whose son Keaton died earlier that year following a nine-month battle with neuroblastoma - cancer of the nervous system - when he was 5 years old.

Fundraising events at Fountains include the following events and specials:

• Whole Foods Market will donate 5 cents to Keaton Raphael Memorial for every bag that shoppers bring in to reuse for their groceries in September. Specify "KRM" as the charity of choice during checkout (Whole Foods also has other charities it donates to).

• Fountains is hosting a free craft workshop for children from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday as part of its Kids Club. The craft will honor local children with cancer.

• Article Salon is holding its first anniversary party at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 and is hosting a Keaton Raphael Memorial information booth. The event includes a fashion show, food and wine. Also, for every $50 salon gift certificate purchased next week, $25 will be donated directly to KRM.

• Big Spoon Yogurt will be donating a percentage of its sales from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 22 from frozen yogurt purchased by people presenting a KRM fundraising flyer.

• Tres Agaves Restaurant is holding margarita classes from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 28. Cost is $50 per person and all profits will be donated to Keaton Raphael Memorial. The cost includes the class, margarita, a tequila tasting, a discount for the tequila store and a restaurant coupon. Tickets are available at Tres Agaves, (916) 782-4455 or through KRM.

• Boudin Bakery is donating 40 percent of all dine-in sales from 5 p.m. to closing on Sept. 29.

• Fountains at Roseville also is donating all coins from the main show fountain in September to Keaton Raphael Memorial. The shopping center's Guest Services desk is accepting donations on behalf of the organization fro 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights this month. Donors will receive a Fountains VIP coupon book for every $25 donation made and will be entered to win a Fountains shopping spree.

A group of local elementary and middle school actors are hoping to transport audiences to a whole new world during performances of Disney's Aladdin Jr. at the California Stage Theatre this weekend.

The play is presented by Flying Monkey Productions, a nonprofit organization that gives young students an opportunity to perform on stage and run the artistic elements of theatre production, according to a news release.

Fourth- through eighth-grade students are starring in the play, which is a stage adaptation of the animated Disney hit. The production includes songs from the movie's Academy Award-winning score, such as "A Whole New World" and "Friend Like Me."

Four performances will be held, beginning with a show at 7 p.m. Friday. Additional shows will be at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The California Stage Theatre is located at 1723 25th St., Sacramento.

For tickets, call (916) 215-9077 or purchase them at the door.

The start of the school year also can mean the return of sleep problems for children.

Establish a sleep routine, however, and those problems just might fade as quickly as a dream.

Dr. Alan Shatzel, division head of neurology for Mercy Medical Group in Sacramento, said understanding how much sleep children require, upholding a sleep routine and keeping a calm family atmosphere are essential.

"Consistency is kind of the key," he said. "If there's any change in a child's behavior - excessive sleepiness, poor school performance, mood problems -parents should understand that it can be related to poor sleep quality, disturbance or insufficient amounts of sleep."

In general, children ages 1 to 3 years old need 12 to 14 hours of sleep, 3- to 5-year-olds require 11 to 13 hours, 5- to 12-year-olds need about 10 to 11 hours and preteens and teenagers should get about 9 1/2 hours of sleep.

While bedtimes and alarm clocks are usually dictated by the school schedule, helping children relax before bedtime is critical to their sleep quality and quantity, he said.

"Realistically, for a relaxing bedtime routine, no computers or TVs in the bedrooms," said Shatzel, who also is a board-certified sleep disorder specialist. "Try to avoid all those stimulating activities."

If a child is going to be exposed to television or games at some point during the day, make sure the content is age-appropriate. Failing to do so can result in sleep disturbance or continuity for a child, he said.

A relaxation routine should start about 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. Ideally, children should also stop using electronic media within two hours of bedtime.

Make sure the temperature in the bedroom is comfortable and dim the lights to foster a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere, Shatzel said.

Parents also should pay attention to a child's diet, which can play a role in abetting sleep problems. Caffeine should be avoided in the evening, and parents should look out for foods, such as chocolate, that contain caffeine.

Decongestants and cough medicines also can be stimulating and should try to be avoided in the evening, he said.

If children continue to experience sleep problems, have them seen by their pediatrician or consider taking them to a sleep specialist.

Mood problems with children can be directly tied to sleep difficulty, Shatzel said.

"If we can identify that it's related to a sleep disturbance, we can treat it," he said.

While Shatzel doesn't recommend a specific type of pillow to help improve children's sleep, The Bee was sent a pillow claiming to do just that. Follow the link below to learn if it worked.

I had about four or five people advise me not to go to San Francisco this Labor Day weekend. Not to mention newspaper articles, TV reports and Caltrans officials echoing the same warning to stay away.

Their reason was logical - the Bay Bridge was closed for repairs and traffic likely would be backed up on alternate routes.

"I do not think that's a good idea," one polite colleague said, looking at me with a horrified expression that belied her real opinion of my crazy idea.

The trek wasn't without a good reason. My husband and I had bought a membership to the California Academy of Sciences and had been waiting for an opportunity to take our children. The quickest route seemed to be over the Golden Gate Bridge anyway, so we decided to yield to our (read: my) stubbornness and make a break for it.

Miraculously, we got there without so much as a traffic jam. We coasted through about three counties and over the bridge to Golden Gate Park with ease. Our luck prevailed and we even found street parking about a block away.

We spent about an hour in the Steinhart Aquarium, discovering tank after tank of awe-inspiring sea life. Our 19-month-old had the most fun, darting to and from exhibits and exclaiming "Whoa!" as she watched creatures like tiny jellyfish and sea horses swim about. The aquarium also has a hands-on exhibit allowing visitors to touch starfish and other creatures.

After a picnic lunch on the beautiful grounds between the Academy and the de Young it was on to the Kimball Natural History Museum, where our 3-year-old became enamored with the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. We were also impressed with the 87-foot Blue Whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling and the wealth of interesting factoids presented by a museum employee who spotted our interest in the giant marine mammal.

One of the museum's main attractions, a colony of African penguins, were entertaining to watch, but the crowd congregated in front of the display made it extremely hard for children to get a closer peek.

All told, we traveled four hours round trip to spend two hours at a venue. Was it worth it? Definitely. The only disappointment was our own inability to stay longer (the call of nap time for our little ones was just too strong). We're already plotting a subsequent visit and plan to explore the other intriguing offerings the Academy holds, such as the Morrison Planetarium and the four-story rainforest.

If you're looking for a fun, educational and exciting place to take your family, this is a San Francisco gem that is well worth the drive and inevitable round of "Are we there yet?"

Even on a holiday weekend with a closed bridge.

I typically don't care for  recipes that require a lot of preperation before the ingredients are added to the slow cooker, but this one is worth the extra effort. Searing the chicken in a hot pan before adding it to the slow cooker locks in the meat's juices and makes for tender, moist chicken.

The recipe, which comes from my beloved Williams-Sonoma cookbook, calls for a whole chicken, but halfway through dismembering the poor bird, I remembered that you can buy whole chickens already cut into pieces. I saved a lot of money by going the DIY route, but I might just fork over the extra cash next time.

 

Summer Coq au Vin

Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes plus 2 to 2 1/2 hours on high setting or 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours on low setting
Serves: 6 to 8
Notes: This recipe is courtesy Williams-Sonoma's "Essentials of Slow Cooking" (Oxmoor House, $34.95, 286 pages). Cook time includes chicken cooked in 2 batches.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into 8 serving pieces, trimmed of excess skin and fat
4 shallots, minced
2 cups dry white wine, such as chardonnay
1 cup chicken broth
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 pound summer squash such as yellow crookneck or zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
3 carrots, about 1/4 pound total weight, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 pound frozen pearl onions, or 1 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed

INSTRUCTIONS
On a plate, stir together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Turn the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken and cook, turning frequently, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the shallots to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.

Transfer the wine-shallot mixture to a slow cooker. Add the chicken, arranging the dark meat on the bottom and the breasts on top. Tuck the parsley and thyme sprigs among the chicken pieces. Cover and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours on the high-heat setting or 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours on the low-heat setting. Uncover and add the squash, carrots, onions and sugar snap peas, pushing them into the cooking liquid around the chicken pieces. Cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked through, about 20 minutes longer.

Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a warmed platter and serve at once.

Per serving based on 8 servings: 529 cal.; 37 g pro.; 9 g carb.; 34 g fat (9 sat., 16 monounsat., 7 polyunsat., 2 other); 139 mg chol.; 570 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 58 percent calories from fat.

The bookshelf above my desk is once again crowded with parenting and childrens books.

If you are local and interested in reviewing one of the books and writing up a few paragraphs, e-mail me your name, age, city of residence, childrens' ages and the title of the book you'd like. First come, first served.

Your review may be included in a future post on this blog and in my column in Tuesday's Living Here Family section.

Here are the titles available:

"Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World" (Ballantine Books, $16, 281 pages). The book includes activities, games and media suggestions for expanding the family's view of the world, explanations of diversity and ways to increase geographic knowledge.

"Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding" (Sterling, $14.95, 312). Dr. Marianne Neifert gives moms advice on how to prepare for breastfeeding before the baby arrives, strategies for breastfeeding and working, guidelines for weaning and more.

"Invisible Girls: The Truth About Sexual Abuse" (Seal Press, $16.95, 334 pages). Dr. Patti Feuereisen offers advice for young women and first-person narratives from survivors.

"Too Close for Comfort: Questioning the Intimacy of Today's New Mother-Daughter Relationship" (Berkley Books, $15, 292 pages). Should mothers and daughters be best friends too, or does it skew the relationship? Authors Linda Perlman Gordon and Susan Morris Shaffer explore the debate.

"Raising Children Who Soar: A Guide to Healthy Risk-Taking in an Uncertain World" (Teachers College Press, $21.95, 191 pages). A how-to guide on helping raise successful, confident children.

"We Dare You: Hundreds of Fun Science Bets, Challenges, and Experiments You Can Do at Home" (Skyhorse Publishing, $14.95, 321 pages). Is your child a little science whiz at heart? This guidebook offers experiments such as making an egg with corners, writing with a potato and generating fireworks from grapes.

"Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids" (Ballantine Books, $25, 235). Author Kim John Payne offers advice for parents on how to hover and worry less and enjoy children more.

"Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read" (Perigee, $15, 279 pages). How to find appropriate books for your children and help them connect with reading.

"The Possibility of Everything" (Ballantine Books, $25, 329 pages). Hope Edelman, author of the New York Times' bestseller "Motherless Daughters" tells her own story in this memoir.

"Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STDs" (John Hopkins University Press, $16.95, 263 pages). Dr. Jill Grimes narrates real-life stories of young people infected with DTS and exam room conversations with doctors.

"The Girl's Body Book: Everything You Need To Know For Growing up YOU" (Applesauce Press, $9.95, 115 pages). A guidebook for girls ages 8 and older.

"The Boy's Body Book: Everything You Need To Know For Growing up YOU" (Applesauce Press, $9.95, 111 pages). A guidebook for boys ages 10 and older.

"Family Fun Night!" (Cider Mill Press, $14.95, 272 pages). More than 300 ideas for entertaining nights with your children.

Here's some statistics that are hard to stomach: About one out of 25 females and one out of 80 males ages 15 to 19 years old in Sacramento County had a reported case of chlamydia or gonorrhea last year, data from the state Department of Public Health reveals.

I came across these grimace-inducing facts while reporting a story for Tuesday's Living Here section about how to talk to your teenager about sex.

When I embarked on reporting the story, I expected to unearth some data that would indicate teenagers are having sex more than parents suspect (I did). I expected an increasing teen pregnancy rate (I did). I didn't expect to find that so many were contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Bear in mind - those are only the reported cases. How many more cases are going untreated and unreported?

And now for the really uncomfortable reality - the epidemic of STDs among teens may be due in part to public health departments not being able to control it, said Dr. Glennah Trochet, Sacramento County's public health officer.

Ordinarily, the way an STD is controlled is the case is reported to the health department and officials there contact the person and gets the infected person's partners in for testing. Then those people's partners are contacted and so on, she said.

"We just don't have the resources to do that with every single case," Trochet said. "So the comprehensive investigation just doesn't happen ... It might be that now we just have so much of a disease, you may get infected on your very first sexual experience."

Egads. So what's a parent to do?

Local and national experts agree that we need to be talking to our children, at a fairly young age, about our family values surrounding sex, our expectations of our children and safe sex.

If you're a parent of a tween or teenager, please read the story in Tuesday's paper. There are tips on how to start the conversation and what the talk might sound like.

It may just save your child from suffering some very adult consequences.

Seasonal flu shots are making an early appearance in pediatric offices this year thanks to the H1N1 virus and vaccine.

The seasonal flu vaccines are available now - which is slightly earlier than usual - because the H1N1 vaccine likely will be available as early as mid-October, said Dr. Ken Ashley, a pediatrician and medical director of Sutter Medical Group,

"We would like to separate these slightly to allow the (H1N1) vaccine to provide better protection from the virus," Ashley said in an e-mail.

Seasonal flu vaccines are recommended for children ages 6 months to 18 years old.

Doctors also recommend that children ages 6 months and older be given the H1N1 vaccine, which is a two-part vaccination given one month apart, he said.

Pregnant women, parents of children less than 6 months old and children will be among those first in line to receive the H1N1 vaccine. Other target groups include healthcare and emergency medical workers, people between 6 months and 24 years old and people between 25 and 64 who are at higher risk due to chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ashley said the H1N1 vaccine, like the seasonal flu vaccine, isn't a panacea.

"This vaccine, as with most vaccines, decreases the likelihood, although does not guarantee you will not get the virus," he said. "If you do the virus after the vaccine, it is often less severe."

For more information about the H1N1 virus and vaccine, click on the CDC's flu widget below.

An El Dorado Hills youth development organization is offering a 10-week workshop for parents interested in better managing out-of-control teenagers.

Parent Project is a nationwide training program for parents of children ages 11 to 18 years old. The Parent Advisory Council, a subcommittee of the Vision Coalition of El Dorado Hills, has adopted the training and is holding the next series of classes starting Sept. 10. The classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. every Thursday through Nov. 12.

The workshop is funded by a grant through the Sierra Health Foundation.

Parents will learn how to manage back-talk, school performance, truancy, alcohol and drug abuse, violence and talk of suicide, states a Vision Coalition news release.

The program was created for parents with problematic teenagers, but it's also recommended for parents who want to take a proactive approach.

Parents are given workbooks and weekly homework and asked to practice learned skills and concepts at home between sessions, the release states. Organizers recommend that both parents attend the classes, but single parents are welcome.

Cost of the workshop is $150 for 10 weeks and includes refreshments. Discounts and financial assistance may be available upon request.

The classes will be held at the White Rock Village Community Room, 2200 Valley View Parkway, El Dorado Hills.

For more information, e-mail Raeann Jones at or call her at (916) 224-1650.

Have you heard this disturbing news?

A 61-year-old man has been charged with felony cruelty to children in the first degree after allegedly slapping a stranger's crying toddler at a Georgia Wal-Mart.

CBS Atlanta reports on its Web site that the alleged incident happened Monday at the store in Stone Mountain.

Roger Stephens allegedly warned the 2-year-old girl's mother that if she didn't quiet the child, he would do it for her, according to information CBS obtained from the police report.

The child continued to cry and Stephens came up to the girl and slapped her several times in the face, the police report states.

The mother screamed and called for security and another shopper stopped Stephens. The girl suffered some redness in the face, but was not injured, CBS reports.

The story is obviously a worst-case scenario of what could happen if your child is crying or throwing a fit in a story, but it made me wonder how other parents deal with upset or misbehaving children in public. Which draws up the whole spanking, and perhaps more controversial, spanking in public, discussion.

I'm not brave enough to venture out with my kids unarmed - and by that I mean I always have juice boxes, a snack or a book or tiny toy at the ready. Yes, it seems like bribery, but it beats a tantrum any day. And I've found that distraction can sometimes be more successful than discipline.

What are your thoughts on discipline in public? Do you have any advice or tips for parents on how to deal with upset children? Post your thoughts and comments here.

I did a story for today's Food & Wine section about cooking game. I know I may catch some flak for admitting that I eat game meat such as elk and bison (and love it, quite frankly), but it's healthy (as red meat goes), versatile and ridiculously delicious.

I took to the Bee's test kitchen recently and developed a recipe for bison burgers that many coworkers, including some a little wary about trying game meat, found pleasing to the palate.

Here's the recipe.

True Blue "Buffalo" Burgers
Prep time: 10 minutes active, 1 hour inactive
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Notes: Ranched bison can be found in some area supermarkets, such as Raley's. Not game for eating game? Beef would be a fine substitute. Serve these burgers alongside some oven-roasted sweet potato fries for a delicious meal.

Ingredients
1 pound ground bison
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rings.
1 quart low fat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups panko bread crumbs
4 ounces blue cheese (I used Point Reyes)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce
4 hamburger buns

Instructions
Pour buttermilk into large bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the seasoning salt. Place the sliced onions in the buttermilk and refrigerate for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and very lightly coat a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place the flour in a medium bowl and the panko in another medium bowl next to it. Remove soaked onions from the fridge. In an assembly line kind of maneuver, dip the onions into the flour, back in the buttermilk, then into the panko crumbs and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat until all onion rings are done. Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside.

Preheat the oven to broil or heat your outdoor grill to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the bison meat, olive oil, Worcestershire, remaining 1 tablespoon of seasoning salt, and salt and pepper to taste. Pat the meat into four burgers, making a small, shallow indent with your thumb in the middle of each burger. Grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium.

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and Frank's RedHot sauce to desired spiciness. Slather desired amount of spicy aioli on top half of each bun. Place a burger on the bottom half of bun and top with about an ounce of blue cheese each and a few onion rings and the aioli covered top bun. Enjoy.

The federal government has found a monstrous ally in its quest to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus - Elmo.

The little red Muppet monster so beloved by the preschoolers is starring in a series of four public service announcements that will begin airing today. The campaign's launch was intended to coincide with September being the start of National Preparedness Month.

The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Education and Sesame Workshop collaborated on the campaign, according to a White House news release.

"Younger children and their parents are some of the people most at risk from the new H1N1 flu virus and with schools starting back up again and the weather starting to get colder, we need to do everything we can to get these important messages about how to prevent the spread of the flu out there," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated in the news release.

The PSAs feature Elmo and Gordon, a human Sesame Street character, talking about hygiene issues such as hand washing and sneezing into the bend of the arm.

Click on the You Tube video below to play on of the PSAs.

The series can also be found on the government's new flu Web site.

 

It took seven hours, some heavy lifting and a fair amount of stress, but I am $130 and one closet richer.

I wrote a story this spring about the different ways to consign and sell used childrens items. After talking to several moms who swore by consigning at Just Between Friends, a bi-annual childrens sale held at the Sacramento Convention Center (there's also a sale at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville coming up in September), I decided to try it for myself.

Prepping my children's outgrown clothes was nostalgia-inducing fun. Scrubbing down toys wasn't too painful, since my husband bore the brunt of that chore. Entering the tags in the online system was easy to navigate.

The night before the sale, however, was a bit harder. While I tagged and cleaned items, my husband crammed the goods, which included large toddler toys and baby gear, into the back of my SUV.

Stuffed animals filled my kids' car seats. Parenting books and tiny shoes littered the floor. A mountain of toys covered every inch of the trunk.

My car looked like a Fisher-Price graveyard. Every once in a while, a toy would bleat a perky little tune or phrase, as if trying to convince me that it still held fun for my children.

The next day, my mother-in-law - who should be nominated for sainthood - and I drove the carload over to the convention center.

Here's a breakdown of the roughly one hour of work involved: park car at docks, check in, haul stuff out of car and onto giant cart, bring loaded cart into convention center, move car, set up items in designated screening area, wait for someone to inspect merchandise, race around giant sale area setting up items in specified spots while trying not to knock over other merchandise/pregnant women/small children trying to play with toys you intend to sell.

By the time we left, I didn't really care how much money I made that day. All I wanted was a stiff drink and a dark room.

Of the 70 items we consigned, 41 of them sold, yielding a grand total of about $130 (the franchise takes 35 percent plus a $10 fee). That makes my time prepping and delivering the sale items worth about $18 an hour. Pretty good.

Was it worth the effort? I think so, but I confess that the process was more work than I anticipated. I also like that the items that didn't sell will be donated to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services' Mother-Baby Program.

If you're the planning type and have some time to invest in consigning, Just Between Friends is a good route.

If you're looking to immediately purge your kids' closets but don't have a lot of spare time, take the items to a childrens resale shop like Babies & Beyond on Freeport Boulevard. You'll get 30 percent of the sale price cash or 50 percent in store credit.

Now if only I can keep the empty closet from filling up again.