SoCal Savvy Mom

Jan 27
2015

Ruby’s Diner Ruby Burger $2.35 on 1/28

Visit Ruby’s Diner tomorrow, January 28th to celebrate their 32nd Anniversary! Need a milkshake? What about a delicious Ruby burger? French Fries? Ruby’s has you covered tomorrow! To help celebrate #RubyTurns32 there is a deal-icious offer! Rally your friends and family over to a Ruby’s Diner location. You can steal the Classic #RubyBurger for its original price of only $2.35! French Fries will also be lowered to only $1! You will not want to miss this and don’t forget to tag #RubysDiner with all those snaps of your awesome burgers! Ruby’s wants to see all of your photos on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Healthier Option

My mom and I visited the Ruby’s at the end of the pier in Oceanside today to try out the Ruby burger. We opted for no buns on ours and iced tea instead of milkshakes. My mom was living on the edge and ordered french fries with hers, but she need the extra fat the day after chemo! Visit Ruby’s today and order the Ruby burger for the special price of only $2.35, it was delicious!

Jan 21
2015

Oceanside’s Best Fish House – Hello Betty

by Nicole Connerley

Located just steps away from the Oceanside Pier, Hello Betty is perfect for locals or for those visiting the area. Hello Betty is one of my favorite restaurants, since it opened we have had my birthday there, my mother’s birthday and my best friend also had her birthday celebration there! It is one of those places you take anyone who is visiting from out-of-town, and how could you not with the view?

With daily drink specials from 4-6 it is the perfect place to stop on your way home from work, you will not find a better view on the coast. During the summer the best place cool off with a drink is the roof top deck, which hosts drinks and light appetizers. For my birthday I invited around a dozen friends to join me on the roof top deck for drinks and tacos. Because Hello Betty had just opened a few months prior no one had visited before and everyone was blown away! My friends couldn’t believe the incredible view and the exquisite tacos put it right over the top for a great birthday. The hardest decision will be which taco to choose, with Mahi Mahi, Shrimp, Carne Asada, Veggie or a huge list of different types of fish tacos you will want to try them all.

Hello Betty’s menu is not limited to just fish, the Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwich (garlic mayo, chopped lettuce, tomato, avocado, pickled jalapeño, jack cheese all on a brioche bun) is the best in all of North San Diego County! Last week I tried the Herb marinated Chicken Breast which is mesquite grilled and is accompanied by roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The dish was so heavenly from beginning to end, I may have found a new favorite on the menu. My mother in law was visiting from Florida and she LOVED the Steamed Mussels with chorizo, tomato, chilis, garlic and dos equis amber she said they were the best mussels she had ever had.

The decor in Hello Betty is spot on, with the surf theme touches throughout the restaurant. The picture below is the hallway leading to the restrooms made out of surfboards. You may even watch surfing movies while at the restaurant as it is usually playing on the many TV’s located in the bar area. If there is a big game on they will of course put a game on for you if you would prefer. A huge BONUS for dining with children is the little mini arcade located on the first level of the restaurant. It is perfect as you can see your children playing video games (think old school ones) from your table. The kids are close enough to see but not so close you have to listen to the sound of video games. All of the games are only a quarter or two, not like some sports bars that charge upwards of $1 for one turn on a video game, this is a highlight if you are dining with children.

When you visit Hello Betty be sure to sign up for their loyalty card, I just saw this last time I was there and couldn’t believe I didn’t know about it sooner. Reservations are not required it is walk in’s only, even if there is a small wait you will not be bothered by it as you sit outside on the patio with a drink while waiting for a table. Did I mention the view? For more information or for the full menu click here. Let us know after you visit and tell us what you think, but really what is better than a fish taco and a margarita…nothing, visit Hello Betty today and thank me tomorrow!

This is not a paid post, products and services were exchanged for a review.

Jan 20
2015

Easy, Fun Valentine’s Treats with kids

by Nicole Connerley

Valentine’s Day treats are so fun to make, especially with little ones, my son and his friend helped make these treats. Items needed for these treats are:

1 box Oreos (we used Trader Joe’s) Traders has a gluten-free option for these cookies as well
2 bags of Candy Melts
2 to 3 different Valentine’s sprinkles
30 Lollipop sticks
Wrappers and ties if you are giving them out

Candy melts made by Wilton are great for making tons of different types of candy. The most important part of this recipe is to not over cook the candy in the microwave, it we be ruined if you over cook or melt rather.

Microwave for 1 minute on 50% power
Remove from microwave and stir (which will be minimal at this point)
Microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power
Remove from microwave and stir
Repeat steps 3 & 4 until tit is smooth

Carefully remove one half of the cookie
Use stick to remove some of filling so stick will lay flat in the filling
Add melted chocolate over the stick and filling to reconnect cookie
Let cookies set for 10 minutes so the chocolate and cookie are reconnected completely otherwise cookie will fall apart

Dip both sides of the cookies so completely covered in chocolate
Wipe excess off of the one side (not the side you are going to use sprinkles on)
Dip into sprinkles
Set aside on wax paper for an hour or two until firm to the touch

If you are planning on passing these out in your child’s class I would recommend using the treat bags and twist ties. Very inexpensive the 50 treat bags cost $1.99 and the twist ties $.99 both from Michael’s. The chocolates were on sale from $3.99 to $1.99 this week also at Michael’s, the sprinkles I got at Target for a few dollars.

The finished treats! Since it is before Valentine’s Day I brought these into my mom’s chemo nurses’ today and they loved them, I plan on making them again and bringing to my son’s class. Something to note Traders has a gluten-free option for these cookies, which is great because my son’s class has a couple of children who need this option. I love that Trader’s has made it that much easier to make these treats for everyone in his class.

Jan 18
2015

“Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families”

by Robyn Lass

It’s inevitable—your children will embarrass you in public. You know it’s Karma right? We’re all expecting it to happen since, of course, we embarrassed our own parents. But when it happens, you still can’t help but wish that invisibility power you’ve always hoped for would magically kick in.

The two most embarassing moments of my parental life have both been when, standing in line to board an airplane, my son ask in a not so quiet voice, why I’m divorced. Larry David couldn’t have scripted a more precise setup to evoke the pinnacle of awkwardness.

Whether it was the “Mommy, why don’t you have a husband?” as we stood wedged in between two male passengers, or the plain old “Mommy, why did you divorce from daddy?” as we handed our boarding passes to the attendant. Yep, that actually happened. Whichever way you slice it I realized he needed some answers.

First thing to note, I did my research back in the early days when my ex and I split up. My son was two and a half, so I was relieved to find that many therapists do NOT recommend sitting down with a young child and having some big, overwhelming “we’re getting divorced” talk. I discovered it is much easier on young children to share the information in terms they understand at their current age, and then expand on the concept and the language as they grow older and ask new questions.

I’m not claiming to be a child psychologist so please, if you are going through a divorce, do your own research and find a therapist you trust to help you and your kids through this transition. You don’t want to create fear, regret or even self-destructive behavior due to lack of understanding. Kids need to know both parents love them and a divorce is their fault.

This leads me to the real point of this post. My own therapist recommended a book called “Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide For Changing Families,” by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown. It’s simple, has interesting pictures and can shed light on the changes kids experience both externally and internally. It has been an amazing resource for me. So when my son asks me “Mommy, don’t you like daddy?” I can lean on this book to help guide the conversation (or steer it away from unproductive ideas) to ensure my own grown up feelings don’t mistakenly rear themselves in a way that might hurt my relationship with my son.

I did some additional searching recently and found there are plenty of other age-appropriate books out there that can help kids through the transition of divorce. Do a quick search on Amazon to find one to help with the challenges facing your family. Plus, it’s always nice to let someone else do the talking, and books are perfect for that!

Jan 18
2015

Chicken Tortilla Soup in a Crock Pot

by Nicole Connerley

It is a little chilly today in Southern California (the low 60’s, haha) so I wanted to make something delicious to warm us up. My house smells so good right now because of this soup! I don’t cook a lot with my crock pot, however this recipe is so easy and delicious I had to share. All of the ingredients I purchased are from Trader Joe’s so some of the items are kind of specific. I always buy organic when I have the option but some items at Trader’s are not available in organic yet, like the corn.

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
30 oz. Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Organic Green Onions chopped
1 Small Can Organic Tomato Sauce
1 Small Can Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles
1 Can Whole Kernel Corn
1 Can Organic Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Organic Black Beans
1 Package Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning Mix
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Organic Trader Joe’s Crushed Garlic

Combine all ingredients into your crock pot (except the black beans, add the beans when only 2 hours left) Set the cook time on low for 6-7 hours, after 3-4 hours shred the chicken. Once completely cooked add cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream. Add a lime for garnish and enjoy!

Jan 17
2015

San Elijo Lagoon Center – Wings Over Wetlands

by Nicole Connerley

WINGS OVER WETLANDS at San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center is FREE on January 24 & 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Celebrate the arrival of the feathered friends during the winter bird migration!

Meet live raptors in special presentations
Tour the loop trail and discover interactive wildlife stations
Make binoculars with recycled products
And more

Fun Fact: Approximately 40% of all North American bird species have been observed in San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve.

Bird-themed crafts, face painting, and nature activities are planned for families. Conservancy naturalists will have spotting scopes and binoculars for use along the Loop Trail that overlooks San Elijo Lagoon, with excellent birding views. Kids will enjoy learning about bird migrations and how to recognize common birds.

Winter is peak migration time with birds resting and foraging at one of the few salt marshes remaining along the Pacific Flyway. Winter shorebirds and ducks are here to spend the season, many of which come from the High Arctic. The stout Bufflehead may be seen diving in the channels. Dowitchers have a feeding characteristic described like the rhythm of a sewing machine.

Learn more about birds you’ll see with the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy Animal Guide.

To reach staff or volunteers at the Nature Center, please call: (760) 634-3026. Family Discovery Days occurs rain or shine. Directions