Trick-or-Treating at the Mall

The forecast for tomorrow in Bay Area is supposed to be rainy. It's just easier to do trick-or-treating at the mall. It's safer alternative than trick-or-treating on the street, and the kids won't get wet. Here is a list of trick-or-treating at the Bay Area malls:

Hillsdale Mall's spooktacular Halloween
Oct. 31, 2008, 5 pm-6:30 pm
Hillsdale Mall
60 31st Ave.
San Mateo
balloon making, magic shows, Mad Science Slime Booth, pumpkin decorating,
Trick or Treating

San Francisco Shopping Center Trick-or-Treating
Friday, October 31, 2008
3 pm - 6 pm
Westfield San Francisco Centre Shopping Centre
865 Market St.
San Francisco CA 94103

Serramonte Mall Trick-or-Treating
Friday, October 31, 2008
3:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Serramonte Mall
3 Serramonte Center
Daly City, CA 94015
Costume contest & parade, then trick-or-treating starting at 5:30pm.

Tanforan Mall
Friday, October 31, 2008
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Shops at Tanforan
1150 El Camino Real
San Bruno, California 94066
(650) 873-2000
Costume contest & parade. The site didn't mention any trick-or-treating though..

Stanford Mall-wide Trick-or-Treating
Friday, October 31, 2008
5pm-7pm
Stanford Shopping Center
680 Stanford Shopping Center
Palo Alto, CA 94304

Valley Fair Trick-or-Treating
Friday, October 31, 2008
5pm-6pm
Westfield Valley Fair Shopping Centre
2855 Stevens Creek Blvd.
San Jose CA 95050-6709

Westgate Mall Trick-or-Treating
Friday, October 31, 2008
5pm-7pm
1600 Saratoga Avenue
San Jose, CA 95129
Arts & crafts, live entertainment, balloons, even trick-or-treat bag is provided

If you are looking for other fun and FREE places to go this Halloween, go here.

This weekend in Bay Area: Day of the Dead (Diá De Los Muertos)

Here are free and fun activities for kids in Bay Area for this coming weekend:

Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead
Saturday, November 1, 2008
3pm - 8pm
downtown Redwood City
FREE

• Procession
• Arts & crafts
  
• Marigolds Flower Decorating
• Papel Picado Decoration Station
• Skull Cookie decorating
• Live entertainment

Diá De Los Muertos - Day of the Dead
Sunday, November 2
9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Habitot Children's Museum
2065 Kittredge Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
FREE
We always have a great time when we go to Habitot. The place is small, perfect for younger kids.
Lots of hands-on activities, storytime, and it's free.
Another free day is Tuesday, November 4; 9:30 am - 12:30 am

This week: FREE Halloween events for young kids

My kids are afraid of those skeleton or ghost displays, so we won't do trick or treating on the street in the evening.
Here's what I found to be a great alternative, FREE, not-scary, plus safe activities to do for Halloween, especially for young kids in Bay Area:

Santana Row Halloween Family Fest
Tuesday, October 28 2008
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
FREE
face painting, puppet shows, arts and crafts

Halloween Costume Parade
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 7:00pm
Redwood City Public Library in the Children’s Room.
1044 Middlefield Road
Redwood City, CA 94063
FREE
parade, treats and a Not-So-Scary Halloween Program

Mentlo-Atherton High School Oct. 30 - Trick-or-Treat Street
Thursday, October 30, 2008
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
Menlo-Atherton High School
555 Middlefield Road
Atherton, CA 94027
FREE
costume parade, arts & crafts, face painting, candy, prizes.

Burlingame Halloween Safe Streets
Friday, October 31, 2008
5:30 to 7:30pm
Primrose Road between Burlingame Avenue and Chapin Avenue
Burlingame, CA
FREE
It's their annual Halloween, the road will be closed off.
Live music, Costume Parade, Trick-or Treating, Story telling, Face Painting, Costume Contest

Trick or Treating at Whole Foods Market
Friday, October 31, 2008
3:00-5:00 p.m.
Whole Foods
1010 Park Place
San Mateo, CA 94403
FREE
Kids can trick or treat while you grocery shopping.

Hillsdale Mall's spooktacular Halloween
Oct. 31, 2008, 5 pm-6:30 pm
Hillsdale Mall, 60 31st Ave., San Mateo
FREE
balloon making, magic shows, Mad Science Slime Booth, pumpkin decorating,
Trick or Treating

San Francisco Halloween Festival
Friday, October 31, 2008
4pm to 11pm
AT&T Ball Park Parking lot A
FREE
I'm not sure if this one will be that kid-friendly, since it's mixed with adult entertainment, but it's supposed to provide arts & crafts, kids play zone, costume contests for the kids. You can also get flu shot there.

This weekend in Bay Area: Halloween events

Here are FREE and fun Halloween activities for kids this weekend:

Randall Museum's Family Halloween Festival
Randall Museum
199 Museum Way, San Francisco
Saturday October 25, 2008
10 am-2 pm
FREE, but small fees apply for food and most activities

• Halloween arts & crafts
• Live entertainment
• Trick or treat
• Pumpkin carving
• Puppet costume parade

Millbrae Halloween Carnival

Saturday October 25, 2008
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Location: Mervyn's Parking Lot
Parade begins at 2pm and ends with Trick-or-Treating down Broadway.

Foster City 2008 Halloween Festival
Saturday October 25, 2008
10am - 3pm
Foster City Recreation Center
Carnival games, a costume parade, live entertainment, food, family crafts, magic show.

Yerba Buena Gardens Halloween Festival
Sunday October 26, 2008
11 am - 2 pm
Children's Garden
Yerba Buena Garden
San Francisco
FREE
It's their annual Halloween events at Yerba Buena Garden.

• Live Entertainment
• Face painting
• Halloween arts & crafts
• Pumpkin carving
• Trick or treat
• Costume parade
• Zeum's Haunted House for kids in costume & parents

PIER 39's Pumpkin Pandemonium
Sunday, October 26, 2008
12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Pier 39
San Francisco
FREE

• Kids can trick or treat throughout PIER 39’s Pumpkin Pandemonium.
• Face painting
• Halloween show
• pumpkin patch to pick their one free pumpkin.

Halloween Spooktacular
Saturday October 25, 2008
local Borders and Waldenbooks store
FREE
costume contest
storytimes
games, activities
kids get a FREE cookie if you purchase a drink

This weekend in Bay Area: Pumpkin Festival

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival
It's annual Pumpkin Festival again this weekend at Half Moon Bay.
Come early, or else there will be traffic going there.
Lots of fun and free activities for the kids over there:

• Halloween costume contest
  
• the Great Pumpkin Parade
• pumpkin pie eating contests
• non-competitive pumpkin carving
• watch world-class pumpkin carver carving giant pumpkins into one-of-a-kind sculptures,
  
• climbing wall
• live entertainment
• scarecrow contest
• haunted house
  

October 18-19, 2008 9 AM to 5 PM
Main Street between Miramontes and Spruce Streets
Half Moon Bay
FREE

If you prefer to go to San Francisco, there are FREE fun activities for kids in Yerba Buena Garden area on both Saturday & Sunday. For detail, click here

This weekend in Bay Area: Family Day, FREE Museums admissions

Exciting and FREE fun activities for kids are happening this weekend in San Francisco:

San Francisco Family Festival
Yerba Buena Gardens
between Mission and Folsom and 3rd and 4th Streets
San Francisco
FREE
Saturday, October 18, 2008
11:00 am to 3:00 pm

• Fun hands-on science & art projects for kids
  
• Circus acts and balloon artists
• Climbing Wall
• Jump Houses
• Face painting
  
• Zeum Carousel (FREE carousel ride during this event!!!)
  

Plus,
MUNI is FREE for all children younger than age 18
10:00 am to 4:00 pm on October 18, 2008

FREE family event
downtown San Francisco’s Yerba Buena arts district
San Francisco
Sunday, October 19 2008
11-4pm
5 San Francisco’s top cultural destinations including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the new Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), Zeum and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival welcome families with a full day of free admission,
hands-on art activities
family-friendly performances. It’s an unprecedented opportunity for kids and their caregivers to experience all that has to offer, thanks to the generous support of Target.
MoMa
New Contemporary Jewish Museum
Zeum
Yerba Buena Garden

FREE admission to DisneyWorld or Disneyland

Starting next year (from Jan 1 2009 to Dec 31 2009), Disney is offering FREE ticket to DisneyWorld or Disneyland on your birthday.
If you already have a multi-pass or annual passholder, there's option to do the following:

* A birthday fun card in an amount equal to the price of a 1-Day/1-Park ticket* for you to use on your birthday for merchandise, recreation or fun activities at select participating locations at Disneyland® Resort; or
* A special birthday FASTPASS® ticket+ for certain attractions at the Theme Park you visit on your birthday; or
* A 1-Day/1-Park ticket for you to use any time until your next birthday.

That's at least a $59 savings.
go here for details.

This weekend in Bay Area: San Carlos Arts and Wine Festival, Fleet Week in San Francisco

For a fun, FREE activities for kids in Bay Area, check out the following events:

San Carlos Wine and Arts Festival
October 11 & 12, 2008
San Carlos Avenue (between El Camino and Walnut) and down Laurel Street from San Carlos Avenue to Arroyo

• Italian street painting
• Live entertainment
• Cookie decorating
• Face and pumpkin painting
• fingerpainting
• Wax hand making
• Magician

Fleet Week in San Francisco
October 9-14, 2008
FREE
It's the annual U.S. Navy festival in San Francisco.

• Watch the Parade of Navy ships, big and small (among them destroyers, frigates and cutters) sail from the Pacific into the San Francisco Bay.
• Live Music
• Meet Blue Angels

10/9 (Thu)	1 - 5pm	Blue Angel Survey Flights & Practice
10/10 (Fri)	12:30 - 5pm*	Air Show Practice & Blue Angels
10/11 (Sat)	12:30 - 5pm*	Air Show & Blue Angels
10/12 (Sun)	12:30 - 5pm*	Air Show & Blue Angels

*Blue Angels fly at 3pm

Melamine found in Chinese candy & coffee sold in the U.S

Melamine, chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers, was earlier found in powdered milk product in China, which had caused 4 infant death and about 54000 illnesses.
Now melamine has been found not only in milk product, but in others as well, even in candy sold in the U.S!

These products include milk, ice-cream, yogurt, confectionery such as chocolates, biscuits and sweets as well as any other products containing milk from China as an ingredient.
Last Friday, the California Department of Public Health warned consumers not to consume White Rabbit Candy and Mr. Brown coffee products because of possible melamine contamination.

White Rabbit candy vanilla-flavored, sticky, taffy-like candy is very popular in Asia. Sold in more than 50 countries. You can find this candy sold in Asian supermarket, such as Ranch99, and Marina in Bay Area, and sometimes at Asian restaurants. If you have this candy, it's better to just throw away for now.

The recalled products are:

• Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Mandhling Blend instant Coffee (2-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1)
• White Rabbit Creamy Candies; 8-ounce and 16-ounce packages with white background.
• White Rabbit Red Bean Creamy Candies, 7-ounce package with red background.
• White Rabbit Coffee Creamy Candy; 7-ounce package with yellow background.
• White Rabbit Corn Flavour Creamy Candies; 7-ounce package with yellow background.
• White Rabbit Lychee Flavored Candy; 7-ounce package with red background.
• White Rabbit Assorted Creamy Candy (chocolate, coffee and coconut flavored); 7-ounce package with clear background.
• White Rabbit Mango Flavored Candy; 7-ounce package with yellow background.
• White Rabbit Strawberry Cream Candy; 7-ounce package with pink background.
• White Rabbit Candy comes in plastic bags with individually wrapped pieces of candy inside. All varieties of the candies have a picture of a white rabbit with a black background on the top of the bag.