1. Introduction
2. Tumble-A-Thon at The Little Gym
3. Make This a Summer to Remember
4. Family/Business Profile: Sarah Gutierrez

Introduction:

Hello Foothill Families,

Welcome to issue #3. I love to pull up the site and see how many visitors have come by. Thank you for the continuing support. With the kids home and vacations this month and next, I’m happy to get anything done, but did manage a couple improvements to the site since last issue: “This Week’s Highlights” beneath the Activity/Event Calendar and “At a Distance,” a list of family events that are not local, but worth the trip. All are linked to websites.

This issue begins with a fundraiser that shows kids the meaning behind the money. It’s so easy to take our kids’ health for granted and this is a way to involve them in helping other children who aren’t so fortunate. Summer just isn’t summer without a few core outings and experiences. There’s only a month left so check out the list of ideas to ensure this is a summer to remember for the whole family. The Family and Business Profiles are combined in this issue. Sarah Gutierrez is a mom and business owner with an inspiring story.

Do send an email and let me know how you are using the site and/or how it would be more useful. Thanks again for the support!

Lori

(626) 205.0337

lori@foothillfamilysgv.com

Tumble-A-Thon at the Little Gym :

The new school year is almost here and that means fundraising drives. Though we explain the necessity and purpose of these sales to our kids, they sell candy and wrapping paper to win prizes. The meaning is distorted. Before we are bombarded with the commercialism of this year’s fundraisers, show your kids what raising money is truly about by participating in The Little Gym’s Tumble-A-Thon August 18th. Kids gather pledges for their participation in tumbling, cart wheeling, an obstacle course, and other movement challenges at nine TLG locations in Southern California, including Monrovia and La Canada. They will also have the opportunity to tumble individually or with a parent if they are under the age of three. Pledge donations benefit Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. “This is an excellent opportunity to encourage your children to learn the benefits of making a difference in the lives of others as they roll, monkey jump, donkey kick, cartwheel, handstand or just plain jump to help those children who are struggling to survive at the hospital” says Sarah Lowe, owner of Monrovia and La Canada TLGs.

To participate, register at The Little Gym or download the registration form at the Tumble-A-Thon website: www.tlgtumbleathon.com. Registration fees are $30 for the first child and $15 for each additional sibling. (The fee will increase by $5 August 1st.) The first 100 to register will be in a drawing to win a free semester of classes at TLG. You will receive an information packet to assist you and your child with soliciting pledges and donations. On the day of the three-hour event, registrants receive a Tumble-A-Thon t-shirt and there are prizes for those who raise $100 and $250 as well as a grand prize for the largest pledge earner. Raffles, refreshments and prizes for the entire family ensure fun for all while the kids tumble.

The Little Gym was developed 30 years ago by a kinesiologist and educator who had the idea of using gymnastics to help children develop motor skills. TLG is a safe, fun, non-competitive place for children ages 4 months to 12 years old to do just that. They also learn self confidence and social skills in a variety of classes including dance and karate. Each year TLG serves 100,000 kids in 18 countries.

The event is open to the public, membership in TLG is not necessary. If this first time event is successful, Lowe would love to see the Tumble-A-Thon become an annual event. She says, “As owners and parents ourselves, we’re grateful for the good health of our own children and the children who attend The Little Gym, so we wanted to give something back to the caring hospitals in our local communities that treat sick and injured children and bring smiles back to their faces.”

Make this a Summer to Remember :

It’s the end of July, forget about returning that defective Slip n Slide, you’ll be hard pressed to find one (I know, I’ve tried!) It’s time to stockpile pencils, markers and erasers. But before you look too far forward, the heat’s still on and there’s still time to relax and enjoy some fun with your family. Even if you squeeze in just one more activity, make it one that will celebrate the season right.

• Backyard Bash-If you haven’t had a backyard ball this summer, you’ve got to do it. Kids and parents alike love this because it’s summer, pure and simple. Simple is key. Put out age appropriate water play toys like an inflatable pool, Slip n Slide, waterwands, and water balloons. Garden hose and sprinklers work just as well if you really want to stay simple. Suit up the kids in water clothes and slap on some sunscreen and watch them go water-wild. Giggles are nonstop as they make up games with silly rules. Younger kids do well with a fun suggestion like an obstacle course or follow the leader route. As long as you supply a steady stream of popsicles or other frozen treat, a bowl of fresh fruit and chips or crackers, they will be content for hours. To keep it fresh, limit or change the toys, suggest a new game or a variation of a favorite, and invite friends to join in.
• Community Swims-Traffic kept my friend, Jean, from taking her son and my daughter to the beach last week. Instead, she took them to the open swim at the Monrovia High School pool. At a quarter per child, and lifeguards on duty, Jean thinks this is the best kept secret in Monrovia. Most every community swimming pool offers this time each day during the summer. It’s always inexpensive and can be a spur of the moment treat since no reservations are required. Some communities even have events at their pools like the water carnival at the Duarte pool. Go to Summer Fun/Swimming for days, times, and cost: http://www.foothillfamilysgv.com/Summer%20Swimming.html
• Concerts in the Park-There is nothing quite like a summer evening outdoors. Don’t let summer end without enjoying one of the many concerts in the park our Foothill community offers. Pack a picnic (or pick something up on the way) and gather family and friends for a relaxing and low key evening under the stars. Lazing on a blanket with the kids, shoes kicked off, and listening to a band is summer through and through. Check the calendar for upcoming concerts at: http://www.foothillfamilysgv.com/
• Free Days at Gardens and Museums-Summertime is a great time to take advantage of the free days at local museums and gardens. Most offer these days once a month. Though the free days are likely to be more crowded than other days, it is worth it for many of us. The best way to avoid crowds is to arrive early before the garden or museum opens. This way, you are among the first to enter and can beeline to the exhibit or feature you most want to visit. Favorites with kids are the Arboretum because of the peacocks, ducks, birds, fish, and waterfall; Huntington with its greenhouse and children’s garden; Natural History Museum with its dinosaurs, bugs, and skeletons; and the La Brea Tarpits’ prehistoric animals, tarpits, and bones. Go to Family Activities/Free Days for specifics: http://www.foothillfamilysgv.com/Family%20Activities%20Free%20Days.html
• Reading Programs-Our local libraries and children’s bookstores outdo themselves every summer with amazing ingenuity and energy. They get our kids so excited about reading with their motivating reading programs, activities, and events. If your kids haven’t taken advantage of these always free offerings, it’s not too late. Though the Harry Potter festivities are over, some of the best is yet to come. Go to Summer Fun/Reading Programs for activity and event schedules: http://www.foothillfamilysgv.com/Summer%20Reading.html
• Camping-Camping is to summer as a marshmallow is to a s’more. And, let’s face it, kids love to camp. The local mountains are great for a night or two of camping and it can feel like you’re way out in the woods when you’re really not far at all. Canyon Park in Monrovia and Arcadia’s Wilderness Park have overnight camping that require a reservation. Go to Family Activities/Parks and Outdoor Recreation for contact information: http://www.foothillfamilysgv.com/Family%20Activities%20Parks%20and%20Rec.html If that’s not in the cards, pitch a tent or simply lay out sleeping bags in your backyard. A night of moonlight and constellations, flashlights and hand shadows are easy to come by wherever you say goodnight.

Family Business Profile: Sarah Gutierrez:

A simple nudge from a fellow mom turned her future in a direction Sarah Gutierrez hadn’t dreamed. Though she had always been artistic, this San Gabriel stay at home mom earned a business degree and worked in finance and marketing until she and husband Frank had their first child. Not in love with her career, Sarah stayed home with Casey, now 9, and sister, Sydney, 7. Even with two little ones to keep her busy, she enjoyed creative outlets like dabbling in water color painting, jewelry making, and painting her daughters’ rooms.

“Adult time” is what Sarah needed according to that knowing mother who suggested Sarah take a pottery class at the Monrovia Adult Education Program. What began as a “great release” which every parent needs, became a true education and passion. She not only honed her skills as a pottery artist, she learned the business side by managing the program’s sales each year. Seven and a half years later, Sarah is still there with what she calls “my second family,” only now many come to her as a teacher.

Sarah began Sassafrass Pottery two years ago, inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 1800s, specifically, the Saturday Evening Girls. The movement’s attention to precision and detail in natural motifs is quite obvious in Sarah’s artwork. She hand draws images onto each piece before she fires them, which profoundly intensifies the depths and colors. The result is stunning. Tiles, vases, bowls, and lidded jars are a few of the forms she creates though she is always adding new shapes, in her effort to “constantly grow.” It’s little surprise that Sarah is drawn to the Saturday Evening Girls, a group founded on the belief in the need to give women a stronger voice at a time when women’s roles were growing in this country. This influenced their pottery and certainly influences Sarah’s expression as mother, artist, and business woman.

Her passion for her art complements Sarah’s many roles, most importantly, her role as a mother. Her family supports her and her business wholeheartedly. She works on her pottery mostly when the girls are in school and Frank is at work, though she is engaged in glazing activities in the evenings. During the summer the girls sometimes go to the studio with Sarah. The girls are obviously proud of their mom, wanting to become artists themselves. In fact, Casey just threw her first pot on the wheel a couple weeks ago. Sarah likes that they are seeing her be successful professionally, doing something she loves. The extra income is a nice perk too!

The family sees her efforts and dedication to artistry, but they also see a full time mom prioritizing time with family. Sarah volunteers at St. Phillips, the school her girls attend, and leads Sydney’s Brownie Girl Scout Troop of 34 girls. (Leading a troop is huge with ten girls, let alone 34!) With the “crazy busy” schedule of this family, it’s home where they choose to spend lots of good family time. They love to rent movies, especially the classics from Sarah and Frank’s childhood like Escape to Witch Mountain and The Incredible Mr. Limpit. Outdoors, they love to tinker in their tropical garden of colorful flowers and they enjoy riding their beach cruisers. When it’s just Sarah and the girls, Casey and Sydney like to have mom be their art teacher giving them drawing lessons. The result is a running mural on their glass doors and windows with contributions from all four family members.

Doing what she loves is Sarah’s success. It is definitely worth a look. Sarah’s next show is July 28-August 11 hosted by Xiem Gallery. The exhibition is presented by the American Ceramics Society – Design Chapter. Entries are for the Jeanne Ward Foundation Fund for Emerging Artists and are limited to students who are members of the Los Angeles Design Chapter. Her work will also be displayed at the L.A. County Fair in September where she will be doing throwing demonstrations as well. Visit her site at http://www.sassafrasspottery.com/ for specifics and a glimpse of her amazing work!