Selina S. Lee

I know we’re not even in the full swing of spring and I’m starting to plan for summer already! I’m usually not this good at planning ahead but this year I’m making it a priority to plan our summer break ahead of time so kids can really enjoy their time off from school and I can actually keep things under budget by booking camps ahead. Seriously, summer camp tuitions need some serious budgeting (Ouch!) Boys have been attending few summer camps in the area (mostly Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley) every summer and this will be our third year returning to Steve & Kate’s camp. 

We love Steve & Kate’s camp because the children have the choice to choose what they want to learn and explore. There are several studios with different themes like Style (Knitting & Sewing), Breadmaking, Motion Stop Animation, Music & Dance, etc. There is plenty of outdoor acitivty time as well and weekly specials like Waterplay for hot summer days. N9 and T7 seems to be really into Breadmaking and Animation Studio. They would save me some bread so I can try it or send a video clip of their animation to my email so I can view them. They were so excited about learning something new and sharing it with me! We are also excited about this new studio they are adding this year, Coding Studio which kids will learn how to create their own video game app. That sounds way too cool!

We’ve been going to Oakland location in Temescal area but Steve & Kate’s camp is located in many places around bay area and other cities across the states. You can check their available locations here!

Here are some photos from the camp and what my kids are looking forward to this summer!

Here is a quick animation clip that N9 and his cousin Penny worked on together. So cute!

STYLE STUDIO (KNITTING & SEWING)

CODING STUDIO (BUILD YOUR OWN APP)

MUSIC STUDIO

WATER DAY FUN

I go down to LA (SoCal) few times a year to see family and friends. My 4 years of college life was spent in Southern California and now the place has become my second home. 6 hours drive and 2 hours flight doesn’t sound too far but it’s only few times a year that I get to visit so I try to squeeze as many coffee spots whenever/wherever I can. With new coffee places popping up in and around LA area, I can barely keep up. Here are few places I’ve visited last couple of times and what I loved about them. 

A tiny little hidden gem, a pop-up tucked away inside the business park in Valencia (near Magic Mountain). I love this place because they are conveniently located off of Interstate Hwy 5 on the way to NoCal. I usually need to grab coffee before hitting the road and it’s like a small oasis on the 5 (such a great find!). The convenience is great but I think their latte is what keeps me coming back every time. I could almost taste the care and love that went into making their coffee. Read more about their ‘cup for a cause‘ project and what they are working on now. It’s awesome.