Bunny Butt Fruit Snack

Easter is almost here, and that makes us think of cadbury eggs, peeps, and jelly beans. But you can make your own healthy Easter treats! Here we’ve got a recipe for the ‘Bunny Butt Fruit Snack’, something that’s as fun to make as it is to eat! Check out the recipe:

Bunny Butt Fruit Snack

1 Red Apple

Dark Grapes

Green Grapes

Mandarin Oranges

Whipped Cream Spray

Cut several dark and green grapes in half.  Cut the red apple in half.  Take off the peel using a knife.  Place the peeled apple half on a plate.  Arrange the dark grape halves around the apple.  Then line the outside with the green grape halves.  We cut the other apple half into another half.  Cut around the edges to shape feet.  Cut the outline of circles for pads and then cut off the peel around those circles. This will leave the red peel on the little circles for the feet.  We used a few mandarin oranges to look like carrots and cut grape halves for the lettuce and carrot stems.

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How to Change It Up for Under $10

For those of you who feel like your apartment’s decor or aura is getting a little old and could do with a change, you’re in luck. There’s several ways that you can jazz up your place in a hurry, and all of them are options that cost under $10. Now that’s a price you won’t get from any interior decorator!

Bring the Outdoors In: Having flowers and plants indoors instantly cheers up a room. If you haven't had any in a while, this just may be the time to start. If you live in a warm climate, you could pick a few outside, and if not, head to your local market and grab a bright bouquet or sweet potted plant. Maybe even plant some herbs in pots for your kitchen window sill.

Get Moving: Nothing gets old like the same old routine. Try moving a few things around in your house that always stay in the same spot. Maybe it's the vase that you put your newly cut flowers in. You could swap the neutral pillows from your bedroom to your living room. You can even re-arrange some furniture for a new perspective.

Go Thrifting: Head to your local thrift store and browse around for some fun, quirky home accessory that will liven up your home and your outlook.

Start Re-thinking: Is there an unused closet that you can turn into that sewing space you've always wanted? Is there a window that could become a lovely reading nook just by bringing over a small chair and table from another part of the house? Look around and see if there are areas in your home that would be best suited for another purpose.

Listen Up: Do you listen to music in your home while you're doing chores or cooking dinner? If not, maybe start there. If so, what if you changed up what you listened to? What if instead of your usual playlist, you put on some jazz or classical or reggae? How would that change your mood and the feeling in the house?

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St. Patrick's Day Events in San Diego.

Are you ready to wear some green?  This weekend is St. Patrick's Day!  Check out these great events happening throughout San Diego. You can also find more information on the San Diego website.

Ready for a little Irish reveling on St. Patrick’s Day? Luckily, you don’t have to set sail to Ireland to celebrate because the luck of the Irish can be found right here in San Diego. Spend the day basking in San Diego’s glorious sunshine and make some memories with your loved ones at one of these local outdoor family-friendly events.
 
San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Festival

Irish Festival

Dress the family in green and head out to the Irish Festival in Balboa Park. Held in conjunction with a grand St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the festival has something for the entire family including Irish faire, craft booths and live entertainment for you to clap, dance and sing-a-long with on two stages running. Kids can play in the Kids Zone complete with games, rides, llamas, face-painting and other fun. You can also step back in time at a Celtic Village where the year is 1582. A troupe of renaissance re-enactors will entertain you while portraying the daily drama of the soldiers of the House McFionn. Kids and adults alike will be amazed by authentic fighting demonstrations, as well as Irish dancing, songs and story-telling.

Parade

This annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will have more than 120 entries including marching bands, decorated floats, bagpipe contingents, the reigning Miss Colleen, the Smiling Irishman and much more. Get there early for best viewing of this popular, colorful parade.

Where: Parade - 5th & 6th Avenues, between Juniper and Upas
Date: March 16, 2013
Times: Festival – 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Parade starts at 10:30 AM
Cost: Free > Find out more about the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Festival
St. Patrick’s Day 10K Run, 4 & 2 Mile Fun Run



“May the road rise to meet you” at this 33rd annual run/walk event in Mission Bay Park. The best Irish-themed running costume will be recognized, and the whole family can watch or participate, then spend the day playing at the park. Mission Bay’s cool breezes, tranquil waters and soft sand beaches welcome beach-goers to this beautiful area all year long. But if you do decide to come out for St. Paddy’s day, there are also abundant grassy areas for the kids to hunt for four-leaf clovers!

Where: Mission Bay Park - 1740 East Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109
Starting Time: 7:30 AM > Find out more about St. Patrick’s Day 10K Run, 4 & 2 Mile Fun Run

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Shoes and Socks For Kids

The Chula Vista Police Department gave away socks and shoes to students at Chula Vista Elementary School two mondays ago.  On February 24th, students met with officers at a Payless Shoe Store to pick out shoes and socks.  This great program is for toddlers to 18 year olds.  You can read more at the Star News.

Hundreds of Chula Vista elementary school students arrived at school Monday with new shoes and socks.

The gifts came from the third annual Chula Vista Police Department Shoes & Socks Give away, in which school resource officers raise money for the event.

Early in the morning on Feb. 24, students gathered at Payless Shoe Source on Broadway at the Chula Vista mall for the event, which brings officers together with the community, vendors, donors and volunteers to provide new shoes and socks for children returning to school who otherwise can’t afford them.

“Each student is able to go inside (Payless) and they are partnered up with a volunteer,” Chula Vista school resource officer David Martinez said. “Their foot gets measured so they get the proper shoe size and get to pick out one package of six pairs of socks and one pair of shoes.”

Martinez assisted in coordinating this year’s event.

School resource officers work closely with school principals and nurses, as well as counselors from South Bay Community Services, to identify children in the most need.

Students eligible to participate range from toddlers to 18 years old.

“As long as they’re in school then they are allowed to participate,” Martinez said.

However there is an exception.

“Most of the kids come from the elementary schools but we also talk to South Bay Community Services to find out if they have younger or older siblings who are in need and we add their names to the list,” he said. “Also, some of the high schools send in referrals.”

Martinez said that he and fellow school resource officer Roy Vicente, who will be responsible for coordinating the event going forward, would start promoting the event two to three months beforehand next time.

“The more money we get in, the more families and students we’re able to help out with the event,” he said.

Each year, police officers request monetary donations in an effort to at least match last year’s goal.

Approximately $20,000 was raised this year, the most to date.

Thanks to the donations, approximately 900 kids were given shoes and socks, compared to last year’s count of 650.

“This event is very significant due to the fact that there’s a lot of children in need here in the community,” Martinez said. “A lot of the parents aren’t able to afford new shoes for their kids.”

Martinez said that unfortunately students with damaged or tattered footwear can be bullied and sometimes a new pair of shoes and socks can help.


Martinez has been a school resource officer two years and is responsible for the schools, safety of the students, staff, parents and traffic enforcement, with the primary responsibility of counseling students.

Martinez said the position is rewarding.

“It’s good that the kids get to see you in a good light,” he said. “It’s also good that you can help the kids out. There’s a lot of needy kids in the Chula Vista area, especially western Chula Vista.”

Martinez is assigned to the 17 elementary schools west of Interstate 805.

“Currently we have three elementary school SROs,” he said. “The other two are assigned on the east side of the 805.”
Martinez said he recognized students at the event on Sunday who in turn remembered him.

“It feels really good that the kids notice me or remember who I am,” he said. “It’s just really rewarding, especially that they remember my name. When you see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they’re getting a new pair of shoes and socks, it just makes everything worth it.”

Martinez said the event is successful each year due to repeat donors Payless Shoe Source, Sycuan Casino and Eastlake Church.

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