Educational Weekend Children's Activities.

Activities for your kids can be hard to come up with, when they do not want to play outside or color. Here is a list of creative activities that help with your child's education and let them have fun.  There is everything from an art project with melted crayons to an indoor frog pond.

Whether you're a traditional homeschooler, or just like to foster the imagination, here is a roundup of brilliant children's projects we've featured in the past on Apartment Therapy. Help stave off boredom this weekend one with these ideas…

1. Chemistry Class: Back to School DIY: Melted Crayons on Canvas - Not only does it look beautiful, but solids turn into liquids before one's eyes when heat is applied.

2. Chem II: Weekend Activity: Make Discovery Eggs - More solids to liquids, if it's warm enough to melt where you are.

3. Aquatic Habitats: Make An Indoor Frog Pond - I keep meaning to do this!

4. Art & Botany: Your Weekend Project: Printmaking - It's particularly fun to gather leaves for this project in the fall, when they're already on the ground and turning such beautiful colors.

5. Home Economics: Easy Scarf Project for You and Your Child - Keep warm! Another that makes sense for fall.
 
6. Astronomy 101: How to Make a Solar System Art Project Have a little star gazer on your hands? Help them make sense of the skies with this DIY galaxy.

7. Creative Chemistry: Make An Outdoor Science Lab

8. Arithmetic: Teach Math with Fun Height Game. Tangible activities are always a great approach to this difficult subject for many.

9: Intro to Architecture: Fort Building with Straws - Any kind of construction activity is good for kids of all ages. Don't have straw connectors? Make a fort with what's around.

For more information see Apartment Therapy.

Happy National Burger Day!

It is National Burger Day.  However, that does not mean you have to go out for a traditional burger.  Try mixing it up a bit with this cheeseburger casserole recipe!

CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
1 lb. hamburger 1/4 c. chopped onion 1/8 tsp. pepper 8 oz. tomato sauce 1/4 c. ketchup 8 oz. American cheese 1 can biscuits Brown ground meat and onions. Drain off grease. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup. Use dish. Layer meat, then cheese, meat, cheese. Put biscuits on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.   For more information see Cooks.com

Benicia: A Weekend Escape

A writer from the LA Times recently visited Benicia and loved all that it had to offer. You can plan a small weekend escape right in your hometown, and enjoy everything that Benicia has to offer.

Benicia, a small waterfront town in the Bay Area often overlooked by travelers, is an elixir for big-city angst. Less than an hour from Oakland and San Francisco, this charming hamlet gives visitors a chance to relax as they stroll the compact downtown's boutiques and antiques stores. This one-time state capital (1853-54) and location of the first Army post on the West Coast is dotted with historic sites and is a haven for the creative set — about 500 artists make Benicia their home.

The bed
Close to the Carquinez Strait, the Union Hotel (401 1st St.; [866] 445-2323, http://www.unionhotelbenicia.com; rooms $99-$179, including breakfast) offers 12 romantic, individually decorated guest rooms that recall the hotel's 19th century roots. Antiques abound, and there are such flourishes as ornate wood headboards, four-poster beds, gold sconces and crystal chandeliers; all have bathtubs (some Jacuzzi). Some have views of the water and the Carquinez Bridge. Spring for the Coast Lotus suite, which is lovely and has the best view.

The meal
Grab a table upstairs at Sailor Jack's (123 1st St.; [707] 746-8500, http://www.sailor-jacks.com; appetizers, $5-$14; entrees, $15-$31) to watch the sun set. The restaurant has a nautical feel and it comes by it honestly: It was built in 1868 as a sea captain's home. "Sailor Jack" is legendary author Jack London, a one-time oyster pirate who fished the Carquinez Strait and went on to write about it. You can make a great meal out of the appetizers, and we did. The New England clam chowder was terrific, as were the Trio of Crudo (sashimi, scallop ceviche, salmon poki), beer-battered veggies, fried calamari and a dozen oysters. (On Mondays they are only $1 each.)

The Find
The Arsenal (991 Tyler St., beniciaarsenal.com), a short ride from downtown, makes good use of former military and commercial facilities and has scores of artists' studios. On any given day, you may come upon a painter, sculptor or metalsmith at work — some spaces are live-work studios — as you wander through the galleries and shops. The artists and shop owners choose their own hours; that's part of the charm. There are two open-studio events on the first weekends in May and December. Be sure to explore the surrounding area — there are museums, historic buildings and more.

The lesson learned
Bring hiking shoes. The Benicia State Recreation Area covers 400 acres and has paths for walkers and runners, and the Bay Ridge Trail follows the waterfront all the way to Vallejo. Pamper yourself afterward at one of the 40 spas and hair and nail salons in Benicia.


For more information see the LA Times.

Wine Walk in Benicia

 A limited amount of tickets will be sold for the popular Wine Walk being held Sept. 22nd at 1pm.  The wine walk is back by popular demand in Downtown Benicia.  You can taste a variety of wines, while you walk and shop along popular First Street in Benicia.

Back by popular demand! Join us on Saturday, September 22nd from 1:00pm-5:00pm for Wine Walk in Downtown Benicia. 

Come taste a variety of regional and imported wines being poured inside participating downtown businesses for an enjoyable afternoon where you can “sip, walk, and shop.” Stroll First Street with glass in hand, tasting different wines, from reds to whites to sparkling. Many participating business will have tasty hors d'oeuvres to pair with the wine they are pouring.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the event. Ticket price includes one (1) complimentary Benicia Main Street logo wine glass per person. Participants must be age 21 and over. 
Check-in starts at 12:00pm at Benicia Main Street, 90 First Street, where a wine glass and map of tasting locations will be provided per ticket holder.

A limit of 300 tickets will be sold and can be purchased at Benicia Main Street, 90 First Street or online here: Buy Tickets

For additional information see Benicia Main Street.