 Whether you’re a hardcore marathoner or someone who prefers to limit daily exercise to the distance between the fridge and the couch, having kids changes everything. The goal of being in shape becomes less about fitness for its own sake, and more about staying healthy to be around for the long term. No matter your objective, Lamorinda’s gyms, fitness centers and studios are ready to help you succeed.
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 If the recent winter storms and the threat of wildfire have taught us anything, it’s that we need to be more self-reliant. There are many ways to prepare for power outages, and plenty of things you can do to make your family more self-sufficient and less dependent upon outside sources for things like power, water, and food.
 This year’s bird flu has made it hard to find eggs on the shelf and left us gazing longingly at our neighbor’s hens. Before you get all foxy and start stealing from other people’s coops, consider laying in some chickens of your own. The hobby of raising hens has become a popular and productive suburban pastime with many AVID chicken parents in Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga.
 As most of us know by now, staying healthy requires a synergistic approach. Exercise alone is
not enough, nor is eating the right foods. The effects of cortisol, the “stress hormone” can take a toll on the body, just as physical ailments may eventually take a psychological one and should be addressed. Research on alternative therapies and treatments has shown that taking care of the mind and spirit can have a significant impact on overall personal wellness. When you’ve decided it’s time to focus on the health of your whole self, you’ll find many practitioners in the Bay Area who can help.  You’ve got your favorite food spots down to a science - which is important because you pride yourself on clean eating and for whatever reason, health, mental clarity or whatever, you need fresh and healthy - average restaurant food won’t cut it.
The East Bay has you covered! From Oakland and Berkeley to Walnut Creek and Danville. Some of the most frequented spots may (or may not!) be trendy. One thing they all have in common is a commitment to fresh ingredients. You know, similar to those you would use at home: local, organic, sustainable, wild, grass-fed, and pasture-raised..all the good stuff you’re happy to feed your body, soul and family.  Cruising down the 24, the historic Orinda Theater lights beckon the eyes to look and light up a sleepy downtown that has some vibrant and well-loved businesses. Lafayette boasts the “Hill of Crosses” - which is visible from the freeway and commemorates soldiers lost in the Iraq war - with one cross for every soldier lost...and wholly cared for by community volunteers. . Hacienda De Las Flores in Moraga is a beautiful venue that hosts food trucks, lawn games and family friendly fun on select Fridays in the summertime. While these attractions are defined landmarks of the three towns that make up Lamorinda, each has its own distinct vibe and things to offer the community as a whole. What can you expect from each of these sister-towns?
 While we stay away from shameless plugs and try to give you a fair overview of what’s what in Lamorinda - in one category there is really no true alternative to My Sustainable Table. The way many get around ‘Delivery Dilemma’ in the food and nutrition realm is to turn to this unique, fresh cooked, consciously planned and super healthy family delivery service. Sharon and her team offer family-sized portions of balanced meals, delivered to your doorstep.
Meals, soups, bone broths and healthy treats are all made in her Oakland commercial kitchen. Paleo, vegetarian and keto meals are stressed with a focus on 100% organic and local ingredients. Sugar, gluten and dairy are essentially void on the menu...as is plastic. Meals are delivered in paper containers and glass jars. Think Three Stone Hearth, only MST is available in Lamorinda. Feel free to find out more (and become a no subscription customer) at www.mysustainabletable.com  We’ve all been there. Those days when you’ve had a long day at work, traffic is a nightmare and you can’t bear the thought of driving to the grocery store or worse, getting everyone out the door only to sit through a long meal. You know your fridge and cupboards are bare and you know you can’t call in from one of a hundred restaurants like you did when you lived in the city. When you’re feeling “jammy time” rather than playing the shopping cart shuffle during the after-work rush, we’ve got options for you.
 Hi! I’m Caitlin. From age 4 to age 17, I spent my Bay Area summers barefoot and slathered in sunscreen in and around local pools. There is so much more to swim team than just swimming — let me tell you why it is SO worth it.
Swim team was a family sport. There are daily practices and twice weekly meets. The practices are usually after school for the spring season and early in the morning in the summer. Luckily for parents, the older kids do the very early morning practices and they are more likely to be able to drive themselves. On my swim team, the older kids put the lane dividers in the pool, and the young kids coiled them up at the end of practice. Taking care of our pool is an important aspect of the program. Practices start in the spring while school is still in session. For most kids, the end of the season was the league meet, but the top swimmers were invited to go to the county meet in August. Kids from all over Contra Costa County would swim their hardest and break records. When practiced started up again the next season, we would always celebrate our champions as a team! Swim practices were pretty cut and dry: in the pool, workout hard but never feel the sweat, go home and eat twice as much as normal. At swim meets, however, every family had a blanket and sometimes a popup canopy or even a camping tent to keep out of the hot Californian sun. At the city and league meets, each team had their own designated area. We covered a grassy hill at Heather Farm like a patchwork quilt, or lined the outdoor corridors of Acalanes high school with our swim bags leaning on the lockers. My favorite time in the season was the all-city meet. That meet was usually around the time of my birthday on July 10th, and I was thrilled to spend it out in the sunshine with all my friends. My mom usually let me bring cookies or cupcakes to share. In addition to my swim team friends, a lot of my friends from school would be there, too, scurrying around the pool deck or waiting for their turn in the pool. All-city meet included swimmers from many cities, hundreds of kids. We spent very little time actually in the water; after all, we were trying to swim as fast as we could in our races! We spent a lot more time waiting for our heat in folding chairs set up near the pool. I learned a lot of hand clapping games from girls I never learned the names of from all the other teams. Other than swimming and lining up t swim, most time at the meets was spent just hanging out. We would listen to music and play games: my favorites were uno and apples to apples. These simple summer memories led to some of my strongest friendships, still thriving almost 10 years since I last competed. It does require a lot of time for the parents who let their kids swim in Lamorinda, driving to practices and staying at swim meets, but it also introduced me to the best community. I encourage you to meet your neighbors by the pool side!  If your child will be joining a swim team for the first time, there are some things you should know, as being a swimmer (and a parent) on a recreational team is a sport like no other! Lamorinda is well known for having a swim team culture and many of Lamorinda’s youth participate in swim team at one point or another as it’s a great summer activity full of exercise, time outdoors, learning new skills and creating lasting friendships. Lamorinda has fifteen swim teams throughout Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. The swim teams each have a mascot and are are a part of a swim or swim/tennis club, a country club, an athletic club or community based clubs that use high school facilities. If a team is a part of a club that requires membership, which most of the teams in Lamorinda are, the family must already be a member before a swimmer can join a team. There are exceptions to this rule at some clubs for the 15-18 year old age group allowing those older swimmers to swim on a team without membership. Some teams also require minimum swimming skills before being able to be on the team. In most cases, clubs have a Learn to Swim or ‘ Guppy’ program which gets younger swimmers ready to be on a swim team. All swim teams that are a part of a club have a per swimmer fee to be on the team, in addition to any club membership dues and fees.
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Kristina McCann
Passionate about helping you fit in... Lamorinda's Top INDEPENDENT Realtor 925.567.4328 Categories
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