Marin Mommies presents a guest post by Cheryl Huang, MD FACS—Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

As mothers, we all delight in our babies’ skin—soft, plump and smooth. But we often forget to value our own skin. Neglecting to take proper care of this “canvas of beauty” can deprive us the opportunity to keep looking radiant and youthful for the years to come.

So many factors take a toll on our skin, from stress and hormonal changes to illness, sun exposure, air pollutants, and poor nutrition. These inflict damage on our skin, ultimately leading to the degeneration of collagen and elastin. For many, this breakdown begins during our thirties, with the appearance of fine lines under the eyes and around the corners of the mouth. Those lines may begin to deepen, and the surface of our skin may start to become dull, dry, blotchy, and discolored. 

But today we know that the earlier we start taking care our skin, the more damage we can prevent. Simple lifestyle changes and the help of a medical professional can help you make 40 the new 30. The following ideas can go a long way to restoring some of the youth and vigor to our skin.

One of our favorite destinations for a family road trip is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is not only a world famous attraction, but an international leader in environmental education and the fight to save the world's oceans.

One of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's most immediate and accessible conservation efforts is their Seafood Watch program. The goal of Seafood Watch is to raise consumer awareness about the need to choose seafood from sustainable sources, and to advocate for environmentally friendly seafood.

In this special "Earth Week" guest post, Melissa Hereford, Marin mompreneur and owner of Marin Kids and Maternity Consignment in San Rafael, offers a few reasons why buying gently used items (and selling or donating yours) is good not only for the wallet but for the environment, too.

Her motto is "Saving the earth, one outfit at a time," and she takes the idea seriously!

As we approach another Earth Day, we find ourselves focusing more and more on the recycling movement with our children, the future of the planet, and the limited space in our landfills in mind! Buying gently worn and gently used items is not only about saving money. That is a wonderful aspect of the practice, but it seems to be ever more important to reduce all the waste inherent in both manufacturing and retail. For example, when you buy gently used items, you:

It's mid-April and Northern Calfornia's wildflowers are pretty much at their peak. Spring is kind of an emphemeral time here in Marin, with the vibrant green grass quickly turning to brown by the end of May. For whatever reason we seem to have a bumper crop of magnificent wildflowers here in Marin this season. The wildflower show will be over before we know if, so make sure you get out and take a look before they're gone for another year.

Marin Mommies is now on Twitter! Follow our tweets at twitter.com/marinmommies and be notified of new posts to the site, as well as news, tips, and musings about life in Marin and the Bay Area. If you follow us, then chances are we'll follow you, too!

We're pleased to present another great guest article, this time written by Marin life coach Johanna Beyer.

So often I speak with people about what they would do in their lives if there were no constraints holding them back. Often times people have visions of being more creative or starting a business or traveling to new places. Inevitably, there is always a big, old BUT that comes after their exciting stories of possibility and that BUT is usually followed by a reason why they cannot make it happen. Perhaps it is not financially possible or there is a fear of failure or no one would think their idea would succeed. I then ask them why they cannot begin to explore their curiosity. What is the harm in beginning to carve out some time to specifically explore, research and talk to others about what interests them? The biggest obstacle I see people bump up against in trying to make purposeful change in their lives is an “all or nothing” approach. I can see the ego wanting the new endeavor to be perfect and that is just about death to any new seedling of an idea. Does a redwood tree come out of the ground strong, tall and robust? No, it takes time and the right conditions for it to grow and become majestic.

This week (April 13–19) is National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians, and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide. I know that some libraries in Marin are having some special programs to celebrate National Library Week. It’s also a great time to spend more time reading and enjoying books with your children. I love to go to the library for storytime and pick out some unique and fun books to read with my children. Listed below are a few book recommendations from the American Library Association (ALA). Go to their website for more 2009 notable children’s books.

Here are our picks for great events and activities for children and families this weekend. Find more events for the whole week in Marin and beyond in our new Family Events Calendar.

Friday, April 10

• San Anselmo Parks and Recreation holds an egg hunt on Friday, April 10 from 7:50 pm for kids ages 8 and older at Memorial Park in San Anselmo. Bring your flashlight and basket to collect treats. Please call the San Anselmo Parks & Recreation department for more information at (415) 258-4640.

Saturday, April 11

• Corte Madera Parks & Recreation's Children's Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 11 at 10 am sharp at the Corte Madera Town Park. There will be a magic show and jump house. For more info, call (415) 927-5073.

• Fairfax's annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place in Bolinas Park at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 11th. Music will be provided by James K. and will take place rain or shine. This event is sponsored by the Fairfax Park and Recreation Commission. For more information please call 456-5652.
• The City of Sausalito holds its annual Easter Parade and Egg Hunt on Saturday April 11, from 10 am–1 pm. The Easter Bunny will lead the parade, which begins at the fire station at the corner of Johnson and Caledonia Streets. Then, after the parade, the festivities will take place at Dunphy Park, and will include an old-fashioned egg hunt, crafts for the kids, live entertainment, and an Easter bonnet contest. So put on your best bonnet (with all the frills upon it) and come join the fun. For more info, go to their website.

• Come to the Spring Faire at the Strawberry Recreation District on Saturday, April 11 at 10:00 am. The Spring Faire is for children ages 1 through 8 and  includes carnival games, prizes and a candy and egg hunt (so bring your basket). Fee is $5 per child. The event will take place in the district gym at 118 E. Strawberry Drive. For information, call 383-6494.

• San Anselmo Parks and Recreation holds a Children's Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 11 at 11 am at Memorial Park for kids ages 7 and younger. The Egg Hunt will include an egg hunt and a chance to take a picture with the Easter Bunny, so bring your cameras. Please call the San Anselmo Parks & Recreation department for more information at (415) 258-4640.
• The Marinwood Community Center will be having Breakfast with Bunny and an egg hunt on Saturday, April 11 at Marinwood Park. The free egg hunt begins at 10 am and the breakfast will follow right after. Breakfast is $4.00 if purchased by April 10 and $6.00 at the door. www.marinwood.org

• The Downtown Novato Business Association will be having a Spring Celebration in downtown Novato, April 11 from 11–2 pm. There will be an egg Hunt at 11:00 am on Sherman Avenue compliments of Comcast Spotlight. Bring your cameras and take pictures with the Easter Bunny.  Meet local Race Car Driver Todd Schneider and sit inside a real Nascar Stock Car. Sponsored by Pini Ace Hardware. More info: www.dnba.net

Advance tickets for this summer's King Tut exhibition at San Francisco's de Young Museum go on sale to the general public today! Tut last made an appearance at the de Young in 1979, and many of you out there probably saw the exhibition as children. The new exhibition, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, will be at the de Young from June 27, 2009 through March 28, 2010, and includes over 130 works from the tomb of King Tut and other auspicious ancient Egyptians.

Visit www.tutsanfrancisco.org for more information on ordering tickets and about the exhibition. You can also preview the artifacts on display and send a King Tut e-card.