Chinese New Year is coming up at the end of January, and it just so happens that we received a review copy of the fantastic Lucky Bamboo Book of Crafts by author, illustrator, and teacher Jennifer DeCristoforo. This colorful, 136-page book is a perfect way for kids to learn about Chinese culture, and to have a lot of fun as they do it!

Lucky Bamboo Book of Crafts is filled with over 100 fun projects that introduce children to Chinese culture and traditional fine arts. It includes projects relating to Chinese New Year and other festivals and holidays, Chinese folk toys and games, traditional performance and dance, and more. There are literally days' worth of projects in here to keep kids occupied, and activities range in skill level to fairly advanced (that is, Mom and Dad may have to lend a hand).

When our review copy showed up in the mail, my kids immediately claimed it and started looking through it to see what kinds of crafts they could create. They got out the scissors, stapler, glue, and construction paper and created the neat mini-lantern garland (on pages 98–99 in the book and pictured below) that we used to decorate the house.

When we're in the mood for an easy hike in West Marin with the kids, we love to head to Tomales Bay Trailhead, off Highway 1 just north of the town of Point Reyes Station. This hike is perfect for families with children of all ages, and passes through the gently rolling hills at the southern end of Tomales Bay. Be prepared to take in some sweeping views, watch for local wildlife, and meet some friendly cows wandering the meadows.

Tomales Bay Trailhead has the added benefit of being close to Point Reyes Station—it's only a few minutes north of town off of Highway 1. It's a great place to take in a hike when you don't feel like driving out all the way into Point Reyes National Seashore, and it's beautiful in its own right. The Tomales Bay Trails winds along hills and run through grassy meadows from the highway down to Tomales Bay itself.

This Saturday, the 150-year-old walls of Fort Point will again echo with the sounds of fifes and drums and tramp of boots as this San Francisco landmark celebrates Civil War Living History Day. Come watch and interact with dozens of reenactors from the American Civil War Association portraying Union soldiers and civilians from the time of the War Between the States at the only Civil War-era brick fort west of the Mississippi.

Fort Point's Civil War Living History Day takes place Saturday, January 25, 2014, from 10 am to 5 pm. Activities include infantry demonstrations, artillery discussions, flag raising and lowering ceremonies, and performances by period military musicians. Reenactors are happy to answer questions about history and various aspects of life during the Civil War.

We've attended this event a few times (it's usually held the last weekend of January), and it always exceeds our expectations. It's exciting to march into the fort right behind the fife-and-drum band, and entering the courtyard to see only reenactors in period dress was a thrilling experience that was the next best thing to traveling back in time. If you're at all interested in the Civil War or California's history, it's an event you have to attend.

Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Here's Nicole's meal plan for this week.

We love these quick and easy vegetarian tacos for their almost meat-like texture full of Mexican spices. Along with a slather of smoky chipotle cream these will be your next family favorite. Now, chipotles on their own are quite spicy but when mixed with Mexican crema they only impart their smoky goodness without the heat. To make this super quick, I recommend buying pre-pealed and cubed butternut squash, which can be found in most grocery stores.

Serves: 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

for the squash

• 6–8 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled
• ¼ cup olive oil

Slide Ranch, located off of Shoreline Highway in Muir Beach, is a fun place for the entire family. When we tried out one of their family farm days, my kids had a great time petting the sheep, planting a seed, milking a goat, and creating nature crafts. They offer guided tours and lots of hands-on activities, including collecting eggs from the ranch's chickens, planting seeds, sampling from their organic garden, learning to make crafts and food just like the early farmers, and exploring the nearby tide pools.

Below is a list of their upcoming spring events. Spring family program registration opens Wednesday, January 22, 2014. All registration for Slide Ranch programs now takes place online. Their programs do fill up quickly, so sign up soon if you are interested in participating.

Family Farm Days

During the family programs, your family can milk a goat, collect eggs from the chickens, and explore the organic gardens and coastal wildlands. Come learn about native plants and ecology on the trails, make nature crafts and recycled-material art, cook or bake from fresh produce from their gardens, card and spin wool from the sheep, explore the tide pools and more! Enjoy a day of family fun. All Family Farm Days take place from 10 am–2 pm.

• Ocean Exploration Family Farm Days
  Saturday, March 8 and Saturday, April 5
• Sheep to Shawl Family Farm Day
  Saturday, March 22

Point Reyes Station is the social and cultural hub of West Marin, and a fantastic destination for a day out with the family. While the railroad that gave this small town its name is long gone, Point Reyes Station has become something of a tourist mecca in recent years, with a focus on sustainable agriculture, locally produced artisanal and organic foods, and art. On weekends, the main street of this quaint and charming gateway to Point Reyes National Seashore bustles with West Marin locals, Bay Area day trippers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, hikers, and visitors from around the world.

Even though many of Point Reyes Station's attractions are geared toward grownups, there's plenty for families to do here, making it an attractive destination for an outing in and of itself, or a worthwhile stop on the way to or from the beaches and hiking trails of the Point Reyes National Seashore. Most of Point Reyes Station's businesses are clustered around Highway One (AKA A Street, Main Street, and Shoreline Highway). A walk down Main Street's sidewalks takes you past art galleries, boutiques, and gourmet restaurants, as well as businesses more traditionally associated with small rural towns, like a feed store, tack and saddle shop, hardware store, and saloon.

Here are a few of our favorite places to visit when we find ourselves in Point Reyes Station with children in tow.

On the Marin County coast, you'll often find better weather in the winter than during the foggy summer, so this time of year is a great time to head out to the beach. One family favorite in Marin is Limantour Beach at the Point Reyes National Seashore. Limantour boasts gentle surf, stunning views, and miles of sandy beach.

Named after a French merchant shipwrecked here in the 1840s, Limantour Beach is located along Drake's Bay, and is close to Point Reyes Station and the Point Reyes National Seashore park headquarters on Bear Valley Road. As you drive over Inverness Ridge, you'll see evidence of the devastating 1995 Mt. Vision fire that swept through this area in the form of the young fir and pine trees that line the roadway.

Along the way, you'll find trailheads and parking areas for several popular trails, including Sky and Muddy Hollow trails, as well as a youth hostel and the Clem Miller Environmental Education Center. There are also several scenic overlooks that afford stunning vistas of Tomales Bay and the Limantour Estero.

Chinese New Year takes place this year on January 31, and one way you can get ready for the Year of the Horse is by reading Oliver Chin's Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series, The Year of the Horse (Immedium, 2014). This is the ninth book in this series by Chin, a local San Francisco writer and dad, and tells the story of the young horse Hannah, a boy named Tom, and a brave journey they undertake.

Look for cameo appearances by other animals from the Chinese Zodiac along the way!

The Year of the Horse tells a charming story and introduces kids to Chinese culture and art. It also offers message about friendship, bravery, and accomplishment. The illustrations, again by illustrator and cartoon character designer Jennifer Wood (who's done work for Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network), are delightful and infuse The Year of the Horse with a lot of appeal and charm. Both my children love the book and keep reading it over and over again.

The Year of the Horse is a great storytime choice for Chinese New Year, or any time at all, for that matter, and it's sure to become one of your favorite Chinese New Year books. Other books in Chin's Chinese zodiac series include The Year of the Snake (2013), The Year of the Dragon (2012), The Year of the Rabbit (2011), The Year of the Tiger (2010), The Year of the Ox (2009), The Year of the Rat  (2008), The Year of the Pig  (2007), and The Year of the Dog (2006).

Marin Mommies presents a guest article by Scott Rubin of Mill Valley Mathnasium on the new Common Core Standards now being used in many Marin schools.

The Common Core Standards are a topic of much discussion lately. The effects the standards will have, both beneficial and adverse, are hotly debated. But one fact is clear: the Standards are here and parents, students and teachers all over California are working with them every day. Nearly all Marin County schools have implemented the Standards as of the beginning of this school year.

The implementation of the Common Core Standards has had a profound impact on the mathematics curriculum in the Marin County schools, from kindergarten through high school. Classes like geometry and algebra 2 have had their course curricula radically changed from what they had been for decades. Elementary grades have seen many math concepts moved from one grade to another while other math concepts have been moved to the middle school curriculum or altogether eliminated.

While the efficacy of such changes remains to be seen, one thing is clear: students, parents and teachers alike will need to deal with a difficult transition period over the next few years.