Novato has gone through something of a supermarket renaissance in the past couple years, which have seen the opening of the big new Safeway near Hamilton as well as the upscale Paradise Foods in the Pacheco Plaza shopping center just across the freeway. The newest kid on the grocery store block is the long-awaited Whole Foods Market, which opened last Thursday at the Millworks on Grant Avenue in Novato's Old Town. If our recent experience there is any indication, Whole Foods is definitely poised to give its fellow markets a run for their money.

The 40,000-square-foot store is much bigger than its sister stores in Mill Valley and San Rafael, and far more pleasant to shop at, too. We've been there a few times since it opened, and have so far experienced no parking challenges or long lines, which was certainly not the case when the new Safeway opened in the summer of 2008. As one has come to expect from Whole Foods, the store features lots of organic produce, a bakery (try the pretzel bread!), full service meat and seafood counters, a deli, a Straus Creamery frozen yogurt bar, a coffee bar, a burrito counter, a sushi stand, a salad bar, plenty of prepared foods, and more. Many of the foods in stock come from local farmers and producers, and there's a board outside the main entrance that tells you where things come from.

Ever wondered if a fitness boot camp is the right way for you to get in shape? Marin fitness expert and owner of Novato Adventure Boot Camp Carlos Payte explains what it's all about in this guest article.

"What is Novato Adventure Boot Camp and how could I possibly be helped by it?” That is one of many questions that people think as they hear the name, see the bright-orange-and-red SUV heading down the streets of Novato, hear the buzz around town, or quietly observe as they walk their dogs past one of our locations in Novato. Americans seem to constantly be looking for better, more efficient, more fun, and more challenging ways to get into better shape.

We all know the familiar rush to join a new gym (or renew that old dusty membership card) after the holidays. We all know the promises to ourselves, the new commitments, and the dedication that we really WILL stick to it this time around. The fact is that most of us don’t stick to our commitments when it relates to taking care of ourselves. We have work, families, friends, volunteerism, and just that one last committee at school we promised to sit on during these tough times for our schools and kids.

Mill Valley mom and Certified Financial Planner™ Katy Song offers some tips for buyers and sellers in today’s uncertain real estate market.

Springtime means the housing market is about to pick up from the dreary days of winter. Since 2008, home values nationwide have plummeted, and our little bubble of Marin was not immune. The hardest hit areas were San Rafael and Novato due to short sales and foreclosures, with values down 30–40% from their peaks. As a comparison, Mill Valley is down approximately 15% from its peak.

While 2009 sales volume and median home prices improved year-over-year in Marin, the average selling price was lower and houses are staying on the market longer. Due to the micro-markets within southern Marin, it is hard to make generalizations about the housing market but here are some tips on how to make the best of this market if you are a seller or a buyer.

In case you haven't picked up one of those Easter egg coloring kits from the store yet, never fear—there are ways of coloring your eggs using stuff you may already have around the house, including natural dyes that you may never have thought of! A friend of mine passed on a great post from the website iLunchBox that goes over alternative egg dying methods. One suggestion is to use the plain old food coloring that you may or may not have in your cupboard. Mixing different combinations of blue, yellow, and red will give you just about any color imaginable.

If food coloring' not your thing, then uing a natural ingredient for dye, such as spinach or grass for green, turmeric for yellow, or even red wine or red wine vinegar for a red color. Read the article here for more Easter egg tips.

With the change in seasons comes the inevitable spring cleaning and the need for organizing the house. Barbara Streckfus, owner of A Space for Everything, a Professional Home Organizing Company, offers some handy tips to help bring some order into your home this spring.

Spring is here and so is that feeling that we should start organizing our belongings in our homes, just like birds nesting in the springtime. You look at the piles on the counters, or the mess in the drawers, and your first question is… where do I begin?

First, you should begin with a game plan. Write down your plan even if it is the “big picture” plan, then add in all the details. Next, prioritize what space is most important to organize. Is it the kids’ rooms? Is it the room for the new baby? Is it designing the family room to be more kid-friendly and adding more shelves to the one shelf/one rod closet?

The coming of spring ushers in California's all too brief wildflower season. One of the best places to see wildflowers in the Bay Area is the Point Reyes National Seashore in West Marin. Repeat visitors to this site know that Point Reyes is probably our favorite place for a family outdoor outing, and in March and April you can also see some pretty spectacular wildflower displays, especially since we've had a wet winter.

Just because you're a stay-at-home mom doesn't mean you can't take charge of you and your family's financial security. In this guest article, Mill Valley mom and Certified Financial Planner™ Katy Song offers some financial tips to help stay-at-home moms take action and make a difference.

Women have different reasons for choosing to stay at home to take care of their children. Some mothers have always envisioned staying at home with the kids, while others might not make enough to cover the cost of childcare. No matter the reason, there are five important steps that every stay-at-home mom (SAHM) can take to protect her and her family’s financial security.

1. Value Yourself—Most moms would argue that staying home to raise the kids is the toughest job in the world. According to Salary.com, the average SAHM works 96 hours per week; if you valued this work as a care provider, teacher, driver, housekeeper and psychologist, it would add up to over $145,000 per year in Marin. So do not underestimate your value just because you’re not bringing in a paycheck each week. Valuing your role in the family should translate into having an equal say in financial matters.

Tickets are still available for this week's special events with world-renowned developmental psychologist Dr. Gordon Neufeld at the Four Points by Sheraton in San Rafael, CA. Dr. Neufeld is an international authority on child development and author of the bestselling book Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers.

This Thursday, March 11 from 7 to 9pm, Dr. Neufeld gives a public talk "The Truth About Consequences and the Trouble with Time-Outs: 12 Guidelines for Natural Discipline".

On Friday, March 12, from 9 am to 4 pm there will be a full-day training "Relationship Matters: Harnessing the Power of Attachment". This training session is intended for professionals, but is open to the public.