Of course every Holiday season Santa Claus is a pretty popular guy. He'll be making the rounds for photos, breakfast, and other holiday fun at various shopping centers and other locations in Marin County.

Santa Photos at the Mall at Northgate
November 22 - Monday, December 24
The Mall at Northgate in San Rafael invites all the children to visit Santa and have their picture taken with Santa Claus at his new home in Center Court by GNC. Individual photos and packages are available. Santa takes reindeer-feeding breaks Monday–Saturday from 1 to 2 pm and again from 5 to 6 pm, and Sundays from 2 to 3 pm.

Corte Madera Town Center Santa Photos
November 28 to December 24
Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm
At 770 Office Building Lobby (near Barnes & Noble)

The Village at Corte Madera Santa Photos
November 22 to December 24
Saturdays and Sundays 11 am to 6 pm
Visit Santa in his cottage near Macy’s

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The holidays are the time to think about those who are closest and dearest to us, and this of course includes the people who care for our children. How can you show your nanny your love and thanks? This guest post was contributed by Diana Chiarabano, owner of Rent-a-Parent Personnel Services. Diana has been helping Marin families & nannies for 25 years. You can reach her at Diana@rentaparent.net.

We all do it… we get so busy with our daily lives that we often forget to reward and acknowledge those who mean the most to us.  If you have a truly loving, dependable, and wonderful nanny, then consider yourself very fortunate.  You can go to work, fulfill obligations, take care of personal and family needs; all the while knowing that your child benefits from being in your nanny’s care. Nannies are like anyone else-they like to feel appreciated. This is a good time of year to dust off the “things I’m thankful for” list and put your thoughts into action.  How about showing your nanny how much she means to you.

Let your kids’ imagination run wild and create the ultimate gingerbread house with candy canes, gumdrops, frosting, and other treats at the Bay Area Discovery Museum this holiday season. The 12th Annual Gingerbread Architecture Extravaganza starts on November 29 and runs through December 23. Open registration starts on Monday, November 17. Cost is $25 per gingerbread kit and pre-registration is required, so register online at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. Make sure to register early, because the event does sell out.

Friday, November 14

• Bring the kids (ages 2–4) to Fantastic Fridays: Super Safety Day this Friday from 10 to 11:30 am at the Crissy Field Center. Who loves fire trucks!  Bring your toddler down to meet all of the safety personal, including their machines, to make our parks safe. To register call (415) 561-7752, or download the form at www.parksconservancy.org. The cost is $10 per child, accompanied by a parent or caregiver.
• On Friday Nights at the de Young the entire museum is open until 8:45 pm. Enjoy college night activities, and participate in hands-on art activities for the family. There's also a special dinner menu at the de Young Café and a cash bar. Adults $10, Adults $10, seniors 65 and over $7, youths 13-17 $6, college students with ID $6, children 12 and under and members free. www.deyoungmuseum.org

In our recent interview with Marin children's musician Tim Cain mentions his new CD release with his band Dream Circle: It's a Holiday. Tim was kind enough to provide us with a review copy of this new holiday CD, and it's one we've really been enjoying. It's a Holiday is a fun and cheerful seasonal celebration featuring songs for a wide range of winter holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Chinese New Year. Dream Circle is indeed a dream lineup of local children's musicians, including Tim, Judy Nee (AKA Miss Kitty), Cindy Cohen, and Christopher Smith.

You can always count on finding wonderful family holiday performances at the Marin Center in San Rafael, and the 2008 season is no exception. There’s definitely something for everyone, so bring the family to one of these holiday Marin classics. Many of these productions sell out early, so order your tickets soon.

Marin Center is located off Civic Center Drive in San Rafael, adjacent to the Marin County Civic Center. It offers two performance venues: the 1,960-seat Marin Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, which hosts major concerts, performances, and events, and the smaller 315-seat Showcase Theater. For more information, seating charts, tickets, and directions, visit the Marin Center's website.

As winter approaches, so does the dreaded "cold and flu season." Many people in the Bay Area turn to alternative medicine to help their families fight off illnesses and stay healthy. Are homeopathic remedies right for you and your family? This guest article by nationally certified homeopath Edi Pfeiffer, who recently opened an office in Corte Madera, explains many of the concepts of homeopathy and how it can be used to treat common illnesses. As always, the information in this article is not a substitute for advice or care from a health professional.

As cold and flu season begins, is there anything we can do to lessen the frequency and severity of our children’s acute illnesses? Certified Classical Homeopath Edi Pfeiffer of Corte Madera gives some great tips for building up our immune systems and outlines a few remedies that can make a big difference.

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