If you happened to be in the aisles of local business supply stores near Palm Springs this past week (or any retail establishment selling spiral notebooks) you may have heard the faint sound of a seasonally incongruous tune. The ditty was, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” humming from the smiling lips of parents who were preparing to upend the family dynamic by sending their youngsters back to school in the Palm Springs Unified District. No more battles between siblings over the remote control or sullen glances at a suggestion that maybe everyone could take a swim, again. Nope, it’s back to teachers, friends, Expo markers and three-ring binders, plus mini soft-sided coolers filled with lunch. The return of the school routine means desert kids are no longer trapped at home, but we can also no longer allow them to graze willy-nilly from the fridge for their victuals. They’re going to start learning again, so the family must be fed and fed well!
Family Cooking
That’s where the CFM can help. In one week, on Saturday August 19th, we’ll celebrate Family Nutrition Day at the Indoor Palm Springs Market. Chef Amanda Nees from Prepped By Ace will be Guesting in the Pavilion Kitchen, making a back-to-school main dish that allows busy parents to make their lives easier through multitasking – i.e. making several meals at once. She’ll also sample her delicious (and genuinely healthy!) homemade gummy snacks, with tips on how to get kids involved in the kitchen.
Family Crafting
In addition to noshing, we’ll welcome an art instructor from Family Nutrition Days past (and LQ CFM vendor) Kellie Pellegrini from Upcycle Craftworks. She’ll offer a kids’ project that uses Market produce to make sustainable jewelry. If this description leaves you scratching your head, rest assured that if anyone can pull something this unusual off successfully, it’s Kellie. She’s got 3 boys who haven’t started school yet, so they’ll be fine tuning the details all week.
Family Community Events
Also, check in with Joanna Boles Whitlow from About Families, as she talks about the various services her non-profit organization provides and get details about this year’s Fall Family Festival – taking place for the first time on the West end of the CV, in Ruth Hardy Park on November 18th!
Family Celebration
To add a feather to this pretty little cap, we’ve invited the folk soul duo “Axtell” all the way from Buenos Aires, Argentina for the first time in CA as part of a 5-month, 16-state tour of the US! The duo offers an energetic performance that frequently breaks the fourth wall and puts a smile on the face of everyone in the crowd. Axtell plays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and will be followed up by the dulcet tones of local folk guitarist Amy Hindman.
