My college friend Sarah is hitting a milestone birthday this year. The number shall remain secret. The ladies in our dance group want to shower her with gifts, and they’re thinking makeup. “Eve, can you …

It started at Disneyland, of all places. The park brought in a DJ to perform in sync with a light show built around Tron: Legacy. My teenage son saw stars. He already makes music on …

San Diego’s stand-up paddleboard lesson prices

Backyard coyotes love backyard chickens.

Reusable sandwich bags reviewed.

Who will dig your well in San Diego County? Will they certainly find water?

“Gelato is like tacos — it’s street food, not high-end fare.”

“We should make a new drink, the Hangover Prevention.”

In the testing kitchen: cereals shaped like O’s and hugs.

‘Face painting gets a bad rap,” said Megan Norgan of the Rosy Glow Paint Co. (858-633-ROSY; rosyglowpaintco.com). “People think it has that carny feel or that it’s cookie-cutter. But my aim is to show it …

Summer’s only half over — off the couch, kids!

Dogs in San Diego County are at great risk of rattlesnake bites. Have them trained not to be.

"On the road again…” Every June, Patrick starts singing the Willie Nelson classic. He loves summer road-tripping. He doesn’t like planning them, however. Guess who that job falls to? This year he’s dreaming of his …

Getting out of the summer heat with shade sail options from local firms.

Fruit-bar feeding frenzy (voracious lip-smacking included).

Through rain, sweat, and tears, mascara that delivers.

There’s a uke craze in the Kelly home. The ukulele comes everywhere: in the car, to school, to the beach. Our oldest son begged for one for months. “It’s so convenient and portable,” he pleaded. …

What’s the price of war with your yard rats?

Learn to make — or buy — detergent for sensitive, rash-prone skin.

Magician shopping for the next party.

Loads of cannoli for Guido.

Most San Diegans need good soil for backyard gardens. Where to get it, how much, and for how much?

Whenever I hear the word ‘tots,’ I think of Napoleon — Dynamite, that is, not Bonaparte. Bully kid: “Napoleon, give me some of your tots.” Napoleon Dynamite: “No! Go find your own!” Napoleon understood that …

I snagged an invitation to Easter in La Jolla this year, so I decided to bring the host some fancy Easter baskets for her two lovely daughters. I started with the basket. Joe at World …

I see the signs that spring has arrived at the Kelly home: hours of planting, barbecue dinners on the patio, wafts of jasmine floating in the kitchen window, and loads of requests for baby animals. …

Every park I see these days is swarming with kids throwing baseballs. My ten-year-old is pushing hard to join a team. But while he’s had years of catch with his dad, he hasn’t done much …

“You do know that God created liquor to keep the Irish from conquering the world, right?” I smiled at my Irish hubby. “And tea to keep Irish women’s mouths from yapping at their men?” he …

Patrick’s a little jealous of my new exercise regimen. I told him we should work out together, but he doesn’t want to belly dance. So we looked into boxing. “We offer Western boxing,” said Dustin, …

“The greatest thing about an electric bike is that it operates just like a regular bike,” said Ike Fazzio, owner of San Diego Fly Rides (619-888-3878; sandiegoflyrides.com), located in the Gaslamp. “If you’re feeling strong, …

The Zonies are coming, the Zonies are coming! Friends of ours, actually, fleeing the heat of a Phoenix summer and looking to rent a house near the ocean. The first item on their agenda is …

My husband’s happy place is in his yard. Around this time of year, he spends hours deep in thought, cultivating his land, composting, relishing the odors of moist, tilled earth. He’s prepared a bed for …

One (horrifying) word: lice. Claudia Alvarez, manager at Hair Fairies in La Jolla (858-459-5423; hairfairies.com) told me that the best treatment was careful removal by hand and comb. “Lice need the scalp to live. They …

“Roller skating has been around since the 1700s,” Bernice read from her iPhone. “It’s funny to think of the founding fathers on skates. I’ve always associated roller skating with the 1970s.” “Did they have the …

New Year, new me, etc. Maybe lose weight with…belly dancing! “I’ve danced my whole life,” said Sabrina (858-337-1728; sabrinabellydancer.com). “I studied dance at UC Irvine, and in my second year I saw belly dancers at …

We spent an afternoon testing black tea in anticipation of my mother-in-law’s annual visit. Husband Patrick was assisting. The salesman at La Mesa’s All Things Bright and British said that it’s important to prepare tea …

Ever since Aunt Azelda’s dog died, the dear old bird has been thinking of her own demise. “I don’t want to be in the way, Evie,” she told me. “Just burn me up and put …

Am I suddenly in the middle of a 1940s Christmas musical? I wondered. Images of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” danced in my head as Alexis walked around her house, dreaming up ideas for her holiday-party …

“Mulling is when you infuse your cider with other flavors and aromas,” said Kathy. “You can use spices, herbs, fruits, or even sugars.” She pulled a pile of saucepans from under her stovetop. “Shall we …

“I think the wintertime is a great time to use your highlighters, glitters, and sparkles because it’s cold and gray outside, and you want to liven up your skin a little bit,” offered Alexis Hoerres …

Aunt Azelda’s tiny mutt Taffy has died. I’m on duty for the burial arrangements. “We have taken care of pets ranging from goldfish to horses,” says Mick Palermo of San Diego Pet Memorial Park in …

“You’ll have to do without the bourbon-cherry-apple pie,” I told Patrick. “This year, I’m bringing a ready-made pumpkin pie.” A few days later, after making the store rounds, Patrick and I sat down with friend …

The days are still warm, but the nights are getting cold enough for cider. Patrick and I hail from the Northeast, and this time of year starts us hankering. I didn’t make it up to …

“‘Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’, into the future,” I serenaded hubby Patrick with the Steve Miller song as I hustled through chores last Saturday. “Oil keeps on burnin’, burnin’, burnin’, out of my Chevy,” …

My sister-in-law sold me on her gluten-free lifestyle over lunch last week. “The stomach aches are gone, digestion’s smooth, my perpetual skin rashes are gone. I feel great,” she glowed. “Oh, and I’m losing weight, …

My friend Erica wants to make her daughter Elsie’s tenth birthday a special one, and Elsie is on an arty kick. “But do I dare let a whole party’s worth of kids just cut loose …

My sister-in-law and I are scheduled for a birthday lunch, and she wants to go out. It’s kind of a rare event these days, because she discovered a year ago that she’s gluten intolerant. “Going …

Dinners at the Kelly household have been deficient in veggies of late, and working in some more greens has become imperative. There’s been buzz over the Vitamix Turboblend juicer ($378.95 on Amazon), but I can’t …

October! Oktoberfest! Time for a party! Karl Strauss was my first local beer, way back when I first moved to town, so I put in a call to the brewery’s PR manager, Melody Daversa (858-273-2739, …

School-supply lists had come in, and I sat in the store dizzied by the multitude of mechanical pencils. Rather than sink dough into something that would be thrown away within a week, I called around …

“When are you going to learn?” asked Patrick as I lamented another failed crop in the front-yard garden bed. “There’s a witch buried under there. Nothing will ever grow. It’s just bad mojo.” “Nonsense,” I …