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San Francisco Highlights a Photo Journey

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A few weeks ago, may daughter and I spent 24-hours in San Francisco on our way to meet up with a friend in Sonoma County. Though I had been many times, this was my daughter’s first visit to the City by the Bay. With so much to see and do, I was torn on how to make sure the vibe of the city captivated her and made her want to come back for more. It came down to a mix of tradition, luxury, and some typical tourist spots to make those 24-hours the best possible. Here’s what we did:

San Francisco City Collage

We stayed at the Four Seasons San Francisco on Market Street. Convenient to shopping, dining and attractions within walking distance. The Four Seasons San Francisco was the perfect home base for us. fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco

Four Seasons Market Street

Four Seasons San Francisco Kids Passport

Four Seasons San Francisco Lobby

Four Seasons San Francisco Room

High Tea is a tradition my mother introduced to me as I started my travel adventures. The first time I had high tea was in San Francisco at the Westin St. Francis. After that, the Ritz-Carlton in Madrid, the Palm Court at the Park Lane Hotel in London, followed by countless hotels in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas…the list goes on. I started the tradition with my daughter on our first trip to New York City with the Madeline Tea, and we make it a point to have High Tea in every city we visit together. In San Francisco, we enjoyed high tea at the Palace Hotel, serving afternoon tea in the Garden Court since the early 1900’s.

Princess Tea at The Palace Hotel San Francisco

We walked, and we walked and we walked…from the Four Seasons San Francisco to the Ferry Building Marketplace at the end of Market Street and continued through the Embarcadero. On our quest to find Lombard Street we ran into the Coit Tower and the Powell and Hyde Street Trolley Car station. After walking both up and down the famed most crooked street in the world, we began our journey back down the hills of North Beach, past the bocci ball playing men in Washington Square. From there we peeked into trinket shops lining Grant Avenue in Chinatown, and crossed through Union Square on our way back into the hotel.

Ferry Bldg Mkt Place and Embarc

Lombard Street and Coit Tower

Chinatown San Francisco

That night, we had a delicious meal at MKT in the Four Seasons San Francisco. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant after walking through the heavily scented aromas of North Beach and Chinatown, but was pleasantly surprised at the dining experience at MKT, especially with my daughter in tow.

MKT restaurant four seasons san francisco

MKT Interior Four Seasons San Francisco

View from MKT Four Seasons San Francisco on Market Street

The next morning, after re-fueling and sound sleep from all that walking and eating…we headed back to Chinatown for a Chinese tea experience in one of the little tea shops. A quick trip down Maiden Lane, then back to the Four Seasons to pick up our Cadillac ELR.

San Francisco Collage

On our way to cross over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sonoma County we stopped at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio.

Walt Disney Family Museum

During our visit, Off the Grid, a Food Truck rally was happening, along with a special exhibit of art work from the one and only Mary Blair of Small World, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan (to name a few) fame.

MAry Blair Exhibit Walt Disney Family Museum San Francisco

It was a glorious 24-hours. The right amount of to-dos in the right amount of time. A trip catered for my little girl that I will cherish forever.

As a contributor for TravelingMom.com and owner of RockStarMomLV.com, I was offered a media rate at the Four Seasons San Francisco and dinner at MKT. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Truth about Invisalign Teen

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Thank you, Invisalign for sponsoring today’s post.

Don’t hate me because my teeth are straight. I was born this way.

Stefanie  VanAken RockStarMomLV.com

They may look perfect now, but as a youth, I had the biggest gap between my two front teeth for the longest time. My brother and I would have spitting contests in the pool to see who could shoot water between their teeth the farthest…I always won. I remember asking my mom if I was going to need braces because of this gap, that at the time felt like the width of train tunnel, but her and my dentist reassuringly said, “No,” every time. The dentist was confident the gap would close as my adult teeth came in, and he was right. By the time I got to the awkward stage of having to wear glasses and deal with zits, at least I no longer had to also be concerned with the gap between my teeth. “Mind the gap,” keeps playing through my head. My brother, on the other hand, was not quite as fortunate, and went through a series of retainers, permanent retainers, then finally braces. My husband, the same thing. So now with our four kiddos, I’m banking on the fact that at least 50% of them are going to need braces. My money is on my twins who still, at the age of 4, suck their thumb on a regular basis.

thumb suckers | Photo By Stefanie Van Aken RockStarMomLV.com

Amazingly, the pediatric dentist I take my children to doesn’t think braces are in the future of my two older children. They both sucked a pacifier relentlessly until my son was 5 and my daughter, 3. Somehow, their teeth managed to maintain their space, their mouth maintained its shape, and he says they look good. The twins, he said, is a whole other story. Fortunately, they are 4, so this gives us about 8 years until all their adult teeth grow in and we start having the braces conversation. I am hoping that the sucking and pulling from their thumb did not change the shape of their mouths so horribly that they need something prior to that; one of them already has a pretty bad underbite, but his mouth was also like that at birth. Time will tell, I suppose, but in the meantime, I can’t help but think of the costs and daily routine that will go into bringing their teeth back to straight.

Invisalign compare to braces

When I think back to all my friends in high school who had the traditional metal braces, I feel grateful to have avoided that “rite of passage”. The food getting stuck in their teeth, the days they had to have their bands tightened and couldn’t eat from the pain, and the humiliation some of them felt from have a “metal mouth” and not ever wanting to smile or be in pictures. It makes me sad, and I don’t want that for my kids. Of course, I would do whatever it takes to make sure their “awkward years” are not too awkward, as I’m sure one of them will end up with braces AND glasses- the horror! After learning more about Invisalign and Invisalign Teen, am fairly certain this will be the first option we explore for the boys.

Here are some important facts I learned about Invisalign:

  • Invisalign Teen clear aligners are removable and can straighten teeth without a mouth full of metal and all the disruption and sacrifice that comes with it.
  • With Invisalign, Teens can play sports without fear of injury and continue cheerleading, musical instruments, acting and singing without interference. Because it’s removable, brushing and flossing is easy and no food restrictions to worry about either.
  • Invisalign Teen eliminates emergency ortho visits for broken wires and brackets and requires fewer appointments since several aligner sets are provided in advance.
  • Invisalign Teen costs about the same as braces.
  • Invisalign Teen is covered by most dental insurance policies just like traditional braces — up to 50% of the cost may be covered by insurance.

I like the idea of not having to disrupt out regular routine too much in order to fix, replace or adjust the trays, since there are 4 kids I will be catering to, and one small change in family routine can leave a huge impact on the rest of the family. Not to mention costs and emotional therapy we will need to provide them through the pre-teen and teen-age years. But, what I like the most about the Invisalign Teen aligners? Check this out:

Myth: I won’t be able to tell if my child is wearing Invisalign often enough for it to be effective.

Setting it Straight: Invisalign Teen aligners are made with small blue dots, officially called compliance indicators, that gradually fade as aligners are worn. It’s a quick visual check for parents and teens to confirm they wearing aligners long enough to get results. In fact, clinical data from orthodontists confirms that teens wear their aligners an average of 21 hours per day, just as recommended.

Nice, right? Almost like the whole if you pee in the pool the water turns red around you theory, except with Invisalign, the Blue Dot theory is true, and already put into place to help keep an eye on the proper usage of your teen. Moms really do have eyes everywhere!! And, get this, the other day, I was picking up my 19 year-old cousin from school. He was sitting in the front seat and as we were chatting I did a double take on his teeth. I asked him if he was wearing Invisalign, and he said, “yes!”. When I asked him for how long, he said, a few months now. Wow. Didn’t even notice. Check out his graduation photo taken during his Invisalign treatments (though he wasn’t wearing them in this photo):

Tyler_Invisallign

On board to check out Invisalign or Invisalign Teen? Just keep this in mind as you search for orthodontists* in your area:

Not all orthodontists specialize in Invisalign Teen. Visit www.invisalign.com and select “find a doctor” to locate experienced Invisalign and Invisalign Teen doctors in your area.

*Please note that not all Invisalign providers have iTero scanners in their offices and some utilize traditional impressions. There is a symbol used on the Doctor Locator to indicate whether a provider uses the iTero scanner.

Intrigued? Here’s your chance to enter the Straight Talk Sweepstakes for a chance to win free Invisalign treatment. Enter through September 30th!

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How to Enter the Straight Talk Sweepstakes for your chance to win an Invisalign treatment: 

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As a lifestyle blogger, I was asked to host a Straight Talk party for Invisalign and invited other social media influencers to listen to myths and facts about Invisalign and Invisalign Teen from a local, Las Vegas based orthodontist who is an Invisalign provider. All words and opinions are my own.

Sol Republic Tracks Air Wireless Headphones

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Last year my husband was given a set of really cool headphones, like the stylish, DJ looking ones. He sports those puppies every time we get on a flight, rocking out a bit to his music, ignoring the rest of the world…or at least ignoring his four children while I looked on envious of such assistance to block out the noise. Other times, he would grab his iPad and headphones and hop in bed to catch up on his shows while I listened intently to our flatscreen’s built-in speakers from across the room. On the treadmill I would tug at my ear buds, continuously readjusting and popping them out every now and then to give the insides of my ears a break. A few months ago, I got smart, and whenever he wasn’t using his headphones, I would grab them and enjoy the total silence of outside influence where I could totally focus on me. So awesome. You know what’s even more awesome? Sol Republic contacted me and asked if I would review a pair of their headphones. Even better? They are wireless headphones! OK, my headphones just beat up my husband’s headphones.

Sol Republic Tracks

In case you didn’t know, I have four kids, I work in social media, and I write. I also travel and workout. Let me tell you how much I love love love the wireless component. I am totally, well almost totally, hands-free and can move about without wires getting caught up or in my way. That alone won me over. The ability to throw on a comfy pair of headphone that will connect automatically to my phone while I can multi-task is a wonderful invention. It’s actually better than sliced bread.

Sol Republic Tracks Wireless Headphones

What I loved about the Sol Republic Tracks Air Wireless Headphones:

Look and Style ~ Sleek and stylish, and comes in sophisticated color options. Plus, the headphones come with a handy carrying case to keep everything in place.

Easy Connectivity ~ All I did was turn on my Sol Republic Tracks Air and they automatically started searching to my bluetooth connectivity. Just make sure bluetooth is enabled on your phone or tablet first. Guess what? Got Bluetooth on your TV? Your Sol Republic Tracks Air wireless will connect!

Dual Connectivity ~ Listening to tunes? Watching a movie? Got a call? No problem. Switch easily with a touch of a button on the headphones.

Clear Sound ~ All I can hear is my music or movie. Happy mommy when I need a much needed break, traveling in a crowded airplane, or trying to get work done in between pick-ups at a coffee shop.

Battery Time ~ Love how when I turn on my Sol Republic Tracks Air the first thing it tells me is how many hours of air time I have. 7 hours is the fully charged capacity.

Wireless or Wired ~ This comes in handy more ways than you know. Treadmill, cleaning the house, talking on the phone, sitting at the computer made easier with your comfort level of wireless or not. Also increases battery life when using the wires.

On the Go ~ I wore the headphones in the wireless mode as much as possible. There is definitely a no-slip factor, which I am attributing to the comfy cushion under the headband. I also wore the headphones with the wire on the treadmill one day. Walking, running and hiking at a 10% grade uphill didn’t get the headphones to budge. Not sure I would wear them all the time to run in, but it was nice to have the comfortable, oversized earphones instead of the annoying ear buds in my ears for an hour.

What You Should Know:

Adjustment ~ The one thing I do not love about the Sol Republic Tracks Air is the adjustment. Actually I’m kind of torn. On one hand, it is difficult to move the earphones up and down the headband. On the other hand, the headband does not do the adjusting, allowing for smaller heads to have a more concise fit. I was able to place the earphones in the exact right spot for my size, and also for my three year old’s size. Not that I would buy him his own pair, but for those moments when you need a set of headphones, and yours are all you got, it’s kind of nice that they fit on the littles as well.

Wireless Mic ~ When I say almost hand-free using the wireless option with my iPhone, I still had to hold the phone’s mic up to my mouth to speak so the other person could hear me. Thus, not making it as hands-free as I would like. Overall, though the sound quality was great.

sol republic tracks air

Sol Republic offers different lines of headphones, including wired, and earbuds. Check out this very cool collection of collegiate. Great Back to School gift for those headed to college this fall, or even just for the college football fan in your life. Might be a nice way to compromise during football season??

sol republic collegiate #RSMLVSol

Sol Republic Tracks Wireless Headphones can be purchased at Best Buy.

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As a lifestyle blogger I was given a pair of Sol Republic Tracks Wireless Headphones in exchange for a review on my site, RockStarMomLV.com. All thoughts, opinions and words are 100% my own.