Here are our picks for great events and activities for children and families this Labor Day weekend. Find more events for the whole week in Marin and beyond in our Family Events Calendar.

Friday, September 3

• Sacramento's 11th Annual Gold Rush Days will take place over the Labor Day weekend on, Friday 9 am–4 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 11 am–7 pm. Gold Rush Days is a free, fun and exciting event for the whole family! Old Sacramento will "turn back the clock" and transform into a unique historic experience with costumed re-enactors, Wild West gun fights, musicians and much more of the Gold Rush era over the four-day event. For more info, go to www.sacramentogoldrushdays.com.
• The Pacheco Plaza's Summer Music Series presents The Dan Goldfus Project (jazz, latin and folk). Dine al fresco at the new Boca Pizzeria or Taki Japanese Restaurant. Performance starts at 6 pm. Pacheco Plaza is located off 101 on Ignacio Boulevard in Novato. More info: www.pachecoplaza.com.
• The 142 Throckmorton Theatre and Marin Youth Performers presents Into the Woods on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sun at 2pm. An ambivalent Cinderella, a blood-thirsty Little Red Riding hood, a Prince Charming with a roving eye, and a witch who raps are all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's fractured fairy tale, Into the Woods. Cost: Adults $18; Students $14; Reserved seating $30. The 142 Throckmorton Avenue is in Mill Valley. For more info, call 415-383-9600 or go to www.142throckmortontheatre.org.
• Film Night in the Park presents 16 Candles on Saturday evening at 8 pm at San Anselmo's Creek Park. Suggested donation $6 for adults and $3 for children. For more info, call (415) 453-4333 or visit www.filmnight.org.
• Marin Shakespeare Company presents The Taming of the Shrew, Friday at 8 pm. Adults $30, seniors $25, youth $20. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University of California, San Rafael. More information and tickets: www.marinshakespeare.org.

Saturday, September 4

• The Sausalito Art Festival, the West Coast's ultimate art experience, returns this Labor Day weekend. Hours: Saturday and Sunday from 10 am–6 pm and  Monday from 10 am–5 pm. This years event will showcase more than 20,000 works of fine art, live music, food and drinks and many fun options for kids with live performances by Tim Cain on Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 2 pm. Some of the headlining bands include The Bangles, Pablo Cruise, Jefferson Starship, Mavis Staples and Sons of Champlin. Proceeds from the Festival support local arts and community non-profits. $20 general ages 13–61, $15 seniors 62+, $5 for children 6-12. For more info, go to www.sausalitoartfestival.org.
• The Curtain Theatre Company presents As You Like It on Satuday and Sunday at 2 pm. in Mill Valley's Old Mill Park. Free and family friendly! No reservations. For more info, go to www.curtaintheatre.org. Old Mill Park (behind the Mill Valley Library) is located at 350 Throckmorton Ave. in Mill Valley.
• Marin Shakespeare Company presents The Taming of the Shrew, Saturday at 8 pm. Adults $30, seniors $25, youth $20. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University of California, San Rafael. More information and tickets: www.marinshakespeare.org.
• Film Night in the Park presents Pixar's Up on Saturday evening at 8 pm at San Anselmo's Creek Park. Suggested donation $6 for adults and $3 for children. For more info, call (415) 453-4333 or visit www.filmnight.org.

This guest post is from the nurses at Laurel Fertility Care, a local fertility practice with offices in Mill Valley, San Francisco, and Modesto. Visit them online at www.laurelfertility.com.

Throughout patients' fertility journeys, it can be easy to forget the other health practitioners who play a vital role helping patients reach their fertility dreams. At Laurel Fertility Care, one of the most important relationships occurs between the patient and nurse. Every visit to the doctor's office either starts or ends with a check-up with the nurse to ensure that the patient is nurtured emotionally, physically, and mentally. Below is a list compiled by nurses at Laurel Fertility Care of what they encourage patients to understand and think through before agreeing to any treatments.

1. Understand (and explore) your reproductive system. "Yes, this may sound like your fifth grade health class instructor," commented Laurel Fertility Care nurse May Pepito, "but honestly it is so helpful to know how an average female reproductive system works and how your reproductive system regularly functions. Understanding and educating yourself before going into your fertility doctor's office will save you time and money." For more information, visit WedMD's comprehensive page.
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We really liked Seattle-based songwriter, performer, and music educator Brian Vogan's CD Little Songs. Filled with well-crafted songs for both children, it had a great indie-rock/folk vibe that appealed to parents as well.

We recently received a review copy of Brian's latest effort, Sing a Little Song, in which he performs with his band, his Good Buddies (who just happen to be a number of noteworthy Seattle-area musicians). A worthy successor to Little Songs, Sing a Little Song features a dozen cheerful tracks that share the previous album's nods to indie rock, world music, folk, jazz, and, well, just about any musical style you can think of. The CD's themes of course deal with subjects that children care about—including frogs, dinosaurs, vehicles, and space travel—but the catchy songs definitely appeal to music lovers of all ages.

This guest article is by Lisa Brent, ND, LAc. Lisa is a naturopathic doctor specializing in women’s health and integrative gynecology at the Owning Pink Center in Mill Valley, CA.

Are you in your early forties and doing everything right, yet gaining weight with every passing year? You aren’t alone. Ask any mom and chances are she will tell you that her metabolism has changed over time, and especially after pregnancy. While we are all guilty of snacking on goldfish scattered on the floors of our cars, most of us do try hard to eat well and get some kind of regular exercise. It is frustrating when these efforts do not produce the results they used to when we were younger.

What’s the root cause of this age 40+ weight gain?

There are two main reasons for this: stress and metabolic compromise. It is well known that metabolism changes over time. Around middle age, many women begin to slowly gain weight even though they have not changed their diet or exercise regimen.

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Since we seem to be reading a lot of books lately, we thought we'd start reviewing a new favorite children's book every week. The books aren't necessarily new, but are those that are new to us! If you have a book that you'd like to have us review for the site, please contact us and let us know about it.

Our favorite children's book this week is the delightfully twisted Cowboy and Octopus, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (40 pages, Viking Juvenile, 2007). Scieszka and Smith are the creative team behind the equally funny and offbeat The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, which my husband brought home one day and has remained a favorite in our house ever since.

Since this summer hasn't really been all that summer-y, maybe try to capture that summer feeling by dining on some of the season's iconic foods. Corn on the cob is one of those. Wonderful sweet ears of white corn from Brentwood and the Central Valley are available now, so grab some while you can. Of course you get bonus points if you're growing it right in your backyard and you can go grab some off the stalk moments before cooking it.

Our favorite method of cooking corn is to husk it and throw it on the BBQ grill. Get it nice and brown, which gives it a wonderful toasty corn flavor—we had kids fighting over who got the most charred ear of corn at the last family gathering. This method, however, is not always a practical one, especially if you're pressed for time. Normally most people just husk the ears and boil them in some salted water. I discovered an alternate way of cooking corn, one so good that I doubt I'll be boiling corn ever again: the microwave. Yes… the microwave.

If your family is at all like ours, you spend a lot of time shopping at one of the three Trader Joes stores in Marin. Their combination of good value, great service, offbeat atmosphere, and an eclectic selection of gourmet products keeps us going back. And, let's not forget the family-friendly aspects of the store—mini-shopper carts, free stickers, and rewards for finding Jojo the pony (in the Novato store) help keep children occupied and busy during those grocery shopping trips.

But what's the story behind Trader Joes? Did you know it's owned by a secretive German company? Where do all those private-label products they stock come from? How come many of their products—cheese, for example—are much less expensive than at other grocery stores?

Fortune Magazine recently took a look "Inside the Secret World of Trader Joes", and examines the history of the store, how it's run, and how it finagles those great deals.

Here are our picks for great events and activities for children and families this weekend. Find more events for the whole week in Marin and beyond in our Family Events Calendar.

Friday, August 27

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival presents Eth-Noh-Tech on Friday at 11 am and 12:15 pm. Eth-Noh-Tec weaves music, dance, rhythmic dialogue, lively facial expressions and spoken word to inspire the imagination and to bring stories alive. This program takes place in Children’s Garden, at Howard and Fourth Streets near the historic Looff Carousel. Except where indicated, programs are approximately 30 minutes. This is a free event for ages 0–9. For more info, visit www.ybgf.org.
• Bring the family for Picnic on the Plaza—San Anselmo on Friday from 5–8 pm. There will be face painting for the kids and a farm stand. Bring a picnic or buy dinner out. Location: Town Hall in San Anselmo, 525 San Anselmo Avenue. Free. For more info, call (415) 454-2510 or www.sananselmochamber.org
• Enjoy Jazz by the Bay this Friday at Gabrielson Park in Sausalito from 6:30–8:30 pm. This Friday: Eugene Huggins, sponsored by the Golden Gate Tall Ships Society. For more info, call (415) 289-4152 or visit their website.
• Marin Shakespeare Company presents The Taming of the Shrew, Friday at 8 pm. Adults $30, seniors $25, youth $20. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University of California, San Rafael. More information and tickets: www.marinshakespeare.org.
• Swing to the sounds of The Artifacts at Pacheco Plaza's Summer Music Series. Dine al fresco at the new Boca Pizzeria or Taki Japanese Restaurant. Performance starts at 6 pm. Pacheco Plaza is located off 101 on Ignacio Boulevard in Novato. More info: www.pachecoplaza.com.
• The 142 Throckmorton Theatre and Marin Youth Performers presents Into the Woods on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sun at 2pm. An ambivalent Cinderella, a blood-thirsty Little Red Riding hood, a Prince Charming with a roving eye, and a witch who raps are all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's fractured fairy tale, Into the Woods. Cost: Adults $18; Students $14; Reserved seating $30. The 142 Throckmorton Avenue is in Mill Valley. For more info, call 415-383-9600 or go to www.142throckmortontheatre.org.

Saturday, August 28

• Celebrate the world of Italian children's literature at the third annual Festa del Libro at Book Passage in Corte Madera, Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 am to 6 pm. Over 300 illustrated children's books from prominent Italian publishers will be on display. Story time, in Italian, is at 11 am and 4 pm. More information: www.marinitalians.orgDr. Seuss' most famous character comes to the California Academy of Sciences this Saturday for the Cat in the Hat's Spectacular Science Day, Saturday from 9:30 am to 5 pm. Experience a day of Seussian proportions as the Cat in the Hat and some very special guests enhance your science experience at the Academy! Meet the Cat himself, gather for storybook readings from celebrity guests, enjoy sneak previews of the new PBS Kids series The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, explore the museum with a scavanger hunts, and more. Free with museum admission. More information at www.calacademy.org or www.kqed.org.
• The 16th annual Bodega Seafood, Art and Wine Festival takes place at Watts Ranch in Bodega on Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm  and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Live music, dance floor, and a kids' entertainment and games, and rubber duck races. $12 adults, $10 seniors 60+, $8 ages 12–18, kids under 12 free. Tickets available at the gate. Food and drink not included in admission price. Free parking. More information: www.winecountryfestivals.com.
• The 4th annual Tiburon Art Festival takes place this weekend on historic Ark Row in downtown Tiburon. 64 juried artists, live music, family entertainment and activities, food, and more. 11 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday; $5 donation suggested for admission.
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