Children's Reading Foundation

I am very proud to announce our new partnership with The Children's Reading Foundation. In efforts to help every child learn the joy of reading, tumble & tea cafe will be collecting new and gently used books at all locations and at our corporate office.
All books will be donated to local programs that help teach kids how to read.

My daughter just started reading this year. It is amazing to see her discover a new world in reading. Reading to Leila is my favorite time of the day. Unfortunately all kids aren't as lucky as ours and some kids don't have books at home. Teach your kids the importance of giving and donate some new or used children books to this important cause. You can mail or drop off books at anytime to our corporate office (2802 10th Street, Berkeley, California, 94710).

The vision of The Children's Reading Foundation is that every child learns to read early and well, thereby reaching his or her full potential in school and life.

The three-fold mission of The Children's Reading Foundation is to:

• Encourage and educate families about their important role in raising a reader.
• Support schools in assuring that students read on grade level by the end of the third grade.
• Facilitate community involvement in helping young readers be successful.
  

Thank you for your help!

Recipies for Moms on the go!

Just like many of you, I am a working mom too. There is so much to do in a day, work, e-mail, blogs, kids, homework, calls..... my list never ends. But no matter how busy or hectic my day is, I want my family to sit down together and eat dinner at home.

I am the only cook in the family so I am in charge of dinners. This can be a little difficult with my work schedule and a picky 7 year old. I have developed some easy, I mean really easy, and delicious recipes that take minutes and kids (most kids) will enjoy.

First thing first, get a crock pot. This is the single best kitchen appliance ever invented. Not only is it so easy to use and takes almost no effort to cook, when you walk into your house from a hard day of work and you smell your dinner simmering in the crock pot, it feels like someone is taking care of you. I love my crock pot. Here is the first of many recipes, I hope you enjoy!

I am a good mom because I made chicken soup recipe
1. 1/2 of a chicken, skin off (I have the butcher cut chicken in half, remove the skin and put in two separate bags and I freeze it. Then all I have to do is dump the chicken in the crock pot and toss the bad. No raw chicken to clean up.) or.... left over chicken from the night before.
2. 10 cups of water
3. chicken bullion (use per instructions)
4. a couple bay leafs
5. a cup of baby carrots (no need to cut them)
6. a few stalks of celery, chopped
7. a dozen new potatoes
8. 1 onion chopped

Directions
Throw everything in the crock pot in the morning and set for slow cook.
Continue with your life and before you get home, pick up a baguette.
Come home, smell this amazing chicken soup and feel like you are a great mom because you do everything you do and you made chicken soup.
Put out bowls and spoons, butter and your baguette.
Enjoy!

Welcome Baby Gauge

I would like to introduce the newest member of the tumble & tea cafe team, Baby Gauge. Gauge joined the team June 20th and is fitting right in. He is cute, chubby, sometimes sleeps on the job but is constantly at work as our Director of Research and Development for Babies. He is constantly reminding us why tumble & tea cafe is so important. Really, he is. My daughter is now 7 (how did that happen?) and I realize how much I have forgotten about babies.

I need a tumble & tea cafe everyday! Last week I was in downtown Berkeley and I stopped at Peet's for a latte. What do I see? I group of moms with little ones trying to talk as their babies are whining to get out of strollers and coffees spilling over as other customers try to squeeze past strollers that just don't fit. I was with baby Gauge and would of paid anything for a kid friendly place with wifi so I could check my e-mails. And the light bulb went on, "Oh yeah, this is why we created tumble & tea cafe!"

tnt cafe was developed to support the most neglected segment of our population; the caregivers of small kids. tnt cafe supports these often under appreciated miricle doers in lots of different ways. We serve delicious, made to order food prepared with he best ingredients possible, we are open 7 days a week for drop in play, we provide a clean and safe indoor play ground for kids, we offer all inclusive birthday parties and.....oh yeah, don't forget the free wifi.

No, we are not the first to think of this. You can always go to McDonalds. They have food and a playspace for kids. But I personally dont want to eat fried food and I dont want my daughter to eat it either. And lets just be honest, it is filthy!

The most important thing about tnt cafe is not the food or amazing play space for kids; it is your break. Yes, you deserve a break and I dont mean a snickers. I mean a real break. So come in, eat, drink, relax and let your kids play!

O.K...back to Baby Gauge. I would also like to thank all of the amazing people at tumble & tea cafe headquarters for jumping in and making room for this little guy! I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to work with some pretty amazing people.

Are you a new mom or a new mom again? Please tell us what you want in a restaurant, what you are looking for. We want to know. Thanks for reading and have a great day.