Happy Fourth of July! Our fair city has events all over town. Check out these sites for great compilations of what's happening where:

SignOnSanDiego

About.com

Or pick up the July issue of San Diego Family Magazine

Music
Jazz in the Park at Stagecoach Park in Carlsbad Friday 7/4

Summer Sunday Concert Series at Moonlight Beach Sunday 7/6

Movies
I suspect this will be a big weekend for Hancock (opened Wednesday). Will Smith is still the king of summer of movies (and so cute too!) Kitt Kittredge: An American Girl opens today. Sometimes I'm glad I have a boy.

Restaurants
Mister Tiki in the Gaslamp is serving 3-course meals celebrating the flavors of the South Pacific (including a cocktail! I know!) for $29.95 per person. The tropical inspired menus will be served all summer long on Thursdays. Reservations required.

Fundraiser- A Night of Musical Chairs

At the Oceanside Farmer's Market today, I met a really nice woman who has an amazingly talented little boy. In her booth, she displayed one-of-a kind hand painted, artist created chairs for kids along with notecards painted by her 5 year-old son Elliot, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. The below are only a few of the beautiful, unique designs.

The chairs will be auctioned off at Hensley's Pub & Grill in Carlsbad on Saturday, July 12th. The proceeds go towards Elliot's treatment and a week-long intensive therapy session with the Autism Treatment Center of America's Son Rise program. One special chair will be signed by all the band members of Flogging Molly (the owner of Hensley's is a former member.)

Elliot's note cards are beautiful! If I hadn't bought stationery recently I would have stocked up. The packages of 12 cards are $20 and can be purchased on Elliot's site.

Autism is on the rise (especially among boys) and the programs to help children come out of themselves are often costly. If you know someone who would love to have one of the beautiful, handmade chairs (or who loves stationery,like me!) please send them a link to this post.

Strained Wallets and Waistlines

I read an article in the June/July issue of Cookie magazine. The author, Sally Schultheiss, and her husband were fighting about food. Specifically, she wanted their family to be all natural, all organic all the time.

He saw nothing wrong with the occasional bowl of Cocoa Puffs. He wants Duncan Hines, she wants made from scratch with Valrhona chocolate ganache. He wants American cheese slices, she wants blocks of goat's milk Camembert. Reading the article, my thoughts kept straying to "how can they afford all that organic food?!"

I don't think it's speculation, conjecture or marketing hype that our society is getting fatter. Our weight and our health is a pressing issue, particulary for our children. Personally, I would love to include more organics into our diet but honestly, I just can't afford it.

Which makes me wonder, when is the cost of food and the strain groceries can create on the family budget going to be touted just as heavily as a reason behind American's expanding waistlines as fast food?

The cost of living is going up. Housing, utilities, gas, health care and everything else associated with running a household is rising. And I would argue that one of the things most families find it easiest to cut back on is their grocery bill.

But, on our most recent trip to the grocery I noticed something. The boxed, pre-packaged, preserved, unnaturally colored unhealthy stuff? Some of which I have in my pantry right now? The prices haven't really gone up that much since the first time we were buying it as broke newlyweds.

Consider this: on our last major grocery run (6/14) I bought three boxed "Helpers" for .90 each and I used an in store coupon for .75 off three. The three packages of ground beef were $1.69, $1.71 and $1.73. That's three meals (more if there are leftovers, not including sides) for $7.08.

If a family is on a budget (and who isn't?!) the financial benefits to shopping in the center aisles, rather than the perimeter as the health experts advise, is pretty clear. At least to me.

But all that stuff in the center of the store is generally the unhealthiest. Yesterday at Henry's, I saw a package of organic lunch meat for $6.79. I'm sorry but that's just insane.

However, I don't know anyone who, could they afford it, would say "nah, organics are great and all but I think I'll stick to the high sodium stuff."

Now, I realize no one is holding a gun to my head. We don't have to buy pre-packaged. The same goes for fast food. No one made me go to El Pollo Loco for lunch (BRC burrito and quesadilla for $1.28 each).

And I know there are places I can shop where the prices are reasonable and the food is healthy and high quality (Trader Joe's and Henry's are my two faves). But I wonder if the same is true in other cities?

While I believe everyone needs to make informed choices, read labels, have a balanced diet and excercise, I don't believe poor impulse control and fast food are the sole reasons people have ballooned.

I don't have any answers and I'm not really sure what the solution is. What's happening in your family? Are groceries a big strain on your budget? Have you had to compromise on the things you buy?