Meet a Mom who Means Business About Cookies
Kelley Hart truly loves what she does. When she was growing up, her parents encouraged her to pursue whatever interested her, and she credits their support with influencing her decision to become a world-traveling saxophone player. After she became a mom, she eventually gave up her musician life to spend more time with her son, […]
This MLK Day: Share ‘A Place to Land’
When children first learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., they are mesmerized by his resonant, booming voice espousing ideals on equality, compassion and freedom. But how many of them learn about the grueling behind-the-scenes work it took to craft those famous speeches? This MLK Day, consider introducing the children in your life to “A […]
Get a Jolt of Volta
Cirque du Soleil’s 41st production, “Volta,” is an exciting combination of the old and the new. The show, on one hand, offers a vibrant array of the sensational acrobatic feats and spectacular visual design that people have come to expect from Cirque. “Volta,” however, also displays imaginative, never-before-seen Soleil stunts. The fast-paced action was inspired […]
Lunar New Year L.A. Style
The Lunar New Year is celebrated all across Asia – and all across Southern California, too. The free Oshogatsu Festival (golittletokyo.com/oshogatsu), hosted by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, gets the new year off to a rousing start Jan. 1 with taiko drumming, lion dancing and cultural demonstrations in Japanese Plaza Villa from […]
Our 7 Favorite January Events for L.A. Families
Catch a boat, some bricks, musical fools, Big Ben, Éloize, whales and a free concert during our top family events for January.
Carnival Cruise Line Earns Certifications to Assist Guests With Autism, ADHD, PTSD, Down Syndrome and Sensory Issues
Carnival Cruise Line has become the first cruise operator to be certified “sensory inclusive” by KultureCity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accessibility and inclusion for individuals with sensory needs and invisible disabilities. Rollout of the program began in October with ships based in South Florida. It is scheduled to be implemented in the rest of the […]
‘Frozen’ at the Hollywood Pantages is like a Warm Hug
If you’re looking for a wonderful holiday family outing, I have just the place – the Hollywood Pantages Theatre to see the Disney Theatrical Production of “Frozen,” with performances through Feb. 2. TheFrozen North American tour stars Caroline Bowman and Caroline Innerbichler as Elsa and Anna, sisters with a mysterious family secret. My daughter and I so enjoyed the […]
Sweet Little Holiday Snowballs
Walking through Little Flower Candy Co. bakery-café with founder Christine Moore takes a bit of time, but not because it’s a long walk. On the way through the tiny eatery at Pasadena’s western edge, Moore stops to chat at a table where three generations who’ve been customers since the beginning are showing off a new […]
History, Hiking and Good Times in Santa Clarita
After our third child, Megan, was born in 1995, we moved from Burbank to Valencia, one of four communities (including Newhall, Canyon Country and Saugus) in the city of Santa Clarita. Our kids grew up riding bikes on tree-lined paseos, hiking on local mountain trails and attending great schools within walking distance of our home. While Valencia […]
Meet the Founders of Hope in a Suitcase
The idea for Hope in a Suitcase (HIAS) was born out of a chance introduction between L.A. moms Marsha Austen and Rebecca George, who struck up a conversation outside their children’s elementary school one day. Saddened by the plight of the more than 30,000 children separated from family in L.A. County’s foster care system, the […]
A Wonderful Life in Hollywood: How Dads Cope During the Holidays
Now that it’s dark at 5 p.m. and traffic seems to have gotten infinitely worse overnight, I find myself in the holiday mood. In L.A., there’s no apparent reason for this feeling. The weather is still sunny, the hills are still a bit fire-scorched, but some of the trees have fall colors and at least one radio station is playing nonstop holidays jams […]
Celebrating Without Stress
The wrapping paper, decorations and carols have been in the stores for at least a month, and even if you love the holidays, the approach of the season can feel stressful. That’s also true for your kids. “There’s just a lot of activity going on,” says Bhavana K. Arora, MD, chief medical officer of Children’s […]
Climate Change and Kids’ Health
Even as we leave fall behind, the impacts and memories of our region’s recent wildfires linger. We’re likely headed into a winter that will be shorter and a summer (and another wildfire season) that will come sooner. In fact, wildfire activity in our state has been increasing for the past 50 years. Research out this past summer […]
A Dreidel in Time – A New Spin on an Old Tale
Fans of “Magic Tree House” will love “A Dreidel in Time” by Marcia Berneger with illustrations by Beatriz Castro (ages 7+), which transports readers via a magical dreidel to when Hanukkah began. When the grandparents of 9-year-old Benjamin and his 12-yearold sister, Devorah, visit on Hanukkah, the siblings hope to receive gifts. Instead, they’re offered a large, […]
Ryan’s World: Making Toy Reviews and Dental Hygiene Fun
While Ryan Kaji, the kid behind Ryan ToysReview, has 2.5 million more YouTube subscribers than Beyoncé, he tries to keep a low profile. The L.A.-based Kaji family posts Ryan’s toy review videos (www.youtube.com/ryantoysreview) daily, but screen time ends by homework time, which allows the YouTube sensation to make room for music lessons, coding, soccer and tae kwon do. Still, his life […]
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree
On a recent Friday, as scores of people across Los Angeles prepared to go out drinking or stayed in to binge-watch their favorite TV shows, a small group of writers at The Last Bookstore explored the impact our parents’ lives, traits and behaviors have on us – for better or worse. The event was a […]
Gifts for You and Your Bundle of Joy
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a new mom or dad and baby this holiday season, we have lots of great suggestions, thanks to our friends at the National Parenting Product Awards. They have been busy evaluating and testing these products all year and we’re excited to share the annual “Bundle, Baby and […]
Put Some Jingle in Your Holiday Giving!
Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? We have more than 250 terrific, award-winning finds from the National Parenting Product Awards — inspiring animal books, collectible dinos, fairy cottage construction kits, brainy board games, robotic dragons and so much more. Check out “Jingle,” the National Parenting Product Awards’ annual gift guide. And for even […]
A Sweet Southern Treat
Our favorite foods often make us think of “home,” especially near the holidays. Catarah Coleman and Shoneji Robison both grew up in Florida. After moving to L.A., Coleman founded Southern Girl Desserts, head-quartered in Baldwin Hills, and was soon joined by Coleman. The two brought their childhood with them. In their homes, “Thanksgiving is a […]
Try a Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe
For some people, pie is all about the filling. For others, it’s about the crust. For Roxana Jullapat, baker and co-owner of Friends & Family in East Hollywood, the crust is about the right flour. She uses Sonora wheat flour milled at Grist & Toll in Pasadena. “It lends itself to that beautiful flakiness,” she […]
Cabin Fever Remedies
It’s the time of year when Angelenos long for a little cocoon time. Unlike most of the rest of the country, we sun-drenched SoCal residents actually crave cabin fever! But we like it in our particular way. Cabin retreats? Sure, if they include saunas, breathtaking views and enough comfort. We’ve got you covered with unique […]
Go With the Flow on a Family River Rafting Adventure
We Angelenos are always on the go, so whenever an opportunity to unplug from technology and spend a glorious day out in nature with my family presents itself, I jump at the chance. For this particular get- away, we decided to try an outdoor activity we had yet to experience as a family: white-water rafting […]
Family Exploration in the Yucatán Peninsula
About 65 feet underground in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, my family and I recently swam in a cold river flowing through one of the region’s many cenotes – collapsed portions of caves – considered sacred by the Maya people. As we navigated the cave single file through narrow passages, our guide explained that to the Maya, […]
Natasha Case: Coolhaus Owner Combines Design and Ice Cream
An architect with good taste, Natasha Case designs cool edible “houses.” She’s the CEO and co-founder of Coolhaus, the ice cream brand she operates with her wife and business partner, Freya Estreller, a realtor and entrepreneur. Combining their design and real estate skills, they started baking cookies and making creative ice cream sandwiches in 2008. […]
Let the Birthday Parties Begin
My son Hank, who is in transitional kindergarten now, likes to ride his scooter to his new school. With our toddler, Leo, in tow, my wife, Kate, and I rush to keep up. On a recent morning, hot coffee spurted out of our mugs and onto our wrists as we raced after the 5-year-old. Hank […]
A Weekend Date in Carmel
On the second Friday of the school year, my husband and I hit the road for a 330-mile road trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea, that jewel of California that sits on the Monterey Peninsula. It’s always hard leaving your kid, but we had equipped my mother-in-law with detailed instructions on afternoon pickup and our complicated TV remote […]
Our Children’s Keepers
This past January, when L.A. County public school teachers, students, parents and other allies donned red shirts and took to the streets for a six-day LAUSD strike, the state of k-12 education was on most everyone’s mind. As debates over traditional public vs. charter school choices and issues of access to private and highly selective […]
Could Cannabis Oil Help Children With Autism?
Offering her infant marijuana might have been the last thing Tracy Ryan expected to do, but after her 8-month-old daughter, Sophie, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, everything changed. After much research, Ryan and her husband decided to put Sophie on a high concentration of CBD and THC oil alongside her ongoing chemotherapy […]
Playa Vista: A Date in the Neighborhood
The excitement leading up to my pre-planned solo date was pretty intense. Then again, it always is. I try to balance the demands of life with little local get-aways that allow me solitude and self-care. Usually, I go for lunch and a movie or visit a bookstore and a cafe. This time, I decided I’d […]
Easy Family Traditions
Family traditions bring the generations together and give us the chance to build lasting memories – and they don’t need to exhaust you, your family or your budget to be worthwhile. The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and with it the expectation of family celebrations stamped with the Martha Stewart seal of approval. But manifesting […]
Two Fall Tastes on a Plate
David Slay grew up in restaurants. He started cooking at age 11 in the kitchen of his father’s restaurant, began his first culinary apprenticeship at 17 and opened his first restaurant when he was 26. He currently owns three in California, the newest being SLAY Steak + Fish House, opened in Manhattan Beach (where he […]
A Cold and Flu FAQ
Cold and flu season officially starts in November, but John Rodarte, M.D., with Descanso Pediatrics/Huntington Health Physicians in La Cañada Flintridge, says kids going back to school get a jump on the season. “We already are seeing the influx,” he says. Rodarte warns families that kids starting school for the first time could catch a […]
Bridgid Coulter: Creating Diverse Spaces with Blackbird House
The moment you enter the new 12,000-square-foot Blackbird House in Culver City, your spirit shifts. With everything from soothing music and wellness and fitness classes to inspired interior designs and chef-curated cuisine, it feels like a retreat. I recently spoke with Bridgid Coulter, the woman behind this innovative co-working space launched by women of color […]
Stress-Free College Applications?
College applications: two words that often trigger panic in parents and students alike. But you don’t have to let them send your family into a stressed-out tailspin. Check out these tips from a trio of experts – who are college counselors and parents – and get your student’s college applications in without all the stress. […]
Thinking Outside the College Box
In light of last spring’s college admissions scandal, where parents allegedly paid “fixers” to open “side doors” onto prestigious campuses for their kids, a lot of questions have emerged about what matters most when it comes to choosing a school. Is a top-shelf school really worth cheating for? There are, in fact, a kaleidoscope of […]
Home-Schooling Away From Home
Picture a child working on lessons at the kitchen table and you’ve pictured just a tiny sliver of the modern home-schooling landscape in SoCal. There seems to be an assumption that home-schooling is synonymous with staying at home, but parents, advocates and many local attractions are tackling this misconception with dynamic extracurricular programs for home-schooled […]
Local Schools Embracing Sustainability
Something amazing caught the eye of Madeleine Gygli, principal of the Carson-Gore Academy of Environmental Studies, while she was walking on the schoolyard one day. It’s something many other principals would love to see. Several third graders were sauntering through a grassy play area picking up trash and sorting it to be discarded or recycled. […]
Choosing the Right Preschool: One Family’s Search
In my pre-child fantasies, I effortlessly prepare my son for his educational journey. While handling the usual challenges (sleep routines, potty training, vegetable eating), I plaster the walls with brightly colored letters, organize age-appropriate toys according to developmental stages and sing enthusiastic jingles to help him count, rhyme and spell. In real life, however, when […]
Personal Finance Education for Kids
Money management and attending college debt-free are among the useful lessons L.A.-area kids are learning in schools offering the Ramsey Education’s Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum. The versatile finance program covers important yet often over-looked topics such as balancing a checkbook, saving money, following a budget, managing credit and debit cards, buying a car, college […]
Educators, mentors and advocates celebrate their diversity
Amy Faigin fell into advocacy at a young age, and into teaching by accident. “When I realized at a pretty early age that ableism existed, I was immediately angry about it,” says Faigin, who is autistic and highly gifted. “And I just have never been a person who could keep my mouth shut, so I […]
5 Ways to Discover Your Child’s Academic Passion and Career Potential
What parent isn’t curious about what their child’s future holds in an academic and professional sense? If you are like many parents, you want to support your child’s childhood passion and talents to help ensure they not only have a fun and fulfilling childhood, but a rewarding career as well. Here are five tips to […]
Rebecca Crews: It’s Never Too Late to Be
Rebecca King-Crews, wife of Hollywood comedian and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Terry Crews, has a story to tell. And while it’s no fairy tale, her unique journey from childhood promise in music to choosing her family over career has come full circle. In her second act, King-Crews is bringing Regina Madre, the pseudonym she performs under […]
Is Screen Time Connected to a Mental-Health Crisis?
For decades, the Volunteer Center in Torrance has run a popular community-service program for South Bay, Long Beach and harbor-area teens. A couple of years ago, staff began noticing that teens seemed less able to focus on and complete service projects. Parents, teachers and others in the community also saw changes in teens. They wondered […]
Creative Entrepreneurship Programs for Kids
Outside a nondescript building just south of Hollywood Boulevard, parents, friends and young siblings are lining up to get a good seat at a fashion show where all the apparel is imagined, constructed and modeled by young designers. Once inside, the excited audience sits around an elevated runway where a kid DJ is pumping out […]
From an L.A. Dojo to Japan
Our oldest daughter, Ava, was 5 the first time she noticed an upper-grade classmate wearing a crisp, white gi with a white belt as she hurried from school to karate class with her mother. Pointing in their direction and whispering, “Mommy, loooooook,” Ava was instantly transfixed. I figured she was more impressed with the gi […]
Letting Kids Explore Their Sense of Style
My high school cafeteria was its own kind of runway, a place where the popular kids paraded their personalities and latest outfits while the timid, clumsy and fashion-starved hoped the ground would open up and swallow them whole. I would like to say I existed somewhere in the middle, but I would be lying. Then, […]
Go Downtown and Take to the Skies
It started in modern-L.A. fashion. I was on time for 6 a.m. sunrise yoga at OUE Skyspace LA, having made the drive to downtown Los Angeles from Altadena in traffic-free time, parked in the convenient garage (Westlawn Parking Garage) on Flower Street next to Central Library and climbed one flight of the lovely Bunker Hill […]
Dream, Explore, Create in Octavia Lab
The library was once the place we ventured to research, study, check out books. Along came the internet, and some of us began viewing libraries as halls of dusty irrelevance. In response, the Los Angeles Public Library has for some time positioned itself as a hub of state-of-the-art technology and learning, and its latest foray […]
Smorgasburg LA: Opening Up Taste Buds and Business Opportunities
In 2009, my husband and I left our beloved West Adams neighborhood in L.A. and moved to the ’burbs so that I could be closer to a new job in Cerritos. I salivated over my 15-minute commute but desperately missed being in the “center of it all,” particularly the vibrant literary, artistic and culinary communities […]
Does My Child Really Need Psychotherapy?
In the wonder years of childhood, no parent is anticipating bringing their beautiful, perfect child to see a therapist. I sure wasn’t. You see the other children at school, happily playing. You hear the other parents talking about their children’s incredible accomplishments, and you feel so alone. You swallow hard because you know something is […]
9 Family-Friendly Wineries
Separating “grown-up time” from parenting is crucial to creating a healthy life balance, but today’s busy parents often yearn to include their kids in their recreational activities. According to the Wine Institute, travel and wine-tasting with the little ones is on the rise. That’s good news for those of us who love wineries– and there are […]
6 Places to Make Art
What’s the most important thing you can teach your children? How to let their imaginations run wild! But don’t take it from us. Get some creative tips from the most unique places to make art in L.A. From baking cactus cakes to embracing their inner steampunk rebels, creating fantastic dragons and painting by the sea, […]
Family Fun Around Orlando and Florida’s Space Coast
Think of Orlando and you might think of everything you can probably visit and do much cheaper right here in sunny, Southern California. Disneyland? Check. Universal Studios? Check. Surfing? Double check. Why go all the way to Florida to do what we can do right here? Two words: space coast. And that’s just the beginning. […]
6 Tips for Private School Applications
When it comes to choosing a private school for your child, the stakes can seem incredibly high. The hope is that if you choose the right preschool, she’ll get into the right grade school, followed by excellent middle and high schools and, ultimately, a top-tier college. While the school your child attends isn’t necessarily a […]