Proud Poppa

Razorbombing is the new Planking

2011-09-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

I never got into the planking phase, but it looks like it has been quickly replaced with Razorbombing. Check out this article from The Sun. I don't think I'll go out and do it, but it is cool to look at the pic's.

Brother P-Touch Might Make Organization a Snap

2011-08-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

I recently received a Brother P-Touch kit as part of the P-Touch Ambassador program. I have to admit, I was hoping to receive an actual P-Touch as part of the kit, as memories of my first label maker came rushing back to me - you remember the one your mom had??...the one with the handle and wheel that you turned to punch out letters onto that thin sticker-like strip? Well, I've been told that an actual P-Touch is on it's way and you can rest assured that I will label everything in my house and hopefully live to tell about it (that is, if my wife doesn't kill me for labeling everything). An additional post will be coming soon where I highlight all the places I've stuck the labels and tested their durability, and hopefully better news about how they've helped organize my family photos, bills, work folders, and more.

In the meantime, what did come in the mail was a kit for me to use in the P-Touch Tough Test-It Challenge. Inside the kit were several pre-made labels, a plexi-glass block, nail polish remover, travel size bleach with palm brush, and sponge. My challenge, was to affix one of the pre-made labels to the plexi-glass block and to use the included tools to test the label's strength and durability. To tell you the truth, I was skeptical. I thought the label would easily come off and that I'd have to decline to write the blog post. However, that was not the case. My son and I scrubbed as hard as could, my wife used the nail polish remover on the label and then on her own nails, but nothing happened. These are professional labels that are not coming off anything. In fact, I'll need to ask the P-Touch folks what the secret is, in case I actually do need to remove one in the future.

What I can tell you after taking the challenge is that although we’re all familiar with label makers and their ability to help keep us organized, not all labels are created equal. Brother™ P-touch® labelers create durable, laminated labels that appear to be able to stand up to some of the toughest of conditions including rough handling, sunlight, water, and spills.

As I mentioned, I should be getting an actual P-Touch soon and boy do I have plans for it, including my tool kit and garage shelves. We'll see if it can survive inches of dust! And I have some packages to ship to my sister in Washington D.C. We'll see if the labels can survive UPS! In the meantime, if you are interested in a Brother P-Touch, you can order off the company site or head to your local office retailer including Best Buy, OfficeMax, Staples.com, CDW, amazon.com and more.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Grocery U Scan Makes Shopping Fun

2011-08-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Our four year old has never minded grocery shopping. He likes driving the carts that look like cars and he's usually pretty anxious to help get items off the shelves for us. However, grocery shopping has taken a whole new level of excitement with the new U-Scan machines at our local Vons, which allow you to ring up your own groceries. Our son loves it. The computer screen full of buttons to touch, the beep that sounds when he scans the product and even the bagging. And I have to admit, I kind of enjoy doing something with my son that makes him so happy. (Apologies to anyone who waits behind us in line -although we do speed it up once we see someone is waiting).

Parachute Express Is Coming to Town

2011-08-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

For anyone who attended Gymboree classes in South Pasadena or Monrovia, you probably know every Parachute Express song by heart. Well, tomorrow night, Wednesday, August 17th, they'll be at the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena as part of its free summer concert series. We'll be there...hope to see other Gymboree families, too. Teacher Jenny, you listening?

Paying off the Carnival Manager for an Angry Bird

2011-08-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

On our way back from the Long Beach Sand Castle Competition, we stopped off an old fashioned beach-like carousel complete with random carnival games. One such random game was a new Angry Birds game where you have to push a plus Angry Bird doll off it's perch with a stick that I swear is too big for the hole in which it is supposed to go in, making people like me, who played about 10 times, suckers. We'll for the past 4 months, my four year old has been asking for an Angry Bird plush doll and when he saw the possibility of finally getting one, he insisted on using all remaining tokens on this game.

Of course, then the addiction began....and $20 later, we still had not won the Angry Bird plush that I swear cost .25 to make elsewhere. Seeing how sad my son was when he went to turn in 20 tickets for a plastic army soldier and plastic ball, I pulled a guy who worked there aside and said "you've seen us playing for over an hour, can I just buy one of these birds off you?" It didn't take long until the manager was opening the game and handing my a red angry bird, for a little bit of cash. Although I would not normally do this, the best part was that my son didn't see any of it, so he assumes we won it fair and square!! I know there is something bad in this story, but at the same time, I was able to talk to him about being persistent and not giving up....Ugh!!

Ice Princess Time!

2011-08-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Each year we look forward to having the Ice Princess drive around the neighborhood bringing delicious ice cream to all of us - along with cheerful music and ice princess kindness. We had not seen her all summer and thought that perhaps she had moved on, but that was not the case. The city had delayed her permit, so she was unable to start until July, half way through the summer! Although we wish we had more time with her, we'll take advantage of the time we've got. If you're in the neighborhood, she drives by around 5:30 - 6 p.m.

79th Long Beach Sand Castle Sulpture Contest

2011-08-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today we drove down to Long Beach to check out the 79th Grand Sand Sculpture Contest, located on Granada Beach in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach. It's a signature event of the Long Beach Sea Festival and has been covered by the news for years.

In the past, it has been full of professional sand sculptors, the kind you see on "Sand Masters" on the Travel Channel. However, that was not the case this year. Don't get me wrong, many were still far more impressive than anything I could ever do myself, it was just noticeably different than in years past. The fun part is that anyone can enter, which makes me think we'll enter one day when my son is old enough to do it with me. In addition to sign up stations, there were a couple food vendors, a beer garden, a kid’s zone, and various attractions for all ages. Teams began sculpting at 9am and were supposed to create the sculpture that best embodies “The Spirit of Long Beach”, which is this year’s theme. The contest and the prize ceremony took place today between 2pm and 4pm, but the sculptures will still be up tomorrow for anyone in the area looking for something fun to do.

After viewing the competition, we played a little in the water, avoiding random pitbulls running on the sand (yes, this ain't Santa Monica), but enjoying dolphins swimming in the water! (Not sure if you can see it from this photo - it's the little black dot in the water.

To learn more about the competition log on here: http://www.visitlongbeach.com/calendar/index.cfm?eventid=3440

Forget Cupcakes...Macarons are the new IT Treat

2011-08-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

We've blogged about our favorite little hole in the wall restauraunts before, we've shared our adoration of Bulgarini Gelato in Altadena (where the Italian owners are as dedicated to authenticity as the $75 a bottle olive oil they pour over their delicious desserts), yes we do appreciate the finer things in life. Today we discovered huge flavor in the tiny elegance of a carefully and divinely crafted macaron in Old Town Pasadena. Barely open one month, 'lette opened its second shop in our community meaning we'll no longer have to make the trek to the original store in Beverly Hills to enjoy their signature violet, pistacio, caramel, vanilla and chocolate macarons my family devours - and that serve as divinely sophisticated gifts!

Each day fan favorites and new delicacies - 13 in all - are created in the Beverly Hills location by Christophe Michalak, French pastry chef extraordinaire and winner of the 2005 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie. With deliveries arriving early in the morning, each day is a new conbimation of select flavors. Make sure you know which day they serve your favorite so that you don't miss out, although if you have to eat a different flavor, consider it a favor - they're all delish!

Without knowing where the chef is from, you can sense that you are being transported somewhere unique with each bite. You think you know what vanilla should taste like, but you don't until you try one of these! Stop by and treat yourself to my family's new favorite spot! And if you are our friend or family member, you'll probably get a special treat the next time we see you!

For a complete list of flavors, log on to: http://www.lettemacarons.com/macarons.html To purchase online and ship overnight, log on to: http://www.lettemacarons.com/order.html

In the meantime, stop by their new Pasadena location at 14 South Fair Oaks Avenue.

Family Movie Night - "Who is Simon Miller?"

2011-08-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

It's time for the latest installment of Family Movie Night on NBC. The upcoming movie, called "Who is Simon Miller?" is on this Saturday, August 6th at 8/7 central. Check out the Facebook page. It is the story of a family of 4 who finds out that the husband/father is not who they think he is. The movie was a great family movie that brings the family together and gives you a chance to talk as a family about how you would deal with certain difficult situations.
The cast features Loren Dean (Simon Miller), Robyn Lively (Meredith Miller), Skyler Day (Sarah Miller), Drew Koles (Kevin Miller), and Christine Baranskui (Amanda).

This was a very good movie that has some good action scenes and good clean fun that you can watch with your family. This is my first Family Movie Night and after this, it is a tradition that my family and I will continue to do. Next time, we'll get some microwaveable popcorn!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalof of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

BlogHer for a Newbie

2011-08-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today was the first full day of the BlogHer Conference. Now in it's 11th year, the leading conference for bloggers and the brands that want to work with them, all converged on the San Diego Convention Center. That's where I was, too. Half party, half educational sessions, I was a little overwhelmed at first. I started the day walking the expo hall where I saw the Pringles mascot - the mascot of my cupboard since I was a kid.

I then passed through the P&G booth, which was the recreation of a home, complete with giant toilet! I then hit the Egglands Best booth, where I played a slot machine and won a plush "egg" for my 4 year old. Other booth visits included Glad, where they unveiled plastic containers with a built in compartment for dressing, dips or sauces! This had to be one of the best take- home tchotkes of all! Look for them in stores this fall. The Post-It company gave away purses that held post-its, which I knew my wife would like.

Hallmark had a special suite where you could pick a greeting card and they'd mail it off for you - complete with postage. They also raffled off a library of their recorded-book library - all 17! Skinny Cow handed out ice cream and chocolate candy. There was a Hot Wheels suite that was showing their new hot tracks, Hot Wheels tracks that actually mount on the wall! Kids will get a kick out of seeing their cars to loop-de-loops and more practically in the air!

Hershey's had a cozy suite that allowed people to actually make s'mores onsite!

And the Jimmy Dean Sun was on hand to great bloggers as well.

ChapStick handed out my wife's favorite item from the conference - apple flavored chap stick. My wife immediately applied it and began kissing our entire family! She kept saying how it reminded her of Bonnie Bell from her childhood, but that it had the thickness of the Chap Stick that she is addicted to. Aside from the brands, as blogger newbies (can't you tell we're new from the photographs?? - I actually forgot left my iphone and camera at home!) we attended several of the conferences that spoke about the business of blogging, the fun and personal side of blogging, content creation and more. There were also sessions hosted by leading brands whose marketing executives talked about how bloggers - even the smallest - could partner with brands on product reviews, though leadership and more. There were also several sessions that featured leading media folks, including one panel that included reporters from the Huffington Post and The Hollywood Reporter. The conference runs through Saturday and apparently there are a lot of "celebrities" coming on Saturday as brand spokespeople. My wife was excited about celebrity trainer Bob Harper, but we returned home today so she'll miss out. Anyway, it was quite an adventure.

My Little Jessie James??

2011-08-02T22:26:00.001-07:00

Anywhere we go with my four year old, they have kid-friendly tattoos. The library, tattoos featuring dogs reading books, birthday parties, super heroes or trains, school, books or food. Every weekend finds us putting tattoos on my son's arms and by Monday, they've faded just enough that they look the same color as a 80 year old sailor's 80 year old tattoos - you know, that faded blueish gray color. So I wonder...are all these tattoos creating little Jessie James'?

Advice for A Reluctant 4-year-old Swimmer

2011-07-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, we're taking our son to swim class. We have him going 4 times a week for 25 minute sessions. (I should note that this is how they schedule the classes - we are not Type A parents). However, my son hates it. He cries and screams and is sooo sad. It breaks our heart. However, we are around the pool all the time, our relatives have pools at their homes and more and more we get invited to his classmates birthday parties - and many of them have pools. So, while I hate to see him cry, I do feel like he needs to learn to swim. Not sure if any of you have experience with this and recommendations for calming/soothing a child before a swim class? Popsicles seem to work every now and then....

Mystery of the Half Eaten Watermelon Triangles

2011-07-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday on Friday and over the weekend we invited relatives over for brunch. My wife cut watermelon - perhaps my son's most favorite food ever - into triangles and left them in a bowl. Before we left, my wife called me in the kitchen to show me that the tops of all of the triangles had been eaten, but the bottoms had been untouched. It was slightly frustrating because we obviously could not serve the watermelon, but it was hysterical, too, when we realized our four year old had been the eater! So funny.

My Son Finally Dressed Himself Correctly

2011-07-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight is a special night. My four year old son actually dressed himself for bed, all alone, and managed to get everything in the right place! It was such a surprise to see him take the initiative and to do it so well! The strange thing is that although I know this is a great moment, there was a part of me that was a little bummed that it's another thing he doesn't need me to help with. Every day he does more and more by himself and I feel pride with a little bittersweet on the side.

Amazing Dinosaur Exhibit in LA

2011-07-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Grandpa came to town and mentioned the new dinosaur exhibit hall at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. Is that bad that I had not suggested it even though I live here? That's for another time. Let's chat about this exhibit because it rocks. Not only is it 14,000 square feet of fossils and amazing dinosaurs, but it is also the world's only Tyrannosaurus rex "growth series," which includes different T Rex's in different "ages and stages" - a 30-foot, 18-year-old; a 20-foot juvenile and an 11-foot baby. Apparently the museum is only half-way through a renovation that is going to see it nearly double in size. I wanted to read everything in the exhibit, but my four year old wanted to "ride the elevator." I'll have to go back by myself or with my wife so that I can read everything. Also, the exhibit is home to the Dinosaur Encounters, which is a "performance-based interpretive program that lets visitors get up close and personal with a realistic, life-sized juvenile T. rex." Working with paleontologists, engineers, artists, and puppeteers, the museum commissioned these huge dinosaur "puppets" that bring these prehistoric animals to life. "Terror and laughter exist side by side as the puppet roars, stalks, and bellows through our halls." Definitely worth checking out.

Our Son's First In-Theater Movie Experience

2011-07-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

After weeks of discussion, my wife and I took our son to see his first movie yesterday. We saw Winnie the Pooh, a good first movie option! We arrived at the ArcLight in Pasadena, which is an amazing theater, armed with stuffed Winnie, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and Piglet. We bought a child's snack pack which comes with a little drink (water with a touch of lemonade) and popcorn in a happy-meal type of packaging. We then went into the movie where my wife sat on one side while I sat on the other. He was fine until the lights went dark, then he reached for my hand, which I held really tight. When the light from the screen came up on he looked at me and my wife to make sure we were still there. Then the movie started and he sat holding his stuffed animals with big open eyes. At the end of the movie, we were sent to the lobby where they had created a little Winnie the Pooh experience, which Winnie the Pooh "ear" hats, face painting, coloring books and a give-away. Our son actually won a little Winnie the Pooh blanket and after he grabbed his prize, he turned to us and said "I want to do this again! I want to see the movie again!" We were thrilled with our successful outing and happy that we now have all new ways to share entertainment with our little guy. Just hope he doesn't expect the face painting and give-aways the next time we go to the movies!

Dog Walkers with Poop, I See You

2011-07-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is garbage pick-up day and inevitably it takes me about a day or two before I wheel them back in mainly because I don't get home from work until a little late and we have a straight in driveway, which means, for me to pull in the cans, I have to move my wife's car and my car. And after working a long day, I'll admit that I am lazy to do this. (For the record, I do wheel them in the next morning). That said, that leaves my bins on the street two mornings each week. I live in a great neighborhood of friendly faces, moms and nannies stroll with kids and of course, people walking dogs. I love and appreciate it all. What I don't appreciate is the right that some dog walkers feel, to use my garbage bin for their dog's poop. I don't have a dog, even though my family really likes dogs, because we don't want to pick up poop. I am sacrificing many fun times my family could have with a dog because I don't want to pick up poop. So, my friendly neighbors, what makes you think I'd want your poop in my trash? I know who you are, I've seen you opening my bin and disposing of your blue or white or green bags, smelling up my bin. So, starting Tuesday, I will be posting a sign that says "Do not dispose of your dog's poop in my bin!" Wish me luck that our neighbors actually respect the sign.

Good Luck to Both the USA and Japan

2011-07-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

As an avid soccer fan, it's great to see the US Women's Soccer Team in the final today. Good luck! And Kudos to the Japanese team who have overcome incredibly adverse conditions to make it to the final in The Women's World Cup, one of the world's biggest sports.

Make Music Festival in Pasadena was a Hit

2011-06-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

You could not have driven anywhere around the heart of Pasadena without hearing the sounds of music in the air. The Make Music Pasadena festival took place today, welcoming thousands of music fans, and about 100 musicians and bands on stages throughout the city. My family and I visited 4 of the stages and had a great time. We began the day at the Paseo Colorado stage where I'll admit the music was hit or miss for my taste, however, my four-year-old definitely thought differently because he danced the entire time we were there. We then crossed the street to the Pasadena Convention & Visitor's Center stage where we had a great time listening to the sounds of Dj Edwin Carrillo and Funkygraffish. Who doesn't love a DJ playing fun dance beats?

The shows here ended at 3, just a little after we arrived, so we traveled down Colorado Boulevard to Vroman's Bookstore. The stage was just outside the bookstore in the little courtyard between the movie theater and the store. We got there just in time to see Independent Music Award Nominee, Jamila Ford, who I had read about but had never heard before. She was amazing. Jazzy, but modern with a voice that could break hearts yet soothe at the same time. Just a wonderful surprise.

After purchasing way too many books (is there such a thing) for our son, we walked across the street to the Luckman World Stage, which was sponsored by the Luckman Fine Arts Center from California State University, Los Angeles. If you are not familiar with the Luckman Fine Arts Center, you are missing out. In fact, check out their 2011-2012 season. Upcoming artists include India.Arie, Jane Birkin, Simon Bolivar Brass Ensemble, Nikka Costa, Anoushka Shankar and Aaron Neville, to name a few. This was how we would end our day - and boy did we go out with a bang. Remember the Luckman name next year because each performer was truly unique and outstanding. Unique sounds, amazing voices, lots of energy and the widest range of talent that only a festival like this could bring together on one stage. The biggest highlight of the day was Ben L'Oncle Soul, a French performer who sang some songs in his native French and some in English. Part John Legend, part Stevie Wonder, the music was like something from the past, but with a fun, party atmosphere that was perfect for today. In just minutes, we went from a medium sized group to a packed street, full of people dancing and clapping. Needless to say, his CD's sold out in minutes. (We'll be downloading off iTunes tonight).

We started our day at noon and kept going until 6 p.m. With five hours to go, I'm sure we'll miss out on some truly amazing performances, but we had a great time today and can't wait until next year!

Land's End Polo Shirt Giveaway!

2011-06-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

I am a very predictable dad when it comes to my wardrobe. I am usually looking for something quick and easy to wear that looks good. My regular wardrobe consists of Lacoste and Polo shirts of all different colors. I am happy to say that I have recently tried the Land's End Polo and it is fantastic! It is a very comfortable Polo that breathes. I like the fact that I can dress up with some Khaki pants and a Polo if we need to go to dinner. Or, I can just wear a Polo with some shorts and flip flops and be ready for a regular weekend day of activity.

Land's End has made "great mesh better" with this line. Features include:
-New "no curl" collar
-Softer, heftier fabric
-Resists shrinking, wrinkling, fading and pilling
-Smooth covered neck seam
-Banded short sleeves
The fabric is thicker and tighter, but softer. The collar won't curl, which is great becuase you can throw it in the dryer without worrying about having to iron it when it comes out. The Land's End folks have also created buttons that are nearly indestructible and stay on through lots of pulling by four-year-olds like mine. And the best news for a busy dad, the mesh resists fading, pilling, shrinkage and wrinkles. The Land's End Polo is a great gift for any occasion, but a great gift for Father's Day, so I am holding a giveaway for one of the Polo mesh shirts. In order to win one, please visit the Land's End site and come back and make a comment on my site about what you like about the shirts.

One winner who makes a comment will be chosen at random to win one of the shirts. The great thing is that if you don't win, the price is right around $20 and very affordable! Must follow my site to win. Please leave a comment and be sure to leave your email address and size of shirt!

Deadline for submissions, is Thursday, June 23rd.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Land's End and received a Polo shirt to facilitate my review, one to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for my time to participate.

Serious Music Festival Takes Over Pasadena This Weekend Stages and Bands All Over Town

2011-06-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. Time for Southern California's largest free music festival, Make Music Pasadena. The festival features more than 100 musical acts who perform on four main stages and nearly ten different stages throughout the city of Pasadena. Bands range from local favorites like Autolux, to Jazz star Jamila Ford, Mexican Singer-Songwriter Carla Morrison, KCRW DJ's Garth Trinidad and Jason Bentley and yes, even the Los Angeles Children's Choir. How is that for range?

If it's World Music you like head to the World Music Stage on El Molino, for Indie Rock head to 1 Colorado, for Affro Beat and Reggae head to the Levitt Pavilion, for Jazz head to Vroman's, for classical music head to City Hall - and believe it or not, that is only half of it so log on for a complete schedule and list of venues. Make Music Pasadena runs Saturday, June 18, from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Kids Bowl Free all summer long

2011-06-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

Wanted to flag a great opportunity for parents and kids...throughout the summer, most of the nation's bowling alley's are allowing kids to bowl two games for free before 5 p.m. You can either call your local bowling alley and ask about the program or log on to http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/. The program is actually a part of the President's Fitness Challenge, too, so get your kids moving, even if it's indoors to beat the heat! In Pasadena I can tell you 500 participates!

Pasadena Unified Hosts Free Battle of the Bands Tomorrow

2011-06-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

Levitt Pavilion is hosting the first ever Battle of the Bands featuring student bands from local Pasadena Unified Schools. The event runs from 2-6 p.m. and will culminate with an exclusive prize for the winning school and of course, the right to say you band is the best school band in Pasadena. For details check out Levitt Pavilion.

Pasadena Celebrates 125 Years with Huge Party

2011-06-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

My family loves Pasadena. We have access to a great big city like Los Angeles, but are nestled in this gorgeous, family friendly small town that we call home. What makes Pasadena great, aside form it's cultural institutions, world-renown universities, restaurants, and oh I could go on forever, is the community. Almost every week, the Pasadena museums, fire stations, police stations, you name it, have open houses for family and friends. This is a community that truly celebrates community. So today, it was the community that celebrated Pasadena's 125th birthday.

The event took place at the Pasadena Museum of History and featured activities for everyone up to 100 - especially centenarians, who were honored at the event. We parked in the Parsons parking lot and easily took the Arts Shuttle to the museum. Upon arrival, and the huge Happy Birthday Pasadena balloons, we were greeted by old fashioned fire trucks, a Wells Fargo Stage Coach and historical cars. We then moved to the vast children's area where kids designed hats for the "royal" occasion. The children's section included a police booth where fingerprinting was available, as well as lemonade and hot dogs, grilled by local Pasadena fire fighters, were available for a kid-friendly price. The area also featured a children's theater with regularly schedules performances, and a mini chalk festival. The artist, Jessica Edelstein, barely just spent two hours on her recreation of the famous Colorado bridge. (For those interested, she'll be at the Chalk Festival next week at Paseo Colorado). We then visited a Baskin-Robbins booth where we learned that the oldest Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop - opened since 1946 - is in Pasadena right on 561 S. Lake Avenue. It was the second Baskin-Robbins to ever open and remains open serving delicious ice cream to this day!

The actual celebration was presided over by Mayor Bogaard and the celebration began with Jazz musicians, who were eventually joined by trumpeters from the Pasadena Community College band, several members of the Rose Court and an amazing cake designed and created by student chefs from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Pasadena. I was told they spent nearly three weeks building the cake, which contained recreations of famous Pasadena landmarks like the Rose Bowl, the Colorado Bridge and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They also made 15 additional sheet cakes, enough for everyone in attendance - well over 1,000 - to have a piece. The cakes were delicious. If you haven't had dinner at the local Le Cordon Bleu restaurant, you are missing out.

We finished the night eating dinner at one of the many food trucks on site, then headed out where we signed a huge birthday card. My son, who just learned to write his name a few months ago in preschool, happily signed his name. To make it an even more exciting moment, we were told that the historical society is trying to get the card framed and posted permanently in City Hall. We could not get over how exciting it would be to have our son be a part of the city's official commemoration and history! We ended the day back on the Pasadena Arts bus to our car and felt so content with the place we have chosen to call our home.

Sony 3D monitor - no longer split screen gaming

2011-06-08T20:54:00.001-07:00

AT E3, Sony introduced a new 3D monitor that will allow competitive players the ability to play against someone else and yet have the whole screen to themselves. So, let's say you are playing a tennis match with your brother. You are player A and he is player B. Before you'd have a split screen on one monitor. You'd see player A's game on the left side of the screen and player B's game on the right side of the screen. Well, no more split screen. Now it's just one monitor. Player A puts on his or her glasses, player B puts on his or her glasses and looks at the screen where they will each see their own game filling the monitor - and in 3D. The monitor will be available later this year in a bundle - for $499 you get the 24 inch 3d monitor, two 3D glasses and a copy of the new video game Uncharted 3.

The Help is produced by Nate Berkus??

2011-06-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I have taken over my husband's blog because I know most of you are family or friends. I loved the book The Help, and am so excited for the movie, which is coming out in August. Well, since I know many of you probably read this book, I thought I'd share this tidbit - Nate Berkus, as in design guru/Oprah friend - executive produced the movie. I found this so surprising. Who knew he did this sort of thing?

Cool Cake Pops and Delicious Food at Olive & Thyme

2011-06-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes were cool a year ago, now cake pops are all the rage. Check out this one I got today for my son at Olive & Thyme. I don't know how the cake doesn't fall off the stick, but my son enjoyed it without having it fall on the floor. Speaking of Olive & Thyme....i went there for a lunch meeting in Burbank. It's incredible how much that area has changed and Olive &Thyme is leading the charge. It's this sophisticated, family owned restaurant and market that is the size of a small cafe that is reminiscent of a Santa Monica eatery, mixed in with a hip New York cafe with all the extras - oils, cookies, etc. The place was full of Burbank entertainment folks adding to the trendy atmosphere. The servers could be pretentious given the scene, but they were so nice - greeting everyone, attending to each of their guests. It was a very pleasant place with the understanding of the quick-in-and-out lunch crowd. I had a cobb salad - i never turn down items with bacon - and my colleague had a pulled pork sandwich. Both looked delicious. I wished I had ordered the pulled pork as soon as it arrived. it was stacked with meat on a delicious thick, barbecued bread. I'm going to have to find a reason to go back for the sandwich! In fact,

I can actually say that if I'm ever in the area, Olive & Thyme would be my place of choice.

Pasadena's Turning 125 Years Old This Weekend

2011-06-07T21:05:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

The city we live in and love with all our hearts is turning 125 years old!! On Saturday, June 11, from noon to 7 p.m. the Pasadena Museum of History will be hosting a celebration! There will be birthday cake with the Mayor, nonstop music and entertainment, children's activities, Pasadena's untold stories from local centenarians, fire trucks and more. There will even be food from local restaurants and signature drinks - hmm, think there will be an Old Town? A Pasadenan? An Arroyo Seco? You don't want to miss out! We'll be there for sure!

Sony Playstation Unveils PS Vita at E3

2011-06-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight kicks off the Oscars of the video game industry, E3, the Electonic Entertainment Expo. I was fortunate to attend the Sony Playstation Press Conference where they unveiled their latest games and gaming products. The show included an appearance by L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant who was on-hand to demonstrate the new motion sensor product while playing himself in the new 2K NBA basketball game. The star of the show was the brand's next generation portable device called PlayStation Vita which will go on sale this holiday season at $249 with Wi Fi or $299 for 3G Wifi. This device is amazing - touch screen playing, rear touch pad, front and rear cameras and analog mini "joysticks."

Now, I like games, but since having my son, we haven't had time to play anything. And, although I like graphics and design, I do not prefer shooter games since having my child. However, what makes this conference so amazing is the glimpse it provides into next generation technology. For example, more than two-thirds of the new video games were presented in 3D. Sony even launched a new 3D display at the press event. They also talked about how easily you can move from your PS Vita portable to your Play Station console, literally showing game continuation that was as simple as turning on a TV screen. The future of the well-connected home is here, and as usual, the gaming world is leading the charge.

Pasadena Police Provide Quite a Show

2011-06-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

When I heard there would be an open house at the Pasadena Police Heliport, I assumed it would be like any other affair. Parked police cars, a helicopter, etc. Boy was I wrong. The Pasadena Police Airborne unit put on quite a show - in fact, it was an experience. Sure they had about % helicopters parked for viewing, but they also had police cars, police motorcycles, swat mobiles and their K9 unit. They also were barbecuing hot dogs free to the public. But the really amazing part of the day was the dramatized swat team reenactment. Two cop cars and a swat team of about 12 reenacted a typical felony traffic stop. Yes, the reenactment included the swat team telling two men in a car in front of them to put their hands out the window and give up. They, of course did not, so the swat team through a fake bomb-type thing. The driver of the car emerged from the car, but began to shoot back (fake bullets that appeared to be nerf-like). The swat team fired a few as well, then took the man into custody. At that time a helicopter pulled into the field and out popped the k9 unit! The dog ran behind the police cars and arrived just in time! The second criminal opened the car door and tried to run, but the police k9 unit caught him and brought him down. It was the most exciting reenactment I've ever seen and the most fascinating police open house that I've ever been to. What an amazing day. Pasadena Police, sign me up for more open houses in the future!

I miss the old El Cholo

2011-06-04T09:40:00.001-07:00

My family's favorite Pasadena restaurant, El Cholo, moved from it's old location on Raymond to the El Paseo shopping center and I'm afraid that something was lost in the move - the chef. My family loves El Cholo, but we've been to the new restaurant and the food is just not the same. The guacamole and margaritas are still delicious as are their basic combos - the one taco, one enchilada types. But my wife loves their enchilada suizas. She's tried it twice in the new place and found the chicken is rubbery and the sauce resembles something closer to a frozen alfredo sauce you buy in the grocery store - not the creamy flavorful sauce of the past. This is just one example. I've tried other plates like carnitas and they don't taste the same either - as if they are using less quality meats. We're not sure what happened, but we're hoping they'll find their way back to the deliciousness of before!!

Lots of Fun to be had in Pasadena this weekend!

2011-06-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Wanted to hop online to share a couple cool things that are happening in Pasadena today and this week:

The 102nd Annual Dog Show sponsored by the Kennel Club of Pasadena, Sunday, June 5, 2010, at Brookside Park in Pasadena. There are 150 different breeds competing including several new breeds approved for admission to AKC this year. Take little ones and pet lovers - they'll love it!

Saturday, June 4 - the Pasadena Police Air Operations division are having an open house from 11-2. Complete with snacks and helicopters, SWAT and k9 demonstrations! Location is at the Benedict Heliport - 2175 Yucca Lane, Altadena 91001. Call 626-744-4606 with questions.

Okay, so after all of that activity, I bet you'll be hungry! Well, this week Old Pasadena is celebrating Old Pasadena Restaurant Week. More than 20 of Old Pasadena's finest restaurants have joined together to offer you several delicious options for three-course lunch and dinner menus at one great fixed price and the good news is that 10% of event proceeds will benefit Union Station Homeless Services, celebrating 37 years of helping those in need. Click here for information on participating restaurants - I bet your favorite is included.

Have a great weekend!

World's Greatest TV Dad

2011-05-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

I think the dad of today has evolved over the years. The dads of the good old days ran the house while the wife stayed at home and took care of the kids, cooked, etc. Mom's and Dad's have come a long way. Today, you have stay at home dads and families where both parents work and split the duties down the middle.

I'd like to say that I'm a modern dad and try to do a little bit of everything. Spend some time with my son, do some cooking, and relax when I have the time. I think a great dad is a dad that can do it all. Run a household, change a diaper, cook a meal and do what needs to be done to run a tight ship. Certainly, we have all had some influencers in our lives, from real dads to the ones on TV.

We have all grown up watching TV sitcoms and relating to some shows and laughing at others. But when it comes to Dad's on tv, there certainly are some ones not to forget. It's great, because there is a contest right now to decide who The World's Greatest Dad is. Man of the House.Com is having this contest and it is great!

It is in bracket format like the NCAA tournament and it pairs up two dads from tv and people vote on the winner. There are some old favorite dad's from The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prarie, Family Ties, Eight is Enough and more. There even some recent dads like Homer Simpson, and the dads from: Friday Night Lights, Modern Family, and Castle.

Who will win? I have made my first round of picks and am looking forward to see who will advance in this tournament. Make your vote count!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received promotional items to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Go Karts!

2011-05-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took my 4 year old son to go bowling. We went to a new place and there happened to be a Go Kart place next door, so we walked in to see what they had to offer. It was your typical place that had mini golf and go karts, etc. We were going to turn around and go bowling, but we saw the dual seat go karts and my son was interested.

I opened my big mouth and asked him if he wanted to ride it, not thinking that he was too small or anything. At first, he wasn't sure. It was really loud and he thought it would be cool, but didn't know what to expect. Then after a conversation with my wife about safety, I decided to tell him that he was too small and that we would do it when he was older. The exact moment that I told him he could NOT do it, was when he said that he wanted to do it! Of course, when you tell a kid he can't do it, he wants to try it. Amazing. At that point, my wife said, well we have to do it now!

So, we did the go karts, I drove with him riding shot gun and my wife followed in a single behind us. At first he covered his ears and held on tight, but after the first lap, he was hootin' and hollerin' and wanted more! After the race, he wanted to do it again and I could see the adrenaline junkie wanted more.

We went again yesterday and he loved it. It was really cool to show him something new like that and see him go through the different emotions. I think my timid son might be breaking out of his shell and he may become a speed demon, with me behind the wheel of course.

The Green Lantern!

2011-04-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I loved super hero's. Superman, Spiderman, The Hulk, The Green Lantern. Yes, the Green Lantern was a cool one, especially if you like the color green. I can't wait to see the movie coming out, and to no surprise, Mattel has come out with some very cool toys!

I gave this one to my 4 year old boy and he said, "Papa, he has a big hand." Amazing how observant 4 year olds are. Funny how he started pounding things with it. I think it was the barbaric caveman in him coming out.

I must say, that my favorite Green Lantern toy was this disc shooter. I had to demo it for my boy to show him how it worked. At first he was a little unsure due to the flashing colors and sounds. But after I loaded it and started shooting things in his room down with the discs he had to have it! He pointed it at me and wanted to fire, but luckily I told him to only aim at his toys.
We spent at least an hour playing with this toy, taking turns knocking down targets and shooting things down. A very good boy thing to do. If he was a bit older, I would get two of these and have a shoot out. We would have to do it on the sly so my wife wouldn't find out though. Good times!

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Mattel and received Green Lantern toys to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

My Review of DREAM JOURNAL

2011-04-11T15:37:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at UncommonGoods

It's time to start living the life you've imagined. - Henry James Where do you want to go? What do you want to become? Dream with your eyes wide open and a pen in hand with this inspiring journal full of over 100 quotations about seizing your dreams and seizing the day. Take note of your f...

Journal your Dreams with Dream Journal!

By Proudtobeapoppa from Los Angeles, CA on 4/11/2011

Pros: Professional Quality, Durable Construction, The perfect gift

Best Uses: Essays, Personal log

Describe Yourself: Quality Oriented

Primary use: Personal

This is great to keep by your bedside and right down your dreams or thoughts before bed or when you wake up.

(legalese)

Live Eagle Cam from Decorah, Iowa Draws Internet's Attention

2011-04-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

I was watching the ABC nightly news and I saw this. Pretty cool...

Here is a great video of some baby eaglets hatching. Amazing how they have captured this on camera.

Borders - Everything must Go!!!!

2011-02-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick one that I thought I'd share. I found out yesterday, but didn't think anything of it. Many Borders book stores across the country are closing due to them filing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and reorganization. It's a great time to go get some kids' books, videos, or music. Set a budget and stick to it!

Christmas Aftermath

2011-01-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

I don't know about everyone else, but this Christmas came and went with some serious wrath. Our house is a mess with new gifts in every room of the house. To boot, today is my kids' 4th bday, so we have a even more gifts everywhere.

We tried to have a conversation with our toddler a few weeks ago talking about the true meaning of Christmas, but I don't think any of it really soaked in. We told him that he needed to give up some toys to donate to other children and that would make more room for the new ones. I don't think he understood what we were talking about. He didn't want to give away anything and started hiding his toys.

Oh well, I think it is important to purge during the holidays though. My wife and I got rid of some clothes and made a little room for new things. The next task (while my child is not looking) will be to take some of the old baby toys that he doesn't play with and donate them to Goodwill. He may not understand the meaning of giving yet, but we do.

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

When our now three year old was born, my wife started a great Christmas tradition. Each year, we go out and my son gets to pick an ornmanet for the Christmas Tree. We put the date on the back and then let him hang it on the tree. This year, we each picked an ornament, so that was different.

The great idea my wife has about this is that when our boy is old enough to be on his own, we will give him the ornaments, so he has some to start with. My wife got this idea from her mom that started this tradition. To this day, we have little ornaments that my wife had on her tree when she was a little girl.

Share any traditions you may have!

The Social Network

2010-10-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

If you're on Facebook then you have to see The Social Network. The movie is about Mark Zuckerberg, the creater of Facebook. It is an amazing story about a genius programmer and how he created The Facebook. Go see if if you can, and if you don't have the time, put it on your Netflix queue!

Waiting for Superman

2010-10-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

My wife and I went to the movies last weekend and we saw Waiting for Superman. If any of you have kids or are planning on having kids, then this is a MUST see movie. The movie talks about the reality of how bad the public school system is in the country. It follows five children that range from kindergarten through eighth grade and their struggle to get into a good school in their area. It is unbelievable to hear that all of these children had to register for a lottery with terrible odds to have their children attend a good school. The public school system is broken and it needs to be fixed.

What frightens me the most is that because of the teacher's union, teachers can get tenure after a few years. After that, it is next to impossible to fire them. The stats were something like only 1 in 2500 teachers get fired. Not that all teachers need to be fired at some point or another, but like any profession, you will have great teachers and people that shouldn't be teachers.

There is so much more to learn from this movie. Go see it and come back and post!

Bring the World Cup Back to the US

2010-08-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

I started playing soccer when I was 5 years old and have been playing ever since. I have taken some time off over the years, but still love to play. I even broke my leg 10 years ago and have a titanium rod in my leg and am still playing. Watching the World Cup with my 3 year old this summer was awesome. We were both cheering for different teams and somehow my son picked Spain early on and he was right. Check the link below and sign the petition. It would be great to have the World Cup back in the US. If it does come, then I will take my son to some of the games!

Last Saturday my wife get me tickets to the LA Galaxy vs Real Madrid match at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. There were players like, Donovan, Christian Ronaldo, Higuain, and more. It was a great birthday gift! Real Madrid won 3-2.

Bring the World Cup back to the US - http://www.gousabid.com/

The site is devoted to bringing the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup to the United States. I just signed their petition and you should too! Here's the address: www.gousabid.com/petition Look, we've heard it before -- Americans don't care about the game of soccer, other countries have better players, better fans and are more deserving of the games. Well, this is our chance to prove the doubters and the world wrong, once again. This is our opportunity to show the world we have a deep passion for the game. Be part of the grassroots movement to bring the FIFA World Cup to the United States. Thanks!

Does Your Playground Spark Creativity

2010-08-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

I take my son Max to the playground almost every day between 5 and 7 to play and to burn off excess energy - his, of course - so that he'll rest peacefully - and hopefully, early - that night. Our interactions change each visit - sometimes we kick the ball, sometimes we go down the slide, sometimes we climb the ropes. In the end, my son knows pretty much what to expect - and that might be the problem. In this week's Time magazine, Harriet Barovik spotlights David Rockwell, designer of theater sets (Hairspray), restaurants (Nobu) and hotels (W), who "was so frustrated by the fixed nature of the playgrounds his kids frequented that he set out to reinvent them." Reinvent them, he did. Bringing in foam blocks, wheels, cogs and noodles, he put creativity back in the hands of kids, encouraging them to build and create their own playground and put simply, to get messy. Read for yourself....the story not only fascinated me, but challenged me to think more about the things I do each day with my child. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2007398,00.html . You can also learn more at Imagination Playground's web site.

Lemonade invented in August

2010-07-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the first day of August, I thought I'd share this tidbit about half of my favorite drink - lemonade. (I'm an Arnold Palmer fan and appreciate a good lemonade in my lemonade and iced team combination). Lemonade was served for the very first time in August in Paris. In honor of lemonade's birthday, we're setting up our lemonade stand - (the little one in the photo) and probably going to drink all the profits. You should, too! You can find all kinds of unique (ginger, Italian, minty) and traditional lemonade recipes on the Food Network site or by clicking here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=lemonade&fnSearchType=site

Youth Olympic Games

2010-07-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we're usually a little behind when we announce interesting events, but we read about this one and thought it'd be fun to keep an eye out for. Starting August 14th 14 to 18 year-old will participate in the inaugural Youth Olympics Games. Similar to the Olympics you've come to know and love, this event will be held in Singapore and will include 12 days, 3,600 competitors and 370,000 spectators. Although many think these games are not necessary - after all, skater Tara Lipinski took gold in the Olympics when she was only 15 years-old, Michael Phelps collected eight medals before the age of 20, the youngest gold medalist ever was American diver Marjorie Gestring who took a gold at the age of 13. No doubt the talent will be there and we'll be watching.

Why do kids always get sick at night?

2010-07-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

Last night we met up with our neighbors and their three year old. We had errands to run and thought it'd be more fun if we did them together. We went to the library, the grocery store and even the ice cream shop. The entire time, our kids played together, running around, pushing the mini shopping cart's and dropping books in the book slot. We had no idea that just two hours later - and for the rest of the night - literally all night long - we'd be up fighting explosions emanating from all parts of our child. Why does it always seem like all is well and then in no time, things can change dramatically - and usually at night? Is there some parenting God that is trying to teach us a lesson? "I'll show them what tired is....I'll show them what worry is...."

It's the most helpless feeling to have. It's in the middle of the night, our child is vomiting and pooping nonstop, crying and with a temperature. We're tired, worried, trying to guess how to fix things. I remind my wife about the BRAT diet thinking it solves our problems, and yet after making toast, slicing a banana, and heating up left over rice, our child doesn't even take a bite. One of us takes to sitting with our child while the other changes the bed and towels for the 4th time. Nothing is improving our child's mood or ours. My wife and I are united in the need to help our son get better and yet snapping at each other each moment we have...I know everyone who is a parent goes through this...how do you cope? How have you handled nights like this? Recommended treatments or distractions? How do you stay a nice person when you are tired and worried? And why do kids only get sick at night?

Cooper - Domestic Dog Released into the Wild

2010-07-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

The news is all abuzz about the humane society that turned away a domesticated dog thinking it was a wild, sick coyote. The dog was then set into the wild. The 11 year old owner is said to have cried nonstop. I understand how the mistake could have been made, but come on. I hope they find the dog before anything happens to him. Read more here...

http://www.state-journal.com/news/article/4865283

The Circle of Life - From Catepillars to Butterflies

2010-07-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

One week ago, the local Kidspace Museum hosted a celebration of bugs...ladybugs, ants, spiders, oh my! They also talked about life cycles and handed out small caterpillars to everyone who wanted one. Over the past week our Caterpillar has begun to spun it's cocoon. So, we moved it out of the small container it was in and into a large shoebox with air holes and a cover. We are not sure how long before it becomes a butterfly, but we're on butterfly watch 2010. We'll upload photos of the cocoon as soon as I find the camera my three year old hid somewhere in the house.

Cool Sustainable Tourist Destinations

2010-07-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, as a full time dad of a three year old, chances are great that I'm not getting to these places anytime soon, but I thought I'd share some cool sustainable destinations for the fun of it....

Whistler, British Columbia - take a zip line past rebuilt salmon habitats and hiking trails.

Queensland, Australia - help scientists research climate change in the rain forest.

New Forest, England - auto-free tourism villages have you sharing the road with cows and ponies

Guanacaste,Costa Rica - Protect and help leather back sea-turtle eggs.

For now, I'll pitch a tent and grow zucchini in my back yard....

When Baby Goes Poo in the Bathtub

2010-07-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

Our son has been rocking the potty training. As soon as we shifted from diapers to underwear, he was ready to go in the potty. We had great pride that we had not had any incidence until two nights ago.

Every night before bath time I have my son try to go to the bathroom before lifting him into the bath. Two nights ago, he went before bath. However, 20 minutes later, in the bath, we had our own personal "Caddyshack" scene. We quickly took our son out of the bath, as well as the unexpected surprise and explained to our son why it's not a good thing to do. While my wife dried and dressed my son, I scrubbed our tub.

I have to believe we're not the only ones this has happened too, right??

Home Gardens - is your soil full of lead?

2010-07-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago, I decided to come up with a few projects that my three year old and I could do together in the yard during summer. He helped me clean the gutters (he stayed on the ground with a little sweeper), replaced the light bulbs (he handed me the new light bulbs) and we planted a vegetable garden. To my amazement (and lack of green thumb) we planted the seeds about one month ago and we already have zucchini the size of my shoe! We were thrilled to pick them and eat them as part of our attempt to get our child to eat veggies when a friend of ours asked if we tested the soil. Test the soil? Who thinks of that? We just wanted to do a fun project...now I have to test the soil. Well, she got us thinking...we did plant the garden next to the garage, but it was in our backyard - and we're sure that it's been a backyard at least since the 1920's when the house was built. Well, now I'm paranoid, so we're sending the soil off - and not eating the veggies just yet. We're sending the soil to Timberleaf Soil Testing out of Murrieta, CA. Apparently you put some soil in a ziploc bag and send it off. For about $60 they'll test for all sorts of bad for you items like lead and arsenic and other things. I've been told they get back to you in less than one week - maybe in time for us to eat our veggies! We'll let you know the fate of our garden as soon as we know!

Colorado St. Bridge Celebration: Pasadena, CA

2010-07-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a post I found about the Colorado St. Bridge party in Pasadena. We went a few years ago and it was great. Great food and some good walking around.

KTLA Morning News Anchor, Michaela Pereira will host this year’s event
From STAFF REPORTSPublished: Sunday, July 4, 2010 4:02 PM
A Celebration on the Colorado Street Bridge will be presented by Pasadena Heritage from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm on July 10, on the historic Colorado St. Bridge in Pasadena. This summer party is guaranteed to be full of enjoyment with a range of activities for all ages, including cookie decorating and face painting, vintage car displays, music and food.
KTLA Morning News Anchor, Michaela Pereira will host this year’s event.
A Celebration the Colorado Street Bridge is an annual fundraising event of Pasadena Heritage, the second largest historic preservation organizations in the state. Funds raised support the organization’s education and advocacy programs throughout the year.
Discounted advance ticket prices: Pasadena Heritage member: $12 adults, $5 children (7-12 years), children 6 and under free. Non member: $13.50 adults, $6.50 children (7-12 years) , children 6 and under free
Day of event ticket prices: $15 Adults, $7 children (7-12 years), children 6 and under free
To purchase tickets or for more information contact Pasadena Heritage at (626) 441-6333 or visit our website http://www.pasadenaheritage.org/.

Flying Car

2010-06-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

I found this article on Yahoo Buzz and had to share it. I have a few questions about this "flying car". Is it safe to put a child's car seat in it? (no way I'm putting my kid in there) Who is going to control the air traffic? Are there going to be cops in the air now? What about drinking and flying, what's the law on that? As far as cost goes, not bad for under $200,000. Although this is a great innovation and a cool mode of transportation, I think it would be a challenge to implement this in our current infrastructure. Not so say it won't be done, but I foresee a lot of headaches down the road. Maybe by the time my toddler is able to fly or drive there will be spaceships that can get us to and from the moon in only a few hours...

Check out the video, pretty cool.

Flying Car a Step Closer to Realityby Mike Krumboltz

Weird-looking cars are a dime a dozen. Far less common are weird-looking cars that can also fly AND have approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Indeed, as far as we know, there's only one of those babies: The Terrafugia Transition.
The private aircraft/funky-looking car has been in the news before. But the recent announcement that it's going into production sparked mega-searches on the Web. Almost immediately, online lookups for "terrafugia transition" and "terrafugia transition pictures" both, well, took off.
A popular article from the UK's Daily Telegraph explains that the FAA's special exemption allows the vehicle to function as both a "light aircraft" and a car. Normally, for a plane to meet the "light aircraft" designation, it can weigh no more than 1,200 pounds. The Terrafugia Transition weighs 1,320, due primarily to the number of car-related safety features, like airbags and crumple zones. The "light aircraft" designation is key, because licenses for planes with that label require only 20 hours of flying time. Fewer hoops to jump through means more potential sales.
So, how does the plane/car work? Check out the flying car's official video below. So far, 70 people have placed a deposit. The total retail cost: $194,000. Expensive, but really, can you put a price on skipping commercial flights?

We're starting a new preschool tomorrow - wish us luck

2010-06-29T22:51:00.001-07:00

This past year we had taken our three year-old son to a co-op. Although the teacher was wonderful and we would not replace the experience with anything else, the board at the co-op was going through a very rough period resulting in the resignation of the school's director. So, we investigated other schools and found one that is 10 times better - I'm talking daily music classes and misters over the play area. Yes, misters! I tried to prep my little one today for the new school, but all he keeps talking about is his old school. I'm nervous to drop him off tomorrow - so wish me luck!

Buying Meat from a Vending Machine???

2010-06-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

I've seen t-shirts, make-up, even underwear (Japan) - who knows why - sold in vending machines, but meat? Yes, it's true. A butcher shop in Northern Spain, has figured out a way to simplify their business by adopting modern technology. The owners installed the refrigerated machines to provide customer service when the shop is closed. Genius or salmonella waiting to happen? http://www.restaurantdiningcritiques.com/spain/izarzugaza-100-year-old-butcher-shop-embraces-new-technology-spain/

Omaha with Toddlers and Newborns - If it's good enough for Warren Buffett...

2010-06-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

My wife is from Miami, went to school in Boston and now lives in SoCal. I grew up in Tulsa, travel frequently to New York, Dallas and have lived in Southern California since college. I was not sure what to expect from Omaha, Nebraska. Well, I could not have been more wrong. I'll admit my view may be slightly tainted by the fact that I was visiting my new 3 week old niece - and what is more perfect that a cute and cuddly new little one (especially one you can hold and play with but not have to worry about changing!). My sister-in-law and her husband moved to Omaha about a year ago when he was transferred by his company, Yahoo! , which was looking to open a new branch in the area. Omaha is a small city - you can probably drive the entire city from east to west in about 30 minutes tops and there is almost no traffic. Being from L.A. where traffic is a nightmare, it was such an awakening to see that there are towns where traffic is not even an issue - yes, a place where your day doesn't begin and end with road rage. My sister in law stayed home to take care of the littlest edition to our family, but my mother-in-law was able to take us around town. We were surprised by how much there was to do for kids. The first day we took our three year old to the Omaha Children's Museum. Being a "big city snobs" we expected it to be a small museum without too much to do. We were so wrong. It was huge with tons of fun stuff to do - water play, instruments galore, and an entire second floor made over like Bridwell Island from the Clifford series, complete with visit from Clifford himself. The second floor also offered a carousel which the kids loved. We then went to Omaha's Old Town section, which is designed to reflect what the town must have looked like in the 1800's (enough to place yourself back in the day) but made over to reflect a cute shopping and dining area full of art galleries, boutique stores and great restaurants. Truly adorable.

The next day we visited the Durham Museum, which has more trains (Union Pacific was created an continues to be headquartered in Nebraska), and offers an overview of Omaha's history - including famous Omahans like Tom Brokaw, Abbott & Costello, Johnny Carson and of course, Warren Buffett. Speaking of Warren Buffett, we drove by his house. You would miss it if you didn't know better. Apparently one of the world's richest men lives in the same house he's lived in for over 35 years. It's a nice size, but not more than an acre and a half of land. A FAR cry from the mansions of Bel Air, Pasadena or Greenwich, CT. Without a gate protecting the house, I actually worried about the Buffett family's safety. When it comes to dining, we ate as well in Omaha as we would have in any major city. We ate a fabulous mushroom truffle pizza at Pitch, in the adorable town of Dundee. We had an amazing ice cream for desert at eCreamery, which allows you to personalize logos - the perfect gift for anyone. In fact, the town was hosting the College World Series and had created special ice cream flavors for each of the teams in town. One place we did not make it to was the Henry Doorley Zoo, which is considered one of the top zoos in the country behind the San Diego Zoo and National Zoo, which my sister in law said kids just love. Anyway, the list goes on and on, and I won't lie, there were some 70's parts of town - many 70's parts of town, but needless to say, it was a lovely town and a lovely time. I'd suggest checking in with the Omaha Visitor's Bureau before going, though, to make sure you hit these hidden gems.

Washington DC with toddlers

2010-06-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

We were away from our computer for a little over a week visiting my two year old niece in Washington D.C. and my new, 3 week old niece in Omaha Nebraska. We had an amazing time as both cities offered tons to do for kids.

We started the trip on the plane, which was more fun for our three year old than anything else on the trip. When we arrived in DC, we traveled to Alexandria, Virginia, where my sister-in-law lives. We spent the first day touring the monuments. It was great fun for us - you get such a sense of history and magnitude when viewing the White House and all the important offices that surround it, the EPA, DOJ, etc. - and it gave the kids plenty of space to run around. We did an amazing amount of walking from the White House, to the Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean War monuments. Although we had a stroller, both of the kids spent most of the day walking. The next day we visited Baltimore, MD - a short hour and a half drive from Alexandria - to visit the Smithsonian Train Museum. (Yes, my son still loves trains). From there we visited the Aquarium, which is a mix of a regular (amazing) aquarium and Sea World, complete with Dolphin and Shark shows. We wanted to visit the Spy Museum, but was told it was for kids starting around age 6, so we skipped it. (I've heard amazing things about it, so we'll be back in three years!) There were plenty of restaurants along the way that catered to kids and provided an all-around amazing experience. I worried my son as a little too young to fully enjoy DC, but he loved it - and having another 2 year old to wear him out, was a blessing!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there

2010-06-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Just sending a note to every dad out there to wish you all a Happy Father's Day!

I'm looking forward to a delicious lunch with my wife and son and a chocolate lava cake for desert tonight! Yes, I'm hungry as I am writing this. But whatever you do, we hope you have a wonderful day.

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts

2010-06-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. Father's Day is an important holiday, but one that does not seem to have so much forethought as Christmas. People spend months talking about Christmas, shopping at the mall for the perfect gift, but people always seem to be rushing to purchase gifts for Father's and Mother's Day. Thank goodness for the Internet! Not only has it made shopping easy, but its made shopping smarter, too. Sites like Red Envelope are great because they provide last minute shopping and shipping, and offer a variety of classic, fun and unexpected items. For example, the folks are Red Envelope were offering select dad bloggers an opportunity to experience Father's Day in a new way, inviting us to select any product for trial. Looking for an opportunity to do select something that created an experience for my and my family on MY DAY, I had a tough time choosing between the home brewing set (complete with mini keg), the family conversation table topics and the picnic backpack. We often visit the Huntington Gardens near our house and attend their summer concert series where we get to picnic while the kids run around on the park grounds, so I selected the picnic backpack. We have a picnic backpack that we typically use and I'll admit that I would not have purchased a new one had the Red Envelope offer not been extended, but I am definitely glad I chose it as an option. The entire backpack is insulated and stays nice and cool for nearly three hours! (Perhaps it stays cooler, but we only picnicked for three hours). The straps are extra thick making it easy to carry - I would even say comfortable enough for a long hike up the Rockies. The silverware is nice enough to elevate any wine and cheese picnic, but are not so heavy that you become angry at the manufacturer for not thinking about your needs - why put heavy silver when the product is going to be carried on your back. This blogger is traveling this week visiting relatives and is unable to upload the photos of our family picnic so I'm including a photo of the picnic from the site. However, I fully recommend this gift to anyone looking to give dad the perfect gift - one that naturally opens up the opportunity to get outside together and share time together.

RESIDENTS CAN BECOME WATER-WISER AT PWP’S H20 ACADEMY

2010-06-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

Pasadena Water and Power experts will teach residents how to outsmart the current water shortage at a free workshop Saturday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Salvation Army Pasadena Tabernacle, 960 E. Walnut St.
The three-hour seminar will cover:

· Top 10 ways to save the most water and money indoors and out
· How to conduct a home water audit and compare yours to average and efficient homes
· How much water is right for your landscape
· How to keep your landscape healthy through the hot summer and change of seasons
· How to check for water leaks and what to do if you find one
· How to read your water bill and meter
· How to test your soil
· What alternatives to traditional landscaping work best for Pasadena’s climate
· What efficient irrigation devices like smart controllers and drip irrigation can do for you.

Each PWP customer who attends the workshop will receive a water-saver kit valued at $40, and PWP water customers will also have a chance to win a “smart” irrigation controller, with installation, worth $650.
PWP customers may register at www.cityofpasadena.net/savewater or (626)744-3715.

McDonald's Shrek Recall and Anonymous Tip - This Blogger Isn't "Lovin' it"

2010-06-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

McDonald's is asking anyone who purchased a Shrek glass to return it to McDonald's. The fast-food giant is paying $3 per glass - one dollar and one cent more than the consumer purchase price. You can find out more about the recall in this link here.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/default.aspx?feat=1768318&gt1=33002

Recall aside, does anyone else find it strange that this all came to light as a result of an "anonymous tip." Who called in the tip? And how did he or she know the glasses were bad? And why didn't McDonald's know they were bad glasses before they began selling them?

I'm certain of one thing, McDonald's should use it's muscle to work with company's that create safe, BPA-free - and cadmium-free products for families.

Chinese paint their dogs to look like pandas, tigers in new fad

2010-06-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

One of my sister-in-laws sent me the link to this story and I just had to share it. The article is from nationalpost.com and it is a keeper. If we had a dog, I would have to paint it to look like Baby Jaguar from Go Diego Go! Note that no animals were harmed during the typing of this email. The links have more great pics!

By Jodi Lai June 8, 2010 – 11:39 am
It’s so passe to put your dogs in purses and buy them designer clothes these days.
In the newest pet fad, dog owners in China are dyeing their mutts to resemble pandas and tigers, the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reports.
Chow Chow dogs that normally have golden fur are being dyed white and black to resemble fluffy pandas. Golden Retrievers with light blonde hair are painted orange and given black stripes to look like tigers.
Oh, I love how China’s burgeoning middle class spends its money on the bizarre. More cute/ridiculous photos after the jump.
A Google search for “dog dye” frighteningly returns 2.7 million hits. There are hundreds of websites that instruct pet owners how to dye their dogs’ fur.
The Daily Mail reports that spending in the U.K. on pets has increased by 500% from 1999 to 2008, at the expense of the animals’ dignity, of course.
Check out this horrifying gallery of pooches dyed in every colour the rainbow has to offer.

Hilarious Ad for Huggies New Jean Diapers

2010-06-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

I was working in my home office when I heard my wife and toddler laughing at something while watching "Max and Ruby" on Nickelodeon. I ran in to see this commercial for the new Huggies limited edition jean diaper. Thought you'd find it funny, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ0M9CBEkw0

Auto Club Child Safety Seat Education Class - June 22

2010-06-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

AAA clubs nationwide will be hosting child safety seat classes in June to help show parents how to choose the proper child safety seat for their child and install it in your car. They'll also review rules for child car seats so that parents can be sure they are following the law. In Los Angeles, there will be a session at the Los Angeles Auto Club brand on Figueroa Street. TO RSVP, you can call 714-885-2312.

Max funny

2010-06-05T18:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we were walking by our local City Hall when we saw a man riding on a bike with a parrot on his shoulder. My wife said "look at the man on the bicycle. He has a parrot on his back." and my son said "mama, he's a pirate" which made us burst out laughing.

National Trails Day - Get Out And Hike!

2010-06-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

June 5 is National Trails Day so it's a great opportunity to get out and go for a hike with the family or even a walk around the block. A lot of outdoor stores like REI are offering promotions complete with local trail maps for all hikers - beginners and experts alike. Just remember, if you are hiking with a baby or toddler to set expectations since distance - or getting to the waterfall - might not be a reality when little ones are with you. Also, remember sunscreen, lots of water and good shoes. And most of all, have fun!

Are strawberries actually lady bugs?

2010-05-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

A quick, cute story. I received an email from a parent of one of my child's classmates today inquiring if my son did not like strawberries? I said no he doesn't and then asked why?

She told me that she had brought strawberries for snack and that he said "please don't put any on my plate. I don't like them." I laughed that my son had said that. The mom then said that her son did not eat strawberries until last month because until that point he thought they were ladybugs! Funny.

Panera Bread Non Profit Restaurant

2010-05-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

Panera Bread announced something I thought was just amazing - a non profit restaurant concept with a corporate social responsibility concept. The pilot restaurant, St. Louis Bread Co., offers consumers the chance to pay what they want for a meal. Yes, pay what you want. The CEO says this is a concept based on community kitchens where consumers set the price. The pilot restaurant is run by a non-profit foundation. If it sustains financially, it will expand across the U.S. Here is more on the story, but in the meantime, I applaud Panera Bread - and hope people do not take this as license to get free food, but rather see it as an amazing opportunity to make a difference in an incredibly easy way - just show up and eat and pay the regular price. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37213165/?gt1=43001

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here's my version of Wordless Wednesday. Some random photos that I thought I would share.

I was at the park with my boy and we saw this lady walking down the path and we heard some squawking. It is hard to see, but if you look at the backpack the lady is wearing, there is a small bird, probably a parrot in there. There's a first for everything. I was working down by the 710 fwy in Long Beach a couple weeks ago and I was stuck in traffic. When I finally drove by the accident, I saw the problem. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but the truck driver lost his mobile home on the turn. Imagine making the call to your boss after that happens. "Hey boss, you'll never believe what just happened, and no I wasn't speeding!" I still don't understand how this accident occurred, because with that turn, the load should have fallen in the other direction.

Fast Company's "10 Most Addictive Sounds in the World"

2010-05-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

In this month's issue of Fast Company it reports the top "addictive sound" is a baby's giggle. We agree because we LOVE it when our baby laughs. It's the best sound in the world!

Ducky Derby Fun

2010-05-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been to a Ducky Derby? Well, if you haven't, you absolutely should. During the summer, various cities host Ducky Derbies - day long events typically tied to charities where you bid on a plastic ducky -each with a number on the bottom to help identify each duck from the other - which are then floated down the river. The first Ducky to cross the finish line wins. Go online and check it out, but here are some dates and locales....

Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, CA hosts it's 1st Annual “Red, White & Blue Rubber Ducky Race” this weekend.

Annual Ducky Derby Festival in Aspen, Colorado in April.

Tacoma's Annual Derby Festival just happened last week.

Go online and see where it'll be next or even better, buy some at the 99 cent store or Target and host your own - in the pool, in the river, etc.

Lost finale

2010-05-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

Did you watch it? My wife and I did and didn't want it to end. Neither my wife nor I were trekkies. We didn't follow Twin Peaks. We never obsessed over particular shows. However, we really enjoyed watching each episode together and chatting about it after. It was a smart program that made you think about things and question others. And it was simply fun for us. My wife always had a million questions and I acted as if I knew the answers. Lots of fun!!

Pasadena POPs at City Hall, featuring Conductors Darth Vader and the Target DOG

2010-05-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a night! The Pasadena POPS held a free open air concert last night at Pasadena City Hall. Sound a little stuffy? This is Pasadena... Although the night was unexpectedly cold - about 60 degrees - my wife and son and I set up two chairs and blankets, ready to cozy up for a sophisticated, cultural evening of music and fun. The event featured the hottest trend in the LA food scene - gourmet food trucks. My family ate gourmet grass-fed hamburgers with rosemary and garlic organic french fries from the Green Truck while sitting in front of the gorgeous City Hall. Local children's fun spot and museum, Kidspace, was on site providing activities for the little ones. Mayor Bill Bogaard (who we have a special place in our heart for because we have photos of him with our three year-old) opened the show in a two minute speech (that's why we like him so much, he gives short speeches) before turning it over to the POPS conductor Rachel Worby who lead the orchestra in an uplifting array of songs from some great musicals and Hollywood films.

Guests appearances were made by the Target dog, who lead the orchestra as they played Henry Mancini's theme from the "Pink Panther." Another fun moment of the night - one that made all the Gen Xers in attendance put down their cheese and crackers (okay, some put down their burritos or hot dogs) - was when the Star Wars theme began to play. A personal appearance by Darth Vader walking through the crowd scared the little ones a bit, but Xers ate it up when he took the conductor's stand and lead the orchestra in the Darth Vader theme. Before ending the night with God Bless America, the Symphony announced their move from Descanso Gardens to the Rose Bowl with the first performance scheduled for June 19th. It was a wonderful evening out for our family, but more importantly, it was nice to be able to show our three year-old, a lover of music, a symphony and demonstrate how musicians play together to make beautiful sounds. When we arrived home, our three year-old grabbed a stick and handed my wife a guitar and said "mama, I'm a conductor. let's play." That was awesome. I should also note that it was our three year old's first experience in a porta-potty, but that's for another day.

Play Pac Man on Google

2010-05-21T14:08:00.001-07:00

Considering the fact that average person searches google 6 times each day, I am sure you've seen the celebration of Pac Man's 30th anniversary. Who doesn't love Pac Man? Go on and check it out - you move him with your arrow keys.

Old Navy $1 Flip Flop Sale

2010-05-21T13:31:00.001-07:00

My wife cannot stop talking about this and suggested I share the information with my readers. Just fyi, tomorrow , Saturday, May 22, at Old Navy, and according to Mom Central, all flip flops are $1. Sounds like a good deal to me!

Toddler's First Swim Class

2010-05-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

Our toddler is three years old and although we do not have a pool, we have friends and family who do, so we enrolled him in a swim class at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. (I know it sounds fancy, but really it's kind of like Pasadena's community pool - a nice one with lots of good swimmers and then ordinary people like me and my on-his-way-to-Olympic gold, my three year old toddler...) The teacher is an incredibly patient and kind young lady named Carrie who literally had 10 different ways of asking a toddler, who wasn't up for anything, the same thing. "Can you blow bubbles? Can you hum? Can you say brrr underwater?" No, apparently my son cannot. It wasn't that my son was being rude, he was scared and did not want to leave my side, but I could not help but feel bad that we spent 45 minutes in the water with Carrie and only accomplished two of the 10 tasks she attempted to get our little one to do. I've signed him up for a few more classes and have faith that he'll get acclimated to the situation. When we left he said "bye Carrie" and when she did not hear him, he said it again while waving his hand - "Bye Carrie!!!" as if desperate to get her attention - which in toddler speak means he's gotten used to his new "coach" and may be ready to swim. Updates to come....

Inside The Rose Bowl Stadium Games

2010-05-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Aside from the stadium renovation discussion, Sunday's Rose Bowl Stadium Games were a lot of fun for the whole family. Schools and camps set up booth's, Bob's Big Boy, new to Pasadena, was on site as was local radio stations, the LA Galaxy and a many, many fun games. The public was able to walk all around the field, check out the locker rooms and receive tours of historic landmark. Local celebrities included Congressman Adam Schiff who could not have been nicer, Olympic gold medalist and former Tournament of Roses princess, Inger Miller was on site with her gold medal, which weighed a lot more than I imagined, as well as local news anchors, including Kent Schocknek from CBS, who is Los Angeles' longest running morning news anchor.

There were soccer and football shoot-outs, armchair athlete competitions (you literally sat in a lay-z-boy that moved like a bucking bronco and tried to throw the football in a hole), bouncers for children, face painters, raffles to local restaurants and more. It was a lot of fun and a really great way to connect to the community.

Rose Bowl Stadium Games

2010-05-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

The Legendary Rose Bowl stadium opened its doors to the public today in what can only be summed up as a day full of fun for the entire family. The purpose was to discuss renovations of the 87 year old stadium and landmark. I'll admit I was curious to see what was included in the renovation and assumed there were major changes coming and that all the fun and games were on site to make people feel better about the situation, however, I was very wrong. Changes are being described as opportunities to "enhance historic appeal, the fan experience and the operational capacity of the Rose Bowl" yet, in the grand scheme of stadium renovations, the public will barely notice a difference. I understand the value of the beautiful stadium and am not advocating for major changes that would not only change the stadium, but the beautiful arroyo area, but frankly, I think the stadium needs a little more updating than what sounds like is being proposed. It is bittersweet though, because the stadium is a landmark. I've lived in the area for 15 years and still glance to the side toward the stadium when passing it on the 210 freeway. However, from inside, you see how old and in need of repairs it is. Improvements will include new luxury boxes, better seats and other "operational concerns." We'll see if the Rose Bowl improvements actually do extend the life of the stadium for future generations as they claim. Guess you can say the Roman Coliseum is still standing generations later, but you can't play a football game in it - or sit comfortably while attempting to do so.

When does make believe become crazy?

2010-05-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

My child attends a co-op preschool, which means we have to work in the classroom every few weeks. My son has become close friends with a particular girl, who for the purpose of this email we'll call Ana. As they have grown close, he has changed his name to Ana, insisting we all call him Ana. I was okay with this at home, but the other day I was working at the school overseeing the play doh table. There were five children sitting playing when my son came in a said "I'm Ana." All the kids at the table looked at me with eyes that said "what is he talking about?" After my son said "I am Ana" for the 10th time, one of the kids said "You are not Ana." This did not phase my son one bit. "Yes I AM Ana," he said and kept playing. He has since taken on other personalities. He takes on the name of characters in books, names of relatives after long visits, etc. but he always goes back to Ana. He's even brought my wife and I into the conversation. "Mama, you are Jasmine and I am Abu, papa is the Gynie." (Okay, I'll admit I did not mind being transformed into a skinny, Disney princess, but still...) I'm guessing this is a phase, but because the other children's reactions were that of "what is he talking about" or as we adults would say "he's crazy..." it did make me think about it....

Michelle Obama Asks Chefs to Make Over School Meals

2010-05-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Michelle Obama and I were on the same wave length this month. About two weeks ago, I wrote a blog about how I was touring preschools and was appalled by the lunches offered. There were no vegetables, just pizza, chicken fingers, etc. I said at the time that I was all for pizza and chicken fingers, but in moderation, and by that I mean once or twice a week (okay, with chicken fingers it may be more like 3 or 4 times a week - but at least I buy the Whole Foods version) and at my discretion. So, with my little one in mind and the incredibly increasing waistlines of all our kids - and the unhealthiness that follows - I applaud the first lady's new initiative.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/first-lady-michelle-obama-launches-chefs-move-schools-program

Study on the lifelong effects of low-quality child care

2010-05-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Not sure if you read this, but I think it's an important article to read particularly if you have young ones at home - or intend to have more young ones. The study, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development funded a comprehensive study focusing on the effects of childcare (from day care centers to nannies) on children as the age. Low quality care increased aggressiveness and decreased the amount of learning.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/37147870/ns/health-more_health_news/

I'm not surprised, but what are parents supposed to do if they have to work and can't afford to the fancier options? Like anything, I believe studies are important, but solutions impress me even more.

Potty Training Suggestions Wanted

2010-05-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Our son is potty training, but it's happening very slowly. How do you know when your child is ready? And when he's ready, how do you prevent accidents? How long does it typically take between their first interest in potty training to a non-accident lifestyle? (Realizing, of course, that kids are each unique and on their own schedule). Any thoughts or advice?

National Train Day held around the nation

2010-05-09T11:57:00.001-07:00

Yesterday around the nation was National Train Day, a celebration of the art of traveling by train. Events were held around the country, kicked off with a feed featuring actor Taye Diggs followed by a slew of activities that included performances from Radio Disney, balloon artists and vendors from various cities along the train route. We were at Union Station in Los Angeles, so we were treated to a performance by the USC marching band as well. Our three year old got a train conductor hat, a train day poster and a train whistle - what could be better than that?

Hugo and the really, really, really, long string book reading

2010-05-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to participate in the book reading/signing of Hugo and the Really, Really, Really Long String on Saturday. Written by Bob Boyle, the creator of the Nick Jr. sensation "Wow, Wow, Wubbzy," the story has a similar look and style - a sort of geometric pattern that is endearing as much as it is very constructed. The story is uniquely sweet as it sustains your curiosity as Hugo and friends follow the mystery that is the really, really, really, long string. Where does it lead? It leads to a wonderful lesson about the fun and importance of making friends.

The Vroman's signing was wonderful as Bob read from the book, then drew pictures as children shouted out various items they wanted him to animate. Taxi's were very popular. Bob was at once a skilled artist and writer as he was a child himself, clearly enjoying the time spent with the little ones and enjoying the fact that they loved him and his book.

Stamp Out Hunger Today, May 8th!

2010-05-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

I should have blogged about this last week, but I completely forgot. Today, we can join the National Association of Letter Carriers to help feed the hungry throughout our nation. Just place nonperishable items in your mailbox and they will deliver it to local food banks! It's a great way to clean out your pantry but more importantly help feed people in our community. http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/ for details!

Sur La Table - Hot spot for celebrity sighting like Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox

2010-05-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

My wife began taking a cooking class this week and needed a particular pan for the class. She was very busy this week so my son and I went to Sur La Table on Colorado Blvd. (after hitting up Michael's and Target for the same product) to purchase the pan. In previous visits, we've seen actress Jane Kazmarek (best known for playing the mom on "Malcolm in the Middle") and TV host Rachel Ray in the same store. Well, today's visit was no different. Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox were in the store purchasing a complete set of knives. He was very polite and considerate...she was a little upset that he was giving out their mailing address to the clerk (even though she needed it to mail the knives). Everyone in the store was pretty calm, taking the occasional glance, except for one person....my three year old - because at the end of the day, he hasn't been exposed to our celebrity culture just yet.

dad/son cooking class at Paintbox Kids

2010-05-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

This morning, I joined about 10 other dads and their sons for a dad/son cooking class that was offered at Paintbox Kids in North Pasadena. This quaint little art studio is typically known for its art classes, but periodically holds unique toddler/child and parent classes like a mother/daughter tea and this morning's cooking class. Before you get excited, we aren't talking Le Cordon Bleu, but rather simple apple burritos and a vegetable and bean tostada, but the point was that my son and I had a great time using our plastic knives to cut an avocado slice into smaller pieces, and pulling the cilantro leaves off the stem. And, what was even more rewarding was to see the joy all the other dads had doing it with their kids as well. As we parents know, it's about the time we spend together that is special, not necessarily the activity itself.

Wow Wow Wubzy Book Signing May 8th!

2010-04-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

My son loves Wubzy! There is a song called the Wubzy Wiggle and when my toddler hears it, he starts running around in circles singing the song. I actually have a short video of him singing the song and running around and then he loses his balance and falls down. I know, I'm mean, but he got back up and he was ok.

On Saturday, May 8th at 10:30am the creator, Bob Boyle, will be at Vromans Bookstore in Pasadena (the one on Colorado). He will be signing his new book Hugo and the Really Really Really Long String.

We can't wait to get the book and talk to Bob! Hope to see you there!

preschool menus full of fat

2010-04-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was at my child's preschool today and was talking to a fellow parent who is taking a tour of preschools just to see what is out there. He was amazed to find that nearly all of the preschools he visited offered lunch for children that was full of fattening and preservative-laden foods. Now, I am not against french fries (in fact, I love them) and I am not against pizza, but I control the amount of pizza and fries my child eats in order to make sure he gets some fruit and veggies (okay, one day he'll eat his veggies, I just know it) in between. It really is a dilemma because there is one school in particular we both really liked, but worried about the food. So, I pose the question...is the education as important as what they eat or is one more important that the other? Thoughts?

Fan Yang - the Bubble Man at the Discovery Science Center

2010-03-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Our local children's discovery center offered a show all about bubbles (yes, the kind you play in the back yard) staring Fan Yang. Who is Fan Yang you ask (it was the same questions I asked as m wife drove me and my three year old down to the show)? Apparently he holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest bubble, the most bubbles within a bubble -9 total - and 7 other records. And you thought back yard bubbles were just a way to kill time with the little one...

He is on tour in "The Science of Bubbles", a show that doesn't talk about the science of bubbles at all, but instead offers an amazing display of the bubbles but set to music and bigger bubble makers than you can purchase at Target. Half fun and entertaining and half corny/something out of "Saturday Night Live," the show is a hit with young kids who loved jumping up and down to pop the bubbles. It was only about $7 per ticket and the show lasts about 45 minutes. If you child loves bubbles like mine does, it might be worth checking out. Just watch out for deluge of bubbles at the end!

Gymboree only cares about the bottom line

2010-03-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

When our son was born - our first born - we heard about how great our local Gymboree classes were not only for our baby, but for us. We attended the first class and were pleased to see how much fun our child had and how much fun we had meeting and sharing milestones with other moms. We signed up not just for one class, but for the "core pass" which allows you to attend any play class within your child's age range, have unlimited access to open gym and even signed up for a second class - a music class. You might say it was the "Cadillac" plan of Gymboree. We attended religiously, even inviting some of the teachers to our child's birthday party. Then, when our son turned two, new management took over and we noticed an immediate difference. So much so, that even the teachers we loved - and who had loved our kids - were miserable.

Many of the teachers moved on, but we kept going because we really liked having an additional outlet and place to spend time with our child aside from the park, the neighbor's house, the sports class, etc. Yes, we attended AND PAID for classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, gym on Friday and class on Saturday - until last month - nearly three years after we began attending Gymboree. Figuring our son was ready to move on, we told the management that we would be ending our time at Gymboree, but that we had 9 make- up classes we wanted to complete. Make-up classes are allowed if you've paid your fees. Well, assuming we could make up the 9 classes - which WE PAID FOR - we continued attending. Well, after the first class, my husband was very rudely told that he is no longer eligible to attend classes. He explained our situation and the person at the desk said they'd take it up with management. We received a call from the same person from the front desk saying that we couldn't use our make up classes because we didn't pay for an additional month. We were furious!! After three years of paying for their Cadillac of offerings - and knowing that make-ups are a policy - that now they were telling us, sorry, you can't attend. My husband was furious and said he was going to attend another class since we paid for them. He took my three year old to music class the next week. Nothing happened - until we got home. We received a rude email from the management - yes, and email, not a personal call - WE HAVE YET TO SPEAK TO THE MANAGEMENT FROM THE SOUTH PASADENA LOCATION BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST CALL US INSTEAD - the email said we are not allowed to attend because we did not complete the 9 make ups before we ended our "membership." No mention of the fact that we reminded them of this from the very beginning.
Needless to say, we are no longer recommending people attend the South Pasadena or Monrovia locations of Gymboree. We believe in the the classes and what the company offers, but recommend other locations - or, if you do attend South Pasadena, just note that they are in it for the money as they "claim" to be in it for you and your baby.

L.A. Earthquake 4.4 Magnitude

2010-03-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

My toddler didn't sleep very well last night. He woke up at midnight, then at 1am so I went in there and comforted him back to sleep. After that, I went back to bed but was rudely awakened at 4:04am by some shaking of the house. The Pico Rivera earthquake scared me and it sounded like a slow rumble which gradually got louder and then subsided. It felt like about 5 seconds but really scared me. I got up and went to my toddlers' room to check on him, but then it stopped (he didn't even wake up). It took me a while to go back to sleep because it reminded me of the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Flash back to 1994, Sunday night at some apartment complex off the USC campus. That is where I was living at the time with 4 other roommates. We were partying that night because Monday was Martin Luther King day and we didn't have classes. I think I passed out that night around 1am and then woke up at 4:30am to the Northridge earthquake. We were on the third floor of the building and it literally felt like someone was shaking the entire building. It lasted a long time and the tremors lasted for a couple days. Books were falling of the shelf and lamps were falling, quite an experience especially after having one too many beers.

A few days later we went to Northridge to visit a friend of mines' house and the surrounding areas. The damage was unbelievable. 3 story parking structures crumbled down to rubble. Apartment complexes that collapsed and nothing visible of the first floor. A very shocking site.

I think the moral of the story is to beware of earthquakes at 4 in the morning...

Pasadena Marathon - an excuse for neighbors to connect

2010-02-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

Being parents to a little one with preschool, music classes, sports class, etc. we are not great at reading the newspaper on the weekend. We stay in touch with the world during the week scanning the NY Times, LA Times, CNN and for my wife, TMZ, daily during the week for news, but on weekends - forget it. Yes, we are ignorant folk. So, it was with surprise that we noticed cones and a port-a-potty on our street (thanks God, across the WIDE street) for the Pasadena marathon, which for the first time, had changed course and was coming down our street on Sunday.

At 7 a.m., just as my son was eating breakfast, we saw the first bicyclist come through. (See photo of the first bicyclist) It was so entertaining screaming and cheering them on. They needed and wanted it. We saw moms riding while pulling their babies in carts, we saw women with little dogs in baskets and, of course, serious riders that flew by at tremendous speeds. It was so exciting as many of our neighbors stood outside cheering them on. About two hours later, the runners came through as well (see photo). Again, I was so impressed with the diversity of the group, young kids, senior citizens, families, even those with political agendas like the photo above of the man wearing a dress to promote the legalization of gay marriage.

For the neighborhood, it was such a street party. We got to catch up with all our neighbors, a few of which we had not seen for a while - even though we wave daily as they drive by in their cars on the way to work. I made oatmeal cookies to share, one neighbor made chili, the kids handed out jolly ranchers to the runners for a mile 19 sugar burst, and the young ones played in the front yard watching the spectacle and happy all their families and friends were near by...it was such a special experience. Yes, a modern day Mayberry!

Harlem Globetrotters, Drew Carey, Tommy Lasorda and more

2010-02-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

The Harlem Globetrotters offered me and my family free tickets to see the show here in Los Angeles. Being a fan since childhood, I was thrilled. (I had actually entered every HGT giveaway I could find online before we got the tickets becuase I wanted to go so bad!)

The show was everything I had remembered enjoying as a kid and more. And I was not alone. The audience was full of exited parents who you could tell felt like kids all over again. They were there with their little ones who were seeing the amazing basketball tricks, water bucket gags, flips and tricks that are synonymous with this amazing basketball team, for the first time. As if the tricks and stunts weren't enough, the place was full of celebrities. We sat just two rows behind VH1's "Best Week Ever" comedian, Paul Scheer, and not far from professional basketball player Doug Christie. Christie had a ball, cheering on the HGT players and applauding and putting one hand up at each dunk. (I wondered what the HGT players must have thought of having this pro baller cheer them on - so great.) The show began by honoring Los Angeles Dodgers manager, Tommy Lasorda. (See his white hair, light blue sweater between the players??) Comedian Drew Carey tossed the coin with his son to begin the game. With their opponents, the Washington Generals down, the challenging team brought in some Hollywood star power of their own - Flea, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist. Dressed in the opponent's green uniform, he ran up and down the court, playing with the big guys (and dealing with all the "your small as a flea" jokes) until drawing a foul. Lined up for his free-throw shots, Flea Took five attempts, but unfortunately, did not make a single basket. The crowd was cheering him on the entire time and applauded his effort and you could tell he was living a dream come true.

Back to the game, the entire show was about 3 hours in length, with 4 quarters of playtime interuppted by Globey - the HGT mascott who dances like Beyonce, knocks down giant Campbell's Soup cans (a sponsor) with his body and helps keep the audience entertained. By the end, our son was very tired, but we all agreed it was a wonderful break for the entire family. My wife loved the celebrity spotting and the funny tricks, my son loved it all, I loved watching the amazing dunks and my brother who loves basketball loved watching the professional players playing the sport he loved, but with the dunks and tricks that are not allowed in the NBA. We were thrilled to share this experience with our little one and plan to return again and again. Thank you, Harlem Globetrotters, for reminding us what fun is all about.

Disclaimer: In compliance with the FTC, The Harlem Globetrotters provided me with free product, information and tickets through Coyne Public Relations. All opinions are my own.

Spin Art - Party Trend

2010-02-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

We've been to a couple birthday parties for the toddler set lately and the cool party item is the paint spinner. You put a piece of paper in the spinning machine, drop little drops of paint and spin away. When the spinner stops you have unique pieces of art. They rent machines for about $40, but we bought inexpensive, paper spin-it-yourself versions at Michaels Crafts Stores for just a few dollars. Either way, it's loads of fun.

Harlem Globetrotters Giveaway!

2010-01-20T21:24:00.000-08:00

I can hear the theme of the Harlem Globetrotters in my head right now, Sweet Georgia Brown! As a kid I remember going to a couple of the shows and I remember that the Washington Generals always lost. I also remember Curly Neal sliding around dribbling on his knees and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. The classic staple of the show was when they came out with a bucket of water and they pretended to throw the water on the audience. Somehow, they always switched the bucket of water for a bucket of confetti. Good times.

2010 marks the 84th season for the Globetrotters as they do their "Magical Memories” World Tour to over 215 cities across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. In February, they come to southern California! I can't wait to share this experience with my toddler!

Discount Tickets!!! Use the code HGMOM to get a $7 discount for each ticket purchased*. Ticket prices do vary slightly at the various arenas, but they typically average $25 each, thus allowing a family of four to save $28 in total. Go to http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/ locate a game in your area and purchase tickets using the promotional code: HGMOM to redeem the coupon.

*Please Note:
-Not valid on VIP or courtside seats
-Available online only
-Valid until the day before the show

GIVEAWAY!!!

The giveaway will include a Harlem Globetrotter mini-basketball, authentic Globetrotter wristbands, an autographed Harlem Globetrotter team photo and a 2010 game program. Giveaway ends February 12th, 2010.

How to enter?

Mandatory (1 entry) - Follow my blog and add a comment on why you like the Globetrotters

Extra entries

Add my button - 5 entries (add one comment for each entry and leave me the link to your site)

Blog about the giveaway and link to my site - 5 entries (post one comment for each entry)

Tweet about the giveaway - 1 entry

Disclaimer: In compliance with the FTC, The Harlem Globetrotters provided me with free product, information and tickets through Coyne Public Relations. All opinions are my own.

Gold Class Cinema Review

2010-01-16T21:38:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to treat yourself to the latest new release out in the theaters and you have a little extra money to burn, then Gold Class Cinemas is the place to go. Currently, they only have 4 locations in the United States with 2 in Illinois, one in Washington, and one in Pasadena, CA. Now, why would you want to spend $22 per ticket compared to $11.50? Let me tell you why.

Sure, it's a little more expensive and I will only go on special occassions, but the experience is one not to forget. The waiting area has a full bar with nice seating to relax before and after the movie. Each theater occupies about 50 people and is well equiped with very comfortable recliners. Similar to an airline flight in first class, they offer you a nice pillow and blanket to make your stay more comfortable. The left arm rest opens so you can put your personal belongings (jacket,purse) and each pair of chairs has a call button for your waiter.The menu consists of appetizers, wine, beer, main courses, or dessert. And don't forget your traditional gourmet popcorn as well. I went with my wife and inlaws and we ordered a nice bottle of pinot noir, some popcorn, and a cookie tray. I must say that the popcorn was top notch and the cookies were out of this world! There weren't that many, but they had some chocolate cookies, shortbread cookies, and something else that was very delicious! It wasn't the wine talking either.

The experience was a memorable one and a fun adventure. It's worth checking out if you have one nearby. Oh ya, we saw a movie while we were there too. We saw Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. The movie was not great and it dragged on a little, but it was entertaining.

Robert Downey Jr.'s performance was average and his accent slipped a little from time to time, but more and more I am impressed with his acting. Over the last couple years he has done Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, The Soloist, and more. I used to hate him, but now I'm a fan.

In the old words of Siskel and Ebert, for those of you that are old enough to remember them. We gave the entire movie experience Two Thumbs Up!

Burke Williams Spa Review

2010-01-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

For the last six months I've been a pretty high stress individual. Fortunately enough for me, my wife recognized that before Christmas and she got me a 50 minute spa treatment at Burke Williams. Although I loved the idea of getting a relaxing massage, I was very hesitant because I had only had one other massage before in my life and that was a couples massage on our honeymoon in Tahiti.

I arrived 30 minutes early and walked around the place. I had just enough time to check out the steam room and then get ready for my massage. So far so good, right? I went to the waiting room and was finally received for my massage. I signed up for a 50 minute pure relaxation massage and it was fantastic! Next time I need to find out what those warm bags of rocks were that they put under my neck. Very relaxing and I was able to put my mind at ease and not have a care in the world.

The one thing that kind of annoyed me was that about 10 minutes into the massage the lady said that I indeed had a lot of stress points and that I could benefit from a deep tissue massage for an extra $20. Now, I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or if it was standard practice to try to upsell each customer into a better massage. I declined and then quickly forgot about it.

After the massage, I used the steam room and the dry sauna. I think I was there for almost 3 hours. The experience was awesome and I was so relaxed after it! I thanked my wife and I told her that she should get one too. Then I told her that I wanted to go on a quarterly basis and she laughed. I'm sure I'll go back soon...

Blog Giveaways Addict

2009-12-31T08:02:00.000-08:00

I have a problem. Not a problem I am going to change, but one I can at least acknowledge.
I am addicted to blogger giveaways.
I began checking out other blogs when I knew I wanted to start blogging. I wanted to learn from them, but also support the mom/dad blogger community. Little did I know I would discover the world of giveaways. Books, pens, coffee, yogurt - I enter them all! And the addiction is spreading throughout my family.
This morning, my wife logged onto my computer to check out movie times and saw I had minimized 8 blogs. She began clicking on the links and about an hour after she went in the room to check movie times, I went to check on her. She, too, had fallen into the trap of giveaways. In that one hour, she manages to enter 10 giveaways! Not once within the hour did she check out the movie times.
Although I regret spending so much time entering (a task I usually do late at night after our two year old is asleep), I have won a lot of cool stuff and amazing experiences (Disney on Ice tickets, Ringling Bros. tickets, Zicam, etc.....) for my family. I am grateful for those opportunities and am grateful to the companies and the bloggers who open themselves up to share that experience with us. Gotta run now, more giveaways await!