Roberta Brown

Editor-in-Chief

Years spent at Nickelodeon prepared Roberta to launch Mommy Poppins' Los Angeles branch in 2011, eventually becoming Mommy Poppins Editor-in-Chief in 2013. Previously she served as LA Editor for GoCityKids, National Editor for ParentsConnect, and Editor for NickMom—all of which works out well for her son, who has grown up serving as Chief Guinea Pig for all things fun in LA and beyond.

Latest posts by Roberta

What Is an Annular Solar Eclipse, and How To View It

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 05/15/2012 - 4:42pm

Even if you're not entirely sure what an annular solar eclipse is, you probably suspect that the event in the sky on Sunday, May 20, is something pretty exciting. Just the words "solar eclipse" bring to my mind images of my entire family huddled around a small rectangle of tinted glass (purchased specially for the occasion), waiting to watch the moon cast its epic shadow across the sun. Now add the word annular - a word most of us rarely use - and one can only assume that this eclipse must be even more extraordinary than most. And one would assume right.

2012/13 Academic Year Calendars for LA Area Schools

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 4:01am

The first day of school has been creeping farther and farther back in recent years, cutting deeper and deeper into summer. For many schools, August is part of the school year now, while other districts still cling to the time-honored "never before Labor Day" approach. All of this can make summer camp complicated to maneuver for some families, while others are knee-deep in homework.

From Burbank’s August 13 start date to Torrance’s September 6, don't just assume you know when school starts based on last year! Check our list of start and finish dates for the 2012/13 school year in and around LA County...

Guest Blogger: Christina Simon Gives the Scoop on Applying to LA Private Elementary Schools

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 03/29/2012 - 6:05pm

Christina Simon is the co-author of Beyond The Brochure: An Insider’s Guide To Private Elementary Schools In Los Angeles. She is the mom of a 3rd grade son and a 5th grade daughter who attend The Willows Community School. Christina’s work has been published on Salon.com, Mamapedia, BlogHer, The Mother Company, Scary Mommy, ecomom, and numerous other sites. She blogs at Beyond the Brochure, or you can find her on Facebook.

Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport: Plane Old Fun

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 2:11pm

At the risk of being accused of gender-based stereotypes, I believe I have located the exact street address of Daddy Heaven. Don't get me wrong - I thoroughly enjoyed taking my son to the Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport the other day, and my son had a great time, too. But the people giving off the true glow of aerial ecstasy at this newly re-opened Santa Monica landmark are definitely the dads. It is, hands-down, the ultimate daddy outing.

Star Wars at Discovery Science Center: These Are the Droids You're Looking For

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 3:05am

Oh, these are the droids you're looking for alright; it's clear from the moment you pull into the parking lot. The back seat time from the Westside to Orange County was (apparently) nothing compared to the unreasonable wait between spotting the storm troopers outside the museum's front door and getting to jump out of the car and see them up close. Those guys with the inter-galactic battle blasters make sure that everyone arrives in the spirit of things.

Toyota Symphony for Youth Review: Holst’s The Planets

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 2:02pm

You know what's funny? I thought I had already been to one of the Toyota Symphonies for Youth. Perhaps what I remembered was a World City, or a Drum Downtown, or one of the other wonderful programs the Music Centers offers for families. But the moment we arrived at the Disney Concert Hall on Saturday morning for Holst's The Planets, I realized that this was an experience I had not had.

Children's Ski Lessons at Mountain High Rock!

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 02/20/2012 - 3:41pm

Until this past weekend, one of the casualties of parenthood in our family was skiing. Of course, if I had been a true skiing fanatic I would have moved "Teach Child To Ski" higher up the priority list. Indeed, if I were a serious skier, I may even have felt qualified to teach said child to ski myself. Instead, I have vaguely contemplated the family ski resort options near LA each winter, and then realized that I have not made it to one each spring. After six seasons without skiing, I decided it was time to take the child by the horns and get someone to teach him to ski.

Monster Jam at Dodger Stadium - Family Four-Pack Give-away

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 02/07/2012 - 5:52pm

Monster Trucks are smashing, crashing, and monster-mashing their way through Dodger Stadium Presidents Day weekend, in a high-flying, car-crushing explosive event of demolition, speed and, powerful stunts. In short, Monster Jam is coming to town!

The arrival of the Monster Truck stampede is pretty darn exciting on its own - but get ready to rev your engines, because we've added the excitement of a give-away! One truck-lovin' Mommy Poppins family is going to win a free family four pack of tickets, with great seats to see Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam on February 18, 2012 at Dodger Stadium!