Toby is our uber-busy events editor for Mommy Poppins LA. Feel free to email Toby about events for our LA area calendar.
Submitted by Toby B on
Tax Day doesn't give us many reasons to celebrate, but we've found a few companies doing their best to help ease our pain with freebies and reduced prices. Some things are free every day; for all others, there are Tax Day freebies.
Submitted by Toby B on
Wow. Another beautiful spring weekend ahead. What a perfect time to go on a hike to see wildflowers. Such pretty colors! Such fresh scents. I think I'll just sniff that one over there... wait a minute. It's not going to squirt water at me, is it?
You see, my kid is suddenly all about April Fool's pranks. I have no clue where she got the idea. She's getting an early start, because apparently April Fool's jokes are even funnier when you're not expecting them because, you know, it's not April 1. (Preschool humor!)
Now I don't know what to trust. Black is white, day is night, and make way because the Easter Bunny is I'm not kidding hopping down the trail. (As if! Easter is totally weeks and weeks away.)
Don't keep reading because you certainly won't find some of our favorite picks for the weekend... or will you?
Submitted by Toby B on
How'd ya like that cute little wake-up call this week? No biggie. Just a reminder of the trade-off we make for living in Sunny So Cal and ...HOLY CANNOLI! WHAT WAS THAT?! That must have been a big one; it felt like a mess of trucks going by and... Oh. It was a mess of trucks going by? Fancy that. Must be fun for the kids; you know how they love those big rigs.
Okay, so maybe I am feeling a little jumpy. Maybe I still have a creepy, my-skin-is-crawling, like there are bugs everywhere, and LEAPIN' LIZARDS! There are bugs crawling everywhere! Oh, because of Bug Fair, right. Makes sense. (But cricket brownies? Serious. Ugh.)
You know what doesn't make sense? RAMPAGING ANIMALS! Through the streets! Roaring really loud and scaring little children and walking on tightropes and performing funny skits and maybe even riding little bicycles, and - I have to admit that sounds more talented than scary, like America's Teaching Zoo Has Talent talented.
Anyway, I'll be hiding in the doorway with my emergency flashlight until further notice. But for those of you willing to venture out into the wild world this weekend, please keep reading for some of our favorite picks.
Submitted by Toby B on
Holy Hamantaschen: it's St. Patrick's Day! That doesn't sound quite right... Let me try again. Erin go Purim. Okay, that's even more mixed up. I'm dressing up as Esther for the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and chowing down on corned beef and cabbage for the many Purim Carnivals around town. Now shake your noise maker at that pesky leprechaun, and let's get to partying, because this holiday weekend is two- two - two holidays in one!
Not to mention the imminent approach of spring. Only days away, and well-deserved after the thrashing we received this winter (need I remind you it rained that one time?). The onset of spring means summer can't be far behind. Check out our new 'n' improved Summer Camp Guide, now with minty fresh search features.
As usual, there is plenty of non-holiday-affiliated fun to be had as well. You can check out art at the airport, monsters at the zoo, say farewell to a local favorite, and look at a really big plant. You might even find that pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow.
Read on for our favorite picks for this weekend…
Submitted by Toby B on
White, the latest family-friendly production at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, is sweet, funny, and an excellent introduction to the theater for young ones. Simple but smart, the award-winning White captivates young audiences without speaking down to them.
Submitted by Toby B on
Is there anything better than getting up early in the morning? How about getting up an hour earlier than early because someone had the bright idea of springing the clocks forward? Still with me? How about getting up an hour earlier than early to run, a lot, like a lot a lot, a whole marathon worth? Have I lost you entirely? Here I am to reel you back in: free doughnut, nom nom. Makes the waking up almost seem worth it, and you don’t even have to break a sweat.
But if you want to (break a sweat that is), have we got the dance floor for you. Baby Loves Disco is back in town, this time with a Mommy Poppins discount and a 70s disco theme. "Ah,ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive..." And speaking of Vinnie Barbarino...
...Adele Dazeem is not performing in LA this weekend, but she's about the only big name star who isn't. We've got Laurie Berkner (love her on Sprout!); we've got Tom Chapin (Grammy winner and also Harry's brother). We've got Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band (Latin Grammy winners! They're going to be on TV this Fall!). We have productions of White (Winner at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Cirque du Soleil: Totem (catch it before it's gone!), and we've even got Sid the Science Kid. (Or as Vinnie would say, Snurf the Sneetch Keister. But what do we know, we're just Mimsy Picklecatcher).
Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend...
Submitted by Toby B on
It's happening again. One of those weekends when there's just. Too. Much. To. Do. We've got whales, and more whales. And if whales are too big we've got fish. We've got Mardi Gras, more Mardi Gras, a spectrum-friendly Mardi Gras, and Woofstock. We've got lots and lots of Seuss.
Ernest & Celestine opens this weekend; the French animated tale of mouse/bear friendship is nominated for an Oscar. Which reminds me, the Oscars are this weekend! You know, that event you used to build your weekend around before you had kids? (Or was that just me?)
Of course, if this rain turns out to be as big a deal as they're saying, movies could be a good idea (we've got 'em from dust bunnies to Pirate Fairies). Or a play (White opens this weekend, too). Or a concert. But plenty of the celebrations you can attend this weekend offer great indoor options, too; there's a free Family Arts Festival, a St. David's Day Festival, a celebration of Persian New Year, a celebration of Women's History Month, a celebration of play. Sounds like this weekend, LA is one big celebration of ... celebrating.
And now we celebrate some of our favorite picks for the weekend...
Submitted by Toby B on
So what did you win? Gold? Silver? Honorary mention for showing up? Oh dear, don't tell me you haven't won anything yet! Best get a move on, Momma: the Olympics end this weekend and with them go your shot at glory. If you want to spare your child a similarly unremarkable fate, we've got the lowdown on where LA kids can get their Olympics right stuff.
Those of us who can't do, watch. And maybe throw a party. (For a fun activity, try re-enacting favorite sporting events with mini figures).
Here's something simple you can win: our giveaway this week is for a family 4-pack of tickets to Baby Loves Disco, and no speedy movements are required. Just click enter (and tell us how to contact you if you win) and bingo, bango, you're in.
Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend...
