Toby B

Toby is our uber-busy events editor for Mommy Poppins LA. Feel free to email Toby about events for our LA area calendar.

Latest posts by Toby

Fun & Free Activities with LA Kids this Weekend: Camellias, Fresh Beat, and Boat Show Feb 8 - 9

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 02/06/2014 - 9:38am

We here in So Cal are suffering from what I would call an embarrassment of riches. True, one of our favorite pastimes is gloating about the weather to friends far and wide. Winter? What winter? You mean that time I had to wear long sleeves? But with yet another snowstorm slamming our cross-country brethren, it almost seems untoward to list off the many sunkissed activities that await us this weekend.

Almost. I mean it’s not as if we’re keeping anyone from joining us in our little corner of Paradise. Are we supposed to feel bad that we can make our summer plans while experiencing summer-like temps? That we can gaze at the stars without turning into icebergs? That our kids see snow in the movies and ask us “what’s that?”

Maybe we should send them a little something to show we care. We’re starting to feel the Valentine’s love with heart-shaped workshops aplenty. I’m sure some handmade cards and craffy gifties would go a long way towards warming their hearts. Or maybe they'd just prefer a sweater.

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend...

Fun & Free Activities with LA Kids this Weekend: Golden Dragon, RockSTAR and Schoolhouse Rock: Feb 1 - 2

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 01/30/2014 - 9:30am

Well hello, Martha Poppins! We are seriously impressed by all the WeeWorking you guys have been doing. Up-cycled button rings, 60-second smoothies, no-mess fingerpainting... true, we put the instructions up, but you guys have really run with them!

All that creativity deserves a reward, don't you think? Let's have a giveaway! Alls ya gotta do is share a pic of your WeeWork handiwork on social media (you know you're gonna brag about it anyway!), then hashtag us and post a link. (All the deets are here). Every week now through April we're choosing one Mommy Poppins artiste to win a family 4-pack of tickets to Baby Loves Disco!

Want more inspiration? As per usual, LA has plenty to spare. You can spend a night with the creatures of Noah's Ark, watch a giant Golden Dragon weave through the streets of Chinatown, groove with junior rockstars in Hollywood, or sing along with the princesses of Frozen. Favorite shows will entertain you with evolution, adjectives, and Greek mythology. You can build a car, party among dolls, search for faeries, or watch speeding supercross. You can celebrate Lunar New Year, African American History Month, and even Groundhog Day. This weekend, LA has got it going on.

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend...

Fun & Free Activities with LA Kids this Weekend: Grossology, Grammys and Museums Free For All: Jan 25 - 26

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 01/23/2014 - 9:00am

I can't put my finger on it, but there's something different about you. You seem somehow...craftier. Hey, you've been dabbling in our WeeWork projects, haven't you! What's been your favorite so far? The Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Mobiles? Indoor bowling? I'm guessing it's not the ice lanterns, unless, to quote my favorite snowman, you wanted to finally learn what frozen things do in summer.

If you’re craving more inspiration, a score of Los Angeles area museums are free on Saturday. Seriously, the Hammer, the Skirball, the Pacific Asia Museum. Free, free, and totally free. You know what inspires me? Free. (Word to the wise: only those museums that are on the list are free. Don’t try waltzing into any other ones without paying. That’s called breaking and entering.)

Frankly, I don’t know how you can get any more inspired than by watching the exaltation of the human form that is the latest edition of Cirque du Soleil: TOTEM. (And it even gets bonus points for being spitting distance from Santa Monica Pier.) Leave the kids home if you have to. (You don't have to; they'll love it. But you might "have to." Because, you know, kids turn into pumpkins if they stay out too late. Or something like that...)

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend, none of which will turn your kids into a winter squash...

Fun & Free Activities with LA Kids this Weekend: Mary Poppins, Tu B'Shvat & a Giant Web: Jan 11 - 12

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 01/09/2014 - 3:30am

Wow, it’s cold out there. And by there, I mean everywhere but here. Here’s pretty darn nice. I’d even venture to say it's beach weather, but that might seriously bum out some of our ice-bound brethren.

Sure you can find snow if you want. You can feel the Chill (at least until Sunday). But now’s definitely one of those times when you simultaneously think, “I like living here” and “why does anyone live anywhere else?” (Seriously. Does anyone have an answer for that?)

There's plenty of SoCal style fun to keep your family amused this weekend, from LA's perennial Bob Baker Marionettes to free improv workshops at Second City, a zip-lining, tomahawk throwing Tu B'shvat shindig in Malibu to a beach birthday party for 1930s icon Marion Davies. Or, if you want to act in solidarity with the frozen majority, you could always try to win Mommy Poppins' latest giveaway!

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend...

Fun & Free Activities with LA Kids this weekend: Oshogatsu, Kwanzaa & Lunar New Year: Jan 4 - 5

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 01/02/2014 - 10:47am

Whoo hoo! It's 2014, baby! No more of that wishy-washy, so-24-hours-ago, 2013 nonsense. It's 2014 all the way. Because you are not only on top of, but in fact ahead of the curve, we can even let you in on our peek-into-the-future, best-of-what-is-yet-to-come highlights list known as our January Go List. (And for those of you who just wrote the first check of the year with a slash one-three date, all I can say is, really? Really? SMH and RME.)

2013 may have gone out like a wrecking ball, but 2014 is starting slow, thank heavens. (Momma needs a break after all the "vacationing" the kids have been up to!). In the meantime, maybe now's a good time to get back on track, tidy up your messes, and follow through on your resolutions. If one of your resolutions was to recycle more, we can help you off to a good start: Mommy Poppins has the low-down on Christmas tree recycling options throughout Los Angeles.

Before you know it, it will be business as usual. Martin Luther King. Jr. Day is just around the corner, and Lunar New Year events are starting to pop up, including this weekend's Oshogatsu Festival at the Japanese American National Museum (they have free pony rides!). And that's just the beginning of what 2014 has to offer....

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend...

Frozen (PG): Parent Review of the New Disney Film

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 12/26/2013 - 2:49pm

Frozen, the latest animated feature from Disney, offers thrilling landscapes, Broadway caliber songs, and two fully-realized female leads. Some aspects may be too scary for kids four and under, but older kids are likely to be delighted with this enchanting tale. And for Angelenos, a holiday run at El Capitan is always a treat, with snowfall and breakfast options to boot. Read on for everything a parent might want to know before buying the ticket.

Panto in Pasadena: Aladdin and His Winter Wish (Parent Review)

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 12/18/2013 - 10:33pm

The Lythgoe Family Productions British panto-style production of Aladdin and His Winter Wish at the Pasadena Playhouse is an exuberant theatrical experience, delivered with a wink and a smile. The celebrity-studded cast is out to have a good time, and they make sure to bring the audience along for the ride. If you're wondering whether this holiday show is the right one for your family, read on!

Fun & Free Things to Do This Weekend with LA Kids: Disney on Ice, Dickens Festival, and Gift of Knowledge, Dec 14 - 15

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 12/12/2013 - 4:03am

I don't mean to scare you but Christmas is in two weeks. Less maybe, depending on when you're reading this. So we're talking, what, maybe eleven shopping days? Twelve if you're lucky. And that's if you're willing to face the malls or shell out for expedited shipping.

Don't get me wrong; we can help you out. Mommy Poppins can direct you to the finest holiday cheer, all the boat parades, Santa breakfasts (what is it with the Jingle dude and breakfast? Will someone buy him dinner already!?), Nutcrackers galore (no lie, this whole post could have been filled with nothing but Nutcracker); we can point you towards the most elaborately decorated houses, and we can even tell you where to find a spare reindeer (in case yours is in the shop), but as for what you're going to place under the tree...

... well, whaddya know? Looks like we can help you with that too. Turns out we've got a few giveaways coming up, You're going to want to pay close attention, read your email and check it twice, because you do not want to miss out on the serious swag we are giving away.

In the meantime, keep reading for our favorite picks for this weekend (think of it as an early Christmas present)...