Universal's Big Announcement

On my way home last night I noticed a big, bright spotlight shining up into the sky from somewhere in the vicinity of our neighborhood.  When I picked my son up he asked me what it was for.  I wasn't sure but I was pretty curious myself!  I asked around but no one I talked to seemed to know.  …

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Sugar Rush

Cake, cookies, ice cream, candy, pie and so much.  This past weekend every kind of sweet tooth was satisfied as Sugar Rush attendees sampled the wares of some of the best local bakers and confectioners in the business.  The event took place in Orange County and was sponsored by Dunkin Donuts who w…

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Ava DuVernay Barbie Already Sold Out!

In April Mattel announced a line of limited edition "Shero" Barbies in the likenesses of six prominent female public figures.  Honorees Include SELMA director Ava DuVernay, actress and animal activist Emmy Rossum, Lucky Magazine editor Eva Chen, screen and stage powerhouse Kristin …

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This Week's Twitter Party Picks

MONDAY 9:00 am PST Macy's Cyber Monday with  @savings @valpakcoupons and others.  Prizes: Macy's gifcards as follows ONE (1) $25 GC, ONE (1) $50 GC, FOUR (4) $75 GCs and ONE (1) $100 GC. #MacysCM  RSVP TUESDAY 12:00 pm PST Godiva Chocolate with  @pollinatemedia @summer_elevate and others.  Priz…

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The Walking Dead Midseason Finale

First let me start by saying wow.  Second, be prepared for spoiler alerts as I briefly share my thoughts on what went down tonight...  My overall thought about this episode and this half of the season in general is when is Morgan going to get it together?  We were so happy for his return only to …

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LA Zoo Lights Take Holiday Lights to Another Level (Giveaway)

Nothing sparks holiday nostalgia like seeing neighborhood homes adorned with twinkling Christmas lights.  When I was a kid my uncle used to drive a limousine and on Christmas Eve he would pile us up into the limo and drive us over to Candy Cane Lane to ooh and ahh over the festive lights.  Those a…

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Chill at The Queen Mary Open Now!

Last night the Queen Mary kicked off it's fourth annual Chill event, creating a winter wonderland in Long Beach.  Once again guests can experience ice skating with the majestic Queen Mary as a backdrop; visit Santa and see if they've made it onto the "nice list;" and of course vis…

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Winter is Coming... To the OC

The weather has dropped by a few degrees and Southern Californians are bundling up and preparing for winter!  And why not?  There are so many great things to look forward to.  Ice skating, ice tubing, holiday movies, hot chocolate, decorations and festivities!  You'll find all that and more a…

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Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth at Sugar Rush

Get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth and literally feel like a kid in a candy store!  December 5th and 6th, some of the best confectioners in the biz will converge upon the Orange County Fair and Event Center to showcase their wares at Big Bite Events Sugar Rush !  Described a " one-of-a kind d…

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Burke Williams New Woodland Hills Location

As a working mom, most of my time is spent rushing my kids to and from school, practices and events while juggling a full time job and horrendous commute through Downtown L.A.  So when I can squeeze in some well-deserved "me time," I'm all too happy to do it and I never let myself fe…

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When Wearing Your Coffee Goes Right

I kind of love American Eagle jeans because they are a great quality denim with lots of stretch and are available in long and extra long inseams for taller girls like me.  Earlier this month American Eagle Outfitters released a line of denim made with recycled coffee grounds.  I was intrigued.  I&…

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This Week's Twitter Party Picks

Monday, October 26th 6:00 pm PST Better Starts Now Twitter Party with @selfishmom @philzendia @citizenwatchus and others.  Prizes: Multiple VISA giftcards and ONE (1) Grand Prize Citizen watch. #BetterStartsNow  RSVP Tuesday, October 27th 9:00 am PST Beyond Snacks Twitter Party  with  @simplybeingmom @re…

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Etsy Picks: Birthday Edition

My birthday is just a few weeks away and, yes, I treat it like my own personal national holiday every single year.  It's the one time of year when I allow myself to be super indulgent so all the wish lists I've been making all year long are getting a second look and I'll be deciding wh…

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Fall Family Fun

Although the weather still isn't cooperating, the calendar doesn't lie.  We are well into Fall and that means it's time to partake in a little fall fun with the family.  This year I was on a mission to find the perfect harvest festival in the L.A. area since the one at Pierce College s…

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A House Divided: No-Carve vs. Carved Pumpkins

I remember carving pumpkins with my mother growing up:  The mess.  The smell.  The way the jack-o-lanterns got all soggy and moldy after a week or so.  I'm not a fan of any of it.  That's why I was so grateful for the inspiration from Pinterest  to do no-carve pumpkins.  Not only that, but …

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Goosebumps!

Goosebumps is kind of a big deal in our household.  My children have been reading R.L. Stine books for as long as I can remember and when they were old enough not to be too scared, we would watch marathons of the Goosebumps TV show as it got closer to Halloween.  Memories...

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Support Our Champ!

Boxing fans!  Animal lovers!  This Saturday, come out and meet amateur boxing champ and 2016 Olympic hopeful, Damien Lopez, at Beachside Animal Hospital in Capistrano Beach, California.  Lopez is a dedicated fighter and all around upstanding young man making his way on the "Road to Rio."…

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New Beauties

One of my favorite things about the changing of the seasons (even if the weather says otherwise) is the general sense of renewal.  I love packing away summer clothes and dragging out my boots and sweaters.  Switching from brighter colors to jewel tones and various shades of grey.  As my wardrobe c…

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What's in My Etsy Cart?

I have a dangerous Etsy obsession. I have so many items in my basket that I'm literally not allowed to add anymore and, if left to my own devices, I would absolutely buy everything in it proceed to fill it up again.  Fortunately I do have some semblance of self-control so what I do is slowly c…

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American Horror Story: Hotel

American Horror Story: Hotel airs Wednesdays on FX. While I am an admitted TV junkie from way back, there are but a handful of shows I get really excited about.  American Horror Story is one of them and it's back in its fifth incarnation as American Horror Story: Hotel .  Last night's premi…

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Beauty Coming Soon

Via their Snapchat, Colourpop revealed a leak of their new Crème Color Gel eyeshadow which will come in 24 shades.  The collection will include matching pencils. I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing more.  No specific date has been set at this time but they are scheduled to be released so…

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This Week's Twitter Party Picks

Here's a few of the Twitter parties I'll be attending this week: Monday, October 5th 10:00 am PST DIY Oil Change Twitter Party   with  @pennzoil @reviewdadmedia @lizventuresblog and others.  Prizes: ONE (1) $50 VISA giftcard, FIVE (5) $100 VISA GCs. #DIYOilChange  RSVP 12:00 pm PST KY Try Somethi…

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Beer Me!

Pardon the radio silence, but I'm enjoying a well-deserved quiet (lazy) weekend after a particularly stressful week.  Here are a couple of the libations the hubby picked  up at Handy Mart in Burbank (mind you, I'm no connoisseur, I just like a good beer every now and again and I don't …

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Snack Time!

Last year when my boss told me our office was being moved to another section of Downtown Los Angeles I grumbled at first.  I wasn't thrilled about having to find another route to navigate through L.A. traffic nor was I excited about extending my commute even slightly.  However, my resistance t…

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Giveaway: Ontario Harvest Festival

Next weekend is the Ontario Harvest Festival , an event sure to be fun for the whole family.  The festival features tens of thousands of works of art from over one hundred artists, making it one of the biggest craft shows around.  There will be live entertainment, , demonstrations, contests, and a …

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The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor

Last night I attended the opening night and media preview of The Queen Mary 's Dark Harbor where Alpine Village has been transformed into the stuff of nightmares.  The last time I was there it was a winter wonderland but it was barely recognizable in its current incarnation.  From the moment yo…

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Today's New Beauty

I really feel like my head is about to explode with all of these companies dropping their Fall and Holiday collections left and right.  I'm trying really hard to keep my money in my pocket but they are making it anything but easy.  Take a look at what's releasing today:

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My Etsy Picks of the Week

I really can't say enough how much I love Etsy.  I love when someone notices a unique treasure I've found on Etsy and asks where I've got it because they can't find anything like it in stores.  I spend a lot of time loading things into my online cart that I think will make amazing b…

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Today's Lipstick Launches

Two exciting lipstick launches are happening in just two hours and I cannot wait.  The first is Dose of Colors liquid lipstick ($18) in two beautiful nudes, Sand and Stone.  These were part of a bundle package last year but are being released individually today at noon PST.  In case you're won…

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The Boob Tube

For the umpteenth time I'm singing the praises of my favorite season because, really, what's not to love?  I've covered most of it but now let's talk Fall TV.  Dare I say that there's almost too much to watch?  I dare because there really is and there aren't enough hours in…

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Fresh Beauty

Sephora has released a line of limited edition Disney Princess compact mirrors ($32) that initially sold out pretty quickly but have just been re-stocked.  Each compact comes engraved with a message related to it's theme.  If you're a fan you may want to get on that because they are being …

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Window Shopping

Window shopping is about all I can do right now given that my closet is still inhabited by destroyed cropped jeans, maxi dresses and racerback tanks.  I cannot wait to pack away my summer gear and break out the sweaters, hoodies, thermals and boots!  In the meantime, I'm filling my online shop…

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Your Mom's on Snapchat!

Nothing makes me feel older than my kids and their apps du jour. I hear my mother's voice coming out of my mouth when I say stuff like, "What is that? Why do you need that?" Not that she'd actually say that but that's the voice I feel like I'm using when I say it.  *shrug* …

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Seasonal Junk Food

Remember a few years ago when Taco Bell was offering free Black Jack tacos on Halloween?  Basically, they were just tacos in a black corn tortillas shell.  I was so on it. I'm not sure if I was more excited by the word free (definitely one of my top three favorite F- words) or because they wer…

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Truly Outrageous

One of my favorite 80's childhood cartoons is getting the big screen reboot treatment and that means product!  My inner 8 year old squealed with delight when I heard about the upcoming Jem and the Holograms beauty launch at Sephora and Shopbop next month.  Sephora is releasing lipstick, eyesha…

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This Week's Twitter Party Picks

Join me at the following Twitter parties.  Special thanks to Mommy Blog Expert* for sharing! Monday 9/28 6:00pm PST Am Well MD Twitter Party with  @travelingmoms @kimorlando @cindytravelson  and others. Prizes: ONE (1) $250 VISA/cash giftcard, FIVE (5) Kinsa Smart Thermometers. #TMom #AmWellMD  RSVP Tue…

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Because Pumpkin Guts Are Gross

Much to the dismay of my children, I do not and will not carve pumpkins.  Ever.  They're messy, gross and stinky inside and I simply want no parts of it.  I decided to compromise this year by decorating with no-carve kits and frankly, I think they look a million times better than carved pumpki…

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Happy Fall, Y'all!

Here in L.A. it may not yet feel like fall but the calendar says otherwise which means all of my favorite things have made or are making their triumphant returns!  I'm beyond ready to say goodbye to summer and hello to harvest festivals, falling leaves, sweater weather and pumpkin spice everyt…

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What I'm Bzzing

I'm pretty picky about my personal care and beauty products but I'll try anything once.  Well, almost anything. I have my limits.  Recently, Bzzagent sent me a sample Secret Clinical Strength to try.  I requested the invisible solid because I'm not a fan of gels.  My first take- it doe…

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Racer’s Edge Indoor Karting

I'm always trying to find unique ideas for my children's birthday parties.  Something they'll remember for the rest of their lives and hopefully tell their kids about.  I've done tea parties, a super hero parties, a Walking Dead scavenger hunt party, a 1950's sock hop- you name…

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Happy 90th Birthday, Burbank Parks & Rec!

This Saturday join the City of Burbank in celebrating it's Parks and Recreation Department's 90th birthday!  It's free and open to the public at Vickroy Park from 9-11am.  Come learn about programs and events in the community and enjoy a rock climbing wall,  bounce house, obstacle cour…

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L.A. Mama Re-Launch

It's hard to believe it's been an entire year off but, alas, I have returned refreshed, renewed and ready to share all sorts of goodies with my wonderful readers, old and new.  Let's see, in the last year my oldest son became a high school senior; my daughter entered high school, and my…

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Lunch Time! Take a Bao

So, I just took advantage of an Uber Eats promo which, as you may or may not know, is kind of a gamble because you basically get whatever they have on their very, very limited menu that day.  You're at the mercy of those who are in charge of deciding whatever they feel like serving up that day…

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