Category Archives: Living In Los Angeles

Posts on living in Los Angeles

Join Us! Al Fresco Street Festival in Valencia

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Valencia - DR Horton

I was fortunate enough to attend press day for new homes being built in the West Hills area of Valencia by DR Horton.  Three new neighborhoods – Highgate, Belmont & Monument – feature 3 to 6 bedroom homes that are well-thought out and tastefully done,  each with unique design touches.  I confess to loving the big, open kitchens and luxurious bathrooms the most.  Also intriguing are the paseos or paths that run for miles and connect all the neighborhoods with rec centers, shops and schools.  This would be the place to go for anyone into biking.

The Grand Opening is April 20th and you’re invited, not only to see the homes, but join in an Al Fresco Street Fair packed with fun family activities from 10 – 4.

A few of our local MomsLA bloggers will be on hand along with live music and giveaways to showcase their talents with cooking, beauty and entertaining.

Romy Raves will present All Things Beauty from 10 – 11am in one of the lovely master suites in the Highgate neighborhood.  Catch her latest Spring/Summer beauty tips and learn the latest trends.  And Romy is great with demonstrations, answering questions and giving recommendations.  Word has it their will be some giveaways too!

Melissa Lanz will stake out one of the dream kitchens (the kind that really do make you feel like cooking!) from 11 – 12pm and share recipes from her upcoming cookbook, The Fresh 20: Meal Plans For Health and Happiness. Five luck winners will walk away with a signed copy of the book. Join us for a quick bite and some fun recipe ideas.

Every new homeowner wants to show off their gorgeous digs with a party.  Join Andrea  Fellman of Savvy Sassy Moms from 1 – 2pm as she shares simple, stylish home entertaining tips.  Andrea knows the Valencia homes well as she presented the latest decorating trends at the development earlier this spring.

Touring new homes is fun whether you’re in the market to buy, considering a move or just want to keep up with what’s available in the LA area.  Valencia offers great schools, easy shopping, a variety of good restaurants and two farmer’s markets. There’s a real emphasis on neighborhood and outdoor activities making this an fantastic area for families.  Click here to learn more about West Hills in Valencia.

Twitt

Make Life Easy with Urban Sitter

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Urban SitterAs a new single mother, I need to keep finding ways to make life easier and run smoothly.  Having good solid help with the girls is a priority.  I need to keep their life as steady as possible while we’re making this transition through separation and divorce.  So I was pleased to discover Urban Sitter.

Urban Sitter was started by four parents with hectic lives.  Think babysitters combined with social networking and personal recommendations.  Now you don’t have to spend time texting and calling around or beg your girlfriends for their sitter’s number.  Urban Sitter couldn’t be easier.

Go to the site and join up.  Then post the time and date you need a sitter.  Watch the replies come in.  Most sitters respond within an hour.  You can choose from sitters that friends have recommended or set up an interview to meet a potential sitter.  I got to meet a bunch of the sitters recently at a lunch.  They were all lovely college-age women with good experience with kids.  Since my girls are teenagers, I mostly need someone to drive them to and fro and feed them once in a while.  It’s an easy gig.

Knowing I’ve got consistent help is crucial right now and there are times that I need someone last minute.  But you can also set up recurring times and days.  Urban Sitter is a simple idea, the site runs well and they have a phone app. You can pay the sitter by credit card so there’s no scramble for cash.  (I have to confess to occasionally raiding my kids’ banks for money to pay the sitter!)

Need extra incentive?  Enter the Urban Sitter sweepstakes.  You can win a year of free babysitting.  That’s right–for a whole year, you’ll be able to get out once a week free and clear.  Actually, I’m not sure why I’m advertising that.  I really want to win and now all of you are going to click over, sign up and cut down on my chances.  Oh well…everyone deserves a break, right?

Since Urban Sitter was created by parents, it’s really designed to meet our needs as busy parents. Entering this new phase of my life means balancing work and parenting in a new way.  Finding services like Urban Sitter is truly helpful in keeping everyone’s needs front and center.  So I’m happy to give them a shout out.

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post by MomsLA and Urban Sitter.  I initially thought the service wouldn’t be something I use since my girls are teens, but I’m glad I found out more because it turns out, Urban Sitter is exactly what I need.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

 

Twitt

Designer Labels & Prop 37

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YesProp37-MillionMoreWhen I was in junior high, Sassoon jeans and Nike sneakers became all the rage.  We were still shopping at Sears and wearing skirts my mother sewed, but fervently wishing to join the cool kids in wearing designer labels.  Now designer labels proliferate the shopping experience and there are lots of choices.  Even in food we have more choices.  I tend to buy organic whenever possible.  The taste and quality is generally better.  The use of pesticides isn’t good for soil, water or farm workers and so I’m willing to pay a little extra.  I suppose by a stretch, you could call this labeling designer since it’s a regulated construct for farming practices.

But that’s not what we’re here to talk about today.  If you live in LA, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about Prop 37.  If you live anywhere else in the US, I hope you’ve heard about it.  I hope California will be a leader on the issue of labeling GMO’s [Genetically Modified Organisms].

Quick primer on Prop 37:

If you want to know what’s in your food and the food you feed your family, vote YES on 37.  To me, it becomes that simple.  There’s still a lot we don’t know about GMO’s and their potential effects on people and environment.  Prop 37 calls for food retail outlets such as grocery stores to label food if it is produced through genetic engineering.  The Organic Consumers Association describes genetic engineering like this:

“Genetic engineering is a radical technology that breaks down genetic barriers between humans, plants and animals.  Once released, these genetically modified organisms [GMO's] can easily spread and interbreed with other organisms, and they are virtually impossible to recall back into the laboratory.”

GMO’s are primarily created for one purpose: to withstand greater amounts of pesticides, according to Label Genetically Modified Food.  This is Designer Food.  Companies like Monsanto are messing about with the DNA of living plants to bring food to market more cheaply without calculating potential risks.

For more info on Prop 37, go to www.carighttoknow.org.  There you’ll find out potential health risks, government regulations and the underhanded tricks agricultural giants like Monsanto are employing in trying to stop this proposition from passing.

Let’s make these designer food labels accessible to everyone.  Just let people know what they’re buying.  Believe me, most people really do want to know.  Get out and vote!  And vote YES on 37!

Twitt