Baby Friendly L.A.

Mom's Nite Out

Join some bloggin' moms for a special nite out!

Join Kimberley Clayton Blaine, Founder of TheGoToMom.TV, and Romi Lassally, Founder of TruuConfessions.com, for the very 1st National Mom's Nite Out in Los Angeles.

When: Thursday, May 7th from 5-8 p.m.

Where: The Mint
6010 W Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(323)954-9400

Valet Parking $5
Admission is FREE - Bring One Pack of Diapers It's a Diaper Drive!

R.S.V.P. to info@pumpstation.com

Fed Up?

Try these toddler meal strategies for your picky eater.

I'd like to introduce another Los Angeles mom who's blog is here to help us all feed our picky children healthy meals they just may actually like.

By Elizabeth Rietz
from www.WhiningnDining.com

I know. You’re frustrated and going to pull your hair out. It’s mealtime once again and your little prince or princess won’t have it. Or maybe he/she is going just for the starch. Or maybe it’s a fruit-only obsession. One thing is for certain, your little one is just not interested in veggies and/or meat and you need help.

I feel your pain because I’ve been there. Overnight, my veggie-loving baby turned up her nose and practically spit in the face of all things green. She despised it all. How could this happen to the daughter of a foodie mom? Not MY child. And this is why I started to chronicle my ups and downs of feeding a toddler and create an online resource for helping parents feed their children healthy food via my blog, “Whining and Dining.”

Through my experience and the experience of others, I want you to know that there’s hope. My daughter is now three, and I believe that we’ve finally turned a corner. Hang in there, be persistent in offering new foods and try these toddler meal strategies:

• Get Persistent – It’s important to remember that just because your child didn’t like broccoli the first time or the fourth time, it doesn’t mean they won’t ever like it. You have to keep at it. The finicky toddler will like one thing one day and spurn it the next. Moody little creatures, aren’t they??  

Also, you may want to play around with different cooking techniques and different versions of the food. For instance, your child may like spinach sautéed rather than steamed (my daughter’s preference). Also, my daughter prefers cooked fresh spinach to cooked frozen spinach, yet she likes cooked frozen green beans verses cooked fresh green beans. Go figure.

• Get Excited – It most certainly helps your cause when you act like veggies are THE best thing you have ever, ever eaten. If you exclaim, “Wow, I love this cauliflower!” and pretend as if you are eating the most delicious candy, then your little one might take notice. Talk about the color, the shape and texture. It’s fun to take your toddler to the farmers’ market to show them the different veggies. Let them help you pick out the veggies you buy.

Resource: List of Farmers’ Markets in LA

• Get Focused – Be sure to introduce new foods or offer veggies when your child is hungry. Cut up some veggies or meat to place on your little one’s tray while you finish preparing the rest of the meal.
• Get Creative – Sometimes it helps to make a face with a carrot nose, olive eyes and a red pepper smile; tiny meatballs; chicken on a stick; egg in a hole; bunny cut out sandwiches, etc. Make a story out of your child’s dinner. It’s kind of silly, but kids ARE silly, and they go crazy for this stuff. Also, I turn a lot of veggies into baked chips like sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts (see recipe below).

Try This: Muffin Tin Monday and Green Chips
Resources: First Meals by Anabel Karmel, Toddler Café and Weelicious.com

Remember that kids also loooove to dip, so serve them foods that can be dipped in hummus, yogurt sauce, etc.

• Get Sneaky – If none of the above works for you, you may need to sneak it in where you can. Sneak veggies in muffins, pancakes, macaroni ‘n cheese, cookies…..you name it.  If you puree it, you can stir some veggies in to just about everything you make.

Try This: Lily Pad Pancakes
Resources: The Sneaky Chef & Deceptively Delicious

• Get Smooth – Lastly, when all else fails, you can hide some veggies in a smoothie or a juice. I find that a berry smoothie hides raw spinach well.

If you would like more recipes, advice and other foodie fun in LA and beyond, join me at www.whiningndining.com.   More importantly, I want to know what you are cooking for dinner, your feeding challenges, tips, foodie stuff around LA, etc., so please email me at whine.dine@yahoo.com. .

Good luck & happy eating!

Feeling Human Again

Sick mommy, sick baby, sick kitties, sick hubby. Enough already!

My apologies for being out of touch the last couple of weeks. It seems our household was plagued with one nasty thing after another. Ava and I have been completely down and out with a cold bug; our poor kitties spent far too much time at the vet and this is my first real lesson in caring for a sick, yet energetic toddler. I have been a medicine dispensing, mess cleaning, non-sleeping, 24-hour cuddling mom with no time to blog, tweet, twitter, create or function as a proper human being. My poor, neglected inbox has over 100 emails waiting for me (so if you're in there, my apologies!). Luckily I have finally turned the corner and I'm starting to get my bearings back.

I have a bunch of amazing reviews coming up next week including another review about the fabulous Classy Kid, a guest writer from WhiningnDining.com, and more talented Etsy artisans. So while I get myself back together, I invite you to visit these amazing L.A. blogs:

• www.dininginla.com - If you live in Los Angeles and you want the beat on culinary coolness, visit Dave over at Dining In L.A. Be warned: His blog will make you hungry.

• www.bizziemommy.com - She's the mom who does it all and makes this whining post of mine seem trivial compared to all that she's juggling. Stephanie is fantastic and so is her amazing blog.

• www.whiningndining.com - Kids and food are not always a fun combination. This blog, created by another Los Angeles mom, helps parents find creative ways to feed their picky little ones.

• www.thepilatespt.com - If you've got the new baby aches and pains, visit Heather over at The PIlates PT for some physical therapy tips and tricks. She'll get you back in shape in no time!

• www.mommyadventureclub.com - If you are looking for some fun things to do in Los Angeles with kids, meet Carrie - your personal L.A. tour guide! The Mommy Adventure Club knows where the fun is at for mommies, toddlers and kids of all ages. Carrie is a delight and you are sure to have an amazing adventure with her.

Giggles N Hugs

A fun spot made for both kids and parents - Review by BizzieMommy.com

I've heard a lot of good things about the restaurant Giggles N Hugs and I am looking forward to taking Ava there soon – especially after reading the review on BizzieMommy.com.

BizzieMommy.com is an amazing blog created by another L.A. mom, Stephanie, who lives up to her Bizzie Mommy name. She is also the founder/owner of the very hip online baby shop, LalaBabyBoutique.com and the creator of ThinkOrganicBaby.com. Did I mention she has a full time job and two kids as well? Stephanie is an awesome mom, with an awesome blog, so I invite you to visit her site. Here's the beginning of her review:

Out in L.A. – Giggles N Hugs by BizzieMommy.com

After going through a spout of unproductive weekends the Hubs and I decided to take the kids to Giggles N’ Hugs for some play time and free Wi-Fi for us! I have been dreaming of a safe fun place for the kids to play so I can sneak in some blog writing or store maintenance and this place is almost perfect… Continue

More Disney Goodness

A few money saving tips for your next Disneyland visit.

It seems I just can't get enough of Disney (surprise, surprise). I would take Ava to visit her beloved characters every week if I could, but let's face it - a day at Disneyland is an amazing experience, but also an expensive one. So with spring break already here and summer just around the corner, here are a few money saving tips to enjoy the Happiest Place on Earth:

APRIL 19- 25 – Disneyland Annual Passport Appreciation Week
A week of extra savings for Annual Passholders. Receive extra discounts or gifts with purchase on special brands such as Disney Vault 28, Fossil, Build-A-Bear and many others including specialty shops at Downtown Disney. Free parking offers, food specials, and more.  Details in their PDF here.

Tips for Disneyland Annual Passholders:
It's no secret that Disney offers a yearly pass for entrance to both theme parks to Southern California residents, however I recently learned a few tips that are worth sharing:

• Ticket upgrade: You can apply your regular admission ticket to the price of your pass. Passes must purchased on the same day as the regular ticket to be applied.

• Pass Upgrade:  There are various levels of passes with different numbers of "blackout days," or days not available on your pass.  Did you know that if you visit Disneyland on a "blackout day" it's $40 admission instead of a full price ticket? You can then apply that $40 ticket to UPGRADE your pass to the next level as long as you apply it that day. Pretty darn cool.

• Payment Plan: This is another little gem that I recently discovered – you can pay for you annual pass on an interest free payment plan. You can make payments for as little as $5.42 a month for the basic Passholder plan.

• Discounts: I always forget that lots of places and restaurants at Disneyland offer a 10 - 15% Passholder discount. It pays to ask – especially now with California's tax hike! Here's a handy list to find those special deals.

Disneyland Southern "California 2fer Ticket"
When you visit Disneyland, you have the option to purchase a ticket for both theme parks (Disneyland and/or California Adventure) or for a lesser price, only one park. With the special "California 2fer Ticket" California residents may purchase a one park ticket that is good for both parks on two different days. A great way to save and experience the magic twice. Tickets are available until June 3rd and can be purchased now at Disneyland.com, The Disney Stores, Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Stater Bros, Toys R Us, Dearden’s, Casa Ley, Korea Daily, Irvine Spectrum and other locations.

FREE on Your Birthday!
Mickey and friends want to celebrate your special day by offering a free park ticket to you on your birthday. (Offer good for both Disneyland and Disney World parks)

2 More Nights FREE – Vacation Package
By purchasing a three-night Disneyland Resort vacation package this summer, guests can extend their visit with a special offer to get two more nights free.  Enjoy five nights for the price of three. And if you happen to be able to combine this offer with your free birthday ticket, it's an extra huge savings. Reservations for this special package are for a limited time from March 24 – August 11th. 

For more information on the above specials and all things Disney, visit www.disneyland.com

Disneyland for Grown-Ups

Wine tasting, delicious food and marketing to women.

I love Disneyland and all things Disney. I have always been an avid fan long before I became a mom and now I am falling in love with the Happiest Place on Earth all over again with my daughter. As much as I love seeing the magic in her eyes, it would be fun to do Disney in a non-kiddo way for a change. And here are two opportunities for grown-ups to experience the Magic Kingdom in a new light:

Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival Celebrates Flavors of the World in 2009:
(Excerpt from DisneylandNews.com):

Disney's California Food & Wine Festival will celebrate the international cultures, people, food and traditions that have made California one of the most diverse culinary destinations in the world. With a theme of “World Celebration,” the Festival expands to six weeks in 2009 – April 24 through June 7 – featuring daily complimentary demonstrations and premier ticketed events at Disney’s California Adventure park and throughout the Resort.

Food & Wine Festival events held in Disney's California Adventure require park admission, which is not included in the event price. Some events may require an additional fee and pre-registration.  For more information, read their press release.

For more details and pricing information, visit www.disneyland.com/foodandwine

The Startup Princess Fairy Godmother Experts
Learn the Magic of Marketing to Women Online at the Startup Princess Academy

Are you a mompreneur? Or a woman in marketing with a product to promote? If you are looking for a way to market to women, the Startup Princes Academy and their expert team have a fun, get-away weekend of learning, networking and of course all things Disney.

April 17th 4pm-midnight Disneyland® Park
April 18th 9am-5:30pm Disneyland® Hotel

For more information visit: www.startupprincess.com