Book for Kids: Tools by Taro Miura

There's a tiny little toy store in Venice called Toys and Tales. Much like small, independently owned stores, the selection there is great. I have a hard time leaving without buying something.

Case in point, I found Tools by Taro Miura. Drawn on two pages are a collection of tools, and the following page is a drawing of the person who uses the tools (e.g., electrician, barber, carpenter). My son, who is almost 4, is obsessed with this book. And the teachers at his preschool loved it so much that they picked up a few copies for the school. Highly recommended!


There aren't many small toy stores in the area, so it's nice to patronize the few that we have. The selection of toys and books is so much more interesting than at the big chains. And while there's room for everything in life, loyalty to the little guy means they'll be there tomorrow to help us find that perfect gift or expand our kids' horizons. So go out and find the small local store that you're going to help support :-)

Nature vs. Nurture...Bah!

I've heard that Royal/T in Culver City has an interesting menu, does a tea set, and is good for kids. I was checking them out on Yelp, when I saw this picture:

Photo by minda w.

Hello Kitty Sushi Bento Box Workshop w/ Sushi Girl

MetaGirl would go nuts...absolutely crazy...for this lunch. If it came with a set of bracelets, she'd be set.

If I ever had any doubts about nature vs. nurture, she's surely shown me the light. She's been turning toys into bracelets, necklaces, and hats since before she could walk or talk. Now that she's 20 months old, all bets are off. She has to accessorize before we leave, and even the mention of a hat is enough to generate a tantrum.

I, on the other hand, never wear hats, jewelry (other than my wedding ring and a cheap watch) or...any accessories. I just don't care. I might if I'm really trying, but 95% of the time, I don't. And I didn't care at all for the first year of her life. So where she got the obsession with bracelets (toy hooks, napkin rings) is beyond me. I love watching and encouraging all of the silliness, though. She has the collection of hats, and anything safe to use as a bracelet is fair game. But I'll be keeping an eye on her when my makeup is in the room...just in case.

Fruit Tree Giveaway from LACMA

LACMA giveaway

Artist collective Fallen Fruit kicks off a yearlong project, EATLACMA, with a fruit tree giveaway. Come pick up a free fruit tree along with planting instructions for your garden. This is the first in a series of events, which will include an exhibition, opening in June, and a series of food-related events throughout the year. EATLACMA is a year-long investigation into food, art, culture and politics. EATLACMA's projects consider food as a common ground that explores the social role of art and ritual in community and human relationships.

EATLACMA unfolds seasonally, with artist's gardens planted and harvested on the museum campus, hands-on public events, and a concurrent exhibition, Fallen Fruit Presents The Fruit of LACMA (June 27-November 7, 2010). EATLACMA is curated by Fallen Fruit—David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young-and LACMA curator Michele Urton.

Cirque du Soleil hits Santa Monica

Here's a fun thing to do in Santa Monica. Cirque du Soleil comes back to the Santa Monica pier 22 years after their humble beginnings to debut their new show, KOOZA. Select tickets are available at a 25% discount, which is a great deal given ticket prices. But as I was searching, I found few discounted tickets are left, so act fast! We'll be going in November with MetaBoy, so we're very excited.

Around the Internet: Food

National Punctuation Day Baking Contest - Fun contest!! Not this year, but MetaBoy and I might enjoy participating in future years.

Restaurants Look Beyond Chicken Fingers - After seeing a dip in restaurant visits of groups with kids, some restaurants are changing their approach by offering healthier kids' meals, and making them free. Personally, I'm very excited at the thought of healthier kids' meals because I'm tired of seeing pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, and nuggets. That said, I'm cautious with a healthier option, too, because I'm not sure that restaurants take kids' meals as seriously as they take those of adults. We went to La Grande Orange in Santa Monica, and I was sorely disappointed in the quality of MetaBoy's food: cold fries, mushy berries, and bland fish. Needless to say, he didn't finish it, which speaks volumes, let me tell you.

On that note, if your kid isn't eating his food in a restaurant, give it a taste to make sure it's edible!

Farmers markets fear Los Angeles' fees - Unrealistically high fees for farmers' markets in Los Angeles have historically been waived, but possibly not for much longer. While this will not impact markets held in parks, private property, and outside of LA (e.g., Santa Monica and Culver City), it could force affected markets to move or close. If fees are going to be assessed on these markets, the city should make them fair, which they are not.

"Rodgers called the monthly bill, which would total $80,508 a year, 'infuriating,' and 'an arbitrary number,' adding, 'No one has given any indication what this is really for.' If the market had to pay that and received no relief, she said, it would have to close or find another space."

Is it OK to replace unsalted (sweet cream) butter with salted butter if you reduce the total amount of salt in the recipe? - If you can't log in, here's what it says. You should not use salted butter in recipes because:

• The amount of salt varies from brand to brand
  
• Salt masks flavor nuances found in butter
  
• Salted butter almost always contains more water than unsalted butter.

What I took away from it is that I can use salted butter, but I will have more control over the flavor and texture (due to water content) of the end product if I use an unsalted butter.

Remote Area Medical (RAM) Comes to Los Angeles

Health care coverage is the "it" topic these days. What's the best way to cover the most people with the best coverage for the least amount of money? Ya...it might be a while.

A truly impressive effort by Remote Area Medical (RAM) seeks to serve the most underserved, up until now in rural areas.

As 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley reported in 2008, "Remote Area Medical sets up emergency clinics where the needs are greatest. But these days, that's not the Amazon. This charity founded to help people who can't reach medical care finds itself throwing America a lifeline."

A past expedition in Knoxville, TN brought free services to 1,343 people. The 276 volunteers helped provide 504 eyeglasses, extract 1,066 teeth and do 567 fillings for a total value of $235,497.00 in free care.

This week, RAM is serving the Los Angeles area, their first effort in an urban setting where an estimated 22% of working-age adults lacking health insurance. In a few days, they've already treated thousands. If you're curious about their progress, check out their twitter updates at RAM Los Angeles. It's interesting to see how much their accomplishing. And if you're motivated to give, they need donations in the form of people, water, food, and money.

Via Twitter:
If a patient needs glasses,lenses are ground on site and the patient gets to pick frames.

Free Ice Cream at Milk

I haven't tried it due to dietary constraints, but I hear Milk's ice cream is wonderful. One of these days, we'll all sit down for a taste.

But you all are in luck for this Sunday is National Ice Cream Day.

"Milk is doling out free scoops of its decadent, house-made flavors like banana dulce de leche, mint chocolate chip and strawberry. Just say the secret code phrase--"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream"--for one scoop in a cone or a cup."

Milk, 7290 Beverly Blvd., Mid-City; 323-939-6455

Sunday July 19 from 8AM-11PM

Via Tasting Table LA

UV Index Forecast

I was listening to the radio, and someone mentioned that the UV Index forecast for the Los Angeles area will be 10 tomorrow. What does that mean? That means that a fair skinned person who isn't wearing sunscreen can get burned in 4 minutes.

Let me say that again.

FOUR MINUTES!!

It takes me about that much time to get the mail.

Whatever about me, it's the kids I worry about. Sun damage as a child carries through for the rest of your life. Besides which the worst damage is experienced as a child. I've heard before age 6 is crucial, and I've heard before age 20. Either way, best to be careful with delicate skin, especially early on.

MetaBoy is fair, but his skin leans towards mine, so we both tan instead of burning (to a point, of course). Obviously, he still wears sunscreen, but I don't think I'm as paranoid as I could be. MetaGirl, however, is like a sheet of paper. She practically glows in the dark. Her porcelain skin would not tolerate any sun, I'm sure of it. Much like MetaDaddy, I'm sure she will burn, not tan. I always keep her covered, be it in her stroller or under a hat, but she'll only tolerate that for so much longer. Then, the sunscreen fight will begin.

Sigh.

Check out the UV Index Forecast for your area. And keep your sunscreen handy.

Note to self: Buy more sunscreen.

Los Angeles vs My Mood

Ya see, I want to be in a good mood. I really do! And today, I have no serious symptoms of the bug that MetaBoy oh so graciously passed on to me. There's a bit of a sore throat, but no fever, no chills, no headache...two miserable days, and I'm feeling good again. And I got a lot of rest, since I had little energy to do anything other than watch TV with the kids.

But I digress. I woke up smiling with energy to spare. Had a busy day making up for the big load of nothing that I've done all week, including grocery shopping. It's amazing how quickly you can run out of food when you don't buy more. As I said in a recent tweet, we haven't relied on take-out this much since MetaGirl was born. In driving around and getting things done with my positive attitude, it occurred to me: it's hard to stay in a good mood in this city.

Trader Joe's - It's a small store with narrow aisles and a lot of shoppers. Why do people leave their carts in the middle of an aisle, blocking other shoppers, and walk off as if enchanted by elves? Or perhaps they insist on "gently" pushing you as they walk past, despite the fact that you're carrying a baby and you're hardly in anyone's way. Maybe, if you're lucky, that pushy older lady who just had to get in the store right NOW might say "thanks" as she sees the pile of rubble left in her wake. Slight exaggeration? Perhaps. But only slight. This is the last time I go to Trader Joe's in a good mood. I need to be crabby to go there if I'm going to defend us.

Traffic - People don't know / understand / respect traffic laws. I understand getting distracted by a "shiny" and not noticing the light has changed. We've all been there. But don't make a left from the right lane...while crossing 2 lanes of traffic. That is NOT OK.

Home Maintenance - Someone turned the ringer off on the phone. I don't know who did it, and I don't really care. I didn't notice for days since we don't get many calls at home. We only realized it when the answering machine came on this morning despite the lack of rings. I was going to check it, but I forgot. So when the lady called with the estimate I had been expecting for several days, I missed the call. In her message, she said something to the effect of *gee, you're phone and fax machine are the same number. I'm leaving for the day, so I guess I'll have to call you tomorrow to fax you the estimate.*

My reaction:

• If you can print out an estimate, you have a computer. Get an email account. Use it.
  
• If you have an estimate, you have a dollar figure. Don't hang up without giving me some information.
  
• If you're calling me to tell me essentially...nothing...don't call me.

And while we're at it...

• When you give me a time frame for service, honor it. If you don't, don't start calling me a week before the bill is "due" to "remind" me.
  
• Be thorough. Don't change shower handles without suggesting it might be a good time to change washers. As far as I'm concerned, if that unchanged washer is the cause of a leak, it's you're fault.

Is it just me? Is it just Los Angeles?

Changing Your Look

This is kinda cool for locals.

Allen Edwards Salon, where haircuts usually start at $70, offers $25 haircuts in Woodland Hills and Brentwood, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, respectively.

For $25, You Can Change Your Look

LA's Earthquake

Did you hear? There was an earthquake in the Los Angeles area yesterday. It was initially reported to be 5.8 in magnitude, but has since been downgraded to 5.4.

Of all places, we were in a shopping center in the Valley, very near the dreaded Northridge of the 1994 Northridge Quake fame. Worse still, the car was in a parking structure, the last place you want to be in the event of an earthquake.

When the shaking started, I was walking around with MetaToddler. I wasn't sure if the rumbling was normal (e.g., truck driving by), but a sales associate gasped "it's an earthquake. Everyone to the counter." I looked around and decided she was right. There were a lot of wonky racks and shelves, but there were no fixed structures other than the counter. I calmly picked him up and walked over there, so he remained pretty calm, in turn. When it was over, I saw a lot of people rushing to the exit, but our choices were essentially:

(1) stay in the department store next to the glass doors,
(2) go outside the building and stand in the parking structure,
(3) go down to the first floor and stand outside the building, or
(4) go to your car and leave.

When I saw that there wasn't a huge exodus in the parking lot, I chose to leave. It seemed the best of the four unpleasant options. I hurried (as much as I can these days) to the car, and we were out of the structure in a few minutes. The ironic thing is I always try to avoid parking structures, but in this case, this was the only parking option. Figures.

The most frustrating part was that I couldn't to make calls on my cell because they kept failing. I heard today that the network was overloaded. This was a big problem all over, apparently.

"Sprint Nextel Corp. reported a spike of 800 percent right after the quake and Verizon Wireless saw the volume jump by 400 percent over that of a typical day. It wasn't clear how long the systems were overloaded but they were back to normal Wednesday."

Overall, nerves were shaken, but very little damage has been reported. Personally, I heard one glass item crash in the department store, but nothing was out of place when we got home. MetaDaddy's dry erase markers fell to the floor. Not bad.

LA Event: Taste of the Nation

Tomorrow, Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation will be held in Culver City. We went last year, and it was a lovely afternoon. A bunch of great local restaurants have stalls where they offer small, but tasty treats to tempt your palate. It's not just stuff off of their menu, but a creative show of their talents. It's all you can eat with your paid admission, $115 per person ($125 at the door), $25 for kids 6-15, kids under 6 free (woo hoo!). No, it's not cheap by any stretch, but consider the following:

• The proceeds go to a good cause. "100% of ticket sales from Taste of the Nation are granted to the most effective anti-hunger organizations working to end childhood hunger in America."
  
• If you have a young child who's active or kid who's generally difficult to take to a nice restaurant, it means getting a sitter (at a cost), planning everything in advance, and crossing your fingers that everything goes well. Here, you get several nice restaurants all trying to impress your palate all in the same place, and it's outdoors. So the wee one can enjoy food, sun, and fun, all while you get a unique meal out.
  
• If the price is still hefty, consider this. You can use discount code KCRW (case sensitive), provided by one of my favorite radio programs, Good Food. The net cost per ticket is reduced to $103.50 per person. Of that, $73.50 is tax deductible. Oh, and did I mention it goes to a good cause?

Some of the participating restaurants that we would would love to go, but would never consider taking MetaToddler, even on his best days:

Joe's Restaurant
La Cachette
Melisse
Providence
Sushi Roku
Water Grill
Wilshire

There are several other great restaurants that we enjoy (complete list of participating restaurants are here and here), so the biggest challenge will be saving enough room to try everything ;-)

Oh, and don't forget to save room for dessert!!

Location: Media Park (Park is between Venice and Culver Blvd)
9070 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Date & Time: Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 1pm to 4pm

Los Angeles: Discounted Baby & Kid Gear

If you're in the Los Angeles area, here are a couple of bargain-hunter's dreams that might come in handy for keeping your wee one's closet and toy chest brimming with joy.

California Kids Consignment
May 30 - June 1 (Friday-Sunday)
Where: Residence Inn Marriott - Conference Center
25320 The Old Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91381
This sale has been much farther west in the San Fernando Valley in the past, but is now trying out Santa Clarita for a change. Sellers hand their gently used stuff over to them, the stuff sells at very reasonable prices (some toys are new in the package), and the seller gets their money. They have tons of clothes, as well as toys, cribs, chairs, etc. What's left of their stock is 50% off on Sunday. It's too late to sell for this sale, but if you're thinking about it, you might want to check it out for future sales (~4 times/year). Click through for more details on buying, selling, or just plain browsing. Warning: It can get very, very busy. Just show up with cash (or MC/Visa for a $0.50 fee) in hand and a fistful of patience.

Flap Happy Outlet Store
May 30-31 (Friday-Saturday)
Where: 2330 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404
This store carries a selection of great hats for protecting wee delicate skin from the sun. They also carry clothes, swim suits, etc., though given the ridiculously bright colors and patterned prints, they tend to work more for girls than boys. That said, I've found some great stuff for MetaBoy, and all at bargain prices. This weekend from 10QM-5PM, they're having an annual sale where they slash their outlet prices. Mmm...sale...

LA Times Festival of Books

If you're looking for something fun to do in Los Angeles this weekend, look no further than UCLA. They're hosting the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Seriously, there's something there for everyone. Food, books, music, sunshine, picnics, speakers.

Parking's painful at $8, but admission is free. Besides, it's a nice day out :-)

April is National Grilled Cheese Month

Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese month? Easy enough to confuse with an April Fool's gag since it starts on the first of April, but it's true! A month in which local restaurants get cheesy, if you will.

Clementine, a restaurant in Century City, has started a campaign. Go, try their sammiches, and vote for your favorite. Or as they say, "Melt the Vote." The ballots are no joke, either. Per L.A. Eater,

"They've copied a voter's sample ballot and in painstakingly great detail changed all the graphics, instructions (in multiple languages), measures, confusing explanations, amendments and bill of rights to reference grilled cheese and other cheesisms."

If that's not dedication to cheese, I simple don't know what is. Now if I can only find the time to make it over this week to try out the Chorizo con Queso (Spanish dry-cured sausage with havarti and pickled jalapenos on country white bread).


In related news, the National Grilled Cheese Invitational is April 19th from 5-9:00 PM. It's somewhere in Los Angeles, but the location has yet to be announced. Ooo...exciting!!

So, check out local cheese listings for events in your area. If you don't find any, start one! You'll be the biggest cheese on the block ;-)

No Entertainment Book This Year

At full price, I don't find the Entertainment Book to be enough of a value to purchase. I just don't use enough coupons for it to pay for itself. That said, last year I bought it in April or so, and found that it more than paid for itself with the coupons we ended up using.

So when I saw that the price was $15 (including shipping), I considered it again. But to be sure, I checked the coupons in my area. Honestly, the ones I might use (e.g., Baja Fresh) aren't in there this year, so it's really not worth it this time.

If you're considering buying one, make sure to check the coupons available in your area this year. They do change from year to year, and you may find the changes don't suit your wallet.

L.A. Mag's March Madness

If you know Los Angeles, you might have some opinions on your turf.

Spit it out, people!!

Los Angeles Magazine's doing a March Madness of their own (dude, seriously...why is everyone hoping on this MM bandwagon?!?). But ya, you can vote in round two through March 24 (that's Monday). Ya, ya, I missed round one, but well...whatever :-)

What's being voted on? Deets

Waffles are Wonderful

So like, there's a restaurant that makes nothing but waffles, appropriately called The Waffle.

Classic waffles. Chocolate waffles. Blueberry lemon waffles. Even gluten-free waffles!! And of course, eggs, hash browns, burgers, and fun vegetarian fare, like the un-BLT. Nothing like "fakin bacon" to bring a twinkle to that eye.

Oh man, I could really go for a waffle right now.

The Waffle
6255 W. Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 465-6901
Menu

The Hot Dog Dilemma

I like hot dogs. I don't eat them, but I like them.

When I was a kid, a favorite meal was my grandmother's Chilean twist on a hot dog, which I long for every now and then. I don't think I'll find it though. It's a plain old hot dog on a plain old bun. The glory's in what you put on top. Let's start with ketchup, mustard, and mayo. But just to make it interesting, let's skip the sauerkraut and relish for fresh tomato salsa and cooked & diced potatoes. And pile it on high. So high you question your morals and ethics. So high that you think you're living a life that isn't your own. So high that you almost can't get it in your mouth. Ah, but then you manage. Gluttony at its finest.

First off, I've given up on gluttony because it's a tough life to live (just ask Anthony Bourdain). Easier and more pleasant to eat until I'm no longer hungry, which is always less than any fast food or restaurant portion. But don't get me started on portion sizes. That's a whole different rant.

The other reason I don't entertain the hot dog notion any more is that I just don't like eating hot dogs any more. Yes, I like the taste, but I don't like what's in them. I don't like a food that generally prides itself on being known as the miscellaneous food. It's full of hormones, fillers, antibiotics, nitrates, nitrites, and what I'm assuming is a wide variety of other unknowns. None of that is good eats.

I see hope on the horizon, though. I just heard about a new hot dog stand in the LA area on Good Food (scroll down to "Grass-Fed Hot Dogs" piece to listen). Let's Be Frank has all-beef hot dogs made from 100% grass-fed beef. They aren't packed will all of the bad stuff I listed above, and they're dairy and gluten free. Sue Moore, co-owner, was the "meat forager" (no, seriously) at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse, which is a good sign to me.

We're no vegetarians, though as a family we've significantly cut down our red meat consumption, as well as our overall meat consumption. But every now and then, you gotta give into temptation.

They only have a few carts (one in L.A., two in the San Francisco Bay area), but they sell their franks online. Let me know if you've tried and loved :-D

Campanile: Writers' Soup Kitchen

More on food in Los Angeles.

As I'm sure you've heard, there's an ongoing writers' strike in Hollywood. The economic repercussions are significant here as the trickle down effect becomes more and more obvious. If writers don't work, actors, make-up artists, and key grips don't work. Editors have nothing to edit. Caterers have no one to feed. And money, that used to be free flowing in restaurants and bars, has dried up. At a time when a recession looms over the nation striking fear in the hearts of democrats and republicans everywhere, Hollywood is feeling a similar jerk of panic.

Some are making due as they can. An interesting approach taken by local fancy-pants restaurant, Campanile, is to open a soup kitchen for writer's union members. (I'm sure similarly affected unions might appreciate to be included, but that's just me thinking out loud.) A card carrying writer can go to the restaurant on Wednesdays with a group of guests (or not, if you're a lonely, brooding writer-type), and everyone gets a 3 course meal for $18. Apparently, that's half-price. And, as chef and owner Mark Peel states:

"We're not making any money on this, but it is filling the restaurant. The truth is, no matter what your profit margin is, if you're not selling anything, you're not making any money."

Another plus for the restaurant is that any new customers brought in might expand the restaurant's business when the economy gets back on track. And I think writers and everyone else are looking forward to that.