Fabulous Kids’ Parties
By Shirin Yadegar
My two oldest girls start planning their birthdays six months before the big day. They have big expectations with large guest lists. Keep in mind they are only 8 and 6.
After plentiful research and numerous birthday parties I have found the best of the best at the most affordable prices for all of their parties.
The list below is made up from my personal experience with these vendors. I have used all of them and have always been more than happy with their interaction with the kids. They are always on time, professional, well priced and make the party a blast!
Make sure to mention LA MOM MAGAZINE when you call them so they give you my rates!
Reaching Your New Year’s Resolutions
By Laurie Searle
There’s nothing like the day after New Year’s. The holiday buzz is gone and this overwhelming feeling starts gnawing at you. Is it the dog, the kids, the husband, the muffin top compliments of your mother in law’s maple butter pie? It simply couldn’t go to waste, right? Well, it’s all of the above including the bombardment of television ads that tell you it’s time to get on your New Year’s resolution.
With the New Year come new anxieties and expectations about the year ahead. You set goals or resolutions you promise you will stick to, but when the swell of the semester is under way, so goes the promises to yourself. (more…)
Children and Money
By Dr. Judy Bin-Nun Ph.D., LMFT
“Mommy (Spoken beseechingly), buy this toy or food for me! I need it now! (Spoken stridently) My friends have this toy and I want one too” (Spoken demandingly). I know you have heard these requests, demands and sound bites; what do you do to teach your children about money and how to develop appropriate money habits early in their lives?
Now that it’s a New Year, you and your spouse can begin to plan sound money habits and it is never too early in your child’s life to start teaching your children. You can start the concept of giving allowance so that children learn natural consequences of using money. Allowance affords a hands-on, direct approach to the use of money that your words can’t teach; money requires teaching by show and tell.
2012 Vibrant Skin
Tips on healthy skin.
By Rebecca Casper
Q: How do I take care of my skin in dry, cold weather?
A: More exfoliation and more hydration. Enzymes and Hydroxy acids are the best. Stay away from harsh polishing beads that can actually make dehydration more intense and contribute to aging skin. Indoor heating systems literally suck the hydration out of our skin, so we need to remember drink more water as well. If you don’t already, now is a good time to start taking a blend of Essential Fatty Acids, like Omegas, to help keep your skin vibrant from the inside out. (more…)
November,2011 – Getting in shape after the holidays
Getting Creative for the Holidays
Tips on dressing up your table for the holidays
By Deborah Gleiberman
What is creative luxury? It means using creativity to enrich our lives. Whether you find an inventive way to store toiletries, fold clothes while humming a song, or add an unexpected spice to a chicken dish, you are accessing your creative side. Luxury is refinement of living rather than a necessity. Well, if you ask me, refinement is a necessity! When I set a table, I want it to look beautiful and refined. It just doesn’t need to cost a lot, at the holidays or anytime. Anyone with the right pocketbook can walk into Saks Fifth Avenue and buy the latest Baccarat votives, call a florist, and call it a day. But for the average mom whose go-to blush stick just might be a pack of ketchup and whose little ones are begging for a Wii or (worse!) an iPad, creativity in the luxury department is a necessity.
Selecting the Right School for Your Child
By Nathalie Kunin
Selecting the right school for your child can be as exhilarating as it is overwhelming. Here are some things to consider as you tour prospective schools, thumb through brochures, and peruse websites.
1. Observe and Report. Start with a school tour, but don’t stop there! Stop by during their next book fair, see a school play or attend a sporting event. Are there on-campus volunteer opportunities? You want to meet as many families as possible to get a broader sense of the school and the community.
Making the Right Food Choices During the Holidays
Tips on remaining in control while enjoying the holiday foods.
By Sherly Shooshani Daneshgar, MS, RD
The average American adult gains between 1 to 10 pounds during the “holiday season,” the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. As loving, caring parents this is one holiday tradition we do not want to pass on to our children’s generation.
The holidays are about spending cherished time with family and close friends. They are about family rituals and traditions. For most, this time of year is also about eating indulgent high fat and high calorie foods that we don’t usually eat the rest of the year. Everywhere we look there are tempting baked goods, candies, chocolates and savory foods.
Below are five simple suggestions to help you and your family enjoy all the wonderful aspects of the holiday season, while remaining in control.
Creating a Healthy Home
Give the Gift of Getting Along.
By Jessica Williams
The holidays can be a time of precious memories and great stress. This season, in addition to the presents that light up the faces of your children, you have the opportunity to create peace in your home that will last a lifetime.
What if the best of today’s progressive parenting experts sat in your living room and gave you the advice, comfort and solutions you have been looking for? I have spent the last months conducting video and audio interviews and collecting written contributions from best-selling authors, psychotherapists, educators, PhD and MDs. I designed a program with eight essential parenting themes, and have created eight video compilations from the interviews, so that expert research, science, experience and expertise lies within your grasp in one cohesive program. There is also a downloadable handbook, highlighting action steps you can take with your children to manage day-to-day conflict with new awareness, and to lay the foundation of a healthy connection and attachment that will inform the rest of your days.