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[-]We're from NYC and need a hotel in LA for two nights. My dd is 17 months old, so while we don't necessarily need a kid themed hotel, we would like it to at least be kid friendly and have a pool. A lot of the places that say they're kid friendly seem really posh and I'm worried that we'll disturb the peace at the pool. At the same time, this is the tail end of our vacation, so we would like it to have ammenities too. We'd like to stay under $300/night. Any suggestions? Thanks!
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Do not stay downtown unless you have a specific reason to, its dead after 5 p.m. downtown and on the weekends.
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Go to Santa Monica, plenty of nice hotels near the beach (Loew's, Viceroy, Shutters, Casa del Mar). Activities: 3rd Street Promenade, SM Pier, Venice boardwalk, a nice bike path on the ocean that goes all the way up to Malibu, and a short drive to Beverly Hills & West Hollywood. If you're only there for two days, LA is too spread-out to cover much else. Signed, former LA mom.
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[-]I am spending a few weeks visiting my mother in Los Angeles. Does anyone have any suggestions for activities and things to do out here with my year old son? We are in the Manhattan Beach area and my son seems totally bored without his usual playdates, storytime and music classes. Any suggestions (particularly free/cheap ideas) would be much appreciated.
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[-]Can anyone recommend a reliable moving company for a cross-country move (NY to LA)? TIA.
3 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreCross country moves are tough because most subcontract. We used Belkins and had a good experience and a driver who was personally carrying the load and gave his cell. But there are few laws governing this and it's a difficult area. If you can find a local mover willing to do the entire thing themselves, you'll get reliability but a much higher price.
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[-]Hi- Can anyone name some famous women artists and writers that are also mothers through history and up until now? Thanks
111 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreMary Wollenstencraft - 18th century feminist philosopher/writer whose daughter Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein.
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Me! Well, not really. I am a writer and a mother but I'm not famous at all. Anyway... as I pondered this question, I was surprised by how many women writers/artists I thought of who were NOT mothers. Does having children quench the creative fire? I wonder this as my 8 yo dd gets out of bed for the 10th time...
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Colette, Erica Jong, Nora Ephron, Joyce Maynard, Anne Lamott, Alice Walker, Elaine May, Carrie Fisher.
[ Reply | More ]Alice Walker is like Sylvia Plath: not a good example. Walker disowned her daughter when she had a daughter herself. Evidently she had regretted becoming a mother and would have preferred to simply be able to focus on her writing. Her daughter accuses her of emotional neglect all of those years and says that Walker would often leave her alone for weeks on end as a preteen with money for food to fend for herself while Walker went on travels and conferences. Walker disowned her daughter for having a child because she says that she'd hoped her daughter would have sense enough to not have children and pursue the arts instead. This is according to an article written by her daughter.
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The interesting ones to me are the 19th century writers who broke out (and often died tragically). I'm thinking of Charlotte Bronte and Margaret Fuller as examples. And then there are the ones who didn't break out, writing fully about life without experiencing all of life: Jane Austen and Emily Dickinson come to mind. (np)
[ Reply | More ]Mary Kelly (check out Post-Partum Document), Dorothea Rockburne, Julia Kristeva (wrote on Bellini and motherhood while pregnant), Niki de Saint-Phalle, Martha Rosler, Cecily Brown, Anne Truitt, Agnes Varda...several other contemporary artists + Berthe Morisot, Julia Margaret Cameron, etc.
[ Reply | More ]op Mary Kelly (check out Post-Partum Document), Dorothea Rockburne, Julia Kristeva (wrote on Bellini and motherhood while pregnant), Niki de Saint-Phalle, Martha Rosler, Cecily Brown, Anne Truitt, Agnes Varda...several other contemporary artists + Berthe Morisot, Julia Margaret Cameron, etc.
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Oh. and see this is why I'll probably never write a children's book. I just don't respect the genre. Its not as though they're real writers or anything, I don't care how popular their books are. I know that's awful.
[ Reply | More ]when was the last time you read young adult literature? what genres do you read and like and respect?
[ Reply | More ]Okay, I do think C.S. lewis is a genuis. I loved the entire chronicles of Narnia and read them again about 5 christmases ago. I have read J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series(the first 3) more so because I love reading overall and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I loved a good portion of the classics in Childrens & YA lit: Judy Blum, Beverly Cleary, shel siverstein, I could even take R.L. Stine. Its this new junk that seems like kiddie soap operas, like the Gossip Girls that threw me and then Rowling made Potter grow up which took away the magic for me. In terms of adult lit, I have a thing for contemporary and magical realism (I'm not talking about dwarves & fairies junk). My favorite author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez, followed by To...
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I doubt your respect is any of her concern. She needed to feed her kids, she wrote a book, and now is set for life, as are her children, many times over!
[ Reply | More ]Well great-but will it be loved 50 years from now? More than likely not. She's no Louisa May Alcott, Lewis Carroll, or C.S. lewis, she's not even a Roald Dahl!
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Oh my, I'm sorry I insulted the author of perhaps the only books with no pictures that you've ever read.
[ Reply | More ]I detest those who make a stink about something they admittedly don't care for and in the process lump different genres of literature together. Take your negative opinion and shove it. We can all read, you imbecile. You weren't asked for your critique on whether a writer belongs here!
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Wow. Not real writers? Is that really what you're saying? I think it's really hard to write quality YA and children's fiction.
[ Reply | More ]OR- I said that I felt awful about it. I don't know. It is probably really bad for me because on a professional level, my mentor had said that YA and/or children's fiction would be a good avenue for me. Funnily enough, I thought he was insulting me...evidently he was not.
[ Reply | More ]I'm just surprised. There is so much great YA and children's fiction out there, really high quality stuff. Why is it less impressive just because it's for children?
[ Reply | More ]np. I write fiction for adults and for young adults and for middle school children. I must admit that the greatest literary challenge for a fiction writer is creating stories for young readers. It's the most difficult thing I've ever had to do in my career, and also, the most rewarding.
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Op Does anyone know if writers Alice Munro, Gwendolyn Brooks, Flannery O'conner, Joyce Carol Oates, Louise Erdrich, or artists Rosemarie Trockel, Sam Taylor-Wood, Pae White, Lynda Benglis, Sherrie Levine have children?
[ Reply | More ]How about Alice Munro, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Lynda Benglis, Sherriw Levine, Pae White, Amy Bloom, Joyce Carol Oates- does anyone know if they have any children?
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op hi, thanks again everyone, I have googled many of these names but many times it is impossible to find out if these women are mothers. As for the information, I am gathering the list for personal inspiration but am also thinking about doing a ongoing website on artist/writer mothers
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Artemisia Gentileschi: famous painter, told stories of heroic women, working single mother 400 years ago - she had 5 children, but only two survived to adulthood. Famous in her time, she was then lost to history until the early 1900's - check out the new documentary about her - www.awomanlikethatfilm.com
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[-]I need to buy a case of wine from a store that will deliver to Seal Beach by the end of this week -- am looking for a good wine shop where I can buy online with hopefully with a low shipping charge. Any recommendations? Thank you!
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[-]we're moving to LA area and I can't decide bw Long Beach or an LA beach town like Manhattan Beach or Hermosa. Can anyone stack up some pros and cons for me. Never been to either and have to pick without going. TIA!
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[-]Can anyone recommend an upscale Dude ranch? We want to go as a family -- 6 kids ranging from adult to 8 yars old, and want luxury surroundings and lots of choices of outdoor activities as not all of us are avid riders. any ideas? Am leaning towards the Wyoming/Mondana or Canadian Rockies type of place as it will be summer and too hot for alot of Arizona ranches.
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[-]LA moms: any good consignment stores out here? visiting from NYC for a few days and I love consignment shopping!! thanx in advance :)
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[-]Any Westwood or West L.A. moms on? Or other L.A. moms with opinions about these places? We are relocating and need to find a family-friendly place to live between DH's job in Hollywood and the kids' schools in Mar Vista. From afar it's hard to know what the personalities of these areas are, the pros and cons. Thanks for any advice you can give me in advance.
1 reply [ Reply | Watch | MoreI'm not sure West LA has a personality, it's kind of a big general area, I'm not sure where the borders are. I think of "West LA" as an area between the 405 and Santa Monica but someone the other day told me he lived in West LA and he's over beyond Culver City. So I can't comment on "West LA" unless you get more specific. Westwood conjures up a nicer area, but there are different sections of Westwood. You don't say if you want to rent or buy, whether you want a house or condo/apt, and what your budget is. Generally speaking, from your brief description, I'd suggest checking out Westwood, Cheviot Hills, Rancho Park and Mar Vista.
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[-]please dont flame me- if you dont have an answer, just collapse and move on - but any great medispas or plastic surgeons who do botox? Will be in LA for 2 wks on vacation (one with just one kid, DH is joining me with the other 2 a week later), and will have some free time on my hands for some "minor" work- no face lifts or anything- just touching up some wrinkles under my eyes. any suggestions? will be staying at the penninsula. TIA.
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[-]Are there any LA moms on here who know anything about good private schools? I need some basic info. I don't have any friends with kids and I am having trouble finding any good schools, and LAUSD is horrific. TIA for ANY information you can possibly come up with!!!
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What area did you live in? Where did your kids go? What are some good preschools? Are there any in the Santa Monica area or will I have to commute to BH or the valley?
[ Reply | More ]^^oh, and what are the top private high schools? what are the feeder schools? How much better would you say it is than if we moved to BH and sent kids to public?
[ Reply | More ]We lived on the westside and kids went to school at one of the progressive private schools on the westside. Some preschools in SM are Circle of Children, the Growing Place, Evergreen, Early Years. Also might want to check out Little Dolphins in the Palisades. Are you looking at progressive or traditional schools? Progressive schools include Crossroads, New Roads, Wildwood, Willows, and PS 1. For traditional it's Brentwood, Harvard Westlake, Marlbourgh.
[ Reply | More ]Definitely traditional. I am slightly interested in montessori but it seems hard to find a true montessori. Are Brentwood etc. strictly High School? Are there K-8's or do they switch Elementary to Middle to High school like public? What schools feed into the more traditional private high schools?
[ Reply | More ]Marlbourgh is all girls 7-12, Harvard Westlake is co-ed from 7-12, Brentwood is co-ed from K-12.
[ Reply | More ]OMG.. in love with Brentwood. Do you know anything about their applications process?
[ Reply | More ]NP: What ages are your kids and do you live in LA now or are you moving here? I'm a little confused by your post. Brentwood is very difficult to get into and has a traditional application process with parent interview/child evaluation. They require longer essays than some schools. They get about 250-300 apps for Kindergarten, which has 44 slots, at least half of which go to siblings/alumni/faculty kids.
[ Reply | More ]The above list of Santa Monica preschools is good, and I'd add Blueberry Atelier and First Pres to the list. All these preschools are also very difficult to get into (to varying degrees). There's a book called Coping with Preschool Panic that can help you with the preschool thing - gives overviews of schools. Another book called Beyond the Brochure can help with applying to private schools K and up - but that's more about getting in and less about the differences in the schools.
[ Reply | More ]Actually, if you are into traditional schools you might prefer Sunshine in Brentwood to some of the other preschools mentioned above. Growing Place/Evergreen/Blueberry/First Pres are all more progressive and influenced by Reggio, which is an approach to early childhood education from Reggio Emilia Italy that is very popular here in LA.
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[-]I need help planning an extended family vacation on the west coast of the US. We will have, between us, a 6yr old, 3 yr old, 2.5 yr old, pregnant woman and grandma who wants "to be active." Any resorts or places to be that also offer hiking/outdoor activities but also child care and places for relaxation?
2 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreWith that many kids, seems to me you are better off renting a house then staying in a resort and using a nanny service for child care. I cannot even imagine eating out every meal with a 6 yo, 3 yr old and a 2.5 year old. Nightmare. Many places jump to my mind but Sun River Oregon is more resort like and has 30 miles of bike trails, pony rides, old fashioned ice cream store, short hikes, etc. which is outside of Bend. Laguna Beach if you are fine with them just playing in the sand.
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[-]Washingtonians in LA: what's the Sidwell Friends of LA private schools?
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[-]Hi. Have a friend who just found out she is pregnant and wants to give the baby up for adoption. Can anyone give me some info about adoption, open, closed, private, not private, etc. I have no idea how to help her and she is looking to me for guidance. TIA.
2 replies [ Reply | Watch | Moreshe should talk to her obgyn dr. I have a friend who adopted this way...her DH was personal friends w/an obgyn and somehow it worked out thru him & his preg patient. Also have a friend who was adopted this way herself...her adoptive father (obgyn) delivered her. Biological mom couldn't keep her and went to her dr for help.
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[-]If you exercise regularly, do you take a full day off? I hate doing nothing for a day (besides just city walking). Wondering if just walking on a treadmill for 3 miles is enough of a break from the other days when I do weight and/or other cardio. Joints have been acting up lately.
6 replies [ Reply | Watch | Moreabsolutely. I've been exercising regularly for 25 years and have never done 7 days a week. generally 3-5 days. if you're really working hard, your body needs rest days, and if you're very active (brisk walker, take the stairs rather than elevator, etc) and not trying to lose weight, it's enough.
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[-]got a birth announceent via email can i write back with congrats plus an offer to help/bake babysit other kid etc?
2 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreOf course you may. A handwritten note is always nice but they gave you the e-mail in when they sent the announcement by e-mail. Rather than ofering to prepare a meal, you might like to just make it and drop it off (just drop off, don't go inside their apt), since the new parents might be a little too busy right now to answer all e-mails. I also find that specific offers of help are easier for people to accept. So instead of, "I can take care of DC anytime," something like, "Would you like me to take DC to the park on Thursday or Friday morning?"
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