Homage To The Teenagers Over At Mom.me

Yes, that's right, even though they may not see it that way I'm actually honoring my teens with my stories about their addiction to technology and parents dancing at parties wearing inappropriate clothing. They'll thank me someday, really they will. Here are my latest posts over at Mom.me.

7 Things Never To Say To A Teenager

It's inevitable. No matter how diligent you are, or how carefully you choose your words, at some point you're going to say something that will make your teen wish she was from another family. In fact, sometimes even a benign question like, "Are these your pants?" will make her want to stab you. But here are a few things you should never say, if you want to avoid ruining your kid's life forever. Read more...



Your Handy Guide To Teen Pop Stars

If you have a teen, chances are you’ve heard plenty about Harry Styles, Selena Gomez and Cody Simpson. You may have read about who Taylor Swift is dating, or listened to your girls sing along to Ariana Grande, but how much do you really know about these pop stars who occupy 78.5 percent* of your teen’s daily thoughts?

You may not think this is important knowledge to possess, but someday you’re going to be at a dinner party and the talk will turn from foreign affairs and mutual funds to the Teen Choice Awards, and trust me—you don’t want to be the only one asking if Justin Bieber is the lead singer of One Direction. Read more...


In Defense Of Skipping Extracurriculars

When our girls were younger, we were always careful not to overschedule them. We didn’t care that our kids were the only ones in the neighborhood who didn’t play soccer, or who weren’t on a rigorous schedule of dance/art/music lessons. Our girls were limited to one extracurricular activity each, making sure to keep our schedules free for other impromptu outings and, more importantly, time to just chill at home. We liked to think of it as “unstructured creative time,” but deep down inside we knew it was just slacking. Read more...

Baby You Can Drive My Car (Please.)
I remember how excited I was to get my driver’s licence. On my 16th birthday my dad drove me to the DMV to take my test. I passed with flying colors, of course, because I’d been practicing every chance I got. That same night, brand new licence in hand, I picked up my friends, and we drove around until the wee hours. No one—not even the parents of my passengers on this maiden voyage—seemed concerned in the least bit. “Oh, you’ve only been driving legally for three hours? Here, let me put my kids, the most precious things in the world, right into that car with you.” Read more...

It's Hip To Be Square

There are so many negative things said about teenagers these days. With all of the horror stories you hear from friends plus all of the bad hype in the media, you’re probably convinced that right this minute every teenager in the world is binge drinking at a party naked, getting pregnant and about to smash in your mailbox with a baseball bat.

So here’s a story that might show you another side of these mysterious creatures. Teenagers can be beautiful beings if you give them a chance. And hey, maybe your mailbox was really taken out by a car. Read more...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
 

Tweet Pin It

Villa Metro: Dream A Little Dream

Last week I got the chance to check out a brand new housing development called Villa Metro in Valencia. I'm not looking to buy a house at the moment – we're pretty much consumed with figuring out how to pay for college for my oldest daughter who will be graduating high school next year – but that doesn't mean we don't dream about making a move in the future, maybe after the kids have moved out. It's sort of like trying on a pair of Louboutins even though you know you're going to keep wearing your Chucks because they're easier to drive carpool in.

And Villa Metro is pretty dreamy, for sure. Consisting of 315 gorgeous contemporary Mediterranean-style homes, their goal is to create a small-town vibe and foster a community atmosphere. The most intriguing feature and the one that caught my attention are the live/work lofts – units that would allow you to live upstairs and have a retail space downstairs. I immediately starting dreaming of the coffee house I wanted to open someday, or a recording studio that our kids could run. Uh, after college, of course.

The units are all beautifully laid out and designed, with light playing an important factor. I took one look at this kitchen and immediately texted my husband to tell him to free up some funds – maybe college wasn't so important after all. Would it be so bad if my daughter became a barista? Free coffee!

There are currently three neighborhoods in Villa Metro: Aqua, Terra and Sol, and all reasonably priced from the low $300,000s. Even the largest home – plan 3 in the Sol development (and featuring the kitchen above) starts in the high $300,000. Pretty reasonable when you consider they are all detached houses, not condos, and all feature at least one backyard/patio area and two-car garages. Another big bonus: the Metrolink station is right across the street.

Here are two different views – one of the pool area, and one of wide open space and blue skies. (According to the developers, there will be no building on those hills to obstruct this view.) Along with the pool, there is also a gym and a large communal recreation center perfect for parties and gatherings. I'm not gonna lie – as I gazed out these windows I was putting together a guest list and a menu for our first party in our new Villa Metro home. (Shrimp skewers and sangria, in case you were wondering.)

This is a kitchen from the smallest home in the Aqua neighborhood. These units (around 1,081 square feet) are perfect 'starter' homes for new families. Gorgeous, isn't it? This is considered a 'bachelor' unit, although I can honestly say no bachelor I've ever met has a kitchen this elegant. (Also, the place didn't smell like old socks and Axe so it really threw me off.)

Each home can be customized to your liking, with different choices of cabinets, flooring and options like this built-in desk. By this point in our tour, I was already figuring out where my computer and printer would go, and how I would need to buy a new set of pots and pans to go in this kitchen. Suddenly we had a lot of free cash since we talked the girl out of going to college.

By the end of the tour I'd come to my senses and knew we wouldn't be buying one of these homes anytime soon, but I do know a few people who are in the market and I'm going to encourage them to have a look at Villa Metro. The good news is, I didn't touch the college fund. Although, my daughter did swoon pretty heavily over this bedroom and I told her maybe someday, it would be hers. A girl can dream, after all.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   

Villa Metro is located at 21853 Soledad Canyon Rd. Santa Clarita, CA 9135, on the north side of Soledad Canyon Road at the intersection of Gladding Way, just across from the Santa Clarita Metrolink station.

Check out these other reviews of Villa Metro:
SoCal Mom
MomsLA
Agoura Hills Mom
Retro Modern Mom
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post but all opinions and off-color remarks are my own. 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Tweet Pin It