Halloween Time At Disneyland: Calling All Parents of Teens

It's Halloween Time at Disneyland! Definitely not for the gourd-phobic.

Last weekend we were treated to a day at Disneyland Resort to enjoy their special Halloween Time event. This is where the parks are transformed for Halloween and some of the rides get a scary makeover – Space Mountain becomes Ghost Galaxy, The Haunted Mansion turns into Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas hosted by Jack Skellington and The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror gets a few additional dead souls checking in. And of course no one does Halloween decorations better than Disneyland. (Sorry, Pinterest.)

Lately when I've mentioned to friends with older kids that we're heading to Disneyland I get the same response. Usually it's "Why?," followed by "What are you on?" Let's face it – our kids are getting older and we're – gasp – getting older too, and the prospect of a 14-hour day at Disneyland seems daunting. Crazypants, even.

But I've got some strategies for parents that can make your day at Disneyland and California Adventure just as fun for you as it is for your teens while fitting in some family time, too. Can you say guilt-free date night? And it doesn't involve any illegal substances, either.

Don't cry – you can now get your double-tall-extra-dry cappuccino on Main Street

1. Load up on coffee.
There is a Starbucks on Main Street, people. I think when I first saw this I took off my mouse ears, dropped to my knees and kissed the feet of the barista dressed in old-timey garb. No more waiting for an hour for your cappuccino at the lone coffee cart! (There's a Starbucks in California Adventure, too, but it tends to get mobbed.)

2. Make sure your phone is charged. 
You're going to need your phone for those "I'll give you more cash but twelve churros is enough," calls. Also, how else would you know to meet up at Cafe Orleans for the 9:00 Fantasmic Show, or Instagram your entire day? There are now phone charging lockers on Main Street ($2 per hour – you can see a how-to video here.) I always have spare power with me – I take along 2 Mophie juice packs to get me through the entire day.

3. Go see a movie.
That's right, you have the time to see a movie while your kids are blissfully unaware that you're indulging in 'me' time. Tell them you'll meet them after their tenth spin on the Indiana Jones Adventure, and head off for a cinematic interlude in a dark, air conditioned theater. The AMC theaters in Downtown Disney are really nice, and usually not crowded. We saw Gravity there on opening weekend and the theater was practically empty.

It doesn't have to be all chicken fingers and Cokes.

4. Have a grownup meal. And an adult beverage.
There are so many places within the parks and in Downtown Disney where you can sit down and have a nice meal and a cocktail. California Adventure's Wine Country Trattoria has a great patio where you can dine on Italian food and sip a nice glass of wine, and we never leave without having drinks and appetizers at the outdoor Uva Bar in Downtown Disney. We also love hanging out at the Hearthstone Lounge in the Grand Californian Hotel or on one of the big couches in the lobby. (Also – and not necessarily a grownup, sitdown meal – but I'm a huge fan of the bacon-wrapped asparagus at Bengal BBQ in Adventureland.)

They should rename this the Peace Train because it's the best place to get some peace and quiet.

4. Ride the train. Over and over.
I'm not kidding – if you want a truly peaceful, meditative experience at Disneyland, grab a coffee (see Starbucks revelation above), sit in the back row of the Disneyland Railroad and ride that sucker for at least two trips around the park. You'll disembark refreshed, renewed, and the with the entire script of the dinosaur experience memorized.

If you don't enjoy a good fireworks show you might just be dead inside.

5. Don't miss the fireworks or you'll hate yourself.
Whatever crazy, grownup thing you're doing at around 8:30, make sure you stop and head to Main Street to catch the fireworks. It really is one of the best fireworks displays you'll ever see, and might be one of the few things your teenagers will want to do together with you. Well, that and get coffee. (Did I mention there is now STARBUCKS ON MAIN STREET?)

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Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort runs through October 31, 2013. Click here for more information and details.

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Something awful has happened that could be wonderful

If you've seen me ranting on Facebook or Twitter over the past couple of days you know that something unfortunate has happened at the girls' high school. In a nutshell, our beloved musical director has left to go elsewhere, leaving the performing arts department – the reason we went to the school in the first place – in shambles. As with most problems in this school district it had to do with money, or I should say a lack of it. And as with most things having to do with performing and the arts, there is lots of drama, some ego and hurt feelings involved, too. Throw in some sex and booze and you'd swear you were watching a miniseries on Showtime!

I'm not exactly sure what went down – I'm still trying to find out details but they seem to be hard to come by. There is secrecy and rumors and finger pointing, and lots of things being said that are prefaced with, "You didn't hear this from me, but..." (For some reason everyone has mistaken me for someone that can keep a secret, but I'm doing good so far.)

(And I'm not going to get into the main issue here, how THE ARTS ARE SO UNDERFUNDED, UNAPPRECIATED AND DEVALUED in this school district. How in education in general, sports are lauded and showered with money while ARTS PROGRAMS ARE ALLOWED TO WITHER AND DIE. No, I'm not going to get into it here, that's what ALL CAPS are for.)

But the bottom line is, the real victims here are the kids. This performing arts department is a shining beacon for a lot of students – many of them from the inner city – and to see it dying before our eyes is truly heartbreaking. And that is just what they are doing – destroying a program that has brought joy to many, won awards and inspired kids to pursue the arts. We even had Morrissey play our auditorium for crying out loud! Little did we know that when he sang, "You Have Killed Me" it would prove to be prophetic.

This has such personal implications for us, too. It's Kira's senior year, and this has put a damper on things to say the least. She tried for two years to get a spot in the glee club and she finally got in – as did Kiyomi – only to see the whole group crumble before they've even had their first performance.

And it was going to be a good one, too. They were set to perform at the opening of the newly remodeled Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. I wished the music director had stayed on just long enough to give the kids this opportunity, but it's not going to happen. Honestly, if I could carry a tune and had any idea how to coach a high school choir, I would do it myself. *cue telepathic waves to Will Schuester, who is a fictional TV character but would be perfect nonetheless*

Many of the kids are being enticed to follow the music director to his new position at the other school. And it was tempting at first – the school is new, shiny, and has a gorgeous campus. But we let the girls make their own decision, and Kira decided she didn't want to disrupt her senior year, especially since we are already a month into the new semester. Kiyomi is only slightly toying with the idea of going to a new school altogether, one that has a film department (and a greater abundance of hot guys.)

And luckily, there are teachers – excellent teachers – that have decided to stay on and are vowing to try and keep the program alive. They deserve our faith and support, now, and I hope that everyone remaining will stand by them. It will be an uphill battle for sure, as the drumbeat of, "We have no money," is loud and constant.

Who knows – maybe the person that comes in to run the department will be amazing (or hot, even!) Maybe the change up will create new, better opportunities for the kids that decide to stay. Maybe the absence of the musicals will allow the other productions to shine. Maybe some celebrity or benefactor will realize that the legacy of the legendary Hollywood High School is in jeopardy and will write a huge check that'll solve all of our problems. Hey, a girl can dream.

But here's what we're working on now: Trying to give our girls some optimism that sometimes change is good. That there is strength through adversity. That nothing ever stays the same, and when life gives you lemons you get your bad self busy making lemonade. (And for the adults, that a little vodka in that lemonade might take your mind off of school issues for a minute or so.)

What we are hoping is that the kids will band together and carry on the legacy of the school that has given them so much. That they'll realize they can thrive in spite of this setback, and get inspired to create something that shows just how resilient they are. It could be magical. Wonderful, even.

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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...
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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.

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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
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Disclosure: I was compensated for this post but all opinions and off-color remarks are my own. 
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Lunch at Farmer's Market, in Short Order

This is not a sponsored post. We paid for our own food, damnit.

Last Sunday was another CicLAvia event, where they close off long stretches of roads in L.A. exclusively for bicyclists and pedestrians. The girls and I participated in our usual way – by figuring out what nice restaurant is at the end of the route and then meeting Rigel – who bikes from start to finish – there for lunch. We had the ridiculous thought of actually riding with him, but you know – tired. And hungry. The only way we might consider it is if we could hook up with this genius crew:



Luckily CicLAvia always seems to end at a nice dining spot – last time it was the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, and this year it was in the Miracle Mile district. The girls and I decided to meet Rigel at The Original Farmer's Market adjacent to The Grove. That way we could eat and shop while while waiting to meet up – in other words, while Rigel was working for ways to reduce his carbon footprint, we were working on ways to increase it tenfold.

We love the Farmer's Market for its old-fashioned stalls and variety of foods, but on this day we opted for a new sit-down spot we hadn't tried before, Short Order. I'm not gonna lie, the reasons we picked this place were not because of some glowing Yelp review or on the recommendation of one of my foodie friends. We picked it because:

1) We found a parking spot right in front.
2) We didn't feel like looking for a place to eat because – tired.
3) The girls spotted a couple of cute waiters and so the food must be awesome.

But we made the right choice. I found out that Nancy Silverton (La Brea Bakery, Campanile, Mozza) is one of the people behind it and menu items are all made with with locally raised and organic ingredients.

I started with their Fresh Ginger Ale. So good.

Then I had their Cobb Salad. Note that I had no intention whatsoever of ordering a salad when there were so many awesome burgers on their menu, but this one came with a FRIED EGG ON TOP. Yes, those all-caps were to symbolize my love for anything with a FRIED EGG ON TOP. I even have an entire Pinterest page dedicated to it. Go ahead, behold Things That Are Better With A Fried Egg On Top.

It was the best Cobb Salad ever. And not just because it had a FRIED EGG ON TOP.

The service was great, prices are reasonable (my Cobb was $12) and they have two nice patios (upstairs and downstairs) for dining al fresco. Oh, and the waiters were pretty cute. We can't wait to go back – maybe next time we'll ride our bikes there.

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You'll be sorry if you miss 'Priscilla Queen Of The Desert: The Musical'

Note: This is not a sponsored post. We did get free tickets through my girls' school, but it's not required that we write a review, only that we share the excitement of live theater with our teens. And keep them away from the bar. I know I succeeded with at least one of those. 

Last week I saw 'Priscilla Queen Of The Desert: The Musical' at the Pantages Theatre. Put on your Lycra jumpsuit, your neon wig, your six-inch platforms and run, walk, sashay and boogie on over to see it because it is FANTASTIC.

Seriously, this was one of the best, most entertaining shows I've seen in a long time. If I didn't run the risk of embarrassing my kids and all of their friends who I was sitting with, I would have jumped out of my seat, threw my hands in the air and boogie-oogie-oogied in the aisles as soon as the first strains of 'I Will Survive' started booming from the stage. Teenagers, consider yourselves warned.

It had all the makings of the perfect show – a heartfelt story, great acting, the best music, amazing costumes and hellacious wigs to die for. Check this out:

Photo: Joan Marcus

Did I mention the music? Donna Summer, Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Gloria Gaynor and more. It was love at first sight with the opening number, when three turned-out divas descend from the heavens singing 'It's Raining Men.' And don't get me started on my favorite scene, where you will hear the most creative, awesome use of the song 'MacArthur Park' ever in the history of using songs in theater.

And about those teenagers – I don't think I've ever seen them so excited about a show. They were laughing, clapping and singing along through the whole thing. I actually heard one of them say, "Dude, this show is LIFE," which roughly translates to "Dude, so much better than being at home on Facebook."

So, if you can get over to the Pantages to see the show in the next couple of weeks before it closes, DO IT. Otherwise, you're going to feel like you left your cake out in the rain, and I don't think I can take it.
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'Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical runs through June 16 at the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Call for more info and to purchase tickets (800) 982-2787 or click here.

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We all won when Hollywood High took the prize for Best High School Musical

You probably have heard me talking about 'In The Heights,' the annual spring musical at my girls' high school. You may have seen me mention it on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Instagram – or maybe I walked up to you at Costco, rammed your cart and ordered you to come to the show. If that was you I'm really sorry I made you drop your baby.

But the show was really that good, and I wanted people to see how talented these kids are, how hard they work and what an incredibly professional production the school put on. It's not your average high school show – and believe me I know. Back when my high school put on The Wiz, the backdrop consisted of a huge piece of butcher paper that the freshman art class stenciled with poster paint. I remember Dorothy was wearing a blue apron over a tube top and kept reaching behind her to adjust her gym shorts.

So you can see why I wanted everyone to see the caliber of the show Hollywood High put on. And apparently other people thought this show was pretty awesome too, because Sunday night the show won Best High School Musical at the Jerry Herman Awards at the Pantages Theater. 

'In The Heights' beat out 22 other productions from high schools all over Southern California to take the top prize, and it was presented by Kenny Ortega, the producer/director/choreographer of the mothership of high school theater - Disney's High School Musical movies. It was like having Spock escort you into a Star Trek screening.

I know everyone always says, "I had no idea I was going to win," whenever they accept a prize, but in this case we really, truly had no idea we were going to win. Because did I mention we had no idea the show was even nominated? All along we'd thought that because 'In The Heights' took place so late in the year that the show wasn't included in the judging. Hollywood High wasn't even mentioned in the video montage that opened up the night's festivities that features all the participating schools.

(I totally compared it to the feeling you get when you're watching that TLC show about women who don't know they're pregnant and then give birth. You know what I'm talking about. One minute they're standing in line at Starbucks and in the next scene they're walking out of the bathroom with a baby and you're screaming at the TV, "Holy crap you were just ordering a Frappuccino and NOW YOU'VE GIVEN LIFE.")

The award is so fantastic, of course, and so very much deserved. But even more satisfying is seeing the school and these kids get the recognition they've had coming for a long time. So many negative things have been said about public schools – especially those like ours that don't have the wealthy demographic or resources that other schools have.

Another win? A chance to see these kids showing such a positive side of teenagers – that much maligned segment of the population. This group of talented students have been working non-stop for the past few weeks - after school and into the night and even on weekends - while still keeping up with their regular classes (all performers must keep up their GPAs in order to participate in the production.) Like the sets you see in the picture above? They were all built by the kids. That's right – my daughter learned how to use a power saw after geometry, people.

But don't take my word for it – come on out and see one of their productions one day. Not only will you be supporting Hollywood High, but you'll be encouraging public schools everywhere to support their teachers and nurture their arts programs and most important of all – show some faith in our teenagers.

Don't make me come over there and ram your cart. 

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How to Interact With Your Teen Without Embarrassing Everyone

This is my latest post over at Mom.me, where I talk about what you can do to avoid embarrassing your teens. Unless what you really want to do is embarrass your teens, in which case just do completely the opposite of what my article says. Actually the whole thing is just an excuse to watch this video of a cat in a shark costume chasing a duck while riding a Roomba. You're welcome.

There is a video circulating around that you may have seen—it’s of a cat dressed as a shark riding a vacuum and chasing a duck, and it’s the most fabulous thing in the world. I didn’t want to keep this genius all to myself, so I tried to show it to my 14-year-old. She did the “talk to the hand” gesture (don’t teenagers know that maneuver is so five minutes ago?) and said, “Mom, stop 'showing me things on the Internet.'”

She said this with that last part framed with a hefty pair of air quotes, and by the tone of her voice you would have thought I’d just shown her something offensive, like pigs being herded into a bacon factory or people over 30 kissing. Read More...



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Me, over at Mom.Me

Hey! I know it's hard to believe, but I'm still writing. Here are my recent posts over at Mom.Me, where I write all about the teenagers – even though they don't like me writing about them anymore. Hopefully they won't see these – teens don't really know how to work the internet yet, do they?

Unplugging the Kids

See this picture? It's my teen daughters engaging in an ancient pastime that involves playing games with small rectangular pieces of cardboard with symbols and faces on them. Otherwise known as "playing cards," this archaic form of entertainment was made obsolete by the digital age and hasn't been seen among the teen population in years, having gone the way of other old-fashioned activities like exercising and making eye contact. Read More...
 
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Watching R-Rated Movies...With the Kids

In the annals of parenting (no pun intended) watching a sex scene on screen with your kid next to you has got to be one of the most uncomfortable things ever. It's not something you intentionally set out to do—one minute you're watching a hip show about twenty-something girls living in New York City and the next thing you know the screen is filled with butts and boobs and hairy parts and amplified noises that sound like a pig choking. Read More... 

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Confessions of a DIY Mom  

I would not be lying if I said I have never bought a jar of baby food. Because yes, I was one of those moms who made all of her baby's food, herself. From the moment they were done breast-feeding and started on solids, I was in my kitchen whipping up all varieties of healthy, delicious food that was devoid of taste, looked like wallpaper paste and could be gummed. Read More...

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I Can't Blog About My Kids Anymore  

Remember that funny story I told, the one where I talked about something hilarious one of my daughters had done?

Yeah, me neither.

Because I can't tell those stories anymore. My girls are teenagers now, and due to the fact that they're fancy and toss around words like "privacy" and "boundaries" (curse you, literacy and dictionaries) I've been strongly cautioned against writing about them on my blog. Read More...

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Cavalia Odysseo: From Horses to Hot Guys, Something For The Entire Family

Last week we were lucky enough to be invited to opening night of Cavalia Odysseo, taking place in that huge big-top white tent you've seen in Burbank. You've probably heard it referred to as "that horse show" but it's really much more – an uplifting, energetic, beautiful blend of theatrics, live music, acrobatics, dance – and yes, horses.

Lots of horses. Sixty-seven of them to be exact. Which is why I was a little alarmed when minutes before the show my 14-year-old says, "I hate horses," in that blasé, matter-of-fact way she usually says, "I need three dollars for donuts." We contemplated selling her ticket and leaving her with the popcorn vendor but there were people watching, so off to our seats we went...Read More...

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