I have blogged about Pablove before, as it is a cause close to my heart. Pablo was preschool classmate of my children in Los Angeles. His family’s journey, through a harrowing year of cancer treatment for their six-year-old son, Pablo, who ultimately did not survive, was heart wrenchingly chronicled by Pablo’s father Jeff on his blog, Pablog.com. The mission of The Pablove Foundation is to fund pediatric cancer research and advances in treatment, educate and empower cancer families, and improve the quality of life for children living with cancer through hospital play, music and arts programs. Knowing Pablo’s family and following their journey has had a profound impact on me and so many other families in Los Angeles. Having childhood cancer strike “so close to home” reminded us, and continues to remind us to keep our lives in perspective and continually count our blessings. Pablo’s death will never be right or make sense, but promoting a local foundation that helps families who have been struck with pediatric cancer is something that, in this case, is very easy to do.

Stop by the Cynthia Rowley “truck show” Sale tomorrow and pick up a few fabulous things for you and support a great cause.

THE SALE IS Thursday, September 2nd,

AT 3801 Sunset Blvd. at Dangerbird Records from 11-4pm. See you there!

1) NOT  hand me downs from your mama friends, or

2) NOT  husband’s shirts.

Click here to check out the sale. The dresses look adorable.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
 talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
 God that is within us.
 It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine,
 we unconsciously give other people
 permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
 Our presence automatically liberates others.”

—Marianne Williamson

The Little Book of Spirit is a Barnes & Noble exclusive, you can purchase it on-line at the B&N website or at any one of B&N’s stores.

At $6.98, it is the perfect gift for every woman in your life!

Now that summer is winding down it is a good time to switch cards. If you and your significant other both use your new Capital One Card for everything in the next year, I promise you and your family will have free air fare next summer. Capital One also makes it super easy to redeem miles. You just buy your tickets as usual on ANY AIRLINE. I bought three tickets back East on Jet Blue and charged them to my card. Then I called up the Capital One Mileage Redemption Center and they credited my card for the amount of the purchase. My Jet Blue tickets cost around $800.00 total, so Capital One multiplied the $800 by 10, and then they took out 80,000 miles from my rewards balance. Then when my husband needed to book a ticket I could also transfer some of my miles into his account, as let’s face it, moms tend to rack up more charges on their cards due to all the family purchases. My old card made it very difficult to transfer miles and one company even made me pay for the transfer. As you can see, I can’t say enough great things about this credit card, and no, I don’t work for them. Try the Capital One No Hassle Rewards Card and fly on any airline, with no blackout dates. They really do live up to their name.

For more info click on Capital One No Hassle Rewards Card.

There seems to be no sympathy for families, no pre-boarding for people traveling with kids on many airlines, which is so ridiculous.  Do they not see how long it takes us to wrangle our screaming children?  (Not yours, of course, I am sure yours are angelic in endlessly long lines, especially waiting for a red eye.)But do they not notice that carrying a Britax car-seat, a small child, a diaper bag, and the folded stroller (all in one hand) while trying to convince one’s older toddler – who may or may not be chasing marbles under the chairs in the waiting room might take us just a few more minutes than the sleek solo business travelers?  Apparently not. Then on the plane, they seldom let you walk up and down the isle as a toddler longs to do.

So all I have to say is be BRAVE.  And have some things in your bag for your kids to do when you do eventually get on board the plane, so you can read a People magazine at least for a minute or two. I actually suggest the red eye for flying back East. You will be exhausted when you get there, but let’s face it, after traveling with kids, that’s a given. My kids often sleep on the red eye, even if I can’t.  Jet Blue and Virgin Atlantic Airlines also have some nifty TVs in the back of everyone’s seats, which is great. And no matter what your thoughts are about media and limits, here’s the time to cave in and let them zone out. If you are not fortunate enough to be on one of those airlines, I have pictured here some great travel items that may come in handy. I also recommend lollipops.  You can buy the sugar free ones, but it is handy to have a treat (okay BRIBE) should you need one.  I link to these products  on Amazon, but if you find them at your local toy store, even better. I love Landis Labyrinth in Larchmont.

Travel Bingo is great for long car rides.

The Woodkins Fairy kits have different pieces of fabric that your daughter can “dress her fairy in.”

Silly Faces are a magnetic toy that is hours of fun. Your kids arrange all the parts of a face, eyes, noses, ears, lips on silly characters.

Mad Libs are great for older kids and always silly.

And really who doesn’t love Go Fish?

TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH SMALL CHILDREN:

1) Be early – as I mentioned no sympathy or holding planes for slow pokes, even toddlers.

2) Bring snacks – lots of them, and candy for desperate measures.

3) Bring extra everything:
Diapers, wipes, clothes, formula, you never know when you will be stuck in a strange city overnight with your one last diaper.

4) Bring an extra t-shirt for you if one of your little angels spills their apple juice on you, or even worse throws up on you before a transatlantic flight. (Gross, I know, but it has happened at Dullus airport to one poor, unsuspecting Dad in a business suit. Bless him.)

5) A portable DVD player is a God send. And spring for the extra battery pack.

6) Remember they will only be little for a short time. Before you know it they’ll be fling places without you.

Here’s a fun idea for the family this Sunday afternoon.  The LA Conservancy is hosting an advanced screening of ,“Nanny McPhee Returns,” at the beautifully renovated Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. My kids love the original Nanny MCPhee, and I always love a chance to be downtown in one of Los Angeles’ historic theatres. The event is this Sunday, August 15^th at 2pm.  For more information and tickets click on the LA Conservancy website.

Sunday, August 15, 2 p.m.

Orpheum Theatre

842 South Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles

$10 adults; $8 kids twelve and under;

includes 10% discount at Clifton’s Cafeteria

Music Performances and Art Workshops are presented twice daily – at 10am and 11:15am.

Go to The Hollywood Bowl’s website for details.

Happy listening!

BEACH DAY TIPS:

Sand Toys: You’ve got to have some, at the very least a shovel and a pail. We’ve collected a lot over the years, and I like to keep our sand toys organized in this mesh laundry bag. You can find one at Target, and it is light and the sand just flows through the mesh.

Sunscreen:

I like California Baby. The stick they sell is great for little faces and provides great coverage. My kids hate having sunscreen put on them, but they somehow don’t mind the stick.

Baby Powder:

Putting shoes back on a toddler or small child’s sandy feet can be a challenge. This is a tip I learned from another mom. Use some pure corn starch baby powder to sprinkle on sandy feet. The powder absorbs the moisture, and the sand just sloughs right off. Plus the kids think it’s cool when you sprinkle on the powder.

Beach hats & Protective Sun Suits

The sun is so strong at the beach.  I like Roberta Freymann’s Roller Rabbit line beach hats as they are so big, floppy and so cute. She has a store in the Brentwood Country Mart.

UV suits

The Flap Happy outlet in Santa Monica has a great assortment of rash guards, (at very inexpensive prices!) plus they also carry one piece UV protective swim suits. As even the best sunscreen wears off in the water, I always feel more relaxed knowing the kids are slightly covered up.

Also make sure to bring pleanty of water and a few towels. (Maybe even extra clothes for the kids – mine always decide they want to swim again once I have gotten them out of their wet suits and all dressed. )

Summer is flying by. A day at the beach is a great way to enjoy LA and your family. Who knows? You may have a budding surfer on your hands as I seem to!

There’s nothing like a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. I’m positive that you have your own blossoming lemon tree in your garden and squeeze your own lemon juice regularly, but I personally like this 5 minute short cut yet (seemingly) fancy version, with fresh strawberries.

Ingredients:

One jug Trader Joe’s Organic Lemonade (I like this one as it is made with sugar and not high fructose corn syrup.)

½ cup fresh strawberries

A handful of fresh mint leaves ***

1) Pour the lemonade in a pretty pitcher. (Hide the big plastic jug!)

2) Blend the strawberries in a blender with a little lemonade.

3) Add the strawberry mixture to the pitcher of lemonade. Stir.

4) Garnish with a handful of mint.

Serve it up, and bask in your faux Martha Stewart summer moment.

You can also experiment with different fruits. I like blueberries, peaches or blackberries.

(Mint is actually super easy to grow in LA, and I have a completely brown thumb. Here’s what you do. Buy a little pot of it at the farmer’s market, and plant it in a planter with some dirt and place it in a sunny spot. Give it a little water every other day, and it will grow like mad.  People will think you are so fabulous when you add sprigs of mint to everything, or tie it up in a ribbon and bring it to a brunch. “Here’s a little something from my garden…”)