Play Ideas

Abalone Cove Shoreline Park was a wonder-filled adventure for our family on a holiday weekend. I owe my outdoorsy friend, Cindy at CAOpenSpace.org, thanks for turning me on to all …

Ahh, the playful Pelican. I first spotted this one in silhouette with Catalina Island serving as a backdrop. Lord of the Tidepools! Then he started a whole stretching routine that looked …

Daughter: “Mommy, I wish we had flowers for the table.” Me: “Why don’t you make us some flowers?” And within a few minutes we had the cutest flower centerpiece craft …

In 2010, my son’s New Year’s Resolution was to: Watch More Sunsets (see the slideshow). He was 8. With all the posts and lists of “What to Do on New …

Pregnant with my first child. My husband at work in a high rise in downtown L.A. Unthinkable horror unfolding on my TV screen, Thundering towers come down. Real pain, real …

Every time I drive into our neighborhood, I’m reminded how lucky I am to live amongst such good neighbors. Sure, we have HOA issues, pet issues, parking issues, personality issues, …

Waves. I sit and I listen. Or I stroll with my toes feeling the sea foam, heels sinking in the soft sand. The roar blocks out everything else. It’s one …

I first published Finally Speaking Out Against Shut Up Toys on OCFamily.com in November 2011.  I’m usually all about Pollyanna, unicorns and rainbows — so I was a bit nervous …

I know the author of Fed Up with Frenzy, Susan Sachs Lipman, as “Suz.” We first interacted on Twitter as #playoutdoors enthusiasts. I learned about the slow parenting movement from …

I remember watching Mary Lou Retton and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. It seemed like it was televised 24 hours a day. We were staying in a timeshare with …