Roberta B

Roberta

Years spent at Nickelodeon prepared Roberta to launch Mommy Poppins' Los Angeles branch. She served as LA Editor for GoCityKids, National Editor for ParentsConnect, and Editor for NickMom. After two years as Mommy Poppins' LA Editor, Roberta became Editor-in-Chief at Mommy Poppins - which works out well for her son, who enjoys his role as Chief Guinea Pig for all things fun in LA and beyond.

Latest posts by Roberta

50 Things To Do around LA When Everyone Else Goes Away for Christmas

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 12/20/2019 - 2:05pm

Shhhhh. Do you hear that silence? They're gone! All those people standing in their socks at airport security, telling their kids to hurry up and knock back the juice box, they've all cleared the highways and left room for the rest of us to do anything we want! Doesn't it make you glad to be in LA?

The marvelous secret I never knew in my childless, travel-at-will days is that for roughly 10 blessed days in December every year the highways of Los Angeles open up—and I'm not talking the San Andreas Fault way. While all those other Angelenos are away, you can do anything, anywhere, and it need not take you more than 20 minutes to get there. Have friends you miss in Burbank? Never get to the beach? Now is the time to start checking items off our 100 Things To Do in LA Bucket List, or try a few of the far-fetched and fun outings below that won't feel nearly so far during LA's true Holy Week!

Candy Cane Lane Christmas Lights: What, Where, When, and Is It Worth Going?

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 12/18/2019 - 1:05pm

Christmas just doesn't feel like Christmas until you've seen some really good holiday lights. And of the many extraordinary home light displays that Los Angeles neighborhoods can boast, Candy Cane Lane is probably the most famous. That fame may come from its catchy name, or it may just be down to sheer longevity: this year Candy Cane Lane celebrates 70 years of lighting up the season and hosting neighbors from every other LA neighborhood in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Opening night is always a big event, followed by two glorious weeks of nightly sparkles. But is it really so much more special than that house on your street that overdoes the icicle lights? I'm prepared to go out on a limb and say yes.

Holiday Top 10: Best Christmas Events of the 2019 Season You Don't Want To Miss

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 12/16/2019 - 2:20am

It's a little overwhelming, isn't it? I collect fabulous things to do with kids for a living, and this time of year has me teetering on a precipice between ecstasy and panic attack—because there is just SO MUCH TO DO! There are so many incredible, awe-inspiring, photo-op demanding, once-a-year holiday experiences on my list that my kid is starting to hide from me. There's a limit to how much fun a person can take.

So I'm taking a breath and making a top 10 list. Believe me, there is plenty more to do; our Ultimate Free Holiday List is a great place to start, and our event calendar an obvious place to continue. You'll run out of energy before we run out of suggestions, I assure you. But if you're looking for a Top 10 List before your family has you committed, here's what you came for.

Queen Mary Christmas: Chill Is in the Air and Lights Are on the Ship!

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 12/09/2019 - 1:35pm

Christmas at the Queen Mary is a great place to spend a chilly evening during the holiday season. The vintage ocean liner in Long Beach harbor comes alive with Christmas lights, carolers, encounters with Santa, a seasonal ice rink, a Christmas train, and several other festive and wintery activities. The annual holiday event takes place both on board and around The Queen Mary, meaning lots of twinkly photo ops against the backdrop of the floating monument, as well as exploring the art deco decks of the beloved ship. For us, it's an annual holiday tradition!

Must-See Christmas Light Shows Worth Paying or Driving for over the Holidays

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 12/08/2019 - 10:42pm

An after-dinner drive to take in one of LA's classic neighborhood holiday light displays is a treat all families should indulge in. It's an easy, cheap way to get in the Christmas spirit (or just enjoy someone else's). Of course, counting on other people to decorate their lawns is only so reliable. To be sure of a full evening of holiday lights and holiday cheer, sometimes it's worth driving to a big public light display, or even splurging on pay-to-play holiday lights. Several local destinations indulge us in our desire to see grand-scale Christmas lights, from Zoo Lights to walks in the woods. The bigger the group you can round up, the more festive; it helps to know which of LA's big public light shows are worth the ticket price this holiday season.

Breakfast with Santa Claus: Where LA Kids Can Share a Meal with Father Christmas

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 12/01/2019 - 1:30pm

Doing lunch might work for some LA types, but Santa Claus does breakfast. So before you take a train with Santa, see The Nutcracker with Santa, do some holiday shopping with Santa, wave to Santa on a boat, call Santa on the phone, or take funky LA photos with Santa, first you, your kids, AND Santa all need a good breakfast. The holidays are a busy time of year after all.

Most (though not all) of the events below require reservations, and some fill up surprisingly early. It's worth making the effort, though, if for no other reason than to see how good some people's table manners can be when the man at the head of the table is wearing a red suit and wielding a list.

Mommy Poppins Launches in Orlando and Atlanta for the Holidays

Submitted by Roberta B on Sat, 11/30/2019 - 1:09pm

We at Mommy Poppins get almost as excited about the holidays at this time of year as your kids do—in fact we're so excited that we want you to unwrap our two new Mommy Poppins city sites right now! Welcome to Mommy Poppins Orlando and Atlanta!

Our two new sites join our growing family of cities that includes Washington, DC, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Houston, as well as NYC, Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, and Connecticut.

December GoList: Best Holiday Events and Activities for LA and OC Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 11/29/2019 - 10:52pm

Thanksgiving is behind us, and the daily, backward-counting dose of chocolate known as Advent begins. Suddenly we have barely three weeks left to squeeze every bit of holiday fun out of this city that we possibly can. There are amazing holiday light displays to take in and loads of free holiday extravaganzas. There are Santa photos to snap, trees to light, and Nutcrackers to see. In short, no matter how hard you try to do it all, there is more epic fun stuff going on than anyone could possibly do in a month. If you had to choose, though, below are the dozen December events we suggest you make time for.

Roberta B

Roberta

Latest posts by Roberta

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