Toby B

Toby is our uber-busy events editor for Mommy Poppins LA. Feel free to email Toby about events for our LA area calendar.

Latest posts by Toby

Fun & Free Things to Do This Weekend with LA Kids: Kites, Cool Science, and World Records, Oct 8 - 9

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 1:30am

It’s one for the record books… make that two! This week Southern Californians have the chance to participate in two different world record attempts. First up: Read for the Record. The Santa Monica Public Library joins with book lovers around the world in an attempt to create the largest shared reading experience. This year’s book is Llama Llama Red Pajama, and it’s a real page turner, filled with lots of llama drama.

Fun & Free Things to Do This Weekend with LA Kids: Angels, Rubber Duckies, and a FREE Veggie Burger Oct 1-2

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 5:23pm

It’s official. With the start of October, Halloween season is now upon us.

For those spookily inclined, Southern California offers a fearsome number of spine-tingling events. From Halloween hauntings at our numerous amusement parks to the pumpkin patches and corn mazes that mysteriously appear this time of year, our treat bags are flowing over.

Not every event this weekend is a spookfest. Families can catch a morning concert on the pier, attend two different book festivals, or look in wonder at the stars. In addition, we have the inside scoop on how you can score your kiddo a FREE veggie burger!

Continue reading to see what have we scared up for you this weekend, both spooky and sweet, and to find out how to get that FREE burger!

Fun & Free Things To Do this Weekend with LA Kids: Sing-A-Long, Spiders, and a Happy New Year September 24-25

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 09/22/2011 - 12:15am

How do you know it’s Fall in Los Angeles? Certainly not by the weather; another scorcher is due this weekend. Nope, it’s the harbingers of Halloween that warn us of Autumn’s approach, from the costumes lining the drugstore aisles to the TV ads trumpeting horror fests at our amusement parks.

Soon enough we’ll be sharing the most spooktacular events of the season. But for this weekend we're serving up the events without a side of scary. Among the highlights are festivals celebrating Italian and Hispanic culture, the Jewish New Year, two fundraising doggy walks, and an exhibit filled with hundreds of spiders. (Okay, maybe we get a little bit scary). Also, if your family doesn't celebrate the Jewish New Year, you might want some ideas for camps that are in session for next week's school holiday.

Keep reading for some of our favorite choices for the weekend. And some exciting news - Mommy Poppins has been nominated by Parents Magazine in the Best Local Blog category. Please vote for us if you agree!

Fun & Free Things To Do This Weekend with LA Kids: Lobsters, Coastal Clean up, and the Littlest Olympians September 17-18

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 09/14/2011 - 4:09pm

Not ready for summer to be over? Given the temperatures this week it looks like Mother Nature has been feeling the same way. But luckily we live in Southern California, where we can enjoy a wealth of outdoor activities regardless of the date on the calendar!

LA has a particularly international flavor this weekend. Festivals celebrate the cultures of Thailand, Scandinavia, Greece, and Latin America. There are storytimes in Spanish and American Sign Language, (and one with Peter Rabbit himself). The Hollywood Bowl offers another fireworks spectacular, this time set to music with a French theme.

Keep reading for some of our top choices this weekend:

Fun & Free Things To Do This Weekend with LA Kids: Tall Ships Festival, Tchaikovsky with Fireworks and Brazilian Day

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 4:40pm

School may have started this week but the fun is still going strong for Los Angeles families! Mommy Poppins LA is here to point you towards some of the best local events.

Summer hasn't had its last hurrah just yet. There's one more Twilight Dance concert on the Santa Monica Pier and a final fiddle from the winners of the Topanga Banjo & Fiddle Contest at the Peter Strauss Ranch. If you're looking to get your beach on, the shores of Malibu will be lined with surfers at the Malibu Surfing Association's MSA Classic.

This Sunday also marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. It can be difficult to know how to address the anniversary of such a profoundly tragic event with children. Several local institutions offer options that are both life-affirming and respectful; the ZImmer Museum has an event particularly geared toward families with young children, while the Museum of Tolerance event might be more suited to kids with a better understanding of the day.

Read on for some of our favorite choices this weekend.