We were all still sick with the flu on Valentines Day last year, so there wasn’t much of a celebration at our house. I wanted to show my boys how much their love is important to me, so we made heart shaped pizzas. It was especially fun for Tennessee because he got to choose his toppings, how much of each and each individual placement. He chose fresh basil (homegrown with our Aerogarden…click HERE to see pics), mushrooms, green olives and black olives.

We used pre-made, whole wheat 8 inch personal sized Boboli pizza crusts that can be bought at most grocery stores for our heart pizzas. They are easily transformed into hearts (or any other shape) with a sharp knife. Then we added the fresh toppings of our choice. California just wanted cheese.

And this poem expresses just how L.A. Mama feels about her boys and their love:

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

ee cummings

If you like this poem. Click HEREto read more poems written by ee cummings. Parents: Please be advised that not all of ee cummings’ poems are kid friendly, so parental discretion is strongly advised.

Deciding to go green can seem like a daunting task for those of us who are busy, over scheduled, and overworked. Going green doesn’t have to hard. The truth is that going green starts small and is easier than you think. Before you know it, all of the small things add up and you’re suddenly green!

The side effects of being green are that it can save you money, make you and your family healthier, and it can also be contagious. Of course, the most desirable side effect is that our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will be able to enjoy a beautiful Earth, free of toxins, pollutants, and contaminants, that they deserve to inherit. If everyone starts out small, we can all make it happen together!

10 Simple Ways to Live Greener

Most of us incorporate green living every day without even thinking about it. If you do any of the following things on a regular basis then you are one step closer to going green for 2012:

• Turn off lights upon leaving a room
• Fill the dishwasher and washing machine up completely before doing a load
• Pay bills online instead of receiving paper bills
• Run errands in one trip instead of multiple trips
• Buy products made in the U.S.A
• Use a laptop instead of a desktop computer
• Buy locally grown produce and/or produce from a farmer’s market
• Use ceiling fans
• Wash clothes in cold water (whenever possible)
• Use energy star appliances

What “green” things do you do everyday without thinking about it?  Please leave your ideas and tips as a comment to help others start small, so that we can all work together for a healthy planet.

-This article was originally published at MomItForward.com on January 5th, 2012

We have always wanted to have solar panels, but wasn’t able to because we rented.  Luckily, we were able to buy our own home last year, so the first thing we did was research solar power.  I came across Real Goods Solar and found out that they have been putting solar panels on roofs since 1978.  As a matter of fact, they put solar panels on the White House for President Jimmy Carter (of course, Ronald Reagan took them all down when he moved in)!!!  I already had a tremendous amount of admiration and respect for Real Goods, so I picked up the phone and gave them a call.

Within a week,  Real Goods Solar Power Consultant, Ryan Pickering, was sitting in my living room explaining every detail about solar power to me in a way that was easy to understand.  What he told me after that made me incredibly happy!  He told me that they would pay for all the solar panels provide free maintenance, install them and insure them for free and no money down.  It sounded too good to be true, but it was true!

We signed the contract and now we have 21 beautiful solar panels on our roof.  They are situated at the back of the house, so they can’t be seen from the front.  When we signed the contract, we also locked in an electric rate that will NEVER change even though Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has already increased their rate since we got our solar panels.  Our rate stays the same, while LADWP continues to climb each year.  We pay a solar company called Sun Run  for our electricity now and that feels really good.

The installers were friendly, courteous and extremely professional!  If you’re interested in solar power for your home, go to Real Goods Solar or Sun Run to see how solar power can benefit you, while also benefiting the Earth by using clean energy generated by the Sun!

On November 13, 2009, the movie 2012  premiered in theaters across the country.  We saw the ads for this movie in every nook and around every corner in L.A. and in cities nationwide.  Billboard slogans ranged from “2012:  Google It” to “2012:  Will You Survive?” to simply “2012″. We saw ads on the sides of Metro buses and on bus stop benches.  Now, two years later, we continue to see mentions of doomsday scenarios related to 2012 all over the internet and on television.

If you allowed your kids to see the movie 2012 (or if they snuck in without your permission), the five minute excerpt below is just a taste of what they might have absorbed into their impressionable minds while munching on popcorn and twizzlers. The clip below shows the total destruction of Los Angeles. Click on it to watch, but make sure the kids are out of the room because it is ridiculously scary.

In addition to the movie 2012 causing a stir, The History Channel should be renamed “The Hysteria Channel” for airing various programs regarding 2012 being the “end times” and “doomsday” while blatantly misleading their viewers to believe that several cultures and sources have predicted the world will end in 2012.  Because the culture of fear has seemed to drown out the voice of reason, I decided to post information for parents on how to talk about all this scary stuff with their kids.

Let’s start out with a little background info:
First of all, let me assure you that I know what I am talking about.  I have been researching the Mayan calendar for the past 10 years.  Am I an expert who has written a book?  No, but I have been blessed with impeccable intuition and good, solid common sense.  The Mayan calendar is circular as shown in the image above.  There is no beginning and no end (did ya get that??? -  NO END).  The Mayans believed in a series of cycles, therefore they apparently believed (based upon astronomical observations and complex mathematics) that the end of the final cycle will occur on December 21, 2012.  This is Winter Solstice; it happens every year.  Winter Solstice represents the exact day and time when the days will become longer and the promise of rebirth in the Spring.

What happens when a cycle ends?  It starts all over again from the beginning.  That is what we can expect from December 21, 2012.  A new beginning to a new cycle.  A transformation.  Some say this will be a cosmic and/or spiritual transformation.  The important thing to know is that the Mayans did not leave us any warnings of any kind because they did not see this as the end of the world.  As a matter of fact, the Mayans still exist today and they refute the notion that the world will end on December 21, 2012.  Read this link to learn more about what the Mayans have to say about 2012—> Mayans Say the World will NOT End in 2012 Top experts in the field of Anthropology have indicated that the Mayans didn’t predict the end of the world at all and even predicted events that are to occur for the next 400 million years!  Read about it here —> Mayans Never Predicted the End of the World

Here’s what to tell your kids:

Age birth to 4
Just tell them that 2012 is a big number.

Age 5 – 8
Tell them that a lot of people think something is going to happen then, but they are wrong.  Make sure that your kids know that you are confident about this and assure them that everything will be fine.  Tell them that kids will be talking about it more and more as the year approaches, but it is just because it is on TV all the time.  Open the door to communication about this subject because they will hear about it from their friends at school eventually.

Age 9 – 13
Tell them that the Mayan calendar is circular and has no end and that 2012 is just the end of a cycle.  Make sure that they understand that people are making a big deal about this because of books, movies, TV and stuff they read on the internet.  If they ask about catastrophes, tell them that there have always been earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis etc and there might be more because of Global Warming, but even the best Global Warming scientists have not predicted the end of the world.  Once again, keep that door to communication open about this subject.  Kids have lots of questions and incredible insight that needs to be expressed openly and freely.

Age 14+
Communicate with them as young adults.  Don’t patronize them or condescend.  Show them that you are confident in your beliefs by planning for the future.  Ask them to help you plan a New Year’s Eve party for the year 2012 or some other event past December 21, 2012.  Tell them everything in this  post and incorporate the following talking points.  Show them the links if they are interested.

1.  The Mayans did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012.
As a matter of fact, their hieroglyphs show that the Earth and humanity was still alive and well in the year 3772 as noted in the article mentioned above.  Link —>The Mayans Say the World Won’t End in 2012

2.  Nostradamus did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012.
As a matter of fact, Nostradamus continued to make prophecies about humanity well into the year 4000.
Link —>Nostradamus Made Predictions from the Mid 1500′s to the year 4000

3.  The Bible did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012.
As a matter of fact, the Bible states that no one knows the precise date and time the world will end, not even Jesus.  Mathew 24:35-36 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

4.  The Hopi did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012.  Period. Their prediction is vague and ambiguous and gives no dates or years.  Link —>The Hopi Prophecy

5.  Scientists did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012.  They have predicted strong solar flare activity that actually began this year which is not unusual since solar flares go through an 11 year cycle of being “quiet” then becoming “active”.  Enhanced activity means satellites and even power grids on Earth are at risk of electrical malfunction.  While blackouts are a possible scenario, they are hardly the apocalyptic end of the world. Link—>Solar Flares

6.  The I Ching did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012.  This widely accepted notion was “invented” by two brothers on an acid trip in the 70′s.  Link —>The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens, and the I Ching

By the way, California is not going to fall into the ocean, so Maynard James Keenan of the band Tool (I am a HUGE fan by the way and I have seen them three times in concert) will not get his wish in 2012.  We won’t have to “learn to swim” just yet as suggested in the song Aenima.  Links —>Aenima Lyrics (Warning: Explicit) Listen to Aenima (Warning: Explicit)

Keep on keeping on.

Many people wonder what vegetarian kids eat for dinner. Here is a sample menu of what our vegetarian kids ate for dinner last night.

Organic whole wheat penne pasta with grated Parmesan Sprinkles
Organic corn on the cob
Organic peas
Fresh organic fruit salad with oranges, strawberries, nectarines, apples and red grapes
A cup of organic skim milk

L.A. Mama and Daddio had Vegetarian Lasagna (see pic below)

I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com, but changed it a little bit. Here is the recipe that I used with the substitutions and addins that I used instead written next to it:

SKILLET LASAGNA

42 oz canned crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp sugar I omitted the sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup minced onion
1 cup cremini mushrooms sliced
3 whole med carrots small diced I used red peppers instead.
3 whole stalks celery small diced I used zucchini instead.
9 cloves garlic minced
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste I used ground cayenne pepper instead.
1 tbsp thyme dried
1 tbsp oregeno dried
6 lasagna noodles uncooked
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
6 or more slices of fresh mozzarella cheese(enough to cover surface) I used shredded Mozzerella instead (to be able to control the fat grams better)
fresh basil leaves torn to garnish..about 6

Use a large skillet with a lid or a stock pot with a lid
-pour the tomatoes with their juice into bowl
-add water, salt and sugar
-heat oil in your skillet med high

I added an undetermined amount of Boca Veggie crumbles to the pot with the onions, red peppers and zucchini.

-add carrot, celery and onion ,pinch salt
-cover and cook 5 min
-add mushrooms,then garlic & red peppers
-add herbs
-break pasta into 2 inch pcs and add to veg..don’t stir
-stir tomato paste into tomato mix and add to pot…don’t stir
-bring to simmer and cover to cook 20 min or until pasta is tender
-stir occasionally
-taste and correct seasonings
lay mozzarella slices over the pasta mix..don’t stir
cover and let melt..5 min.
-sprinkle basil on top and serve

Here is the link to the original recipe -> Skillet Lasagna

Tsunami preparedness information has been issued to residents of Los Angeles that live near the coast in the form of brochures and PDF files. These brochures/PDF files address the communities of Venice, West Los Angeles and the Harbor area of L.A., however the brochure also points out that “all low lying coastal areas” can be struck by a tsunami. Unfortunately, the brochure does not define at what elevation an area would be considered as low lying. There are color coded maps that show the areas of inundation for the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles county and a small portion of adjoining cities/counties.

It is important for all residents of Los Angeles to be prepared for a tsunami if they spend any amount of time near the coast. A major aspect of being prepared is to know the warning signs of a tsunami.

WARNING SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING TSUNAMI

An earthquake
An unusual rapid receding of the ocean
Receding of the ocean/tide that seems unusually far so that it exposes the sea floor
Ocean tides that surge inland
A loud roaring coming from the ocean (some have said that it sounds like a freight train)

Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and meteor impacts, which are extremely rare. There are two types of tsunamis, local and Pacific-wide tsunamis. Local tsunamis can be caused by an earthquake near the coast or offshore and landslides. Pacific-wide tsunamis originate elsewhere. If Los Angeles were to have a local tsunami, the first wave could hit within 10 minutes, with little or no time for officials to issue a warning. That is why it is very important to know the warning signs of a tsunami and get to higher ground immediately. Pacific-wide tsunamis reach the coast of California within at least an hour, which gives ample time to issue a warning and evacuations.

Recent studies,cited by National Geographic, have shown that California is more prone to tsunamis than previously thought. According to Costas Synolakis, the director of Tsunami Research Center at the University of Southern California, “…even moderate earthquakes near the coast can generate large tsunamis by generating submarine landslides.” He also notes that this type of tsunami is capable of generating waves as high as 40 feet tall, which is similar to the waves that swallowed Japan on March 11th, 2011. CNN reported that some of these waves went 6 miles inland.

The inundation maps for Los Angeles included in the brochures/PDF files do not take into account the possibility of waves reaching 6 miles inland. Since much of L.A. is situated on slightly higher elevations than the areas noted in the brochure and maps, it is understandable that the waves wouldn’t reach many areas even on the coast. However, one thing that hasn’t been addressed is the fact that the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek both lead to the ocean. My research (as noted below) indicates that these waterways, that are lined with concrete, could act as a channel for waves to surge throughout other parts of L.A.

Los Angeles County Coastal Monitoring Network : “Tsunamis can be amplified by bays, harbors, lagoons, or rivers and flood control channels, which can funnel the water and send it further inland. Stay away from rivers, flood control channels, harbors, marinas, and bays that can funnel the water from tsunamis”
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: “Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean as you would stay away from the beach and ocean if there is a tsunami”
Red Cross: “Tsunamis can travel upstream in coastal estuaries and rivers, with damaging waves extending farther inland than the immediate coast”

The Los Angeles River (images below) twists and turns through Los Angeles and spans more than 51 miles. The following communities within Los Angeles, sit on the banks of the Los Angeles River:
*Canoga Park
* Reseda
* Van Nuys
* Sherman Oaks
* Studio City
* Universal City
* Toluca Lake
* Burbank
* Glendale
* Los Feliz
* Atwater Village
* Elysian Valley
* Glassell Park
* Cypress Park
* Chinatown
* Lincoln Heights
* Boyle Heights
* Vernon
* East Los Angeles
* South Central Los Angeles
* Maywood
* Commerce
* Bell
* Bell Gardens
* Cudahy
* South Gate
* Lynwood
* Paramount
* Compton
* Long Beach

Ballona Creek spans nine miles across the southwestern portion of L.A. through the neighborhoods of Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Marina Del Rey, Playa Vista and Baldwin Hills. It ends at Marina del Rey in the Santa Monica Bay portion of the Pacific Ocean. Below is a picture of Ballona Creek. On the left are the back yards of residents who live the community of Culver City, on the right is the lower portion of Mar Vista, showing Mar Vista Gardens. If you click on this picture to enlarge it, you will see the Pacific Ocean at the top.

The Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek were both lined in concrete and channelized after the Los Angeles Flood of 1938. After four days of rain fell on Los Angeles in February and March of 1938, 5601 homes were destroyed, 1500 homes were damaged, 115 people were killed and 800 cars were stranded. Although measures were taken in an effort to prevent flooding through channelization, these waterways flooded the city of Los Angeles again in 1969, 1980, 1983, 1992 and 1994 (read more about the Los Angeles Flood of 1938). Could a 40 ft wave traveling with great force and speed be funneled through these channelized waterways? If so, the loss of human life and devastation would be tremendous! Please take a moment to look at the photographs of the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek above to judge for yourself as to how many lives would be in jeopardy (click on each to view larger). Los Angelenos need to prepare for this possible scenario. Go to ReadyLA.org to learn more about how to prepare for tsunamis, earthquakes and flash floods and build a disaster preparedness kit.

Sources:
CNN coverage of Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department Tsunami Brochure
Los Angeles County Coastal Monitoring Network: Safety Preparedness – Tsunami
L.A.Times: California Tsunami Could Come with No Warning
National Geographic Tsunami Facts: How They Form, Warning Signs and Safety Tips
Nationl Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Tsunami What Should You Do
Red Cross: Tsunamis
Suburban Emergency Management Project: Los Angeles Basin’s 1938 Catastrophic Flood Event

To be completely and totally honest, the first couple of times that we flew with two children, it was a bit chaotic and somewhat distressing.  However, we have finally discovered the secrets of flying with children and I am about to share them with you.

Here are my TOP TEN tips for flying painlessly with children.

#1 Encourage the whole family to wear slip-on shoes or flip flips so that going through security is quick and easy. Also, tell little ones beforehand that they will need to take their shoes off. Kids get very upset when they have to take their shoes off without warning…

#2. Be ready to put all laptops, cellphones, keys, watches, shoes into a bin to pass through security.

#3 HERE is a BIGGIE: Get your baby/toddler out of their stroller, fold it up and put it through security as soon as you can. If it goes through first, then your little guy or girl is right back in it and ready to get his/her shoes on.

#4 Bring snacks, but no liquids. They will not let you take liquids on the plane. You can buy them after you get through security.

#5 Bring lovies like their favorite blanket and stuffed animal (see California with his giraffe below).

#6 Load up your iPhone/iTouch will cool apps (see below), bring art supplies, books and favorite toys aboard the plane in your carry-on luggage.

#7 If your baby/toddler/preschooler still uses a carseat in the car, bring it on the plane! It will keep them from fidgeting, getting out of their seat and they will be more comfortable and more likely to take a nap and chill out as shown below. It helps out tremendously to schedule the flight during his/her normal naptime as well.

#8 Bring your credit card. As of June 1st, 2009,  American Airlines stopped taking cash for meals, snacks, beverages and headphones. I gave them my debit card with a Visa logo and it worked just fine. Buy a cookie for your little one and tell him/her that she can have it when the plane starts to descend if he/she makes good decisions (of course, you need to outline what these good decisions are).

#9 Expect the unexpected. Pack an extra change of clothing (especially underwear and pants) in your carry-on. Pack baby wipes and antibacterial wipes even if you don’t have babies.

#10 Try to get seats in the back of the plane close to the bathrooms OR near the wing. Why? a)If your kids do get loud or upset, they will be muffled by the noise of the engines, so you don’t have to worry about bothering everyone on the plane. b)Being close to the bathroom cuts down on long walks down the aisle of the plane when they have to go really bad c) If you sit near the wing, it gives children a better perspective of how they are traveling, of the Earth and its landforms and of the sky and clouds – which makes for great conversations.

BONUS TIP:  Don’t let your kids kick the back of the seat in the car, ever.  This will make them less likely to kick the seat in front of them in the plane (which is a big pet peeve for non parents and parents alike).  Make sure to not feed them any sugar or caffeine before the flight so that they aren’t on a sugar high and more restless than usual.  Save the sugar for good decisions at the end of the flight!

That’s it! I would love to hear more tips from other traveling families out there…please leave a comment!

Every year during the holiday season, we are bombarded by the newest tech gadgets, the latest, greatest big screen TVs (many of which have been banned in California by the way), more obnoxious lead ridden plastic toys and everything else to distract us from what the holiday season should be about.  What is that, you say?  LOVE, KINDNESS and COMPASSION.  So, I went on a search for gifts that pay it forward.  I have compiled some of my favorite choices for conscientious gift giving below (not listed in order of importance):

1) Give the Gift of Nature
Adopt an Acre
Plant a Tree
Adopt a Coral Reef
Give Carbon Offsets
OR  Choose from a large selection of gifts that benefit nature at The Nature Conservancy

2) Adopt an Endangered Animal
Choose from an assortment of 100 different animals For just $50 you will receive:

• Soft plush version of your adopted animal wrapped in a cloth WWF gift bag
• 5″ x 7″ formal adoption certificate
• 5″ x 7″ full-color photo of your species
• Species spotlight card, full of fascinating information about the animal
• FREE priority shipping
• Personalized acknowledgment letter to your gift recipient. See sample letter.

If you provide an email address for the gift recipient, they will also receive the following Bonus Online Premiums:

• Printable, personalized adoption certificate for the species adopted
• Computer desktop images of the adopted animal
• Instant messenger icons of the adopted animal

Become a member of the Adoption of the Month Club You or the lucky recipient will receive a different plush every month for the next 12 months, while your gift helps protect animals and preserve habitats around the world.

3) Adopt a Cat or Dog
Save an animal from being killed at your local animal shelter. Adopt a cat or dog and give them the gift of LIFE while giving other members of your family a friend for life! To locate an animal shelter near you click here —- > Locate an Animal Shelter

4) Buy gifts that benefit Breast Cancer Research, Child Health, Rainforest Preservation and much more at The Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest & Animal Rescue Site

5) Volunteer anywhere… Click here to find a volunteer opportunity that is just right for you!

6) Give the Gift of Charity
Looking for that perfect holiday gift?  Go with a Good Card! The Good Card is a gift card with stored value that can be redeemed as a donation to any of more than 1.8 million charities. Click here to give the Good Card — >The GOOD Gift Card

7)   Feed the Hungry
Click here to locate a food bank near you to drop off groceries.
Donate to Feeding America Every dollar buys 9 pounds of food, every five dollars buys 10 bags of holiday groceries!

8)   Give of Yourself

Give Blood! Why is your blood needed? The blood supply needs to be continually replenished. Only 38% of Americans are  eligible to donate blood and out of those only 8% actually do. That amounts to only about 3 out of every 10 people. Your donations make a difference! Click here to find a blood drive near you.

Give Hair!   Go to Locks of Love dot com to find out how you can donate your own hair to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children.

Give Organs!
Each organ and tissue donor saves or improves the lives of as many as 50 people. Giving the “Gift of Life” may lighten the grief of the donor’s own family. Many donor families say that knowing other lives have been saved helps them cope with their tragic loss.

9) Donate Toys to Underprivileged and/or Sick Children

Click this link to find a Children’s hospital near you.

Click this link to find a Toys for Tots donation drive near you.

10)  Smile at someone.  Say kind words.  Do nice things for people.  Treat others the way you would like to be treated.  Walk a mile in another person’s shoes.  Be patient with others.  Love.

We had the privilege of meeting a turkey a few years ago at the Gentle Barn (which was located in Tarzana, CA at the time).  He was such a sweet, gentle bird.  He followed us around and loved to be petted.  Our experience with Tommy (the turkey) mirrors that of Erik Marcus, the author of Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating.  He noted that, “Turkeys remember your face and they will sit closer to you with each day you revisit. Come back day after day and, before long, a few birds will pick you out as their favorite and they will come running up to you whenever you arrive.”  To read more interesting facts about turkeys click here —>The Hidden Lives of Turkeys

Tennessee really loved going to the Gentle Barn to hang out with Tommy, who is pictured above.  Unfortunately, Tommy is no longer with us (read his life story here), but the Gentle Barn has rescued four more turkeys who can be adopted this Thanksgiving.  We are vegetarians, so we never eat turkey, but we thought we would go a step further this year and adopt a turkey for Thanksgiving.  If you would like to adopt a turkey this Thanksgiving, there are several organizations who have turkey adoptions this year. The following links will take you straight to the adoption of the turkey of your choice.

Gentle Barn $7.00 per month

Farm Sanctuary $30

World Animal Foundation $35

Animal Acres $15

If you would like to learn more about turkey farms click here —> Turkey Farms

Click here to read about our last family Vegetarian Thanksgiving.