Blog Contest: Dan Zanes!

My 4-year-old son refers to him as "that guy with the hair," but we know him as "that guy with the great riffs and tunes." His real name is Dan Zanes, and you can win tickets for your family to see him and his friends perform when he checks into Royce Hall at UCLA on March 14-15.

"Hello Hello" is one of my faves:

 

One grand-prize winner will win four tickets (valued at $74) to one of the three performances, and 10 other lucky winners will win one of 10 Dan Zanes and Friends Nueva York albums (valued at $15).

If you don't have him on your iPod yet, this is a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with this laid-back but talented East Coast musician. His music exudes a warmth and maturity you don't always find in albums marketed to the younger set – think of him as sort of a playful Bob Dylan with a zany mop of hair.

Click here by March 2 to enter to win!

 




Here's the fine print:

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Your entry must be received no later than 12:00 pm (PST), March 2, 2009. Odds of winning are based on the number of entries. One (1) winner will receive the prizes noted above. Winners are chosen at random from all eligible submissions and will be notified by email. If the winner cannot be reached, then a new winner will be chosen. You may request the name of the winner by contactingmarketing@parenthood.com. The retail value of the prize is as is noted above. This prizes are not redeemable for cash. Dominion Enterprises is not responsible for and does not warrant the safety or quality of the prize, and is not liable for any injury, damage or death related to the prize or its use.

Eligibility: You must be age 18 or older to enter. Only residents of the state of California are eligible to enter this contest. Residents of Florida, New York and all other states are NOT eligible to enter. Employees of Dominion Enterprises and their immediate families may not enter. All applicable laws apply and this contest is void where prohibited By participating in this promotion, you become a Parenthood.com site member. Parenthood.com intends to send regular email updates and occasional promotional offers that may be of interest to you. You may opt-out of these mailings at any time upon receipt.

Baby Bailout

What do you do if you've got a small company trying to survive in the midst of a struggling economy? Spin it to your benefit, of course!

Tastybaby is an L.A.-based organic frozen baby food company that just launched Tastybaby's Great American Stimulus Package. During the week of Feb. 17, the company will give out a free case of Tastybaby frozen organic baby food (a $40 value!) to parents who want to try the line.

The first stop on the "Tastybaby Bailout Tour" will be at the home office in Malibu. Check the Web site for future stops.

Goin' Hollywood

For anyone who's ever been held prisoner by a Hollywood traffic clog, this is the Web site for you: NavigateHollywood.com.

Need to go from L.A. to the Valley on Hollywood Bowl night? Check this site. Wondering where you might be able to hail a taxi from Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum? Looking for a parking lot close to the El Capitan that won't cost you an arm and a leg? Want to take the Metro to the Pantages? This site can help, so click here first!

The site was engineered by the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance and City Council District 13 to provide a nonfrustrating path to and through the heart of this popular destination. It's full of cool features, such as where to find the bike paths, racks and shops as well as walking tours, if you want to go exploring on foot. Sign up to receive street closure and special event announcements either via e-mail or SMS text, so that you can watch the Academy Awards action on Feb. 22 from your couch instead of while sitting in a traffic jam!

Snoopy!

We are taking the slow road home today and decided to trek farther north to Santa Rosa and the Charles M. Schulz Museum. Very cool, especially for Peanuts fans.

Here is Kate in front of a mural made up of small Peanuts strips.

Live From Napa: Day 2

How beautiful this area is! The sprawling estates, rolling hills, barns and water features ...

We asked around for a recommendation for a family-friendly winery and ended up at Sterling Vineyards. The tasting fee was a bit steep ($20 per person), but we got a tram ride to the top for a self-guided tour of the barrels and wine-making process. The views were stunning, and, of course, the kids loved the ride. The staff was attentive and friendly to the kids, and we sampled five different wines (while they got some juice and some crayons).

Afterward, we ambled around in Calistoga and had one of the best barbecue tri-tip sandwiches I've ever had at a spot called Buster's. The sun was just going down, and the fields of mustard catching the dimming light made for several Kodak moments on the drive back to Napa (I'll post photos once I can download my photos!). We ended the day at the Oxbow Public Market, where we spent a big chunk of our travel budget on wine, cheese and bread ... a great way to end the day!