Out & About

L.A. Parent had a blast at the Baby & Kids Expo that we sponsored at the end of January at the Pasadena Convention Center. A HUGE thanks goes out to all the great companies that provided prizes for our giveaways, including Kazaam, Suave and Ubisoft, among others. And thanks to all of our loyal and new readers, who came by to say 'hi' and to show off their adorable kids!

Check out these photos from the event (thanks to staffers Dean Gojobori and Terresa Burgess for taking photos at the event, too!):

We gave away tons of cool stuff for kids and parents!

We brought along some L.A. Parent advertisers!

And we had a great time!

Vote, and We All Win!

L.A. Parent staff hosted a holiday party with the help of the Corner Bakery. Vote for our photo at the Corner Bakery Facebook page!

Do you like baked goods? Can you recognize some fabulous party decorating when you see it? Then help L.A. Parent win the bragging rights in the Corner Bakery’s 12 Days of Catering Challenge. The I Don't Have Time For This blog was selected as one of 12 mom blogs across the U.S. to compete in the challenge, so I need your vote!

Simply go to the Corner Bakery Facebook page, become a fan, select the “Holiday” tab, and “like” the L.A. Parent photo. If I get the most “likes,” then I get to select one lucky L.A. Parent reader to win the Corner Bakery Café Holiday Catering Package, which includes tasty treats and a $50 gift card. Details are also posted on the L.A. Parent Facebook page.

Shooting Stars Winners Announced!

This is it – the big "reveal." What we've all been waiting for! This year was as tough as ever to pick winners in the three age categories (babies-18 months; 19 months-6 years; 7-12). But somehow we managed to pull our top contenders from all the beautiful faces that appeared at the event last month at the Skirball Cultural Center. So, thanks to everyone who participated! And thanks to the Skirball, the fabulous host for this year's event.

Parents, your "mock" covers are coming soon. And watch for these faces to appear on upcoming issues of L.A. Parent in 2010!

L.A. Parent's Shooting Stars 2009 Winners

Baby category: Zoe, 7 months, Oak Park

Child category: Dylan, 3-1/2 years, Woodland Hills

Youth category: Livia, 7 years, Studio City

L.A. Parent's Shooting Stars 2009 Runners Up

RU, baby: Gisele, 7 months, L.A.

RU, child: Joseph, 6-1/2 years, Westchester

RU, youth: Adolfo, 10 years, Panorama City

Something Fishy at Scarium

Check out these photos from the recent Scarium of the Pacific at the Aquarium of the Pacific. This event reminded me just how great our hometown aquarium is – if you haven't been there for a while (or, heaven forbid, never been there), pack up your little fishies and plan to spend a day exploring the tanks and exhibits. My kids love the shark petting and sea otters. But you'll find an jumble of jellies, SCUBA divers who talk to visitors, and more information than you thought you could handle on the delicate ecosystem of the California coastline.

Of course, at Scarium we saw wildlife of a different sort (photos by Terresa Burgess and Carolyn Graham). From left: the L.A. Parent craft table stayed busy; Michele Weiss, account executive, poses with a pint-sized MJ impersonator; a sea jelly showed up; L.A. Parent account exec Helene Chemele played her cards right; Associate Editor Ronna Mandel with witchy Editor Carolyn Graham; a tiny chicken; Managing Editor Christina Elston met the resident otter.

Shooting for the Stars

Adorable children came two by two, filing into Noah's Ark at the Skirball Cultural Center last Saturday for L.A. Parent's Shooting Stars Cover Kids Contest. Kids enjoyed the animals and playtime at the Ark, and we enjoyed meeting L.A. Parent readers and getting to know your beautiful children. Valerie Tabor Smith hardly took a breath all day, tirelessly snapping photo after photo to get those perfect shots of all the children who waited patiently to have their special time in front of the camera.

Parents who attended will receive a mock cover of L.A. Parent featuring their child's photograph. We'll spend the next week or so trying to pick just three who will appear on future issues of L.A. Parent (stay tuned for the results!) – although in our minds, all of the kids qualify as Shooting Stars!

In the meantime, check out a few photos from the day: