Tag: Reviews

Reviews in and around Los Angeles

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Master of the Glass Half Full Photo Contest

Being a positivity ambassador has really helped me in the last week. I’m now approaching life with a much better attitude. And it’s an attitude that my son, pictured above, already has. He is a glass half-full kind of guy all the way and I love it. He’s always putting a smile on my face with his excellent take on life. Now your child can catch a little positivismo with the help of the Maestro. As part of the Master of the Glass Half Full Campaign, parents can enter a Facebook photo contest to win prizes. All you need to do is go to the Maestro’s Facebook page and upload a picture of your child holding a glass of milk just like the Maestro.

 

The prizes are great for families with little milk drinkers. The 1st place prize is a french door stainless steel refrigerator with a year’s supply of milk. 2nd place is a bicycle with a front child seat and a year’s supply of milk. And 3rd place is a professional blender with a year’s supply of milk.

Photos will be accepted now through October 21st. Online voting runs from October 24th through October 28th. Make sure to check back because the winner will be announced on Monday, November 7.

For a little inspiration, here is a letter from the Maestro himself. letter_master_eng_yvonneLA

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor’s Board and Latina Mom Bloggers.

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Master of the Glass Half Full

Since I’ve had children I’ve tried to be a glass is half full kind of mom. “Of course we’ll get there on time,” I tell my kids. And, “Yes! this day is going to be great!”

When instinctively I’m thinking the opposite. This day will suck and we will be late. Eeyore is lurking inside of me, but I’ve tried really hard to keep him quiet. You have to keep it positive for the kids, right?

So when I was approached by Latina Mom Bloggers about being a Positivity Ambassador for the California Milk Processor’s Board, I thought, Yes! Now I will be positive all the time.

And this guy is going to help me. 


He is Simón Felix, El Maestro del Vaso Medio Lleno or Master of the Glass Half Full, and when he’s not filling milk glasses he’s out spreading the message of Positivity around the world.

And I am ready to listen. Because if there’s one thing I’m positive about, it’s food. Organic milk and all other dairy products are a staple in Casa de los Condes. Dairy is my kids’ main source of protein and milk is one of my younger son’s favorite drinks. I get my milk every day in my coffee or latte and in my cereal.

So from now on it’s positive all the way. To learn more about El Maestro visit Facebook or follow his journey on Twitter.

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor’s Board and Latina Mom Bloggers
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Disneyland: Still Magical

When I was a kid we did the same thing every summer. We got in the car and drove from Tucson across the border to Sonora, Mexico and kept driving through the stifling 100 degree heat until we got to San Carlos. It was hot and dry just like Tucson, but with a beautiful beach and lots of friends and family.

A couple of times, though, we did something different. Something so different that it still seems magical. Instead of driving south, we hopped on the interstate and headed west. I don’t remember how old I was the first time I went to Disneyland, but I can remember the photo that has since been lost, from that trip. My mom is hugging me and you can see the whale’s mouth from Pinnochio in the background.

I’ve been back many times since, but to me it’s just as magical. Sharing Disneyland with my kids has been a much different experience. We don’t drive across the desert to get there. We hop on the freeway and a mere 40 minutes later we’re at our destination.

For them, it’s not a very special thing we do every 5 years. When they were little we had an annual pass. We would go to Disneyland and hang out for an afternoon. Now that they are in school we don’t go as often, which makes it that much more special when we do go.

I think this last visit was just as magical for them as it was for me. We hadn’t gone for a while and the trip was a complete surprise. Thanks to run Disney, I was able to participate in the Disneyland Half Marathon. And thanks to Disneyland, I was able to get passes to take my husband and two boys to the park on Saturday.

Now, spending the day walking around Disneyland wasn’t the smartest thing for me to do the day before a half marathon, but it was great for my family. It was the first time my youngest could go on all the rides and had enough energy to last most of the day.

It was also our first time on the new Star Tours. We love Star Wars so for us it was fantastic. It’s in 3D, which I don’t usually like, but it’s very well done here, and there are 54 variations so the two times we went we had different beginning, middle, and endings. Just watching the boys laugh and hoot and holler made it that much more exciting.  If that wasn’t enough, their dreams came true when they were pulled out of the crowd to do the Jedi Training Academy. Even my younger, shyer son battled Darth Vader and both boys were awesome.

I don’t know if Disneyland will hold the same magical place in their childhood as it did for me, but I know they’ll have some great memories.

Here are some pictures from the day.

My older son battling Darth Vader
My baby taking on Darth Vader

 

Gluten-Free burger and sweet potato fries at the Hungry Bear Restaurant (Here’s more on gluten-free at Disneyland)

 

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Disneyland Half Marathon

This past weekend I completed my first Disneyland Half Marathon. I was invited by runDisney to participate and signed up at the  last minute. I was a little worried that I hadn’t trained enough and because of that I would have a terrible race time.
All of those worries seemed silly as I ran past the starting line and saw Mickey and Minnie cheering on the crowd. Taking pictures soon took precedence over anything else. And there were so many pictures to take.

This was my race BFF.

We met coming out of our hotel rooms and soon realized that we were both running alone. This is what I love about races; you make friends in a minute. We ran together until mile 6 and then unfortunately I lost her. Hopefully she remembered my email address.

The first few miles were fantastic. There was so much to see it hardly felt like I was running.

Stopping for a picture

 

Running into California Adventure
Disneyland’s Main Street
Running into Tomorrowland
Frontierland where Winnie the Pooh and Friends posed for pictures
It was great running through the park. There were so many employees out cheering us on. And a lot of the Disney characters including Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, and a few Princesses.
A folklorico group entertained the runners
Once we got out of the park the sun started beating down on us, but luckily it was not very hot. And there was a lot to see along the way. Folklorico dancers, cheerleading squads, and high school bands were all along the route plus the runners costumes were so much fun.

Near the end of the race I got very competitive. I sprinted the last three miles while I searched for my husband and kids. I didn’t see them until after the race, but was very happy to see this!

I took the above picture later. My actual time was 2 hours and 36 minutes. Not bad. Next stop, the Tinkerbell Half Marathon!

 

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Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.

For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos.  I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

One of my favorite things to make my kids is smoothies and here’s why; they drink them. It’s that simple. They don’t throw a fit because they actually like them. They don’t ask for something else. And they love to help me put the ingredients in the blender.

So when the Clever Girls Collective asked if anyone wanted to review Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt, I jumped on it. Plain yogurt is a main ingredient in our smoothies (and a minor ingredient in a few of the baked goods I make). And I’ve been buying greek yogurt lately to help cut back on sweets and desserts. I’ve been trying to bypass ice cream or cookies and have greek yogurt because I find it so filling, rich, and delicious.

But the real test comes from my kids (I eat everything!). I made a fresh fruit smoothie this morning that started with plain Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt.

Oikos yogurt in the blender

Then I added fresh cut peaches, frozen banana cubes (one of my favorite new finds from Whole Foods), frozen strawberries, and Whey Protein Powder. I put in the protein powder (also from Whole Foods) in case it’s a day that my kids decide they are boycotting protein.

They loved it. For smoothies, I usually use plain, lowfat yogurt, but the greek nonfat yogurt made it so much more like a forbidden treat. It might taste forbidden, but it’s still good for you. The yogurt has only 6 grams of sugar. After I made it I realized I probably didn’t need the protein powder. The 5.3 ounces of yogurt has 15 grams of protein.

We also tried the nonfat blueberry fruit-on-the-bottom, which we loved, and the nonfat yogurt with honey, which was a little too sweet for our taste. My favorite was the nonfat vanilla.

If you’d like to try Dannon Oikos Yogurt visit Facebook for a coupon. 

Here’s the Peach Smoothie recipe.
1 5.3 oz. container Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt, plain
2 peaches, cut up 
1 cup frozen strawberries
Handful of frozen banana chunks or 1 fresh banana
Splash of orange juice
1 scoop of whey protein powder

Add all ingredients to the blender except for the protein powder. Blend until smooth. Blend in protein powder. If it’s too thick add more orange juice. Enjoy!

I have partnered with Dannon to help promote the Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt Series.  I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes writing about the promotion and product.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

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Sears Back to School Party in Hollywood

It’s hard for me to believe that summer will soon be over and it’s almost time for my kids to go back to school. But last Sunday I got a taste of what back-to-school will look like. Sears held a fabulous event at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel to talk about the latest fashions.

Rachel Matos, Yvonne Condes, and Cat Lincoln

I co-hosted the event with the delightful Rachel Matos thanks to the Clever Girls Collective and the amazing Clever, Cat Lincoln. We welcomed about 30 bloggers to the penthouse of the Roosevelt for delicious food and an engaging presentation by Shannelle Armstrong, the director of public relations for Sears Holdings.

Brunch at the Roosevelt
Christina Duffy, Nicole Presley, Ericka Sanchez, Silvia Martinez
Liz Dwyer, Donna Schwartz Mills, Elise Crane Derby, Alexandra Anderson Bower

Shanelle talked about some of the fashions to look forward to this Fall. Preppy is back, which means the jeans are higher and the tops are lower. That all sounds good to me.

Sears Back to School

We also saw some other fashions for mom. I love these shoes, but don’t know how many minutes I could wear them before I fell down. My favorite are the booties on the left.

Shoes from the Kardashian Kollection

Shanelle also talked about an interesting program Sears has for kids who are heading off to college in another state. Parents can pick out something, like a bed or bedding, at the local Sears then put it on layaway at the Sears near the college campus. Then your son or daughter can pick it up at a store when they get to school. That way you avoid shipping charges and you can have the whole summer to pay it off. There is a $5 fee with layaway and no finance charges.

After our delightful brunch we explored the penthouse and went up on the roof. Beautiful views of Hollywood to end a lovely day.

This is a sponsored post. I was selected and paid to be a co-host and write about the event by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. 

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CorePower Yoga, CardioBarre, and Jillian Michaels

Running has been my go-to form of exercise for years. Whether I’m training for a race or just need a little exercise, it’s convenient, fast, and I generally feel good afterwards. But the downside to having your only workout be one where you primarily use just your legs is that the rest of my body suffers.

This came to my attention after looking at several summer pictures of my arms. After untagging myself from pictures on Facebook, I thought I should probably do something about the extra weight on my upper body. It’s not only unsightly, but it’s very unhealthy for women to carry extra weight around their middle.

It was about that time that I got two invitations to try new workout studios in Los Angeles. Plus I bought a workout video at Target called Jillian Michael’s No More Trouble Zones.

The first studio I tried was CorePower Yoga on Granville and Wilshire in West LA.  I like Yoga and feel that I should do it more often. I don’t like that I feel like I need to another form of exercise because I didn’t get enough of a cardio workout. Not so with CorePower Yoga. I went to a Hot Power Fusion class where the room was heated. It made the class more challenging and I definitely felt like I was getting a workout. I was sweating buckets and my heart rate was up. Absolutely no need to go for a run before or after. And I felt great.

Next, I tried CardioBarre in Beverly Hills on Robertson. It’s a take on the barre ballet-type workout classes that are so popular right now. I tried a barre class before, but it was like yoga where I felt like I wasn’t getting enough of a workout. This class was barre on steroids. It was fast paced with weights, barre exercises, and a lot of cardio. It was fun and I definitely felt like I got a good workout. Frankly, it kicked my ass.

Both CorePower Yoga and CardioBarre offer a free trial class. It’s worth it to try it out and see which one works best for you.

My favorite workout of all was the one I did in my own home. Another reason I love running so much is the convenience. I can just get up and go. The few times I did Jilian Michael’s video I had planned to go do a class outside in the world, but there was too much work to make the time. Instead I popped No More Trouble zones in the DVD player and got a great workout. The goal is to eliminate “muffin tops, love handles, and wobbly arms for good.” It’s a really tough workout and the week I did it consistently, I feel toned and strong.

If I did all of these exercises, I would be superfit. But like everything that’s good for you, it’s all about making the effort. Let’s hope I do.

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The Help

I started the book “The Help” on tape during a roadtrip to see my sister in Northern California. We almost made it the entire way without stopping, but my kids needed to go the bathroom. I was so engrossed in the story that I bought the book so I could read it while at my sisters. The book had it’s problems – predictable, read like a screenplay – but I couldn’t get enough. When my sister complained that I needed to put down the book and go get some exercise, I only went out in the freezing Berkeley air so I could listen to my book on my ipod.

When I heard about the movie, I was not surprised. The book was so clearly meant to be a movie. I didn’t have high hopes for it, but I’m happy to say I was so wrong. The cast alone made it worth seeing. Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, and Emma Stone and the rest of the amazing women were perfectly cast.

The book and movie are about a Mississippi woman in the 1960s who comes home from college after getting a journalism degree and goes looking for a story. She finds it in her home and the homes of her friends when she begins interviewing the black women who work as their housekeepers. She uncovers secrets, finds romance, and empowers herself and the women around her. If it sounds like a tearjerker, that’s because it is. But it’s also really funny, well acted, and very entertaining.

 

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Blogher11 – Back at Home

There were a lot of very cool products on display for bloggers at this year’s Blogher11 conference in San Diego last weekend. But I have to say, my favorites were the most practical.

My #1 favorite product was the one I most needed yesterday morning. My older son woke up very sick with a bad cough, wheezing, and runny nose. So thank you to Walgreens for this handy thermometer.

He only had a cold and no fever, which was a big relief and he was much better today. That did not stop me from taking a few Xigo chewable immune defense tablets to fight off any impending cold.

If you’d like to read about products that my MomsLA colleagues and I loved you can read Blogher11 Swag Favorites. Or if you’re wondering how our Blogger Bash Happy Hour party went, you can read our post OC Blogger Bash Happy Hour.

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African Cats

African Cats was released today, Earth Day, but I think it’s really the perfect Mother’s Day movie. It’s about African Cats, yes, but it’s also about the protective instincts that a mother has for her babies.

The story is about two families, one of a polygamist lion and his many wives and the other about a single mother of 5 cheetah cubs. The cheetah, Sita, must protect her cubs from the dangers of the wild while traveling to get food. The other family is a pride of lionesses and their cubs ruled by Fang, the lion.

It was beautifully filmed by Disneynature in the Masai Mara National Reserve on the border of Tanzania. The story is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and it’s really engaging.

It follows the cats as they hunt down a herd of antelope, their main source of food. The lionesses are ruled by Fang, but they are the ones fighting to protect their young. One of the more touching stories is about Mara, a lioness cub whose mother is injured. After many battles to protect her cub, the mother knows the end is near. She makes an effort to get close to one of her lioness sisters so she will take in her cub and raise her.

Even more touching is the bravery of Sita, the cheetah. She’s all alone in a dangerous place taking on lions and hyenas and other cheetahs to protect her cubs.

I know that Disney goes for the heartstrings, but it really worked here. I took my kids to a screening of the movie mostly because I thought they would enjoy it, which they did, but I ended up really liking it.