Being Savvy: Activities, things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in West LA, CA

Even Better Than the Farmer's Market? - Tierra Miguel Foundation Farm

by Nina Moon

Eating well has always been important to me. And by eating well, I mean eating healthy. Sure I drink more coke than one person should and, yes, my sweet tooth is bordering on addiction, but I also try to make sure that my family is eating balanced, nutritious meals. Part of that quest has recently involved exploring our local farmer's markets. Sure it can be expensive, but I've found that if I ... Read more >

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Flashback - 5 favorite posts from September

by Nina Moon

My husband has been working long hours all this month so I've basically been flying solo around here for a month. Needless to say, I welcome October with open, grateful arms. Still, September wasn't a total wash. In case you missed it, here are five of the best posts from September.1. Bistro de l'Hermitage - friendly French food for four-year-olds - Because excessive alliteration aside, it ... Read more >

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The Children's Nature Institute - Tykes on Trails and Family Nature Walks

by Nina Moon

Ever want to take your little one hiking but don't know where to start? I know I don't. Good thing The Children's Nature Institute's "Tykes on Trails" program can help us out. Once a week for a month, The Children's Nature Institute takes 2-4 year olds and their parents on a nature walk/workshop. Parents and children can bond in a peaceful, natural setting while a guide facilitates ... Read more >

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Willowbrook Apple Farm of Oak Glen - Apple Picking

by Nina Moon

I can't really think of a more idyllic way to spend a weekend afternoon than picking apples and making your own cider. Of course it all seems much more fun as long as you don't have to do it everyday, but that's exaclty the point, right? Located off the 10 freeway in the community of Oak Glen just an hour's drive outside of Los Angeles, Willowbrook Apple Farm U-pick apple orchard offers a ... Read more >

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5 Places to Spark Your Preschooler's Imagination

by Nina Moon

If summer means ample opportunities to explore the world outside, the coming of fall - yes, even in Los Angeles - ushers in a cornucopia, if you will, of the arts and crafts. What it's too cold to play outside, what better than to experiment with paint and clay or curl up in a comfy corner and read a beautifully illusrated picture book? Or even write one? Here are five Los Angeles locations that ... Read more >

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Pumpkin Activities for Preschoolers

by Nina Moon

This is the first year my son is old enough to actually, sort of "get" Halloween. Or at least the pumpkin-loving, candy-eating, door-to-door-knocking, costume-wearing part of Halloween. His first Halloween I dressed him up as a bumble bee and let him waddle around my friend's neighborhood. Last year, I was too pregnant with my now infant to even make an effort. But this year we're going all out, ... Read more >

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Halloween Events for Preschoolers in Los Angeles

by Nina Moon

When you're a kid, one day of Halloween is simply not enough. And we here at The Savvy Source are trying to help you sort through the deluge of pre-Halloween festivities. So maybe you've already shopped for a costume and you've got your Halloween craft thing going on, but here are some fab parties coming up in Los Angeles between now and Halloween. Scribble Press - Just drop in the store ... Read more >

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Allergy-safe Halloween - Trick-or-treating with your allergic child

by Nina Moon

My son has a serious peanut and tree nut allergy and for awhile I thought we would never be able to safely celebrate Halloween. Although parents complain about the candy-gorging, the thought of having to keep our child home and away from the costumes, trick-or-treating and general merriment made our hearts ache. But thankfully there are ways to make Halloween a safe holiday for allergic ... Read more >

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Five Tips for Trick-or-treating with preschoolers

by Nina Moon

This being Los Angeles, the land of make-believe, there are no dearth of scarily decked-out haunted houses, skeletons dangling in foliage and realistic bloody corpses. Color me overprotective, but this isn't my idea of an ideal Halloween for a preschooler. I'm also not one for crowds and the idea of waiting in long lines to knock on doors when I'd consider ourselves lucky to even knock on 10 ... Read more >

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Picture Book Classics - Old and New

by Nina Moon

Just because a book is old doesn't make it a classic and just because a book is new doesn't mean it's not a classic either. The test of time just takes too long in the brief interim of childhood. So here are a few of our family's classics, both old and new. Now that winter's here, my son and I have been re-reading The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats with Peter's bright red snowsuit and ... Read more >

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