Originals

Picture a garden, one of the oldest in the world, inhabited by about forty life-size prehistoric monsters. Monsters? Giants like Tyrannosaurus rex, Spinosaurus, and Gallimimus, for example. The names may not mean much to you, but some of your tots know them like they know their ABC’s. Between movies, cartoons, books, and elementary school science …

T-Rex lovers will be in heaven at this exhibit in Florence’s Botanic Garden Read More »

What was your goal for A Cup of Jo when you first started it? When I started A Cup of Jo five years ago, I was a full-time magazine editor and had just broken up with a boyfriend. I needed a distraction (other than eating potato chips and watching TV), so I started the blog to help …

The writer speaks to us about her unexpected career as a blogger, motherhood (her son Toby just turned two!), and why she no longer blogs in her PJs Read More »

KID FRIENDLY: Address: Malibu, US Website: www.malibucity.org Phone: None Anyone who’s listened to the Beach Boys, watched Charlie’s Angels or Gidget is likely to associate this California hotspot with good vibrations. When visiting the expansive sands, you won’t be surprised to see prime real estate teeming with wetsuits, but you might be surprised to see the many other activities offered. Namely, …

Malibu Beach Read More »

KID FRIENDLY: Address: Blair Lane, Joshua Tree, US Website: www.noahpurifoy.com Phone: 213 382 7516 This 10-acre sculpture garden is home to Purifoy’s signature assemblage-style pieces, created in Joshua Tree from 1989 to 2004. The artist’s work has been displayed nationwide, but the site on which he made his oeuvre is undoubtedly the best backdrop for viewing it. …

Noah Purifoy Foundation Read More »

KID FRIENDLY: Address: 6060 Wilshire Boulevard , Los Angeles, US Website: www.petersen.org Phone: 323 930 2277 No city needs a 300,000 square foot museum wholly dedicated to motorized vehicles, but in 1994, the Peterson Car Museum was founded to be just that. Today, the popular four-story mecca—displaying over 150 cars and motor bikes—inspires children, moms, and dads …

Petersen Automotive Museum Read More »

KID FRIENDLY: Address: 344 North Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, US Website: www.mrchow.com Phone: 310 278 9911 “This is the first place my son ate dinner,” says Lara Shriftman of Mr. Chow, which specializes in elegant Chinese dishes. When the namesake owner left China to set up shop in England, he managed to nail an approachable, east-meets-west rendition …

Mr. Chow Read More »

Mariska Hargitay has been the star of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for over a decade (and counting), but her days in the spotlight date back to her birth. She is, after all, the daughter of former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay and actress and playmate Jayne Mansfield. These days, she’s a mother of three and a …

My Mother’s Daughter: Jayne Mansfield and Mariska Hargitay Read More »

Elizabeth Street Remembers Maurice Sendak Maurice Sendak, who died of stroke complications on Tuesday, was a somewhat reluctant king of children’s literature. More grim than goofy, he took his work seriously and worried it wasn’t good enough, never mind his Caldecott Medal, National Medal of Arts, and countless other measures of success. Sendak was certain, …

Farewell to the King of All Wild Things Read More »

“There are actually four of her,” laughs Rosie Pope’s publicist. “You’re talking to Rosie number three right now and later you can talk to Rosies two and four!” Facetious tone aside, there’s some truth to the joke—not because Pope actually has a number of clones running around New York, but because she tackles more on …

The Best Moms We Can Be Read More »

Kids will love this playful take on history’s most famous “cruise” No matter what playground you visit around the world, whether it’s in New York, Paris or Rome, the contents are pretty much the same: monkey bars, a few slides, and a row of swings. And while your mini-you might be content being pushed in …

Noah’s Ark at the Skirball Cultural Center Read More »