Author Archives: LA Blogger Gal

Weird Fashion Related Mistakes

I never said I was a fashion plate. In fact, I blogged about being fashionably challenged some time over the summer. While I have gotten a bit more fashionable since I started teaching again – I mean, considering I can’t teach in yoga pants and sweats – I’ve still got a lot to learn.

The other day I figured I’d head on over to Kohls and spend my well earned $20 in Kohls cash. What better to spend my free money on than a new pair of slumming around jeans (I have enough nice trouser jeans, but nothing to schlep around it). Easy, right?

Well, for the most part it was. I decided on two pair; one clearance and the other on sale (don’t even get me started on what I ended up spending that shopping trip…I’ll give you a hint, it was more than my $20 in Kohls cash).

Fast forward to today and well, yesterday too…

I noticed that every time I entered or left a store (any store), I’d set off the security alarms. I just assumed it had to be something in my purse (I’ll throw anything in there…why I love me a big bag). Then today I set off the alarm again in Barnes and Noble. Thing is, this time I was only carrying my wristlet. So the only thing in common was me, my wallet and my phone. Confusion.

When I got home I figured I’d better check out those new jeans. Well, turns out it was just a stupid tag SEWN into the jeans. Why would they use a security system sewn into the product if they’re not going to un-charge desensitize them before handing them over to me? Crazy.

Oh well, it’s fixed now.

During this very same Kohls shopping trip, I thought I’d check out the clearance. You could tell they’d just organized or cleaned up since all the bras were organized nice and neatly by size. I took a quick peek and found two bras in my size; one black and lacy, one boring and beige. Perfect! And both were only like $6 each. Total score.

Then some time yesterday or so, I was lying in bed (probably napping after class) and it hit me that I bought the wrong size. I bought my old, pre-reduction size that I was over 10 years ago. What the hell.

Guess where I’ll be going later this week?

I’m half-wondering what sort of message is in these two related, yet not, fashion mishaps. Any idea?

You Can Rent the Strangest Stuff

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I’ve mentioned recently about my experience working towards going green in my day to day life. As such, I love to read books and blogs on the topic (speaking of, I love Sophie Uliano’s book, Gorgeously Green).

The other day I came across a list of the 18 different things you can rent instead of buying. I knew about some of them, such as the Flex Car, large equipment, party supplies and designer purses. But pets? Textbooks? Caskets? A wife???

Wow, I guess you really can rent just about anything these days. The good news, in some cases, you’re not only saving money, but you’re also saving the environment.

Giveaway: $60 FREE food at Your Favorite NORMS

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NORMS is turning 60 this year!

And to celebrate, they’re giving away $60 worth of food to one lucky My LA Blog reader.

That’s a whole lotta late night grub!!

I mean where else can you get a steak dinner (plus two sides), a salad, soup AND a dessert for $9.99 in LA???

When I first moved here to LA, I used to eat at NORMS with my co-workers almost weekly (and don’t tell anyone, but I still prefer NORMS over Dennys). I loved knowing that I could eat some decent, grubbing food for a good price. And there’s always something to tempt you on the menu. In fact, I just had a veggie burger there the other night on the way to the Girls in Tech event.

So here’s the deal…stop by the NORMS of your choice between now and Friday, November 27th (the day after Thanksgiving) and take a photo (or video) of yourself, your friends, your family, your food, your waitress, your receipt, you name it…just let us see that it’s at NORMS and leave me the link to your photo here in the comments and you’re entered. No purchase necessary.

UPDATE: if that all sounds like too much work and you just don’t have the time to swing by NORMS any time soon (I know just how crazy pre-holiday season can be), just leave a comment tell me why you enjoy NORMS or what your favorite thing to order might be. We’re easy like that. NO PURCHASE IS EVEN NECESsARY.

After Thanksgiving, I will use everyone’s favorite, handy dandy Random.org integer generator and pick a winner. That lucky winner will win $60 worth of free food at the NORMS of their choice.

And if you tweet about this contest or post it on your Facebook page or become a NORMS fan on Facebook, I’ll even throw in an extra chance to win. Just be sure to send me a screen cap or link to the tweet – each extra counts as one extra chance, so be sure to post them all individually in separate comments.

Best of luck!!!

Become a NORMS fan on Facebook! Follow them on Twitter! Read their blog! Watch them on YouTube!

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Post-Halloween Life Lesson

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Here’s what I notice…

When you don’t eat regular, American chocolate for a while and then eat it…it tastes like shit compared to European chocolate.

BUT…

If you keep eating those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups you’ll eventually start to swear they’re the best thing ever created.

Why is that?

PS – did you know that they actually make a perfume to smell like Reese’s cups? Gross!

NaBloPoMo: What Was I Thinking???

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I’ll admit it, I’m not thinking clearly.

Once again I’ve decided to participate in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). Basically, I commit to blog daily for the full month. This should be interesting since I’ve noticed that when I’m teaching, I can’t seem to find the time to post. So this year, more than with any of my past NaBloPoMo times, this should be a challenge.

I didn’t do it last year because we were in Ireland. I seems I even did it last year while we were in Ireland. Looking over everything, it looks like I skipped a couple days at the end of the month*. Then again, I had multiple days where I posted more than once. And of course, things got totally wonky in Ireland since we were half a day apart from where I was posting in Ireland and when it said I was posting in LA. Very wonky indeed.

I’m hoping I can do this. I can’t say that there’s a helluva lot going on right now that’s not school related. But we will have our mini-vacation soon. Strangely enough, it seems we tend to do mini-vacations in November (looking over past NaBlPoMo posts). Very strange indeed.

If you’d like to know a little more about me, feel free to hop on over to my About page. Otherwise, welcome to this mess I call NaBloPoMo!!

Wish me luck!

PS: If you’re an LA local gal, be sure to sign up for your chance to win a spa treatment at Dermalogica in Santa Monica

*just looked closer, seems I threw in the towel with only 8 days to go.

It’s Mid-Terms Week Here in LA Blogger Gal Land

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Let’s start with the obvious…I haven’t yet written up my review of the U2 show. I have a video to upload (complete with Collin Farrell sighting), but I you know how crazy long it takes for upload into YouTube. I’ll get around to it.

The second and somewhat obvious…man it’s cold here! Mind you, when Southern Californians say it’s “cold” it means it’s dipped into the mid 60’s or so during the day and the chilly 50’s at night. We’re crazy like that, I know. But we’ve actually had to turn the heat on these past couple nights and pull out the comforter. Next up, sweaters. Woohoo! My friends back in NM and CO are experiencing snow. Lucky them.

I gave my first mid-term (I think my first mid-term ever) this week. Overall, the kids did great. Since we’re a computer class, they basically just had to copy and format a document from scratch including uploading and sizing an image. It sounds easy I know, but it took them the full hour and a half to get it done. But they did it and did it well. Which means they got it and that feels good.

Next week we’re working on searching the web for info. So if you can think of any wacky or relevant things that the kids can search for in their scavenger hunt, feel free to leave suggestions in the comment section. I figure it’s a fun way to learn how to use the Internet beyond just Facebook and email.

Today I had them search for all sorts of discounts that they can get with their student ID. They were thrilled when they got to the page that talked about the restaurants that give discounts locally. Then they got even more excited when they realized that they can get travel discounts as well.

Like my TA pointed out, you really do forget that sometimes the stuff you know, isn’t the same sort of stuff that someone else might know. I mean it seems so obvious to us, yet so many people still have no idea about so many of the useful things you can find on the web.

And totally unrelated, as I sit here watching Ghost Whisperer while typing this out…why would they put JLH in such a beautiful grey backless dress if they’re just going to show her purple bra. It just looks tacky as all get out.

Oh yeah…local gals…don’t forget to register for your chance to win aFREE microZone Treatment at Dermologica in Santa Monica

I’m Beginning to Think I Might Be a Little Too Old For This

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I’m far too exhausted to sit down and do a recap worth anything. Instead, here’s a little audio clip with some thoughts.

Am I Getting Too Old For This?

(I haven’t yet gotten the MP3 player to work, so feel fee to click the link and go directly to the page to listen…it’s only a couple of minutes long).

[audio:http://labloggergal.com/audio/recording_5751.mp3]

It’s Just a Concert…Right?

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We’ll be heading out to the Rosebowl for the U2 360º show shortly and I have to say, I don’t think I’ve stressed out (or possibly feared) a concert as much as this one.

You see, there will be roughly 96,000 people (yes, I said ninety-six THOUSAND) at this show. They’re anticipating MAJOR traffic jams up and down the 210. Knowing how crazy the Rosebowl traffic can be just for a USC game where there’s usually only 30,000 or so people in attendance, you can imagine what a traffic nightmare this could be. They know that there won’t be enough parking, so of course they’re suggesting mass transit (how we’ll be getting in) and car pooling.

They’re also suggesting that folks get there 3-4 hours before the show even starts…to either sit in traffic, walk in from where you parked, or tailgate in the parking lot. Of course, I’m still trying to figure out how if I didn’t drive, and I can’t bring a hibachi and alcohol into the Rosebowl, how can I expect to actually tailgate..without an actual tailgate?? No worries, we know people (ha!) and will hopefully be spending a little time at one of the hospitality tents enjoying martinis. If all goes well, that is.

On top of all that, I can’t help but wonder what to wear. I mean right now it’s 75 or so. Later tonight though, for the walk back to the Metro, it will probably be in the low 60’s. So I’m thinking a t-shirt for now with a sweater in the backpack. I’m also bringing along extra sunscreen and a baseball hat. I mean, we’ll be standing in the sun for at least 2-3 hours. I figure once the sun goes down, I have about 60,000 of my closest friends nearby to help keep me warm.

I can’t recall the last time I put such an effort into attending a show. Maybe back when I saw the Police doing their big Synchronicity tour back in ’83. And well, let’s face it…I was a LOT younger then – a wee 14 and living for the moment.

That said, it’s time to finish getting ready and to head on out. I’ve set up my Cinch account for audio updates on my twitter feed (if you care to hear what’s going on). And I’ll post photos some time tomorrow or so.

If you’re at the Bowl, feel free to send me a Tweet and maybe we can enjoy a frosty beverage or two while we scream along with the band.

Don’t forget, even if you’re not at the show, you can watch the concert live tonight on YouTube starting at 8:30 Pacific…

Giveaway: FREE microZone Treatment at Dermologica in Santa Monica (closed)

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Win a FREE microZone® treatment at Dermalogica on Montana in Santa Monica!

Bothersome breakout?
Tired eyes?
Dull skin?

This quick skin fix gets you in, gets skin repaired and gets you out the door in a snap!

Expert skin therapists and amazing products will provide the solution on the spot in just 20 minutes with treatments like flash exfoliation (great for shaping up before events), extractions and even eye revitalization (perfect after long travels). That means no changing out of your clothes, no fuss and big results! They’ll even show you step-by-step how to identify your concerns and treat them effectively at home to maintain results.

through the window

HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment below telling me why you could use a free microZone Treatment (or any spa treatment for that matter) and you’ll be entered. I’ll even double your entry if you tweet or blog about this giveaway (just leave a comment with the link to your tweet or blog post). The contest ends Friday, November 6th at noon (and is only open to local SoCal folks).

If you don’t happen to win, you can stop by Dermalogica on Montana (Santa Monica) any time for a FREE Face Mapping®, which includes diagnosis, treatment, recovery and prevention. A licensed Dermalogica skin therapist analyzes your skin from forehead to collarbone, identifying potential problems, unique needs, and how to treat them professionally.

Spread the Word!!

AS A SIDE NOTE: I love Dermalogica’s Soothing Eye Make-Up Remover (best ever at getting the eye gook off and doesn’t sting or burn), Multivitamin Thermafoliant (love how it exfoliates, then heats up when you get it wet) and the Daily Microfoliant (no, I don’t use it daily, but it’s still a great exfoliant). That said, I wasn’t such a fan of their Exfoliating Body Scrub – it just didn’t seem to do much for my bumpy arms and scaley elbows.

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CONGRATULATIONS SURFERGRRL!!

Local LA Pumpkin Patches Go All ‘Ice Age 3’

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Everyone knows that Halloween isn’t worth it’s weight in candy if your little ones don’t get to visit a pumpkin patch.

This weekend, two local LA pumpkin patches will be taken over by the crew at Ice Age to help to get the season off right. As part of a nationwide initiative, Fox will be hosting Family Fun Days this Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, at two pumpkin patches in our community with professional pumpkin carving artists, movie giveaways and other festive activities that create the perfect fall outing for the entire family.

You will have the chance to win prizes including DVD copies of the first two installments of the Ice Age trilogy, and branded Ice Age glow sticks to keep Halloween night fun and safe.

If you get the chance, stop by Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch in Culver City or Lopez Pumpkin Patch on West 3^rd (across from the Grove) this coming weekend to take part in the festivities.

Times like this, I wish we weren’t D.I.N.K.s (dual income, no kids). So please, have some fun for me!! I’ll enjoy a pumpkin spice latte instead.

Photo: JMT Images