Welcome to Raising Califorina where you will be taken behind the scenes to peek at the lives of a Southern California family. You will have access to never before seen footage and exclusive interviews that will give you insight on what it is like to be a kid in California!
The National Weather Service has issued a Tsunami Advisory for Southern California and the entire West coast of the United States. What is a Tsunami Advisory? Per the National Weather Service, a Tsunami Advisory is defined as this:
TSUNAMI ADVISORIES MEAN THAT A TSUNAMI CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG CURRENTS OR WAVES DANGEROUS TO PERSONS IN OR VERY NEAR WATER IS IMMINENT OF EXPECTED. SIGNIFICANT WIDESPREAD INUNDATION IS NOT EXPECTED FOR AREAS IN AN ADVISORY. TSUNAMIS ARE A SERIES OF WAVES POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERAL HOURS AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL TIME.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED WHICH COULD IMPACT THE ADVISORY REGIONS LISTED IN THE HEADLINE. PERSONS IN LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. EVACUATIONS ARE ONLY ORDERED BY EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES. - PERSONS IN TSUNAMI ADVISORY AREAS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE WATER... OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF HARBORS AND MARINAS.
This is an image of Tara, who is the Buddhist goddess of Compassion and Mercy. She is said to hear the cries of beings experiencing misery. Being a regular meditation and yoga practitioner, I resonate greatly with the teachings and philosophy of Buddhism, but do not consider myself a Buddhist. The reason why I chose this image is because it adorns the cover of a book that we have titled : 1,001 Pearls of Buddhist Wisdom. The artwork and images in this book were the only thing that calmed California during his first two hospitalizations. He literally begged to see the pictures in this book the entire he was in the hospital. This tattoo will be in honor of California and his brave battles with severe Asthma, beginning at the age of 18 months old.
If you would like to learn more about California's hospitalizations due to Asthma click on the following links:
First Hospitalization
March 2007 (his second hospitalization ocurred two months after the first in May 2007)
If you would like to learn more about Buddhism, click here --- > Basic Buddhism Guide
In closing, L.A. Mama denounces the remarks made by Brit Hume on "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News) regarding Buddhism. The last thing we need in the world is more religious intolerance based on ignorance.
He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye. Buddha
Do you like this art? Go to Papayaart dot com to see more designs like this one. They sell gorgeous cards for every occasion, totebags, journals, calendars, art prints, water bottles and much more featuring creative designs similar to what is shown above.
Every year during the holiday season, we are bombarded by the newest tech gadgets, the latest, greatest big screen TVs (many of which have been banned in California by the way), more obnoxious lead ridden plastic toys and everything else to distract us from what the holiday season should be about. What is that, you say? LOVE, KINDNESS and COMPASSION. So, I went on a search for gifts that pay it forward. I have compiled some of my favorite choices for conscientious gift giving below (not listed in order of importance):
Soft plush version of your adopted animal wrapped in a cloth WWF gift bag
5" x 7" formal adoption certificate
5" x 7" full-color photo of your species
Species spotlight card, full of fascinating information about the animal
FREE priority shipping
Personalized acknowledgment letter to your gift recipient. See sample letter.
If you provide an email address for the gift recipient, they will also receive the following Bonus Online Premiums:
Printable, personalized adoption certificate for the species adopted
Computer desktop images of the adopted animal
Instant messenger icons of the adopted animal
Become a member of the Adoption of the Month Club You or the lucky recipient will receive a different plush every month for the next 12 months, while your gift helps protect animals and preserve habitats around the world.
3) Adopt a Cat or Dog
Save an animal from being killed at your local animal shelter. Adopt a cat or dog and give them the gift of LIFE while giving other members of your family a friend for life! To locate an animal shelter near you click here ---- > Locate an Animal Shelter
6) Give the Gift of Charity Looking for that perfect holiday gift? Go with a Good Card! The Good Card is a gift card with stored value that can be redeemed as a donation to any of more than 1.8 million charities. Click here to give the Good Card --- >The GOOD Gift Card
Give Blood! Why is your blood needed? The blood supply needs to be continually replenished. Only 38% of Americans are eligible to donate blood and out of those only 8% actually do. That amounts to only about 3 out of every 10 people. Your donations make a difference! Click here to find a blood drive near you.
Give Hair! Go to Locks of Love dot com to find out how you can donate your own hair to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children.
Give Organs!
Each organ and tissue donor saves or improves the lives of as many as 50 people. Giving the "Gift of Life" may lighten the grief of the donor's own family. Many donor families say that knowing other lives have been saved helps them cope with their tragic loss.
9) Donate Toys to Underprivileged and/or Sick Children
10) Smile at someone. Say kind words. Do nice things for people. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Walk a mile in another person's shoes. Be patient with others. Love.
So, the Santas here in the United States will see hundreds of children who, will sneeze, cough and wipe their runny nose all over Santa's sleeves, gloves and beard. Santa will return to the mall day after day wearing the same suit, beard and gloves...unlaundered. For some people that is fine. It isn't fine with me and it shouldn't be fine with any parent who has a child with asthma or any other chronic medical condition. For parents with healthy children, I would advise you to bring your own hand sanitizer with you on your trip to Santa's lap and to make sure your child does not have any flu like symptoms to protect the other children who will visit Santa after him/her. It's no fun to be sick during the holidays for any child and for asthmatic children, being sick often means hospitalization. We know from experience; California has been hospitalized four times and he is only four years old. So be smart and ensure that EVERYONE has a happy holiday!
We had the privilege of meeting a turkey a few years ago at the Gentle Barn (which was located in Tarzana, CA at the time). He was such a sweet, gentle bird. He followed us around and loved to be petted. Our experience with Tommy (the turkey) mirrors that of Erik Marcus, the author of Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating. He noted that, “Turkeys remember your face and they will sit closer to you with each day you revisit. Come back day after day and, before long, a few birds will pick you out as their favorite and they will come running up to you whenever you arrive." To read more interesting facts about turkeys click here --->The Hidden Lives of Turkeys
Tennessee really loved going to the Gentle Barn to hang out with Tommy, who is pictured above. Unfortunately, Tommy is no longer with us (read his life story here), but the Gentle Barn has rescued four more turkeys who can be adopted this Thanksgiving. We are vegetarians, so we never eat turkey, but we thought we would go a step further this year and adopt a turkey for Thanksgiving. If you would like to adopt a turkey this Thanksgiving, there are several organizations who have turkey adoptions this year. The following links will take you straight to the adoption of the turkey of your choice.
On November 13, 2009, the movie 2012 will premiere in theaters across the country. We have seen the ads for this movie in every nook and around every corner in L.A. and in cities nationwide. The billboard slogans have ranged from 2012: Google It to 2012: Will You Survive? to simply 2012. We have seen ads on the sides of Metro buses and on bus stop benches.
If you allow your kids to see the movie 2012 (or if they sneak in without your permission), the five minute excerpt below is just a taste of what they will be absorbing into their impressionable minds while munching on popcorn and twizzlers. The clip below shows the total destruction of Los Angeles. Click on it to watch, but make sure the kids are out of the room because it is ridiculously scary.
In addition to the movie 2012 causing a stir, The History Channel should be renamed "The Hysteria Channel" for airing various programs regarding 2012 being the "end times" and "doomesday" while blatantly misleading their viewers to believe that several cultures and sources have predicted the world will end in 2012. Because the culture of fear has seemed to drown out the voice of reason, I decided to post information for parents on how to talk about all this scary stuff with their kids.
Let's start out with a little background info:
First of all, let me assure you that I know what I am talking about. I have been researching the Mayan calendar for the past 10 years. Am I an expert who has written a book? No, but I have been blessed with impeccable intuition and good, solid common sense. The Mayan calendar is circular as shown in the image above. There is no beginning and no end (did ya get that??? - NO END). The Mayans believed in a series of cycles, therefore they apparently believed (based upon astronomical observations and complex mathematics) that the end of the final cycle will occur on December 21, 2012. This is Winter Solstice; it happens every year. Winter Solstice represents the exact day and time when the days will become longer and the promise of rebirth in the Spring.
What happens when a cycle ends? It starts all over again from the beginning. That is what we can expect from December 21, 2012. A new beginning to a new cycle. A transformation. Some say this will be a cosmic and/or spiritual transformation. The important thing to know is that the Mayans did not leave us any warnings of any kind because they did not see this as the end of the world. As a matter of fact, the Mayans still exist today and they refute the notion that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Read this link to learn more about what the Mayans have to say about 2012---> Mayans Say the World will NOT End in 2012
Here's what to tell your kids:
Age birth to 4
Just tell them that 2012 is a big number.
Age 5 - 8
Tell them that a lot of people think something is going to happen then, but they are wrong. Make sure that your kids know that you are confident about this and assure them that everything will be fine. Tell them that kids will be talking about it more and more as the year approaches, but it is just because it is on TV all the time. Open the door to communication about this subject because they will hear about it from their friends at school eventually.
Age 9 - 13
Tell them that the Mayan calendar is circular and has no end and that 2012 is just the end of a cycle. Make sure that they understand that people are making a big deal about this because of books, movies, TV and stuff they read on the internet. If they ask about catastrophes, tell them that there have always been earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis etc and there might be more because of Global Warming, but even the best Global Warming scientists have not predicted the end of the world. Once again, keep that door to communication open about this subject. Kids have lots of questions and incredible insight that needs to be expressed openly and freely.
Age 14+
Communicate with them as young adults. Don't patronize them or condescend. Show them that you are confident in your beliefs by planning for the future. Ask them to help you plan a New Year's Eve party for the year 2012 or some other event past December 21, 2012. Tell them everything in this post and incorporate the following talking points. Show them the links if they are interested.
1. The Mayans did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012.
As a matter of fact, their hieroglyphs show that the Earth and humanity was still alive and well in the year 3772 as noted in the article mentioned above. Link --->The Mayans Say the World Won't End in 2012
3. The Bible did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012.
As a matter of fact, the Bible states that no one knows the precise date and time the world will end, not even Jesus. Mathew 24:35-36 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."
4. The Hopi did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012. Period. Their prediction is vague and ambiguous and gives no dates or years. Link --->The Hopi Prophecy
5. Scientists did NOT predict the end of the world in 2012. They have predicted strong solar flare activity that actually began this year which is not unusual since solar flares go through an 11 year cycle of being "quiet" then becoming "active". Enhanced activity means satellites and even power grids on Earth are at risk of electrical malfunction. While blackouts are a possible scenario, they are hardly the apocalyptic end of the world. Link--->Solar Flares
By the way, California is not going to fall into the ocean, so Maynard James Keenan of the band Tool (I am a HUGE fan by the way and I have seen them three times in concert) will not get his wish in 2012. We won't have to "learn to swim" just yet as suggested in the song Aenima. Links --->Aenima Lyrics (Warning: Explicit)Listen to Aenima (Warning: Explicit)
People mistakenly believe that if something costs more, it is better and safer. WRONG! Maclaren has proven to us that is a fallacy and has recalled one million strollers sold at Babies R Us and Target since 1999. The problem? Their strollers have a tendency to amputate the fingers of babies and toddlers. It is nice to know that they waited 10 YEARS to announce a recall. The recall affects the following models: Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno, and Easy Traveller.
The stroller pictured above is a Maclaren Quest Mod that sells for $245 at Target. Maclaren has put out the statement that consumers can contact Maclaren at 877-688-2326 or visit www.maclaren.us/recall to receive a free repair kit. If I spent $245 on a stroller, I would expect the manufacturer to refund my money or replace my stroller NOT to give me a toll free number to ask for a repair kit so my kids fingers don't get cut off. What is wrong with them???
WE ARE:Vegetarians, Secular but Inclusive Home Schoolers, Green, Conscientious, Organic, Creative, Peaceful, Compassionate, Spiritual, Indigo/Crystal Children, Holistic, Independent Thinkers...WE LOVE:Music, ANIMALS, the EARTH, Science, Art, NATURE, our family & friends...WE LIKE TO:Take nature walks, go to the park, hike in the mountains, go to the beach, meditate, make wishes on stars, play in the rain, garden organically, do Yoga, celebrate diversity, climb trees...WE LIVEin the greater metropolitan area of Los Angeles; more specifically, the community of Santa Monica. Our pen names are: L.A. Mama & Daddio; Tennessee & California.Tennessee is TEN and was born in Nashville, TN. California is FOUR and was born in Burbank, CA. L.A. Mama is eternally young. No one knows her age. She was born in Missouri but fits in better in California :) Daddio is from Illinois and Missouri...he says he is 45 because he always rounds up to the nearest 5th.L.A. Mama got the idea for the title of this blog from the movie "Raising Arizona". It is a comedy about a free spirited couple who kidnaps a baby and attempt to be "good" parents. Nick Cage and Holly Hunter played the "adoptive" parents in the movie. It is cute.
L.A. Mama
Contact L.A. Mama
Send me an email at RaisingCaliforniaBlog@yahoo.com
Tinker Crate - Hands on STEM projects!
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Our first Tinker Crate arrived today. Tinker Crates are STEM (Science,
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each month...
Teach Compassion with Mama Cat and Her Kittens
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velcr...
Mold Victim in Glendale, California Needs Guidance
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My Toxic Mold Story is sharing the story of a reader. She needs treatment
for toxic mold exposure. *Please read her story and if there are any
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A Crystal Child Giving Reiki
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This is a five year old Crystal Child giving Reiki to his mother. He
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. The artwork and images in this book were the only thing that calmed California during his first two hospitalizations. He literally begged to see the pictures in this book the entire he was in the hospital. This tattoo will be in honor of California and his brave battles with severe Asthma, beginning at the age of 18 months old. 
and 
I like these because they smell great, are non-toxic and you can spray surfaces as well as hands with them. They come in handy while shopping and going to restaurants.
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